Pop Culture Chronicles

JSA Chronology 2

The first super-hero team to appear in comics was the Justice Society of America in All-Star Comics #3 in 1940. The story has been reprinted in Famous First Edition #F-7 (1974), in Millennium Edition: All-Star Comics #3 (2000), and in All-Star Comics Archives vol. 1. The story is also available digitally from comixology.com. for 1.99.

The story tells of the JSA's first meeting at a hotel conference room where the heroes meet for dinner and swap stories of solo adventures. So we don't get to see a team-up per say this issue.

The story is dated in that there are fewer attempts than today to inject any dose of realism into the story. But then this is back when in-house ads were addressed to "boys and girls." We find the JSA having the hotel to themselves since Sandman has put all the guests to sleep. Never mind that some guests might have had to catch a flight, or report to a work conference, or meet a sick relative. But we weren't supposed to think of all that back then. Other juvenile aspects of the story includes a shark who thinks in English referring to Flash as a "nice juicy man."

The 1940s slang is also amusing. Flash addresses the shark as "old kid." His costume is described as a "screwy outfit." Strange happenings are said to be "mighty queer." A woman's curiosity is stereotypically referred to as being "just like a woman." A ship's captain is described as being "happy as a kid" and Hawkman lands a successful punch exclaiming, "What a lulu. Right on the button." The Atom says both, "Holy Smoke" and "Swell."

Most of the scripts are by Gardner Fox with pencils contributed by Everett E. Hibbard. A brief comedic interlude is scripted and drawn by Sheldon Mayer in which the original Red Tornado crashes the party. The Spectre story is co-scripted by Jerry Siegel of Superman fame. The most outstanding art is that of Sheldon Moldoff for the Hawkman story. It has a pulp sci-fi feel to it that isn't quite as cartoony as the rest of the book. The panel with Hawkman appearing at Shiera Sander's bedside borders on a very subdued eroticism.

A stand-out feature of the book is that most heroes of the time had a leading lady, but not always a damsel in distress. For the Flash it was Joan Williams, his girlfriend who in later comics becomes his wife. Shiera Sanders is likewise destined to marry Hawkman. Rex Tyler (Hour-Man) is found working at Bannerman Chemicals where his leading lady is boss's niece Regina Paige. While Regina made several appearances in Hour-Man's early adventures, it is Wendi Harris who becomes his wife, appearing first in Showcase #56 (1965). Sandman pals around with Dian Belmont, a socialite and amateur detective. They had an ongoing relationship in the comics well into their golden years, but never officially marry. Green Lantern's leading lady, Irene, appears in only a couple of panels. College Sophomore Al Pratt's crush, Mary James is none too impressive. It's another one of those romantic tension situations in which the lady idolizes the hero (the Atom) but is not impressed by the man behind the mask. Dr. Fate's interest is Inza Cramer, who later becomes his wife. Only the Spectre lacks a leading lady in his story. 

While written for kids the stories are entertaining enough, with some having an almost creepy element due to occultism or science gone awry. The stories cover a wide variety. Flash, the Atom, and Hour-Man are more typical super-heroics while Hawkman, Sandman, Dr. Fate, and the Spectre are more of the pulp fiction, macabre, fantasy, or noir categories. Overall, it's a great book concluding with a summons by the F.B.I. chief for the JSA to meet him in Washington which occurs in issue 4.             

Phantom Lady

With Phantom Lady's recent return to DC Comics, I thought it would be a good time to study her history and share my findings. Phantom Lady's first appearance was in Police Comics # 1 back in August of 1941. The entire book was reprinted in 2000 as a part of DC's Millennium Edition imprint series. I'm thankful for the reprint since a back issue of the original could cost anywhere from $800 to $12,000 depending on the condition. I picked up the reprint at an antiques mall for about a dollar.

Phantom Lady has the distinction of being the first female super-heroine, tied with the original Black Cat. Both pre-date Wonder Woman by four months.

