BACKSTAGE PASS: Tales of the Green Lantern Corps

For his part, Trevor Von Eeden told the website The Arrow Cave in a 2011 interview, “All of the jobs I’d done for DC during my entire 25-year-tenure there were assigned to me.”

Further to the notion of the duo’s collaboration, Von Eeden continued, “Working with Mike W. Barr was a great pleasure for me. I liked both his writing and he as a person the few times that we’d met. I’d never met Bob Haney [the veteran DC writer who scripted many of Von Eeden’s GA stories], and the scripts of his that I’d drawn (such as I remember them) were essentially generic superhero fare.”

“By the time, I pretty much knew what I would get when I gave Trevor a plot,” remarks Barr. “He never ignored the plot, but he would sometimes take an elaborate physical maneuver I had conceived and reduce it to a less elaborate bit of business that was still very dynamic.” sarcasm, but Len cut me off. ‘No, no,’ said Len, ‘He’s not like that.’ And I almost hugged him.

“Somehow I got talked into continuing the series and was able to devise a plot I was comfortable with. To this day, I find it very different from my other work, in both plotting and pacing, but I can reread it with a great deal of pleasure, which is not something I thought I’d ever be able to say.”

The same Dick Giordano that Barr and Wein had that meeting with was also a legendary inker and was enlisted to help break Green Arrow out into his own miniseries. How did the other creators feel about this addition? Both are quite succinct. Von Eeden stated on The Arrow Cave, “I LOVED Dick Giordano’s inks!” Barr opines, “Dick Giordano did a gorgeous job inking the series.”

TECHNICAL ECSTASY

ALONE AGAIN, NATURALLY

With a cover date of May 1983, Green Arrow #1’s banner trumpets the fact that we had “The Battling Bowman—in his own magazine AT LAST!” However, we fans only ever see these results of the creators’ labor, and often never know how much blood and sweat goes into getting them to us “at last.”

Where the Green Arrow miniseries is concerned, story-wise it had a particularly difficult gestation. Mr. Barr lets BI in on the details: “My problem was that when I took on GA as a series assignment, I had only three or four really good ideas for the character, which was unusual for me. So when I agreed to write the miniseries, I realized I was out of ideas for GA. By ‘ideas for GA,’ I mean not just fight scenes for an archer, but stories about the man. So I started to dig deep, determined to find some more.

“But early in the series’ production—maybe after issue #1 had been penciled and dialogued— I became very dissatisfied with the story and asked DC to cancel the series. I should have realized that wasn’t going to happen, since DC had already expended a fair bit of money on the series, but Len played along and got us an appointment with VP Dick Giordano to discuss the problem. Len and I went into the appointment, during which I detailed my problem with the story. Throughout this, Giordano hadn’t even looked at me, he just kept inking a page from one of his freelance assignments. Finally, Dick looked up—at Len— sighed wearily, and said, ‘Okay, how much does he want?’ I opened my mouth with the intent of explaining the difference between his motivations and mine with an Ollie-like blast of

The Bright Knight

The colorful cover by Trevor Von Eeden for Batman Annual #8 (1982), written by Mike W. Barr.

The plot that Mike had so much trouble with begins with a standard superhero introduction showing Arrow helping a deli owner deal with a couple of toughs prepared to rough him up. In this sequence, though, we see an early example of the synergy between the two creators. Towards the end of the WFC run and blossoming in that Batman Annual, Von Eeden began to develop a highly distinctive style both in the look of the artwork in general as well as his inventive and experimental layouts and storytelling, which would probably be considered to reach their apex in the Thriller title (see BI #98 for coverage). “Trevor worked from my plots on the miniseries, rather than full scripts,” reveals Barr. “This is evident in the number of panels he packed into some of the pages, which is obvious as early as page two of issue #1. If I were full-scripting a story, I would never write 15 panels for the penciler to draw, thinking this an excessive amount of work for him. “But Trevor liked breaking my plots into groups of smaller and smaller panels, which is fine with me, as long as the story is told—and Trevor was a wonderful storyteller.” And break them into smaller panels, he did. There are a significant number of beautifully designed pages in the series with panels numbering into double digits, culminating with eighteen on page 11 of issue #2. Trevor Von Eeden explained his thought process this way. “The GA mini, like Batman Annual #8, was an extended story, which allowed me to develop my storytelling and drawing abilities in a real way—like a real artist and professional—rather than just knocking out light, ‘fluffy’ pieces one after the other. I took the opportunity to develop my own skills (drawing, layout/page design/storytelling), using those jobs essentially as… fodder.”

