the great marvel series
by Roy Rockwood


Great Marvel DJ

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"Since the days of Jules Verne, tales of flying machines and submarine boats have enjoyed increasing popularity.
Stories of adventures, in strange places, with peculiar people and queer animals, make this series noteworthy and popular."
From a Couples & Leon advertisement.

Roy Rockwood was a popular Syndicate house name and was used on Bomba the Jungle Boy, Dave Dashaway, The Speedwell Boys, and other publications.

One of the first products of the Stratemeyer Syndicate and its earliest venture into science fiction.
This series is somewhat of an oddity due to the huge time gaps that occurred between the release of volumes 6 & 7 and volumes 8 & 9.

All volumes originally published by Cupples & Leon.
Each volume had a full color dustjacket and the the cover was also illustrated. Variations in the number of colors used on the cover printing have been observed.

Authors:
#1-5 and #8 Howard Garis
#6 W. Bert Foster
#7 John W. Duffield
#9 unknown

Illustrators:
Charles Nuttall (1-3)
G.M. Kizer (4)
anonymous (5,6)
Ernest Townsend (7)
Ed Whittemore (8)
C.R. Share (9)

In the late 30's or early 40's, Whitman Publishing Company reprinted volumes 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9. New dustjackets were designed and the illustrated bindings were eliminated as were the internal illustrations.

In the mid-30's, Cupples & Leon released a 4-in-1 book, Mystery and Adventure Stories for Boys, containing the first story of this series along with Billy Smith - Exploring Ace, The Boy Ranchers & Baseball Joe Of The Silver Stars.
 

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1: Through The Air To The North Pole - 1906
    or, The Wonderful Cruise Of The Electric Monarch
    "The tale of a trip to the frozen North with a degree of reality that is most convincing."

2: Under the Ocean To The South Pole - 1907
    or, The Strange Cruise Of The Submarine Wonder
    "The vessel moves from the coast of Maine to the boiling sea of the South Pole, and during the trip the voyagers visit the bottom of the ocean--the graveyard of many ships--and have numerous stirring encounters with deep-sea monsters."

3: Five Thousand Miles Underground - 1908
    or, The Mystery Of The Center Of The Earth
    "A craft is built which will sail in the air and under the water, and in this the adventurers descend to the interior of our globe by means of a hole found on an island in the ocean."

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4: Through Space To Mars - 1910
    or, The Most Wonderful trip On Record
    "A thrilling tale of a visit to the planet Mars. The adventurers meet with many happenings out of the ordinary. The volume reads like the record of a real trip."

5: Lost On The Moon - 1911
    or, In Quest Of The Field Of Diamonds
    "In a like manner to their visit to Mars, the heroes visit the Moon. They search for a field of diamonds and find the moon to be a land of desolations and silence. They almost perish from cold and hunger. A startling romance that will hold and charm very reader."

6: On A Torn-Away World - 1913
    or, Captives Of The Great Earthquake
    "After a tremendous convulsion of nature the adventurers find themselves captives on a vast 'island in the air.'"

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7: The City Beyond The Clouds - 1925
    or, Captured By Red Dwarfs
    "The City Beyond The Clouds is a weird place, full of surprises, and the impish Red Dwarfs caused no end of trouble. There is a fierce battle in the woods and in the midst of this a volcanic eruption sends the Americans sailing away in a feverish endeavor to save their lives."

8: By Air Express To Venus - 1929
    or, Captives Of A Strange People
    "Our heroes are captured by strange inhabitants of the inside world and have a series of adventures as wonderful as they are absorbing."

9: By Space Ship To Saturn - 1935
    or, Exploring The Ringed Planet
    "After a rocket ship race to Saturn, two boys have harrowing adventures with snakes at the Boiling Lake in this Land of Vapors."