In her first appearance, Phantom Lady is Sandra Knight, the socialite daughter of Senator Henry Knight. Her weapons include a black light projector which puts her adversaries in total darkness and unable to see. She drove a car whose headlights could do the same. Her costume looked like a yellow swim suit with a green cape, what would later be dubbed a "lemon-lime" uniform (Justice League of America # 107). Her first adventure involved keeping a scientist's explosives formula, which he intended to sell to the War Department, from falling into the hands of enemy spies. The high level of patriotism was seen in most comics of this era. Police Comics # 1 was published less than four months before America's entry into World War II. 

The new heroine continued to appear in issues of Police Comics through #23 in 1943. She also appeared in crossovers of Feature Comics #69-71. Quality Comics dropped the character after 1943. 

A product of the Iger studios, who supplied comic content to publishers, Phantom Lady was sold to Fox Feature Syndicate in 1947. Her own title began with issue # 13, taking over the numbering of the unrelated Wotalife Comics. The new title ran through issue # 23 in 1949. Her two-year title with Fox coincided with her appearances in All-Top Comics. The titles were obviously cancelled when Fox went out of business.

During the Fox years, Phantom Lady was drawn by Matt Baker, the African-American artist who predates Frank Cho and Ed Benes as the king of cheesecake. In other words, Baker was one of the first to popularize "good girl" art. He redesigned Phantom Lady's costume, changing the colors from yellow & green to blue & red. He also gave her a plunging neckline. The cover of Phantom Lady # 17 is famous for having appeared in Fredric Wertham's 1954 book, Seduction of the Innocent, a denunciation of comics which led to a congressional investigation and the Comics Code Authority.

Matt Baker's work is most recently featured in a new book published by TwoMorrows Publishing called Matt Baker: The Art of Glamour. The book is the artist's biography combined with full story reprints of both Phantom Lady and Sky Girl. The book should be released around the end of November 2012. Prior to this some of Baker's Phantom Lady stories were reprinted in a 1994 trade paperback from Verotik Publications. 

Following the demise of Fox Features, the character was later picked up by Ajax-Farrell Publications who did four issues of Phantom Lady from 1954-1955. Coinciding with the appearance of the code, her costume became more modest. She also appeared as a backup in two issues of Ajax-Farrell's Wonder Boy title.

I'll do a second part to this post soon which will include the subsequent history of Phantom Lady when she made her comeback during the Bronze Age of comics.     

Sgt. Fury & His Howling Commandos

I have many fond childhood memories of reading Silver and Bronze Age comics. One of those is Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos, a premiere war comic of that era. My Sgt. Furys were so beat up by the time of my adulthood that I sold them cheap in a garage sale. Well, I found some good condition copies cheap at another garage sale allowing me a return to those nostalgic retro days. Here is a survey of three issues I just read back to back which gives a good overview of what to expect in this series. 

Sgt. Fury # 51 - (1967) This one is from the Gary Friedrich / Dick Ayers run. Friedrich and Ayers both found their signature series on this book. I met Friedrich at a comic convention where some signed back issues were reasonably priced at his booth. I was unemployed at the time, but if that were to happen again I'd snatch them up. Anyhow, issue # 51 takes place in England, Germany, and the Middle East. In the latter location the Howlers must protect Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin from a Nazi assassin. This story explores some of the negative impact of the Nazi regime on German families during World War II. 

Marvel was ahead of its time on such stories with emotional and human interest appeal. Marvel was also the leader in sub-plot continuity which companies like DC typically lacked at the time. But in this issue we learn that a member of the Howlers is currently a P.O.W. in Japan and another is struggling with a break-up from his girlfriend. The stories were good enough for an adult to read, but without the gore and profanity you could expect today. They were also educational regarding WW II history. 