The Barr/Von Eeden duo continued to develop their synergy as the series went along, with the former telling BI, “Later in the series, when Trevor’s layouts became more complex, it became a challenge to place the dialogue balloons so the reader’s eye was guided in the proper order. It became kind of a game between Trevor and me.”

OLD FRIENDS

After that opening encounter, GA returns home to find a lawyer with an invitation to the reading of the will of an old friend. This is not an ordinary acquaintance, however. Abigail Horton knew Oliver Queen before he ever became Green Arrow. She was rich. And she was a fair bit older than Ollie. Oh, and she had a daughter, Cynthia, much closer to Oliver’s age. And she had never appeared before.

Mr. Barr provides some background. “When making notes for the miniseries I realized GA had a very small supporting cast and a very short backstory, so I developed Abby and Cynthia to try and flesh that out.

“When creating Abby, I was very conscious of the pop-culture stereotypes of elderly women such as the ‘Where’s the beef?’ lady in the Wendy’s commercial and the woman who howled, ‘Whoop-de-do for my Subaru!’ I told Trevor neither of these were what we wanted. We wanted a dignified yet obstreperous older woman who had made her own way her entire life and wasn’t about to stop now. Trevor agreed, and we were off.” The circumstances surrounding Abigail’s death form the plot of the series as she has left control of her company to Oliver.

Oliver Queen has had a long relationship with Black Canary, a stunning blonde when in wig and costume, and the youthful Cynthia fit that bill as well (sans wig and costume). Barr was not worried that the two women would be carbon copies, though. “Trevor and I had worked together enough by that time that I realized all he needed was a couple of lines of suggestion for a new character’s appearance and his/ her relationship with Ollie for his bountiful imagination to come up with a design we were both comfortable with. It’s interesting to note that both Cynthia Horton and Black Canary are beautiful blondes, yet trevor von eeden they have totally different faces. Many artists have just one woman’s face they differentiate by changing Courtesy of Trevor Von Eeden. its hairstyle.” As the second issue moves towards a close, the story begins to veer more into the area of a standard superhero tale as the villainous Count Vertigo makes an appearance. Vertigo was a logical choice as he was not only one of GA’s personal villains, but he was “a character introduced in one of the WFC eight-pagers [#251, July 1978, a Black Canary story] I’d drawn—and one whose costume I’d designed,” according to Von Eeden.

Cinematic Staging

From multi-paneled action sequences (left) to money-shot splashes (right), Von Eeden beautifully adapted Barr’s plot. Pages 2 and 3 of Green Arrow #1. Inks by Dick Giordano.

TM & © DC Comics.

While most people think of superheroes when considering comic books, there are many other genres including those based on licensed properties, going back to the Golden Age of Comics. Some have been based on movies (2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Wars), live-action TV shows (I Love Lucy, Babylon 5), cartoons (Mighty Mouse, Scooby-Doo), celebrities (The Adventures of Bob Hope, The Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis), books (Conan the Barbarian, The Stand), and even advertising icons (Ronald McDonald, Smokey Bear).

Another popular licensed-comic genre is toy lines, especially action figures, which have been popular and worthwhile properties. During the Bronze Age, Marvel Comics scored massive hits with their longrunning G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, ROM: Spaceknight, Micronauts, and Transformers comics, all based on action-figure lines.

DC Comics took notice of the sales and popularity of these comic books and wanted a piece of the action, publishing comics based on He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and M.A.S.K. Neither gained the fan following and long-running status of Marvel’s tiein books, but DC continued to produce toy-related comic-book series, including a three-issue miniseries for the Power Lords toy line.

