As we all know, New Year's Day brings with it a renewed determination for self-improvement...even for comic book superheroes!
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As we all know, New Year's Day brings with it a renewed determination for self-improvement...even for comic book superheroes!
Posted by Comic Coverage on January 01, 2009 in Cover to Cover (61-70), Cover To Cover columns, Funny Stuff, Holiday Fun | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: 2009 resolutions, comic book superheroes, Happy New Year, New Year's resolutions, self-improvement
So far, my Humble Beginnings posts have dealt with the visual quirks of various characters as they were just starting out. However, some of the weirdest moments from that awkward formative phase weren't visual but emotional. You see, long before characters became the familiar personalities we know today, their creators experimented with different approaches before the proper tone was struck. In the case of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, that experimentation took a decidedly unsettling turn in an early issue of The X-Men.
First, it should be established that all of the mutant super-team's members were clearly identified as teen-agers...all of whom were trained by Professor Charles Xavier at his School for Gifted Youngsters. Some forty-five years later, the image of Xavier is that of a fatherly mentor figure...but in this panel from X-Men #3 (1964), Professor X was more of a Professor Letch!
Uh, Chuck? Perhaps the reason you have "no right" to tell Jean Gray of your love for her has nothing to do with your leadership status or your wheelchair....but maybe the fact that she's a teenager and you're an old dude! Eeeewwwwwww!
Now, as far as I know, this twisted emotional angle was never brought up again (X-Men experts can correct me if I'm wrong), but I'm shocked it ever made it into print in the first place. As much as standards have evolved over the past half-century, I still don't think this sort of thing went over particularly well with a 1964 audience.
Posted by Comic Coverage on January 02, 2009 in Humble Beginnings | Permalink | Comments (16) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: Jean Gray, Professor X, X-Men
Another new year, another flair-up in the dreary, dysfunctional Middle East. It's a five thousand year-old conflict that no politician will ever solve...yet a headline caught my eye that suggested the possibility of a real and lasting peace. According to this article, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert offered clarification...and an intriguing ultimatum!
On a visit Thursday to a southern Israeli city recently hit by more-advanced Palestinian rockets, Olmert said the military was doing all it could to avoid civilian casualties. "We will treat the population with silk gloves, but will apply an iron fist to Hamas," said Olmert.
Posted by Comic Coverage on January 03, 2009 in Comics Blather | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: Ehud Olmert, Hamas, Iron Fist, Israel, Kung Fu Diplomacy, Middle East conflict
It's the duty of every adult to pass along knowledge to the next generation... even Superman! Back in Action Comics #282 (1961), the Man of Steel agreed to be a guest teacher at a Metropolis public school. The subject matter? Natural history...specifically dinosaurs!
(click on the panels for a larger view)
Posted by Comic Coverage on January 04, 2009 in Comics Blather, Funny Stuff | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: Action Comics, dinosaurs, Superman, Those Who Can Teach
In all my years of reading and collecting comics, I've come across literally hundreds of contests and promotional sweepstakes offered by comic book advertisers. My interest in each contest would vary depending on how cool the prizes were...some of which definitely did look cool, while most didn't seem worth the hassle.
"First Prize...a Gemini Spacecraft! No put-on. This is for real--the wildest, way out prize ever awarded in any contest: a 19-foot prototype of the famed NASA spacecraft."
"Your Gemini capsule is just like the original. There's a detachable hatch, equipment section, and retro-fire package. Accurate from the ground up!"
"When you win Gemini you'll be at the airport when it arrives in a 'Flying Guppy' Aero Spacelines plane. Your name and picture will be in newspapers and magazines all over the country. How will it feel to present your spacecraft to your city for a park or museum? Famous, that's how."
"There's more. As the grand prize winner, you'll receive a professional Vox 'Serenader' guitar--plus, every Revell Model Kit! Sounds great."
Posted by Comic Coverage on January 05, 2009 in Classic Ads | Permalink | Comments (14) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: Aero Spacelines, Flying Guppy, Gemini Spacecraft, NASA, Paul Harvey, Revell models, Vox Serenader
Some of the best comic book covers are the ones that can define a character in a single image. That's absolutely the case with Judge Dredd #1.
