Pop Culture Chronicles

The Wild Wild West

I love introducing my kids to stuff I grew up watching. Sometimes they rate my old TV favorites as awesome and other times they find them cheesy. All four seasons of the TV series The Wild Wild West are on DVD, so we recently watched the first four episodes of season two. I started with season two since it was the first color season. 

The same plot formula was used in the first three episodes. An evil maniacal genius wants to take over the world (or a part of it). His henchmen are mostly silent bafoons. There is a damsel in distress, but James West isn't sure he can trust her. The sets, colors, and costumes are outlandishly over-the-top. The villains were played by such notables as Victor Buono (King Tut on Batman), Boris Karloff, and Michael Dunn as Dr. Loveless, a recurring character who is an evil dwarf and West's arch nemesis. He is instantly my teen-aged son's favorite villain, as he was mine when I was a kid. My 11-year-old daughter says West's pants are too tight, so she attributes his fighting abilities to "spandex power."

The fourth episode was a little less formula with Ida Lupino as a kind-of female Dr. Frankenstein who resurrects cadavers and disguises them as government agents to carry out assassinations. West and Gordon are both kidnapped and locked in her dungeon one dark and stormy night. The episode is notable for being the only one in which Robert Conrad gets less screen time than Ross Martin whose Artie Gordon character is a bit more developed and gets to fall in love and to demonstrate his fencing prowess. It's definitely the best episode of the four. 

For the uninitiated, The Wild Wild West was far from being a conventional western. It was about two secret service agents, James West and Artemus Gordon who worked under President Grant and traveled by private train car. While West was typically the fighter and the ladies' man, Gordon was a master of disguise and inventor of gadgets. West was created to be a James Bond on horseback.

I hear that the third season was slightly more conventionally western which makes me want to watch it and refresh my memory. I was excited to get home from school on weekday afternoons at four o'clock during the 70s to watch this series in syndication. I later watched it on Saturday nights at nine on an independent TV channel out of Texas.

The series combined the western, spy, and sci-fi genres. It was popular enough to be a comic book with seven issues published in 1969, the final year of the TV series run. The final season saw little of Ross Martin who was recovering from a heart attack throughout most of filming. He and Conrad were reunited in 1979 and 1980 for two made-for-TV movie sequels. A James West Limited Edition Action Figure in the likeness of Conrad was produced in 1997.

The theatrical Wild Wild West with Will Smith bears little resemblance to the TV series and is best forgotten. But rumor has it that the man who revived Battlestar Galactica will soon be pitching a revived Wild Wild West to the TV networks. We shall see.        

Most Wanted Trades & Hardcovers

While browsing through lists of upcoming comics, I discovered that there just isn't much coming out these days that appeals to me. I don't see many World War II era stories coming out, but that could change with the release of the Captain America movie in May. And what happened to DC's multiverse? Sure there are series like First Wave which take place in some of these alternate realities, but I was hoping for some good crossovers. I haven't seen the Justice Society of Earth Two since Justice Society of America Annual 1 and that was nearly three years ago! Plus it's getting really pricey to collect comics. I hear DC will be drawing the line at 2.99, but even at that a comic had better be consistently good before I drop that kind of money.

My pull list is currently down to a couple of titles: DCU: Legacies and Justice Society of America. The first is a limited series that will soon end and I may drop the second due to DC's recent trend of inserting their bleeding-heart liberal agendas into the stories. So I may be done with JSA very soon.

But I haven't given up comics completely and I was most recently impressed by DC's hardcover one shot Superman: Earth One by J. Michael Straczynski. It was a masterpiece, reminiscent of all the best elements from previous Superman origin stories, all integrated into this one streamlined reimagining. The art by Shane Davis is some of the best I've seen. The dialog, especially between Perry, Lois, Clark, and Jimmy during Clark's "interview" was priceless.

So I think I'll start going the trade route in the near future. Then I can read a complete story in one sitting. Here is my most wanted reading list as of today:

1) Crisis on Multiple Earths, Volume 5 - More reprints of the JLA / JSA crossovers.

2) Invaders Classic, Volume 1 - In all there are four volumes of these 70s reprints by Roy Thomas.

3) Bat Lash: Guns and Roses - Western adventure reprinting the 6 issue series.

4) Batman: Earth One - by Geoff Johns, if it ever comes out.

