Comic Coverage

If Ever a Whiz There Was

To really shine in the world of comic book superheroes, you've gotta have three things going for you:

Those three qualities add up to what we call an "A-Lister".  You know who they are: Superman, Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman, Iron-Man, Batman, Captain America, and other icons...all of whom have cool powers, compelling origins, and classic names.

Although three is the gold standard, it's been shown that you can be a reasonably successful "B-Lister" with only two of those qualities. For example, you could have cool powers, a cool origin, yet have a not-so-hot name (like Green Lantern or J'onn J'onzz) and still get some high visibility and good gigs.

However, possessing only one of the three qualities isn't going to get you anywhere but the C-List. 

Let's take young Robert Frank, for example.  Making his debut in USA Comics #1 (1941), his power of super-speed certainly qualified as cool...but calling himself The Whizzer (while wearing a bright yellow costume, no less) instantly disqualified him from the "cool name" category.

Granted, when the word "whiz" was used back in the 1940's, it wasn't the snicker-inducing word it is today, as the term "gee whiz", "Whiz Comics" and this 1948 ad for a motorized bike can attest...

But still...I would think even by the less puerile standards of the 1940's, "The Whizzer" was an odd choice for a superhero name.

Ah...but what about his origin?  Don't these super-speedster origins usually involve cool stuff like lightning or secret formulas?  Well, not in this case. In fact, it's no exaggeration to say that the Whizzer probably had the lamest origin in the 70+ years of superhero comic books. Don't believe me?  Here, check out a summary of his origin from Marvel Premiere #29 (1976) for the laughably insane details (click on the image for a larger view):

That's right, Robert Frank gained super-speed from an emergency transfusion of mongoose blood...and when even writer and Golden Age acoylyte Roy Thomas seems embarassed by your name and origin, you've got problems.

Happily, the Whizzer was revived for a short time during the 1970's for a series of well-received Avengers stories. Returning to action as a much older man, he was initially thought to be the long-long father of the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver (later disproven), but ultimately sacrificed his life to give a second chance to his actual son, the mutant known as Nuklo. 

Which goes to show: In the proper hands, even a C-list strike-out like the Whizzer (mongoose blood and all) has a great story just waiting to be told.

The Wonder (and Chunder) of Comic Book Technology!

 

A pillar of science fiction tradition, the hand-held ray gun has been the weapon of choice for multiple generations of comic book supervillains and space heroes.

Well, that fictional reality just got one step closer thanks to a tech firm here in the good ol' United States. According to an article posted at The Register (an British online tech publication), the hand-held arms race is off to a...colorful...start.

US firm says handheld puke ray is ready to go

Pistol style chunder-gat and torch/vom-sabre models

A US industrial laser company says it has developed a functional puke-ray system, ideal for use by cops or military personnel wishing to take down their opponents without shooting them. The firm proposes to issue the "non lethal light fighting technology" in two form factors - light-sabre/torch and blaster-pistol. The so-called Dazer Laser™ technology comes from Laser Energetics Inc, of New Jersey, which has been supplying more conventional laser equipment since 1991. Now, however, the company is pleased to announce its new Defender™ and Guardian™ chunder-beam weapons.
     "This life saving non-lethal weapon will help all branches of the military, law enforcement, correctional facilities, security, border patrol, piracy control, homeland security, airport security and much more," says Laser Energetics CEO Robert Battis.

     Battis says that his regurge-ray weapons are better than the well-known Taser electrojolt stungun as they have a longer effective range and aren't single-shot. If an embattled cop, soldier etc. misses the target at first he can simply swing the dazzle-beam onto his opponent's face and leave him slipping and stumbling helplessly in a self-generated chunky puddle.

 "Chunder-Beam" = Awesome

Comic Books 101: The History, Methods, and Madness!

Back in April I gave a brief preview or "heads up" on Comic Books 101: The History, Methods, and Madness, a cool new book co-written by my pals Scott Tipton and Chris Ryall. I was brought into the project to create several interior illustrations and chapter intros, which I didn't want to say too much about until the book officially hit the shelves.

