Born today, June 19th 1915 - Julius (Julie) Schwartz.
In 1932, Schwartz co-published (with Mort Weisinger and Forrest J. Ackerman) Time Traveller, one of the first science fiction fanzines. Schwartz and Weisinger also founded the Solar Sales Service literary agency (1934–1944) where Schwartz represented such writers as Alfred Bester, Stanley G. Weinbaum, Robert Bloch, Ray Bradbury, and H. P. Lovecraft, including some of Bradbury's first published work and Lovecraft's last.
Sadly Julius died 2004. I will always remember him for Adam Strange. Thanks Julius!
Why didn't DC use Plastic Man if they owned him rather than create a new character, the Elongated Man? The story I've always heard about that was that editor Julius Schwartz didn't much like Plas and preferred the 'Thin Man' approach they used in developing Ralph's character.
And that series in the 60's was not the original Plas, but, rather, his son following in Dad's footsteps. Plas and Woozy Winks make an appearance several issues down the line. After the series ended, that was pretty forgotten or thrown out and ignored as they pulled Plas deeper into the DC continuity through a couple of moody stories in Brave & Bold.
Nor was that series Plas' debut at DC -- he made an appearance several months earlier in another title, though it could understandably be argued that this wasn't the genuine Plas, but a case of Robby Reed simply acquiring Plas' body and powers by way of the H Dial.
Seriously? I give you Plastic Man and you fixate on King Kandy!?
Dial H For HERO always had a thing for the oddball heroes (though not as odd as some of those in the China Mieville version the last couple of years), and the series always had a light, superhero touch to it. I believe most of the heroes dialed up were actually suggested by the readers in the letters page at the time.
Of course, they never got any weirder in Robby Reed's day than these three heroes...
I had to dig up a scan of this tonight for a little project I'm working: Movie Classics #175 (Mar. 1966).
Love that cover. But then I am a huge Karloff fan.
Interesting note about this cover: This is an adaptation of the film Die, Monster, Die!, but during production the movie was called The House at the End of the World, hence the blurb text. The movie is an adaptation of an H.P. Lovecraft story, “The Colour out of Space,” which is why I was making use of it.
Born today, June 19th 1915 - Julius (Julie) Schwartz.
In 1932, Schwartz co-published (with Mort Weisinger and Forrest J. Ackerman) Time Traveller, one of the first science fiction fanzines. Schwartz and Weisinger also founded the Solar Sales Service literary agency (1934–1944) where Schwartz represented such writers as Alfred Bester, Stanley G. Weinbaum, Robert Bloch, Ray Bradbury, and H. P. Lovecraft, including some of Bradbury's first published work and Lovecraft's last.
Sadly Julius died 2004. I will always remember him for Adam Strange. Thanks Julius!
Another Gil Kane inking himself cover, but it works better here against a predominantly black background.
Seriously? I give you Plastic Man and you fixate on King Kandy!?
Yes. :-)
Here's his bio from Comic Vine:
"An ordinary human, King Kandy fought crime and or evil with a collection of specialized weapons all based on candy such as lollipop bombs worn in a crown, a licorice lasso, exploding gumdrops he wore on his red and white striped body armor, and candy cane grappling hooks."
Gene Colan and Tom Palmer return to illustrating this book on even months and Tomb of Dracula on the odd months. As books like Warlock and Captain Marvel flirted with cosmic concepts, so too did Doctor Strange's, with this gem among the most powerful. Eternity comes to the Doctor, telling him the world will end! Meanwhile, Baron Mordo, reduced to a babbling idiot after having glimpsed the birth of the universe, may not be so powerless as he appears. Doc Strange faces iterations of his past selves as he fights to save the Earth, and it all climaxes explosively! (And hey, what is the secret of Adam Qadmon?)
Certainly not to be missed by any "cosmic Marvel" or Doc aficionado.
I love these old covers. Maybe it's just nostalgia, but the colors are just magical.
