APOCOLYTE'S WORLD OF COMICS

Happy Halloween! - ALL HALLOWS

2011-10-31T20:36:00.000-05:00

From 1982 comes the greatest halloween story ever produced by comics.

"ALL HALLOWS" was written by Bruce Jones and had beautiful artwork by Tim Conrad, and was one of 4 stories featured in Pacific Comics' first enjoyable endeavor into the horror anthology market, TWISTED TALES #1 (ala the old EC horror comics).

The story starts out innocently enough, evoking childhood memories of trick or treating in the autumn moonlight, and slowly developes into something much more sinister and dark.

Enjoy.

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(click to enlarge)

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Yes, Skeeter, get some rest...finally.

Here's the cover of the issue,

featuring artwork by the masterful Richard Corben.

Richard Corben cover art from TWISTED TALES #1, detail

THE DAY BEFORE DOOMSDAY! and DOOMSDAY!

2011-04-23T00:16:00.002-05:00

As a young boy, I can recall playing ouside in my yard when suddenly the still of the day was shattered by the thunderous resonance of a massive sonic boom, the tremendous clap of which would rattle the windows of all the houses in the neighborhood. I would look up to see the supersonic jets flying high overhead, contrails and exhaust streaming behind as they would make their way to a nearby military airfield. I can also recall my friends and I riding our bikes to the nearby Nike missile base, where we would often go and play army, using some of the then-abandoned concrete bunkers as our makeshift headquarters and shelter from fantasy 'enemy' gunfire.

As children, my friends and I had no real concept of the actual dangers posed by the threat of nuclear devastation, as we had been born into this 'cold war', but as yet had felt no effects from it, aside from being trained to "duck and cover"in school, and the weekly air-raid siren tests. Still, to this very day, for all of us who live on the face of the earth, the threat of imminent worldwide nuclear destruction is a constant reality, as it ever has been since the last days at the end of World War II.

Today our enemies are perhaps not so clearly defined as in the 50's and 60's, when the watchword of the day was 'communism', and the enemy that we in the USA most feared was Russia. For younger readers, it may be difficult to relate, but your parents and grandparents had to contend daily with the dark cloud looming omnipresently overhead with the threat of likely nuclear extermination. The Super-Powers were poised in a stalemate stare-down, watching and waiting for the other to flinch as their fingers teased shakily on the big red button. Youngsters were given a whole new vocabulary as words and terms once reserved for the scientific community became more common in daily usage, words such as radiation, strontium 90, fallout, half-life, roentgens, neutrons, gamma and beta rays. Tenets like situational ethics became more predominate in direct correlation to the increasing concerns where human life may be put at risk, especially in consideration of life and death motivations as caused by the imminent fear of death by atomic or nuclear bomb. Fallout shelters were constructed in inestimable numbers throughout the United Staes, Russia, and every other nation with the capabilities to do so. The world was preparing for the apparent inevitable destruction to come, and humanity was grasping at straws in an effort to find ways to somehow survive intact in the face of global obliteration.

That is the era from whence these comic stories were born, the era of the realization of the possibility of actual and complete worldwide destruction.

This therefore is that day,

THE DAY BEFORE DOOMSDAY!

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Art by Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers

Originally published in STRANGE TALES # 99, 1962

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Quick question...

What is the day after "the day before Doomsday"?

What do you call it?...Oh yeah, I know...

DOOMSDAY!

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Art by Paul Reinman

Originally published in STRANGE TALES # 75, 1960

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Whether by inter-continental ballistic nuclear missiles, or by poisonous gas, or by a plethora of other man-made instruments of mass death, the people of the earth continue to exist in a limbo of impending destruction. The sense of doom is perhaps not so acute as it existed decades ago, and most of humanity dwells in a numb and impervious state of denial when it comes to such dark possibilities. We mostly live with a sense of apathetic ignorance, wrapped in an ever-growing cocoon of complacent and casual continuity of existance, possessing a "so far, so good" attitude. Like Lynn and Walter, the two scientists in the second tale, some find hope in a supernatural Divine Power beyond our human purview, whereas some cling to only what can be seen and heard and felt by natural means alone. If such a Doomsday is in fact coming to us soon, as the banshee of constant media around us wails in it's dire warnings, we can choose to be like scientist Walter and cry "There is no greater power!", and gnash our teeth as we relegate our doomed and useless lives to oblivion. My hope is we would be more like Walter's comrade Lynn, trusting in a greater Wisdom to lead us.

The next time you stand beneath a star-filled sky and look up, or watch the glorious colors of a majestic sunrise or sunset, or witness the birth of a baby, or hold your child in your arms, or look into the eyes of one you love, and feel the beating of your own heart, I hope you will know, just as Lynn, that there exists a supernatural power beyond our full comprehension, greater than we can know in and of ourselves alone.

Even if these are just corny comic book stories.

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Now clicky-click here and head over to

BLACK 'N' WHITE AND RED ALL OVER

to find out what happens

THE DAY AFTER DOOMSDAY!

GREAT OLD COMICS FOR SALE CHEAP! - ATLAS, MARVEL, and More!

2011-04-17T11:59:00.001-05:00

I've been meaning to post a link here to my ebay store, where I've already begun a massive comic book sale!

Comic books of all sorts, Golden Age, Silver Age, Bronze, Copper, Modern, Underground, (even a few adult "art" books!)...all the various genres will be there eventually! I hate to get rid of them, but I need the space to rebuild my time machine, so help a blogger out and stop by and snag a few bargains. I want them to find good homes!

Right now, among other things,

there are quite a few old Silver Age Marvel superhero comics starting at .99¢,

and many more being added each day! I'm just getting started!

So if you are interested in picking up some real cool bargain comics, check it out here!

"CHECK, PLEASE!" - FIRST IMPULSE! and SECOND CHANCE?

2011-04-07T03:08:00.001-05:00

Little is known about artist Sid Check, aside from the fact that he was a contemporary of fellow artists Wallace Wood, Joe Orlando, and Harry Harrison, among others, in the 50's. When Wood and Orlando began their early art collaborations, Sid Check as well as Harrison were also fellow members of the same art studio. It isn't surprising that all four of them would soon be working for the same publisher, EC Comics, doing work with remarkably similar styles.

To the untrained eye, Check's work can often be mistaken for Wood's. Check's art is generally engaging and attractive, if not entirely as well constructed as Wood's art was. Less prolific than Wood certainly, Check's work in comic books was short-lived, from December 1951 through 1958 mostly, with a smattering of work done sporadically in the early 70's. If anyone has more information regarding Sid Check, please tell us. He remains a veritable mystery to even the most hardcore comic fans to this very day, as precious little has ever been documented concerning him.

Today's post comes from EC's CRIME SUSPENSTORIES #13, from 1952, and was written by Al Feldstein. It was one of those occasions when EC did a double approach to a storyline, and gave it their patented twist ending, in this case telling the story first one way, and then altering it slightly for a second version. Here then I present to you the aptly named

FIRST IMPULSE!

and

SECOND CHANCE?

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The Origination Of CROP CIRCLES - "THE HIDDEN HEX!"

2011-03-29T07:11:00.002-05:00

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Cerealogy, the study or creation of the phenomenon widely known as 'CROP CIRCLES' was not heretofore known before it's widespread emergence during the late 1970's.

While the origins of Crop Circles can be traced back with some degree of dubious relativety to at least 1678 by linking the phenomenon to the publication of "The Mowing Devil", a pamphlet featuring a short story describing a dispute over crops and an invocation of the devil, the link is tenuous at best. While crops are shown to be cut down in an ostensibly circular pattern, the intricate geometric designs that are predominantly associated with the modern practice of crop circles are nowhere to be found in that volume.

It wan't until approximately 300 years later, in 1978 when these unusual and mysterious crop circle formations began appearing in the fields and the countrysides of England and surrounding locales.The causes and the creators of these crop circles are still widely debated to this day, but is a safe statement to affirm that prior to 1978 the anomalous spectacle of geometric crop circles was virtually non-existant.

That is what makes this particular comic book story so intriguing. Today's story comes from Atlas comics' WORLD OF FANTASY #7, published by Stan Lee and company in May, 1957, a full 20 years before the bizarre circumstances of crop circles would catch the attention of the entire world.

