Back Issue #71

COMICS’ BRONZE AGE AND BEYOND!

Ap r i l 2014

No.71

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Dr. Strange and Clea TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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TRYOUTS, ONE-SHOTS, & ONE-HIT WONDERS! Marvel Premiere • Marvel Spotlight • Showcase • 1st Issue Special • New Talent Showcase & more!

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THE RETRO COMICS EXPERIENCE!

Edited by MICHAEL EURY, BACK ISSUE magazine celebrates comic books of the 1970s, 1980s, and today through recurring (and rotating) departments like “Pro2Pro” (dialogue between professionals), “BackStage Pass” (behind-the-scenes of comicsbased media), “Greatest Stories Never Told” (spotlighting unrealized comics series or stories), and more!

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“Toon Comics!” History of Space Ghost in comics, Comico’s Jonny Quest and Star Blazers, Marvel’s Hanna-Barbera line and Dennis the Menace, behind the scenes at Marvel Productions, Ltd., and a look at the unpublished Plastic Man comic strip.

Art/comments by EVANIER, FOGLIO, HEMPEL and WHEATLEY, MARRS, RUDE, TOTH, WILDEY, and more. All-new painted Space Ghost cover by STEVE RUDE!

“Halloween Heroes and Villains”! JEPH LOEB and TIM SALE’s chiller Batman: The Long Halloween, the Scarecrow (both the DC and Marvel versions), Solomon Grundy, Man-Wolf, Lord Pumpkin, Rutland, Vermont’s Halloween parades, and… the Korvac Saga’s Dead Avengers! With commentary from and/or art by CONWAY, GIL KANE, LOPRESTI, MOENCH, PÉREZ, DAVE WENZEL, and more. Cover by TIM SALE!

“Tabloids and Treasuries,” spotlighting every all-new tabloid from the 1970s. Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man, The Bible, Captain America’s Bicentennial Battles, The Wizard of Oz, even the PAUL DINI/ALEX ROSS World’s Greatest Super-Heroes editions! Commentary and art by ADAMS, GARCIA-LOPEZ, GRELL, KIRBY, KUBERT, MAYER, ROMITA SR., TOTH, and more.

Wraparound cover by ALEX ROSS!

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“Superman in the Bronze Age”! JULIUS SCHWARTZ, CURT SWAN, Superman Family, World of Krypton miniseries, and ALAN MOORE’s “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?”, art & comments

by ADAMS, ANDERSON, CARDY, CHAYKIN, PAUL KUPPERBERG, OKSNER, O’NEIL, PASKO, ROZAKIS, SAVIUK, and more. Cover by GARCÍA-LÓPEZ and SCOTT WILLIAMS! Edited by MICHAEL EURY.

“British Invasion” issue! History of Marvel UK, Beatles in comics, DC’s ‘80s British talent pool, V for Vendetta, Excalibur, Marshal Law, Doctor Who, “Pro2Pro” interview with PETER MILLIGAN & BRENDAN McCARTHY, plus BERGER, BOLLAND, DAVIS, GIBBONS, STAN LEE, LLOYD, MOORE, DEZ SKINN, and others. Fold-out triptych cover by RON WILSON and DAVE HUNT of Marvel UK’s rare 1970s “Quadra-Poster”!

“Bronze Age Backup Series”! Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Metamorpho, GOODWIN and SIMONSON’s Manhunter, PASKO and GIFFEN’s Dr. Fate, “Whatever Happened To…?”, Nemesis, Rose and the Thorn, Seven Soldiers of Victory, art and commentary by CARY BURKETT, JOHN CALNAN, DICK GIORDANO, MIKE GRELL, ELLIOT S! MAGGIN, DAN SPIEGLE, cover

by GRELL and JOE RUBINSTEIN.

“Bronze Age B-Teams”! Defenders issue-byissue overview, Champions, Guardians of the Galaxy, Inhumans, PETER DAVID’s X-Factor, Teen Titans West, Legion of Substitute Heroes, an all-star chatfest of Doom Patrol interviews, plus art and commentary by ROSS ANDRU, SAL BUSCEMA, KEITH GIFFEN, TONY ISABELLA, PAUL KUPPERBERG, ERIK LARSEN, GEORGE PÉREZ, BOB ROZAKIS, cover by KEVIN NOWLAN.

“Bronze Age Team-Ups”! Marvel Team-Up and Two-in-One, Super-Villain Team-Up, CLAREMONT and SIMONSON’s X-Men/New Teen Titans, DC Comics Presents, SuperTeam Family, HANEY and APARO’s Batman of Earth-B(&B), Superman/Captain Marvel smackdowns, plus art and commentary by BUCKLER, ENGLEHART, GARCÍA-LÓPEZ, GIFFEN, LEVITZ, WEIN, and a classic GIL KANE cover inked anew by TERRY AUSTIN.

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“Heroes Out of Time!” Batman: Gotham by Gaslight with MIGNOLA, WAID, and AUGUSTYN, Booster Gold with JURGENS, X-Men: Days of Future Past with CHRIS CLAREMONT, Bill & Ted with EVAN DORKIN, interview with P. CRAIG RUSSELL, “Pro2Pro” with Time Masters’ BOB WAYNE and LEWIS SHINER, Karate Kid, New Mutants: Asgardian Wars, and Kang.

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“1970s and ‘80s Legion of Super-Heroes!”

LEVITZ interview, the Legion’s Honored Dead, the Cosmic Boy miniseries, a Time Trapper history, the New Adventures of Superboy, Legion fantasy cover gallery by JOHN WATSON, plus BATES, COCKRUM, CONWAY, COLON, GIFFEN, GRELL, JANES, KUPPERBERG, LaROCQUE, LIGHTLE, SCHAFFENBERGER, SHERMAN, STATON, SWAN, WAID, & more! COCKRUM cover!

TENTH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE! Revisit the 100th, 200th, 300th, 400th, and 500th issues of ‘70s and ‘80s favorites: Adventure, Amazing Spider-Man, Avengers, Batman, Brave & Bold, Casper, Detective, Flash, Green Lantern, Showcase, Superman, Thor, Wonder Woman, and more! With APARO, BARR, ENGLEHART, POLLARD, SEKOWSKY, SIMONSON, STATON, and WOLFMAN. DAN JURGENS and RAY McCARTHY cover.

“Incredible Hulk in the Bronze Age!” Looks into Hulk’s mind, his role as a team player, his TV show and cartoon, merchandising, Hulk newspaper strip, Teen Hulk, villain history of the Abomination, art and artifacts by SAL BUSCEMA, JOHN BYRNE, PETER DAVID, KENNETH JOHNSON, BILL MANTLO, AL MILGROM, EARL NOREM, ROGER STERN, HERB TRIMPE, LEN WEIN, new cover by TRIMPE and GERHARD!

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Volume 1, Number 71 April 2014 Celebrating the Best Comics of the '70s, '80s, '90s, and Beyond!

Comics’ Bronze Age and Beyond!

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Eury PUBLISHER John Morrow DESIGNER Rich Fowlks COVER ARTIST Arthur Adams (art from the collection of David Mandel) COVER COLORIST Glenn Whitmore

ONE-HIT WONDERS: The Bat-Squad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Batman’s small band of British helpers were seen in a single Brave and Bold issue

COVER DESIGNER Michael Kronenberg

ONE-HIT WONDERS: The Crusader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Hopefully you didn’t grow too attached to the guest hero in Aquaman #56

PROOFREADER Rob Smentek David Kirkpatrick Todd Klein David Anthony Kraft Paul Kupperberg Paul Levitz Steve Lightle Dave Lillard David Mandel Kelvin Mao Marvel Comics David Michelinie Allen Milgrom Doug Moench Mindy Newell Ann Nocenti Dennis O’Neil Mike Pigott Mike Ploog Joe Rausch Mike Royer Bob Rozakis Jim Salicrup Walter Simonson Steve Skeates Anthony Snyder Joe Staton Roger Stern Bryan D. Stroud TMS News & Features, LLC Roy Thomas Mike Tiefenbacher Herb Trimpe John Trumbull Len Wein Steve H. Wilson Marv Wolfman Dennis Yee

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FLASHBACK: Marvel Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Home to the Defenders, Ant-Man, and Thing team-ups FLASHBACK: Marvel Premiere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 A round-up of familiar, freaky, and failed features, with numerous creator anecdotes FLASHBACK: Strange Tales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 The disposable heroes and throwaway characters of Marvel’s weirdest tryout book BEYOND CAPES: 221B at DC: Sherlock Holmes at DC Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Inspecting the Bronze Age one-shot you may have missed FLASHBACK: 1st Issue Special . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 It was no Showcase … nor was it meant to be BEYOND CAPES: Dick Tracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 The super-sized one-shot of 1975 that gave DC its second square-jawed detective FLASHBACK: Showcase Presents... Again . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 The Bronze Age return of DC’s venerated tryout title ONE-HIT WONDERS: Timmy Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 The short lifespan of this one-time Richie Rich co-star ONE-HIT WONDERS: Jason Monarch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 This one-shot’s creator and his creation played the hand they were dealt ONE-HIT WONDERS: Swashbuckled and Hornswaggled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Cary Burkett discusses the all-too-brief career of this Batman partner WHAT THE--?!: Marvel’s Offbeat ’80s One-Shots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 The No-Prize Book, The Fumetti Book, and The Generic Comic FLASHBACK: New Talent and Bonus Babies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 DC’s grooming of the next generation of comics pros, ’80s style BACK TALK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75 Letters on BI #66, the Team-Ups issue IN MEMORIAM: NICK CARDY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 BACK ISSUE™ is published 8 times a year by TwoMorrows Publishing, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614. Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief. John Morrow, Publisher. Editorial Office: BACK ISSUE, c/o Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief, 118 Edgewood Avenue NE, Concord, NC 28025. Email: euryman@gmail.com. Six-issue subscriptions: $60 Standard US, $85 Canada, $107 Surface International. Please send subscription orders and funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial office.

Cover art by Arthur Adams. Dr. Strange and Clea TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

All characters are © their respective companies. All material © their creators unless otherwise noted.

All editorial matter © 2014 Michael Eury and TwoMorrows Publishing. BACK ISSUE is a TM of TwoMorrows Publishing. ISSN 1932-6904. Printed in China. FIRST PRINTING. Tryouts, One-Shots, and One-Hit Wonders Issue

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BACK ISSUE • 1

All comics TM & © DC Comics or TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

SPECIAL THANKS Jack Abramowitz Arthur Adams Mark Arnold Michael Aushenker Frank Balas Chris Brennaman Norm Breyfogle Eliot R. Brown Cary Burkett Jarrod Buttery Nick Cardy Dewey Cassell Shaun Clancy Chris Claremont Ernie Colón Gerry Conway Jim Craig Mike Cross Steve Englehart Mark Evanier Ramona Fradon Chris Franklin Gary Friedrich Mike Friedrich Grand Comic-Book Database Robert Greenberger P.C. Hamerlinck Ed Hannigan Jack C. Harris Heritage Comics Auctions Ben Herman Tony Isabella Geof Isherwood Dan Johnson Douglas R. Kelly Rob Kelly Karl Kesel

FLASHBACK: Ready for the Marvel Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Creators galore look back at the series that launched several important concepts

The Brave and the Bold #92 (Oct.–Nov. 1970) is a comic that has a great deal of significance for me … it was the first superhero comic I ever read.

Well, sort of. I grew up in Australia, and the version I had was called Superman presents Tip Top Comic Monthly #72 (inset), a black-and-white Australian reprint with a partly redrawn version of Nick Cardy’s cover.

I was given two comics for my sixth birthday by a friend of my mother, a lady named Bev Ryan. The gift consisted of this comic and a Road Runner reprint. I must have looked at Tip Top with a somewhat puzzled look, as if to say, “What the heck is this?,” because Mrs. Ryan remarked, “I thought you said you liked Batman?” Yes, I did like Batman … but this wasn’t the light-hearted, confident Batman I knew from TV. This looked more like a poster for a horror movie, with Batman searching desperately through thick fog, while a girl he was supposed to be guarding was being snatched away by a monster under his very nose! The story was quite complex for a six year old, but it showed me that I could get access to Batman stories even when he wasn’t showing on TV, and led to my seeking out other comics. As Australia sold both American and British comics, and with this issue being set in London, for some time I was unsure of whether Batman was an English or American character!

“NIGHT WEARS A SCARLET SHROUD”

by

The story opens on a film being shot in the London docklands. Bruce Wayne is in town to oversee a nick cardy movie he has invested in, The Scarlet Strangler, directed by the great Basil Coventry. While on set, Photo by Luigi Novi.

Bruce meets script girl and stand-in Margo Cantrell; technical advisor Major Dabney, a former Scotland Yard inspector; and a young guitarist doing incidental music, Mick Murdock. The film is about the Scarlet Strangler, a Jack the Ripper-type villain who terrorized London in the Edwardian era.

During filming, leading actress Vivien Tremaine is abducted by what appears to be the real Strangler.

Basil Coventry is found unconscious, while the actor playing the Strangler is found dead in his dressing room. Bruce Wayne disappears, and soon Batman arrives on the scene, under the rather flimsy pretext of being in London “to study British police methods.”

Quite uncharacteristically, he asks Margo, Mick, and the Major to assist him in tracking down the kidnapper through the thick fog, and also to look for director Coventry, who has since gone missing.

Although keeping in touch with walkie-talkies, Batman becomes disorientated, and briefly believes himself to have travelled back in time … a feeling reinforced when he is nearly run over by an old stagecoach. He is then attacked and nearly throttled by the Strangler, who suddenly bolts when Major Dabney approaches. Dabney finds a piece of cloth that Batman tore from the attacker, and notices it is covered with small bugs, a type of sightless beetle found only in dark wine cellars.

Bat-Chap and Friends Nick Cardy’s moody cover for The Brave and the Bold #92 (Oct.–Nov. 1970), premiering (and retiring) the now-you-see-them, now-you-don’t Bat-Squad.

TM & © DC Comics.

2 • BACK ISSUE • Tryouts, One-Shots, and One-Hit Wonders Issue

Mike Pigott

Foggy Transition (left) Note how Cardy leads the reader’s eye from page 2 to page 3 via a wisp of fog. (below) Artist Nick Cardy and writer Bob Haney may have intended the Bat-Squad to appear only once, but as evidenced by this concluding caption, editor Murray Boltinoff hoped they’d return. With Batman are (left to right) Mick, Margo, and the Major.

TM & © DC Comics.

Batman and Mick try to catch the Strangler using Margo as a lure.

The killer attempts to take the bait, but manages to elude Batman.

Meanwhile, the Major is searching the cellar of a disused pub called the Half Moon Inn, where he finds beetles identical to the ones on the Strangler’s clothes. He calls Batman and the others, who find actress Vivien Tremaine chained up in the inn, although believing herself to be the Edwardian shopgirl she was playing. Hearing commotion outside the bar, they emerge to find the Strangler attacking Basil Coventry. Dabney shoots the killer, who falls into the River Thames.

However, a crazed Coventry attacks Batman, causing them both to fall through some rotten floorboards into a dank cellar. Batman ends up trapped underneath an unexploded WWII Nazi bomb, which is reactivated and starts ticking! Despite the best efforts of Murdock and Dabney, they cannot move or defuse the bomb, and Batman orders them to get clear before it explodes. After a massive explosion, the gang believe Batman dead, although fortunately he was able to use a plank of wood to break a rotten wall in the cellar and cause a surge of water to enter and loosen the bomb.

Later, Batman and the group catch up with a recovered Basil Coventry, who explains everything. His own grandfather was the original Strangler, and fear of turning out the same way led Basil’s father to have a breakdown and wind up in a mental asylum. The recent hype over the Strangler movie led Coventry’s father to escape his confines and relive the original killer’s crimes. With the case wrapped up, Batman thanks his partners for their help, and Mick suggests they should team up together again some time, as Batman and the “Bat-Squad.”

INTRODUCING THE BAT-SQUAD The Brave and the Bold (B&B) #92 was written by regular scribe Bob Haney and illustrated by Nick Cardy. I recently had the opportunity to speak to Mr. Cardy about this issue, which he recalls very clearly despite the 43 intervening years. At the time, he was best known as the artist on Aquaman and Teen Titans, but was also assigned a fiveissue run of B&B, which he regards as some of his finest work.

“For this issue, I was experimenting with a different art style,” he explains. “I used a lot of cross-hatching, to give more of a woodcut effect, like in Victorian-era newspapers.”

This is most evident on page three, the splash page, where a screaming Vivien Tremaine is being carried off by the Scarlet Strangler. Cardy also points out something I had overlooked—that wisps of fog on the bottom panel of page two carry over to the splash page. On the whole, Cardy’s art was very atmospheric, although his interpretation of London was not particularly accurate.

His backgrounds were full of Shakespearian-era half-timbered houses

and inns, which were more typical of historic cities such as York and Norwich; the London docklands of the 1970s were mostly full of old warehouses and slum housing. However, he didn’t resort to putting Big Ben in the background of every panel, as many artists do when illustrating London!

Bob Haney’s dialogue for the British characters was surprisingly good. Mick was quite clearly an East Londoner speaking in a fairly good facsimile of a cockney accent, and Major Dabney came across as a gruff ex-military type, although Margo seemed to veer from sounding like a hip, young woman to an old fishwife (“Cheerio, ducks!”). The Major’s habit of referring to Batman as “Bat-Chap” was also pretty unlikely!

I asked Nick Cardy about the reason behind using the unknown Bat-Squad in a team-up book such as The Brave and the Bold. He suspected they were created by Haney to provide a change of pace from the fairly restrictive, and often contrived, formula of superhero team-ups. Were there any plans for the Squad to appear again?

“No, they were always intended as one-off characters,” says Cardy.

And that’s what happened. Batman returned to London on several occasions, but he never did catch up with the Bat-Squad again.

Special thanks to Nick Cardy, for taking the time to speak with me, and to Beverly Ryan, wherever she may be, for that first Batman comic!

MIKE PIGOTT is a London-based freelance writer who specializes in diecast toys and model vehicles.

His articles appear in every issue of Diecast Collector Magazine and Diecast Model World.

Tryouts, One-Shots, and One-Hit Wonders Issue

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B

ryan D. Stroud Some heroes just weren’t built to last, and that was certainly the case with the ill-fated Crusader, who made his entrance and exit in the pages of Aquaman #56 (Mar.–Apr. 1971). There is an implied history with the Detroit-based hero when it is revealed that he was denied membership in the Justice League due to his overly violent crimefighting techniques, but this was his lone appearance.

Crusader’s alter ego is that of Don Powers, a former police scientist who has since opened his own privateinvestigation laboratory. The current mission of Powers Investigations is to hinder the criminal element via a satellite equipped with mirrors that have kept Detroit bathed in artificial sunlight for a solid week, denying criminals the luxury of darkness. Unfortunately, there have been unanticipated side effects. The algae in Lake Erie is growing at an alarming rate, causing a state of emergency in Detroit as fears of it overrunning the city and beyond take hold. This gets the attention of Aquaman, who hastily makes his way to deal with “The Creature That Devoured Detroit!”

Author Steve Skeates shares that the notion behind this eco-disaster was inspired in part by the socially conscious success of the Denny O’Neil/Neal Adams stories in Green Lantern/Green Arrow: “I had, in fact, rather jumped aboard their coattails Before Justice League Detroit… via writing an Aquaman tale about water pollution— …the Crusader prowled the streets of Motor City. Panel from it was called, as I recall, ‘As the Seas Die!’ [Aquaman #49]—and had succeeded in thereby getting Aquaman Aquaman #56 (Mar.–Apr. 1971), written by Steve Skeates and mentioned in a number of newsmagazines! drawn by Jim Aparo.

“Thus I was on the lookout for some way we could get back into the socially conscious scene, and TM & © DC Comics. unrestrained algae growth seemed like a good idea, but what would be the cause of it? Maybe continual daylight! I had no idea if that would really work, but I Powers quickly dons the colorful costume and his thoughts reveal the other went with it! The title for my story was a variation on important reason for the perpetual day he has created. He is rapidly going blind and one of those phony ’50s horror movies, hence the his poor night vision was hampering his war on crime. He has been particularly bent movie-like poster for a title panel! on breaking up a car-theft ring and reasons he only needs a couple more “And I set the story in Detroit because days, and that shouldn’t foul up the ecology too much. These thoughts back then, seemingly half the artists in occupy the hero as he leaps from rooftop to rooftop. the comic-book industry were from Later, Aquaman revives and finds himself at a lakeside park, just that city (Starlin, Milgrom, Buckler, et in time to save a little girl from a surge of algae. While making his al.)! Typically I leapt right into writing way back to the lab, he notices a crowd gathered and is stunned the tale without even consulting a to see the Crusader lying dead. An eyewitness states he saw him map, and therefore placed Detroit running across the roof when he tripped on some wires and fell to on Lake Erie, which isn’t where it is at his death. When the Crusader’s mask is removed, Aquaman all! But this being DC, I could use the recognizes his friend and knows what he must do. usual DC copout: Sure, on Earth-Prime, Hurrying back to the laboratory and overpowering all resistance, Detroit isn’t on that lake, but this he enters a control room and presses a destruct button, exploding story is taking place on Earth-One, the satellite and ending the threat as well as the story. where Detroit IS on Lake Erie!”

Steve Skeates explains his premise in eliminating the Crusader, steve skeates In the story, Aquaman and despite his splashy entrance and even having a logo of his own: Powers are friends, but the Sea King “Jim [Aparo] came up with the nifty Crusader costume and logo, is incensed at Powers’ dismissal of the environmental which helped make this superhero’s death a few pages later all the more of a surprise! damage his satellite is causing, all in the name of “I was mainly going for the surprise of the shock of it all! Also, in a big way, Don reducing crime statistics. Our hero vows to destroy the Powers (in whatever identity) was the villain of the story—out of control, messing satellite, but Powers subdues him and decides he has up the entire planet just so he could catch a car-theft ring, and ultimately story-wise [I figured] he had to pay the ultimate price for his villainy!” time for one more mission as the Crusader. by

4 • BACK ISSUE • Tryouts, One-Shots, and One-Hit Wonders Issue

This Crossover is All Wet (top) Writer Steve Skeates resumed a story thread launched in his Aquaman/Crusader tale two years later in a Marvel comic. (left) Aquaman #56 (Mar.–Apr. 1971), cover by Nick Cardy. (right) Sub-Mariner #72 (Sept. 1974), cover pencils by Larry Lieber (Mike Esposito is the suspected inker). (bottom) Powers suits up for action as the Crusader in this perfectly executed sequence by artist Jim Aparo.

Aquaman TM & © DC Comics. Sub-Mariner TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

That was the end of the Crusader and, coincidentally, the end of the Aquaman series as it was canceled following this issue, but the storyline had an interesting second wind … in Marvel Comics’ The Savage SubMariner #72 (Sept. 1974). “From the Void it Came!” was also written by Steve Skeates, and Prince Namor was similarly concerned about the problem of pollution in his beloved seas.

Almost immediately the story diverges “…over two years past,” and into outer space, where an alien lifeform attaches itself on a satellite. Then a gloved hand is shown on Earth, pressing a destruct button, and the satellite vaporizes. The result is an unofficial DC/Marvel crossover, and Steve offers some enlightenment: “I was very much afraid the two-year gap between those two comics was gonna make for readers of the Sub-Mariner portion scratching their heads, having not the slightest idea what those references to some man in Detroit were all about! In other words, I do indeed see the fact that a number of readers caught on, despite that rather large [time] gap, to be gratifying as all get-out!”

Skeates further divulges that certain elements of this story weren’t all that they seemed: “There really wasn’t much of a story here, yet I treated the whole thing like there really was something important going on, making it seemingly a far more important happenstance than really was the case (which, after all, is the very essence of parody!)— all that malarky (for example) about the Sub-Mariner viewing this creature as symbolically being every villain he had ever faced, etc. And, at the end of the book, I had Subby thinking about having learned a big lesson here, while I sincerely doubt that there was any lesson to be learned at all!”

Ironically, this was also the final issue of the canceled Sub-Mariner book. Steve Skeates’ imagination gave us both a short but fascinating look at the Crusader, as well as a DC/Marvel crossover story, a curiosity in Bronze Age comics’ history.

BRYAN STROUD is a longtime fan of DC Comics, particularly the Silver and Bronze Ages. He has been contributing to the website of his lifelong best friend, Ron Daudt, for over a decade, doing reviews and interviews with creators and has been fortunate enough to conduct over 80 to date at w w w. t h e s i l v e r l a n t e r n . c o m .

Bryan co-authored the book Nick Cardy: Wit-Lash.

Tryouts, One-Shots, and One-Hit Wonders Issue

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A decade after Fantastic Four #1 (Nov. 1961), Stan Lee took a sabbatical from writing comics. According to Sean Howe’s book, Marvel Comics: The Untold Story, Lee suggested some anthology titles so as to encourage the creation of new characters in his absence. Exactly ten years after FF #1, Marvel Spotlight #1 (Nov. 1971) hit the stands. This was followed by Marvel Feature #1 (Dec. 1971) and Marvel Premiere #1 (Apr. 1972).

One might assume that Marvel Premiere would premiere new characters, while Marvel Spotlight, for instance, would spotlight established characters that did not have their own books. In fact, almost the exact opposite occurred. Roy Thomas tells BACK ISSUE, “You’re right about the titles’ inherent meanings, but I don’t think Stan (or I) cared much what went where.

They were just names to us.”

THE COMING OF RED WOLF Red Wolf actually arrived in Avengers #80 (Sept. 1970).

“Stan and I decided it’d be good to have a book with an American Indian hero,” explained Roy Thomas in Alter Ego #70 (July 2007). However, “Stan didn’t want it as a modern-day character. I guess he was trying to see if he could find a way to get a Western to sell, because everybody in the field wanted to write or draw a Western.”

As such, when Red Wolf made his solo debut in Marvel Spotlight #1, the character wasn’t Will Talltrees of the 20th Century, but Johnny Wakeley of the 19th Century. As detailed in BACK ISSUE #42 (Aug. 2010), Johnny Wakeley soon earned his own series with Red Wolf #1 (May 1972).

A WOLF OF A DIFFERENT COLOR Thanks to Stan Lee’s groundbreaking anti-drug issues in Amazing Spider-Man, the Comics Code Authority was shamed into relaxing its rules in 1971. Marvel immediately seized upon the opportunity. Marvel Spotlight #2 (Feb. 1972) introduced Jack Russell, who, on the evening of his 18th birthday, became a Werewolf by Night! Explained in BI #15 (Apr. 2006), Roy and Jean Thomas plotted the debut story then turned it over to Gerry Conway to write.

Werewolf by Night appeared in three issues of Spotlight and then quickly jumped to his own title.

Gerry Conway was asked if this was a result of the success of the Spotlight issues. “Well, I think that the response was probably very good,” recalls Conway, “but given that Marvel Spotlight was a bimonthly, I don’t know that we would’ve had sales figures by the time that we decided to publish Werewolf by Night as its own title. But what I think tended to happen—and this was during the period when Marvel was expanding dramatically—is they were looking for market share on

High-Octane Hit Of the many characters premiering in Marvel Spotlight, Ghost Rider—first seen in issue #5—was the title’s runaway (make that rideaway) hit.

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

6 • BACK ISSUE • Tryouts, One-Shots, and One-Hit Wonders Issue

by

Jarrod Buttery

Wolfing Down Adams Covers Marvel Spotlight started with a double-bang as Neal Adams drew its first two covers. (left) Red Wolf in #1 (Nov. 1971). (right) Werewolf by Night in #2 (Feb. 1972).

Adams was inked by Tom Palmer on the Werewolf cover, which includes background character alterations by John Romita, Sr. TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

the newsstand. There were a lot of ideas that were in development, “Instead of Stunt-Master, I’d like to make the villain a really weird and I think that when Roy and Stan saw how well the book was turning motorcycle-riding character called Ghost Rider.” Thomas approved, out, they figured, ‘This one’s gonna go, let’s just put it into its own stating, “That’s too good an idea to be just a villain in Daredevil. title.’ To be perfectly honest, I think a large measure of that had to He should start out right away in his own book.” do with the terrific art by Michael Ploog. He made it credible and Marvel Spotlight #5 (Aug. 1972) introduced Ghost Rider—a interesting, and different from the typical Marvel book.” motorbike-riding, leather-clad, flaming skeleton (not a Western hero With the relaxation of the Comics Code’s rules, horror characters in a phosphorescent costume)—conceived and written by Gary could be used in comics. Conway was asked if this was an exciting Friedrich, drawn by Mike Ploog, with aid and abetment by Roy time: “Absolutely! There are only so many superhero books Thomas. Discussed in BI #15 (Apr. 2006), the supernatural you can actually produce. As creators, we were saying that biker appeared in seven issues of Spotlight before Ghost we’d like to be able to do something a little different Rider #1 (Sept. 1973) debuted. One of Marvel’s most from the other books that we were working on. visually arresting characters, successfully straddling And horror titles provided you a whole new venue, the line between horror and superheroes, Ghost a whole new set of rules you could break and stick Rider ran for 81 issues and has been revived many with. So for me, it was a lot of fun.” times since.