Hugely popular in Great Britain since the late 70's, I'd actually never heard of the character until I spotted the first issue of Eagle Comics' U.S. reprint series back in 1983. However, this fantastic cover illustration told me all I needed to know about Mega-City One's top cop...or at least enough to hook me in.
Another big selling point for me was the fact that Brian Bolland was the illustrator. First catching my attention two years earlier, then blowing my mind with his Camelot 3000 artwork, I instantly recognized his clean, expressive style on this blazing red cover. Like nothing I'd ever seen before, that image of a baroquely-costumed Dredd and his unconscious monster-punk perp perfectly captured the vibe of the uber-macho action and sociopolitical satire that defined the British cult superstar. In fact, the cover almost seemed like a grim public service announcement you might see displayed in Mega-City One, the futuristic city where Dredd and his fellow officers are (quite literally) one-man judges, juries, and executioners.
As I recall, this was also the first time I'd ventured beyond the comfortable confines of DC and Marvel Comics and tried one of the so-called "Independent" publishers that were popping up all over the place in the early 80's. So that, combined with the book's quality (and quirkiness), made the Judge Dredd #1 experience a memorable milestone in my long comic-collecting journey.
I stuck with the title for a year or two, always savoring the covers and interior art of Brian Bolland...who quickly became (and remains to this day) one of my favorite comic book illustrators.
However, despite being the guy to visually "introduce" America to Judge Dredd, Bolland hadn't worked on the title nearly as much as other artists, so once the Bolland reprints dried up, so did my interest in the title. The looser, grittier work of guys like Mike McMahon and Cam Kennedy...while popular in Britain, just didn't have the polish and style I saw in the "Definitive Dredd" of Brian Bolland.
Posted by Comic Coverage on January 06, 2009 in Simply the Best | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: Brian Bolland, Cam Kennedy, Eagle Comics, Judge Dredd, Mike McMahon
The other day, my pal Dan sent me a link to the Scoop, which trumpeted an upcoming auction for a truly legendary page of original artwork.
Posted by Comic Coverage on January 08, 2009 in Comics Blather | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: Heritage Auctions, MAD, original comic book artwork, Superduperman, Wally Wood
Using your knowledge of comic book history, take a guess at who made the following anti-comics statement:
"Comics...have created a world of fantasy that is almost as real to adults as it is to children. And that means that sane grownups cannot tell the difference between fact and fancy. There are millions of normal men and women today who have no mental resistance at all to tales of the weirdly impossible. No supernatural being is too illogical to believe in. Orson Welles' fascinating radio experiment proved that Americans today are living an imaginary mental life in a comics-created world."
Continue reading "No Mental Resistance to the Weirdly Impossible!" »
Posted by Comic Coverage on January 09, 2009 in Comic History, Comics Blather | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: All-American Comics, Family Circle, Max Gaines, William Moulton Marston, Wonder Woman
In the aftermath of last summer's stunning success of The Dark Knight, some of you may recall that Warner Bros. bigwig Jeff Robinov had an epiphany that all DC superhero movies should be similarly dark and brooding...even if the characters weren't dark and brooding by nature like Batman. Naturally, I was irritated that such a clueless doofus was calling the shots at the WB...especially when compared to Marvel's rock-solid and incredibly faithful adaptations of their own properties.
"A lot of the DC movies at Warner Brothers are all on hold while they figure out, they're going to come up with some new plan, methodology, things like that so everything has just been pressed pause on at the moment. It was the double header of both Iron Man and The Dark Knight coming out, so more than ever I think they've realized, I think DC was responsible for 15% of Warner Brother's revenue this year, something crazy like that, so they realized that comic books, it's become a new genre, one of the most successful genres."
Posted by Comic Coverage on January 10, 2009 in TV and Film | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: David Goyer, DC Comics, Jeff Robinov, Marvel Comics, The Dark Knight, Warner Bros superhero movies
More of the small details that made a BIG impression, picked at random from the cobweb-caked recesses of my comic-addled brain.