Sgt. Fury # 92 - Written by Al Kurzrok, this one deals with the plight of Japanese Americans during the War. While some fought heroically for their adopted country, others were confined to internment camps. This was quite an issue for an early 70s comic. But Sgt. Fury says to a Japanese family, "Someday...I guarantee you that most Americans will look back on these camps and hang their heads in shame." Fury shows that he was ahead of his time as a WW II caucasion American, but the comic published in 1971 was even long before compensation and formal apologies were given to affected families. 

A back-up story reprints one from the earlier Roy Thomas run in which the Howlers must rescue their Captain Sawyer from an S. S. stronghold in occupied France as the S. S. attempts to extract information regarding the upcoming D-Day invasion. I love the references in conversation to the stars of the day such as Johnny Weismuller and the Three Stooges.    

Sgt. Fury # 120- Pictured here, this was the final issue of new material before the exclusive reprint run going through # 167. This 1974 story features Larry Lieber on the story and Dick Ayers on the art. By this time Roy Thomas is editing. The story deals with the capture of Gabe Jones, the only African-American member of the Howlers. This special force was well integrated, also including an Englishman, a Jew, an Irishman, a Southerner, and fictional movie star Dino Manelli. Any of these guys would lay down their lives for the others. Troops weren't really integrated in this manner during the War, but the Howlers served as good role models for readers. in this issue, they plan a rescue from a concentration camp in Holland.   

Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos were good role models in an educational War era comic that is even fit for all ages. Back issues, especially from the reprint era won't usually break the bank and two volumes of Marvel Masterworks have been dedicated to the Holwing Commandos.             

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.

Interesting Stuff; Spring 2010

Here is some upcoming stuff that interests me.

Floppies

By "floppies" I mean monthly periodical comics:

Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne - I may actually purchase this six part series as it comes out, beginning in April. From the looks of the covers, it appears that Bruce Wayne makes his way forward from the beginning of time with some interesting historical stops along the way. This one is written by Grant Morrison, which could be great (i.e., All-Star Superman) or not-so-great (i. e., Final Crisis).

Legacies - A ten-part History of the DC Universe from the viewpoint of a man on the street. Now hasn't Marvel done something like that already? (i.e. Marvels)? But the retro appeal, including some Golden Age era stories, makes this right up my alley. This one begins in May.

The Twelve: Spearhead - A World War II era one-shot guest starring Captain America. This one just came out. Maybe there is still hope of Marvel concluding The Twelve limited series sometime. 

War of the Supermen - The series will launch with # 0 given away at Free Comic Book Day. Then I'll decide whether to purchase the series.

Trades & Hardcovers

Who's Who in the DC Universe- I could buy the 15 issue limited series that begins soon, but I choose to wait for the trade for a more encyclopedic feel. It's also easier to take a volume like this off the book shelf as a reference than it is to thumb through single issues in boxes.

The History of the DC Universe - I think this will be a one volume book updating the universe since the alterations brought about in the last few crises. 

Other Titles I May Read in Trades

Batman and Robin - A good series, but I just can't read everything.

Fantastic Four- With Dale Eaglesham having done art chores for this title, I cannot refuse.

Green Hornet - How can I ignore all of Dynamite's hype for this new series? It's got retro appeal too, but I'll wait for the trades.

Zorro- Another good title I haven't collected since the first couple of issues. I'll check out some of the trades.  

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.  

Waiting for Some Marvel Collected Editions

Here are some past, current, and upcoming comic book series which I either have skipped, or probably will skip, in favor of waiting for the reprints in either trade or hardcover format:

Marvel

Black Widow and Marvel Girls Black Widow combines super heroics with intrigue and espionage. I find the combination appealing. I hear that Scarlet Johansson will be playing her in Iron Man II. No argument from me.   

Black Widow: Deadly Origin

Black Widow: Web of Intrigue

Further Adventures of Indiana Jones Omnibus, Volume 3 Reprints of the old series.