In "THE HIDDEN HEX", written by Carl Wessler and illustrated by Sam Kweskin, the implication is presented that there may be a correlation between crop circles and 'Hex Signs' which were prevalent among Pennsylvanian Dutch farmers of the mid 19th century, and can still be found in rural areas throughout the United States today. At the time when Wessler wrote the story we must remind ourselves that the curiousity of geometric circular crop patterns did not yet exist, insofar as historians can tell. That creates in the reader's mind the question, "If in fact crop circles are indeed man-made occurences, did the original creators of the first crop circle hoaxes read this particular comic book with this particular story, and did this story therefore influence them either consciously or subconciously?"

This is a question that needs to be addressed, and asked of the two men who claim to have started the practice of hoaxing crop circles in 1978, self-claimed originators Doug Bower and Dave Chorley. If there is any connection between them reading the comic book (and who is to say that if they in fact did see the story from 1957 whether they would even recall, if it possibly was in fact a subconscious influence), then we can ascribe ultimate creation of the modern crop circle phenomenon to Carl Wessler and Sam Kweskin.

In any regard, one certainly must admit an uncanny similarity between Kweskin and Wessler's 1957 vision of the crop circle and the post-1978 modern geometric crop circles that exist up until this very day.

Strange and perplexing.

Puzzling and fascinating, at the very least.

Wouldn't you agree?

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Scanned from my own comic
(and cleaned up extensively by me in order to present to you)
for your enjoyment.

PS -

(Still to come, ROBOT WEEK...)

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT - "ABE AND THE ALIEN" PRINTS NOW ON SALE!

2011-03-12T00:17:00.000-06:00

Hi gang!

Thanks for being patient!

I'll be back up and running here licketty split, just keep checkin' in daily!

I've just been busy working on a few projects,

one of which is preparing for the sale of my original artwork poster prints!

The 1st prints I'm offering is a two (2) print set containing my original artwork that was published on the cover of SLAM BANG #3, (Fan-Atic Press). These print sets are limited to only 250, and when they're gone, they're gone! So don't miss out! Offered for the initial low bargain price of $29.95 per set, you will receive 2 beautiful high-quality prints on heavy stock, suitable for framing and/or lining the birdcage!

You will receive one large 11" x 17" full color cover reproduction art and one smaller 8" x 10" sized faux photo-look B&W print. These are unique, rare, and hilarious, and you can only buy them from me (the artist) exclusively! Created originally for SLAM BANG's issue devoted to "Mostly True Stories", they depict the slightly skewed reality of our 16th president's final evening, as he is stalked by a most unlikely assassin!

To order your set, click here or on the image above, or contact me at

theapocolyte@hotmail.com

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...And now...

...Still to come...

ROBOT WEEK!

Please stay tuned!

THANK YOU!

COMING SOON~

2011-01-26T23:31:00.002-06:00

In celebration of National Robot Month

APOCOLYTE'S WORLD OF COMICS

Presents

ROBOT WEEK!

Coming Soon!

FRANK FRAZETTA'S 1ST PUBLISHED PAINTING - Setting the GCD straight

2011-01-25T16:29:00.005-06:00

WHAT? A NEW CONTROVERSY?
(see below and weigh in with your opinion)

- Note: The information in this post has been proven to be innaccurate because of false information published in a bootleg publication that was believed by me to be legitimate. Thanks to knowledgable readers and their helpful comments, the information has been conclusively discredited. I leave the rest of the original post to illustrate how controversies can be developed, and how people with knowledge sharing information respectfully can bring resolution to such controversies. -

Over the past several months, while I have been 'away', several giants of comic book illustration have passed from our midsts into the great beyond. Among these artistic giants was Frank Frazetta. You can see my initial tribute to Mr. Frazetta over at Black 'N' White And Red All Over.

Here I present to you some apparently little known or perhaps overlooked information regarding Frazetta's very first published oil painting. Of course as every serious art fan knows, Frank Frazetta is well known for (among other things) his amazing oil painting covers for the CONAN and TARZAN paperback books published in the 60's and 70's, as well as several Warren covers. What every serious art fan does not know, as evidenced by the Grand Comic Book Database (or GCD), is the fact that his very first published oil painting was done for Avon Comics in July of 1950 for WILD BILL HICKOK comics.

As presented by the GCD, the above cover art was by artist Harold Winfield Scott (click here to see GCD's entry). That is erroneous. I am here to set the record straight, using Frank Frazetta's own records.

This painting was done fairly early in Frazetta's career, before he began the habit of demanding the rights to keep his original paintings after publication. Where the original painting is now is unknown, and the records to indicate authorship are incomplete. Therefore the attribution by the GCD to Harold Winfield Scott was made as an educated guess by art experts, at first a mere suggestion and now widely accepted as a fact.

As comic book enthusiasts know, the GCD is an indispensable tool and are to be praised for all their efforts to catalogue every legitimate comic book every published, which is an almost impossibly daunting task indeed. One cannot fault them for displaying occasional false information, and they themselves ask for help from the public in clarifying some of these questionable entries. After I post this, I will contact them with the correct information. I encourage every comic book fan who has knowledge that can fill in the blank spaces over at GCD to please inform them of the correct information, so true facts will not be lost to history as time goes by.

My proof for the validity of Frazetta's authorship of the painting in question comes from Frank Frazetta's own records, as listed by him in his own publication, THE FRAZETTA TREASURY(1975), which includes Frank's own checklist of his work up to that point in his career. The checklist in that volume is hand-typed, most likely by Ellie Frazetta and verified by Frank himself, and on page 5 of the list is the entry:

WILD BILL HICKOK (Avon)

# 4 Cover [First published painting]

Beside the written entry, there is also a full page which reprints the cover in black and white, with the words underneath,

FIRST PUBLISHED PAINTING.

So it is Frank Frazetta himself claiming that the painting is his.

This revelation should be of importance to comic book/art historians, as well as comic book collectors. Anyone possessing this comic book (such as myself) should immediately reassess the value of WILD BILL HICKOK # 4, as it is a collector's item.

(I will consider any offers for this comic, if any collectors are interested in acquiring it.)

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APOCOLYTIC ADDENDUM
Since posting this and other Frazetta material on Black 'N' White And Red All Over,
two readers have informed me that there is controversy surrounding the authenticity of THE FRAZETTA TREASURY. One of the people saying so is none other than Mr. Door Tree, art historian and the provider of the excellent GOLDEN AGE COMIC BOOK STORIES, whose personal knowledge regarding Frazetta is more extensive than my own, and therefore I must report that this post is not definitive, and any information contained in THE FRAZETTA TREASURY, as accurate as it appears, may not be 100% accurate after all. If the information wasn't coming from him, I might still not be convinced, but I am convinced of his knowledge of such facts. Now I welcome any comments, information, or opinions on this apparent controversy. Just leave your comment below. Thank you!

- THE APOCOLYTE Speaks
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Finally, one last bit...
After contacting the GCD, their investigation, though hardly extensive, resulted in them sending me this link to a comic thread...you tell me, is this proof of the inauthenticity, or merely hearsay?
http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=3279160
GCD did say they would at the least consider printing a small bit expressing the possible spurious information of The Frazetta Treasury.

Now I ask all of you -
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
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-additional information-

Alright, alright! I'll shut up now!

The controversy is over!
Here is the undeniable proof, as provided by the very knowledgable Daniel (of An OEconomist.com), who provided the link to this image of the original cover art which appeared on a 1947 issue of SPEED WESTERN magazine (see comments below). Thank you to Daniel, and of course to Mr. Door Tree at the always amazing Golden Age Comic Book Stories for his invaluable insights.

A MOMENT TO BE SERIOUS - PLEASE CONSIDER

2011-01-23T00:23:00.002-06:00

image from "A Message From The Editor/Publisher - Allen Freeman", SLAM BANG Comics #2

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Hello, comic lovers!

I am almost ready to begin re-posting here.

Usually I like to keep things light and avoid deep personal issues, but I need to take a moment and explain why there haven't been any posts for the past several months, and where I've been for so long.

For anyone who cares, I didn't forget about you or abandon you, but the truth is I was the victim of cyber terrorism which destroyed my computer and has played havoc with my personal life as well as my income for the past several months. That is why I haven't been able to post anything for nearly a year.

To anyone who fancies themselves a computer hacker, go get a real job and stop destroying peoples work. The fact is I have a family and an elderly father who depend on me to take care of them, and when you attack my computer and my personal work, you are attacking and hurting not only me, but several people who depend on me. Life is hard enough nowadays.

Not only did these cyber-schmucks ruin my life for the past year, but they prevented all of you wonderful folks from enjoying the posts I had prepared. For that alone, I am angry at these spoiled cyber-creeps. So, you break-a my computer, I break-a you face! Go find a real hobby instead of destroying what someone else created...