5) Superman: Secret Origins - by Geoff Johns. I may wait for softcover since hardcover is so expensive.

6) Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman, vol. 1 - 3 vol.s with Eaglesham art in the first two.

7) Team ups of the Brave and the Bold by J. Michael Straczynski. Soon to be in paperback, August 2011.

8) Thor by Straczynski (3 volumes altogether)

9) Superman: Grounded, Volume 1 Straczynski hardcover due August 2011.

10) JSA vs. Kobra reprints 6 part mini-series.

11) Legion of Superheroes by Levitiz. Hardcover available in April 2011.

12) Dark Shadows, volume 1

13) Dark Shadows, volume 2

14) Spiderman: The Complete Clone Saga Epic, Book 1 (at least five volumes)

15) Simon and Kirby Superheroes

I think I'll head to the public library with this reading list. 

Return of Barnabas Collins

You just can't keep a good vampire down! The Dark Shadows TV series has spawned many multi-media spin-offs including movies, comics, board games, novels, and audio plays on cd. In a post entitled Retro Revival in the Fall of 08, I expressed eager anticipation at the coming of Kolchak Tales Annual # 1 with guest-star Barnabas Collins.  

It was all I hoped it would be: a suspenseful story which accurately captured the mood of both the Night Stalker and Dark Shadows TV series. Both Kolchak and Barnabas were portrayed in perfect character and the artist's renditions of these characters looked like the actors who played them on television. The cover art was awesome!

My aforementioned post was mistaken when I assumed that this was the only appearance of Barnabas in comics since the 70s. It was, however, the only appearance of Barnabas in actor Jonathan Frid's likeness since the 70s. There was a four-issue comic mini-series in 1992 and 93 which coincided with the short-lived Dark Shadows revival series featuring Ben Cross as Barnabas. 

At any rate, in addition to the recent return of Barnabas Collins in 2009's Kolchak Annual, where else might the aristocratic vampire be showing up in the near future? First, Hermes Press will be reprinting the entire Dark Shadows comic book series originally published by Gold Key from 1969-1976. These volumes willl be in hardcover archives format and will hopefully be released next month. 

Second, Johnny Depp has signed on to play Barnabas Collins in a big screen version of Dark Shadows. Depp says it's a dream come true given his love for the character and for the original series. I personally cannot wait to see one of my favorite actors playing one of my favorite characters.  

Third, the entire Dark Shadows TV series is available from Netflix with some seasons in streaming video and others in DVD format. The entire revival series is also on DVD. So if you're looking for a Dark Shadows fix, help is on the way.

Books with Retro Appeal

Here is a listing of some books I'd like to eventually check out, especially if I could find them in a public library:

1000 Comic Books You Must Read by Tony Isabella

Should be interesting to see what makes his list and why. Amazon has it for 19.79.  

Alex Toth in Hollywood (Pure Imagination Publishing)

This late great 20th century artist spent some years working for Western Publishing (Dell & Gold Key) drawing comics based on TV series and movies. This volume includes stories from Roy Rogers, Sea Hunt, The Lennon Sisters, Disney's Zorro and Sugarfoot. Also included is an adaptation of the John Wayne film, The Wings of Eagles and James Stewart's film The F.B.I. Story.

Batman: Earth One by J. Michael Straczynski and Superman: Earth One by Geoff Johns

Two of the greatest writers take on two of DC's greatest heroes. These graphic novels retell the origins of these heroes outside the context of regular DC continuity. Anything can happen as we see yet another universe's version of these heroes. I'm thinking these should be out in the Spring.  

Casper the Friendly Ghost 60th Anniversary (hardcover).

I would look this one over for the sheer nostalgia, although I'm not a huge Casper fan. But these kind of old kid-friendly stories and art take me back to my childhood and celebrate the Golden Age (which I'n not old enough to remember, but only enjoy through reprints and back issues).

This one, published by Dark Horse, reprints Casper #1 from St.John Publishing (1949) and Casper # 61 from Harvey (1952). Amazon has it for only ten bucks. Back issue reprint collections are a great way to share a comic hobby with your kids without exposing them to all the graphic violence and language in some of today's comics. 

Crisis on Multiple Earths, vol. 5 (trade paperback) 

I've waited a very long time for the next volume in this series that reprints the annual JLA and JSA crossovers. This one should cover the late 70s and early 80s. It is scheduled for late April release. 