POWER LORDS: THE TOYS

The 1970s and 1980s were a Golden Age for action figures: Mego’s World’s Greatest Super-Heroes (combining Marvel and DC characters as well as Conan and Tarzan), Kenner’s Star Wars, Hasbro’s G.I. Joe and Transformers, and Mattel’s Masters of the Universe are just a few of the many action figures, with related vehicles and accessories, that populated the toy aisles. In the 1980s, a trend began to premiere: a new action-figure line with an accompanying television animated cartoon series and comic-book series. G.I. Joe, He-Man, and their ilk became more than just toys to many kids as they were able to

He’s Got the Power

Cover to the toy tie-in Power Lords #1 (Dec. 1983). Cover art by Mark Texeira (misspelled “Texiera” by the cover letterer) and Dick Giordano.

by Ed Lute

recreate scenes from comic books, cartoons, or movies or create new adventures using their fertile imaginations.

Revell, mostly known for plastic model kits that were often advertised in comic books, wanted to expand their reach and get in on the extremely lucrative action-figure market. The company hired toy creators Ned Strongin and Len Mayem to develop a new line. The pair in turn brought on acclaimed sci-fi writer-artist Wayne Douglas Barlowe to help create the designs for the toys.

Together they created Power Lords: The ExtraTerrestrial Warriors, which premiered in 1983. While this line didn’t have the popularity of other action figures of the time and only consisted of two waves over two years, it was graced by Barlowe’s imaginative depictions of aliens. Barlowe’s designs of aliens were immortalized in Ian Summers and Beth Meacham’s 1979 book, Barlowe’s Guide to Extraterrestrials.

In a 2021 interview on powerlordsreturn.com, Barlow stated, “The book was successful for its time; there was every indicator that I should have done another straightaway. That didn’t happen, but its odd descendants were the Power Lords. When toy-packagers Ned Strongin and Len Mayem contacted me, they were looking for a line that replicated what was in the book. Due to rights issues, I could not agree to that, but I could provide them with designs that were similar.

“Obviously, it was new and fun for me. I really do like branching out and trying new forms of design and this was a blast. I love toys—still collect a lot of them— but this was extra rich in that I was designing aliens. I love aliens, and the kick here was that I’d actually get to hold the designs and put them on my shelf. Ned and Len were really agreeable fellows and they enjoyed seeing the reams of paper come off my desk. I did dozens of potential designs—each with an eye towards some kind of mechanical action that would translate into a fun toy. We discussed many of the possible actions and, yes, they did have some guidelines—target concepts that they wanted to see integrated into the line. I had very little to do with the backstories. If memory serves me, those were created by people at Revell. Same with the Adam Power’s volcano base, Volcan Rock. That must have been done at Revell or elsewhere.

“I love toys and wanted to make these guys exceptional,” Barlowe said. “And we all wanted these toys to have cutting-edge features that our competitors did not have in their lines. A tough request as Masters of the Universe were going strong and were really well-made and creative. And, why not have weird stuff in alien figures? They’re ALIENS! Too bad if parents couldn’t get it. That certainly wasn’t anything I was

Let’s Do the Twist

This ad for Revell’s Power Lords action figures ran on the back covers of DC titles.

TM & © Strongin/Mayem, International. Power Lords’ aliens were designed by fantasy master Wayne Douglas Barlowe. Here, they’re interpreted by penciler Mark Texeira and inker Tod Smith on the original cover art for DC’s Power Lords #2 (Jan. 1984). Original art courtesy of Heritage.

TM & © Strongin/Mayem, International.

by Ed Lute

Even though superhero comics continue to reign supreme in the hearts and minds of fans, during the late 1970s and early 1980s science

fiction became popular again in comics. The genre had become a hot commodity during this time in movies, TV shows, animation, toys, and comic books. What caused this sudden resurgence of the genre’s popularity? The 1977 premiere of George Lucas’ Star Wars, of course, bringing about a sci-fi renaissance. While there was a popular Star Wars title published by Marvel, many other science-fiction comics appeared during this time, some based on licensed properties (Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Flash Gordon, Atari Force) as well as original concepts (Omega Men, Sun Devils, Jemm: Son of Saturn). Spanner’s Galaxy was another sci-fi comic that fell squarely into the second category, but its creators, writer Nicola “Nick” Cuti and artist Tom Mandrake, were obviously influenced by George Lucas’s epic space opera. The six-issue Spanner’s Galaxy miniseries published by DC Comics wore its Star Wars influnick cuti ences on its sleeve, but made those influences its own and turned them into something original. Hey Kids Comics Wiki. Join BACK ISSUE as we take a galaxy-spanning trip to explore this cult-favorite miniseries, how it took familiar Star Wars tropes and placed its own spin on them, and how it wasn’t the typical comic-book fare at the time.