“Jack Russell” is a wonderful name for a character SON OF THE DEVIL that turns into a wolf. Conway was asked if this was In his book, Origins of Marvel Comics, Stan Lee deliberate: “Gosh, no, but as people have pointed described how—after creating the Fantastic Four, out to me repeatedly, it is kind of an appropriate Hulk, and Spider-Man—”The only one who could name! I know that Roy and Jean came up with the top the heroes we already had would be Super-God, original premise for the first issue. And it’s entirely but I didn’t think the world was quite ready for that possible that when I wrote the script, and I wrote gerry conway concept just yet.” And: “I couldn’t—I wouldn’t—do the character’s name, that I was subconsciously a series featuring God as a comic-book hero. But I making that association. I’m pretty sure I would could—and would—do a series featuring a god as never have thought of it; I didn’t own a dog, I wasn’t raised with a comic-book hero.”

And Thor was born. dogs, and the idea of calling a character Jack Russell—who turns A decade later, the doors had opened wider. After featuring into a werewolf—probably would’ve struck me as hilarious if I had comics with werewolves, vampires, and satanic bikers, the letters thought of it, but I don’t think I did.”

After a successful three-issue debut, the Werewolf by Night solo page of Marvel Spotlight #11 (Aug. 1973) proclaimed: “Next issue comic lasted for 43 issues plus five Giant-Size issues, and the character we’ll debut perhaps the weirdest spin-off strip of all: The Mark of integrated fully into the Marvel Universe, recently playing an important Satan! That’s right, gang, the flaming father-figure of the netherworld in his own strip.” role in X-Factor.

According to BI #21 (Apr. 2007), Roy Thomas suggested an NOT ANOTHER WESTERN HERO alternative. Subsequently, Ghost Rider #1 introduced Daimon Hellstrom: In Daredevil #58 (Nov. 1969), Roy Thomas introduced a motorcycle- the Son of Satan. The story continued in Ghost Rider #2 (Oct. 1973), riding villain called Stunt-Master. Gary Friedrich began writing the then directly crossed over into Marvel Spotlight #12 (Oct. 1973). title with issue #67 (Aug. 1970). According to an interview with Roy Spotlight hosted Hellstrom for 13 issues, then, as with his predecessors, Thomas in Comic Book Artist #13 (May 2001), Friedrich suggested: he was granted a solo title. The Son of Satan debuted in December Tryouts, One-Shots, and One-Hit Wonders Issue

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One Helluva Ride After wowing readers with his Werewolf by Night art, Michael Ploog continued his winning streak with Ghost Rider. Shown here from Marvel Spotlight #7 (Dec. 1972): (right) Ploog’s cover, and (left) an interior page, courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions.

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

1975 and lasted for eight bimonthly issues. Hellstrom later became a long-standing member of the Defenders, enjoyed two Hellstorm series, and has recently appeared in several issues of New Avengers.

the comic, written by John Warner, with art by Sonny Trinidad, is a competent retelling of Sinbad’s adventure, and a nostalgic trip for those who remember the film.

SINBAD

THE SCARECROW

Marvel’s Worlds Unknown #7–8 (June–Aug. 1974) adapted the 1973 fantasy movie, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (the film that brought Tom Baker to the attention of Doctor Who producer Barry Letts). This was the second of Ray Harryhausen’s Sinbad movies. The first, and perhaps the most famous—due to Sinbad’s swordfight with a skeleton—was The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad (1958). This film was adapted in Marvel Spotlight #25 (Dec. 1975).

Unlike the Worlds Unknown two-parter, The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad was condensed into a single issue.

Most of the plot is present, but this required three of the 18 pages to be essentially text pieces (with miniscule font!) so as to encompass the entire story.

Editor Marv Wolfman admits, “I have no memories of it at all—it was just another title.” Nevertheless,

Another short-lived Marvel anthology title was Dead of Night. As related in BI #60 (Oct. 2012), issue #11 (Aug. 1975) featured the debut of Scott Edelman’s creation, the Scarecrow. The story continued into Marvel Spotlight #26 (Feb. 1976). Edelman was building a mystery and a mythology, and “Scaremails” in Spotlight #26 heaped praise on Dead of Night #11. Unfortunately, Marvel was experiencing a downturn and a proposed Scarecrow series never eventuated.

SUB-MARINER Spotlight #27 (Apr. 1976) presented a Sub-Mariner story from Bill Mantlo and Jim Mooney. Namor’s solo title had concluded in September 1974, but he was appearing regularly in Super-Villain Team-Up. In issue #4 of SVTU (Feb. 1976), Mantlo introduced the modernday version of Captain Simon Ryker.

Ryker had first appeared, in Marvel’s future, as the creator of Deathlok in Astonishing Tales #25 (Aug. 1974).

In Marvel Spotlight, a younger Ryker pits an earlier cyborg creation—the Symbiotic Man—against Namor.

MOON KNIGHT Werewolf by Night #32 (Aug. 1975) introduced Mark (sic) Spector, a.k.a. Moon Knight. Revealed in BI #20 (Feb. 2007), editors Len Wein and Marv Wolfman liked the character and suggested a solo outing in Marvel Spotlight. Issue #28 (June 1976), by Doug Moench and Don Perlin, revealed Marc (sic) Spector’s face, as well as his alternative identities as millionaire Steven Grant and cabbie Jake Lockley. After some time we were rewarded with Moon Knight #1 (Nov. 1980).

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Al Milgrom inked Jack Kirby’s Moon Knight cover for Spotlight #29. “I wonder if I did the sketch for that?” ponders Milgrom. “At some point when Jack Kirby came back to Marvel after his stint at DC, they had me doing cover sketches for him. It was easier if they had somebody here in New York, to look through the issue and do cover sketches based on the interiors, rather than send him Xeroxes of the entire issue. Certainly Kirby doesn’t need any help designing!”

al milgrom

A NIGHT ON THE TOWN Fandral the Dashing, Hogun the Grim, and Volstagg the Enormous were introduced in Journey into Mystery (Thor) #119 (Aug. 1965). The letters page in Thor #244 (Feb. 1976) first referred to them as the “Warriors Three” and promised an appearance in Marvel Spotlight #28. After a short (possibly meal-influenced) delay, the trio appeared in the hilarious Spotlight #30 (Oct. 1976).

Set during Thor #246 (Apr. 1976), as Thor flies off to smite Firelord, the Warriors Three are left to their own devices in Manhattan. Much of the fun comes from the trio’s fish-out-of-water status, coupled with their total obliviousness to that fact—characterization mirrored in 2011’s Thor movie. “In many ways, Warriors Three’s ‘A Night on the Town’ remains one of my favorite stories ever,” admits Wein. “It was just such a joy to write, and the late, great John Buscema’s artwork didn’t exactly hurt it no-how.”

Lots of Variety (top tier) Marvel Spotlight birthed new characters and showcased old ones. (bottom) Courtesy of Heritage, original art page by Sonny Trinidad from issue #25 (Dec. 1975), adapting the movie The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad.

Covers TM & © Marvel. Seventh Voyage of Sinbad © 1958 Columbia Pictures.

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You’re Still a Young Man… (left) Stan Lee reportedly objected to the explanation for Nick Fury’s longevity provided in Marvel Spotlight #31 (Dec. 1976). Cover by Howard Chaykin and Klaus Janson. (right) The hooded heroine Spider-Woman first appeared in issue #32 (Feb. 1977). Cover

by Gil Kane and Dick Giordano, with alterations by John Romita, Sr. TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

THE INFINITY FORMULA “Why does Nick Fury look younger now than he did back in the big war?” asked the Marvel Bullpen Bulletins page in April 1976. According to writer Jim Starlin and artist Howard Chaykin, in Spotlight #31 (Dec. 1976), Fury was injured in a French minefield during WWII. Taken to a local doctor—Professor Sternberg—Fury was used as a guinea pig for an experimental longevity serum.

Fury learned that he needed to pay Sternberg for an annual booster to sustain the serum’s effects. When Sternberg is murdered, and the formula stolen, Fury finds himself in a race against time to recover the serum before he dies of old age. “Stan was so upset by [the story,] he said it would never be used in Marvel continuity, or ever reprinted,” stated Starlin in Sean Howe’s book. Begging to differ, The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #8 (Aug. 1983) cemented the story as canon.

SPIDER-WOMAN Roger Stern, in BI #17 (Aug. 2006), explained that Spider-Woman was created to prevent another company from ripping off Spider-Man with a female version for a Saturday morning cartoon. Archie Goodwin and Sal Buscema introduce us to the character in Spotlight #32 (Feb. 1977).

In her first appearance, Spider-Woman wears a mask that covers her entire head except for her nose and mouth. In flashbacks we see that she has short

10 • BACK ISSUE • Tryouts, One-Shots, and One-Hit Wonders Issue

brown hair. Her boyfriend, Jared, reveals that she’s not human and is merely a hyper-evolved spider—created by the High Evolutionary. We instantly know Jared is lying because he spells his name incorrectly [check this writer’s byline if you’ve missed the joke—ed.]. And he’s a Hydra agent.

We learn her true origin, and real name—Jessica Drew—in Spider-Woman #1 (Apr. 1978). Therein, Jessica grows her hair, dyes it black, and lets it out the back of her mask—an appearance she maintains to this day as a member of the Avengers.

DEATHLOK AND DEVIL-SLAYER In Astonishing Tales #36 (July 1976), the final issue of that series, Deathlok, the cyborg from the future, is sent back in time. He emerges in the current day in Spotlight #33 (Apr. 1977), encountering Devil-Slayer, who himself is making his debut. Sort of.

“Rich Buckler and I did a book called Demon Hunter for Atlas Comics,” explains writer David Anthony Kraft.

“And Atlas Comics was thriving one day and then gone the next. We had one issue of Demon Hunter, and we were just starting and then … there was no Atlas.

“I had to start all over again at Marvel, because I’d given it all up to go to Atlas. My very first moment back in the door at the Bullpen, there to the left of me was standing Rich Buckler. I said to him, ‘I’m back and I must have work!’ And he said, ‘Let’s bring back Demon Hunter, and we could put him with Deathlok!’

“Right then and there in the hallway, we decided worked on in ’76 or ’77—I thought, ‘Let’s just ask him if he to take Demon Hunter and just change him slightly wants to do a Spider-Man pinup for the calendar, it can’t but keep the whole backstory. I changed his hurt to ask.’ He wasn’t unpleasant about it, but costume colors, Rich changed his costume he just reiterated that he was not interested design a little bit, we changed his name, in doing that. But he didn’t seem like he of course—but if you look at his backwas against doing work for Marvel, he story it’s a direct continuation from just had certain things he wasn’t going the Atlas issue. Marvel Spotlight #33 to do. So I mentioned that around, was basically Demon Hunter #2.” and maybe the first thing he actually There was to be no part three, did was the Machine Man series.” as Marvel Spotlight was canceled.

Eventually, Kraft and Ed Hannigan “From the late ’70s to the early ’80s started work on a Fantastic Four Annual; there was a sort of arbitrary cut-off: they asked for Ditko as the artist. if a book sold only a measly 125,000 DRAGON LORD copies, it was canceled,” explains Kraft.

Ditko returned in Spotlight #5 “And then they would sometimes david anthony kraft (Mar. 1980) to illustrate the debut of kill things to make room for other Dragon Lord. In the year 1582 a things. But when I was writing dragon rose from the sea and Marvel’s Defenders series, I brought back Devil-Slayer commenced a rampage in Japan. (Sound familiar?) as soon as I could.”

Tako Shamara drove the “Wani” back into the depths CAPTAIN MARVEL at the cost of his own life. Tako’s legacy is passed In 1978, Doug Moench was writing Captain Marvel.

Despite interesting stories and lush artwork from Pat Broderick, sales were not good. Mar-Vell’s editor, Roger Stern, remembers, “Captain Marvel was canceled as part of a periodic cycle when the bean-counters demanded that we dump our lowest-selling titles and launch new ones. What they didn’t realize was that we were three issues ahead on CM and there were a couple of fill-ins in the works, as well. So someone had the idea of reviving the Marvel Spotlight title and slotting the Cap stories in there.”

The final issue of Captain Marvel was #62 (May 1979), but the story continued directly into Marvel Spotlight vol. 2 #1 (July 1979), followed by issues #2 (Sept. 1979) and #3 (Nov. 1979). Stern’s assistant was Jim Salicrup: “I loved Marvel Spotlight and Marvel Premiere, so I’m sure I was happy to see the title revived. Roger generously allowed me to work on the covers—which I’m so grateful for. The art for cover #1 was probably already completed for whatever issue of Captain Marvel it was originally intended for. I do remember writing the cover copy and designing a new Captain Marvel logo (I can’t remember who actually lettered it—it may have been a font). The next cover was by the new guy, at the time, who we had do a bunch of covers for us back then: Frank Miller.

Terry Austin inked it—he was the inker on Uncanny X-Men at the time, and winning all the best inker awards. The next cover was by Al Milgrom, who had inked many of Starlin’s Captain Marvel covers.”

Spotlight #4 (Jan. 1980) was a fill-in story by Archie Goodwin and Steve Ditko. “I was so excited about an Archie Goodwin/Steve Ditko collaboration—I loved the stories they did together at Warren Publishing for Creepy and Eerie—that I had to announce the names of the creators on the cover, something that didn’t happen all that often back then at Marvel,” remembers Salicrup. “When I wrote the cover copy, I probably didn’t know that Marv Wolfman plotted the story. My apologies to Marv, a mere 33 years late!”

Speaking of Ditko: “A lot of people take credit for bringing Ditko back to Marvel, but I will take the credit,” states Kraft. “I had met Ditko when I was at Atlas. I don’t claim I knew him well, but we had met. And it was well known around Marvel that he had sworn that he would never draw Spider-Man or Dr. Strange ever again.

“When I did the Spider-Man calendar for Simon & Shuster—I think it was the 1978 calendar, which we

Tryouts, One-Shots, and One-Hit Wonders Issue

An Astonishing Tale Kraft and Buckler continued Demon Hunter (originally published by Atlas) as Devil-Slayer in the Deathlok tale in MS #33 (Apr. 1977).

Its cover is in the background (left), while an interior page, by Buckler and Janson, is below.

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

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through his descendents, each becoming the Dragon Lord, preparing for the monster’s return—which finally occurs in 1979.

“Dragon Lord was fun to write,” remembers Marv Wolfman. “It was a Godzilla story, but since Marvel lost the rights just as Steve penciled it and before I dialogued it (although it was all plotted) I went to some Japanese mythology books and found a giant creature that fit, then had Steve alter Godzilla into the dragon character as he inked it.”

Salicrup didn’t edit the story, but he put it in Spotlight. “I know I put the cover together! Another one by that Frank Miller guy, with Bob Wiacek inks.

This time, I do give Marv Wolfman his cover credit.”

Dragon Lord signed up for duty in Avengers: The Initiative #8 (Feb. 2008)— and was killed in the following issue. Ditko finally illustrated Fantastic Four Annual #16 (1981), which coincidentally featured a completely different Dragon Lord. Writer Ed Hannigan recalls, “Shooter wanted to keep the name Dragon Lord, but he wanted a new character that wasn’t a kung-fu character.

He asked me to create one.”

STAR-LORD Peter Quill first appeared in the B&W magazine Marvel Preview #4 (Jan. 1976), written by Steve Englehart, with art by Steve Gan. At age 11, Peter saw a UFO land in the nearby forest. Lizard-like aliens emerged and killed his mother, Meredith. Peter dedicated the rest of his life to becoming an astronaut. Joining NASA and finally making it into space, Peter is granted powers—and revenge— by the mysterious Master of the Sun. Starlord (the hyphen only appears on the covers) next appeared in Marvel Preview #11 (June 1977) by Chris Claremont, John Byrne, and Terry Austin.

Peter’s father is revealed to be Emperor Jason of the planet Sparta.

Years ago, during the Spartoi/Ariguan interplanetary war, Jason crash-landed on Earth. He was found by Meredith Quill, who nursed him back to health. They fell in love, but Jason had to leave and would not risk her life in his jury-rigged ship. Jason later sent for Meredith but he was betrayed, and Meredith was murdered by a lizard-like Ariguan assassin.

Marvel Spotlight #6 (May 1980), by Doug Moench and Tom Sutton, combined these complementary origin stories into Starlord’s comic debut. “It’s possible that either Roger Stern had already assigned the Starlord story to Doug and requested that he consolidate the character’s origin, or that Doug simply did that himself,” states Salicrup. “I doubt if I asked him to. The cover was by another hot new artist at marv wolfman Marvel at the time—Bill Sienkiewicz, inked by Joe Rubinstein.”

This issue was homaged—almost scene-for-scene (although changing Ariguans for Badoon)—in Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1 (Apr. 2013).

“Now I know why it seemed so familiar!” laughs Salicrup.

Quill returned in Spotlight #7 (July 1980), for an intriguing religious analogy.

Salicrup was asked if he remembered the issue: “Well, as editor, I did put the whole thing together! My approach to editing is really very simple. I tend to hire creators whose work I greatly admire. So when Doug sent in his plot to this issue, I read it, thought it was great, and gave my okay. I simply thought it was a great, thought-provoking story.”

CAPTAIN UNIVERSE The cover for Marvel Spotlight #8 (Sept. 1980) advertised the “Planet Where Time Stood Still.” Uncannily accurate, as some copies collected tales of Riverdale teenagers who hadn’t aged in 40 years, due to a printing error.

Copies that had been correctly bound presented Captain Marvel’s final solo story before his death, written by Mike W. Barr and drawn by Frank Miller.

Spotlight was next handed to Captain Universe, by Bill Mantlo and Steve Ditko.

Editor Al Milgrom explains: “Bill introduced the character in The Micronauts and he came up with this concept—this power of Captain Universe—that could go from individual to individual. I don’t remember exactly whether Bill was looking

Up-and-Comers on Spotlight Covers Then-emerging talents (top) Frank Miller (with inker Bob Wiacek) and (bottom) Bill Sienkiewicz (with inker Joe Rubinstein) provided cover art for Marvel Spotlight vol. 2 #5 and 6.

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

12 • BACK ISSUE • Tryouts, One-Shots, and One-Hit Wonders Issue

for some extra work, because he was always a very busy guy—he was very reliable and a real pro—but it’s possible that Steve Ditko was looking for something to do. I may have got hold of Bill and said, ‘Ditko’s looking for work—he doesn’t want to do characters like Spider-Man and Dr. Strange, but what can we come up with … what character could we do?’ And so I think Bill said, ‘How about we do Captain Universe? He got a good reception in Micronauts.’ “ ‘That’s interesting,’ I said. ‘You could come up with three issues, three disparate individuals—each one very different from the other—and see how they use their powers. They wouldn’t necessarily be superheroic types; they’d be regular people who fell into the powers for just one issue.’ Bill would usually just take the idea and run with it. He’d come back in with the plot and we’d discuss any changes, and of course, once Ditko got hold of it, you didn’t have to worry about it.”

Mantlo and Ditko presented three Captain Universe tales in Marvel Spotlight issues #9–11 (Nov. 1980–Mar. 1981)—giving the Uni-Power to a teenage boy, a housewife and her twin sister simultaneously, and a cat burglar, respectively—but then Spotlight was canceled.

“Being a big Ditko fan, any work we could get out of Steve was work worth having! But Captain Universe never got his own title, so I’m guessing it didn’t sell terribly well,” opines Milgrom.

“It was probably a mistake to launch a new title with material from a recently canceled comic,” considers Salicrup of the second volume of Marvel Spotlight. “I suspect that as an editor, I was hoping to give Captain Marvel another chance, but sometimes it’s better to let things go. As a result, for the most part, the series seemed to exist just to burn off existing inventory. But who knew that one day, one of the issues would be the foundation of Marvel’s run-up to its next big movie franchise? You never know what might come from canceled comics—

I believe there was even a story in Amazing Fantasy #15 that helped build the Marvel Age of Comics!”

Marvel Spotlight vol. 1 introduced the Western Red Wolf, Werewolf by Night, the supernatural Ghost Rider, the Son of Satan, Spider-Woman, and Devil-Slayer.

Vol. 2 brought Starlord, Dragon Lord, and Captain Universe into the Marvel Universe proper. Not bad for an off-the-cuff anthology title.

Captains Courageous (right) Original art (courtesy of Heritage) to the Captain Marvel adventure in MS vol.

2 #8 (Sept. 1980).

Art by Frank Miller and Bruce Patterson. (left) Steve Ditko’s Captain Universe cover for issue #9.

The author would like to express his sincere gratitude to Gerry Conway, Ed Hannigan, David Anthony Kraft, Al Milgrom, Jim Salicrup, Roger Stern, Roy Thomas, Len Wein, and Marv Wolfman. Thanks also to Gary Friedrich, who kindly responded but was unable to contribute due to health issues.

JARROD BUTTERY lives in Western Australia and has written several articles for BACK ISSUE. He heartily recommends you track down and read some of the obscure gems discussed above!

Tryouts, One-Shots, and One-Hit Wonders Issue

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

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When it comes to Marvel Feature, the tryout comic book published by Marvel Comics in the early 1970s, two old adages come to mind. The first would be “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” The second would be “timing is everything.”

Marvel Feature debuted in 1971 as a bimonthly forum for trying out new characters (or more accurately, new combinations of characters and variations on existing characters) before giving them their own book.

It was in concept, if not in format, similar to DC Comics’ Showcase, which was first published in 1956. Showcase featured tryouts (typically between one and three issues) of existing characters not currently appearing in print, new characters, and updated versions of older characters. Showcase marked the first appearances of the Silver Age Flash, the Silver Age Green Lantern, and the Silver Age Atom, as well as Adam Strange, the Metal Men, the Creeper, and Hawk and Dove, among others. Many of the characters that appeared first in Showcase went on to get their own titles and some, like the Flash and Green Lantern, became cornerstones of DC Comics’ success in the following decades. One of the novelties of Showcase was that if a favorite character received his own title, readers would pick up the new book, but they kept reading Showcase.

Prior to 1971, Marvel Comics had never really had a tryout book. They had several anthology titles, which typically featured reprints of classic stories or new stories about existing characters, but if they wanted to try out something new, they often just launched a new title.

There were risks with this approach, namely that the title might not be successful, so the effort spent promoting it would be wasted and its failure might be perceived negatively by readers. It could also take months to find out that a title was not selling well. That said, Marvel had enjoyed a tremendous run of success introducing new titles in the 1960s. And they had occasionally introduced new characters in existing titles, such as Thor in Journey into Mystery and Iron Man in Tales of Suspense, a “splitbook” that featured two characters in separate stories in each issue. (Spider-Man was not exactly the same thing, since he debuted in the last issue of Amazing Fantasy.)

But in the early 1970s, Marvel decided to launch several tryout books, among them Marvel Feature.

Former Marvel Comics editor and writer Roy Thomas explains the motivation behind a tryout book: “Stan wanted to do a bunch of them: Marvel Premiere, Marvel Feature, Marvel Spotlight. They were all his ideas, and his titles. In the early ’70s, we were just trying to get an increased place on the newsstands. That’s the period when we began to actually outsell DC in terms of number of books, and that’s the period when Stan became president and publisher, so we were a separate division then. We weren’t attached to Magazine

Little Man’s Big Day The Astonishing Ant-Man leaps into his own solo strip! Splash page to Marvel Feature #4 (July 1972), rendered by Titanic Herb Trimpe!

Special thanks to Dewey Cassell for the scan.

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

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by

Dewey Cassell

Management anymore, and Stan kept saying we had to generate more income. He would always say it was to pay my salary, but I don’t remember ever getting a raise. [laughs]”

THE DEFENDERS Marvel Feature started out with 52 pages and a cover price of 25 cents, but by issue #3 it had dropped back to 36 pages for 20 cents, as did other Marvel titles. The first characters to appear in Marvel Feature were not new, but the notion of them working together was. The first issue of the title featured the debut of the Defenders, starring the Incredible Hulk, Dr. Strange, and Prince Namor the SubMariner in what, on the surface, would appear to be the least likely team of for 152 issues, just going to prove that heroes in the Marvel Universe. comic-book readership is not always Given the success of The Avengers, (if ever) logical. [Editor’s note: For more which was also a team consisting of roy thomas on the Defenders, see BACK ISSUE existing heroes, it is not surprising #19 and #65.]

Photo by Luigi Novi. that Marvel would want to try the ANT-MAN formula again. And like the Avengers, the Defenders later had a rotating lineup that included Valkyrie, Nighthawk, When the Defenders cleared out of Marvel Feature, Hellcat, and others. But for their initial appearance in Ant-Man moved in. Ant-Man had starred in the split-book Tales to Astonish in the mid-1960s and was a founding Marvel Feature it was just Hulk, Strange, and Namor.

The first issue of Marvel Feature provided the origin member of the Avengers, but his most recent solo of the Defenders by Roy Thomas and Ross Andru, appearance had been in a backup story in issue #44 of although the groundwork had been laid in earlier Iron Man, six months previously. Thomas felt it was time issues of their individual titles. It also featured a new to try it again. “I know that I had wanted to do Ant-Man solo Dr. Strange story by Thomas and Don Heck, and more than most, because I just felt like he was a good a Sub-Mariner reprint by Bill Everett. Subsequent issues character, and I thought it’d be good to bring him featured encounters with Dormammu and Xemnu the back,” Roy says. “I think at one stage I was actually Titan. (Issue #2 also featured cameo appearances by hoping I could write it, but that proved impossible.” So Roy and Jean Thomas and Tom Fagan.) Fan reaction Thomas tapped Mike Friedrich to write the Ant-Man to the team was positive, and after three issues in Marvel stories and artist Herb Trimpe to illustrate them. Echoes Feature the Defenders got their own title, which ran Friedrich, “Roy started the series and intended to write Tryouts, One-Shots, and One-Hit Wonders Issue

The Defenders From Marvel Feature #3 (June 1972): (left) the Gil Kane/ Ralph Reese cover, and (right) a Thomas/Andru/ Everett interior page, courtesy of Heritage.

Seen on this page is one of Hulk’s Bronze Age sidekicks, Jim Wilson.

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

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Land of the Giants From the Mike Friedrich/Herb Trimpe team, Ant-Man’s streamlined new look is debuted in Marvel Feature #5 (Sept. 1972).

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

it, but couldn’t keep up, so he turned it over to me.” whole lot of them and they lived in a micro-world. They Thomas edited the series going forward. were big enough to sit in a thimble and they rode tin That Trimpe got the assignment was circumstantial, cans down the river, which was really just runoff water but he was glad to have it. “It was a matter from a rainstorm. They lived in houses in the of availability, [but] I really liked the idea of woods up in what they considered to be trees, Ant-Man,” the artist reveals. “I was crazy but to us would be considered weeds or about The Incredible Shrinking Man, bushes. I thought it was great. In fact, anything that put an individual in a when I was doing a lot of writing, I place where everything was so gigantic actually came up with a story that was and it takes half a day to cross the along those same lines. It was about room—or anything to do with insects, a teenager that wound up getting for that matter. I loved fantasy writing really small and the battles took where people rode the backs of ants. place between ant tribes. So when I think it all started with the New York the prospect came up to do Ant-Man, Daily News years ago. They had a I said, ‘Yeah, it’ll be great.’ ” half-page feature called The TeenyMarvel Feature turned out to be Weenies. There was always, like, a a family affair, as Trimpe explains: mike friedrich cut-out of one of the characters that “I kinda liked working with it. And then you could paste on cardboard and my brother, who at the time was a then fold back the base and they would stand up, so you graphic designer, he got a little slow at work so he did could collect them from Sunday to Sunday. I had a the inking of two issues, maybe three, of Ant-Man. So in those cases, there was Trimpe twice in the credit line. And actually, his inks were pretty good. But then he got work again and that was the end of that.”

One of the noteworthy aspects of the Ant-Man stories in Marvel Feature was the redesign of his costume.

The premise of the storyline, which extended through several issues, was that Ant-Man had become “stuck” in

Hank Pym Steps Up Make that “Gets Stepped On.” Herb Trimpe’s cover from the debut of Ant-Man’s solo series in Marvel Feature #4.

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

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Incredible Inspiration (above) Sci-fi visionary Richard Matheson’s The Incredible Shrinking Man, released as a film in 1957, clearly influenced the Ant-Man series in Marvel Feature. (left) John Romita, Sr.’s cover layout for MF #9 (May 1973).

Courtesy of David Kirkpatrick. (bottom) That issue’s finished cover, by Romita and inker Frank Giacoia.

his shrunken form and could not grow to full size again.

He fashioned a new costume and armed himself with a nail as a weapon. The dialogue by Friedrich was also sharper, more sophisticated than what fans had read in Tales to Astonish, giving the finished work an almost cinematic feel. Ant-Man had to cope with being ant-sized for a prolonged period of time, and it was presented as challenging and interesting without becoming campy, as the stories tended to be in Tales to Astonish.