Jonah Hex: No Way Back (DC Comics)

An original graphic novel, scheduled for May release, just in time for the live action movie starring Josh Brolin.

Last Days of Animal Man (DC Comics)

This early March release collects the six issue mini-series of the character I grew to love in the 52 series. I'll read this one after I check out Countdown to Adventure which I believe to be a bridge from 52 to this series.  

Supermen: The First Wave of Heroes 1936-1941(Fantagraphics, paperback, 192 pages)

Reprints of early and rarely seen heroes drawn by the likes of Kirby, Wolverton, and others. Amazon has it for $23.07.  

Tarzan Archives. vol. 5, The Jesse Marsh Years (Dark Horse, hardcover)

Reprints Dell's rare issues 23-27. 

Was Superman a Spy? by Brian Cronin 

This one is dirt cheap on Amazon right now, listed as a bargain. Written by the author of the popular Comics Should be Good blog, this book deals with the urban myths and legends of the comic book industry. Divided into three sections; Marvel, DC, and other publishers, this volume either confirms or dispels many rumors. 

It purports to answr such burning questions as "Why did Ditko leave Spiderman?"; Why did a robot replace the Human Torch on the 70s Fantastic Four cartoon series?"; and "Was Elvis Presley's trademark hairstyle based on a comic character?" Sounds like some amusing light reading.  

Top Ten TV Westerns (50s-60s) Part 2

I now give you my choices for top five westerns of the 50s-60s. Since each western also appeared in comics, a comic cover will accompany each.

# 5 - Sugarfoot - I'm still not sure what a sugarfoot is, but I think it's like a tenderfoot with a sweet disposition. This was the character Will Hutchins played in this classic Warner Brothers series. Tom Brewster was a drifter studying law from the mail order books in his saddlebags (which is where his gun-belt stayed most of the time as well). This story about an experienced cowboy who was also a lawyer wannabe made for some very unique plots. About six issues of the comic were published as a part of Dell's Four Color series. 

 

# 4 - Big Valley- This series was the big break that made Lee Majors and Linda Evans TV stars. Ahead of its time, this series dealt with more mature issues as the illegitimate Barkley son returns to collect his share of the inheritance. Older brother, Jarrod (Richard Long) is a lawyer and middle brother, Nick (Peter Breck) is the hot tempered ranch boss. It didn't hurt that this series featured veteran actress, Barbara Stanwyck as matriarch Victoria. Dell published six issues of the comic series. 

 

# 3 - Gunsmoke - The longest running Western series in history, Gunsmoke stayed in prime time for 20 years (1955-1975), making James Arness the only actor to play the same character in a single series for two decades. Our family is currently making our way through the first season of this series which is now being released in official DVD season sets. The first three seasons are already out. The first 27 issues of the comic series were published by Dell beginning in 1957 as a part of the Four Color series. In 1969-70, six issues of Gunsmoke were published by Gold Key. 

 

# 2 - Bonanza- On DVD, finally! The first two seasons of this series recently came out on DVD. Until now VHS tapes and DVDs of public domain episodes were released, but often minus the original theme music. The new sets are "official" and even include original promo material, photo stills, and other special features. Most of these episodes have never before been released on video. The series was about the ranch family of patriarch Ben Cartwright, a three time widower with a grown son by each wife.

The chemistry of the original cast was excellent, but midway through, Pernell Roberts (eldest brother, Adam) left the show and Dan Blocker (Hoss) died just prior to the final season. The only original cast members left were Lorne Greene (Ben) and Michael Landon (Little Joe), so things just weren't the same by series end. The writing had also deteriorated. But in its heyday Bonanza was one of the best series ever. The first few seasons are exceptional and you can see how the Cartwright clan evolved and developed over time. A few issues of Bonanza were published as a part of Dell's Four Color series, followed by 37 issues published by Gold Key.   

# 1 - Maverick - What can be said that I haven't already mentioned in my previous Maverick post? While I'm a fan of traditional westerns, this one was anything but traditional. Cerebral plots and comedic episodes were common. Some episodes didn't even seem like westerns, with stories in settings like Louisiana, Mexico, on riverboats, and even in South America. James Garner was the original Maverick, but Jack Kelly, who played Brother Bart, was also very talented and likable.