1. Corner Box Icons: Few things evoke the comics of my youth more readily than the corner cover icons of 1970's Marvel Comics. To borrow a term from the internet age, these tiny "avatars" in the corner boxes not only looked cool, but were also a clever way to grab a kid's attention on a crowded spinner rack. Their competitor DC Comics half-heartedly tried a few similar approaches, but never stuck with a design long enough to make them as effective a marketing tool as the Marvel corner icons.
2. John Romita's Hulk: Although I've always been fond of Marvel's Hulk character, he was a HUGE favorite of mine as a kid. Unfortunately, the character's primary artists during that era were Herb Trimpe and Sal Buscema...who, despite their long stints on the title, never quite nailed my ideal vision of the Jade Giant. That honor belonged to cover artist supreme John Romita Sr., whose portrayal of the Hulk is the definitive version as far as I'm concerned.
As you can see from the head shots below, whether he pencilled and inked, or just inked over another artist (like squares 2 and 3), Romita's Hulk remained remarkably consistent or "on model" as we say in the cartooning biz.
Here's a few of the distinctive Romita Hulk characteristics:
A) A big, shaggy head of hair
B) A heavy brow over wide-set eyes,
C) A compact nose with wide, flaring nostrils
D) A large upper lip area
E) Exaggerated "parenthesis" lines framing the area between the nose and mouth
F) A pronounced lower lip set above a surprisingly blunted chin
3. The S.H.I.E.L.D Helicarrier: Several years before the Death Star of Star Wars surpassed it, the mammoth S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier was probably the largest (and coolest) man-made construct in all of science fiction...or at least it was in my little corner of the cosmos (click on the image for a larger view). Built by a cooperative of scientists and industrialists (including Reed Richards and Tony Stark), the Helicarrier fuctioned as both a flying aircraft carrier and a mobile headquarters for the planet's premiere intelligence/defense agency .
Although the design has changed a bit since its debut in Strange Tales #135 (1965), the array of gigantic helicopter rotors keeping it aloft have remained...a staggeringly impossible (yet endearing) feat of engineering that could only work in the pseudo-scientific skies of superhero comic books. In fact, even as a kid I wondered how fighter jets could land on a surface buffeted by the hurricane-force winds generated by the rotors...or how those same winds and the engine stress didn't tear apart the entire Helicarrier. However, if there's one thing I learned to do early on with superhero comics books, it was to sweep those nagging scientific objections under the rug and just enjoying the awesome spectacle of it all. The Helicarrier flew because it did. 'Nuff said!
Posted by Comic Coverage on January 12, 2009 in Random Coolness | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: John Romita Sr., Marvel Comics corner box icons, S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, The Incredible Hulk
Hey, you 21st century kids may have your Playstations and iPods...but back when I was a kid, we had Plastigoop!
Posted by Comic Coverage on January 13, 2009 in Classic Ads, On the Flip Side, YouTube Theatre | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: comic book ads, Creepy Crawlers, DuPont Chemical Co., Fright Factory, Mattel, Plastigoop, Thingmaker
Remember that ad for the Revell sweepstakes I ran last week? You know, the one that promised a full-size replica of a Gemini spacecraft as its grand prize? Yeah, that one. I was dying to find out more about this insanely cool prize and, at Ian's suggestion, decided to go right to the source and contact the Revell PR department.
"That Mockup was won by a youth in Portland Oregon and was donated to OMSI where it has been a valuble tool for teaching. I know as I have simulated missions many times with my students."
"Dear Mark,
I spoke to a man by the name of Howard Reider. Howard was the man who brought this idea to life. In 1967, he was the PR & Marketing Manager for Revell. He was very sorry, but had zero information on who won the prize. His best suggestion would be to look in local papers in Oregon or possibly Boys Life Magazine archives as the prize was donated by a winner to a local museum. Possibly, the museum in Oregon has a file on this and the boy that won.
