Let’s Get Small: On The Subject of Tiny Heroes

With apologies to Steve Martin, I’ve always thought that among the super-powers our comic heroes had, getting small or being tiny had to be among most useless out there. Powers were supposed to make you strong and give you a fighting advantage against your foes- not turn ordinary household appliances and things into deadly weapons!

I laughed when went to my friends’ house and he had these copies of The Atom and Micronauts (both strangely issue 2 of its run) where, due to their powers, are threatened by such mundane things as a lawnmower and…a kitchen sink filled with water?! 

Holy Rick Moranis were these powers useless!
Even Ant-Man himself was defenseless against a tub filled with water in an early issue of Tales To Astonish- imagine having a power that makes taking a bath a deadly proposition!

LOL, it’s probably not a coincidence that by the next issue, Ant Man had given up his shrinking powers and had transitioned into GIANT-MAN!

PS: I remember when I was in college, meeting this girl who had grown up reading her brother's LEGION of SUPER-HEROES collection. I mentioned in passing how boring SHRINKING VIOLET's shrinking powers were, however she made me laugh when she said, "Remember TRIPLICATE GIRL? Now THAT was a ridiculous power!" LOLOL

Scans From The Seminal ART of John Byrne Book

 Thanks to the huge success of the latter 70's X-MEN stories, John Byrne became a HOT commodity in the comics world for awhile there, and at the height of the craze came a book that every fan needed to grab, THE ART OF JOHN BYRNE book released in 1980!

Oh MAN, there wasn't a kid around who didn't want a copy of this- not only for all its awesome art and insight, and all those AWESOME X-Men sketches!!!- but MOSTLY the inclusion of the mature sci-fi "Critical Error" story which featured a gorgeous Byrne Babe in ALL her natural wonder!

Scanning some illustrations for the John Byrne facebook page, I was taken back by how great these drawings still are- some consider 1980 PEAK John Byrne, and as these illos can attest, make a good case!

John Byrne's Intricate Artwork: Avengers #189

Have always loved artist John Byrne's attention to details in his ilistrations, and a great example of this is in Avengers #189, depicting bowslinging Avenger Hawkeye's apartment!

 You get it all: the shabbiness of it, the broken windows, the dinky television set (with tinfoil wrapped around the antennae), the pin-up of Wanda over the bed and of course the picture of Falcon with darts in it!!

As a kid I cannot TELL yoy how many hours I spent poring over this and his many other drawings throughout- such fine attention to details, no WONDER he is always regarded as one of the all-time best!!

Marvel Novel Series!

I remember seeing these on the shelves at Honolulu Book Store Ala Moana and being mystified at these "grown-up" versions of comic book characters I loved...I was particularly haunted by the Iron Man cover...at the time, I didn't know who Modok was and assumed it was the name of the "other" Iron Man.

A New Take On The New Mutants

Don’t know if you saw the trailer for the NEW MUTANTS upcoming movie, but instead of your usual glossy super-heroes whopping on each other, they are shooting it like a teenage horror movie style, dark and brooding with jump-scary style editing. Could work, at this point they don’t have anything to lose.

Anyway just today they uploaded the promo pic of the group. At first I thought it was crappy, (my first thought was, why are they all so dirty???) but someone pointed out that they’re paying homage to AC/DC’s Highway to Hell which I kind of like!

The cherry on the top came when someone on reddit pointed out that the Ilanya Rasputin character has a puppet of Kitty Pryde’s dragon “pet” Lockheed on her hand, which I find hilarious!

Already love Anya Taylor Joy from the very spooky and moody movie THE WITCH (or, the VVitch) and of course Arya Stark as Wolfsbane is going to be something to see!

The Man Called Nova 1-25 (Complete Run)

Ohhhh man, this series did NOT hold up well over the years.

Almost excruciating to re-read.

Happy Halloween!

Back in the 60's Tom Fagan organized the annual Rutland Halloween Parade centered around Marvel and DC superheroes alike, and the festival would occasionally show up in the pages of the comics, like Amazing Adventures 16 where the Beast encountered the Juggernaut!

The Human Fly

One of the more obscure titles that Marvel published in the 70's, The HUMAN FLY was a character that my friend Larry really dug for some reason, and I specifically remember a much-read copy of issue 18 at his house!!

 The Human Fly was a puzzling one....the by-line read that he was “The WILDEST Super-Hero…because he’s REAL!”, but me and most of my friends weren’t sure if he REALLY was a “real” character or just a “Made Up” character we were MEANT to think was real.

Come to find out the Human FLY WAS based on a real person, stuntman Rick Rojatt:

“Rojatt, a Canadian, says he once was a Hollywood stunt man—although the California union has no record of him. He also says he was in an auto accident in North Carolina six years ago which killed his wife and 4-year-old daughter and badly injured him. He had 38 operations in four years, he says, which allowed him to walk again but left him with a body that is “60 percent steel parts.” He says he conditions himself by rising at 3 a.m., running six miles and then plunging into a bathtub full of ice cubes.”