The design of the new Ant-Man costume was a collaborative effort, as Trimpe recalls. “He had some square button pattern on the front of his jacket and boots and a long-sleeved shirt, colored red—I don’t know who designed that,” Herb says. “It might have been John Romita [Sr.] or Marie [Severin]. I think the nail was my idea. It was probably something required in the story, and I just worked it out that [it] was his standard weapon. I know it was used at some point when a guy was about to step on him, [and he had] the nail raised in the air, as if a 200-foot creature stepping on a nail is going to stop him.” (See the cover of Marvel Feature #4 for this image.)

Marvel touted that Trimpe was drawing Ant-Man, which he did for three issues. In issue #7, the credits indicated that [P.] Craig Russell was Astonish #44, reportedly as a result “filling in for Herb Trimpe,” but of a deadline issue. The last Ant-Man Trimpe did not return to the book. story in Marvel Feature was only 11 That Trimpe left was a disappointment pages, supplemented by reprints. to Friedrich, who notes, “I’m sorry Years later, Trimpe returned to the herb trimpe he did. I really enjoyed working with Ant-Man character, as he elaborates, Photo by Luigi Novi. him.” However, Russell did an “When Ant-Man reappeared in admirable job picking up the drawing Fantastic Four Unlimited, that redesign was mine. I did reins. Over the course of the seven-issue run in Marvel that completely and I thought it was so damned cool Feature, Ant-Man tackled classic villains like Egghead that Ant-Man was destined to get another title all to and Whirlwind, as well as new characters like Para-Man himself. Not only was I wrong, but I never even got and Dr. Nemesis. Ant-Man was joined by his traditional credit for the costume design. His new outfit was just like companion, the Wasp, who was also conveniently an insect. It wasn’t just some stupid suit he was wearing. “stuck” in shrunken state. At one point in the series, the He actually had a helmet that had a mandible design and Wasp transforms to a more insect-like form, providing it was basically an exoskeleton which comes off looking an opportunity to reprint her origin story from Tales to like modern-day armor, but that’s the way I drew it.”

Tryouts, One-Shots, and One-Hit Wonders Issue

The Incredible Shrinking Man TM & © 1957 Universal Pictures.

Ant-Man and Marvel Feature TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

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Ant-Man’s Second Artist P. Craig Russell (interviewed in BACK ISSUE #67) followed Herb Trimpe on Marvel Feature’s Ant-Man. (inset) Craig was inked

by Frank Giacoia on the cover to Marvel Feature #10 (July 1973). This issue gueststarred the Wasp and concluded Ant-Man’s MF strip. (left) This Russell sketch of the hero was done in 1974 inside that year’s Creation Con booklet and is from the collection of Shaun Clancy. Thanks, Shaun!

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

NEW THINGS

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

When Ant-Man departed Marvel Feature, he was replaced by the Thing, whose stories were written by Friedrich and Len Wein and drawn by Jim Starlin.

The Thing appeared in only two issues of Marvel Feature, alongside the Hulk and Iron Man, respectively, before getting his own title, Marvel Two-in-One, which ran for over 100 issues, including seven annuals. Marvel Feature ended with issue #12.

At least volume one did. The Marvel Feature title was resurrected in 1975 as a showcase for Red Sonja, which was edited by Roy Thomas and written by Bruce Jones, with gorgeous artwork by Frank Thorne, beginning with issue #2. The new Marvel Feature only lasted for seven issues, but it served its purpose, earning Red Sonja a title of her own. [Editor’s note: Marvel’s Red Sonja series will eventually be examined here in BACK ISSUE—we’re not sure when, but trust us, we can’t ignore its fabulous Frank Thorne art for much longer…]

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In both iterations, Marvel Feature effectively served as a launching pad for successful ongoing comic-book titles, Ant-Man being the sole exception. As for why Ant-Man didn’t get his own title? Thomas speculates, “Chances are it didn’t sell as well as the other two.”

But while the tryout aspect of the title worked well, for the most part, it could not sustain its own readership. Marvel learned what DC Comics had already figured out—the heyday of the tryout book was past. The last issue of Showcase was published in September 1970, the year before the debut of Marvel Feature. [Editor’s note: Of course, Showcase was later revived, as covered elsewhere in this issue.]

Ant-Man may yet have the last word, though. While the Hulk and Thing have both appeared in feature films, their reception by fans has been lukewarm (at least until The Avengers, so far as Hulk is concerned). But Ant-Man is slated to get his own film, premiering in November 2015, serving as the first of Marvel’s “Phase Three” movies. Director Edgar Wright has been working on an Ant-Man script for years and debuted test footage at the San Diego Comic-Con in 2012.

Roy Thomas believes the big screen may be the best place to try out the diminutive hero: “It was always a great idea for a movie, a better idea for a movie than it was for a comic book. I remember thinking the night I saw Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, ‘Well, now they can finally make an Ant-Man movie.’ And I’m sorry they didn’t do it in time to get him in The Avengers, but at least I’m glad to see there’s going to be one.”

Sincere thanks to Roy Thomas, Herb Trimpe, and Mike Friedrich for their insight into Marvel Feature, and to David Kirkpatrick for the artwork.

DEWEY CASSELL is a frequent contributor to BACK ISSUE and author of the book Marie Severin: The Mirthful Mistress of Comics, available from TwoMorrows Publishing. He is currently working on a book about Herb Trimpe.

by

Chris Brennaman

Marvel Comics in the 1970s was at a turning point.

The forces behind that initial influx of creativity in the early 1960s had mostly moved on. Stan Lee had transitioned from editor-in-chief into the role of publisher, Jack Kirby had jumped to DC Comics, and Steve Ditko was working over at Charlton. By 1972, Roy Thomas had finally stepped into the role of editor-in-chief and was overseeing a new batch of writers and artists.

They were young, they were hungry, and they were ready to take the creative reins of the company and push its characters into new, often strange places.

“That was a time when Marvel was bursting at the seams creatively,” says Steve Englehart, former writer of The Avengers, The Defenders, and Dr. Strange. “There were a lot of people doing some pretty entertaining stuff in those days.”

But for all the change, there were still some fairly common practices, chief among them the regular publication of anthology and tryout books. Since comics first appeared on newsstands, those types of books were more than a little common. Showcase and The Brave and the Bold were some notable tryouts published by DC, while Marvel published anthologies like Journey into Mystery, Amazing Fantasy, and Strange Tales early on.

For comic-book readers today, the idea of a tryout book like Marvel Premiere may seem like, well, just that: like an idea. However, well into the 1970s and even the early 1980s, tryouts were still considered one of the best ways to get the attention of readers focused on new ideas and lesser characters without having to invest in an entirely new monthly series.

“We were going for newsstand space,” Englehart says. “You wanted to maintain that space on the newsstand, so if you had Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, The Avengers, and they’re doing great, well, that’s good.

But if you put out a lousy book, that could tarnish your company’s image with new readers.”

And that, according to Englehart, was the beauty in tryout book like Marvel Premiere. “The idea was, if you’re going to try something out, do it with a book with less exposure so it doesn’t loom as large in the general brand.”

Marvel Premiere was a place for creators at Marvel to take established characters and try a new spin in search of a new audience, or to put new ideas to paper in an effort to find the next big thing. Or, in some cases, to make that old thing seem new again. One month might find an adventure featuring the Falcon, a known supporting player in Captain America, while the next may see something new along the lines of the space-opera science-fiction piece Seeker 3000.

House of Hits and Misses The first three stars of Marvel Premiere— Warlock, shown here in detail from the Gil Kane/Dan Adkins-drawn cover to MP #1 (Apr. 1972), followed by Dr. Strange and Iron Fist—spun off into their own series, but Premiere’s other concepts failed to launch.

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

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Strange Magic (left) Writer Stan Lee and artist Barry [Windsor-] Smith unveiled the Master of the Mystic Arts in a new solo series beginning in Marvel Premiere #3 (July 1972). Cover by Smith and Frank Giacoia. (right) Gardner Fox was winding down his long comics-writing career when he picked up the Doc Strange gig, like this issue, #5 (Nov. 1972), with its Mike Ploog cover.

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

“The thing with a book like that is the whole idea that you just came up with a new concept,” says writer Chris Claremont. “If it flew, great. If not, move on to the next one. A number of pitches didn’t do so well. It was a matter of finding the right character, the right creators, and the right concept.”

Sometimes it worked. Characters like Iron Fist came to prominence in the pages of Marvel Premiere and are still relevant in the Marvel Universe to this day. Other times … well, writer Ed Hannigan may have said it best: “Sometimes it became a dumping ground for miscellaneous stuff no one wanted.”

For good or ill, Marvel Premiere did offer readers a chance to follow characters that often times found themselves forgotten, and a place to watch their favorite creators cut loose and do something completely different, if just for one issue.

MAKING A WARLOCK OUT OF HIM The series kicked off with a April 1972 cover-dated story focusing on Adam Warlock. With Roy Thomas writing and Gil Kane on art duty, readers would immediately be treated to something that wasn’t quite like anything that had come before. In the first issue of this new comic series, the protagonist wouldn’t just be a hero, he would be a messiah.

The character Him, as Warlock was known for the first part of his life, had been created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby during their muchcelebrated Fantastic Four run in the 1960s. The product of an experiment performed by a secret cadre of scientists, Him was first introduced as

Welcome to My Nightmare Signed by artist Frank Brunner, an original art page from the Dr. Strange shocker in Marvel Premiere #10 (Sept. 1973). Inks by the “Singing Sons of the Crusty Bunkers” (many hands in Neal Adams’ studio).

Courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com).

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

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the perfect man who rebelled against his wicked creators. He would go on to appear in issues of The Mighty Thor, antagonizing the God of Thunder over the affections of Sif. Roy Thomas not only gave Him a new name, but a new direction as well. Rechristened Adam Warlock, he would meet the High Evolutionary, who would give him a purpose. Adam Warlock would descend down onto High Evolutionary’s Counter-Earth, a duplicate of our own world, that revolved around the opposite side of the sun.

He would live among its inhabitants and become their protector.

He would fight evil on their behalf. He would even eventually die for their sins. It was a familiar story, certainly, but not one that seemed primed for what appeared to be a superhero comic.

Thomas was taking a gamble by taking so radical a direction with a Marvel character, but it was one he hoped would not only pay off creatively, but socially as well. In a 2009 interview with BACK ISSUE, Thomas said, “Yes, I had some trepidation about the Christ parallels, but I hoped there would be little outcry if I handled it tastefully, since I was not really making any serious statement on religion … at least not overtly.”

The story of Counter-Earth’s messiah would only run for two issues in the pages of Marvel Premiere, though. It would seem the Marvel Premiere mandate of trying to see what would stick with readers found its first success early out the gate. After two issues in Marvel Premiere, Warlock was given his own series with the hope that his new readers would follow. [Editor’s note: See BACK ISSUE #34 for more about Adam Warlock.]

Sorcerers Revisted Brunner’s fantastic 2000 recreation of his cover to Marvel Premiere #13 (Jan. 1974), pitting Dr. Strange against Sise-neg and Baron Mordo. Courtesy of Heritage.

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

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THE SORCERER SUPREME

Alternate Views Dr. Strange’s clash with Cagliostro varied wildly between Brunner’s preliminary sketch (courtesy of Heritage) and completed cover (inset) for Marvel Premiere #14 (Mar. 1974).

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

“Frank asked me to come over and script Strange for him,” Englehart says. “I liked Dr. Strange. I had written him before with the Defenders. I wanted to work with Frank. They [both] were at Marvel Premiere.”

Englehart started his Marvel Premiere Dr. Strange run in the middle of a storyline featuring Strange’s war with Shuma-Gorath. In Marvel Premiere #10 (Sept. 1973), he wrapped up that story while at the same time ushering in some fairly large changes to the character’s status quo, changes that are still lingering in current Marvel series. It was Engehart who shuffled the Ancient One off of this mortal coil, having Strange ascend to the position of Sorcerer Supreme in issue #10.

It’s hard to imagine a time when Strange wasn’t Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme, and at the time, that was quite a big shift. According to Englehart, though, it wasn’t a problem in the least to make happen.

“At the time, the Marvel philosophy was, they handed you a book and said, ‘Here, if you can make it sell, you can keep doing it,’ ” Englehart says. “There was no more oversight than that.”

The Englehart/Brunner partnership would successfully result in Dr. Strange becoming a player in the Marvel Universe once again.

“When I got him by himself, I decided I really ought to learn more about magic if I was going to write a credible Sorcerer Supreme, a guy frank brunner who knew more than any of us,” Photo by Luigi Novi.

Englehart says. “I started reading books about magic to incorporate that into my stories, to be otherworldly.”

While Englehart and Brunner’s professional partnership was bearing fruit for Marvel in the form of rising sales, a strong personal friendship was being shored up as well.

“Frank had ideas as well,” Englehart says. “When I was doing the book with Frank, it was a co-creator situation. We would get together every two months and have dinner. He would have things he wanted me to see, I would have things I wanted him to see.

We would hash things out as the night went on.”

Brunner may not have been the writer, but that didn’t mean that he didn’t have some ideas as to the direction of the series. And because of the mutual trust the professionals had quickly developed, Brunner’s input into the story was welcomed by Englehart.

“Usually, the artist just draws, and that’s the end of it,” Englehart says. “Frank wanted to do more, and that was fine with me. We were both just really into it, and the interplay just raised things to another level.”

Marvel Premiere #3 (Jan. 1973) would see a different lead character. Adam Warlock’s replacement, however, had at one time been a fairly big player in the Marvel Universe, and now it was hoped he could be one again. Dr. Strange, that venerable Master of the Mystic Arts, seemed to be primed for a comeback and Marvel Premiere was the designated place for that to happen.

While it would be Stan Lee who would script Strange’s first adventure in Marvel Premiere #3, a classic tale illustrated by Barry Windsor-Smith, writer Gardner Fox would quickly take over.

“Gardner Fox had been a big star in the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s,” Steve Englehart says. “But by the ’70s I got the impression he was kind of not so interested in comics anymore. Honestly, those [Dr. Strange] issues were not all that good as a reader. But he was working with Frank Brunner.”

Frank Brunner was another young creator making a name for himself inside the house that Stan and Jack built.

When Fox left the book with Marvel Premiere #9 (July 1973), it was Brunner that actually recruited Englehart.

ALTERED STATES Oftentimes, the two creators would bring vastly different ideas as to what to put the character through on a given month. According to Englehart, that was fun as well.

The Englehart/Brunner collaboration quickly came to be known for its psychedelic and trippy visuals and mind-altering story twists. This, Englehart says, is bound to happen when two young professionals are constantly pushing each other. Part of it … well, that was just a byproduct of the times. “We were in the ’70s,” he says.

“It was a trippy, experimental time in general.”

Englehart and Brunner were having a blast writing Dr. Strange in the pages of Marvel Premiere, and they were writing him for people just like themselves. They were also keenly aware that kids were the primary

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Iron Fist Begins (background) Danny Rand’s kickin’ debut in Marvel Premiere #15 (May 1974) featured this iconic Gil Kane/Dick Giordano cover. (right) From the Heritage archives, page 3 of that issue in original art form, by the same art team and writer Roy Thomas.

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

readers, at least in theory, though, and crafted their stories to be as inclusive as possible. They wanted that 20-something reader who was just like them to dig Dr. Strange as much as young children.

“There was never any question that we weren’t writing for everybody,” he says. “We never went down a road that would cause you to have a problem with what we were doing. We could do what we wanted to do, but knew it had to work for everybody. It wasn’t like we couldn’t do something because some six-year-old was going read it.

We did it because a six-year-old was going to read it, and we wanted him to have a good time, too. We weren’t trying to subvert young minds. We just felt like we had an energy and were riding that out.”

That doesn’t mean the Englehart/Brunner run was without controversy, however. In Marvel Premiere #12 (Nov. 1973), Dr. Strange learns that Baron Mordo has taken the legendary Book of Cagliostro and is attempting to change the past. Of course, Strange sets out to stop him. While doing battle in the past, Strange and Mordo learn that Cagliostro is actually from the 31st Century and is traveling through time, siphoning all the mystic energy he can with the goal of becoming the mightiest being in the cosmos. The arc culminates in Dr. Strange and Baron Mordo at the dawn of time as Cagliostro accomplishes his goal and in the process setting off the Big Bang. The implication? That Cagliostro is, well, God. “I didn’t say for sure,” Engelhart says. “I left it to the readers to decide if he was or was not. I didn’t come out say, ‘That’s God.’ I knew [that] would get some people upset.”

As it happened, one person to get upset was Kane, Rand was the son of a wealthy American fairly important to anyone working at Marvel at the businessman. Raised in the mystical city of K’un-Lun time: Marvel publisher Stan Lee. after his parents were killed, Danny was trained “Stan got worried,” Englehart says. “I started by kung-fu master Lei Kung. The most gifted of hearing he was getting worried about the reception, Kung’s students, Danny goes on to assume to that we may have to run a disclaimer. I didn’t want mantle of Iron Fist after facing the dragon Shou-Lao to go there. I wanted to leave it ambiguous.” the Undying.

Thus, a faked letter from a fake minister from chris claremont Thomas would present Iron Fist to readers for the Dallas was drafted, and this fake minister was all first time, but would only stick around for a single about singing the praises of the Cagliostro reveal.

“That was enough for Stan,” Englehart says. “We weren’t trying issue. Later Iron Fist scribe Tony Isabella, however, says that one outing to subvert anybody. We just wanted to expand the character and get was enough to get the ball rolling.

“Roy Thomas and Gil Kane crafted a top-notch origin issue which him more and more out there.”

On that front, the duo was more than successful. Marvel Premiere was better than anything that followed until Chris Claremont and #14 (Mar. 1974) would be Dr. Strange’s last appearance within the John Byrne hit their stride on the series,” Isabella says. “That origin pages of the title. Englehart and Brunner had crafted stories engaging issue was so strong it carried the book for a while.”

Thomas handed the writing reins over to Len Wein for Marvel enough to bring in the right amount of readers to justify Dr. Strange Premiere #16 (July 1974). Marvel Premiere #17 (Sept. 1974), however, being awarded his own series once again. would see Doug Moench take over the character.

THE COMING OF IRON FIST “That was pretty close on the heels of me starting at Marvel,” Two characters had been presented in Marvel Premiere with hopes of Moench says. “At that time, things at Marvel were a mess as far as gaining an audience and, by default, sales. Two successes. Now it deadlines were concerned. They were unsettled. It was a very fly-bywas time to try for number three, and number three would be a fairly the-seat-of-your-pants operation.” big risk.

Moench may have been early in his Marvel career, but he had Warlock and Dr. Strange were both established Marvel properties. been quickly proving himself to be someone who was not just talented, They may not have been capable of holding their own books before but fast and reliable. At Marvel at that time, that combination meant their Marvel Premiere appearances, but they at least had some degree work. Lots and lots of work. of recognition among Marvel readers. The next in character in line to “When they found someone who writes lots of stuff, they just grace the pages of Marvel Premiere … well, not so much. kept feeding you,” he says. “It was in that way I got the assignment.

In Marvel Premiere #15 (May 1974), readers were introduced I was essentially told the book was going to ship late unless I could to Danny Rand, a.k.a. Iron Fist. Created by Roy Thomas and Gil turn something in the next day.”

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Fist of Fury, Prince of Power (left) Marvel Premiere #23 (Aug. 1975), the Warhawk issue, featuring writer Chris Claremont’s debut on Iron Fist. Cover by Gil Kane and Bob McLeod. (right) Hercules unbound, in issue #26 (Nov. 1975). Cover

by Jack Kirby and Vince Colletta.

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

So turn something in the next day he did, and as a reward, the book was his. At least, it was his for the short term. Moench loved superhero comics. He loved reading them more than writing them, though.

“It wasn’t that I didn’t like Iron Fist,” he says. “I would have just rather been doing any number of other things that I liked much more. But I was still working my dream job.”

When Doug Moench left after Marvel Premiere #19 (Nov. 1974), writer Tony Isabella would step in to take on the adventures of Danny Rand.

“Iron Fist was suddenly without a writer,” he says. “I was asked to write some issues with the option of remaining on the series if I had the time or inclination.”

He would stay on through Marvel Premiere #22 (June 1975). Even though he was only on the book a short time, Isabella says he was given a fair amount of leeway to work. “I would have told the editor who gave me the gig—I think it was Roy Thomas—what I intended to do in very rough terms,” he says. “I probably mentioned wrapping up the current storyline so we’d have a clean slate for the next writer … and that I wanted to use Batroc zee Leaper. Batroc was a goofy favorite of mine.”

Isabella did exactly what he set out to do. He came onto Marvel Premiere. He finished off the outstanding Iron Fist plots. He wrapped things up, and prepared the series for his successor.

AN X-CELLENT NEW WRITER That next writer would be Chris Claremont.

While Iron Fist was gaining traction in the pages of Marvel Premiere, the character soared under Claremont’s writing. Iron Fist might even have been Claremont’s signature series had it not been for the overwhelming success and popularity of a certain book he would take on post-Iron Fist.

“I was on staff and hungry for gigs,” Claremont says. “They asked if I wanted to write it, and the first rule for young writers is to say ‘yes.’ ” Claremont took a practical approach to the character, not wanting to make any base assumptions about martial arts or how they’re put to use.

“With Iron Fist, you’re dealing with a character who is master of martial arts,” he says. “Doug Moench proved on Shang-Chi [in Master of Kung Fu] that you have to get [martial arts] right. Otherwise it looks sloppy. First it was a matter of figuring out the right moves, then articulating the choreography. Then you have to plug it all in correctly.”

Claremont came onto Marvel Premiere with issue #23 (Aug. 1975) with a plot that, if published today, might spark more than little bit of controversy. The story opens with Danny Rand and Colleen Wing out for a walk in the park when they’re confronted not by a ninjas or any other typical comic book-esque henchmen, but rather a sniper shooting randomly into the crowd. The act is brutal and quite deadly.

In the early ’70s, though, it was merely a flight of villainous fantasy.

“That sort of silliness rarely, if ever, happened in real life,” Claremont says. “It was up there on the same pedestal as flying a passenger plane into a skyscraper. It was adequate for comic books because the likelihood of it happening in reality was … you just didn’t think about it.”

As Danny Rand began to hunt down the killer, the reader learns that the perpetrator, a character called Warhawk, is a Vietnam veteran who suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), although it’s never called that in the issue. Warhawk has brought the war home with him, having seen and dealt with terrible things while overseas.

For Claremont, Warhawk echoed the plight of too many men he was seeing come back from abroad.

“You couldn’t have lived through that period without knowing and dealing with veterans coming back from Southeast Asia,” he says.

“We’re all familiar with PTSD and assessing it and reacting to it today.

Back then, much as it was after Korea and World War II, you just came home and that was that. But the worst part about Vietnam is you came home and there was no welcome. There was no thanks. You were drafted, you went over, you did your time. It was 20 years before people looked around and said, ‘We should thank them,’ and even that turned into a fight.”

The action of that particular issue of Marvel Premiere is something Claremont says still affects society, that Warhawk and the events that helped shape him still resonate 30 years later. But he also sees change.

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“I don’t know,” he says. “I find that on one level it’s heartbreaking that we’re still shipping hundreds of thousands of young men and women off to war when the hope was that Vietnam was the place we learned our lesson. On the other hand, one could just as easily argue that in the immediate aftermath of Malcolm X’s assassination and Martin Luther King’s assassination that if someone said in 2008, we’d have a black man as president of the United States, they’d ask what kind of drugs you were on.”

Danny Rand was joined in his Marvel Premiere adventures by one Colleen Wing. Colleen was the daughter of Professor Wing, a teacher who’d met Danny in the mystical city of K’un-Lun. Like many female characters written over the years by Claremont, Colleen was smart, capable, and able to physically assist Danny. Marvel Premiere #24 (Sept. 1975) begins with her training hard with Iron Fist, even going so far as goading him to give her his full fighting fury in one their sparring matches. She was a strong female character who could hold her own with male opponents.

For Claremont, though, it was never about setting out to make a strong female character just for the sake of having a strong female character. It was merely about making his characters feel like actual people.

“The intent is to make characters as human and real as possible,” Claremont says. “There’s no point in writing a story with characters you can’t relate to. We’re dealing with archetypes, and archetypes cover a fair range of possibilities. All the exciting adventures, all the ninjas and demons and Sabretooths and what-have-you, none of that matters. It doesn’t matter because in the end you’re relating to people just like you. The more relatable the reader finds them, the more they can say, ‘I see something of my life or people I know in Danny, Misty, Colleen, or Luke Cage or the X-Men.” Claremont would stay on Marvel Premiere for three issues writing the adventures of Iron Fist. Iron Fist, like Dr. Strange and Adam Warlock before him, had passed the test. After Marvel Premiere #25 (Oct. 1975), he would get his own book. The key to that success, according to Claremont, was the strength of the characters and their connections to each other and to the audience.

“We wanted people to keep coming back,” Claremont says.

“One way to do that is to create exciting stories. Visual stories, John [Byrne, Claremont’s Iron Fist artist and collaborator] excelled at that.

Here were characters that, for all their superpowers and skintight suits, still came across as relevant human beings, as real people. They got as close to the audience as we could get away with.”

chance to show their stuff in a story of their own,” he says. “And writers got a chance to add more depth to secondary characters who otherwise would be left minimized to sidekick roles.”

With Marvel Premiere #29 (Apr. 1976), Roy Thomas would once again return to Marvel Premiere, this time delving into Marvel’s historical past with the Liberty Legion. The Liberty Legion was given a place in the spotlight—at least for two issues.

Dubbed “America’s Homefront Heroes of World War II,” the Liberty Legion was a collection of World War II-era superheroes that fought the Axis powers not overseas, but right here in the USA. While the team never caught on enough with readers to warrant their own book nor gain the same kind of recognition as the Invaders, it was another example of Thomas taking a group of old, sometimes forgotten characters, dusting them off, and trying to make them seem new to an equally new audience.

After Liberty Legion, Marvel Premiere readers were presented with another brand-new character called Woodgod, compliments of writer Bill Mantlo and artist Keith Giffen. The cover exclaimed that Woodgod was “the most bizarre super-hero of all.” That may not have been hyperbole. The satyr-looking Woodgod was the product of genetic engineering at the hands of a pair of scientists. Woodgod appeared in Marvel Premiere #31 (Aug. 1976), and in only a small handful of other books over the years.

After Woodgod, the work of Howard Chaykin was featured in the pages of Marvel Premiere for the next three issues. Marvel Premiere #32 (Oct. 1976) headlined an original Chaykin creation, Monark Starstalker, a space vigilante/bounty hunter. Issues #33 (Dec. 1976) and 34 (Feb. 1977) would see artist Chaykin joined by writer/editor Roy Thomas for a two-issue arc centered on the Robert E. Howard creation Solomon Kane.

HOUSE OF IDEAS, THE SERIES Iron Fist would be the third character to feature in Marvel Premiere to be spun out into his own book. He would also be the last. After Claremont and Byrne took Iron Fist off to his own book, Bill Mantlo and George Tuska would bring Hercules into the spotlight, but just for one issue. Claremont would return to Marvel Premiere for another issue spotlighting Satana, while Mantlo would step back in take a shot at the Legion of Monsters in Marvel Premiere #28 (Feb. 1976).

That quick succession of characters was indicative of much of the rest of Marvel Premiere’s run. But to the creators working on the book and taking a chance with new characters and new concepts, that was okay.

“It was the House of Ideas,” Steve Englehart says. “And there were always new ideas.”

For writer David Michelinie, it was that opportunity to push new ideas that was a professional draw for the book. “Characters got a

The Starseed and Steed From the collection of Frank Balas, original art from Marvel Premiere #28 (Feb. 1976), starring the Legion of Monsters.

Script by Bill Mantlo, pencils by Frank Robbins, and inks by Steve Gan. (background) The issue’s Nick Cardy cover.

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

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From the Michelinie Files Writer David Michelinie recently scanned some mid-1970s photographs taken in the New York area and has kindly shared them with BACK ISSUE. Shown here: (top left) Iron Fist artist John Byrne holding an unidentified original art page, and (top right) Michelinie himself, camera in tow. Thanks, David! (bottom) Kirby’s covers always feel like 3-D. The King, inked by John Verpoorten, on the cover of #35 (Apr. 1977).

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

3-D OR NOT 3-D? The next three issues, though, would not only circle back to superheroics, but would feature one of the most visually distinctive new creations to appear not only in the pages of Marvel Premiere, but in a Marvel comic, period: 3-D Man. The creation of writer Roy Thomas and artist Jim Craig, 3-D Man didn’t take place in then-current ’70s-era Marvel continuity, but rather in the 1950s. The hero was the amalgamation of two brothers, Hal Chandler, jim craig a research scientist, and Chuck Chandler, a test pilot. Chuck finds himself abducted by the alien Skrulls during one particularly important test flight. During his escape, he causes the ship to explode and—in that rich Marvel tradition—is bathed in radiation in the process. Thinking his brother to have exploded as well, Hal finds Chuck’s image has been imprinted upon the lenses of his glasses. Now, if Hal concentrates enough, he can bring the images in the glasses together, merging them, and causing them to manifest as 3-D Man. “3-D Man was not intended to be in Marvel Premiere,” 3-D Man co-creator and artist Jim Craig says. “He was intended to be a in a 3-D magazine of his own.”