To confirm for all, this was not a model. This was an actual replica that was produced by McDonald Douglas. The capsule had to be shipped via railroad direct to the museum. The prize was awarded via a sweepstakes type entry, in order to win; the winner had to agree that they would donate to a local museum for two reasons, (1) So that others may enjoy and (2) Because it had to be shipped via railroad direct to the donation site.
A little more trivia for you, the cost of building this kit was $5,000. In 1967 $5,000 was unheard for any type of prize. Plus the additional model kits that the kid won. At least the kid got to keep all the model kits as he watched his beloved capsule given away. There were numerous glitches along the way in production. At the last minute McDonald Douglas said they would not provide the capsule. However, after seeing all the press etc, they some how found a way to complete the project and deliver to the museum.
I would be interested in hearing any further information on this if the museum has the name of the winner etc.
I realize this does not answer your number one question of WHO the big winner is, hopefully, you will find some of this info helpful.
Also, it made Howard's day when I called him and asked about this. He said in all the years after this contest, not one person ever called him about it again. He was astounded that now 40+ years later that people are interested.
Please keep me advised if you are able to find the winner etc."
Regards,
Joyce Collier
Revell Sales
Posted by Comic Coverage on January 14, 2009 in Classic Ads | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: Gemini spacecraft, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Revell sweepstakes
Posted by Comic Coverage on January 16, 2009 in Comics Blather, Superpowers That Time Forgot | Permalink | Comments (12) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: forgotten superpowers, Superman, telepathic will control
"Scarecrow! Scarecrow!
The soldiers of the King feared his name. Scarecrow!
On the southern coast of England, there's a legend people tell,
Of days long ago when the great Scarecrow would ride from the jaws of Hell
And laugh (Ahhh! Ha-ha! Ha-ha! Haaa!) with a fiendish yell!"
"With his clothes all torn and tattered,
Through the black of night he'd ride,
From the marsh to the coast like a demon ghost
He'd show his face then hide (He'd rob the rich then hide)
And he'd laugh (Ahhh! Ha-ha! Ha-ha! Haaa!) till he split his side!
Scarecrow! (Scarecrow!) Scarecrow! (Scarecrow!)"
excerpts from The Scarecrow Song, by Gerard Shermann and Terry Gilkyson
As a kid, I was a big fan of The Wonderful World of Disney, broadcast Sunday evenings on NBC. My favorite shows were, of course, the animated shorts of Donald Duck and Goofy (not so much Mickey)...but I also have fond memories of Disney's lavish live action movies. One of them, above all, fascinated me from the first (and only) time I saw it in an early 1970's rebroadcast.
Posted by Comic Coverage on January 17, 2009 in TV and Film | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: Dr. Syn, Patrick McGoohan, Russell Thorndike, Scarecrow of Romney Marsh, Walt Disney, Wonderful World of Disney
Posted by Comic Coverage on January 19, 2009 in Superpowers That Time Forgot | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: obscure powers, super-ventriloquism, Superman's forgotten superpowers
Posted by Comic Coverage on January 20, 2009 in Dear Editor | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: Julius Schwartz, Mayor John Lindsay, rampaging hippies
"Phenomenal cosmic powers! Itty-bitty living space." – The Genie from Disney's Aladdin
Posted by Comic Coverage on January 21, 2009 in Just For Fun | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: comic book objects of power, deux ex machina
Posted by Comic Coverage on January 23, 2009 in Superpowers That Time Forgot | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: Lois Lane, obscure Superman powers, Super-Antiquing Breath, Truth Mirror
It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of DC's Kingdom Come (1996). Set in a near-future version of the DC Universe, this four-issue opus by creators Alex Ross and Mark Waid was equal parts a cinematic spectacle and a surprisingly philosophical meditation on the responsibilities and dangers of power.
Although it ostensibly focused on the conflict between older, traditional heroes and a reckless, amoral generation of young vigilanties, I see much more to the tale...especially as I grow older. Whether or not it was intended by Ross and Waid, and despite its superhero trappings, Kingdom Come reflects the larger philosophical conflicts and clashes I see and experience in the world around me. For example, amidst yet another great political shift, Kingdom Come's warnings against the hubris of power and corrupted utopian visions is as timely as ever.