Well, now that June's finally here, I can fill you in on the details behind Comic Books 101, as well as post some of my artwork. Having written about comic books for years, Tipton (comic book writer and proprietor of the Comics 101 website) and Ryall (Editor-In-Chief of IDW Publishing) pooled their vast knowledge and created a user-friendly overview of comic books that the newbie and hardcore fan alike could find informative and fun.

Part of that fun is the easy-going tone set by Tipton and Ryall, as personal opinions and asides make their "lessons" feel more like a conversation between friends than a dry, pedantic slog. As a continuation of that lighter tone, the authors wanted cartoon versions of themselves to appear in several of the book's illustrations...and that's where I came in! Creating a total of 11 color illustrations (all of which tie into various topics throughout the book), I was honored to play a part in such an entertaining project.  

And that was before I found out who else would be contributing to the book! 

Using their contacts throughout the industry, Tipton and Ryall managed to get commentaries and personal musings from several high profile comic geeks like Clive Barker, Gene Simmons, Mark Waid, Paul Dini, Marv Wolfman, Harlan Ellison, and even Stan "The Man" Lee!  Who'd have thought me and Stan would ever (sort of) work on a project together? Certainly not ME!

So, here's just some of the stuff I did for the book (click on the artwork for a larger view)...

What's going on in these illustrations?  Well, that would be telling, wouldn't it?  You'll just have to buy the book to find out!  Seriously, consider picking up a copy for either yourself or someone you'd like to introduce to the wonderful world of comic books! Click on the link below to order one from Amazon.com!

Comic Books 101: The History, Methods and Madness

Know Your Marvel Monsters: The Two-Headed Thing!

First Appearance: 

Strange Tales #95 (1962)

Occupation: Freak of nature

History: Tunneling up from the Earth's core, the Two-Headed Thing used its shape-changing ability to mimic a tree and an alligator. While attempting to duplicate the form of an escaped prisoner, the Two-Headed Thing was struck by lightning and killed.

Powers and Abilities: In addition to his ability to tunnel through solid rock and communicate telepathically, the Two-Headed Thing could also alter its size, shape, and color to imitate any object.

Not to be confused with: the early version of the (one-headed) Thing or The Thing With Two Heads.

The Many Faces of Namor

Following last year's big 70^th birthday party for Superman, the seven-decade celebrations just keep on coming for the superheroes who followed his 1938 debut. Of course, the most high profile member of the "Class of '39" would be the other half of DC's opening act: The Batman...but just behind him were the "Big Two" of Marvel precursor Timely Comics: The Human Torch and the Namor, the Sub-Mariner.

Making their debut as separate features in Marvel Comics #1 (spring of 1939), the unconventional approach that would one day define Marvel Comics was already in play, as the Torch and Namor were portrayed more as freaks and dangerous forces of nature than DC's costumed crimefighters (though, to be fair, the early Superman and Batman had a bit of an edge to them as well).

In fact, right from the very beginning, Namor was comics' first anti-hero, whose arrogance and constant, rage-fueled attacks on the surface world (and the Human Torch) made him very much the dark flip-side of Superman's stoic benevolence. Later, once America entered World War II, Namor abandoned his war on humanity and joined with other Timely heroes (including Captain America) to "kick some Axis"...yet his hatred for humanity has continued to ebb and flow like the tide.

However, Namor's loyalties weren't the only thing to shift over the years. More than any other superhero, the Sub-Mariner's physical appearance has varied so dramatically, has been so consistently INconsistent (or, as we say in the biz, "off-model"), it truly has to be seen to be believed....which is where I come in.

First of all, here's Subby as those of us in the "modern era" know him. Taken from two of my favorite covers, we've got Namor's green Speedo look alongside the regal dark-blue jumpsuit he currently wears. Both looks are consistent in their general look (wrist bands, ankle wings, arrogant body language), yet there is enough variation in his eyebrow arch, hairline and head shape to hint at the eye-popping permutations of earlier times.

In this snippet from his first cover appearance (Marvel Mystery Comics #4, 1940), Namor's facial features and head shape look fairly normal, with his pointed ears and angular eyebrows the only sign of his exotic heritage. Ah...but check out that funky light brown hair...an odd look for a character better known for a steely-black head of hair.