Well, I'm back, and starting from scratch once again. Please be patient as I begin to re-scan all my stories and then soon enough I'll be posting with regularity.

Though I had never intended to do so, I will be setting up a PayPal link here and on my other blogs so that anyone who wishes to may offer donations, and I again say that I must do so as a real neccesity at this point. If you enjoy this blog, or any of my other blogs, please consider a gift of any size if you are able. I thank you for considering this, and I and my family thank you for your viewership and support. The link is on the right near the top - Please click on the PayPal / Donate button (you don't need a PayPal account). I am grateful for any amount you can manage. Thank you again.

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Please stay tuned for much more to come.

Thank you!

To commission original artwork of any type, email me at theapocolyte@hotmail.com

BACK FROM THE DEAD!

2010-12-24T02:15:00.000-06:00

It's true.

I'm back.

Get ready for more of me...

Is it true that I have been involved in time travel experiments, and that the last fateful excursion went horribly awry? Could that be the reason my time sphere became encased in a trionic cocoon as I drifted helplessly on time ripples, all whilst being bombarded by pulsing zeegee rays emenating from the great Tempus radiation belt? Has my corporeal reintegration function therfore been compromised, in effect causing me to phase in and out of random time continuums uncontrollably? Is that the reason I haven't been able to post for the past several months? Huh, izzit?

All I can tell you is, "I can neither confirm nor deny this rumor at this time."

But who cares? For now, before I phase again, let me post a classic from Joe Maneely and Stan Lee. Now, I realize that this story has been posted on Karswell's blog previously, but I didn't know that when I scanned and cleaned up the pages from my own comic book months ago. So I figured I'd post it since I spent the time on it. So enjoy another beautifully drawn story by the late great Joe Maneely. The colors in this one are particularly vivid for a 1950's comic, making it very pretty to look at.

So, in lieu of any Christmas stories, here instead is a story stinking with the sulphurous stank of Hell itself...

BACK FROM THE DEAD!

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Hmmm...perhaps he is not a ghost after all, but merely a bit of undigested figgy pudding...hrumphhh!

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Tha--th--th--that's all, folks!

See you soon ...

MYKAL'S LATEST AMAZING COMICS BLOG -- KINGDOM KANE!

2010-04-26T18:09:00.000-05:00

Fans of comics legend and artist extraordinaire GIL KANE have a new treat --

Comics blogging juggernaut Mykal Banta has brought forth his 100th comics blog,

KINGDOM KANE!

http://www.kingdomkane.com/

(Okay, I'm just kidding about the 100th blog, I don't know where he finds the time or energy for all his great blogs, but we the readers are the lucky ones, we just get to enjoy them all)

The new blog features exclusively the magnificent art of GIL KANE!

How can you go wrong there? Ya gotta love it!

Thanks, Mykal!

MY RECENT COMIC BOOK ERA POLL RESULTS!

2010-04-08T06:07:00.000-05:00

The readers have spoken!

The final poll results to determine which era of comic books is your favorite have made your choices clear! The majority of comic fans frequenting this blog have chosen the Silver Age as their favorite era of comics! That isn't surprising, when one realizes that the Silver Age is when comics experienced a dramatic rebirth, spurred on by Marvel and DC comics, who brought forth the comics renaissance of the 60's! Also not surprising considering how many readers of a certain age, like myself, grew up with these comics! The final percentage of readers preferring Silver Age comics was 43%!

Coming in at a close second is the Golden Age, at 35%. While I love the Silver Age, I am a fan of the Golden Age because the more I explore those older comics, the more amazing stuff I discover. Many great names that Silver Age fans are familiar with actually began working in the Golden Age, and a close look will reveal what I call 'hidden treasures' by great artists like Gil Kane, Joe Sinnott, Gene Colan, John Romita, Jack Kirby, etc, etc., etc.! I think I love Golden Age comics also because they are the foundation for all the comics that followed, obviously, and serious study of them will uncover incredible and fascinating things that you may not have been exposed to before.

The Bronze Age received 12% of the votes, and many of us collecting comics have scads of these beauties. Like any of the eras, this one produced some good, some bad, some great, and some really awful comics. The closer we get to the present, the more comic publishers and therefore the more comics there were for us to buy! The more comics there were, the more new artist were appearing, and the face of comics changed again.

The Copper Age and the Modern Age each received 1% of the votes. This isn't a comment on the quality of the comics produced then, merely a reflection of this blog's readership, who obviously don't come here to look at new comics. It was during this time frame that technology really progressed and changed the way comics were produced, for better or worse. Lotsa great stuff in these eras, too!

Finally, we had 5% of readers who admitted they thought that this blog was a porn site. As far as I know, it isn't. Sorry, you 5 % -- I hope you still drop in and enjoy the comics!

Thanks, everyone who voted! Soon I will post another poll designed to discover more of your likes and dislikes, your deepest hidden thoughts, and your discriminating preferences regarding yet another scintillating comic book topic! I already know I have the best blog readers in the world coming here...not only are you intelligent, you're also good-looking!

If you voted (or even if you didn't), feel free to leave a comment now as to why you feel a certain era is better or not compared to the others, won't you? I'd love to hear what you have to say!

WAR: KILL OR BE KILLED - Atlas' "FIRST BLOOD!" and EC's "ENEMY ASSAULT!"

2010-04-06T04:58:00.001-05:00

Cover art by George Tuska

Today I'm comparing two stories that address the subject of killing during wartime. While the two comics featured were both published during the Korean War, I'm sure the psychology of killing remains the same no matter what the era or conflict.

I found it interesting to compare the way each writer/publisher handled the subject. I have already made it clear in earlier posts that I find EC Comics war titles, as edited by Harvey Kurtzman, to be superior to most every other war comics, past or present, so naturally one of the stories here is a solid representative of those Kurtzman war titles. The other story is taken from Stan Lee and company's Atlas Comics.

Up first is a short story entitled "FIRST BLOOD!" from Atlas' WAR COMBAT #2, 1952 (I know what you're going to say, and no, there is no one named Rambo in this one). It concerns a soldier new to life-or-death combat, and the mental agonies he faces over the prospect of taking another man's life.

The art is by Norman Steinberg. The story is

"FIRST BLOOD!"

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As we've explored here before, many war comic stories can range from a serious, thoughtful look at the philosophies and ramifacations of war, to the basic patriotic near-propaganda type story. This interesting tale seems to start as one and end as the other. By the end of the story, quite suddenly, our protaganist has dropped any apprehensions he held for the first 99% of the story and adopts the attitude that his Sergeant has been trying to sell him, and as if he were a robot who realizes that his emotions were clouding his judgement, he dismisses his enemies as human beings and transforms them into 'dirty rats'. All of a sudden he becomes a killing machine, eager to find more 'symbols of tyranny' to gut.

To my friends who have served in the military and have faced such threats, I'll say that I can only try to understand how it must be to face a situation like this. From the harrowing true combat stories I've been told, I can understand that facing a deadly enemy who is out to kill you rather necessitates such a simplified outlook. I'm only saying here that this story seems to ignore the larger issues of having to kill a man for the very first time and wraps up the subject into a neat package wrapped in a red, white and blue bow. There are no hints here that he will later have nightmares about this. Hey, I know it's just a comic book, and no one really expects to find a deeper psychological understanding in a comic. Still, the story started out with promise that it just might delve a bit deeper...

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...Which brings us to our second tale, and true to form, Kurtzman's writing and layouts do offer a much more complex view on the subject of the 'enemy'. From FRONTLINE COMBAT #1, 1951, we now look at a story drawn by the amazing Jack Davis. The story isn't focused on the soldiers first kill, but rather takes us to an uncomfortable place where we must face the fact that our enemy is a man, just as we.

Written by Harvey Kurtzman, art by Jack Davis.

"ENEMY ASSAULT!"

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To be honest, Kurtzman's story seems to end on the same type of patriotic note of duty over emotion. But it is far more complex than that, as we, through the American soldier's eyes, have learned a lesson that his companions were not aware of. As he turns once more to fire at the tiny figures as if they were no more than ducks in a shooting gallery arcade, we are profoundly aware of the incomprehensible emotional journey he has just made, the gut-wrenching burden that will likely haunt him for the rest of his life. This is an incredibly moving story, delving so much deeper into the subject than the Atlas story chose to explore. By comparison, our first story barely scratched the surface. The second story took us all the way into that dark pit and exposed us to a small glimpse into the true horror of war.

