MATTHEW LOONEY IN THE OUTBACK

Wouldn't you know. . . when the first Earthmen land on the Moon (after a spate of disruptive space probes), it's Matthew Looney, now promoted to Space Commander, who's appointed head of the expedition to establish a new planetary base--if the Earth won't respect the territorial integrity of the Moon, the Moon will gun up by outflanking her. But stranded Earthers Leonard O. Davinchy, a pure scientist, and Wiley Kalmuck, a gangster type, hijack Matt's spaceship and force an Earth landing (in the Outback). To the horror of Robinson K. Russo of the Anti-Earth League who's aimed a pulverizing Lava-Four bomb at the Earth. . . and even if Matt and his party take off, with the Earth gone, where will the Moon be? A real blast for Loonatics with some not-so-looney implications.