By 1941, Namor's face begins to take on a much more exaggerated, almost elfish appearance, as seen here on the second issue of All-Winners Comics. Topping it off (literally) is a crop of firey red hair (must have been from all those fights with the Human Torch)!

Four years later, on the cover of All-Winners Comics #17, Namor's face had become so elongated...so harshly angled, that it looked more like an African Fang Mask than the regal undersea scion we met back in 1939.

Incredibly, like some sort of "Golden Age Michael Jackson", Subby's already bizarre face became even more crazy and extreme by 1946. As you can see in these excerpts from All-Winners Comics #19, Namor's head became an eerie, utterly inhuman abstraction.

Forget about his human/Atlantean heritage...by this point, Namor looked like a cross between an alien, Dick Tracy villain Flattop, and Charles Burns' Big Baby character!

Mercifully, the post-WWII collapse of the superhero craze banished this rather demented version of Namor. After a several year hiatus, the Sub-Mariner briefly resurfaced during the mid 1950's...this time with a much less cartoonish cranium and a major league hatred for Commies.

Following this brief return, Namor once again vanished from the newsstands... and wouldn't return until Stan Lee and Jack Kirby reintroduced him in Fantastic Four #4 (1962). So...with his transition to the more refined Silver Age of comics, Namor's bizarre facial distortions became a thing of the past, right? 

Eh....not quite.

To Beg or Not to Beg?

At different points over my (almost) three-year run of doing the Comic Coverage blog, I've toyed with the idea of adding a tip jar for readers to toss a couple of coins into. Some of my blogging pals have added one, while others have chosen not to...but I've been on the fence about it for quite awhile. Well, as you can see from a scroll down my sidebar, I've come down from the fence and decided to add a donation option to my blog.

I think I've resisted a tip jar for so long because I feared it would look like I'm either full of myself or begging...both of which are anathema to us stoic midwesterners! However, at the same time, I've worked hard to make Comic Coverage a cut above the average comic book blog, both in look and substance...so if those things have made a positive impact on my readers, then maybe its not such a bad thing to offer them the option (but never the compulsion) to make a donation.

So, to my readers: Your regular visits and comments are what make blogging fun and worthwhile...but if you'd like to go a step further in your support, just click on the tip jar in the sidebar, which will then take you to a safe and secure PayPal site. There will be no tacky "minimum" or "recommended" dollar amounts you'll have to click on...it's all totally up to you. Anything you decide to give will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

-Mark Engblom 

Dear Editor: (Affirmative) Action Comics

As one of the greatest speeches ever delivered, Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech continues to highlight how far we have come since that late August day in 1963, yet at the same time, it shows us how far we still have to go. As one of his central points, King proclaimed,

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

A noble goal if there ever was one, but how to reach that goal has been a struggle for our nation ever since. Do we just stand back and hope that King's color-blind ideal will happen spontaneously, or does it need to be officially "helped along" by government or institutions, usually in the form of so-called "affirmative action" policies...which sometimes seem to flatly contradict King's vision? As with so many matters involving race, the answers to those questions don't come easy, and may actually exist somewhere in between those two approaches.

Illustrating this tension was a suggestion from a Brooklyn school teacher named Lawrence Isaacson. In a letter printed in Avengers #54 (cover-dated July of 1968), Mr. Isaacson wrote:

Makes sense, right? Adding a black superhero to the Avengers would demonstrate that the once white-dominated world of comic book superheroes could become more diverse...so what's wrong with that? Well, invoking the spirit of Dr. King's immortal words, Marvel responded:

Once again, makes perfect sense, right?  Character and ability should be what defines someone...not their skin color, ethnicity, or religion.  Looks like the Avengers didn't subscribe to the Affirmative Action philosophy...or did they?  Again, as with so many things involving race, the picture wasn't quite as clear as Stan Lee's (or Roy Thomas') answer implied.  