The series was about two gamblers traveling the west and occasionally crossing paths. The first three seasons, featuring Garner, were the absolute best. The fourth season with Roger Moore as Beau and Robert Colbert as Brent were okay, but not as good. I do like the Roger Moore episode, Bolt from the Blue which guest stars Will Hutchins (as Sugarfoot?). 

For the fifth season Bart went solo, explaining why there are more episodes with him. One redeeming thing about this season was the recurring role of Peter Breck (pre-Big Valley) as Doc Holiday. My favorite fifth season episode is the hilarious Marshall Maverick with Jack Kelly and Peter Breck.

What makes this my favorite western is the stories and the acting of Garner and Kelly. Most of the Warner Brothers stable of westerns (including Maverick, Cheyenne, Colt 45, Sugarfoot, Bronco, and Lawman) have not made it to DVD. Exceptions include the first season of Cheyenne which is available and only three episodes of Maverick. These are all rare or nonexistent in syndication as well making the need for DVD collections even greater. But Maverick is available to Netflix members on streaming video.

Top Ten TV Westerns (50s-60s) Part 1

If you've read this blog for any length of time, then you know that one of my favorite television genres is the Western. I cut my teeth on the westerns of the late 60s and the re-runs of earlier Westerns. What all popular 50s and 60s westerns had in common is that they were all in the comic books as well--complete with photo covers. So here I'll go through my top ten westerns displaying the image of a comic cover for each.  

# 10 - Wanted: Dead or Alive - I discovered re-runs of this one weekdays after school while an elementary student. It's where Steve McQueen got his start. He went on to find stardom in the Magnificent Seven playing a character patterned after bounty hunter Josh Randall, his TV part. Two comics were published in the Dell Four Color series and the TV series is available on DVD.

 

# 9 - Lone Ranger - One of my earliest memories is of watching the Lone Ranger. As a child I would set my alarm to watch it at 6:30 weekday mornings before school. On Sunday mornings I would watch the color episodes on another TV station. I also read the comics, watched the cartoons, and owned the action figures. An official anniversary DVD set of the first two seasons has recently been released. The Lone Ranger's history in comics pre-dates his television appearances. 

 

# 8 - High Chaparral - Only one issue of this comic was ever published and is now worth about $70 in mint condition. I remember watching the TV series when it was new and I was a small child back in the late 60s. In the 70s I watched re-runs with my sister on weekday afternoons. We often pretended to be the characters when we played cowboys.  As an adult I saw re-runs on the Hallmark Channel when they dedicated Saturday afternoons to old westerns. They called it Rough and Ready Saturdays. The show was ahead of its time featuring Native Americans and Hispanics in the regular cast. This show is unfortunately unavailable on DVD, but fans are petitioning for it.  

# 7 - The Rifleman - Another show that I discovered in re-runs on weekdays after school. This was a personal favorite when I was a child. They packed a lot of action into 30 minutes. Only a handfull of public domain episodes are on DVD, but no official season sets as of yet.

 

 

# 6 - Cheyenne -An "A" variety Warner Brothers western. Great writing and great acting about a drifter raised by Native Americans. It was the first hour long TV western. This show is another of my earliest memories. I saw the re- runs as a teenager on Saturday afternoons. The first season is on DVD. 

 

Part Two of my top ten coming soon.  

Comic Collection Essentials, Part One

It's been so long since I've posted here that I almost forgot my password. But I've had a good reason for the long time in between posts--like having had four addresses in the last two years. Since my last post our family has moved for what we hope will be the last time in a long time. So being somewhat settled will mean more regular posting. Since my last post we have sold one house and bought another.  

Pictured is my comic collection in the bonus room over the garage of our new home (click photo for larger view). My wife informs me that the collection will not be staying there, but this gives an idea of the size of it. I'm currently going through and weeding out as well as making a want list to fill in some gaps. 

So I thought that now might be a good time to talk about comic collecting in general. Some time ago, several bloggers were listing their ideas of top 50 items that should be essential to every comic collection. So I've decided to finally get in on this. But I couldn't think of 50 items, so I'll list 25--in no particular order. 

So you can take all these ideas and have a massive variety filled collection. Or just take one or a few of these ideas and collect very selectively. So here are some collecting ideas: 

1) A run of several years of a favorite title. I have some pretty long runs of several Batman and Superman titles including every issue of the Shadow of the Bat series. I'm missing just two issues of the JSA series that began in 1999 and ran for 87 issues. 