Craig had just come off of Marvel’s What If? when Roy Thomas contacted him about more work. “Roy called me and asked if I wanted to do this ’50s thing,” Craig says. “It was 3-D Man and Roy wanted to actually do it in 3-D. We were just waiting on the budget.”

And that’s where things were left for a short time: on hold.

“A few weeks went by, I was put on another issue of What If?,” Craig continues. “It was What If? #6, where the Fantastic Four get alternate powers. That’s when I got the call from Roy that we were a go.”

Craig may have been given the green light, but the format was still in flux. The initial idea was indeed to give 3-D Man his own magazine, but what that would look like still wasn’t settled yet. In fact, now in question was if the book would even be in 3-D or not.

“Roy says now he wasn’t sure if the magazine would be 3-D or without 3-D,” Craig says. “Then there was talk about putting the feature in one of the blackand-white magazines Marvel was doing at the time.”

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Craig says Thomas was still looking at the cost, but he began work anyway.

“Then, I got the call and was told we didn’t have the budget for it,” Craig says. “That it wasn’t even going to be a magazine of its own. Roy said, ‘We’ll put it in something else. We’ll make it three issues.’”

3-D Man debuted in Marvel Premiere #35 (Apr. 1977).

Because so much was up in the air in the time leading up to 3-D Man’s eventual publication, some of the art was prepared by Craig under the assumption it would be presented in 3-D. If readers look closely, especially in that premiere issue, Craig says they can see intended-for3-D graphic elements of what might have been.

Not knowing what the end format THINGS GET WEIRD would be wasn’t the only challenge With 37 issues behind it, Marvel Premiere for Craig. The artist, in his 20s at the was now more than halfway time he was working on 3-D Man, through its run, and it was becoming was tasked with recreating the obvious that it wasn’t just a tryout doug moench 1950s within the pages of his story. book for characters, but genres as By today’s standards, something well. Not only was the company like that may not seem quite so tossing superhero concepts against the wall, but genres Herculean, but in the pre-Internet age, finding easily like science fiction, horror, and kung fu. Iron Fist had accessible reference material was at times difficult. been the last character to be awarded its own book, “That was a long time before Google,” Craig says. but by issue #38 (Oct. 1977), that was now over a year “So there was a lot of time spent in the library, learning in the past. Still, the company tried new concepts and everything I could.” new genres. Now, it was time to give high fantasy Despite the struggle that went into getting 3-D a shot.

Man published, a book of the character’s own wasn’t This was perfectly fine for a young Doug Moench. in the mix. Marvel Premiere #37 (Aug. 1977) closed out “One of the things [Marvel] kept asking me was to the character’s adventures for the foreseeable future. do stories for the black-and-white magazines,” Moench “I thought it was pretty cool,” Craig says. “And I says. “And then, at a certain point, they just said, ‘Write loved working with Roy. But, apparently, sales weren’t as many stories as you can for all the titles, anything that high enough, so nothing happened and I went off to pops in your head, and we’ll fit them in somewhere.’ work on Master of Kung Fu.” At one point, I got this idea to do cute elves.”

Tryouts, One-Shots, and One-Hit Wonders Issue

Amazing Fantasy (left) The odd pairing of artists Dave Cockrum and Rudy Nebres provided the Weirdworld cover from Marvel Premiere #38 (Oct. 1977). (right) A magical original page from #38, penciled by Michael Ploog and inked by Alex Nino.

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

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Big Little Books (left) Seeker 3000’s star trek, in Marvel Premiere #41 (Apr. 1978).

Cover by Cockrum and Joe Sinnott. (right) Ant-Man’s two-issue outing began in #47 (Apr. 1979). Cover

by Bob Layton.

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

The “cute elves” idea was Weirdworld.

Time was of the essence, as Earth’s own sun was due to go nova in Weirdworld was a Doug Moench/Mike Ploog creation, and had just 263 days. already been featured once in the pages of Marvel’s black-and-white Though Seeker 3000 appeared once in Marvel Premiere #41 (Apr. magazine Marvel Super Action. The story of elves in a high-fantasy 1978) and a few other books, it was a story that connected with readers. realm had proven to be a popular story with the higher-ups at “People often quote lines from Seeker 3000 to me,” Moench Marvel, and Moench was asked to do a follow-up, this time in the says. “They get a blank stare, though. They say, “You don’t remember pages of Marvel Premiere. that? You wrote it.’ It clearly affected people.”

“I said that would be fine,” Moench says, “if Mike Ploog MARVEL SUPERHEROES will draw it.”

After Seeker 3000, it was time for Marvel Premiere to Ploog did return to the concept as Moench hoped, circle back around to superheroes once again, this and Weirdworld was featured in Marvel Premiere time with Avengers member Tigra taking a starring #38—another set of new characters in the book, role. Writer Ed Hannigan was tasked with the job of and another genre. scripting a story plotted by John Warner. Called Moench took a break from Marvel Premiere for “Nightmare’s Evolution,” it was the story of Tigra’s two issues, giving Marv Wolfman a chance to make run-in with the subterranean Cat-People. the character the Torpedo resonate with readers.

“It might have been given to me to script It wouldn’t take. because of deadline issues,” Hannigan says. “The “I liked the character,” Wolfman says. “He didn’t only thing I remember for sure is that the I called seem to catch on, however.” it ‘Nightmare’s Evolution’ as a play on a Doug Moench returned to Marvel Premiere with issue Moench title of the Planet of the Apes story we did, ed hannigan #40 (Feb. 1977), once again working in a genre ‘Evolution’s Nightmare.’ ” [Editor’s note: See BI #17 outside the realm of superheroes. “Archie Goodwin for Tigra’s tale.] was editor by then and he said we needed someMarvel Premiere #43 (Aug. 1978) starred relative newcomer thing in Marvel Premiere and suggested a science-fiction thing,” Paladin in a solo story. This mercenary had already popped up in the Moench says.

According to Moench, Goodwin had a basic idea for what he pages of Daredevil, and now he was getting his shot to be the star. His wanted: characters out in space, on a ship, seeking out … something. lone Marvel Premiere appearance wouldn’t ignite any fires with Marvel “I said, ‘Wait, isn’t this Star Trek?’” Moench says. “Archie just said, readers, and he would quickly return to the odd guest appearances in the pages of other, more popular characters’ books.

‘You’ll make it different.’”

Bill Mantlo and Keith Giffen would follow in Marvel Premiere #44 So Moench got to work making Goodwin’s concept different than Star Trek. Moench took the idea of a crew aboard a spaceship (Oct. 1978) with a Jack of Hearts story that gives a brief run-down of searching for something and molded it into something new. Thus, how the character’s powers negatively impact his life. The story then launches into a confrontation with the villainous Jonathan Hemlock.

Seeker 3000 was conceived.

Like all characters appearing in Marvel Premiere post-Iron Fist, the Seeker 3000 was the story of mankind being forced to create a safe warp-drive, something that had proven impossible for Earth’s result would not be a regular series for the character.

But not being awarded a regular series doesn’t mean a lack of future inhabitants. It now fell to the crew of Seeker 3000 transport tissue samples from humanity to a new world, and to colonize it. resonance with readers. Scott Lang’s long-standing role in the Marvel

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Universe is a testament to that, and Marvel Premiere been resurrected. And his daughter Cassie? Well, she #47 (Apr. 1979) and 48 (June 1979) would prove to would grow up to be a superhero, using the same be an important one for the character. True, this new technology as her father to gain powers.

Ant-Man wouldn’t get his own series, but he would “It is satisfying to think that characters I created become an instant and almost constant fixture in because I thought they were fun and entertaining are the Marvel Universe from that issue forward. still liked by both readers and other writers all Writer David Michelinie was the writer to this time,” Michelinie says. set things in motion.

Following Ant-Man, Marvel Premiere “I don’t know why, but I’ve always #49 (Aug. 1979) would star stalwart had an affection for shrinking heroes,” Captain America partner the Falcon he says. “The Incredible Shrinking Man in an adventure all his own, penned was one of my favorite movies as a

by Mark Evanier. This story originally little kid, and I loved DC’s The Atom. was not a Marvel Premiere tryout for So when I realized Ant-Man was not the Falcon. It was a Captain America being used at Marvel thanks to Hank fill-in issue gone terribly wrong.

Pym [the original Ant-Man] being “My friend Steve Gerber was having Yellowjacket, I jumped at the chance trouble with his work for Marvel,” to try my hand at the character.”

Evanier says. “He was behind on Scott Lang assumed an estabtwo monthly comics he was writing/ mark evanier lished identity from an established editing for them—Howard the Duck hero, but that didn’t mean he and Captain America. Now, when Photo by Luigi Novi. would be the same person or the you’re being on a comic like that, same kind of hero. the solution is that you have to write more than one “I wanted something completely different, in both issue [of the series] per month.” origin and motivation, from Pym,” Michelinie says. “So I That was all well and good, but there were two came up with the idea of a reformed criminal—not an problems, according to Evanier. unjustly accused innocent, which would have been the expected angle. And I figured that, as a burglar, he probably enjoyed the adrenaline rush of his previous ‘job,’ so the excitement of heroic adventure could fill that need in him, but legally.”

But Scott Lang’s most distinguishing trait given to him by Michelinie wasn’t his criminal record; that would be his daughter, Cassie. Scott Lang was a single dad. “I figured that making him a single father would provide a fresh dynamic since I don’t believe there were any single parent heroes in the Marvel Universe at that time,” Michelinie says. Because of his past, his responsibility as a father, and his career as a superhero, Lang had had perhaps more to deal with than most other Marvel heroes before him.

“Balancing that life with a job working for Tony Stark, as well as raising a young daughter, would naturally lead to conflicts and interesting storylines,” Michelinie says.

“I thought it would generate interesting character interactions and entertaining problems to be solved.

Especially for Cassie—I mean, how frustrating would it be for a ten- or 11-year-old kid to know their dad’s a famous superhero, but not be able to tell anyone?”

Scott Lang would never become as big as, say, Peter Parker or Steve Rogers, but he didn’t have to.

Because of the foundation laid by Michelinie in the pages of Marvel Premiere, Scott Lang has become as permanent a fixture in the Marvel Universe as a character not created in the early 1960s can hope to become.

Whether he’s standing side-by-side with Captain America and Thor as a member of the Avengers or subbing for Reed Richards as a member of the Fantastic Four, Lang has withstood the test of time.

He’s even joined the club of heroes who’ve died and

Tryouts, One-Shots, and One-Hit Wonders Issue

Falcon Flies High This solo shot wasn’t originally intended for Marvel Premiere! (below) Splash to #49 (Aug. 1979), from the Evanier/ Buscema/Simons team. (inset) Its cover, by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson.

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

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Rockin’ Horror Picture Book From the art team of penciler Tom Sutton and inker Terry Austin (with Marie Severin colors), (top) the cover of MP #50 (Oct. 1979) and (bottom) its splash page. © 1979 Marvel Comics.

“One being that [Gerber] wasn’t a fast enough writer,” Evanier says. “The other was that for an array of problems relating to office politics and available talent, Howard had to be drawn by Gene Colan and Cap by Sal Buscema … and those two men were each drawing two or three monthly books for Marvel, so they couldn’t draw more than one issue per month for Steve.”

Evanier says what happened next was that Gerber convinced Marvel to allow someone else to draw an issue of Captain America if the story wasn’t part of the ongoing one. His solution? A story spotlighting Falcon.

Evanier says, “[Gerber] called me up and said, ‘Quick!

Before they change their mind. Can you write a Falcon plot to help me out?’ I said, ‘Sure,’ and wrote a plot that evening and sent it back to Marvel to give to an artist. It looked like we were gaining on his problem.

“Then, for reasons neither of us never understood, they sent it to Sal.” From there, this single fill-in issue became an even bigger headache for all parties involved. Marvel, it seemed, had something of a problem with an issue of Captain America focusing on someone not named Captain America, be it a series regular or not. Gerber was back in the position he started in.

“Instead of helping him gain on the schedule problem,” Evanier says, “it was now worse because Sal didn’t draw an issue of Cap that month. He instead drew the story that wasn’t going to run in the book.”

Gerber ended up leaving Captain America, and Evanier was left with a story he had plotted and scripted but had no home for. And that, Evanier says, is how the Falcon turned up in Marvel Premiere.

SCHOOL’S OUT For Marvel Premiere’s 50th issue (Oct. 1979), readers would get something of an oddity. Rather than superheroes, space opera, horror, or even kung fu, they were treated with a story about … rock star Alice Cooper! Issue #50 was titled “From the Inside” and was billed to be “based on the Warner Brothers album” of the same name. And why not? If albums could inspire Broadway musicals like the Who’s Tommy and feature films like Pink Floyd’s The Wall, then why not a comic?

Besides, KISS had appeared in Marvel comics by this point.

Why not a concept comic starring another popular rock act?

Marvel Premiere #51 (Dec. 1979) saw a return to more regular fare, kicking off a three-issue arc starring the Black Panther. Ed Hannigan handled the writing chores. “I had made it known that I was interested in doing some writing, so they gave me the assignment of finishing off the run of the Black Panther, though God knows why,” he says.

Hannigan was wrapping up a story that had actually started in the pages of the canceled series, Jungle Action.

There, the Black Panther had been taking on no less than the Ku Klux Klan in stories written by Don McGregor [see BI #27 for more info]. In Hannigan’s story, the Panther begins facing down a group called the Dragon Circle that seems to have some kind of connection to the KKK. “I remember thinking it was cool to depict the KKK as possibly recruiting black members,” Hannigan says.

While Hannigan was fine wrapping up existing plot points, looking back, he wishes he’d had more freedom to tell stories that were completely his own.

“If I could have rebooted the Black Panther,” he says, “that would have been fun.”

Outstanding Black Panther plot points wrapped up, the Western genre would be tried next, with Caleb Hammer.

Neither the genre nor the character would take, and that character would remain fairly untouched for decades [see BI #42 for more about Caleb Hammer].

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Marvel Premiere #55 (Aug. 1980), though, saw a superhero take center stage in the title once again: Wonder Man. While most other characters that appeared in Marvel Premiere were assigned to writers by editors, Wonder Man was different. Writer David Michelinie had developed an affinity for Simon Williams and approached Marvel about doing story in Marvel Premiere about the leisure-suited Avenger.

“When I was writing The Avengers, I always had more freedom to develop characters that didn’t have their own series,” he says. “And so it was easier for me to gain affection for those homeless heroes. Wonder Man, along with the Beast, happened to be among my favorites, and I thought he had a lot of potential that couldn’t be realized in the limited participation of his role in a team book.”

So Michelinie jumped at the opportunity to let one of his favorites shine. In Marvel Premiere, Michelinie crafted a story centered around corporate corruption.

Not quite standard superhero fare.

“It was a product of what had gone before,” Michelinie says. “That story was based on Simon Williams’ history before I got hold of the character, and just seemed like a reasonable follow-up to events in the past.”

Wonder Man’s adventure wasn’t the only thing that wasn’t standard about the story. So, too, was the ending. The story ends with the villain escaping,

Wonder Man’s plant lying in ruins, and his partner dead.

Dark stuff for a superhero comic, no matter what decade it was published. Still, as extraordinary as Wonder Man’s solo adventure was, he wouldn’t reappear in Marvel Premiere, and it would be more than a decade before he got his own series.

But just because Wonder Man wasn’t back for another round in Marvel Premiere, that didn’t mean the same could be said for Michelinie. Marvel Premiere #56 (Oct. 1980) saw him grace the series one last time, this time scripting Dominic Fortune, based off a plot by Len Wein and Howard Chaykin.

“Back in 1980, when a story needed a writer, the editor tended to look at what writers were available and contact one of them,” he says. “I don’t know why Len couldn’t script the story, but the editor called and asked if I would script it.”

For Michelinie, it was an easy request to give in to.

“Working with the caliber of people like Chaykin and Wein was an honor,” he says. “I jumped at the opportunity.”

And then things began to wind down for Marvel Premiere. After Dominic Fortune, Marvel Premiere would play host to Doctor Who. While notable as being the first American-published comic appearance of the Doctor, the stories were largely reprints of what had already run in the UK [see BI #63]. Doctor Who ran for four issues in Marvel Premiere, and then it was time to wrap things up.

Tryouts, One-Shots, and One-Hit Wonders Issue

T’Challa Makes Me Holla (left) Original art from MP #51 (Dec. 1979); courtesy of Heritage.

Black Panther cover

by Al Milgrom and Klaus Janson. (right) Howard Chaykin and Terry Austin illo’ed the Dominic Fortune cover (and interiors) for #56 (Oct. 1980).

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

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Sutton Special Terrific Tom Sutton’s original cover art for the final issue of Marvel Premiere, #61 (Aug. 1981), featuring Star-Lord.

Courtesy of Anthony Snyder (anthonyscomicbookart.com).

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

Marvel Premiere #61 (Aug. 1981) would be the book’s last issue. The series that started as a tryout for homeless characters, or a place for those needing some rehabilitation, or maybe just those needing some TLC, was ending its run, and it would be Star-Lord who would appear last.

And, almost fittingly, it would be Doug Moench at the helm.

As prolific of a writer of superhero comics as Moench was, he preferred writing the characters that couldn’t shoot beams from their eyes, harness the power of dragons, or anything like that.

“I love those kinds of characters as a reader,” Moench says. “But as a writer, I gravitated more towards characters who didn’t have powers. Characters like Shang-Chi, Batman, and Moon Knight.”

True, Peter Quill (Star-Lord) was half-alien, but he wasn’t descended from the kind that could fly, have superstrength, or bounce bullets from their chest. For all intents and purposes, Star-Lord was just a regular guy in an irregular circumstance.

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Moench enjoyed writing the character, and evidently others whom he admired enjoyed reading his take on the character. Upon publication, Marvel Premiere #61 earned Moench a piece of praise from an industry legend that resonates with him to this day.

“One of the best compliments I got, I got from Gil Kane over Star-Lord,” Moench says. “He said, ‘My boy, that was extraordinary, on the level with the best of the pulp science-fiction magazines.’ He loved those sciencefiction pulps, and him saying that meant a lot to me.”

The final issue complete, Marvel Premiere was canceled, and Star-Lord wouldn’t reach a significant level of public interest again for almost 30 years.

As the ’70s ended and the ’80s began, tryout books like Marvel Premiere slowly started to become a thing of the past. Once a staple of the industry for Marvel and DC, there just didn’t seem to be a place for them any more. It’s a trend that carries on to this very day.

Many have speculated as to why that might be, but there’s never been a firm, solid answer. Everyone, it seems, has a very different, even contradictory, take as to why these types of books faded away.

“We were going for newsstand space,” Steve Englehart says. “We were competing against Time magazine. Now, with the direct market, and comics not selling as much, I’m not sure you would need to put Dr. Strange in a lesser book to see if it sells or not.

Just put out there and see what it does.”

Tony Isabella thinks the opposite. He sees the direct market as a boon for books like Marvel Premiere, whether publishers do or not.

“I think the [tryout] concept is still viable today,” he says. “Maybe even more so than in the 1970s. The direct market allows for quicker sales feedback than the newsstand distribution system. Of course, for Marvel and DC, comics sales are just a portion of a much larger profit picture and those publishers already have many thousands of characters they can market outside of comic books.”

David Michelinie and Chris Claremont, however, tend to think the opportunities available to creators today remove the need for a tryout book for new characters.

“There are so many independent and self-published titles that offer less-standard characterizations,” Michelinie says. “So people who are looking for something a little different already have that provided for them.”

Claremont echoes that sentiment, but adds that the opportunity available to creators in today’s market to own their creations, coupled with historic corporate treatment of creators, keeps books like Marvel Premiere from making a comeback.

“Back in the day, a character like Kick-Ass would have been done in Marvel Premiere,” he says. “Now, that’s an indie concept. Everything evolved. Everything changes. In those days, we created new concepts because no one had the slightest thought they’d stick around or have the after-market value. If Len [Wein] or I had a clue what was in store for The X-Men over the next 35 years, who knows how the events would have played out? Would as many characters have been created?

Would we have had more negotiations to establish more equitable relationships?”

His answer is a simple one: “Who knows?”

CHRIS BRENNAMAN is an award-winning journalist, a blogger, a podcaster, and video-game story designer. He also thinks about comics more than he probably should. You can follow him on Twitter via @chrisbrennaman.

Talk about Strange! …as in Strange Tales, an aptly named series. For there was nothing normal about the characters that appeared within it … or even its numbering.

The poor-selling tryout title offered confusing continuity, throwaway characters, and segues into other series. However, before the entire enterprise went under in 1976, the hit-and-miss, trial-and-error comic book managed to offer a smattering of highlights, including the creation of one of the most interesting AfricanAmerican characters to emerge from Marvel Comics Group: the bastion of black magic known as …

Brother Voodoo.

“DR. STRANGE” LOVE

by

Michael Aushenker

It’s only fitting that the first Marvel hero to grace the pages of Marvel’s Strange Tales was the Master of the Mystic Arts. Earlier in its life, the book featured stories about Dr. Strange and another popular second-tier character, Nick Fury. When the Dr. Strange saga temporarily ended with #168 (May 1968), his adventures continued in the full-length Dr. Strange #169, while Fury moved to the newly launched Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Four years after the cancellation of Dr. Strange with #183 (Nov. 1969), Strange Tales resumed from its old numbering with #169 (Sept. 1973), embracing a brandnew supernatural feature which doubled as one of the then-rare forays into African-American superheroes.

Courtesy of writer/editor Len Wein and atmospheric artist Gene Colan, the weirdo hero dubbed Brother Voodoo emerged from the misty New Orleans swamplands to conjure up some black magic.

“BROTHER,” CAN YOU SPARE A NICKEL? …a nickel …as in “five issues.”

This master of the occult, a Southern Gothic flipside to Sorcerer Supreme Stephen Strange, did not go far.

However, before his “five issues of fame” in Strange Tales fizzled out due to poor sales, the Brother Voodoo feature arrived fully hatched with amazing pedigree. Len Wein, the scribe who gave us the X-Men’s Wolverine, wrote the series, while Marvel master artist John Romita created the character’s costume. And, as if those Gil Kane covers with the Romita-designed costume were not enough eye candy, the interior pages boasted art by none other than the astonishing Gene Colan.

Brother Voodoo tells the tale of one Jericho Drumm, after his education in the United States, returning to his native Haiti. It is here where Drumm discovers his twin brother, Daniel Drumm, the local houngan, is dying, a victim of a voodoo sorcerer claiming to be possessed by the spirit of the serpent-god Damballah. Prior to his passing, Daniel Drumm makes his brother vow to visit his mentor, Papa Jambo, who, in turn, becomes Jericho’s guru. Studying under the houngan elder, Jericho

Revival!

Both Strange Tales and Jericho Drumm live again. Cover to Strange Tales #169 (Sept. 1973) by John Romita, Sr. TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

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becomes the ultimate houngan. That’s when Papa Jambo summons Daniel’s spirit from the dead and before he passes away, fuses it to Jericho’s. Now known as Brother Voodoo, Jericho, channeling his brother, goes after a priest claiming to be the god Damballah.

Assisted by Daniel’s spirit, Jericho removes Damballah’s wangal artifact, causing Damballah’s snakes to turn on him and on his cult army. Brother Voodoo becomes Haiti’s houngan supreme, using an expansive mansion as his headquarters. He places the wangal piece in a safe, with its combination known only to Brother Voodoo and his man-servant Bambu.

And with a gradually approaching DUM! DUM! DUM! sound, a brand-new black superhero was born.

FROM “DOCTOR” TO “BROTHER”…

The old story goes that, back at the dawn of the Bronze Age in the early 1970s, Marvel publisher Stan Lee was the engine driving Marvel to hop on board len wein the horror-and-occult bandwagon to compete with DC Comics. He told his second-in-command, Marvel editor-in-chief Roy Thomas, that he wanted a wolfman book and he got one with Werewolf by Night. He told Thomas that he wanted a voodoo-tinged practitioner of black magic, and Thomas suggested “Dr. Voodoo.” With his flawless instincts, Lee hit just the right note: No, it would be “Brother Voodoo.” And the rest, as they say, is…

Wein came aboard shortly after this idea was hatched.

“It was serendipity,” Wein says. “I wasn’t involved in that conversation. Roy asked me to write the book and I did. I started to do the research on voodoo back when you had to buy books [before there was an Internet].”

Deep within the Marvel Bullpen, the feature’s writer and the art director fleshed out the concept visually. “[John] Romita and I designed the character,” Wein says.

“We talked about the sense of the character. I designed the ‘V’ in the circle on the forehead in John’s office.” Romita echoed that “V”-shape in the white garment slashing across Drumm’s sinewy, bare chest.

In conjuring up this bold, new character, Wein drew inspiration from an unlikely archetype devised by syndicated cartoonist Lee Falk.

“I also took a little from the Phantom, the Ghost That Walks, Wein says. “He never dies.”

Like Drumm blowing onto an inanimate doll figure of pins and straw, Romita added his deft, streamlined sense of design to breathe life to the barefoot character, dressed in green, skin-tight pants with fringes around the shins, and draped in a cape baring the orange-and-gold coloration of fellow occult anti-hero Son of Satan. A necklace made of predatory animal fangs and a spiraling gold armlace around his right bicep cap off this compelling figure, his visage rendered stern and serious via the skunk-stripe shock of white hair running through his cropped Afro. The intensity emanating from the Wein/Romita-designed character is unavoidable.

Then the character was handed over to the master of atmosphere, penciler Gene Colan, to draw the book’s interior. With his well-honed penchant for capturing the creepy and eerie horror superheroics,

The Walking Dead Glimpses from Brother Voodoo’s origin story from Strange Tales #169: (top) original art to page 30, courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com), and (bottom) the concluding panels of the issue, with Drumm suiting up for supernatural action. Written by Len Wein, penciled by Gene Colan, inked by Dan Adkins, and colored by Glynis Wein.

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

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Colan brought his spine-chilling touch and a sense of dread to all five atmospheric issues of Strange Tales featuring Brother Voodoo with a deft mix of montage and collage panels conveying the union of Jericho and his afterlife-based sibling. Throwing in serpents, demons, monsters, and voodoo-excelling elders, Colan did to the Brother Voodoo feature exactly what he did to his pair of Son of Satan issues in Marvel Spotlight—he took what would surely have been, in lesser hands, a very corny idea and infused it with an artistry which not only gave it flair and style but a kind of realism and straight-faced credibility that these otherwise ridiculously costumed individuals would actually appear to belong to our world. It was something Colan also lent to the Invincible Iron Man, imbuing a larger-than-life automaton Wein insists that he and the late with an animation and a velocity that Colan never thought about breaking convinced readers that such candyboundaries or expanding the multicolored gods walked among us. cultural rainbow of the Marvel Universe.

Inadvertently, Colan occupied a “It was Tuesday and that was the unique place in Marvel Comics history assignment,” he says. in the Bronze Age. Born Cohen, the In addition to African-American Jewish-American illustrator found characters during Marvel’s 1970s himself unintentionally central to an ethnic-character explosion, Colan explosion of African-American gene colan was no stranger to drawing characters characters. In addition to drawing associated with the occult. Once the Brother’s first adventures, Colan co-created (with Wein’s best bud, Marv Wolfman) Blade again, there was the atmospheric, long-running the Vampire Hunter over at Tomb of Dracula, and, with Tomb of Dracula, which, written by Wolfman, delivered Stan Lee, the Falcon, who, with Falc’s star-spangled 90 solid issues of stylish horror. (Years later at DC, partner, Captain America, and his trusty bird of prey, Wolfman and Colan created the supernatural series Redwing, appeared in their urban Manhattan-set series Night Force.) The New York-raised artist also drew Captain America and the Falcon [see BACK ISSUE #22 for the two most accomplished issues of Son of Satan’s the full scoop on that partnership—ed.]. To boot, Colan Marvel Spotlight run (#17–18), one of which was drew what arguably became the most memorable of all inspired by the classic William Friedkin movie The Daredevil tales pre-Frank Miller: the civil-rights parable Exorcist. Colan’s bizarro cred also extended to “Brother, Take My Hand” in Daredevil #47 (Dec. 1968). Tomb’s magazine counterpart, Dracula Lives!, Marvel’s

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The Dark Lord Rises (left) The Gil Kane/ Frank Giacoia cover to Strange Tales #172 (Feb. 1974). (right) Courtesy of Heritage, an interior page from that issue, with Gene Colan’s pencils inked by an artist most known for his long career at DC Comics, Dick Giordano.

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

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DC-horror-anthology-aping Tower of Shadows, Howard the Duck, and his weird, masked version of the Sorcerer Supreme in the late Silver Age’s Dr. Strange.

While the Marvel Method often relied on the artist to do some creative heavy lifting in the plotting and the pacing of a book, such was not the case on Brother Voodoo. Of the process on Voodoo, Wein recalls not leaving too much to chance.

“I sent him very tight outlines,” Wein says. “I plotted it page by page, often panel by panel.”

Wein refutes any notion that there was a cap on how many issues to run a feature in Strange Tales. Rather, each new character was a tryout for what one hoped would become an ongoing series.

