Space exploration comic books, 1958-1961

The 1950s and 1960s saw spaceflight evolve from a preoccupation of a few science-fiction fans to a focus of interest for general popular culture. This collection of space- themed comic books includes an early 1960s publication from General Electric, called “Our Place In Space.” It was apparently published as a marketing and public relations tool to educate and excite young people. One page highlights GE’s contributions to the X-15 rocket-powered jet plane and, without any sense of irony, it also celebrates the early U.S. nuclear inter-continental ballistic missle (ICBM) program.