Models, Inc. What can I say? When I was a small child, adults would sometimes bring me home a comic from the supermarket. They would grab one at random and sometimes it would just happen to be Millie the Model. How cool that she is taking her place in the mainstream Marvel universe.  

Star Wars Omnibus: Boba Fett My son will enjoy these 496 pages of Boba.  

Thor The run by J. Michael Straczynski, a writer I learned to appreciate because of his work on The Twelve. 

Looking Ahead: Cool Retro-Related Stuff

As I continue my lifelong celebration of vintage pop culture, I've taken note of some new publications that are also refreshingly retro.

Batman / Doc Savage

This one-shot comic, scheduled for November 11 release, will team the Dark Knight with the Man of Bronze. The story is set in New York of the 1930s. While DC's multiverse consists of 52 universes, author Brian Azzarello has identified the location of this adventure as being in DC's 53rd world. A Doc Savage series will follow and his "world" will be populated by the likes of the Blackhawks, the Spirit, Rima, the Avenger, and possibly the Shadow. I can't wait! And BTW, in this world there are no super powers. 

Superman: Secret Origins

This six issue series by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank will retell the beginnings of Clark Kent in Smallville. I'm going to wait for the trade on this one so I can read the whole story at once. So now I've made myself a note.

Golden Age Marvel Comics Omnibus, Volume 1

This will reprint Marvel Comics # 1 and Marvel Mystery Comics# 2-12. I was excited until I learned that the cover price of this hardcover is $125. I guess I'll wait until it either comes out in paperback or makes it to my public library. I thoroughly enjoyed the 70th Anniversary reprint of Marvel Comics# 1. While much of the Golden Age stuff was obviously directed at small children, other stories are surprisingly good even by today's standards. And some of the art is very realistic. But I'll even read the campier Golden Age stuff just for the retro appeal. 

American Comic Book Chronicles

Each volume of this new book series from TwoMorrows will highlight a different decade of comic book history. The 40s and 60s will be covered in two volumes each. The volumes will not be released in order. The first volume, covering the 80s, is scheduled for 2010 release. These books promise to be comprehensive.

 

Comic Collection Essentials, Part Three

I continue my list of 25 essential items to any comic collection:

 

12) Newspaper Strip Reprints. Newspaper strips are very essential to comic history since they are basically where comics got their start. I have actually belly-laughed at a collected edition of Popeye comics from the 1930s. The strip began as Thimble Theater in which the main characters were Olive and her family. But the sailor man came along and stole the show. I also enjoy reprints of Batman strips from the 40s. I have three volumes of dailies and one volume of Sunday Batman strips. 

13) Comics of Various Shapes,Sizes, and Formats. These days we have everything from trade paperbacks, to digests, to hardcover Archives, Masterworks, and graphic novels. As a kid I was especially fond of the tabloid sized comics from the 70s including reprint collections, movie adaptations, DC/Marvel crossovers, and sometimes entire Golden Age reprints including original commercials. Two of my favorites are DC's Famous First Edition reprints of All Star Comics # 3 and Detective Comics # 27. Even these over-sized reprints are worth something now.

14) Comics based on Classic Literature. Of course Classics Illustrated, reprinted many times, is the granddaddy of this genre. I understand that Roy Thomas is doing a great job as of late adapting classic literature for Marvel Comics. 

15) At least one comic signed by the writer or artist. Comics in our collection include the signatures of Dick Giordano, Dennis O'Neil, and a few others. My elementary-school-aged daughter was especially pleased to meet the creative team of Tiny Titans at a comic convention last Fall. Of course they signed our kids' comics and the artist even sketched and signed a picture for each of them. My girl requested a picture of Robin and our boy got Cyborg. 

16) Book and Record Collections. When you hear the beep it's time to turn the page. Anyone out there still have a working phonograph? 

What formats do you particularly enjoy? What have you enjoyed in the past? What would you love to add to your collection? 

To be concluded.       

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!