2) Public Service Announcement Comics. Usually giveaways in which Smokey Bear may teach us how to prevent forest fires or Spiderman might warn against the hazards of smoking. 

3) Comics starring Hanna-Barbera characters. These comics were mainly published by Dell and Gold Key in the 60s and by Charlton in the 70s starring the likes of Scooby Doo, Huckleberry Hound, the Flintstones and other current residents of the Boomerang network. 

4) Comics featuring Looney Tunes characters. These have most recently been produced by DC Comics, but in the past Dell and Gold Key had the market cornered. These include Warner Brothers cartoon stars like Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig. My personal favorite is Daffy Duck of whom I have several Bronze Age issues.    

5) A few 3-D comics complete with glasses. My collection includes several Gumby 3-D comics, a few Superman one-shots, the more recent Final Crisis: Superman Beyond two- parter, and a Batman one-shot.         

More later.

Retro Revival

So much of what's coming out is a revival of bygone characters and concepts. Here is a list of soon-to-be-released stuff that interests me:

Science Fiction Heroes

- Flash Gordon (A new comic from a publisher called Ardden).

-Buck Rogers (reprints of the newspaper strips) 

- Star Trek Key Collection (trade reprints of Gold Key Star Trek series) (22.95 from Checker publishing).

Silver Age Heroes

- Final Crisis: Resist (features former JLA mascot, Snapper Carr) (October)

- Age of the Sentry - While this character has only been around since the beginning of this decade a Marvel publicity stunt preceded his first appearance. He was billed as a never-before-published Silver Age hero. This was a hoax, but the Sentry now has his own mini-series, set in the Silver Age era. The comic is appropriate for all ages. Kids will find it high adventure, but adults will love the campy satire of Marvel's Silver Age. 

Golden Age Heroes 

- Archie Super Heroes- DC will be publishing adventures of these heroes including the Shield, the Fly, the Black Hood, and others. Eighties and Nineties revivals by both Archie and DC (under the Impact banner) will be forgotten. The fresh start begins in Brave and the Bold after Michael J. Straczynski of The Twelve takes the helm, continuing his practice of reintroducing the heroes of old.

- Phantom Annual# 1 (with Mandrake) Moonstone's version of Lee Falk's creation. Perhaps the earliest Golden Age hero, pre-dating even Superman. The Phantom was the first to wear the cowl and the skin-tight costume. He also donned the non-pupil-revealing mask which has become such a standard of super hero fare. He began as a newspaper strip but has since been published by nearly every famous comic book publisher. (November)  

- The Phantom (Dynamite's version of Lee Falk's creation with covers by Alex Ross) (Jan 09)

- Project Super Powers Spin-offs - The Black Terror will be getting an ongoing series and Masquerade will be getting a mini-series. Death Defying Devil will get one or the other. I'm looking forward to seeing some of these heroes branch off into their own titles. The main title has had Golden Age super heroes coming out of the woodwork (or the urn) leaving little room for any serious character development. 

- Marvels: Eye of the Camera - Long awaited sequel retelling Marvel's Golden and Silver Age through the eyes of a photojournalist. This time without Alex Ross. Starts in December. 

- Justice Society of America - Three Kingdom Come one-shots in November.  

- Captain America: Theater of War: Operation Zero Point - World War II one-shot. 

Film and TV Heroes  

- Mr. T Graphic Novel - Return of a retro character appropriately published by Mohawk Media.

- Kolchak Tales Annual 1 - Based on the TV movies and short lived 70s horror series, Kolchak now hunts monsters in the comics. This annual features Kolchak and Barnabas Collins of Dark Shadows fame. The latter, to my knowledge, has not appeared in comics since the 70s. Both Dark Shadows and the original Kolchak movies were Dan Curtis productions. Both these shows terrified me as a child and I am pleased to see these characters returning. (November)

Collected Newspaper Strips (All in the Fall, probably October)

- Blondie: Bumstead Family History (29.99 from Nelson)

- Complete Little Orphan Annie (No mask, but still no pupils) (hc, v. 2, 39.99, IDW)

- Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace (1959-1960; hc, v. 5, $25)

- Milton Caniff's Steve Canyon (1955; 19.95, Checker)  

- Complete Chester Gould's Dick Tracy (hc, v. 5)

Literary Characters

A Christmas Carol Graphic Novel (19.95, Classical publishing)

Disney All-Ages Comics

Boom Studios has cut a deal to publish various comics based on Pixar characters including The Incredibles (illustrated by Darwyn Cooke), Wall E., Nemo, Cars, Monsters Inc., and the Toy Story toys. These will begin as mini-series and be reprinted as collected editions. While the characters aren't old enough to be retro, the concept is very retro: Disney comics for all ages. And these promise to be truly all ages, kid friendly, but not just for kids. 