“You always do that,” he says. “You try to find the one that works.

Look at The X-Men.” That moribund series struggled before a revamping of the series’ characters and approach under writer Wein revitalized the once-canceled book.

“You never know what’s going to be a hit,” Wein says. “You hope for the best and you prepare for the worst.”

Wein enjoyed working at Marvel in the early 1970s. At the time, he was living in Briarwood, a community northwest of Jamaica, Queens. However, the company enjoyed its share of chaos, including a musical chairs of editorship that saw Wein very briefly serving as Marvel’s editor-in-chief. (His buddy Wolfman also served for a short time in that capacity.) By 1979, Gerry Conway, another writer and short-lived editor-in-chief who had departed Marvel for DC, coaxed Wein to join him at the rival publisher (where Wein’s career started in 1968).

“STRANGE” BREW Like Marvel’s other occult hero features, Ghost Rider and Son of Satan, Brother Voodoo appeared to court a bit of controversy from religious fans who were freaked out by Voodoo’s darker elements. The editorial pages were rife with lively letters, written by everyone from outraged Christian zealots to Wiccan practitioners of dark magic.

When reminded of this, Wein chuckles, warning against reading too much into the angry missives that ran in Marvel’s letters columns.

“The letters pages were part of the publicity,” he insists. “You can’t use that as a barometer.”

In fact, he says that writers such as the late Steve Gerber would purposely stack the deck, loading the letters page with the wildest, most out-there critiques he could find.

The word “zombie,” taken for granted in today’s post-Shaun of the Dead/The Walking Dead pop culture, became verboten beginning in the 1950s, policed by Comics Code censors. Marvel skirted around this by creating a counterpart word, “Zuvembie,” which inexplicably passed the Code’s scrutiny. Recently, when several runs of series such as Marvel Zombies have been popular and non-controversial sellers at comic-book shops nationwide, it boggles the mind that censors would have problems with the word “zombie.”

And yet, corny as it sounds, that was the vibe in the mid-1970s.

That said, ersatz words such as “Zuvembie” only added charm to the Marvel horror proceedings.

Brother Voodoo ran from Strange Tales #169 until 173 (Apr. 1974), when the occult was banished to the pages of Marvel’s black-andwhite horror magazine Tales of the Zombie, where Jericho Drumm met his fate among the Zuvembies.

Of all the characters he worked with on Strange Tales, Wein wishes Brother Voodoo would’ve been the one to catch fire.

“I thought it was a book that worked very well,” he says. “It did not get a reaction from the audience that I felt it deserved of all the things we tried.”

“GOLEM” HEIGHTS Even more ignoble than Brother Voodoo’s Strange run seemed the odd, short life of Marvel’s twist on the old Jewish legend, the Golem.

Already awash in crypto-Golems, from the Thing and the Hulk to its Frankenstein’s Monster feature, Marvel Comics didn’t put much energy into its by-now ad nauseum take on the Golem.

Two different creative teams handled the Golem: writer (and newly minted Marvel editor-in-chief) Len Wein and John Buscema quite effectively brought the Golem to life in issue #174 (June 1974).

However, after one exciting origin issue set in the Middle East desert, the Golem was interrupted by an unmemorable reprint of pre-Silver Age monster comics. When the feature resumed with #176 (Oct. 1974), Mike Friedrich now wrote the series while Filipino artist extraordinaire Tony DeZuniga (who at DC had co-created the ghoulish Western anti-hero Jonah Hex) replaced Buscema on art. Romita and Kane were among the Golem cover artists.

DeZuniga tackled the Golem with gusto, injecting into it typical DeZuniga realism plus occultish psychedelia he had once reserved for the likes of his Dr. Thirteen features in The Phantom Stranger. However, the Golem was unceremoniously evicted from Strange Tales after Friedrich and DeZuniga’s #177 (Dec. 1974), leaving the character on a cliffhanger. Marvel’s solution was to wrap up the story in a Bill Mantlo-written, Bob Hall-drawn issue of Marvel Two-in-One #11 (Sept. 1975), redundantly pairing Golem with the Thing. That led to

Familiar Fables Ed Hannigan original cover art to Strange Tales #186 (July 1976), part of the Dr. Strange reprint run.

Courtesy of Anthony Snyder (anthonyscomicbookart.com). (background) Frank Brunner’s Golem cover for #177.

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

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A-Mage-ing Homage (left) In recent years, Brother Voodoo has reappeared in the Marvel Universe as Doctor Voodoo.

On this variant cover to the first issue (Dec. 2009) of a Doctor Voodoo miniseries, artist Philip Tan revisited the iconic Frank Brunner cover for (right) Dr. Strange #1 (June 1974).

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

what was essentially the end of Marvel’s Golem proper, who never really appeared again in the Marvel Universe. Golem, Golem … gone!

[Editor’s note: For a thorough examination of the Strange Tales Golem and other golems in mainstream comics, see Michael Aushenker’s article in BACK ISSUE #36.]

SOMETHING “WARLOCK” THIS WAY COMES...

Sales definitely jumped when fan favorite writer/artist/colorist Jim Starlin reintroduced Adam Warlock in Strange Tales, picking up where the acclaimed 1972–1973 series Warlock (a.k.a. The Power of Warlock) left off. With Strange Tales #178 (Feb. 1975), Starlin resurrected the character, adding to the mix such characters as Gamora, the Magus, and Pip the Troll. He created a mythos that ultimately set up his numerous “Infinity” sagas in the 1990s. Following issue #181 (Aug. 1975), Starlin’s story could be found in the revived Warlock #9 (Oct. 1975), which resumed the old series’ numbering.

REPRINTS OF DARKNESS Post-Starlin, Strange Tales came full circle with Dr. Strange as its star, but in reprint form, before being unceremoniously canceled with #188 (Nov. 1976).

While the book may have not been built to last, decades later, with its randomness of subject matter and its odd kind of ethnic and topical diversity, this series has become a bargain-bin favorite. Thanks to Starlin’s participation, the Warlock issues have become classics.

After Marvel Two-in-One, the Golem faded out after a bout with the Thing. However, with Buscema and DeZuniga on pencils, those Golem stories should not be overlooked by hardcore Marvel collectors.

As for Brother Voodoo, the good Dr. Drumm went on to make guest appearances in comics such as Werewolf by Night (#39–42), Marvel Team-Up (#24), Marvel Two-in-One (#41), and Moon Knight (#21). In recent years, he has been revived and resurrected by Marvel Comics several times over, with an appeal almost as potent as his urban ’70s counterpart, Luke Cage. To come full circle, Marvel even rechristened the character “Doctor Voodoo” in 2009, when, in the post-“Civil War” crossover fallout, the Eye of Agamotto was passed on from Stephen Strange to Brother Voodoo. Writer Rick Remender and artist Jefte Palo unfurled the revisionist tales of a whole new

Sorcerer Supreme, creating a 21st-Century update of the enduring Haitian Houngan.

To be sure, Strange Tales was nobody’s favorite series. Too A.D.D. to retain a character for long, too awkward and irrelevant to appear as more than a blip in Marvel’s Bronze Age, the short-lived showcase did little to add to the company’s bottom line.

And yet, to its credit, Strange Tales, in the early 1970s, offered a dollop of diversity, showboating then-rare black and Jewish superheroes, and ramping up Marvel’s commitment to providing ethnic heroes to vary the racial rainbow spanning the Marvel Universe.

With Brother Voodoo and the Golem in its wheelhouse, Strange Tales added to Marvel’s broadening palette of personages, as the ’70s also introduced Luke Cage (a.k.a. Hero for Hire, a.k.a. Power Man), Deathlok the Demolisher, and Black Goliath (African-Americans); Storm (African); Shang-Chi (Asian); Nightcrawler (German); the White Tiger (Puerto Rican); and Moon Knight and Kitty Pryde (Jewish).

Strange Tales definitely expanded on a mandate Jack Kirby and Stan Lee had begun with such characters as the Black Panther and the Falcon to help level the playing field and inspire America’s multicultural readership.

But its lead writer and editor never viewed it that way. He still doesn’t, even today.

“I just did the job,” Len Wein says. “It’s an assignment.”

Ultimately though, with the sturdy art-crobatics by such stalwart delineators as Colan, Buscema, DeZuniga and Starlin, Strange Tales whipped up two of Marvel’s most ethnic and offbeat characters—a Haitian mystic and a Jerusalem stone monolith— before folding.

“Strange” days indeed….

MICHAEL AUSHENKER is the associate editor of TwoMorrows’ Comic Book Creator. His comic-book credits include Those Unstoppable Rogues, Bart Simpson, Gumby’s Gang starring Pokey, and The New Adventures of the Human Fly.

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After the final issue of DC Comics’ The Shadow in 1975, writer Denny O’Neil and artist E. R. Cruz teamed up the following month for the adventures of another hawk-nosed crimefighter, one who predated Lamont (The Shadow) Cranston: Sherlock Holmes!

How did writer and editor Denny O’Neil first get the assignment?

“Somebody in a suit and tie asked me if I wanted to do it. I no longer remember who.” As a Holmes fan, O’Neil was happy to get the job.

Was Sherlock Holmes a way to keep the creative team behind The Shadow together? O’Neil doubts it: “Not likely that the powers-thatbe would have worried about keeping a team intact. Most likely: The Shadow team happened to be available for the Holmes job.”

Cover artist Walter Simonson, also a Holmes fan, enjoyed the chance “to do a costume cover instead of a superhero cover. It was kind of fun to do something that was then out of the ordinary.” Did Simonson model his Holmes after any specific version? “I don’t think I had any particular person in mind, other than trying to capture the look of the character. Watson, I think that was a total fabrication! [laughs] As un-generic a head as I could manage!”

DC’s Sherlock Holmes one-shot (Sept.–Oct. 1975) adapts two of the most famous Holmes stories of all: “The Final Problem” and “The Empty House,” the tales where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle killed off, and then resurrected, his most famous creation. Both adventures are adapted into one 18-page issue, allowing for only nine pages per story.

As O’Neil recalls, “I think the mashup allowed for more action.”

TM

by

CHAPTER ONE: “THE FINAL PROBLEM” The issue starts off with a bang—the first five pages contain no less than three attempts on Holmes’ life. The opening splash shows Holmes barely dodging out of the way of a two-horse hansom cab— an incident only mentioned in passing in Doyle’s original story (interestingly, when the 1980s Jeremy Brett Holmes television series adapted “The Final Problem,” it also started with Holmes nearly being run over by a hansom cab).

The last of the three assassination attempts occurs within 221B Baker Street, as Holmes’ deductive abilities swiftly expose a fake client sent to kill him. Holmes explains to Dr. Watson who is behind the attempts on his life: the insidious Professor James Moriarty, “the organizing power behind the London underworld,” who will soon be brought to justice thanks to Holmes’ efforts.

The breakneck pace continues as Holmes and Watson travel to Switzerland while the police close in on the professor. At Reichenbach Falls, Watson is lured away from Holmes, and Moriarty reveals himself to the Great Detective. Holmes struggles with the professor at the edge of the falls and they start to topple over into the raging waters below! dennis o’neil

CHAPTER TWO: “THE EMPTY HOUSE”

Chapter Two, “The Adventure of the Empty House,” begins with the murder of the Honorable Ronald Adair, who is shot in front of a constable with no sound of a gunshot heard. Dr. Watson is called in on the case by the police, much as he was in the Jeremy Brett

Darknight Detective Walter Simonson’s cover to DC’s one and only issue of Sherlock Holmes, #1 (Sept.–Oct. 1975). Note that interior artist E. R. Cruz’s rendition of the title star appears in the banner above the logo. © 1975 DC Comics.

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J o h n Tr u m b u l l

Startling Start (left) The Master Detective narrowly escapes an accident on the riveting opening splash to DC’s Sherlock Holmes #1 (Sept.–Oct. 1975), by Denny O’Neil and E. R. Cruz. (above) O’Neil and Cruz each took another turn at Holmes in these two DC comics: (top) The Joker #6 (Mar.–Apr. 1976, cover by Ernie Chua) and (bottom) Detective Comics #572 (Mar. 1987, cover by Michael Wm. Kaluta). © 1975 DC Comics.

No Sherlock Holmes #2 ever appeared under the DC bullet, but series adaptation of “The Empty House” (one wonders if the television writers read this comic!). As Watson departs the scene to contemplate Denny O’Neil was not away from the character for long: In a story he the evidence, he encounters a shabby beggar, who sheds his disguise wrote for The Joker #6 (Apr. 1976), an actor by the name of Clive Sigerson suffers a head injury, becoming convinced that he is the to be revealed as none other than Sherlock Holmes himself!

Back at Baker Street, Holmes explains to Watson how he escaped Great Detective and that the Clown Prince of Crime is Moriarty.

When asked why a classic character like Sherlock his plunge into Reichenbach Falls—he was never really in it.

Holmes hasn’t made a bigger splash in comics than he Holmes used his expertise in the martial art Baritsu to has, Walter Simonson opines: “Probably too tough to escape Moriarty’s clutches and topple the professor draw! [laughs] A lot of period stuff you have to get in over the edge. While presumed dead, Holmes there. But it would be fun to do actually, sometime.” maintained the disguise of “a Norwegian named Artist E. R. Cruz proved up to the task of Sigerson” until the rest of the Moriarty gang was drawing Holmes again in Detective Comics #572 behind bars. Together, Holmes and Watson lure (Mar. 1987), in an original story written by Mike the professor’s last remaining henchman, Col. W. Barr and edited by Denny O’Neil. It also Sebastian Moran, out of hiding. They bring him to commemorated the 100th anniversary of justice, revealing the air gun that Moran used to Holmes. Look for more details on this issue in silently kill Ronald Adair (the colonel had lost to the BACK ISSUE #73. young man at cards).

[Editor’s note: Sherlock Holmes made yet Overall, the one-shot is a compressed, but very another Bronze Age DC appearance—without faithful adaptation of Doyle—both Moriarty and walter simonson O’Neil or Cruz—as a surprise guest star in The Brave Moran appear as described in the original text. and the Bold Special, published as DC Special Series Photo by David Michelinie.

The impact of the Great Detective’s death suffers #8 (Feb. 1978), appearing somewhat from space limitations—Holmes is presumed dead for only two pages—but the cleverness of Doyle’s original stories remains. in a team-up tale with Batman, Deadman, Hardcore Holmesians may bristle at the comic’s depiction of Holmes and Sgt. Rock.] wearing his plaid deerstalker and Inverness coat no matter what the Special thanks to Denny O’Neil, Walter Simonson, environment, but there’s no denying that they give Holmes an iconic Stephen Thompson, Shaun Clancy, and Loston and costume for his four-color appearances.

Carolyn Wallace for their assistance with this article.

The issue wraps up with a text piece by Allan Asherman relating the history of Sherlock Holmes. Despite a next-issue blurb and an indicia JOHN TRUMBULL has been reading comics since the age of six, and Sherlock Holmes since the age of 12. stating that the book was bimonthly, no second issue followed. He wrote BACK ISSUE’s recent articles on Nemesis O’Neil can’t say why there wasn’t another issue: “Obviously, somebody and Batman #300 and 400. His artwork can be thought there'd be more Holmes books. Why weren't there? Ahhh … seen at http://johntrumbull.deviantart.com/ and the mysteries of the executive suite! In any case, they wouldn't have in the weekly feature The Line It Is Drawn at shared the info with someone as far down the food chain as I was.” http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/.

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All covers TM & © DC Comics.

DC’s original Showcase ran a decade and a half, from the late 1950s until the early 1970s. In that time, this highly esteemed tryout title spawned numerous successful series. The Silver Age revivals of the Flash, Green Lantern, and the Atom all launched in Showcase.

Lois Lane’s long-running series debuted in Showcase.

The Challengers of the Unknown, Adam Strange, Rip Hunter, the Metal Men, the Creeper, and Hawk and Dove all got their start in Showcase.

The original run of Showcase ended in 1970, after 93 issues. It was briefly revived in 1977 [see article following—ed.], and the series’ name has been used

by DC for a number of other projects since then, including a currently running reprint series of trade paperbacks, Showcase Presents.

All-in-all, Showcase is a celebrated name in DC Comics history, a renowned title whose characters populated an exciting era.

1st Issue Special? Not so much.

WHO’S ON FIRST? You see, in 1975–1976, during the hiatus of Showcase, DC launched what was ostensibly a new tryout series with the unwieldy name of 1st Issue Special (FIS, for short). 1st Issue Special introduced a number of one-shot turkeys, including some of Jack Kirby’s most bizarre creations at DC. Some of DC’s lesser luminaries were also spotlighted, though series never materialized. All told, 1st Issue Special launched only one truly successful title in its 13-issue run.

It seems, however, that 1st Issue Special was never intended as a tryout series. Gerry Conway, who wrote the series’ last three issues (and who edited those, plus #9) explains: “The whole premise behind the 1st Issue Specials started, I believe, because [publisher] Carmine [Infantino] wanted something for Jack carmine infantino Kirby and, later, me to do. He came up with this rather brilliant notion that first issues sell better than subsequent issues, so why not put out a magazine that’s entirely first issues?

“It was a strange idea, grasping at straws for some way to promote a project or to create some heat around a concept. In many cases, the concepts were created simply to fill the space of another issue for that month, not because we actually were trying to start a new series, although, obviously, we would have liked it if a new series had resulted. Mostly, it was just, ‘We have to come up with something for next month—here we are!’

“We used to sit at editorial meetings and [Carmine] would say, ‘Who has an idea for 1st Issue Special next month?’ How do you develop a project that has a potential to be a real series within 20 days?

You can’t. It was not a serious enterprise.”

Conway explains the difference between Showcase and 1st Issue Special as follows: “As an ongoing book, 1st Issue was never a wellthought-out concept. In comparison to Showcase in the 1950s and ’60s, Showcase produced three issues [of a series] at a time, and it was a bimonthly book, so the publisher could actually get a sense of the concept’s potential, creatively and commercially. It took place 40 • BACK ISSUE • Tryouts, One-Shots, and One-Hit Wonders Issue

by

Jack Abramowitz

Got a Mil to Spare? (above) FIS #1–3’s covers: Atlas by Kirby and Berry, Green Team by Grandenetti, and Metamorpho

by Fradon. (right) Courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com), an original art page by Jerry Grandenetti from the Green Team’s debut in 1st Issue Special #2 (May 1975).

TM & © DC Comics.

over six months. After the series’ second appearance, you knew what your sales figures were and you could start planning to follow up fairly quickly with an ongoing series. But with 1st Issue Special, unless you actually planned to continue with an ongoing series regardless of sales figures, there was no way to take what you did and springboard it into anything. If you produced an issue and it sold really, really well, you wouldn’t know until three or four months later, which meant getting an ongoing series on the schedule would take another two or three months. So it would be six months at minimum between the 1st Issue Special and the first issue of a regular series, meaning you would have lost any reader momentum or fan following.

It would have been pointless.”

FROM ATLAS TO THE DINGBATS A brief rundown of the series: The first issue (Apr. 1975) featured Atlas, written and penciled

by Kirby with inks and lettering provided by D. Bruce Berry.

The action occurred in “a time when man was rising out of barbarism.” This Atlas is not the titan of myth, but the character demonstrates Kirby’s love of the mythic, which he exhibited in such series as New Gods and The Eternals. A text feature discusses this theme, informing us that “Atlas is but the latest in a long series of visions of the past/present/future/unknown.”

The second issue (May 1975) featured the Green Team by Joe Simon and Jerry Grandenetti. This kid group is in the spirit of such teams as the Boy Commandos and the Newsboy Legion, but with one important twist: each of these kids is a millionaire.

(A million dollars was still a lot of money then.) Members included Tryouts, One-Shots, and One-Hit Wonders Issue

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Meta-mileage Says Ben Herman, who contributed a scan of this Metamorpho (and Sapphire Stagg) sketch

by Ramona Fradon: “In 1998, I met Ramona Fradon at the Big Apple Comic Con. She had a number of pieces of artwork for sale in her portfolio, including several brand-new illustrations she had done prior to the convention. This was one of them. I really thought it was a fun piece, and I’d always liked Metamorpho, so I thought it would be cool to get this, especially since she was the co-creator of the character. She personalized the artwork to me. I was certainly happy when, in 2005, DC finally reprinted the original stories she had worked on in the blackand-white Showcase Presents trade paperback.”

TM & © DC Comics.

oil magnate J. P. Houston, movie mogul Cecil Sunbeam, shipping Manhunter. In this tale, the title character (presumably Paul Kirk) has tycoon “Commodore” Murphy, and shoeshine boy Abdul Smith, who grown old and wishes to retire. Accordingly, he is replaced by an acquired his million thanks to a bank error. It’s perhaps racially insensitive enthusiastic young public defender named Mark Shaw. We learn that by modern standards that the only member of color was a shoeshine Manhunter is not a free agent like most heroes. Rather, he is the boy who came by his wealth accidentally, but in the 1970s this was representative of a secret society called the Shan. no doubt an attempt at “relevance.”

The biggest problem with this revival was that DC’s left hand FIS #3 (June 1975) featured Metamorpho the Element Man, a didn’t much care what its right hand was doing. This Manhunter revival venerable DC Comics B-lister whose own series ran from occurred in mid-1975, while a completely independent revival— 1965 through 1968. This issue is notable primarily in that Archie Goodwin and Walter Simonson’s celebrated it reunites the character with his original creative team, Manhunter backup feature [see BI #64]—took place in the writer Bob Haney and artist Ramona Fradon. pages of Detective Comics in 1973. (Of course, neither Ramona Fradon shares how the revival—and her of these revivals makes much sense given that there reunion with co-creator Haney—came about: weren’t supposed to be any Golden Age heroes on “We met at the San Diego Con the summer Earth-One, though that didn’t stop them with the before that and we were reminiscing. It turned out Guardian, Air Wave, TNT, etc., so let’s move on.) that we both really loved doing that [Metamorpho] This situation was easily reconcilable since the old feature. So we thought, ‘Why not do another one Manhunter in FIS was never actually identified as Kirk. just to see what we could do?’ DC liked the idea so Nevertheless, following the introduction of the bluewe went ahead and did that one issue.” faced Manhunter androids in Justice League of America Fradon continues, “I think we both felt that #140 (Mar. 1977), Mark Shaw became the Privateer, Metamorpho was our baby. I never had an experience as well as a villain called Star-Tsar. He eventually ramona fradon like I had working with Bob Haney on Metamorpho. returned to the identity of Manhunter and starred It was like our minds were in perfect synch … it in his own series for 24 issues, from 1988–1990. was one of those wonderful collaborations that doesn’t happen The sixth issue (Sept. 1975) is bizarre, even by 1st Issue Special very often.” standards. It features the Dingbats of Danger Street by Jack Kirby, Fradon’s experience with FIS as a non-tryout title parallels with inks provided by Mike Royer. Like the Green Team, they’re a kid Conway’s. “The time had passed,” she says, “the drawing was different. gang in the 1940s tradition. Unlike the Green Team, they don’t have It was just a different time. It was something that we had fun doing, a gimmick like wealth. Apparently, they’re just a bunch of misfits, but it was not something that was going to revive the feature.” unwanted by society, with a penchant for trouble.

Lady Cop, by Robert Kanigher, John Rosenberger, and Vince Royer recalls that Dingbats was originally conceived as an ongoing Colletta, was the star of FIS #4 (July 1975). Liza Warner, hiding under vehicle for Kirby. “At the time, it was going to be a new book that a bed, witnesses her roommates murdered by a man in funky boots. Jack was doing,” Royer says. “Subsequently, it didn’t become a new She enrolls in the police academy, hoping to track down her friends’ series and it saw print as 1st Issue Special. My feeling at the time was killer. After graduation, she saves a girl from a masher, buys a child an that it was going to be a new book for Jack.” ice-cream cone, gives CPR to a grocer, goes on a date, and counsels According to Royer, Dingbats played to one of Kirby’s strengths: a girl with VD. All this is probably pretty exciting in the real world, “What drew me to Jack in the ’50s were the books that he did with but it’s rather mundane for a comic book. In the last panel, Liza gazes young people in them. I’m not old enough to have actually looked at over the skyline and muses, “Wonder if I’ll ever find the killer in Boy Commandos the first time, but in the box in the back of the trading boots?” It would help if you actually looked, Lady Cop! post down the road where I grew up in the country, the coverless FIS #5 (Aug. 1975) made a bigger splash in DC continuity than comics were five cents. The Newsboy Legion [had recently run] in most other issues. In it, Jack Kirby revisited his Golden Age character, Jimmy Olsen [at the time of the Dingbats’ debut].”

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There were four Dingbats: handsome Good Looks, strong man Krunch, the joking Bananas, and Non-Fat, a skinny kid who loves to eat. While all four characters are colored Caucasian, Bananas is drawn like a stereotypical Asian, with thick glasses and buck teeth. It also seems that Non-Fat was intended to be African-American. Both art and dialogue support this hypothesis.

For example, after Non-Fat is frozen by the villainous Gasser, Bananas comments that Non-Fat has turned “snow white”—not that there’s any visible difference to the reader!

Later, Non-Fat objects when he thinks someone has called him “boy.”

Royer confirmed this writer’s hypothesis about Non-Fat. “The black kid who subsequently became [white]? He was intended to be African American. It was [supposed to be] a multi-ethnic mike royer group of kids, those Dingbats.”

So why was the character’s coloring changed? “I don’t know,” Royer admits.

The bigger surprise came when addressing Bananas’ race. “[T]he kid with glasses was me,” Royer explains. “It’s modeled after me—a dorky kid with big glasses. Back in those days, I had glasses that would put Clark Kent to shame. That was just Jack doing a cartoon of me.” Royer added that he didn’t actually look like that, nor did he have the buck teeth. But was Bananas supposed to be Asian? “To me, he was the Jewish kid in the group!”

Golden Age Comeback (right) Original Manhunter art page. Inks by Berry.

Courtesy of Heritage. (below) FIS #4–6’s covers: Lady Cop by Dick Giordano, Manhunter by Kirby and Berry, and Dingbats by Kirby and Royer.

TM & © DC Comics.

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FIS: The Lost Issue This house ad from DC Special #16 (Spring 1975)— “Super-Heroes Battle Super-Gorillas”— announced a Batgirl and Robin team-up for 1st Issue Special.

That tale instead became the lead feature in the giant-sized Batman Family #1.

TM & © DC Comics.

FROM THE CREEPER TO THE NEW GODS The Creeper, another longstanding DC secondstringer, took the spotlight in FIS #7 (Oct. 1975), in a tale written by Michael Fleisher and drawn by the Creeper’s creator, Steve Ditko, with Mike Royer inks.

One might wonder why Ditko did not write his own creation, but even the character’s original series, Beware the Creeper, generally sported Ditko art on Denny O’Neil scripts. In 1st Issue Special, the Creeper faced off against the Firefly, a relatively obscure Batman villain. (More renowned Batman nemeses the Scarecrow and Two-Face made cameo appearances.)

1st Issue Special #8 is truly the one to beat. In that issue, Mike Grell introduced the Warlord. Lt. Col. Travis Morgan, USAF, piloted his jet into Skartaris, a hidden land of perpetual daylight and home to dinosaurs extinct elsewhere on Earth. In a text feature, Grell explains how Warlord evolved from an unsold series he had created, entitled Savage Empire. [Editor’s note: Grell discusses Savage Empire’s evolution into The Warlord in the cover feature of BACK ISSUE #46.]

FIS #8 was cover-dated Nov. 1975 and The Warlord #1 followed shortly thereafter, cover-dated Jan.–Feb. 1976. It was a false start, as the series went on hiatus following the second issue, but it resumed with an

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Oct.–Nov. 1976 cover date. The Warlord would run for 12 years and a total of 133 issues (plus a series of action figures by Remco). Unsurprisingly, it had already been determined that Warlord was going to be a series when the FIS edition was produced.

“I think Mike Grell was somebody Carmine definitely saw doing a series for DC,” Conway explains. “The company wanted to do a barbarian series of some kind, so with those elements, I guess Warlord was kind of a no-brainer. Grell was really passionate about the idea and Carmine respected artistic passion, so it was just going to happen.

“It became, ‘Let’s launch it with 1st Issue Special.’

That’s great, but we’re going to do [the series] anyway.”

If there was any feature in 1st Issue Special that deserved to earn a series but didn’t, it’s probably Dr. Fate, written by Martin Pasko, with absolutely gorgeous art by Walt Simonson. Dr. Fate is one of DC’s oldest characters, going all the way back to 1940’s More Fun Comics #55. A founding member of the Justice Society of America, the good doctor was virtually the poster child for Earth-Two heroes in the Silver Age, being an iconic character with no Earth-One analog.

“It looked great. I think it was one of Walt’s best early jobs,” Conway says. “That story came about right after I first came to DC and Carmine wanted to give me something to edit. I think Marty Pasko may have pitched the idea to me. I was very happy to be doing it.

Dr. Fate has always been one of my favorite characters— he just looks so cool! That was probably the most successful of the 1st Issue Specials artistically, and in terms of being a book that could have developed into an ongoing series.” [Editor’s note: See BI #24 and 46 for more Dr. Fate!]