Remember,

The next time you meet one of our brave soldiers,

don't forget to give them the honor and respect that they deserve.

Frontline Combat #1 cover proof with signature by artist Harvey Kurtzman

WHO KNEW ATOMIC BOMBS COULD BE SO FUNNY?

2010-04-01T20:56:00.001-05:00

Her are two comic stories from the Golden Age that come right on the heels of the end of World War Two and the advent of the atomic bomb. The stories were published in ATOMIC BOMB COMICS #1 (1946), naturally, and feature some of the silliest superheroes you'll ever lay eyes on, namely AIRMALE & STAMPY, and CAPTAIN MILKSOP!

Ah, yes, a simpler time in our history, a time when it was all right for a grown man to spend his days hanging out with, and shooting hypodermic needles into young boys! ATOMIC BOMB COMICS was a one-shot, never to be seen or heard from again, which is sad in a way, because the art and stories weren't terrible. It is hard to tell if this story was meant to be taken seriously or not. I'll let you decide that!
Artist unknown.

Up first, it's
AIRMALE & STAMPY!

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In the same issue we have CAPTAIN MILKSOP, with art by Charles Voight. Charles (C.A.)Voight was actually a Platinum Age cartoonist and illustrator, known perhaps for his early comic strips Petey, and Betty, and he died one year after this story was published. Captain Milksop was obviously not meant to be taken seriously, and it is actually pretty funny on purpose.

Here he is,
CAPTAIN MILKSOP!

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(These comic scans were donated for use here by an anonymous source.)

GIL KANE And WALLACE WOOD - Superior Art From GREEN LANTERN's Silver Age

2010-03-29T04:43:00.003-05:00

Hello again, boys and girls!

Today I'm sharing with you my issue of GREEN LANTERN # 69, from DC Comics, published in 1969!

It's a great Silver Age Green Lantern story written by John Broome, but the focus is all on the amazing art provided by the joint efforts of two of comics most talented artists, Gil Kane and Wallace (Wally) Wood.

Comics fans should already know who these legends are, so I am not going to go into great depth explaing all of that over again. If you've never heard of Gil Kane or Wally Wood, go stand in the corner, while the rest of us enjoy this awesome bit of comic art mastery. Just kidding, get back here, and take a look at this! You're going to love it!

Both artists bring something fantastic to the party. Kane brought his famous and unmatched skill at dynamic figure drawing, along with his impeccable knack for incredible action scenes, innovative page design, and perfect pacing. Wood brought his incredible skills as an inker, taking Kane's pencils and giving them weight and depth like no one else ever could.

This issue came near the end of Kane's run as the artist for GREEN LANTERN, as a few issues later a fellow named Neal Adams (with a little help from Denny O'Neil) took it to even loftier heights. But it was Gil Kane who helped re-invent the Golden Age superhero, and it was in large part thanks to him that DC superheroes of the 60's were able to make their amazing comeback.

John Broome and Gil Kane brought the Green Lantern back from obscurity with a fresh new look in DC's SHOWCASE # 22 in 1959. Three issues later, he was starring in his own comic. On the heels of the success of the GREEN LANTERN came a little comic entitled the JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA, in 1960. Sales were beyond expectations, and the superhero era was reborn. Over at Atlas/Marvel Comics, Stan Lee created a similar comic in order to ride the wave that DC had created, and with the help of Jack Kirby, the FANTASTIC FOUR was born in 1961. What followed was what we know as the MARVEL AGE OF COMICS that helped Lee and company turn their struggling busines into the unstoppable juggernaut we know today. The same thing happened at DC/National Comics, and superheroes have never lost their popularity since.

Wallace Wood enjoyed an incredible run over at EC Comics in the 1950's and when they finally stopped comic publishing to focus on their remaining succesful property, MAD, Wood continued to be highly in demand. At this point he had also been instrumental in helping Marvel grow their line, having redesigned Daredevil's costume so well in 1965 that it remains unchanged to this day. That same year he had also gotten involved in publishing as well, having created Dynamo and the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, and more for the Tower Comics line, where he also worked on occassion with Kane.

What we have here is beautiful comic art considered by many to be some af the finest ever to emerge from the Silver Age, and truly set a standard for everyone else to follow in years to come.

Here is

"IF EARTH FAILS THE TEST -- IT MEANS WAR!"

Art by Gil Kane and Wally Wood.

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____________________

As I go through my comics collection and as I scan more and more pages, it is fascinating to discover how many letters were written by young fans who would one day make a name for themselves in the world of comics. It is not uncommon to see names like Roy Thomas, Mark Evanier, and in this particular issue, Martin Pasko. Equally fascinating is how wise beyond their years many of these individuals seemed. According to internet sources like wikipedia, Pasko was a mere 15 years old when this letter was published, and in four short years he would be writing comics for DC, and later, all over.

When I get organized (which may never happen) I want to post all of these famous personalities fan letters for you all. You may be astonished to find out just who were zealous comic book fans in their youth, in light of what they eventually went on to do in their careers!

____________________________

Now, on a very sad note, I need to mention the passing of comic book artist and editor, Dick Giordano.
In my own thoughts, Giordano is remembered as one of the Silver Age's greatest, who, along with Neal Adams, helped keep DC Comics art up to a standard of excellence that enabled them to continue as an industry leader throughout the 60's, 70's and beyond. You can follow the link here to BLACK 'N' WHITE AND RED ALL OVER, where I feature a beautifully done story by Mr. Giordano. He will be remembered by fans the world over as a great comic book artist, and our sincere condolences go out to his loved ones.
Thank you for all the wonderful work, Mr. Giordano!
__

Dick Giordano
(7/20/1932 - 3/27/2010)

Pre-Code HORROR From George Evans - "The Green Hands Of Terror!"

2010-03-13T17:20:00.001-06:00

______________________________________

__________________________________

Thanks, SKULLY!

A nice little dirt nap will do wonders to rejuvenate your tired old 'corpse'-puscles!

________________________________

PS - Hey, everybody!

Taking a second to inform you of my new original art (that is, by yours truly's sometime alter-ego) blog

HEY, LOOK WHAT I FOUND!

The Art Of Michael Wurl

featuring various comic strip, comic book and other miscellaneous art projects, old and new, mostly with a healthy dose o' funny (I hope)!

Hope to see ya there!

___________________________

(post AFQ8KT86QN26)

My Interview with PAPPY from PAPPY'S GOLDEN AGE COMICS BLOGZINE!

2010-03-06T16:32:00.003-06:00

My friends, if you are a comic book fan and a web surfer, you have no doubt heard of

PAPPY'S GOLDEN AGE COMICS BLOGZINE,

and have likely enjoyed his fantastic blog of golden age comic book treasures!

To my knowledge, his comics blog is one of (if not the) very first blog featuring wonderful and little known comic book stories from the golden age in their entirety. It is certainly one of the most successful and longest running comic scan blogs on the web to date. Pappy presents these stories with his excellent and knowledgable insights and witty humorous perspective that has set the bar for every other comics blog that has appeared since. It is my honor and privilege to present you with my 'exclusive' interview with the creator and author himself.

I have stated and will continue to state that Pappy's blogzine is my favorite all-time comics blog, and as such I have listed his blog prominently in my exclusive 'Panel Of Experts'. This is the first of what I hope will be many interviews with these experts, and other comic related folks as well.

I don't know if I should tell you that this interview was conducted in a secret underground bomb shelter where Pappy keeps his enormous collection of comic books. The reason I don't think I should mention that is mostly because it isn't true.

The man known as 'Pappy' is undeniably an expert on comics, especially those from the Golden Age. He is also serious about his blogging -- I just discovered Pappy is so organized he has his comic posts prepared a month and a half to two months in advance! Some people can learn a thing or two about blogging from him

(I'm talking to you, man in the mirror!).

Now, for your enlightenment, let us join the amazing and revealing interview, already in progress!...

_________________________________________

"PAPPY"

The Man Who Started It All

"I started Pappy's because I was in the process of scanning hundreds of pages of loose comic book stories I was given in the late '70s. A man came into the bookstore where I worked; he had worked briefly in the comics in the late 1940s, and he clipped stories by his favorite artist friends. The clipped stories were mainly from 1948 or thereabouts, and he wanted to get a few dollars from them.Since there wasn't a market for them he just gave them to me. A few years ago they were getting brittle and chipping, so I thought if I wanted to preserve them I should scan them. I had also scanned some of the comics I sold on eBay in 1999-2000, so I figured I might share them online.