So there you have a good list of some retro stuff coming out. I'm hyped!  

Collected Reprint Editions

Throughout the modern age of comics thus far, collected reprint editions have been popular. A collected edition might be in trade paperback format or it might be a hardcover archives edition.

Collected editions are basically comic book reprints in book form that bring together stories consisting of a particular series, character, or theme. Just as it doesn't take long for movies to get to DVD these days, nor does it take long for comics to be reprinted as collected editions. Once a title completes a story arc of several issues, those issues are soon reprinted either in paperback or hardcover. It's also common for Golden, Silver, and Bronze Age series to be reprinted in collections.

The good thing about all this is that it can make comics more affordable and easier to collect. Reprints of Golden Age material is far more affordable than the original comics. And the reprint editions are usually restored to pristine quality. And if a reader doesn't want to collect every issue in a current story arc, reading the story in small bits over several months, one can just wait for the run to be reprinted. Reprint editions can also be found in public libraries, providing access to the stories without having to buy them, or allowing readers to preview prior to purchase. So this is great news for comic fans.  

If there is a down side, it is the potential poor health of the back issue market. Who wants to do all the leg work of collecting back issues of a recent limited series when it's easier, and sometimes less expensive, to simply buy the trade? This could be bad news for dealers and collectors trying to move back issue stock--especially comics that are only several months old. 

I still buy an occasional back issue though. I recently cataloged my entire comic collection, discovering gaps in several runs--an issue or two missing here and there. Since I have some almost complete runs in comic book format it makes since to fill in the gaps with standard comics. On the other hand, I wanted to collect every JLA/JSA team-up. As opposed to hunting down all the back issues and spending hundreds of dollars, I'm collecting the trade series that reprints these stories--Crisis on Multiple Earths. Volume five is rumored to be in the works. 

That being said, I've recently noticed how the Dark Horse company is outdoing itself in regard to retro reprints. Here are some of the nostalgic reprint collections I am personally glad to see, all from Dark Horse: 

Golden Age Archives

Roy Rogers Archives reprints the King of the Cowboys first comic appearances, from Dell's Four Color series published in the 40s. Coming soon. The issues reprinted in this collection would cost thousands of dollars if one collected the back issues. Archive editions usually run around 50 bucks--or about $32 on Amazon.    

Green Lama Archives dedicates two volumes to this forgotten 40s hero who has recently made a comeback in Dynamite's Project Superpowers.

Shmoo Archives A character originating in Al Capp's Li'l Abner. This volume reprints all the Shmoo's comic book appearances from the 40s and 50s.

Harvey Collections

Remember when Disco Queen, Donna Summer, sang "Lookin' for some hot stuff, baby this evenin'. I want some hot stuff, baby tonight"? This may not be exactly what Ms. Summer meant, but now everyone can have Hot Stuff the Little Devil in a paperback collection in the Harvey Classics series. Now this is the original Hell Boy! Not really. More like Hell Baby. A devil in a diaper. How intimidating.

As a child, I recall reading many of the Harvey comics, but especially Hot Stuff and Richie Rich. Reprint volumes thus far include: Casper, Richie Rich, and Hot Stuff. Forthcoming volumes include Baby Huey and Harvey Girls (featuring Little Dot, Little Audrey, and Little Lotta). All for just around $20 each. 

Silver Age "Gold Key" Reprints

I still have fond memories of the now defunct Gold Key Comics. Most of those I read as a kid (and still own) consist of TV, movie, and cartoon characters. But Dark Horse is now reprinting the original material first published by Gold Key. 

Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom was Gold Key's first original hero (1962-69). Four volumes of his Archives have now been published.

Magnus, Robot Fighter, 4000 A.D. has now seen three Archive editions. Dark Horse has also revived this character in some recent comics.

M.A.R.S Patrol Total War Archives with art by the legendary Wally Wood, reprints stories from 1966-69. 

Boris Karloff, Tales of Mystery will be archived in 2009 complete with a forward by Sara Karloff, daughter of Boris.