One of the oddest entries in the series occurred with FIS #10 (Jan. 1976), featuring the Outsiders. This was not the group that Batman would later found with Black Lightning, Geo-Force, Halo, and others. Rather, the original Outsiders were a collection of freaks that could put the Doom Patrol to shame. They included Lizard Johnny (a human/lizard hybrid), the amazing Ronnie (a four-armed Cyclops), Hairy Larry (a “wheeler

Terrific Trio (opposite page) FIS #7–9’s covers: Creeper by Ditko and Milgrom, Warlord by Grell, and Dr. Fate by Joe Kubert.

TM & © DC Comics.

dealer” attached to his vehicle, predating Thriller’s Data by seven years), Mighty Mary (with the face of an angel and a massive, scale-covered body), Doc Scary (reconstructed by aliens who didn’t know what humans look like), and Billy (a young boy with a M.O.D.O.K-sized, rock-hard cranium). Billy was the last to join, no doubt throwing the team’s theme song out of whack. (I’m not kidding: They had a theme song.) This issue told the origins of several cast members, told by Joe Simon with art by Jerry Grandenetti and Creig Flessel.

Which brings us Code Name: Assassin, “a pulse-pounding tale of vengeance told by Gerry Conway–Steve Skeates (writers) * the Redondo Studio (artists) * Al Milgrom (embellisher)” in FIS #11 (Feb. 1976). Jonathan Drew, a.k.a. the Assassin—something of a misnomer, since he doesn’t actually kill anyone—has a score to settle with the underworld. In graduate school, he participated in ESP experiments that accidentally unlocked his mental energy. Drew’s abilities go beyond telepathy and telekinesis, enabling him to walk on air, heal his wounds, and disable his enemies with mental blasts.

“Code Name: Assassin was a result of my desire me to do a Punisher-esque character and not really quite being able to pull it together.,” Conway says. (The Punisher was created by Conway in Amazing Spider-Man #129.) “I was working with an artist who didn’t know how to do superheroes and it became a ‘Let’s find something to do this month’ make-do thing. … Toward the end of 1st Issue Special there were two or three issues where you just had to come up with stories to fill the publication hole, and Code Name: Assassin was one of those fill-ins.”

So why was he called the Assassin when he doesn’t kill anyone?

Conway responds, “I don’t know. [laughs] I was trying to come up with a compelling name, that might give you the feeling of the character being part of a larger world, and, again, I was trying to riff on the Punisher.”

Regarding the Assassin’s unique flying style, Conway explains, “Something I always loved about the Wayne Boring version of Superman in the 1950s was that [he] didn’t so much fly as run through the sky. I thought, ‘That’s cool. I would like to do something more with that.’ The notion was to create a hero who flew by telekinesis; he would have use his muscle memory to propel him through the air— and what would muscle memory tell you to do?—it would tell you to run or to walk. That was the one aspect of the character I thought was a contribution to superhero visuals.”

FIS #12 (Mar. 1976) featured Starman by Gerry Conway, with art by Mike Vosburg and Mike Royer. This was

a departure even by 1st Issue Special’s eclectic standards. This was not the classic Starman, the member of the Justice Society; it was a new character with a classic name. (According to the text page, it would seem that the original Starman was retired in favor of this character.)

Cranking up the unusual factor, the new Starman was a blueskinned alien who did not speak English. This gave him such brilliant dialogue as “Imrae naruahat—?” and “Doorah klotta yurirae!” In the fine DC tradition paved by Martian Manhunter J’onn J’onzz, the alien Starman was named Mikaal Tomas, which translates nicely into “Michael Thomas.”

Why create a new Starman? “I loved the name,” Conway explains.

“I loved the name ‘Starman’ and I thought there was something we could do with that. Mike Vosburg was an artist that I wanted to work with, and this was an opportunity to try something a little different.

I liked the idea of creating a character whose origin was a mystery, whose background was a mystery, something we would develop and discover over time. But again, not knowing whether the story would go beyond one issue, it’s kind of hard to know how much you should put into it, how much you should hold out. And maybe I also did a new Starman a little bit to annoy Roy Thomas. [laughs] Roy was already annoyed with the changes I made to the Star-Spangled Kid in All-Star. He felt I wasn’t treating the characters with the reverence he thought they should be treated with. So I decided, ‘Let’s just take this name nobody’s using in the Modern Age and give it to a completely different character!”

The last issue of 1st Issue Special, #13 (Apr. 1976), featured Return of the New Gods by Denny O’Neil, Gerry Conway, and Mike Vosburg, which I covered at some length in BACK ISSUE #53. With Kirby providing the likes of Atlas and the Dingbats of Danger Street to 1st Issue Special, it is disappointing that he was not the one to revisit his Fourth World characters.

“To be honest with you, I don’t think I was the right guy to write the New Gods,” Conway says. “Part of what made the New Gods unique was the weird, off-kilter writing style Jack used. He had a strange,

Beware the Seventh Issue’s Star Steve Ditko’s Creeper takes center stage! Splash page to 1st Issue Special #7 (Oct. 1975), with Mike Royer inking Ditko. The Creeper story was scripted by Michael Fleisher, seen above in a mid-1970s New York photograph contributed by David Michelinie.

The Creeper TM & © DC Comics.

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Oddball Outings (below) FIS #10–12’s covers: Outsiders by Ernie Chua; the not-so-lethal, air-walking Assassin,

by Grell; and another Kubert illo starring an all-new Starman. (opposite page, top) Dick Giordano’s New Gods cover to 1st Issue Special #13, the title’s last issue.

TM & © DC Comics.

off-tempo speech pattern for his characters. For that book, for that series, it was an integral part of the New Gods vibe. I couldn’t write in that style, so the book didn’t feel right, it didn’t sound right, and as a result the experience for fans wasn’t very satisfying. I think Don Newton did a terrific job [on the New Gods revival that followed FIS], but he’s not Jack Kirby, so it didn’t look right.

“Return of the New Gods was the one 1st Issue where I believe we had the strongest potential because the New Gods had had a reasonable amount of fan interest,” Conway explains. “I think my idea for the Return of the New Gods, as a fan, was, ‘Let’s tie this story up.’ I don’t know that I did a particularly good job, [but] it was a one-shot chance and I thought, ‘Let’s take that shot.’”

Imperfections notwithstanding, the New Gods were back and this tale did lead to a revival of their canceled series, beginning with New Gods #12 (July 1977), with the aforementioned Don Newton illustrating the series.

“For the Return of the New Gods, at least, there was enough energy among us—the creators and the people who wanted to see it happen, in whatever form—that we were going to push it through to a series,” says Conway. “[But] it was a mistake. You know how the fifth year on some television shows just never should have happened? That’s how I feel about Return of the New Gods. [laughs] It should never have happened, and it’s probably just as well that it’s been retconned out of existence.”

One mystery of FIS is why, if ongoing series were never intended, did so many stories end on cliffhangers?

Gerry Conway explains: “At least in my case, the reason was two-fold. I was an optimist and I thought maybe this will actually keep going in some way. I was hopeful. But it’s also true it’s really hard to do a complete story in 22 pages that introduces a character and resolves a plot. You remember, in the original Showcase series, they would do a 13-page origin story followed by a 12-page backup story that shows the character really in action for the first time. We didn’t have that option. We had to do a story that would introduce a character and set up a dramatic situation.

But you couldn’t really resolve the dramatic situation in

46 • BACK ISSUE • Tryouts, One-Shots, and One-Hit Wonders Issue

22 pages at the same time you’re introducing the character. That’s why I think the Dr. Fate 1st Issue worked better than some of the others, because we didn’t have to introduce the character. We could make the story about Dr. Fate and make it a complete, self-contained story. Publishing these introductions as one-shot stories was one of the fundamental flaws of the concept.”

1st Issue Special’s status as a non-tryout book also explains why there was no letters column. Each issue featured a “Story Behind the Story” text page, but reader feedback is conspicuously absent.

BEYOND 1st ISSUE SPECIAL While FIS was not generally intended to launch series, the characters have been revived by a nostalgic new generation of creators. Writer Karl Kesel, for example, utilized both the Dingbats and the Green Team—plus the venerable Newsboy Legion—in Adventures of Superman #549 (Aug. 1997). He explains how this came about: “I’ve loved the Newsboys ever since Kirby’s Jimmy Olsen days—but as to the 1st Issue Special characters, the use of the Dingbats was primarily as a counterpoint to the Newsboys— both Kirby characters, but created decades apart. Then it only made sense to bring in the Green Team, since Joe Simon created them, again, decades later.

(Of course, it was Simon and Kirby who created the Newsboys.) As much as I love Kirby’s work overall, I can’t say I have any special fondness for the Dingbats—they served their story purpose as a counterpoint to the Newsboys, but it wasn’t like I was hoping we’d get a Dingbats mini out of their appearance. On the other hand, I’ve always loved the wonderfully wacky concept of the Green Team—boy millionaires solving problems by spending money! Like Richie Rich crossed with the Challengers of the Unknown. It’s just too damn odd!

Which is what makes them attractive (to me, at least).”

Kesel had intended to use another one-shot character from FIS. “Tom Grummett and I had plans to bring Atlas into Superboy and then have the two of them travel the world having adventures—very much a Johnny Storm/Wyatt Wingfoot dynamic. In Superboy #1,000,000, there’s a double-page spread hinting at

what was to come in Superboy’s future, and Atlas is shown in shadow there. Unfortunately, we never got around to that storyline. One of my big regrets.”

Atlas, of course, is just one of the many FIS characters later revived by James Robinson in Superman. Another is Code Name: Assassin, a fact that the Assassin’s creator, Gerry Conway, found mindboggling: “The funny aspect of it, of course, is that the character was later brought back, years, years later in the pre-New 52 Superman run, and I wondered, ‘What? Why would they do that?,’ because he was really, definitely just a one-shot character.”

Robinson had previously revived the blue Starman in the 1990s Starman series. Conway shared his thoughts on this as well. “Obviously, James Robinson brought these characters back because the stories were something he read when he was a kid. He must have had some unanswered questions and there were things about Code Name: Assassin or Mikaal Tomas that seemed fun to him. The new stories are also a riff, like the way I did Starman in the first place. My story was a response—not to the original Starman in the 1940s, but to the version of Starman that appeared in the [Brave and the Bold] team-ups in the mid-’60s, that Murphy Anderson drew and Gardner Fox wrote. In effect, James Robinson, by doing his version of the blue-skinned alien Mikaal Tomas Starman, is taking that adaptation another one step, even further removed from the original. So he was riffing on my riff, which was a riff on the original riff. I was flattered and amused by it. I thought it was funny.

I’m glad somebody actually read those stories and remembered them, to be honest.”

FIS alumni continue to pop up in surprising places.

Lady Cop appeared as Ivy Town chief of police in writer Gail Simone’s All-New Atom. The Outsiders made a one-panel cameo in Superman #692. (They appear in a cage, labeled “Experiment FIS #10,” as they are passed

Outsiders, Take One

by their fellow FIS classmate, the Assassin.) In mid-2013, DC released a New 52 version of The Green Team.

This may be especially appropriate as FIS’ Green Team was clearly intended as one of the rare features actually intended for ongoing publication in the 1970s; issues #2 and #3 appeared in Cancelled Comics Cavalcade #1 after being bumped by the DC Implosion.

Say what you will about 1st Issue Special—and if you read the Outsiders issue, you probably will—those wacky concepts have spawned some characters loved and embraced, albeit a generation later than they originally appeared.

From the Joe Simon estate, unpublished original cover art to the Outsiders issue, FIS #10, by the Simon/Grandenetti/ Flessel team. (inset) Concept sketch for same, conceived as “Super Freaks.”

Courtesy of Heritage.

In his secret identity, JACK ABRAMOWITZ is a writer and an educator. Is he strong? Listen, bud.

He has radioactive blood.

Tryouts, One-Shots, and One-Hit Wonders Issue

TM & © DC Comics.

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Quick—who is DC Comics’ greatest detective? A square-jawed, non-superpowered crimestopper who fights for justice in a cruel urban landscape teeming with grotesque bad guys with weird names and obsessions?

The answer, of course, is Batman. But for one lone month in DC’s 75plus-year history, the Darknight Detective had some real competition in the crimestopping department when, in September 1975, DC published Limited Collectors’ Edition #C-40 starring the one, the only, Dick Tracy!

Limited Collectors’ Edition was the umbrella title for DC’s entry into the world of treasury-sized comics. While across town Marvel Comics was a little more democratic in who it let headline their treasuries, DC mostly rotated the same half-dozen characters: Superman, Batman, Shazam!, Tarzan, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (who, hoofs down, was DC’s biggest treasury star). Dick Tracy, being a globally recognized icon, fit the informal criteria DC had established, so he got to skip ever having to be tested in a regular-sized comic, debuting for the company in this more deluxe format.

LCE #C-40 reprints a sequence of Chester Gould’s Dick Tracy newspaper strip that ran from Tuesday, December 21, 1943 through Wednesday, May 17, 1944. Those strips originally ran in black and white, but to appear here they were colored and edited (panels reorganized, subplots dropped) to fit DC’s comic-book format and page count.

The story begins right before Christmas, with Tracy happy that, for once, it seems that he’ll be able to enjoy the holiday season with his family and not have to be out on the streets stopping crime.

But it doesn’t take long (page two, in fact) before he runs across the dead-eyed Flattop, who at gunchester gould point takes Tracy hostage in the back of a cab. Over the course of 60 pages, Flattop’s hasty decision draws in dozens of innocent (and not-so-innocent) people, including some black marketeers, a pickpocket, a street-corner salesman (who meets a bad end), plus the old ham and former big-time movie star Vitamin Flintheart. Hardly a master criminal, Flattop gets through life being more ruthless than anyone else, basically stumbling from one tense situation to the next, with Dick Tracy on his trail.

One of the hallmarks of the Dick Tracy comic strip, and one of things that made it really stand out to this five-year-old who bought the tabloid book off the stands, was its violence. Sure, Batman got into all sort of fisticuffs, but in just this Flattop sequence alone, multiple people are shot in the face, someone is burned alive, and a prison guard gets a shard of glass to the eye. Even more unusual when compared to Batman comics (SPOILER ALERT!), Flattop dies at the end! And this is no Joker-style “We can’t find the body” open ending … no, sir; this comic ends on a closeup shot of Flattop’s bloated corpse. Dick Tracy knew how to take care of business.

Like all the treasury editions, Dick Tracy came packed with “extras”—a timeline of big moments in the strip’s history, a Rogues’ Gallery, a Crimestoppers Textbook, plus an article on Gould, who was still doing the strip at the time (officially, at least). It’s an extraordinarily fun package, and a great introduction to the world of Dick Tracy. So why was it the only one?

The editor of the book (and for most of DC’s treasuries) was longtime writer/editor E. Nelson Bridwell (he’s not credited on the

Detective Comics Dick Tracy’s DC Comics one-shot, in the super-sized Limited Collectors’ Edition #C-40.

Dick Tracy TM & © TMS News & Features, LLC.

48 • BACK ISSUE • Tryouts, One-Shots, and One-Hit Wonders Issue

®

by

Rob “Mumbles” Kelly

Gould bio, but since he frequently wrote these sorts of text pieces, odds are it’s his work). I was curious to the hows and whys of this book’s creation, but since ENB is no longer with us, I turned to Bob Rozakis, a name familiar to most BACK ISSUE readers. He was on staff at DC at the time, and told me he guesses that then-VP Sol Harrison “probably came across some old expiring rights agreement or something” and saw this as an opportunity to get a book’s worth of material on the cheap. Sadly, Dick Tracy didn’t sell very well, so DC never brought him back. Tracy had his one shot, and this was it.

(There’s something oddly poetic that Dick Tracy joins James Bond as hugely famous fictional characters that were part of the DC Comics stable for all of 30 days.)

[Editor’s note: DC’s Showcase #43 (Mar.–Apr. 1963) featured an adaptation of Doctor No.] Which is too bad—DC could have done a lot if they had acquired the rights to Tracy for longer than just the one month. Just imagine what a Batman/Dick Tracy vs. the Joker/Flattop team-up might have been like.

[Editor’s note: Sorry to intrude again, but BI #77 features a “Greatest Stories Never Told” article about a scrapped Batman/Dick Tracy crossover by Max Allan Collins and Joe Staton.] Or maybe he would have been given his own monthly comic, something DC was doing at the time with other licensed pulp characters, like The Shadow and the Avenger (in Justice, Inc.). A Dick Tracy series written and drawn by people like Denny O’Neil, Michael Kaluta, Howard Chaykin, or Frank Robbins could really have been something to see.

While the book wasn’t a big seller, obviously I wasn’t the only one it made a strong impression on—in the 1982 video for the Clash’s “Rock the Casbah,” lead singer Joe Strummer can be seen reading Dick Tracy as

Dirty Dealings Two pages scanned

by Rob Kelly from DC’s Dick Tracy Limited Collectors’ Edition, by the inimitable Chester Gould. The strip’s violent tone is clearly evident here. he lounges by a pool [see above]. What the what?!

Dick Tracy, of course, would go on to get his own big-budget movie (following in the wake of, yes, Batman a year earlier), and after over a decade or so of being relegated to the pop-culture margins, returned to daily creative prominence in the 21st Century under the talented hands of Mike Curtis and the legendary Joe Staton. As Flattop learned the hard way, you just can’t keep a good crimestopper down!

Dick Tracy TM & © TMS News & Features, LLC.

ROB KELLY is a writer, illustrator, and comics historian. He is the creator and EIC of The Aquaman Shrine blog, and the co-creator/ writer of the award-winning webcomic ACE KILROY, which in part draws its inspiration from this Dick Tracy comic.

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TM

When Showcase was first introduced in 1956, it presented a bold, new concept that revolutionized the industry. What if every issue had the potential to launch the next big hit in comics? That was what Showcase strived to do, and for 93 issues, more often than not, it delivered. Showcase was the book that launched the Silver Age of Comics and gave fans the Silver Age Flash, Green Lantern, and the Atom, as well as the Challengers of the Unknown, Adam Strange, and the Metal Men, to name just a few.

Given the title’s track record, it was practically a no-brainer that DC would bring it back in 1977. “To the extent that we had any really long-term plans, it was probably the hope that the title could be the springboard for launching some new titles,” says Paul Levitz, who helped edit and write several issues of Showcase’s late-’70s revival. “1977 was an expansionary time at DC, and [new publisher] Jenette Kahn was supportive of trying new things,” concurs writer Paul Kupperberg. “There were a lot of new ideas being thrown around [at that time. A lot of books came around, lasted a few issues, and then went away. [DC] decided to create Showcase for the very same reason it was originally created, to have a place to experiment, and if [the feature] sold, great. If not, they were already on to the next idea.”

THE NEW DOOM PATROL The first feature to run in the revival was a reboot of one of DC’s biggest cult favorites: the Doom Patrol. paul levitz “[The Doom Patrol] probably was the DC feature that had been out of publication for a while that writer Paul Kupperberg and I liked best,” says Levitz, who edited the team’s three-issue run in Showcase #94–96 (Aug.–Sept. 1977– Dec. 1977–Jan. 1978). “Looking back, I suspect I also favored the idea of featuring a series that hadn’t been in Showcase the first time around.”

Bringing back the Doom Patrol became the job of writer Paul Kupperberg, who Levitz knew would be perfect for the task. “Paul knows two things about me: I love the Showcase title and I love the Doom Patrol,” says Kupperberg. “When Showcase came back, and Paul was editing the first feature, he called me up and asked me how I would like to do the Doom Patrol.

I was all over that!”

As longtime fans of the Doom Patrol know, the team sacrificed themselves at the end of their original series’ run and were presumed dead to the world. The question

Maid of Might Cover to the first of Power Girl’s three issues of Showcase—issue #97 (Feb. 1978), penciled by Joe Staton and inked by Joe Orlando. Staton joined scribe Paul Levitz inside. Today, Levitz writes the New 52’s team of Power Girl and the Huntress in DC Comics’ Worlds’ Finest series.

TM & © DC Comics.

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by

Dan Johnson

that faced Kupperberg was how to give the fans more adventures without diminishing that terrific sacrifice?

“At the time my thought was that these guys died heroically and wonderfully,” says Kupperberg. “It’s one of the great comic-book death stories, and we felt we should respect that by keeping them dead. We thought of it as [paying] fanboy respect for the original material.”

As Kupperberg also points out, a recently successful reboot at Marvel also weighed heavily with the decision to totally reboot the concept. “At the time, John Byrne and Chris Claremont’s X-Men was starting to be big,” says Kupperberg. “Everyone was taking cues from that as well, especially if you had a book that dealt with freaks and outsiders. I was looking for a diverse group.

We certainly wanted to have a woman, we wanted to have a minority of some sort, and we wanted to have a robot. Again, I was looking towards that X-Men model.

In retrospect, I should have just brought the original team back and explained [their deaths] away somehow.

I do regret the changes I made. It was done in the best intentions and youthful enthusiasm. I even apologized to Arnold Drake once for what I did to his Doom Patrol. He was very kind and understanding.”

The one original team member who returned was Robotman. The new team members included Celsius, who could generate heat and cold blasts and who was the secret wife of the Chief; Negative Woman, who now possessed the energy being that had once been under the control of Negative Man; and Tempest, who was capable of firing energy blasts from his hands.

Artist Joe Staton joined Kupperberg in bringing the new Doom Patrol to life and was responsible for the team’s look. “It was the days before Google, so looking for reference was not so easy,” says Staton. “ I had a bunch of National Geographic magazines that had been my wife’s dad’s, so I found some articles about India and used some photos there was the model for Celsius.”

Staton drew inspiration for Robotman’s redesign from one of his more recent projects. “John Byrne and I had both worked at Charlton comics earlier, and his robot character ROG-2000 had run as a backup in my book, E-Man,” says Staton. “As a joke, I very obviously patterned the new Robotman on ROG. I’m afraid that John didn’t find it especially funny, judging by a cover he did for The Comics Reader showing ROG looking in the mirror and seeing Robotman.”

The Doom Patrol feature would mark a continuing partnership and from the fact that Joe Orlando had friendship between Kupperberg and initially designed her and was fond of Staton, as well as a running joke her. At the time, Joe was in charge of regarding one of the villains in the DC editorial. Jenette [Kahn, DC story, the Cossack. “What marks publisher] was a fan of my work on this job [for me] is the Cossack on All-Star, and in particular of how I paul kupperberg the flying horse and my general wrote female characters, so she would inability to draw horses very well,” have been very supportive as well.” says Staton. “Kupperberg made definite fun of my Once again, Staton was asked to do artwork for horse and ever since then, when we work together, this feature. “I was the regular guy on the [Justice the first thing I ask him is, ‘Are there horsies’? I still Society in All-Star Comics], so she fell my way,” says can’t draw horsies.”

Staton. “I don’t recall there being any mention of anybody else being considered for her stories, and I POWER GIRL would probably have been offended if there had been.”

Power Girl took center stage in Showcase #97–99 Besides having Staton pencil this issue, Showcase #97 (Feb.–Apr. 1978). Giving Earth-Two’s Maid of Might a had another especially auspicious honor: “One thing to chance to shine in a solo stories was a natural. “Power note is that Paul officially worked for Joe Orlando back Girl was one of the more popular characters in the then,” says Staton. “I would see Joe quite a bit, 1970’s All-Star Comics run,” says Levitz, who wrote both in Paul’s office and often just to hang with the Power Girl’s Showcase outing. “[She] also benefited guy I saw as my link to the glory days of EC Comics.

Tryouts, One-Shots, and One-Hit Wonders Issue

No Horsies Allowed!

Robotman meets the new Doom Patrol on this Joe Statondrawn original page from Showcase #94.

TM & © DC Comics.

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Able to Leap Tall Silos…

Original art pages from Levitz and Staton’s Power Girl three-parter, with Staton inked by two greats: (left) page 3 from Showcase #97, with Joe Orlando inks, and (right) page 5 from issue #99, with Dick Giordano inks. Courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com).

TM & © DC Comics.

Joe happened in one day and saw the pages for the first issue and he offered to ink the series. I was thrilled when he did actually ink the first issue. Dick Giordano wound up inking the last two, very nicely, but I thought being inked by Joe was especially cool.”

Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, we had just about every major player in the DC Universe in this book,” says Kupperberg.

It was when Joe Staton got involved that Showcase #100 really took on its epic quality (and got the nickname “Staton’s Folly”). “[The plot] got sent off to Joe THE CENTENNIAL ISSUE Staton,” says Kupperberg. “Originally, any character The highlight of the Showcase revival was the book’s who had been spun off into their own feature or 100th issue (May 1978). Reaching this milestone title would appear in Showcase #100 to make meant this issue had to be a showstopper. it manageable. And then the pages When the time came to write this landmark started coming back in and Joe was issue, Pauls Levitz and Kupperberg throwing every Showcase character volunteered for the job. “The chance into the background, or they were to do something as ‘important’ as making cameos. We got this thing Showcase #100 at a time when and it featured virtually everybody relatively few DC titles had hit that who had ever been in the title.” momentous number, and even Staton reflects, “As a fan, I go back fewer had creatively celebrated the to the beginning with Showcase. I milestone [is what interested me],” remember seeing the Coming Attractions says Levitz. “And the sheer silly fun house ads in the DC books saying of trying to cram ‘everyone’ in.” that Showcase was on the way and I Kupperberg adds, “The book was joe staton very clearly remember buying the written Marvel style. [Paul Levitz] first issue with Fireman Farrell off and I spent a day in his apartment in the stands, which I’m pretty sure Manhattan plotting out this story.” was when I was visiting my grandparents in Levitz and Kupperberg came up a story about the McClemoresville, Tennessee. This really appealed to me, Earth being pulled out of orbit by an alien menace, a comic that was something new all the time, that I and in effect, disrupting the very fabric of space and never knew what to expect. So by the time I was time. They also envisioned this issue featuring every actually drawing comics and #100 came along, I had major character that had appeared in Showcase and the entire run of Showcase locked into my experience.” who had been spun off into their own series. “Short of

52 • BACK ISSUE • Tryouts, One-Shots, and One-Hit Wonders Issue

In the end, this issue proved to be a hit with its later by future DC writers and editors. “The idea of creators, and also with readers. “[Showcase #100] having all of Adam Strange’s old enemies teaming up remains one of those fond memories of my against him at once was a very early idea,” says career,” says Kupperberg. “It was so much Harris. “I figured that even though he had fun to do, and the sky was the limit. defeated them individually with relative Continuity didn’t matter since everyscientific ease, coming up against them thing was going to go back to the all at once would be a challenge and way it was when we started. And I he’d need help. Who better to ask got to write everybody [who ever than his old Justice League buddy, appeared in Showcase]. It was one of Katar Hol? Then I had to throw a twist those things where fanboy sensibilities into it, and the idea of Rann amassing and history came together and created its forces against Thanagar seemed this issue.” a natural occurrence. Who knew the Staton adds, “I continue to find Rann/Thanagar War would become that that is a favorite cover for many such an integral part of the DC people. It’s one of the ones that I am Universe history in the years to jack c. harris most often asked to sign when I do come? I was always proud that I had cons. As to working it out, all I recall thought of it first!” is that we wanted the big ‘100’ to be prominent. I did All three Hawkman issues of Showcase were penciled do a number of tracing-paper sketches moving the by Al Milgrom. “Al and I worked very closely,” says elements around, but we wanted everybody to be in Harris. “Of course, Larry Hama was the editor, so all there somewhere.”

Thanagar-gantuan Talent (left) Hawkman, Hawkgirl, and Adam Strange by Joe Kubert on the cover of Showcase #101 (June 1978). (bottom) The Hawks’ origin retold!

Interior page from #101, written by Jack C. Harris, penciled by Al Milgrom, and inked

by Murphy Anderson.

TM & © DC Comics.

HAWKMAN Showcase #101–103 (June–Aug. 1978) featured one of DC’s heroes that had not had a book of his own for a while: Hawkman. The three-issue run, which was written by Jack C. Harris, also featured Adam Strange.

“I also loved the Hawkman/Adam Strange team-up,” says Harris. “Adam Strange was one of my two all-time favorite superheroes. I photocopied images from old Adam Strange and Hawkman stories and pasted up a very elaborate presentation to show to Jenette, and she loved it.”

Harris created a tale of interplanetary war that was guaranteed to keep readers on the edge of their seats.

He also came up with an idea that would be mined

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the work passed through his hands, but he always let me see Al’s pencils as the work progressed. I don’t recall a single instance where I asked for any changes. Al’s work was spot-on! I still have a few originals from the series that Al gave me.”

Also on board for this saga were two old hands who knew the Hols better than any other artists before or since. The first was Murphy Anderson, who inked all three issues, and the second was Joe Kubert, who provided covers for these issues. “I didn’t have much contact with Murphy during this project,” said Harris, “but I was thrilled beyond words that the man who had drawn so many of my favorite Hawkman stories in the past had a hand it working on my scripts! [As for the Kubert covers,] this was the greatest thrill of the whole project—having Joe bring life to the images Larry and I described was astounding. The first cover [Showcase #101] turned out to be one of the greatest Kubert Hawkman covers of all time.

