The Mighty Atom Archives - www.oldtimestrongman.com

Charles Atlas, PIC Magazine, October 18, 1938

Posted on Thursday, December 16th, 2021 by John Wood

Charles Atlas was enough of a celebrity back in the day that he started appearing in mainstream magazines and not just the back of comic books. Here he is on the cover of the October 19, 1938 issue of PIC magazine along with Laurie Lane and Carmen Miranda. PIC Magazine had only been around about a year at this point and mostly covered Hollywood news and gossip so a cover feature of Atlas is quite interesting. A few years later, PIC magazine ran a feature on The Mighty Atom.

The Mighty Atom Bites a Nail in Half

Posted on Monday, May 24th, 2021 by John Wood

Even as an old man, The Mighty Atom had a formidable set of choppers. Here, he easily bites the head off a nail at the York Museum sometime in the 1960’s (you can tell this is York because that’s the famous marble statue of John Grimek in the background.)

The Mighty Atom at Zern’s Market

Posted on Wednesday, December 5th, 2018 by John Wood

“For six months of the year, Joseph Greenstein of Brooklyn, New York parks his battered 1937 Dodge truck at Zern’s, a farmer’s market in rural Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania, where locals trade and sell everything from farm products to cattle to old postcards and used cars. In this setting, he is counselor, physician, hero, and even “saint” to the country people who spend their hard earned money on his wares.”

The Mighty Atom: Nail Biting

Posted on Tuesday, December 26th, 2017 by John Wood

The Mighty Atom draws a crowd while biting a nail in half. Among the onlookers are Bob Hoffman, Dick Bachtell on the bottom left and John Grimek on the lower right. Bob Hoffman listed this feat among the greatest strength feats he had ever witnessed.

The Mighty Atom ~ Biter of Steel!

Posted on Tuesday, October 31st, 2017 by John Wood

The Mighty Atom supposedly had a set of teeth that were twice as thick as a normal person. Sure seems like that’s the case since he could easily bite nails and chain links in half as if they were no more than bread sticks.

Slim The Hammer Man once told me a story that even he was skeptical of The Atom’s steel biting ability, so one day he asked The Atom to bite a nail in half in front of him. The Atom agreed without hesitation and picked a nail up from a nearby table to have a go. “Not so fast” said Slim, who then put that nail down and took another nail that he had inspected out of his pocket. Slim then physically placed the end of that nail between the Atom’s teeth “just in case.” Atom then bit down and with a loud “Crunch!” the nail was now in two pieces. There’s no getting around that one, The Atom was the real deal.

The Mighty Atom’s Performances

Posted on Friday, October 7th, 2016 by John Wood

We actually know several individuals who saw The Mighty Atom perform back in the day. Here’s a few bits of memorabilia from when you could still catch his live show.

The Mighty Atom’s Shoes

Posted on Tuesday, July 12th, 2016 by John Wood

… Speaking of shoes, here’s a pair which used to belong to The Mighty Atom. These currently reside in Slim the Hammerman’s Dungeon Gym. — If you’re lucky and know a few people who know a few people you may actually get to see them in person someday… Otherwise, if you show up uninvited at the Hammerman’s place you can expect a size-16 boot print on your forehead.

The Mighty Atom Bends Steel

Posted on Tuesday, December 8th, 2015 by John Wood

Here’s a look at “The Mighty Atom” Joe Greenstein bending a steel beam over the bridge of his nose with a little help from his friends. This extremely rare shot was taken in the ring at Madison Square Garden in 1974, the same night Slim The Hammer Man set the record for his amazing hammer lift. It was all at Aaron Banks’ big Karate show.

The Mighty Atom Escapes!

Posted on Sunday, March 2nd, 2014 by John Wood

Back in the Summer of 1939, “The Mighty Atom” Joseph Greenstein attempted an amazing (and quite dangerous) feat. He would be chained to a chair with a car traveling at 40 miles per hour spaced out far enough to give him two minutes of lead time. If the Atom couldn’t break free of the chains in time the speeding automobile would run right over him! A news magazine was on hand with a photo crew to document the action, and, as you can see, the Atom made it …barely.

The Mighty Atom’s Hair

Posted on Wednesday, October 16th, 2013 by John Wood

The Mighty Atom's Hair

“Strongmen” are so named based on the strength of their muscles, or at least that’s how it is in most cases. The Mighty Atom Joseph Greenstein was certainly quite strong from a muscular standpoint but he also had unusually strong hair. With the aid of a strong comb, The Mighty Atom could pull vehicles with his hair, and, as shown above, even use it to bend steel bars.