-From People Magazine 1976

Howard the Duck #18: "If You Knew SOOFI"

How many of you remember Anita Bryant and her Anti-Gay “Save The Children” crusade which resulted in her getting a pie in the face and inspiring Steve Gerber to create the villainous organization SOOFI (Save Our Offspring From Indecency) in HOWARD THE DUCK?

Like the Save The Children Organization, SOOFI had similar plans to “Cleanse America” of its “filth” …and targeted Howard for indecency because he was walking around without any pants on! HAHAHAHAHA

It’s a widely held belief that Gerber alluded the “person under the mask” of SOOFI Leader Supreme Soofi to be none other than Anita Bryant herself; though no real mention of Anita is mentioned, the folksinger was well known for her association with Florida Orange Juice, and the SOOFI’s round orange “Citrus Heads” (as Howard calls it) certainly hints at this, and when the Supreme SOOFI confesses to Howard that she is “a Girl from the Sunshine State”, who else could it be!?

Howard The Duck was such a GREAT comic- Steve Gerber infused the most sharp and witty satirical takes on the problems of the 70’s into Howard’s exploits!

Posted by zinkognito @ zdorama.blogspot.com

The Incredible Hulk #182: "Between Hammer and Anvil!"

The Incredible Hulk, Issue #182! Coming right after issue 181's famous debut of Canada's Wild n Wool Wolverine,  this one also featured Wolverine briefly at the beginning of the issue where he is being called back by his government. Because he was in it, issue #182 is a pricey comic to own, and so very few people have actually read it. 

That’s a shame because this issue’s story “Between Hammer and Anvil!”, where Hulk meets the kindly traveller Crackajack Jackson, is one of the sweetest and most touching stories EVER.

Crackajack Jackson is on his way to the state Penitentiary to meet his incarcerated son “Hammer” Jackson. Along the way he befriends the Hulk, and during their travels, he teaches Hulk the alphabet and shows him how to write his name, saying “A man ain’t nothin’ if he ain’t got his name!”

What they don’t know is that Hammer and his partner Johnny Anvil have escaped the prison and have crossed paths with a VERY bizarre-looking alien, who gives them the power of  a cosmic chain…and when Crackajack and Hulk show up, there’s gonna be a battle ahead!

A very touching and bittersweet ending, Crackajack Jackson became a person that Hulk would reflect on in later issues as a true friend of his.
Posted by zinkognito @ zdorama.blogspot.com

Marvel Team-Up #78

My friend and his brother always had an abundance of comics laying around to read- their grandmother had a candy store in Maui which sold used comics in the back and they always came home from a visit with boxes FULL of titles!

On one occasion, this Marvel Team-Up issue starring Spider Man and Wonder Man was among the haul, and I immediately sat down and started reading it. The villain of the piece, the Griffin, was your basic one-shot villain type (as they usually were in the Team-Up and Two-In-One titles) as a guy in a suit, but as Spidey and Wondey duked it out with him, I was gripped with tension as the guy in the suit began slowly changing…from man into a REAL griffin!

WHOA! The idea of this slow-morphing of a man into monster during the heat of battle just FLOORED me! I remember finishing it, putting it down and telling the guys, “Th-this issue was freaking AWESOME!”

And I ain’t gonna lie, when me and my friends began drawing our own comics, I would regularly have villains who slowly changed into creatures during fighting, I was THAT impressed by it!

Uncanny X-Men #125

My very FIRST X-Men comic, the one that introduced me to those Uncanny heroes, and WOW, what a issue to start off with! Not only was I introduced to all the X-men, but also Moira MacTaggert, Phoenix, Beast, Havok and Polaris AND the Danger Room! EVERYTHING was in this issue!

And if that weren’t enough, this was the first part of the incredible PROTEUS storyline, the beginnings of the HELLFIRE CLUB storyline and, of course, the seeds of what would eventually become the “DEATH OF PHOENIX” saga!

To this day this run remains the title that all others must compare to, and John Byrne and Terry Austin are STILL my favorite Artist/inker combo of all time!

Cross-Over Comics

The year was 1978 when my friend BLEW MY MIND by introducing me to what was called a “CROSS-OVER”!!  He showed me Captain America #230, where Cap went up against the Hulk (and what a COVER!), and I was astounded when the story continued into Hulk’s OWN title with Incredible Hulk #232!!!

MAN, I remember thinking comics couldn’t get COOLER!!!

Infinity Gauntlet

Saw a used copy of Jim Starlin's "Inifinity Gauntlet"  and decided to check it out. Was surprised to find that this was the FOURTH in a SERIES of books, Infinity War, etc. Just as well I didn't know because I don't know if I could have sat through FOUR of these.
 I grew up with the original "Power Of Warlock" series and REALLY loved the original Jim Starlin run from STRANGE TALES to its killer conclusion in Avengers Annual 7, but somehow, this new series just didn't grab me...

Super-Villain Team-Up #15

My Favorite Marvel Villain of all time is Victor Von Doom, and as a kid, I tried to grab every issue I could with him on the cover. Living in Hawaii, there weren’t a whole lot of places to buy back-issue comics, but there was a shoppe in Waikiki that sold Hawaiian stuff (koa bowls, carved statues, etc) and in the back of the store, the little old lady that ran the place sold used comics!