I have often said that the greatest thing about working in the field during that time was to have the legendary artists illustrate your work. This was best of all those instances!”

Of all the features that were spotlighted in Showcase’s revival, Hawkman fared the most from his appearance. Shortly after this storyline wrapped up, Hawkman was briefly given a backup feature in Detective Comics and then a more permanent spot in World’s Finest Comics. “It’s hard to judge the success of those issues after so many years,” says Harris. “I do remember the mail being positive, and there were a few upbeat reviews along the way. Across the years, many people have told me how much they enjoyed the story, so I would say that it was, indeed, a success.”

OSS: SPIES AT WAR The last issue of Showcase, #104 (Sept. 1978), featured OSS: Spies at War, a feature that regularly appeared in G.I. Combat. The issue contained three stories, all written by Robert Kanigher, and with two drawn by Ric Estrada and one by Bill Draut. Once again, Joe Kubert provided the cover for this issue.

“The OSS: Spies at War issue was thrown together,” reveals Kupperberg. “That was a last-minute thing,” filling a publication gap caused by the infamous DC Implosion of 1978, which resulted in the cancellation of many of the publisher’s titles—including Showcase.

THE GREATEST SHOWCASES NEVER TOLD At the time of its cancellation, several concepts were being planned for Showcase.

“Issues #104–106 were supposed to feature World of Krypton,” says Paul Kupperberg, “but then Superman: The Movie got pushed back, and DC wanted to take advantage of that tie-in.” [Editor’s note: See BI #62 for the full story behind what became the World of Krypton miniseries.]

Once World of Krypton was delayed and OSS was quickly slotted into #104’s slot, “they had Deadman [for #105] and the Creeper [for #106] lined up,” according to Kupperberg. “But before we had those issues, we had the DC Implosion.”

The Deadman story that was to have appeared in Showcase #105 was written by Gerry Conway and drawn by Jim Aparo. Less than a year after Showcase ended, the story was printed in Adventure Comics #464 (July–Aug. 1979).

The Creeper story that was to have appeared in Showcase #106 was written and drawn by Steve Ditko. It would not see print until over 30 years later when it was included in the hardcover volume The Creeper by Steve Ditko, in 2010.

Gerry Conway’s the Deserter, a Western adventure that would have featured interior art by Dick Ayers and Romeo Tanghal and a cover by Joe Kubert, was originally going to being a three-issue run in Showcase #107–109. Even before Showcase’s cancellation, it was greenlit as an ongoing series until the DC Implosion killed it altogether.

“At the time I was something of a mild Civil War buff,” says Conway. “The Deserter was a product of that interest in the Civil War era, as well as my fondness for a short-lived TV show from the 1960s called Branded. The series was also probably influenced by the novel The Four Feathers, thematically, if not in any other regard. I’ve always had sympathy for damaged and ‘failed’ protagonists. The Deserter was part of that.”

There was also talk on the editorial pages of Showcase of a Huntress run, similar to Power Girl’s, although Paul Levitz says he didn’t have any storylines in mind at the time that Showcase ended.

“The Implosion of 1978 cost us a lot of good projects and momentum,” says Levitz. “But Showcase was a title with storied history at DC, so it was a shame to see it go. On the other hand, since we had limits on how many titles could survive, it was a natural sacrifice. There was very little opportunity to launch new titles in the year or two that followed, and that was, after all, the purpose of Showcase.”

As I stated before, the birth of Showcase revolutionized the comics industry and changed it forever. The death of the book after its all-too-brief revival would lead to yet another revolution in comics, one that had an even greater impact on the industry than the original birth of Showcase.

When Superman: The Movie arrived in theaters in late 1978, DC Comics finally released World of Krypton, creating a whole new format

Fab Four (top) Aparo’s Doom Patrol cover for issue #94 and Staton’s cover for #100. (bottom) Kubert magic: Hawkman in #103 and OSS in #104.

TM & © DC Comics.

54 • BACK ISSUE • Tryouts, One-Shots, and One-Hit Wonders Issue

Showcases—Shelved!

From the Xeroxed pages of the housecleaning two-shot Cancelled Comics Cavalcade come covers for three issues of Showcase that became DC Implosion casualties: (top left) Showcase #105, starring Deadman, with cover art by Jim Aparo; (top right) issue #106, starring the Creeper, with cover art by Steve Ditko; and (right) Joe Kubert’s cover for the first installment of writer Gerry Conway’s Deserter series, planned for Showcase #107.

TM & © DC Comics.

in comics. “The changes that followed the cancellation of Showcase included the creation of a number of miniseries,” says Harris. “This was the new thing then. People began pitching miniseries.”

Thus, as one chapter in the history of comics came to an end, another even more exciting chapter was just beginning….

DAN JOHNSON is a comics writer whose works include Herc and Thor for Antarctic Press and several books for Campfire Graphic Novels. He is also a gag writer for the Dennis the Menace comic strip and a contributing author to the short story anthology, With Great Power.

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TM

During the course of the history of Richie Rich, Richie teamed up with Casper, Little Dot, Jackie Jokers, Reggie, Dollar, Professor Keenbean, Mayda Munny, Gloria, Cadbury, and even the New Kids on the Block.

But there’s one team-up partner that befuddles even Harvey Comics scholars: short-lived star Timmy Time.

In the late ’70s, after original Harvey Comics founder Alfred Harvey was ousted from his position, the decision was made to increase the number of titles featuring the Poor Little Rich Boy. In the process, some new characters needed to be created and to fill the bill, many characters were teamed with Richie.

Prior to this, Alfred Harvey had given his four sons a chance to create some new characters, and each one made an attempt with varying results. Son Alan created Komix Kidd, the greatest comic collector in the world, who appeared only in a single-panel ad congratulating Adam Awards, the creation of Harvey’s son Adam. Son Russel created Billy Bellhops, who also appeared in this panel and a cover of one issue of Richie Rich Jackpots and headlined his own one-shot Richie Rich and Billy Bellhops. But what about Timmy Time?

Timmy Time began life as Mark Time, a creation of Ernie Colón, who drew many of Richie Rich’s adventures.

Colón was always a fan of Herge’s Tintin: “My most important contribution was based on my love for Les Aventures de Tin Tin, a hugely successful series about a young reporter who traveled the world in his adventures. Richie Rich was stuck in this mansion and its umpteen-thousand acres, showing his penniless, raggedy-ass friends all his wonderful possessions: huge piggy banks, giant vaults, and dams bursting with cascades of money. I wanted him to travel and have a variety of encounters and get away from the other mainstay—two kidnapernie colón pers hiding behind a bush.”

Colón would volley between comic-book companies due to the pay and his frustration at times with his work at Harvey, ending up doing more challenging material for Marvel. “The first assignment Marvel gave me was John Carter, Warlord of Mars,” he recalls.

“I loved the change and, apart from having to elongate some characters that seemed to have legs like Richie, the stuff didn’t look too bad.”

This project was more in line with what Colón envisioned for Mark.

Somehow, Mark Time was changed to the alliterative Timmy Time, much to Colón’s chagrin, and he was also retooled to team up with Richie Rich, or at least be spun off from it, after originally being given its own title. The changes added to Colón’s frustration and eventual abandonment of the project.

The resulting sole issue of Richie Rich Meets Timmy Time was issued with a September 1977 cover date. The story concerns Timmy the time traveler encountering Richie Rich and his girlfriend, Gloria, on the beach. Timmy has a robot friend named Traveler who transports them all briefly back in time before returning to the present, for no real purpose other than to show Richie and Gloria that they can time-travel.

It’s About Time!

Ernie Colón artwork graces the cover to the first (and, it turned out, only) issue of Richie Rich Meets Timmy Time. The futuristic spin-off was originally named Mark Time (hey, he coulda been Justin Time…).

TM & © Harvey Entertainment.

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Mark Arnold

Close Encounter Richie Rich and Gloria meet Timmy Time and his robot Traveler on the introductory pages of issue #1 (Sept. 1977). Art by Ernie Colón. While the cover is titled Richie Rich Meets Timmy Time, the indicia called the publication Richie Rich and Timmy Time.

TM & © Harvey Entertainment.

After the first chapter, Timmy and Traveler continue on alone in a tale that goes into the future and features Timmy’s unnamed father as well as another man named Ted. A meteor shower makes things difficult, so Timmy takes the controls and pilots a spaceship through the meteors.

A meteor crashes through the ship and Traveler saves the day by throwing himself and Timmy back into prehistoric times. Timmy tries to converse with the cavemen they encounter, but ultimately they end up jumping ahead in time after the meteor collision to the safety of their original location and not on the spaceship.

Ouch! It’s all quite confusing and strange, time loop-wise. There is a panel on the last page asking for reader response with three choices: “Great!,” “Okay,” and “Not so hot.” My vote is for “Not so hot,” considering this inaugural tale, as Timmy and Traveler

could literally get out of any fix by time traveling away from it, hence removing any sort of suspense.

Though not proven, the character and concept was somewhat retooled for Marvel’s Star line as Planet Terry, as the characters feature similar designs and follow a science-fiction space theme, but the time-travel element is missing. Timmy Time proved to be an interesting, but failed concept.

How Does Timmy Rate?

Richie invites his reader friends to vote on their reactions to his new pal. Special thanks to Mark Arnold (who voted “Not so hot”) for the scans accompanying this article.

MARK ARNOLD is a comic-book and animation historian with seven books to his credit ranging from subjects like Harvey Comics, Archie Comics, Underdog, Cracked Magazine, Walt Disney Productions, and The Beatles.

He is currently at work on another book about Harvey Comics.

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TM & © Harvey Entertainment.

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You don’t have to tell Dave Lillard that life occasionally imitates art. The Michigan-based writer and publisher of Jason Monarch is very familiar with the concept. “I had this idea to take a character who didn’t know who he really was,” says Lillard, “and suddenly having it all thrown on him, that he’s heir to an empire that he never even knew existed. He’s taken from his normal, everyday world and thrown into this far-flung action/adventure life that he never expected and is not prepared for.”

While he may not have battled aliens in outer space the way his creation did, Lillard had his world turned upside down just as Jason Monarch was hitting the market. He was thrown into a life he never expected, resulting in his book unintentionally becoming a one-shot.

HIDDEN HERITAGE dave lillard In the late 1970s, Lillard was noodling with an idea for a science-fiction story.

“I had in mind a character who was raised by ordinary people, without the knowledge that his family was not of this earth.”

The first and only issue of Jason Monarch was cover-dated Apr.–May 1979, published by Lillard’s Omnibus Publishing Company. Although the cover was in color, the interior was printed in black and white. “It was just a matter of money,” says Lillard. “I really wanted to go color [throughout], but I didn’t have the money [to do that]. At that time, it was much more expensive than it is today.”

The main story, a 16-page entry penciled and inked

by Jim Craig, focuses on Jason Monarch, a grad student at a small college on the shore of Lake Michigan. Things get started with Monarch being abducted from campus and taken to see “the boss,” who turns out to be his grandfather.

Monarch doesn’t recognize the man, nor does he believe, at least initially, what the old man tells him about their family.

It seems that Monarch’s parents died in an accident when he was very young. The three of them were traveling together at the time the accident occurred. The old man tells Monarch that although he survived the accident, he doesn’t recall his early childhood due to the trauma.

The old man escorts Monarch down to a huge cavern containing all kinds of technology and, to Monarch’s shock, tells him that the starship housed in the cavern is a part of the legacy left to him by his father. The old man introduces him to the ship’s captain, a beautiful woman to whom Monarch is immediately attracted.

Too Bad It’s Not in 3-D, Man 3-D Man (in Marvel Premiere) artist Jim Craig teamed with writer Dave Lillard for Omnibus Publishing Company’s Jason Monarch #1 (Apr.–May 1979). This cover is the only color interpretation of the characters and their story. Cover colors by Craig. © 1979 David W. Lilliard. All Rights Reserved.

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Douglas R. Kelly

Jim Craig’s artwork was up to its usual high standard in Jason Monarch, although it’s odd, at first, to see it in black and white. His starship/ space scenes are detailed and well rendered, and he used imaginative angles and perspective throughout the story. Not surprisingly, Monarch is depicted as the ruggedly handsome hero type, but Craig managed to capture some sense of the character’s confusion, and then determination, as he realizes he has no choice but to stand his ground and fight. “Jim was just fantastic,” says Lillard. “There were a few little ‘empty spots,’ shall we say, and Jim filled them in really well.

He was tremendously good to work with.”

Monarch and the old man, along with the crew, board the starship, get strapped in, and are launched into the depths of Lake Michigan.

As the ship breaks the surface of the water and begins its ascent into space, Monarch’s grandfather tells him that they’re headed for Echo Base, which is on the Moon. He goes on to tell the by-now bewildered Monarch that, centuries ago, there was a scientifically and technologically advanced society that was preparing to send out teams of teachers to the four corners of the world, to help mankind move beyond barbarism. However, before this could occur, a volcano on their island home erupted, and those who survived fled to a lunar research station on the Moon.

The old man’s account is interrupted by alarms signaling the approach of an enemy fleet and, as the crew prepares for battle, the old man collapses of an apparent heart attack. As he’s taken away by medics, the old man tells Monarch that he must take over command of the ship.

Despite his inexperience, Monarch decides to do what he can.

Working with the ship’s captain, he creates a diversion that enables a rescue ship from Echo Base to join them. But during the ensuing battle, one of the enemy ships scores a direct hit that results in injuries to the captain. After destroying the enemy ships, Monarch takes the unconscious captain in his arms and, upon realizing that she’s not been killed, exclaims, “Thank heaven! She’s alive!”

The story ends with the ships headed for Echo Base, and the last panel asks the questions, “Will the elder Monarch survive? What was this battle about? What is his inheritance?” The tag at the end says, “Next Issue: Answers?”

Dave Lillard was planning to provide them. “I had it planned out quite a ways. His father and mother were the king and queen, and he learns that he learns that they didn’t die in an accident, but were actually murdered by the father’s brother. It’s very complex and had several subplots to it.”

And would Monarch and the captain of the starship have begun a romantic relationship? “Yes, definitely,” says Lillard. “You can’t have a good story without one!”

TURNED UPSIDE DOWN Unfortunately, the story stopped right there as Lillard was blindsided by real life. “Several things happened around the same time,” he says.

“I became critically ill and began to bleed internally. I then had a stroke, and apparently I’d been suffering for many years from a form of Chron’s disease, which I wasn’t aware of, and that may have contributed to it. I actually had exploratory surgery and all sorts of things to try to figure out what was wrong. I was literally dying.”

While he survived these health crises, it took several years for Lillard to recover. He also was impacted by the demise of his distributor, Glenwood, whom he says went out of business owing him thousands of dollars. Coupled with his medical problems, the financial losses meant he was unable to continue publishing Jason Monarch.

In hindsight, it’s not hard to see similarities between Jason Monarch and the Star Wars trilogy. But keep in mind that this one-shot came out in 1979, less than two years after the first Star Wars film, and these characters and concepts were still fairly new to comic-book and movie audiences. Dave Lillard and Jim Craig managed to produce an engrossing and well-presented story under less-than-ideal conditions, and it would have been good reading to see how—and if—Jason Monarch shook off being blindsided and embraced his new life.

DOUGLAS R. KELLY is editor of Marine Technology magazine and a collector of Silver and Bronze Age comics. His byline has appeared in such publications as Antiques Roadshow Insider, Associations Now, Model Collector, and Buildings.

Kirby Would Be Proud (top) Jim Craig’s artwork on Jason Monarch offered excellent detail in depicting technology and starships. (bottom) Monarch reluctantly takes over during the battle with the enemy ships, working with the starship’s captain. © 1979 David W. Lilliard. All Rights Reserved.

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My mom would often bring a stack of comics for me home with her, stopping at the local drug store on her way from work. One such time she picked up Detective Comics #493 (Aug. 1980). My five-year-old self was a bit puzzled as I flipped through the thick Dollar Comic. Some guy I’d never seen before was working with Batman: a man in a red, full-face mask, laced vest, gauntlets, and carrying a staff. This wasn’t The Brave and the Bold! Batman never teamed up with anyone in Detective! Who was this guy?

Why was there a floating head of that cowboy guy from World’s Finest in this story? What was the deal?

Since I couldn’t read as of yet (remember, I was just five), my mother read the issue to me. I learned that this guy was a new hero being introduced for the first time—named the Swashbuckler. In “Riddles in the Dark” by Cary Burkett, Don Newton, and Dan Adkins, Batman faces his old enemy, the Riddler, following him from Gotham to Houston, Texas. There he meets the Swashbuckler, who introduces himself as the nephew of the Western-themed crimefighter known as the Vigilante (the floating cowboy head I mentioned). cary burkett Swashbuckler aids Batman in nabbing the Riddler by the story’s end.

I was too young to completely grasp the concept of a “First Appearance,” but there was something undeniably cool about being in on a character’s introduction. I assumed Swashbuckler would show up again soon, maybe in his own series in Detective. The title soon shifted back to a normal-sized comic, with only Batman and Batgirl remaining, so no Swashbuckler there. Maybe he’d end up in The Brave and the Bold and team up with Batman again? Nope. Over the next five years or so I kept expecting him to show up somewhere.

When DC Comics started both Crisis on Infinite Earths and Who’s Who in 1985, the buzz was that these two series would feature nearly everyone who ever appeared in a DC issue. They came close. But guess who they left out? Long-forgotten characters like Automan received Who’s Who entries, but no Swashbuckler. I knew then that this character I met in my formative years was never coming back.

It’s ironic that the character’s lone appearance would feature the Riddler. The Swashbuckler was an enigma himself. Why the one appearance? Why Houston, Texas? Why the Vigilante?

The one man who knows those answers is the character’s creator, and the story’s author, Cary Burkett:

Introducing … Swashbuckler Detail from the splash page of Detective Comics #493, featuring the sole appearance of writer Cary Burkett’s Swashbuckler. Art by Don Newton and Dan Adkins, with colors by Adrienne Roy. TM & © DC Comics.

60 • BACK ISSUE • Tryouts, One-Shots, and One-Hit Wonders Issue

by

Chris Franklin

Crimefightin’ Kinfolk On page 9 of the story Swashbuckler reveals that his uncle is the Vigilante. (inset) One of the Vigilante’s few Bronze Age cover appearances, in Adventure Comics #426 (Feb.–Mar. 1973). Cover art by Dick Giordano.

TM & © DC Comics.

“Paul Levitz was the Batman editor at the time, and gave me the chance to write a story featuring one of the major villains. I don’t remember why, but it wound up being the Riddler. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t my choice.

“I do remember that Paul told me he wanted a story where Batman got out of Gotham,” Burkett continues. “He thought there should be occasional stories where Batman operated outside his regular turf.

Since I grew up outside of Houston, Texas, I suggested that city as a location.

“The location of Houston was likely the catalyst that had me bring Swashbuckler into the story. Back when I was in middle school, I had published a fanzine with some of my friends and pen-pal connections. I had created Swashbuckler back then and wrote some stories, which were drawn by another fan, Don Jackson.

“In those fanzine stories, Swashbuckler was a Houston cop [Michael Carter] who quit the force because the justice system didn’t work well in getting the bad guys behind bars. He felt hamstrung by the red tape and became a vigilante crimebuster. I think in the first story, his brother’s killer managed to escape justice through what he felt was some legal technicality.

“So probably, sending Batman to Houston made me think of my old fanzine character and gave me the idea to bring him into the story,” Burkett reveals. “I had designed the costume for the fanzine, and redesigned it somewhat for the comic. The mask was, in my mind, sort of a pirate look, which went along with the name Swashbuckler. The shirt was a sort of Robin Hood-style thing, which played along with the fact that he was a vigilante who operated outside of a corrupt legal system like Robin Hood.

“None of that came into the comic story. I didn’t have the pages to devote to his backstory, so I just connected him to the DC Universe by making him the nephew of the original DC Vigilante character. The Texas setting made that seem logical, since Vigilante had been a Western-style hero. And Swashbuckler’s ‘vigilante’ background was implied through that connection.

“If Swashbuckler had ever become a series, I would have used Greg (Vigilante) Saunders in a sort of ‘Pa Kent’ role, as a mentor to keep the Swashbuckler grounded during his emotionally rough times, not fighting alongside him.

“I’m sure I had in mind that I might develop Swashbuckler more fully and bring him back at some point, but there never seemed to be a good opportunity.

I got involved in other things and just never got

around to it. And at the time, I don’t think there was a huge interest at DC for a street-level crimebuster type of character,” Burkett concludes.

A few short years after Swashbuckler’s single four-color foray, urban characters such as the Punisher and the new Vigilante would receive their own titles. Perhaps both Swashbuckler and Burkett were just slightly ahead of the curve. It was around this time Burkett left the comics industry, having written the Batgirl feature in Detective and creating the Nemesis character featured in backups in The Brave and the Bold [see BI #64—ed.], among other stories. Today, he produces and hosts radio programs for WITF radio in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

I personally feel the character has great untapped potential. In an industry that is constantly reviving or revamping almost every character or concept imaginable, it’s surprising to see that the Swashbuckler has yet to return to comics in some form or fashion. Maybe someone in the DCU just needs to make a trip to Houston….

CHRIS FRANKLIN would like to thank Cary Burkett for his time and invaluable help in shaping this article.

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During the first half of the 1980s, Marvel Comics— under then-editor-in-chief Jim Shooter—was willing to take chances. Big chances.

The company had just moved from Madison Avenue to larger offices on Park Avenue South, and the influx of young, new editors, writers, and artists fostered a creative environment in the Marvel Bullpen.

Many of the company’s most memorable runs on comics like Daredevil, Thor, and Iron Man happened in the first half of the decade.

But the Bullpen’s editors—and Shooter—were more willing to publish a variety of strange, unique, and offbeat one-shot issues that have not been seen since, and three stand above the rest for their irreverent nature. by

THE MARVEL NO-PRIZE BOOK In late 1982, Marvel produced The Marvel No-Prize Book #1 (Jan. 1983). The No-Prize “award” was originally given out by staff to readers who spotted continuity errors in early Marvel books, but evolved to awarding readers who could best explain why those continuity errors were not, in fact, errors at all.

Organized by Jim Owsley, The No-Prize Book highlighted many of Marvel’s earliest production blunders and was, itself, an intentional production blunder, with the cover art printed upside-down.

Described by Shooter on his personal blog as having a sense of humor that was “outrageous” and “scandalous” before Owsley even warmed up, the book included 59 errors from throughout the company’s comics until that point. Highlights included the reference to Peter Parker as “Peter Palmer” in Amazing Spider-Man #1 and Reed Richards with two left hands in Fantastic Four #88.

“There was this fun spirit to Marvel Comics back then,” says ann nocenti Ann Nocenti, more recently the writer of DC Comics’ Catwoman © Luigi Novi/ Wikimedia Commons. and Katana. “There was this sense of, ‘Yeah, what the hell, let’s do it!’ if an idea sounded interesting.”

THE MARVEL FUMETTI BOOK At the time, Nocenti was part of that new Marvel talent wave and—along with Louise Jones [Simonson]—oversaw the production of The Marvel Fumetti Book #1 (Apr. 1984). Designed to mimic the popular photo-novel comics from Europe and South America, the issue consists of 18 short stories involving

“Lest We Should Goof…”

Michael Golden art and Stan Lee as Dr. Doom grace the cover of The Marvel No-Prize Book #1 (Jan. 1983).

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

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Joe Rausch

(Mad)House of Ideas Courtesy of Reliable Eliot R. Brown, “Vaselinefree” photos from the Fumetti Book.

Even Stan the Man got into the act on its cover (above)!

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

nearly every Marvel staffer and prominent writer at the time. The stories lampoon Spider-Man’s tour of Marvel’s editorial offices and the Incredible Hulk being soothed by Nocenti.

The book was written almost exclusively by Mike Carlin, with Vince Colletta shooting most of the vignettes with staffers. Recruiting staffers to participate was easy, Nocenti says, with noted pranksters Carlin and Mark Gruenwald involved with the project. Stan Lee was talked into posing for the issue’s double-page centerfold, reclining on a couch wearing only a Batman vs. Hulk tabloid comic to prevent him from exposing himself.

eliot r. brown

Nocenti recalls that Lee’s secretary later called and asked that the photo be changed before production.

His head was later superimposed on a stand-in Hulk, reclining on the same sofa.

Eliot R. Brown, a Bullpen staffer at the time, says the issue most easily captured those who were at Marvel’s offices most often, and senior editors like Gruenwald fostered an environment to encourage writers and artists to visit regularly.

“It was hard to get people into the office, but if you made it a party, it got real hard to keep people away,” he says.

The staff viewed the No-Prize and Fumetti projects

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THE GENERIC COMIC

Same Ol’ Same Ol’ No credits allowed! (inset) The cover to The Generic Comic #1 (Apr. 1984), and (above) its splash page.

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

At nearly the same time, editor Larry Hama, along with writer Steve Skeates, was intentionally producing the most plain-vanilla comic possible: The Generic Comic #1 (Apr. 1984).

The book, for Skeates, was a return to comics after writing for Crazy Magazine, working with Hama. In Generic Comic, the unnamed title character receives numerous but generally unspecific superpowers and dons an all-white costume to fight an unnamed villain. In many ways, the book is an archetype for Marvel’s costumed-hero stories. The hero is a down-on-his-luck office worker with angst— and a love interest—similar to Peter Parker.

Skeates, who received the Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing at Comic-Con 2012, says he’s unsure whether he or Hama first came up with the concept, but a script was hammered out within a week after the initial pitch. The challenges were unique in intentionally writing a hero as generic as possible, while still making the story interesting.

“I had a number of conferences with Larry,” Skeates says. “We decided to give him very limited powers.

We gave him superspeed, for example, which didn’t make it into the story. But we decided that since he had superspeed, he could not run more than 55 miles per hour.”

For Skeates, the work led to a ten-issue run as the writer of Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham, and the Generic issue, he says, was a throwback to his earlier work in the 1970s.

“At that point, I had become a little disillusioned with where comics were going,” Skeates says. “They were all becoming very grim and as a fun diversion from the regular gritty. This book demonstrated how monthly grind. Nocenti says that I didn’t enjoy the ’80s-type stuff. one-shot books fostered ideas that This was more like a 1970s comic might otherwise fall by the wayside. book [with] none of that—at the There is some debate about time—modern flavor.” who thought of the Fumetti Book’s The Generic Comic issue was steve skeates initial idea, but a printing error uncredited, and included an all-text © Luigi Novi/ Wikimedia Commons. caused the vellum dialogue overlays cover. The book involved a number to not be separated from the pages before of different artists and was drawn similarly with production. The result was as if the camera lens work Skeates had previously done at DC Comics. were smeared in Vaseline—which caused outrage The art assignments were sent out by Hama once amongst the staff. the script was completed because the book was Brown remembers that he and others involved in brushing up against a tight deadline. producing the issue were angry and disappointed at Editor Hama opted for no credits on the book the final result. because to do so would have taken a page or two just “It was one of the only direct-market issues I can to list all involved in its creation. think of where they allowed returns,” Brown says.

“I took the project on because I thought it “One look was all it took, and it was clear no one would be fun,” Skeates says. “I didn’t realize how would want it.” much fun.”

The book also created an unexpected side effect: According to Nocenti, some writers, editors, and JOE RAUCH is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared artists were now stopped in the street and recognized in The Atlantic Online, Reuters, and The Atlanta Business Chronicle. He was named an Atlanta Press Club Journalist of by fans for the first time. the Year in 2008. He lives in Charlotte.

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by

Robert Greenberger

By the late 1960s, fans were champing at the bit to get their foot in the door and produce work for the comics they loved reading and collecting.

Some got lucky when Charlton Comics had a contest and writers Roy Thomas and Dave Kaler made their first professional sales. Others were invited by editors Mort Weisinger and Julius Schwartz to pitch stories, and letterhacks Cary Bates and Mike Friedrich made the leap to from fan to professional.

In 1968, newly arrived DC Comics editor Joe Orlando revamped House of Mystery, while down the hall, Dick Giordano, fresh from Charlton, launched The Witching Hour. Initially, Joe and Dick used existing talent, but within a year they began to feature newcomers including Marv Wolfman, Gerry Conway, and Bernie Wrightson. Together, they opened the doors for a new generation of talent.

During the 1970s, the anthology titles were where readers would find the first work from newcomers as they learned the ropes. When Joe Kubert established his comic art school, he struck a deal for his students to produce backups for Sgt. Rock, letting even more get a moment in the spotlight. Stephen Bissette, Rick Veitch, Tom Yeates, and Timothy Truman all made their debuts in these short tales.

It should be noted that in 1981, one non-DC tryout book was the George Wildman-edited Charlton Bullseye, which lasted just ten issues. As described in the publisher’s initial press release in 1980, an artist had arrived at the Charlton offices and offered to have them publish his work for free “in hopes of establishing enough pro credits to impress the Big Two.” Inspired, Charlton decided to create a title that would exclusively serve that purpose.