KULL cover by John Severin MARVEL TRIPLE ACTION (reprint inside, but original cover) by JIM STARLIN MARVEL'S GREATEST COMICS (reprint inside, but original cover) by JOHN BUSCEMA
I know we don't normally pick recent issues (though a cover of the week might be fun) but I really loved this one. Samnee does a great job of using DD to delineate the owl's features within the silhouette, making it obvious without being forced.
For me, I don't post a lot of newer stuff simply because I figure everyone's seen it recently. I'm usually trying to find something that not as many people have seen, or at least seen recently.
And speaking of which, another con has passed, and I have checked off another Oksner cover from my list. I found The Adventures of Jerry Lewis #94 (May-June 1966) for a paltry three bucks!
Dr Wertham's book caused the creation of the Comics Code in 1954. Following this code, it was impossible for many of the US comics that were currently being published to survive. The new Comics Code forbade a number of things, including showing dismemberment, blood or entrails, women in their underwear, couples who were not husband and wife appearing in bed together, and any depiction of evil triumphing over good. This led to the disappearance of all the horror comics, all the crime and gangster comics and many of the adult fantasy comics. One genre that was able to survive was super-heroes, leading to the emergence of DC as a major player in the mid/late 50's.
The Comics Code made it difficult to follow certain story lines, even for super-heroes. Lois Lane #96 is a fine example. Curt Swan was asked to depict an evil guy holding Superman hostage and trying to persuade Lois or Lana to drink poison from a cup in order to save him (a fairly typical DC silver-age cunundrum). Curt's first attempt (below) was rejected by the editor who knew full well that such a cover would be rejected by the Comics Code. Instead Curt had to produce the final cover, a very much toned-down version of the original cover. In the final version, the baddie doesn't look so much evil - more like an escaped hippie!
Earlier this year I found a stack of almost 50 issues of the Uncle Scrooge and Uncle Scrooge Adventures series that Gladstone published in the 90s. Pretty sure the lead story "Treasure of Marco Polo" was drawn by Carl Barks. Plus you get 3 one page gag strips. The Donald Duck and the Daisy Duck ones are drawn by Jack Bradbury and reprints from the 50s Donald Duck Four Color series. The Uncle Scrooge one pager is drawn by Al Taliaferro and is a reprint of a 60s era Sunday comic strip. One thing that stands out for me with this issue is the cover is made out of newsprint.
Earlier this year I found a stack of almost 50 issues of the Uncle Scrooge and Uncle Scrooge Adventures series that Gladstone published in the 90s. Pretty sure the lead story "Treasure of Marco Polo" was drawn by Carl Barks. Plus you get 3 one page gag strips. The Donald Duck and the Daisy Duck ones are drawn by Jack Bradbury and reprints from the 50s Donald Duck Four Color series. The Uncle Scrooge one pager is drawn by Al Taliaferro and is a reprint of a 60s era Sunday comic strip. One thing that stands out for me with this issue is the cover is made out of newsprint.
“Marco Polo” is not one of Barks’ best, but it's a good one. I think the version you have is actually changed a bit from the original to tone down some of the racial stereotyping.
Yeah, I don't get the newsprint cover either. Most of their covers were standard glossy covers, but some were newsprint—I assume for financial reasons.
Comments
In 1932, Schwartz co-published (with Mort Weisinger and Forrest J. Ackerman) Time Traveller, one of the first science fiction fanzines. Schwartz and Weisinger also founded the Solar Sales Service literary agency (1934–1944) where Schwartz represented such writers as Alfred Bester, Stanley G. Weinbaum, Robert Bloch, Ray Bradbury, and H. P. Lovecraft, including some of Bradbury's first published work and Lovecraft's last.
Sadly Julius died 2004. I will always remember him for Adam Strange. Thanks Julius!
And that series in the 60's was not the original Plas, but, rather, his son following in Dad's footsteps. Plas and Woozy Winks make an appearance several issues down the line. After the series ended, that was pretty forgotten or thrown out and ignored as they pulled Plas deeper into the DC continuity through a couple of moody stories in Brave & Bold.