"The name Pappy came from talking about my grandkids and a friend said, "I've known you since before you were a pappy, and now you're a grandpappy." Something clicked in my head and there was my blog persona.

"I have drifted in and out of organized comics fandom since 1959 at age 12, when I saw my first fanzine, SQUATRONT, published by R. Crumb's friend, Mike Britt. "

THE APOCOLYTE: Thank you for this opportunity, Pappy! My first question:

1) Do you still collect comics? If so, do you stick with Golden Age, or do you buy any other kind in particular?

Golden Age comics can be pricey for a retired guy on a pension and Social Security, but I pick up the odd one here and there.

2) I see your very first post in 2006 was a story by Joe Sinnott. He is one of my favorites from that era...was there any rhyme or reason for posting that particular story or artist?

My blog was going to be called The Grim Reader's Horror Comics and I was planning to do what Karswell does so well today with The Horrors Of It All. The Sinnott story was set to lead off The Grim Reader's Horror Comics. I changed my mind, making Pappy's a blog of more general interest, but still using the Sinnott story to launch.

Considering that Karswell has turned his blog into the fantastic cult favorite it is I'm glad I changed my focus.

3) You have been a comics fan for so long, what are your observations concerning how comics have developed or changed over the last fifty years or so?

Much better printing, obviously, and artists are slicker, using technology like PhotoShop. There is now a market for deluxe comics (oops, "graphic novels," excuse me).

4) Are you a fan of, or do you follow any current comics?

No.

5) In the same regard, are there any artists from recent comic book history that you admire?

Will this get me in trouble? I have enough to do to keep up with the artists of the past, so I haven't sat down to study any modern comic book artists.

6) As far as comic books/art from the Golden Age until now, Do you feel the industry is better or worse now? Have we lost anything from that era that we no longer see today? Has the industry grown well, or not?

In a country that had half the population we do now, successful comic books of the 1940s and '50s sold at minimum 500,000 copies and went up to millions of copies sold per issue. What's a successful comic book sell now? I don't think it's in the six to seven figure range, but I may be mistaken.

Licensing keeps the industry alive, and there's nothing wrong with that, but the millions of people who see Iron Man or The Dark Knight don't translate into readers of comic books, so there's a failure someplace to reach the broader public.

7) When you began your blog, what inspired you?

I have always liked reprints of old comic strips and comic books in either magazine or book form. I saw some Golden Age comics scanned and posted online and thought I could do that with my aging and crumbling comic books. I wanted to save them digitally. Being a non-technical type I was afraid of web pages, but because of blogging, essentially having a webpage for free, I was able to share. It helps that blogs are idiot-proof, otherwise I couldn't do what I do.

8) What do you think about all the comics blog that are popping up everywhere lately? Did you ever dream you would inspire so many fans? (I freely admit my blog is a pale imitation of yours!)

I don't think of your blog as an imitation, pale or deeply tanned, but if I have inspired anybody I feel good about that.

9) Is there a particular genre you enjoy more than others?

Horror and science fiction.

10) If you could meet and hang out with any person from the history of comics, be it alive or dead, who would it be?

I'd like to have taken Lily Renée and Tarpé Mills to a bar, had some drinks, then taken them back to my room for "drawing lessons."

...holy cow, did I really say that? OK, barring that, I would like to have known Jack Cole and done some amateur psychology on his incredible brain.

11) What is it about comics that you enjoy?

I enjoy them for the same reason I like movies, they are a visual medium.

12) If there was one comic you could bring back from the Golden Age and revive today, which one would it be?

Even if I could, I wouldn't. I like Golden Age comics for what they were, not what a modern version would be. My wife has told me I live in the past and I do. I enter my room and except for my computer I'm somewhere between 1940 to 1955, but mostly in the postwar era of 1946 to 1950. I like it in the past; so many creative things in their original form, but because of changing times many don't make the transition to today's world.

13) I know it may be impossible to answer, but do you have a favorite comic artist? Or maybe a top 3 or 5? I know if someone asked me, I'd have a tough time narrowing that down.

Well, then, you know my dilemma.

14) Maybe I should have narrowed that question down a bit...how about: Favorite Golden Age artist? Favorite Silver Age? and maybe even Bronze Age?

There are a lot to name from the Golden Age, but the top would probably be Jack Kirby, Jack Cole, Bob Powell, Walt Kelly and Carl Barks. Silver Age would have to be Jack Kirby, and Bronze Age is Alfredo Alcala, my favorite from amongst a crowd of talented Filipino artists.

15) Do you remember what the first comic book you ever owned? Or the first that you bought?

The first one I still have that I picked out and bought with my own money is Uncle Scrooge #7. Before that my mom bought me the comics I picked out, guiding me to the kids' books, and away from the horror and crime comics of the era. (That's probably why I'm fixated on them today.)

Here's a memory: Sitting on my front porch at age 6 or 7, selling my comic books for 2¢ apiece so I could make enough money to buy more comics. Over the years I spent a lot of money rebuilding a fraction of what I sold, which now sit in my basement in long boxes. I have turned over several collections in my life. If I had them all back I'd be living in the basement and the comics would have taken over the rest of my house. I miss everything I ever let go, but to have them back would be impossible, if just from a storage standpoint.

Wow! Selling your comics to be able to buy more comics! For 2¢ apiece!

However you did it, Pappy, you have managed to amass a fantastic collection, and we, the online readers, have been enriched and enlightened many times over by all the incredible and entertaining stories you share!
For myself, and on behalf of all of your blog readers, I thank you!

_______________________________________

Now I want to share with you all a handful of delightful and seldom seen stories from Pappy's blog. I am taking a few from Pappy's earlier blogging days, in the hopes that many of you have never seen these before. Remember, all of these stories and scans came directly from Pappy's blog, and there are hundreds more where these came from! I invite you to make Pappy's a daily web-stop...I personally can spend hours exploring through his wonderful posts, and there is always something new and exciting to discover there.

I bow to you, sir Pappy! Thank you!

From PAPPY'S post #3

by Basil Wolverton

From PAPPY'S post #8

By Bill Everett

From PAPPY'S post #13

By Walt Kelly

From PAPPY'S Post #22

By L.B. Cole

From PAPPY'S Post #43

By Sid Check

From PAPPY'S Post #57

From PAPPY'S Post #98

By Alex Toth

By Warren Tufts

From PAPPY'S Post #110

By Bob Powell

From PAPPY'S Post #138

By Stan Lee and Dan DeCarlo

________________________________

Did you like these?

Of course you did!

These are only a handful of the wide variety of excellent Golden Age comic stories waiting for you at

PAPPY'S GOLDEN AGE COMICS BLOGZINE!

I probably went a little overboard here, but the deeper I dig over at Pappy's, the more amazing comics I find, and I couldn't decide which stories to show here...believe it or not, I wanted to post more!

Instead of posting every awesome thing Pappy has ever posted, let me just leave you with a few more great links to some more early Pappy treasures! Head directly to Pappy's right now and show him your love!

http://pappysgoldenage.blogspot.com/2006/07/number-1-welcome-to-first-pappys.html

http://pappysgoldenage.blogspot.com/2006/08/number-15-ivans-woe-swiping-has-long.html

http://pappysgoldenage.blogspot.com/2006/11/number-56-kill-crazy-carlins-fred.html

http://pappysgoldenage.blogspot.com/2007/01/number-79-harvey-kurtzman-and-will.html

http://pappysgoldenage.blogspot.com/2007/02/number-90-bob-powells-man-in-hood-truly.html

http://pappysgoldenage.blogspot.com/2007/03/number-106-walt-kellys-jack-giant.html

http://pappysgoldenage.blogspot.com/2007/03/number-107-doug-wildeys-bug-boo-when.html

http://pappysgoldenage.blogspot.com/2007/03/number-109-howard-nostrand-holds-that.html

http://pappysgoldenage.blogspot.com/2007/04/number-117-alex-toths-time-machine-h.html

...okay! You get the picture! Pappy's is just jam-packed with awesomeness! I have to stop before I break blogger!

Once more I offer my deepest thanks to Pappy for all he's done, and for this interview.

Now, what are you waiting for? Get clicking on those links!

And go start digging for your own treasures over there!

I'M BACK WITH MORE HARVEY KURTZMAN

2010-03-03T04:58:00.000-06:00

Hey, where have you been?

I've been looking for you, so I could show you some more great Harvey Kurtzman comics!

First we will take a look at some very early Kurtzman, three Flatfoot Burns stories from POLICE COMICS #24, 25, and 26 from 1943-44.