Spanner Under Fire

Polaris Spanner’s not exactly making friends on the cover of Spanner’s Galaxy #1 (Dec. 1984). Art by Tom Mandrake.

SPANNER’S GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY

Let me know if you’ve heard this one before: a sci-fi tale about a farm boy from a distant planet who left his home to face adventures throughout the galaxy, all the while being hunted by an intergalactic police force and bounty hunters. He helped a young girl, with the assistance of a rogue space pirate. He was also joined on his adventures by a furry creature that could repair spaceships. He visited a swamp planet and a space station. He had special powers that he was trained to use by an alien creature. Oh, and he also wielded a mythical weapon.

If you thought we were talking about Star Wars, you would be wrong. Although Spanner’s Galaxy shared many similarities with those adventures from a galaxy far, far away, this DC Comics series put its own spin on them, as we shall see.

The inaugural issue (Dec. 1984) introduced readers to a young boy named Polaris “Poli” Spanner, who helped a young homeless girl named Andromeda “Andi” Jones. The space pirate Marcus Baka was also introduced when he helped save Spanner and his father from horse-like humanoids called Kamorians, who attacked them to obtain the “shek” that they possessed. A shek was a mythical weapon that required special training to properly use, and only those who had the power to use it could possess one.

After their failed attempt to obtain the shek, the Kaborians realized that Spanner was special. They trained him how to use the shek and also how to “castle.” Castling was a special power that not every-

one possessed. It allowed someone to teleport themselves to another city or even a planet. However, the castler would switch places with another castler in that location when they teleported. After his training was complete, Spanner was given the title of Kaborian Knight.

While aspects of the story may seem familiar to Star Wars fans, Cuti and Mandrake didn’t go down the same road. The first issue ended with Spanner on the run from an intergalactic police force that was working with Baka and bounty hunters led by Jones, who oversaw the Bounty Hunters Guild! Readers would have to wait until the final issue to find out why Spanner was being hunted, but they would be treated to an intergalactic adventure on the journey there.

SPANNING THE GALAXY

With a title like Spanner’s Galaxy, readers were no doubt expecting an intergalactic adventure with exciting locales and exotic humans and aliens. They wouldn’t be disappointed with this miniseries. Spanner was a castler who had the ability to teleport to different parts of the galaxy. Since he was on the run from various factions, this was a great talent to have. However, Spanner’s Galaxy #2 (Jan. 1985) revealed that he could be tracked when he castled, allowing Baka, Jones, and their respective groups to locate him. All Baka and Jones had to do was to find out where the person who switched with Spanner was from and then travel there.

With his castling power, each issue saw Spanner travel to a new planet or location, where a sci-fi adventure ensued. Even though Spanner was on the run, the second issue found him helping human Isoli Cre-Rivors—or as he referred to her, Icy Rivers—because she had the ability during times of stress to drop her metabolism to almost nothing to appear dead. More importantly, though, he also met tom mandrake Gadj, a small, cute, feline-like alien called a “gadgeteer,” who could repair almost any© Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons. thing. Gadj became Spanner’s companion for the rest of the miniseries.

Spanner and Gadj found themselves on a swamp planet called New Okeefenokee in issue #3 (Feb. 1985). The planet was inhabited by the alien San-Os, humans, and a host of other creatures, helping to make the alien planet come to life. The pair helped Dida, the daughter of the human Po family, learn about secrets from her past that been hidden by her parents.

Everybody Wants You

(top) Half-page house ad for Spanner’s Galaxy, as seen in late 1984 DC titles. (bottom) A flashback to Spanner’s origin. Page 2 of issue 1, written by Nick Cuti and illustrated by Tom Mandrake.