Of course, being the Superman fan that I am, Kingdom Come's older version of Superman is not only my favorite character in the story, but a point of personal identification as well. No, I've never faced the temptation to level the United Nations with my super-strength (I don't have super-strength), but as an unapologetically conservative guy, I sometimes feel as anachronistic and estranged from the society around me as this morality play's conflicted central character.
This "stranger in a strange land" theme was driven home yet again in a recent (and pleasantly surprising) guest appearance of the Kingdom Come Superman in the pages of Justice Society of America. Cleverly set between Kingdom Come #3 and #4, the older Superman was drawn through a dimensional rift into an extended adventure with the JSA.
Which brings us (at last) to my Highlight Reel clip. In the final chapter of Thy Kingdom Come (JSA #22), Superman was returned to his native dimension after defeating the messianic threat of Magog. After re-presenting a few of Kingdom Come's closing scenes (this time from different camera angles), the once-tragic tale of the Kingdom Come Superman and his world draws to a triumphant, transcendent end...as gloriously illustrated by Kingdom Come co-creator Alex Ross!
Note: Those of you who aren't familiar with Kingdom Come or DC Comics in general, I'll post some comments you might find helpful below each pair of pages (click on the pages for larger views).
Page 1: Superman has just finished burying the bodies of the superheroes destroyed by an atomic bomb. Wonder Woman's gift is, essentially, the restoration of Superman's Clark Kent personna...which he had abandoned during his self-imposed exile from human society (where we found him in Kingdom Come #1). For fellow fans of the story...compare this page to its corresponding scene in Kingdom Come #4. Ross' shift in camera angles is pretty cool.
Page 2: 10 years later, Clark and Diana are obviously "married with children", visited by a doting Bruce Wayne (in a full-body exoskeleton from his long Batman career). 20 years later, we witness the funeral of Batman, attended by a virtual who's-who of Kingdom Come cast members...including a grief-stricken Selina (Catwoman) Kyle in the foreground.
Page 3: 100 years later, an enigmatic glimpse of Earth's future as humanity (accompanied by what appear to be members of Clark and Diana's family) takes to the stars while the proud "First Couple" looks on. Note the sunburst shirt Clark is wearing matches the one worn by his father Jor-El in Silver Age Superman comics (left). 200 years later, a planet-wide disaster is grieved by Clark, Diana and (presumably) a small band of their family members. 500 years later, Superman leads the rebuilding of human society, using his powers and Kansas farmer know-how to bring life to dead soil. Sharp-eyed Superman fans will note how his flying pose echoes the famous cover pose of Superman #1 (1939).
Page 4: 1000 years later, as a humble old man makes his way through a futuristic utopia (note the glimpse of criss-crossing blue laces around his feet), the Legion of Superheroes soars overhead. Briefly glimpsed in a single panel of Kingdom Come, the appearance of the super-teens (including a Superboy and a Supergirl) bring the saga full circle, to the obvious joy of an aged Superman (still sporting his Clark Kent spectacles).
Posted by Comic Coverage on January 24, 2009 in The Highlight Reel | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: Alex Ross, Clark Kent, Justice Society of America, Kingdom Come, Legion of Superheroes, Superman
Having a comic book collection that spans over half a century, I'm continually fascinated by comic book ads and the insight they offer into their native eras. My favorites were the eclectic, low-budget ads published prior to the 1980's, before slick campaigns for video games and junk food crowded out all of the fly-by-night hucksters, musclemen, and pranksters.
In that pre-1980's era, you never knew what you'd see advertised in those crazy-quilt grids of low-tech capitalism. In fact, taken together, it's astounding to realize just how much bizarre and flat-out dangerous stuff was readily available to the average kid of the 1950's, 60's, and 70's. Sure, there were the karate ads promising forbidden knowledge of secret pressure points...ads for fireworks, live monkies, model rockets, and sweepstakes with knives, whips, and axes for prizes. But they were nothing compared to the deadly loot available from the US Army Surplus ads!