After that we have one of his early EC stories, from 1950, prior to him getting his own titles to edit (Two-Fisted Tales, etc.).

As far as the first two stories go, there was a little thing going on called WWII, and so to keep things in context we need to remember that. The first story deals with air raid sirens and turning out your lights to prevent enemy bombers from seeing your lights and making you a target.
In the second story, Victory Gardens are the main subject, and it seems a bit odd to us today when we realize the whole country was doing everything it could to contribute to the war effort.
Would we find such unity in today's America?

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(Originally published in POLICE COMICS #24, 1943)

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(Originally published in POLICE COMICS #25, 1943)

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(Originally published in POLICE COMICS #26, 1944)

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Now we'll take a look at one of Harvey Kurtzman's early EC Comics stories. This one is from CRIME SUSPENSTORIES #1, 1950. A tension-filled murder-mystery, Kurtzman style.

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HARVEY KURTZMAN - One Of Comics Greatest Geniuses

2010-02-17T10:57:00.008-06:00

My wife is missing out.

We all have self-imposed blind-spots, if you will.

Let me back up.

I'm using my wife as an illustration, in order to point out an error we may all be committing in our daily lives.

She enjoys many different kinds of TV shows and movies, for example, she is a fan of C.S.I. (any of 'em) and cop shows in general. She has nothing against a shoot'em up action movie like Die Hard. One of her favorite actors is Clint Eastwood.

That said, she has imposed a rule in her mind that limits her enjoyment...she will not, ABSOLUTELY NOT, watch a movie featuring either of the following: War or Boxing. Period.

A few years ago I bought the DVD "Million Dollar Baby", starring Clint Eastwood, her biggest hero. She refused to watch it, to this very day. Why? Because it has boxing in it. It didn't do any good to inform her that Clint not only starred in it, he also directed it and it won several Oscars, one for direction, one for best picture, and co-stars Morgan Freeman and Hillary Swank each won oscars for their performances. I could not change her mind.

Which is hugely tragic, in my opinion, because while she is trying to filter out whatever she finds unpleasant regarding these 'genres', she does not realize what she is missing. Most 'war' movies for example are not trying to condone or glorify killing or warfare, that is merely the setting of the story. The story is what is important, not the setting. The story isn't going to be about how wonderful killing is, but how we as people deal with events like war, tragedy and death, cowardice and courage. There are giant lessons to be learned, and by closing off that doorway she will never understand some of these things as well as she could.

That was a lot of rambling to finally bring us to my main point -

Don't let misconceptions prevent you from experiencing the lessons that life has to offer...in regards to comic books, don't be afraid of certain genres because they are unfamiliar to you. Guys, go look at an old Romance comic, you'll find something worth looking for. Ladies, don't fear War comics, there is real heroism and history, and much to learn about ourselves and the world around us.

There. All that was said is to preface my real point -- Harvey Kurtzman was a genius who contributed more to the comics we know and love than we can really understand.

Harvey Kurtzman (October 3, 1924, – February 21, 1993).

Harvey Kurtzman was an amazingly talented fellow who was responsible for creating MAD as well as the finest War comics ever produced. He was already writing and drawing his own type of comics by the time he joined the ranks of EC Comics in 1949. In 1950 he began writing, editing, and laying out every story for TWO-FISTED TALES, as well as drawing stories himself as well. In 1951, he added FRONTLINE COMBAT to the list, and in 1952 his unmistakable brand of humor emerged with the first issue of MAD. Comics have never been the same since, and thank God for it.

(Taken from Wikipedia - Writing for Time Magazine, Richard Corliss touted Kurtzman's influence:
"MAD was the first comic enterprise that got its effects almost entirely from parodying other kinds of popular entertainment… To say that this became an influential manner in American comedy is to understate the case. Almost all American satire today follows a formula that Harvey Kurtzman thought up.”)

Another huge Kurtzman fan, Ren & Stimpy creator John K. on his blog summed up some great truth about Kurtzman and his art. He says it better than I could...

"I personally like Kurtzman's work even more than the Mad artists he supervised. Kurtzman did the layouts for most of the Mad (and E.C) comics. In other words, he drew quick compositions in thumbnail form. The artists lost a lot of the larger design element inherent in Harvey's work. His organized crowds became chaotic hard to read jumbles in the hands of the more famous cartoonists - in my opinion. But one thing most fans are in agreement on: Wally Wood, Jack Davis, Will Elder and the bunch did their best work under Kurtzman's direction.

Kurtzman is a rare creature that sees the big picture. Most artists get buried in the details. The fact that Harvey drew each character "simpler" than most artists makes it easier to see the composition and big picture and we can learn from that. It also makes beginner artists tend to think he is "primitive". Harvey thinks like a good animation director or a good short story writer."

John K's summary of Kurtzman 'seeing the big picture' is certainly an accurate one. It took me a while to realize this myself over the years, as I initially brushed off his artwork as...amatuerish! Can you imagine? I was blinded by the glitzy tight finishes of the other EC stars, Wally Wood and Frank Frazetta and the like, and didn't realize how amazing and perfect Kurtzman's designs really were.

Kurtzman distilled every cover or panel down to it's most basic essentials, and never was there a figure or an object out of place. Everything was designed to get across his point. His figures are more like caricatures than real characters, but inevitably that is the basis of great comic book story-telling.

Here are a couple of wonderful examples of Kurtzman's brilliant ability to draw fluid. living, relatable humor stories (also taken from John K's blog).

Below is an example of early Kurtzman dramatic stories. BLACK VENUS, from CONTACT Comics # 6, 1945. (Scanned from a comic I used to own...alas, I only have this one page)

STORIES OF CONSCIENCE

Now, how would someone like Harvey Kurtzman, with the supreme gift of humor, react to war?

Why, he would hate it with every fiber of his being, naturally.

That is why his war themed comics are so incredible, because for the most part, they are stories of conscience. He took his unique gifts for story-telling, and told stories that inevitably had the same moral:

"War is evil. No one wins. Why are we killing each other?"

Kurtzman's genius established TWO-FISTED TALES and FRONTLINE COMBAT as arguably the greatest war comics ever produced.

There were also the detailed and accurate historical recountings that Kurtzman supervised , but it was those fictional stories that most often revealed the tragedy and humanity that links us all together.

Here are two out of many brilliant Harvey Kurtzman war stories for your enjoyment. Take the time to look at each panel, and you can see how he laid each one out with apparent ease and genius to tell these unforgettably gripping stories.

__________________________________

Kurtzman reveals the truth, that even if you get what you want in war, there are no winners.

Thou Shalt Not...

KILL!

From TWO-FISTED TALES #23, 1951

______________________________

One of his most moving anti-war stories, "RUBBLE", tells the story from the point of view of a family who have the misfortune of trying to live their lives as war rolls through their country. Kurtzman bravely chooses to show our 'enemy' as a caring, loving human being with no thoughts of hate or war. We don't even have to participate in the war to be utterly destroyed by it.

________________________________

From TWO-FISTED TALES #24, 1951

Was it our bombs that destroyed an innocent families home, or the enemies?

Kurtzman tells us point blank, it doesn't matter.

When we fight a war, we are all guilty.

Mykal Banta has created a great blog featuring some of the greatest war comics of all time, by some of the best in the business.

Make sure you drop in over at STAR-STUDDED WAR COMICS, you will find the best war-themed comic stories ever produced.

I will have more Harvey Kurtzman work to share in days ahead.

A WORD FROM DR. WERTHAM P. FREDRICS - Comics Authoritarian & Psycho-Analyzer

2010-02-13T23:32:00.001-06:00

Resident critic, comic book authoritarian, and psycho-analyzer,

Dr. Wertham P. Fredrics,

has a short message for all comic book fans everywhere...

artwork by Michael Wurl

____________________________________________

This has been a message from Dr. Wertham P. Fredrics.

DAILY FUNNIES SECTION # 10

2010-02-13T19:38:00.000-06:00

GOING TO THE WOOD-PILE - An EC Classic From Feldstein and Wood

2010-02-13T06:15:00.002-06:00

Howdy, comic book lovers!

I'm posting this story here not only because it is fantastic, but also because I have the ORIGINAL ART by Wally Wood posted over at BLACK 'N' WHITE AND RED ALL OVER right now!

It's beautiful in color, but you need to see the original black and white art to appreciate Wood's amazing gift! Don't forget to check it out, friend!

Originally published in WEIRD SCIENCE # 13, 1952, these scans are from my Gemstone reprint copy.