Silver Age "American Comics" Reprints

MagicMan Archives reprints the adventures of this Vietnam War era sorcerer. His adventures ran in Forbidden Worlds 125-141. While the Archive edition is $60, a back issue would range from $40 to $100. Coming Soon.         

Nemesis Archives reprints the exploits of this hero from Adventures into the Unknown 154-170 (1965-67). An expensive Archive running about $60, but even one issue of the originals in near mint condition would cost you at least that much. Coming soon. 

I, for one, am happy to see the Golden and Silver Age comics being reprinted. This provides more all ages alternatives. The problem is that today's kids can't afford these, but there is always the library and retro parents who will buy and perhaps share them.     

I hope more Gold Key and Dell series will be archived but since so many of their characters were licensed to them by other companies (such as Disney and Hanna Barbera) it might require some legal red tape. 

I love reprint collections because I'm so retro. Of course the stories weren't usually too sophisticated by today's standards (a bit juvenile as opposed to being truly for "all" ages). But I love this stuff for the nostalgic flavor. I like them because of the retro appeal.           

Snow White and the Seven Stooges

Our family watched Snow White and the Three Stooges for a recent family movie night. We got the free DVD by sending in forms from Kellogg's cereal boxes. Our whole family enjoyed the movie. Snow White was played by figure skating's Olympic Gold Medalist, Carol Heiss. It was a musical fairy tale with plenty of ice skating. My wife loves musicals and figure skating. My daughter loves fairy tales. And of course my son and I love the Three Stooges. But this one was a box office bomb. Being short on slap stick, many traditional Stooge fans just would not accept it.

As any serious Stooge fan knows, the Three Stooges lineup evolved several times. Here is a run down:

1) Moe, Larry, and Shemp. (1922-1932) Brothers Moe and Shemp Howard with longtime friend Larry Fine.

2) Moe, Larry, and Curly. (1932-1946) The "classic" and most popular lineup. The heyday of the Stooges in my opinion. Howard brother "Curly" replaces Shemp who leaves the act.   

3) Moe, Larry, and Shemp. (1947-1955) Following Curly's stroke and eventual death, Shemp is persuaded to rejoin the act.

4) Moe, Larry, and Joe. (1955-1958) Following Shemp Howard's death, he is replaced by Joe Besser.

5) Moe, Larry, and Curly Joe (1958-1975) When Joe Besser leaves the act due to his wife's illness, he is replaced by "Curly" Joe DeRita. While other incarnations of the Stooges starred mainly in short subjects, this is the lineup that is best known for six feature films. The "classic" lineup received top billing in only one feature film, "Rockin' in the Rockies."

6) Moe, Harry, and Curly Joe. Well, this lineup never actually made it to film. But after Larry Fine's death, Moe Howard asked Emil Sitka to be the third stooge ("Harry"). Sitka was already affectionately known as "the fourth stooge" due to his numerous appearances in Stooge films, being the only actor to have worked with every single combination of the Three Stooges. But the unexpected death of Moe Howard robbed Sitka of the opportunity to be an official Stooge. Without a Howard brother in the act, and with no originals left, it was thought best to end the Three Stooges.

So if you count Emil Sitka, you could say that there were seven stooges all together. Snow White only befriended three.

The various Three Stooges lineups have appeared in comics through the years. What follows is a Three Stooges cover gallery which celebrates each combination.

In 1949, a publisher called Jubilee (later St. John) published the only two Golden Age appearances of the "classic" Stooge lineup.

      

   

   

In the 1950s, St. John published several issues featuring Shemp as the third Stooge following his return to the act.

The most common comic book version of the Stooges was the lineup with Curly Joe DeRita as the third Stooge. In the 1960s, between Dell and Gold Key, over 50 issues with photo covers of this lineup were produced. The issues in my personal collection include issues 17 and 35. 

 Three Stooges # 35: 

In the late 80s, Eclipse published four 3-D issues of the "classic" Stooge lineup.

In 1989 and 1991, a publisher called Malibu produced two one-shots featuring the "classic" lineup complete with photo covers.

So there you have it! a very abbreviated history of the Three Stooges and their history in comics. Ironically, while Curly Howard was the most popular third Stooge, he only appeared in two issues of all the Golden and Silver Age comics. But modern publishers would not even think of any other lineup.