When the US military no longer needed various types of equipment, it would sell the surplus items at public auction, usually to entrepreneurs who'd then sell the goods to the general public through surplus stores or ads like this one. Appearing in late 1966 issues of Marvel comics, this half-page ad is tough to decipher at first glance due to its tiny type and cluttered layout. So, instead of straining your eyes to read those itty-bitty blocks of copy, let me blow a few of them up...because they've got to be seen to be believed. Keep in mind, these ads were aimed squarely at children and teenagers. Look this stuff...and imagine you're a kid in 1966 with a few bucks to spend. What would YOU buy?
Machettes? Hand & Leg Irons? CANNONS?
Now, alot of this stuff was well beyond what one kid could afford in 1966, but you'd be surprised how much money enterprising Baby Boomers could scrape together in no time flat! How many neighborhoods do you think pooled their resources together for their very own jeep, boat, airplane, or passenger bus?
Army weapons and vehicles not your style? Well, in another ad from the same comic book, the smart kids could spend $6.95 for their very own Atomic Energy Lab!
Truly an age of WONDERS (and cheap, readily-available cannons)!
Posted by Comic Coverage on January 26, 2009 in Classic Ads | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: atomic energy lab, classic comic book ads, US Army surplus
Writer Grant Morrison is undoubtedly one of the biggest stars in comics today. Known for an utterly unique brand of wonky, non-linear storytelling, Morrison's positioned himself as some kind of cosmic shaman brimming with avante-garde, metatextual wonders. In some cases, like his 1990's JLA run and the recent All-Star Superman, he can create some truly fresh and transcendent stuff...but other times, his preoccupation with gonzo concepts and deconstruction has lead to some very esoteric storytelling. The best example of this latter category can be seen in DC's Final Crisis event, the supposed "Crisis to End All Crises" that many (including Yours Truly) have found to be a cold, incoherent experience. So much so, that I believe this parody of his own style could be Morrison's way of signaling his imminent departure from mainstream superhero comics to think Great Thoughts, converse with the Universal Harmonic, or whatever such advanced beings do.
To better prepare for Morrison's ascension into the metaphysical mists (or to do his own solo projects), who's going to take the Enlightened One's place in the comic book firmament? Why, ANY of us, of course! That's right, using the Grant Morrison Guide to Writing, you'll be writing your own mindblowing Morrisonisms in no time!
Posted by Comic Coverage on January 27, 2009 in Comics Blather, Funny Stuff | Permalink | Comments (16) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: cosmic beatnik, Final Crisis, gonzo storytelling, Grant Morrison, Morrisonisms
Posted by Comic Coverage on January 28, 2009 in Superpowers That Time Forgot | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: Death of Superman, forgotten superpowers, Superman
As I alluded to in yesterday's comments, there was an insane scene in a Superman story I vividly recalled reading, but was unable to remember where I saw it. Well, thanks to my buddy Dan (and his black belt Google skills), I learned the scene appeared in Superman #226 (1970).
Posted by Comic Coverage on January 29, 2009 in Comic History, Comics Blather | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: Jumping the Shark, King Kong, Kryptonite, Kryptonite Nevermore, Superman, The Adventures of Superman radio show
In classic form, editor Stan Lee had this to
say regarding Asgard's chronic lack of ladies:
Although Stan forgot to mention Hela, Asgard's mysterious personification of death, it's clear he realized that "Ronny" had a point. However, not even Stan's example of the fair Lady Sif appeared to be especially feminine (considering the bizarre way Jack Kirby was drawing her at the time)...
That giant forehead, receding hairline, and blobby spitcurl made Sif look more like Andrew "Squiggy" Squiggman from the old Laverne & Shirley show than a beautiful Asgardian goddess! Yeeesh!
Posted by Comic Coverage on January 30, 2009 in Dear Editor | Permalink | Comments (16) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: comic book letter pages, Jack Kirby, Lady Sif, Norse gods, Squiggy, Stan Lee, Thor