A classic story by Al Feldstein, and incredible art by Wally Wood!

HE WALKED AMONG US!

_____________________________

see the original art here

Pssst! Be sure to go weigh in on the Battle of the Bad Costumes! Click here!

DAILY FUNNIES SECTION # 9

2010-02-12T23:05:00.000-06:00

DAILY FUNNIES SECTION # 8

2010-02-11T10:30:00.000-06:00

ALBERT THE ALLIGATOR LEAVES THE SWAMP FOR THE BIG CITY

2010-02-10T08:30:00.002-06:00

Just about everybody loves the comics of Walt Kelly.

ME TOO!

There are several great sites on the web where you can find Walt Kelly's comics,

and you can add APOCOLYTE'S WORLD OF COMICS to that list!

Here's a great story from the early days of Pogo and Albert, from ANIMAL COMICS # 5, 1943, when Kelly was still molding his creation. Kelly was still refining his art style here, and with each story he drew, Pogo and Albert (and friends) became a bit cuter and more lovable, until he found that magic formula that we have come to know and love! In 1943, Bumbazine was still hanging around, Pogo looked more like a rat than a cute ol' possum, and Albert was a bit more of a nasty rascal.

I'll have a few links to some of the other wonderful Walt Kelly Pogo stories at the end of the post.

In this story, Albert decides to leave the swamp and so he heads toward the big city, but when he does he finds a little more trouble than he planned.

___________________________________

If you love Kelly, you might have already seen these...if not, you must check out these links to other amazing Walt Kelly stories.

http://theblogattheendoftime.blogspot.com/2009/12/genius-of-walt-kelly-uncle-pogo-so-so.html

http://tencentdreams.blogspot.com/2009/08/walt-kellyearly-pogo.html

http://www.bigblogcomics.com/2010/01/pogo-possum-lil-green-robin-hood-and.html

http://pappysgoldenage.blogspot.com/2009/04/number-519-de-fust-time-story-of-how.html

http://pappysgoldenage.blogspot.com/2009/07/number-567-couple-of-miles-of-jollity.html

http://tencentdreams.blogspot.com/2009/09/walt-kelly-sambo-hobbes-another-great.html

http://www.bigblogcomics.com/2009/10/brownies-in-ooglies-and-cuckoo-clock.html

http://greatestape.blogspot.com/2009/06/more-churchy-la-femme-and-howland-owl.html

http://greatestape.blogspot.com/2009/04/great-supporting-players-4-churchy-la.html

http://greatestape.blogspot.com/2009/03/albert-pogos-christmas-by-walt-kelly.html

http://pappysgoldenage.blogspot.com/2008/07/number-344-walt-kellys-brownies-and.html

http://pappysgoldenage.blogspot.com/2008/11/number-419-berried-treasure-each.html

...actually Pappy's has a TON of awesome Kelly posts...just search his name ...

and of course, we cannot forget THE best blogs for nothing but Walt Kelly,

http://whirledofkelly.blogspot.com/

http://pogoinpandemonia.blogspot.com/

...there are probably many more sites and links, but you'll have to find those for yo' sef!

Thanks for stoppin' by!

I'll be sure to post more Walt Kelly here soon!

DAILY FUNNIES SECTION # 7

2010-02-10T08:29:00.000-06:00

I ALWAYS KNEW BETTY WAS THE KINKY ONE...

2010-02-10T02:34:00.000-06:00

Here's a one page Betty And Veronica story from ARCHIES JOKE BOOK #60, 1962. Possibly reprinted in issue #139 as well. This is the original art, found at an online auction site...can't remember which one. Artist unkown.

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DAILY FUNNIES SECTION # 6

2010-02-09T19:44:00.000-06:00

DAILY FUNNIES SECTION # 5

2010-02-08T12:36:00.000-06:00

DAILY FUNNIES SECTION # 4

2010-02-07T18:25:00.000-06:00

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Have A Great

SUPERBOWL SUNDAY!

GETTING A SWELLED HEAD...Again - "LISTEN, SLAVE" by Dick Ayers

2010-02-07T00:27:00.000-06:00

Dick Ayers is one of my favorite artists from the Golden and Silver Age. You may recognize his name from the early days of Marvel Comics, when he frequently inked Jack Kirby's pencils, or from a bit later, when he drew the adventures of Sgt Fury for nigh on ten years.

One of the early 'trademarks' of his art style that I observe, moreso in the Golden Age than later, was the frequent exageration or slightly out of proportion quality in some of his characters limbs or heads...a stylistic interpretation I would call it (rather than bad art), because it brought another fascinating dimension to his art. Heros would loom larger than life, and bad guys were oh so bad, with features that echoed their personas.

Here than is a tale that seems tailor-made for Ayers 'quirky' style, a tale you will not soon forget, a tale called...

"LISTEN, SLAVE!"

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From SPELLBOUND #21, 1954.

Cover art by Russ Heath.

DAILY FUNNIES SECTION # 3

2010-02-06T04:33:00.000-06:00

Saturday, February 6, 2010

DAILY FUNNIES SECTION # 2

2010-02-05T05:17:00.000-06:00

Friday, February 5, 2010

DYNAMO vs. DINOSAUR - Crandall and Wood take us "Back To The Stone Age!"

2010-02-04T19:51:00.000-06:00

Wally Wood created the superhero Dynamo and the rest of the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents for Tower Comics, and they first appeared in T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #1, 1965. Main character Dynamo got his own title and debuted in 1966.

Wood had a lot of other notable artists helping him out on several stories throughout the 2 years or so that the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents adventures were published. Here he is joined by old EC alum Reed Crandall, who provides perfect pencils for Wood's wondrous inks, in a story from DYNAMO #1.

Len Brown was an ordinary guy (with a good physique) who, with the aid of a special belt, was transformed into a nearly indestructible power-house, or dynamo, if you will...

Will that be enough for him to survive if he goes...

BACK TO THE STONE AGE!

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DAILY FUNNIES SECTION

2010-02-04T09:04:00.000-06:00

A TOUCH OF HORROR - Bad Intentions From Stan Lee and Joe Maneely

2010-02-03T05:53:00.000-06:00

Specially restored just for you, here's a taut little thriller from the pre-superhero mind of Stan Lee. This pre-code horror story is heightened by some exquisite imagery by Atlas' icon Joe Maneely. Full of details, every panel is set up by Maneely like a master director sets up his camera, as we follow his wonderfully unique and believable characters through out the vistas of rotting old mansions and mountainous cliffs. Young Stan Lee proves he is a master storyteller, and with Maneely's art, we can look into the characters eyes and see just what they are thinking.

From Atlas comics SUSPENSE #28, 1953, here's a classic horror tale entitled

WITH INTENT TO KILL!

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Cover art by Bill Everett.

TAKING A RISK WITH JOHN BUSCEMA - 'Mr. Risk'

2010-01-30T01:46:00.001-06:00

When I first started collecting comics, I fell in love with the stories, and of course the art. John Buscema was one of Marvel comics artists that really came into prominence in the mid-late 60's, becoming one of their heaviest hitters, one of their most popular and dependable. What I didn't realize for several years was how long he (and many of my favorite comic artists) had been working in the comics field...long before I was born!

Ah, the ignorance of youth!

John Buscema had in fact been drawing comics (mostly for Marvel/Timely/Atlas) since 1948. Here he draws Mr. Risk, a pipe smoking crime sleuth who was first introduced in 1942 (and drawn by EC comics genius and MAD creator Harvey Kurtzman in a 1943 story here shown at Pappy's ). Even early on Buscema displays the same skill at creating well proportioned, recognizable characters in that easily accessable style (like a cross between Joe Kubert and Alex Raymond) that I would fall in love with almost 20 years later.

This particular story is from Mr. Risk's first self titled comic book, MR. RISK # 7, 1950. For some reason, sadly, even though there was plenty of action, socks to the jaw, and solved cases, MR. RISK only lasted for 2 issues.

Remember, chum, when in dire peril, call

MR. RISK

Dangerfield 7-7777.

No case too dangerous,

No risk too great.

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AMAZING! YET ANOTHER INCREDIBLE NEW COMICS BLOG! - THE PHANTOM

2010-01-29T16:13:00.000-06:00

Comics fans and lovers of great blogs will find both at a blog even newer than this one.

Comics blogger and artist Aaron Bias has just released the coolest blog ever on -- THE PHANTOM!
It's THE GHOST WHO BLOGS!

click the link right now and add it to your daily surf -- you don't want to miss it!

http://falkonthewildside.blogspot.com/

For a fascinating and revealing look at the Lee Falk comic book creation, the legendary Phantom!