Me and my friend would bicycle down there every weekend to see what new comics she had, and when I saw this Super-Villain Team-Up in one of the comic boxes, I couldn’t WAIT to check it out!

 Getting home,  I was treated to one of the finest Doctor Doom stories ever! I was used to seeing Doc Doom as drawn by artists like Jack Kirby, John Buscema and Keith Pollard, but George Tuska’s take on him was SO different…very robotic and archaic looking that made me feel like I was reading a ancient tale of Doom.

Even as a kid I could tell that this story of Doc Doom VS Red Skull was made up of two parts- there was a very distinctive split in the middle of the story, and sure enough, the first page said “Originally presented in Tales to Astonish 4-5” and when I was a teenager and seriously collecting, these were issues I just HAD to have! 

Still one of my all time favorite Doctor Dooms stories, with one my FAVORITE Doom quotes ever (when a thief tries to rob him in his sleep): “ What’s THIS?A common thief who dares disturb my royal repose? Such audacity borders on madness, and towards the mad, I am nothing if not merciful! Hence the merest TASTE of my weaponry! (electrocutes the robber to hell)!

Marvels 1-4

Once again re-reading this awesome mini series. 
I can still remember seeing the photo-realisitic image of Giant man walking across the skyline in the latest issue of PREVIEWS that Jason picked up and spazzing, "H-holy FUCK! that's TOTALLY how Goliath would look if he was real!"

When issues 1 and 2 came out, I remember it was super hard to find them...can't even remember where I got it from now, but it was expensive, I didn't pay cover price for it. I remember after work at Light Inc, we found a comic store on Queen Street and I went in and asked, "Do you have "Marvels"? To which the guy said, "yeah, Marvels and DC...what title you looking for?"
No, we explained....the actual comic called Marvels. LOL.

Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E.

Yes, reading this awesome classic ONCE again!!!

Amazing Spider-Man Annual #3

For some reason I've always been missing this Annual from my Spider-Man collection, and one night decided, what the hey, let's order it. Always great to read the classic silver age stuff.

Spider-Gwen, Vol.1: Most Wanted

Gerg gushed about this comic so much that i picked it up this past week, but I have to say that I am just about done with these "hip, young" Marvel comics which do absolutely nothing for me. Really didn't like this. Gerg says he'll try not to immediately recommend superhero stuff anymore, but laughingly doubts he'll be able to resist, LOL

Memories of Uncanny X-Men #111

The first time I laid eyes on the Chris Claremont/John Byrne classic UNCANNY X-MEN #111 was at the house of my friends Larry and James., and this was a beautiful new mint copy, as well!!Featuring the hypnosis mutant MESMERO, this issue was key in starting a globe-trotting epic story that would conclude years later in X-Men 121! 

Oh, how I gushed about their new aquisition, wishing I had a copy of it, but at the same time lucky I was able to read their copy so I’d at least know the story- but my jealousy only grew when my friend Herbert got a copy of X-Men 111 shortly thereafter from a classmate at school, too!

To be fair, Herb’s copy was really beat-up, but hey, he got it for free from his friend, and I would have done anything to have it as well!! Luckily for me, fate would soon step in when Me, Herbert and our friend Jas went to the local swap meet that weekend at the Waialae Drive-In. I didn't expect to see anything I liked, so I didn't bring any money with me...

So when we got there, there was a guy selling a copy of X-Men 111 for three dollars, and it was in great condition, too! Desperately, I asked Herb if I could borrow the three dollars and pay him back when we got home. He looked at that perfect condition copy and then thought of his beat up copy at home, and said, I'll make a deal with you- I'LL buy this one, and then I'll sell you MY copy for 3 dollars.  

WELL, that was better than nothing, and at least I would have a copy of my own, even though it was a beat-up copy!

Next day at school I gushed  to my classmates about how I scored my very own copy of X-Men 111, and when Larry and James heard about it, James came up to me and said, “Hey, can I come over to your house and see your copy?” I was like “SURE!!!”, proud to show it off!

He came over after school and I brought it out for him, but after only glancing at it for a minute, told me I could put it away.

We later met up with Larry and he nodded to James as if to say, “Well?” to which James shook his head, “Nope.” Ehhh? what was THAT all about?

Turns out that Larry and James had misplaced their copy of X-Men 111 and, upon hearing that I somehow got my hands on a copy, came to the conclusion that I must have STOLEN theirs!

Larry had ordered James: “Go to Z’s house and see if he has our X-Men 111”. Of course, when James saw that sad , beat-up copy of mine, he knew instantly that it wasn’t their near mint one! This was one time having a poor copy saved me! 

Funny thing is, in the years that have gone by, both Lar and Herb have long since sold off all their X-Men comics and have lost interest in comic collecting in general, and I'm the ONLY ONE who still has his copy and cherishes it like the day I first got it! Man, I should have been the one to get the nice condition one!