Here's what I mean: When the Black Panther made his debut in Fantastic Four #52 (1966), the first black superhero wore a costume that covered his entire body, including his face. In a handful of subsequent appearances, he continued to wear the full mask. However, when he joined the team in Avengers #52, he suddenly began wearing a new version of his mask...one that seemed to call special attention to his race rather than downplay it. In other words, contrary to Marvel's claim of color-blind impartiality, the sudden appearance of the cowled half-mask seemed to be making his skin color a defining characteristic... and hardly the non-factor Marvel claimed it to be.

As if realizing they'd overplayed their hand, Marvel restored the full mask a mere four issues later, which has remained the Black Panther's look ever since. Is this a textbook example of screaming hypocrisy?  No...not at all.  But is does serve to illustrate the inherent difficulties and paradoxes of the long journey toward a truly color-blind world.

Simply the Best: Startling Secrets and Ruling the World!

I'm the last guy you'll see casually throwing around the phrase "old school covers". The vaguely derogatory term seems to imply that some kind of profound historical shift occurred in the way comic book covers should be perceived and discussed.  It's as if to say comic book covers of decades past could still be considered "good"....but good with an asterisk.  "Good" in a condescending, less sophisticated kind of way that doesn't quite measure up to today's Olympian "new school" standards. 

That said, I do recognize that comics of twenty-plus years ago had a flair and a style all their own. Best of all, covers of that era (roughly the 1960's through the late 80's) grabbed your interest by telling a story! An extremely brief and melodramatic story, but a story nonetheless. Contrast this style with today's obsession with "stock pose" covers that don't tell you much about the story inside or do much to hook your interest.  Sure, the art is usually top-notch...but like a movie poster or the cover of a novel, not much more than a one-note image.  Nice to look at, sure...but can they compel someone to buy them with the force of, say, Fantastic Four #199 (1978)?

(click on the cover for a larger view)

This one's got it all:

Character-defining word balloons: The best word balloons of this era would give you a quick-yet-defining snapshot of the speaker. In this case, we know in an instant that Dr. Doom (A) desperately wanted to rule the world (B) was willing to kill his son to get there and (C) was therefore a really bad guy!

Dramatic "acting": Like a professional actor, a comic book illustrator should be able to capture and convey intense emotions, especially when you're trying to grab a potential buyer's attention with a cover design. In this case, the snarling determination of Victor Von Doom II is the emotional core around which the entire cover revolves. Do yourself a favor and click on the image for a super-sized look at Doom Jr.'s face. Those sunken eyes and gritted teeth always rivet my attention. Add to that my enthusiasm for characters with amalgamated powers (like Doom Jr.'s F.F. abilities), and that 35¢ was as good as spent back in 1978.

I miss the days of covers trumpeting "startling secrets" in a deliberately melodramatic, non-ironic way. And villains who wanted to rule the world. And questions that didn't always end with question marks.

Layouts that amplify the cover's narrative: In this issue's story, Victor Von Doom II was actually a specially engineered clone of Dr. Doom who ultimately turns against his creator to defend the Fantastic Four. This change of heart is wonderfully foreshadowed on the cover by Doom Jr.'s very protective presence, made even more dramatic by his dynamic, twisting stance and the camera angle.

Also, note how the angled energy blasts from Dr. Doom's hands lead the eye directly to the word balloon exchange and, more important, the helpless members of the Fantastic Four Doom Jr. is obviously defending.

Joe: As great as Keith Pollard's layout was, I give most of the credit for this cover's success to Joe Sinnott, whose sublime inking evokes this era of crisp, clear storytelling more than any other visual cue.

The Highlight Reel: Who's Your Daddy?

Who better to celebrate Father's Day with than one of the "Big Daddies" of superhero comics: ODIN!

Traditionally the chief god of ancient Norse mythology, Odin made the jump to modern mythology courtesy of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's Thor series. Like all legendary patriarchs, Marvel's Odin was as wise and regal as he was remote and wrathful. Most of the time, Odin (and his inexhaustible supply of fabulous headgear) ruled from on high, leaving the messy clash of battle to his loyal subjects. However, once in a great while, Odin would set aside his fancy helmets, step down from his throne, and take matters into his own all-powerful hands.