DON'T MISS IT!

Oh, and just in case you didn't know, Aaron has other cool blogs, too, like SILVER AGE GOLD!

LOVELY LOVERS LOVE LOVING LOVINGLY - or Romance Comics Are For Guys, Too!

2010-01-28T23:03:00.000-06:00

Okay, here's a word you don't hear much these days, unless it's in some flowery Jane Austen novel or film adaptation, or maybe a song. But you never hear this in the real world....the word?

LOVER.

I mean, who uses that kind of terminology anymore? We have many more hip (do people still say hip?), modern, and crude ways of expressing the same thing nowadays.

Squeeze.

Partner.

Significant Other.

Boy-Toy.

B*tch.

F*ck Buddy.

One Night Stand.
Knick Knack Paddywhack.

and, if you are from the south,

Uncle Grandpa.

Okay, okay!! Just kidding about that last one!

What I and my fellow comic book enthusiast, well known authoritarian and psycho-analyzer Dr. Wertham P. Fredrics find mind boggling is what the word 'lover' really means to an adult, and the fact that these comics were marketed as perfectly safe entertainment fodder for young, underage girls!

LOVERS!

Let Dr. Fredrics explain.

"Jah! Ze luffers is ven you und your little shveet potato climb into ze backseat und do ze nasty, jah? Makin' ze vhoopee! Dat's vhat luffers do! I know! I have done it before! It vas a long time ago, jah, but I can shtill remember ze look on Mrs. Fredrics face, jah! She didn't expect me to try zat , heehee...right inder middle of der library, jah! So hard to shtay quviet, too! Hoo hoo!You never forget your first luffer, jah!"

Ew. Doc. Seriously, there's kids out there. Watch your damn mouth!

"Jah, hee hee! Zat's exactly vhat Mrs. Fredricks said in the library zat day! Hoo boy, I was ALL over her like a big, sexy schmorgasbord, jah!!! Hoo wah!"

Thank you so much for sharing, Doc. Here. Here's a bar of soap...shove it in your mouth and go stand in the corner, while I try to get those images out of my head!

"You won't get rid of them, heh heh...mmmmm, Irish Spring!"

You know, Doc, it's not all so dark and perverted, is it?
I mean, love is a really wonderful thing, isn't it?
Isn't it about a lot more than just nasty sex?

"NOO-mmph!"

Well, we're not here to delve into the psychology behind human sexuality, nor the overwhelming hormonal drives of the male and female physiogomy. No, we here to enjoy some great comics. And what intrigues me the most about romance comics is the way the gender roles are portrayed, because there is undeniably a prevailing undertone of pulsating sexual desire at play in every story, overt or not.
Plus, I think the word lover is 'funny'.

Lovers.

Paramours.

Beloved.

Suitor.

Wooer.

I kinda like that one. Wooer.
'Hey, Joe, did ya woo 'er?'
or
'Hey, Sally, how was your wooer last night?'
'Oh, he was a real wolf.'
'Too bad, there's nothing worse than a wooer wolf!'
ahem. sorry.

But perhaps all these archaic terms have lost their relevance in today's modern world.

What's my point?

I don't know!
Let's read some comics, shall we?

Here's two interesting stories from the repressed 50's about two different girls (young ladies, I mean) who finally find their Boy-Toys, er, Wooers, er, I mean Paramours, yeeesh!

Their LOVERS, okay? I said it!

In our first romantic tale 'The Man I'll Marry', beautiful Betty spends most of her time doing alot of two things: drawing pictures and kissing men. Why? Because she is looking for the right man to marry, or in other words, her lover. But she is going about it in the most irregular way, cutting through a swath of men and leaving them to wither up and blow away as if they we're tall grass and she was a machete. She is shopping for men like she is trying on jeans at the Gap. She is basically doing what we all want to do...she wants someone with perfect dreamy looks who can also ring her bell as well (ding! ding!). Is that so wrong?

Comic databases list the art on this story as unknown, but I recognize the work of John Tartaglione for Atlas comics. The style is so recognizable, now you too will know it the next time you see it.

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The second story is listed as artist unkown as well, but has a very familiar look to it somehow to me. Whoever it is, I like it.

I am probably wrong, but when I look at the art, I see two familiar styles somehow...some of the women look like Bill Everett's work a bit, and some of them look like Gene Colan's! It probably is neither, for all I know, but both did work for Atlas at the time -- perhaps they did team up on this...one penciling, one inking? Overall, it doesn't look necessarily like eithers work, just here and there. Now I am asking all you classic comic freaks out there to strap your thinking caps on and tell me what you think. Do YOU recognize the artist for the second story? If you do, please tell me.

"Rah! I vad do doe, doo!"

What Doc? Take out the bar of soap..

"Phhp! Pleh! Ptooey! Yuk! Vhat I shaid vas, Jah, I vant to know, too, Jah!"

From LOVERS #73, 1955, Atlas comics, 'Too Loyal For Love' features the classic triangle (er, don't think dirty, guys...like I did. Be mature about this). Uh-oh! I'll bet somebody gets hurt!

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As a bonus, let us analyze the cover to LOVERS # 50, with art by John Tartaglione.

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What is significant here is -- just what is going on here?!

It certainly looks fairly erotic for a teen comic. Doc?

"Fairly erotic? Zis is flat-out shmut! Are you blind! Shtart looking at zings mit der 'Wertham-colored glasses, und vake up already!"

Well it looks like Ricky Riccardo...he's trying to perform a Vulcan Mind-Meld on her, I admit, but...okay, she appears to be in some state of...ecstasy...and...where are their other hands?

"HA! I know what zose hands iss doin'! Remember vhat I told you ze last time ve talked about ze shmutty teen romance comics?(click here for pt1 & here for pt2) Iffen you can't see ze persons hand, it's up to no good, jah! Look at zis guy here -- he has complete control over zis submitting female, vhy, he practically has her in a headlock -- if zat isn't a dominant position, I don't know vhat! Und she's in ze ecstasy, all right, 'cuz his udder hand is up her shkirt or somezing, Jah! Ve chust may be lookink at ze firsht comic book mit der orgasm right on ze front cover! 'MISS SMITH SAYS YES YES OH YEESSSSSSSS!' Jah!"

Doc! How do you know what his other hand is doing?

"I know because I used to do zis to Mrs. Fredrics every Wednesday after bingo! He's doing what ve call in ze trade ze 'Double-Digit-Ditty-Dang!' Jah! Heh heh! Mrs. Fredricks liked it so much she used to ashk me for it by name, by golly, jah! Heh heh!"

Doc, these images you keep putting into my head are not pretty! Oog!

"Jah, I vas going to say you look pretty sick. ..you looks all pale und mit der dark bags under ze eye-flames...Tsk tsk, you shouldn't even be shtanding, probably!"

Really, Doc? You think so? I..was feeling fine, but ...I guess I'm a litttle tired. I mean, I have been staring at comic books and computer screens for about the last four months without sleeping or eating.

Is that bad?

"Jah! I'm telling you you look sick! Lissen to me, I am a doctor, you know! (Even if it was just as a horse doctor in the old country) Here, now just let me reach over und check your temperature vith ze back of my hand against your cheek..."

Hey now, Doc! You haven't...done that 'Ditty-Dang' thing lately, right?

"Not that you know...hmmm -- oh no...tsk tsk..."

What's the matter , Doc?

"I need you to open your mout's, shtick out your tongue, und say'AHH'!"

Okay. AaaaaaaaahhhhmMMMOOOMMPHHKK!!!

"Zere's your bar of soap back, sucker! Hee hee hee ho!"

Uugh! Bleh! Shperk! Splaapblaah! Peh! Yuk!
Blug...
Shee you nex shime, folkssh!
Ptooey!
Ssppoopleyy speew! Ptui!

THE LEGEND OF IRON-MAN McGEE - or, "I am Iron Man!" - "No, I am Iron Man!" - "No. I am!" - "No! I am, dang it!"

2010-01-27T06:58:00.000-06:00

One of the many things artist John Severin can draw well is western comics. He shows us his stuff here, teaming up with a fella named Stan Lee.

Get ready to meet one of the ornery-est critters west of the Pecos!

Our tale comes from Atlas comics WYATT EARP #4, 1956, pard'ner!

Smile when ya say that, ya lilly-livered sod-buster!

Now slide up to the bar and have a drink with

THE LEGEND OF IRON-MAN McGEE!

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