Nor was that series Plas' debut at DC -- he made an appearance several months earlier in another title, though it could understandably be argued that this wasn't the genuine Plas, but a case of Robby Reed simply acquiring Plas' body and powers by way of the H Dial.
Cover by Jim Mooney.
"Licorice Lariat"?
*sigh*
Where's @RainbowCloak when we need him?
Dial H For HERO always had a thing for the oddball heroes (though not as odd as some of those in the China Mieville version the last couple of years), and the series always had a light, superhero touch to it. I believe most of the heroes dialed up were actually suggested by the readers in the letters page at the time.
Of course, they never got any weirder in Robby Reed's day than these three heroes...
Cover by Jim Mooney.
Here's his bio from Comic Vine:
"An ordinary human, King Kandy fought crime and or evil with a collection of specialized weapons all based on candy such as lollipop bombs worn in a crown, a licorice lasso, exploding gumdrops he wore on his red and white striped body armor, and candy cane grappling hooks."
Dude sounds like a straight up bad-ass.
October 1, 1966 - Bob White (artist)
"Origin of Captain Pureheart"
April 1976
Cover: Gene Colan
Gene Colan and Tom Palmer return to illustrating this book on even months and Tomb of Dracula on the odd months. As books like Warlock and Captain Marvel flirted with cosmic concepts, so too did Doctor Strange's, with this gem among the most powerful. Eternity comes to the Doctor, telling him the world will end! Meanwhile, Baron Mordo, reduced to a babbling idiot after having glimpsed the birth of the universe, may not be so powerless as he appears. Doc Strange faces iterations of his past selves as he fights to save the Earth, and it all climaxes explosively! (And hey, what is the secret of Adam Qadmon?)
Certainly not to be missed by any "cosmic Marvel" or Doc aficionado.
This story continued in Tomb of Dracula #44
Pencils: Mike Sekowsky
Inks: Murphy Anderson
KULL cover by John Severin
MARVEL TRIPLE ACTION (reprint inside, but original cover) by JIM STARLIN
MARVEL'S GREATEST COMICS (reprint inside, but original cover) by JOHN BUSCEMA
Daredevil v4 #4 by Chris Samnee.
I know we don't normally pick recent issues (though a cover of the week might be fun) but I really loved this one. Samnee does a great job of using DD to delineate the owl's features within the silhouette, making it obvious without being forced.
I just think most of us who participate in the thread are kinda
oldnostalgic.And speaking of which, another con has passed, and I have checked off another Oksner cover from my list. I found The Adventures of Jerry Lewis #94 (May-June 1966) for a paltry three bucks!
The Comics Code made it difficult to follow certain story lines, even for super-heroes. Lois Lane #96 is a fine example. Curt Swan was asked to depict an evil guy holding Superman hostage and trying to persuade Lois or Lana to drink poison from a cup in order to save him (a fairly typical DC silver-age cunundrum).
Curt's first attempt (below) was rejected by the editor who knew full well that such a cover would be rejected by the Comics Code. Instead Curt had to produce the final cover, a very much toned-down version of the original cover. In the final version, the baddie doesn't look so much evil - more like an escaped hippie!
Cats.
Carl Barks does the cover.
Earlier this year I found a stack of almost 50 issues of the Uncle Scrooge and Uncle Scrooge Adventures series that Gladstone published in the 90s. Pretty sure the lead story "Treasure of Marco Polo" was drawn by Carl Barks. Plus you get 3 one page gag strips. The Donald Duck and the Daisy Duck ones are drawn by Jack Bradbury and reprints from the 50s Donald Duck Four Color series. The Uncle Scrooge one pager is drawn by Al Taliaferro and is a reprint of a 60s era Sunday comic strip. One thing that stands out for me with this issue is the cover is made out of newsprint.
Yeah, I don't get the newsprint cover either. Most of their covers were standard glossy covers, but some were newsprint—I assume for financial reasons.