One such rare intervention took place over a span of three issues in Thor #143-145 (1967). Arriving from another dimension, a mysterious trio named the Enchanters sought to conquer Asgard and Earth using their "limitless power". Possibly a foreshadowing of Kirby's Celestials, these eerie, elaborately-armored beings make quick work of Thor and his fellow Asgardians...drawing the attention and challenge of Odin himself!

(click on the panels for a larger view)

The action jumped back to Thor and company taking down the remaining two Enchanters, so the conclusion of Odin and Forsung's battle wouldn't be revealed until the following issue. As the smoke clears in the realm of Asgard, Odin stands victorious over the vanquished Forsung...with only a lost helmet to show for it! Ah...but instead of stopping there, Odin sends a message to any who would dare challenge him....

That message? 

Don't mess with Dad!

To all of my fellow (not so) All-Powerful
 Patriarchs, have a Happy Father's Day!

Bizarro's Toybox: Lil' Killers

I don't pay much attention to the superhero toy scene....but at what point did we start marketing cyborg assassins, naked berserker-ragers, heavily-armed vigilantes, psychotic hitmen, vampire hunters, and demons with flaming skull-heads to three year-olds?

Selected figures from Hasbro's Marvel Superhero Squad series.

(click for a larger view)

It's official: I don't get it.

Gold Nuggets: No Powers? No Problem!

The Obscure Adventures of Comics' Greatest Generation!

Long before superheroes could routinely bench press buildings and funnel the power of suns, a huge percentage of Golden Age mystery men (and women) took care of things without superpowers. Many of these more humble heroes fought on the home front protecting America from common criminals and enemy saboteurs, but many others took the fight right into the heart of the Axis itself...armed only with only their fists and a feisty, can-do spirit.

One of these two-fisted terrors was The Grim Reaper who, though not the personification of death like his mythic namesake, could still kick the living crap out of Nazis....as this montage from Wonder Comics #1 (1944) makes perfectly clear (click on the panels for a larger view).

Isn't that final panel of the Grim Reaper cutting a swath through a Nazi horde spectacular in a sprawling, Cinerama kind of way? Better yet, he didn't need laser vision, cosmic brain blasts, or flame breath to do it. Just a costume, courage, and two flashing fists (and the occasional firearm)!  

Oh...and don't forget:

 

(I had to look twice to make sure there wasn't an "S" after the word "rubber")

Change We Can Believe In: The Eighth Wonder of Space

For the past couple of years, the word "change" has been thrown around ad nauseum, but as many understand (or are just now beginning to understand), not all change is good. Nowhere has that principal been better understood than within the comic book superhero community, as shocking physical transformations have afflicted their ranks for decades.

A frequent target of these freakish mutations was none other than The Batman. Originally a dark and moody character, the science fiction craze of the late 1950's and early 60's pushed Batman to jaw-dropping levels of lighthearted sci-fi insanity....such as the bizarre transformation that occurred in Batman #140 (1961).

Mistakenly transported to the alien planet Xlur, Batman and Robin where transformed by its strange atmosphere into green, bug-like aliens with magnetic antennas!

When they returned to Earth, Batman and Robin's strange new appearance was feared and distrusted by their crime-fighting colleagues and the people of Gotham. After they apprehended The Yellow Sweater Gang (yes, you read that correctly), the alien-mutation wore off...allowing Batman and Robin to return to their (relatively) normal appearances.

Worst Cover Ever: High Devolutionary

We've all heard how high the standards of the major comic book publishers are. Up-and-coming creators have to jump through all kinds of hoops just to get an editor to look at their work, the implication being that you must be absolute A-list talent to get an assignment from them.

Well, covers like Thor #473 (1994) certainly put that quaint mythology to rest. Yes...for the most part, major publishers select only the very best writers and illustrators to work on their titles...and, yes...this is the unique blight known as early 90's comics...but come on...who was asleep at the switch when this monstrosity was submitted?...

How does the understanding of the human form degrade to the point where Thor's tiny, shrunken head sticking out of his chest and Sequoia-size thigh were considered good enough to print?

More important, what is it about Thor covers featuring the High Evolutionary?