Charlton would publish pro-quality work for free, returning original art after publication and allowing creators to retain copyright to their original characters (while Charlton retained copyrights to any of their characters that were used). Each contributor received 50 comp copies of the issue in which their work appeared.

NEW TALENT SHOWCASE By 1980, though, DC’s anthology titles were featuring regular series (i.e., I …Vampire in House of Mystery and G.I. Robot in Weird War Tales) and it became increasingly difficult for new creative people to find a way in.

Some turned to the rising assortment of independent publishers, while others continued to make the rounds of conventions. As Marv Wolfman recalls all these years later, the notion of a DC title dedicated to fresh faces began with president Jenette Kahn. She tapped Marv to work with the writers and editor Ernie Colón to work with the artists. The two began seeking the talent in conjunction with Sal Amendola, who was on staff working to help Dick Giordano develop new talent.

Wolfman was only a part-time editor and the work grew too much, so he handed off the writing side of

First Shot Courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com), original cover art to New Talent Showcase #1 (Jan. 1984), spotlighting “Forever Amber” by Stan Woch and Rick Magyar.

TM & © DC Comics.

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things to Roger Slifer, who had moved over from marketing to artist and letterer Todd Klein to stretch his writing muscles. In his editorial. By 1983, both Slifer and Colón had left staff, so the work blog, he reminisced, “Also in 1982, at the same time I was working they commissioned was handed off to Karen Berger, who completed on Green Lantern Corps stories, I was invited to submit story ideas for the work underway and began commissioning new material. a new anthology DC was planning as a showcase for new talent, While New Talent Showcase (NTS) is barely remembered today— in fact a book by that very name. There was some grumbling about nor have the stories ever been reprinted—the roster of writers and my appearing in the book: since I was on staff at DC, I was considered artists that stepped into the spotlight there is an impressive one. to have an inside track and an unfair advantage. I can only say that, Among the creators getting their first significant exposure were while that was true, I never felt like I was being given special treatment, talents who would become mainstays across the industry: writers like and I had a great time working on these stories.”

Dark House exec Randy Stradley and Mindy Newell, alongside artists Klein wrote five episodes of “Class of 2064,” with art on the first June Brigman, Graham Nolan, Norm Breyfogle, Karl Kesel, and Eric three by Scott Hampton, which helped kick off the title. Klein was paired Shanower. Sure, many of the others never caught on and far too few with rising star Terry Shoemaker for a two-parter that ran in issues #7–8. are regularly working in the field today, but NTS was also the first title He also tried a new concept, “Arcana!”, for artists Mike Chen and Joe Del ever designed to provide talent a chance to grow and develop.

Beato. While he hoped either series would gain traction and appear The book was initially dubbed “Tyros,” but no one seemed elsewhere, that did not happen, but his grasp of science fiction brought comfortable with that so they dusted off the sturdy Showcase title, him to editor Alan Gold’s attention and a chance to write Omega Men. affixing New Talent in front of it. The series was slow to gel, and despite Among the first to hear of the new series was Mike Tiefenbacher, some people being offered work immediately, it was not until late 1983 then editor of The Comic Reader, who had previously sold a handful before the first issue, cover-dated January 1984, finally debuted. of “Whatever Happened to…?” stories to Julius Schwartz Tucked in those pages a large number of writers, artists, in 1980 and 1981 [see BI #64.]. He was excited at the letterers, and colorists received their first exposure and prospect, moreso when he learned editorial considered used that as a launching pad for careers in the field. him still eligible as a newbie.

Wolfman, Colón, Slifer, and Berger decided that the “When I submitted my proposals in August of 1982, book should feature new creations, so no characters it was for Marv and Ernie Colón, but Roger Slifer from the DC Universe were invited to appear. was the one who bought one of them, ‘Bobcat,’ and Instead, new characters and concepts were introduced let me know in early ’83—by phone,” Tiefenbacher along with the new talent producing them. While explains. “By the time the art had been assigned to some creators graduated to other titles, the features Stan Woch, Karen Berger had taken over. She sent that debuted in NTS were never seen again. me Xeroxes of the story and I spoke to her on the The opportunity to pitch stories was extended phone about it a short time later, since I’d requested to non-editorial staffers, which allowed production that Stan and inker Karl Kesel contribute a Bobcat cover for TCR as promotion, and Stan had asked mike tiefenbacher her to ask me how much we paid (nothing, as it turned out). I also pitched the next Bobcat story (that appeared in #13), which she okayed (though I did send a written version of the proposal immediately thereafter, along with two more Bobcat stories which were never published).”

Interestingly, Rich Margopolous was a seasoned pro, having been writing for the Warren magazines since 1971. Still, he somehow qualified as “new” talent and wrote the first issue’s opening series, “Forever Amber,” which was illustrated by Stan Woch and Rick Magyar, both of whom went on to lengthy runs at DC, while the writer never caught on. He did, though, gravitate to a lengthy run writing Archie tales.

Meanwhile, Kubert School alumni were scattered across the DC line of super-stars by this point, so only a few arrived via the new title. Among them was Tom Mandrake, who actually first appeared in Rock but shone with his longtime friend L. B. Kellogg with “Skydogs,” a pirate tale.

NEW TALENT SHOWCASE #1 That first issue demonstrated the success the editors had in finding talent on the cusp of readiness. In addition to Mandrake, Klein, Hampton, Woch, and Magyar, it also gave production artist-turnedbudding colorist Helen Vesik her first taste of the limelight. Tod Smith is also in that first issue, although he was developed at the same time but first hired to illustrate Masters of the Universe commercial comics from Joe Orlando’s special projects department. His “Rock of Ages” here may have been commissioned first.

In Comics Interview #7, Smith explained that he’d met Giordano at one of the latter’s art workshops. Smith worked periodically as one of Giordano’s legion of assistants and did a year’s work for Frank McLaughlin and Mike DeCarlo. It was Giordano who had Smith

“Class Trip” Explosive original art page from NTS #1’s “Class of 2064” feature, written by Todd Klein and illo’ed by then-newcomer Scott Hampton. Courtesy of Heritage.

TM & © DC Comics.

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pitch for Omega Men when Keith Giffen left the book.

Consequently, Smith was on his fourth issue of that title (#10) by the time NTS #1 appeared.

There’s certainly some overlap and confusion 30 years later as to who did what and when things happened, but it was clear that Amendola was actively involved in vetting newcomers. He received, for example, samples from 23-year-old art director and fan Steve Lightle.

“Although I was earning a living at art, I felt that I’d left something unfinished,” Lightle says. “So I sent samples of my art to DC Comics, and was surprised to find that Mr. Amendola was interested in my contributing to a book that they intended to call Tyros. That later became New Talent Showcase. Both Sal, and later, Karen Berger, were very encouraging, assuring me that DC would provide me with as much work as I could handle.”

Lightle went almost immediately from this title to others, telling one interviewer, “At that point Len Wein came along with a fill-in issue of Batman and the Outsiders. Suddenly it was like a rollercoaster ride. I was offered All-Star Squadron and did a couple of issues of World’s Finest, and before my head stopped spinning I was replacing Keith Giffen on The Legion of Super-Heroes.”

“And started writing…”

That effort was noticed by Amendola, who shared it with Berger, and they both liked her style and approach.

He called Newell to chat and Berger followed with an invitation to come in for a meeting. “Karen sent me home with a stack of old comic scripts to ‘study,’ and with instructions to take a swack at it (my words, not hers),” Newell says. “I went back into DC, and Karen thought it wasn’t bad for a newbie effort; she sent me home with lots of encouragement and editorial advice for ‘fine-tuning’ the script. I think it took me three tries before Karen and I were both satisfied.”

Newell was partnered with fashion artist Mark Beachum, who had a promising career before he stopped taking direction and making deadlines. Newell still fondly recalls his early art: “Seeing Mark’s work really made everything come alive. It was inspiring. It was Mark’s drawings that really kicked me into high gear and turned my third run at the script into something real and solid and publishable.”

Future Fan Favorite New Talent Showcase #4 (Apr. 1984), featuring “Ekko,” illustrated by Steve Lightle, who would soon garner attention as the artist of Legion of Super-Heroes and Doom Patrol. Cover inks by Gary Martin.

TM & © DC Comics.

HELLO, NURSE! In the ramp up to the title’s launch, steve lightle recently promoted executive editor Dick Giordano penned a “Meanwhile” column on the subject, inviting a fresh wave of submissions. Among those reading the announcement was a nurse in New Jersey.

“In 1983, I was working in the OR at a ‘great metropolitan hospital of a major American city,’ ” Mindy Newell recalls. “It was an ordinary day, nothing unusual.

Lunchtime came, and, not having anything to read while I ate, I went down to the hospitality shop, thinking I would pick up a magazine or maybe a paperback. None of the magazines or books was really catching my interest, when out of the corner of my left eye I noticed a rack.

“A rack of comic books. I mean, it was a veritable cornucopia of all my old favorites! I couldn’t believe it.

Why hadn’t I ever noticed them before?

“A few days later, it was a Sunday, an absolutely dank, cold, rainy, miserable day,” Newell continues. “My daughter was out with the grandparents, I’d read the Sunday New York Times and finished the crossword puzzle, it’s not football season so there’s no game to watch, and there’s not one good movie on the television. I’d walked my dog, and I didn’t need to go food shopping.

“And then something clicked in my bored-outof-my mind. I went into the bedroom and rummaged through the pile of comics on the floor next to my bed, and pulled out Action. I flipped to the editorial column by the late, dearly loved and missed, great, and talented Dick Giordano, and reread the bit about DC Comics’ New Talent Program.

“The rules are: (1) Use of any of DC’s characters is verboten, i.e., ‘Let’s see what you’ve got’; (2) Don’t write a whole story, just a synopsis with brief bios of the main character(s); and (3) Think outside the box.

And good luck!

“I found some typewriting paper in a drawer. I pulled my old portable manual out from underneath my bed.

I prayed that the ribbon was still good. I rolled in the paper in. Set the margins.

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Talent Shift (top) Jim Fern’s cover to #15 (Mar. 1985), the last issue to be called New Talent Showcase. (bottom) Stan Woch’s original cover art (courtesy of Heritage) for issue #17 of the rebranded Talent Showcase.

TM & © DC Comics.

Dennis Yee also read the “Meanwhile” announcement, having recently gotten back into the habit of reading comics. “I didn’t want to send in just a few pinup drawings as samples,” he recalls.

“I did a little homework and found out that the editors really wanted to see how you told a story. I wrote and penciled a Supergirl story and sent it in. A few weeks later, Sal Amendola called me personally.

“On my own, I drew up another short story, this time with Superman,” Yee continues. “I assume Sal showed it to Julius Schwartz, who agreed to use it for Action Comics. I had a few conversations with [Superman editor] Julius Schwartz.

They didn’t think my work was quite pro level yet, so they had Paul Kupperberg dialogue it and Irv Novick re-pencil it over my layouts.”

Yee went on to work with Amendola developing “Desperadoes,” describing it as “trying to combine conventional superhero action and adventure within my own social context and my own ethnic/multicultural/pluralistic concerns. I worked alone in California and sent it in. I subscribed more to ‘auteur’ method (at least as far as penciling and writing are concerned).

I got asked to make numerous changes, which I was okay with since the editors were the pros.

“Jim Fern did a great job on the cover.

Malcolm Jones stayed fairly faithful to my pencils on the interior story.” Despite getting a jump on it, the story didn’t seem to interest Berger, who sat on it until handing the book over to Amendola.

“I got involved with NTS before Mike Friedrich started representing me,” artist Norm Breyfogle remembers. “I was attending the San Diego Con in 1983 and ’84 and showed my work in the art exhibits, and I was also dennis yee sending samples of my work to DC Comics in New York. Before one of the San Diego Cons (probably ’85’s), I must’ve been contacted by Sal Amendola (who was heading the new talent outreach program—or whatever it was called—and whose duties included his being editor of NTS), and I was invited to a NTS seminar at the San Diego Con. It was shortly after that, that I received some assignments for the title New Talent Showcase.

“After all these years I can still remember my elation in being asked to draw for NTS, and for DC Comics,” Breyfogle says.

“I’d had that ambition for a long time already at that point, and it seemed it was actually starting to come true!”

For the clean-cut Iowa-born artist, the transition from fan to pro was quick and head-spinning. Norm recalls, “When, during the NTS seminar in 1984, Sal Amendola heard that I was going to exhibit my work in the amateur art exhibit, he told me to instead call myself a professional and enter the professional exhibit (in which I ended up winning a Second Place behind the artist Jean ‘Moebius’ Giraud’s First Place). I’d not considered myself professional because I’d not yet been published on a national level.

“I remember when I came downstairs after a night of sleep in the hotel at which the NTS seminar was to be held, and Sal and the other ‘new talents’ saw me for the first time. Sal (I think) commented on how ‘clean-cut’ I looked. I was such a sensitive, inexperienced young guy that I didn’t know how to respond and I was afraid that I’d been subtly insulted.”

For many, their talent was quickly recognized and they were offered work across the DC line. Breyfogle was an exception, going from the title to securing an agent and work elsewhere.

“I’d had the three or so stories of my art published in NTS, and I was attending the San Diego Con in ’85 when Mike Friedrich saw my work in the con’s art exhibit,” Breyfogle says. “He contacted me about a month or two later and started representing me, and that’s when I got my first First Comics job.” Breyfogle went on to work on Howard Chaykin’s American Flagg! before eventually returning to DC and becoming its premiere Batman artist.

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working in a typesetting shop, and dropping off samples at Marvel THE DOOR OPENS FOR SOME… As New Talent Showcase was percolating, DC was also trying its bold and DC,” Kesel recalls. “Sal gave me a call. I think we met and he gave “hardcover/softcover” experiment starting with New Teen Titans and me some pointers and very quickly he handed me off to Karen.

“Karen pretty much gave me Feral Man, then Bobcat, which was Legion of Super-Heroes. For the plan to work, DC needed new art teams for one year’s worth of concurrently published newsstand and direct- written by Mike Tiefenbacher. Originally, June Brigman pencilled the sales-only versions of both titles before the newsstand editions would first Feral Man, and Rick Magyar inked it before I came on. It seemed like for a while Rick was one step ahead of me on a lot of things. begin reprinting the stories from the direct titles. The doublingRick got work on a real monthly book, Arak: Son of Thunder, up also placed a strain on Legion scribe Paul Levitz’s writing over Ron Randall. Since I knew Ron from the Kubert schedule since he still had his day job as DC’s managerSchool, I used his work for some of my samples.” business affairs. Since Berger was editing both NTS and Kesel speculates that by the time he began on Legion, she took full advantage of the farm system.

New Talent Showcase, Berger was already thinking She first tapped Terry Shoemaker, whose work was about the artistic needs for the hardcover/softcover definitely in the classic Superman artist Curt Swan Legion. Therefore, he thinks he was assigned Terry vein, to pick up the newsstand-released Tales of the Shoemaker’s story to ink to see how well they Legion, while Keith Giffen remained on the Baxtermeshed. At much the same time, he was also tasked paper, direct-sales Legion. When Giffen burned out, to ink Giffen on Legion of Super-Heroes #311. All told, Berger turned to Lightle. And when Levitz needed some he earned his ticket to the 30th Century. He help, Mindy Newell came to mind. Newell says, “John worked steadily on Legion, and much as Newell was Higgins once told me that I wrote characters ‘like a entrusted with Amethyst, so was Kesel as its inker.

Brit,’ and that I had more fans in Great Britain than I norm breyfogle Ever the perfectionist, Kesel was more critical did in the States. I think what he meant is that the Portrait by Michael Netzer. than elated when he received the first printed British writers who came over here (Alan Moore, Neil copies of his work. “It was very exciting to be Gaiman, Jamie Delano) during this period had an ear (still do, of course!) for how people talk, that the dialogue was very natural while still capable working, but I was very disappointed with my inks in print. What looks good on the original page looked different on the printed page— of moving the story forward. It was a great compliment.

“And it’s true, everyone did, and has always, commented on my the lines looked clunky to my tastes, nice and smooth on the originals. dialogue (which, I have to say, will be my strong suit. My plotting basically I went through a long period where I scrutinized my work and adjusted so it would print better. sucks). It was that talent that really opened doors for me, I think.”

“I did have a few talks with Dick [Giordano],” Kesel says. “Mostly he Newell so impressed the Legion team that Giffen asked her to contribute to the miniseries Legionnaires Three and new, ongoing talked about spotting blacks, separating out planes, which is essential Amethyst. Newell went on to dialogue George Pérez’s Wonder Woman and work with me on the Lois Lane miniseries.

Another newcomer tapped for the future was inker Karl Kesel, who broke in the traditional way: submitting his portfolio. A friend at college told Kesel he really liked his ink line, which stuck with him, so he concentrated on breaking in as an inker. “I was living in New York,

Schwartz and Mindy (left) Too bad Mindy Newell wasn’t posing with Julius Schwartz’s Superman editorial predecessor Mort Weisinger—a “Mort and Mindy” caption header would’ve been fun to write! Photo from the 1988 Chicago Con, courtesy of Ms. Newell. (right) Mindy’s “Jenesis,” from NTS #9. Cover by Mark Beachum.

TM & © DC Comics.

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Fanzine Spotlight New Talent Showcase’s Bobcat, featured in The Comic Reader #217 (Apr. 1984).

Cover art by Stan Woch and Karl Kesel.

Bobcat TM & © DC Comics.

The Comic Reader © 1984 Street Enterprises.

Tiefenbacher says. “Several months after the first NTS story ran, I did finally make another sale—which at the time, I thought was actually two sales. The first was what eventually turned into the one-shot Funny Stuff Stocking Stuffer with my friends Jim Engel and Chuck Fiala, reviving and revising the DC funny-animal characters Dodo and the Frog, the Raccoon Kids, and Nutsy Squirrel (more in emulation of the Warner Bros. motif than the Paramount kids versions of the ’40s and ’50s), in which I made my DC debut as an artist on 14 pages of the giant-size issue (drawing Nutsy Squirrel and Sheldon Mayer’s Doodles Duck stories) as well as cowriting the whole thing (at least in its original version).

“I was also given to understand that they were buying my proposal for a Captain Comet four-issue miniseries, which fully acknowledged that hero’s Strange Adventures stories for the first time and re-established him as a contemporary character. A couple of months later, when I hadn’t heard anything further, what I’d been told was suddenly rescinded by Dick Giordano, who reversed his opinion of the story (he just didn’t like the character, he said), though I’d already written all the then-current editorial staff to make sure that nobody contradicted the ‘facts’ I was establishing in my series by using the characters in other stories before mine went to print. We were promised that there would be a follow-up Funny Stuff series as part of DC’s planned kids line in 1985 [see BACK ISSUE #57 for details], but none of the half-dozen books ever made it to the stands.”

Similarly, Yee experienced the highs of those first sales followed almost immediately by the lows of getting little work from DC’s editors. “Sal tried to get other editors to give me work, but he didn’t get much cooperation,” Yee says. “All my published work was script and pencils. I did another story for the last issue of NTS and two stories for Elvira’s House of Mystery. I recall Ed Hannigan calling me up later.

He had looked at a story of mine in inventory and pondered what he would do with it.” And just like that, Yee’s time at DC was over.

The lengthy gestation period and multiple editorial hands meant that some of the “new” talent actually wound up seeing their first work in print prior to their earliest output. For example, Mark Beachum was scouted for the program while his work caught editor Alan Gold’s attention and he was put to work on a Wonder Woman fill-in, much as Shawn to know. I studied the originals McManus was tapped by Len Wein compared to the printed page, for the Green Arrow feature in learning those things. When Karen Detective Comics. Wein also grabbed saw I needed work or help, she Dan Day for a different issue’s would send me to Dick. It felt like Batman lead, replacing Dan’s brother I was being sent to the principal’s Gene, who tragically died shortly before. office, but I think she was pushing Berger (in HOM #318’s I…Vampire me to do better. That experience story) and Wein (in Saga of the colored the rest of my career.”

Swamp Thing #20, Alan Moore’s first karl kesel story) used Dan for other fill-ins …AND CLOSES FOR OTHERS before NTS launched.

Not everyone was so lucky.

Others, such as the Kubert School students, really Tiefenbacher, for example, thought the doors had reopened for him, but the changing editorial status saw their early work in the war titles before moving to the superhero realm. Ron Randall was one of those, quo in the wake of Crisis on Infinite Earths took its toll.

“I did submit a subsequent Superman/Green Arrow who had numerous credits and managed to get work story proposal for DC Comics Presents (which had originally on Warlord while co-creating Conqueror of the Barren been intended for World’s Finest, but was told that the Earth with writer Gary Cohn long before his New Talent plot no longer fit the prevailing version of Batman) first story saw print. Graham Nolan’s school assignments which went nowhere, and the title itself was discontinued so impressed his instructor, Amendola, that two of them when Crisis changed everything shortly thereafter,” were purchased for use when he took over editing the

70 • BACK ISSUE • Tryouts, One-Shots, and One-Hit Wonders Issue

title. Nolan didn’t really get to show his writing skills again until he launched the amusing Sunshine State webcomic in 2010.

Inker Gary Martin had already sold to Jack C. Harris’ anthologies before getting exposed in NTS, as writer Steve Ringgenberg leapt from fanzines to House of Mystery before working on the project.

Several also displayed attributes they are no longer best known for, including Graham Nolan writing and inking his maiden effort, and Eric Shanower starting as a letterer before becoming the powerhouse storyteller he is today. Shanower was first hired at First Comics to letter Warp and Starslayer before getting to pencil in NTS and letter Randall’s Conqueror of the Barren Earth miniseries.

Still others got work at other companies between submitting their samples to DC and their New Talent stories seeing print, and among those were artists Gary Kwapisz and Geoff Isherwood.

Dennis Yee recalls, “A couple of people did get steady work, most notably Norm Breyfogle. I did some work for smaller publishers, but nothing else for DC. So if the intent of the program was to train, develop, and channel new talent into DC, then no, it wasn’t a success. But I do admit, I wasn’t polished enough for pro work and there were plenty of other artists looking for work who were already pretty experienced.”

On the other hand, it did help people get published and noticed going on to thrive in other fields long after the comic-book world turned them down. Writer Philip Clarke, Jr. couldn’t get arrested as he trolled the DC halls, and has since gone on to a career as a successful independent filmmaker.

New Talent Showcase initially was 32 pages without advertising, and Roger Slifer was credited with editing the first three. Karen Berger ran with it from issue #4 through 14 while the book shifted to 48 pages, with ads, after #6. The cover template showed images from the contents and the inside covers let Berger write profiles of tomorrow’s stars.

Sal Amendola, no fan of superheroes, took over the title, sharing credit for a few issues. However, it was decided to change the focus, continuing to let newcomers get exposure but now partnering them with veterans. The book was rebranded Talent Showcase (TS) with issue #16 (Apr. 1985), and Amendola went with artistic cover images that demonstrated his keen interest in design.

Suddenly, Golden Age talents like Tex Blaisdell, Henry Boltinoff, and Creig Flessel were working alongside newcomers.

Inventory was clearly being worked through, with few recurring characters introduced this late in the run. An exception was Yee’s Desperadoes, which at 23 and 24 pages, took up the bulk of two issues.

Sales were never strong and the demand for new talent having largely been met, the oddball title finally came its end in 1985. Bringing things full circle, Talent Showcase #19 (Oct. 1985) morphed into the Amendola-edited Elvira’s House of Mystery, where he helmed the first half-dozen issues before Ed Hannigan joined staff as cover editor and edited issues #7–11 and a final Special, once again leaving DC with a horror book as its primary venue for newcomers. Elvira followed the pattern of Amendola’s last TS issues by mixing established pros with newcomers. Some of the stories were actually leftovers from the old mystery books that were canceled in the early 1980s.

BONUS BOOKS In 1987, though, there was fresh talk of needing to find places to try out newcomers. By then, the company had been successfully adding 16-page “Bonus Books” to tease new titles for much of the decade.

A total of ten ran from 1980–1984, but Bonus Books were also used for advertising-based custom comics such as the Radio Shack stories.

Someone decided that it made sense to just add one with new talent spread around the entire line. Each editor was given a shot to find and develop talent, but unlike its predecessor program, they would feature characters related to the host book.

These wisely named Bonus Books were coordinated with input from the marketing department over which books could sustain the extra costs since the inserts wouldn’t affect the cover price.

The program kicked off with Action Comics #599 (Apr. 1988) featuring Jimmy Olsen, from writer Joe Calchi and artists Britt Wisenbaker and James Scott. (Interestingly, two months later, the title evolved into Action Comics Weekly, which also put tyros to work … but that’s an article for another issue.)

On a ratio basis, New Talent Showcase generated a higher percentage of talent who had long careers in the field, but the Bonus Books also introduced us to several who also went on to fame and more than a little fortune. While those first creators vanished overnight, the second Bonus Book, in Flash #12 (May 1988), gave us penciler Gordon Purcell, who jumped from there to working with me on Star Trek and continues drawing to this day. Inkers Tim Dzon, Jeff Albrecht, Jerry Acerno, and Denis Rodier all found steady work for the next decade or so. Others, such as Jim Balent, hung on the outskirts until finally finding steady work; in his case it was five years before he was invited into the Batcave as the artist of Catwoman.

Closed Shop (right) Dan Adkins’ pencil-toned cover art for Talent Showcase’s last issue, #19 (Oct. 1985). Courtesy of Heritage. (inset) The printed cover to TS #19.

TM & © DC Comics.

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A Warlord Bonus Very early Rob Liefeld pencils, from “Growing Pains” starring Jennifer Morgan, a.k.a. Bonus Book #6. From The Warlord #131 (Sept. 1988). Script

by Steve Wilson, inks by Jeff Albrecht, and colors by Danny Vozzo.

TM & © DC Comics.

The most interesting people to come from the program were artists Rob Liefeld and Dean Haspiel.

From April 1988 through February 1989 and of those 13 BB titles, I was personally involved with three of them. In Liefeld’s case, he was discovered by my officemate, Jonathan Peterson, who was scrambling to find something for him to do. I had the Warlord Bonus Book slot coming up, so to keep Rob from finding work at our rival, I tapped him for that.

The writer was Steve H. Wilson, who has since gone on to a fine career as a prose writer and publisher. He tells BACK ISSUE, “It was at Baltimore’s Clippercon IV in 1987.

Marion McChesney (the con’s founder and chair) knew I wanted to break into writing, so she made a point of putting me in proximity of the professionals who attended the con.

I was seated at the opening banquet with you so I could do my best sales pitch, which was pretty lame. I think I said, ‘So, Bob, I want to write comics.’

You asked if I could write a story with a beginning, middle, and end. I got home from the con, immediately hammered out my story pitches, and sent them to you. As I recall, your answering letter said something like, ‘Wow, you were serious about this!’ You critiqued the plots, but observed that, yes, I could do the Beginning-Middle-End thing. And then you told me about the Bonus Book program.”

His pitches were for books I wasn’t controlling, so I tossed Warlord his way, despite his never having read it.

Still, he studied Skartaris and went to work on pitches. “I didn’t know the landscape at all,” Wilson says. “I was excited when I learned that Power Girl was a recurring character.

I went out and grabbed the Secret Origins issue with her new history, and I’m pretty sure I submitted a PGcentric plot. You [Bob Greenberger] rejected that, because she was leaving the book. Doing a Home Alone riff as I did was your [Bob’s] idea. Jennifer was regent of Shamballah while Morgan was away on a quest, so you suggested I show some of the perils of being a steve h. wilson very young woman (albeit a sorceress) in charge of running a town. From there, I think it was pretty smooth sailing. You did send back my first draft, which was all nine-panel grids, and tell me to make it more the traditional five-or-six-panel design. I had just read Watchmen and thought that was the new way to do comics. After all, why not imitate the best? You told me that Watchmen was Watchmen and this wasn’t. But the changes were pretty easy to handle.

I’ve never been a writer who’s offended by requests for change. I just figure it’s part of the process.”

Liefeld was excited because he got to draw a pretty girl and some magic and mayhem, and Albrecht brought some tight ink lines to the pages making for a cleaner look than Rob is known for today. He was also in need of art direction, which was our toughest battle with him, even later when he worked with editor Mike Carlin on Hawk & Dove.

“I was disappointed with one panel, and I think it just comes down to a difference in storytelling styles between Rob and me,” Wilson adds. “The last shot in the story was supposed to be a large panel of Jennifer, trying to sleep, wishing she could clutch her teddy bear as she had when she was a little girl, as I believe we’d seen her do earlier in the story in a flashback. The whole point was that her attempt to save child from the streets paralleled her attempts as a little girl to rescue a stray kitten. I wanted that closing moment to be panned in as a closeup, showing how devastated she was by the death of the child. Something wrenching and beautiful, a chance for an artist to do a real mood piece. Instead we got a single, aerial shot of a woman in a bed, stiff as a board, that you can’t even tell is Jennifer, much less a devastated Jennifer. I thought it weakened the ending.

“But, to be fair to Rob, I probably didn’t bring all that out as well as I could have, and he probably thought there was emotional power in showing how small and insignificant Jen was in the big world.”

After the first seven or so stories, it was decided that Joey Cavalieri, then working for Joe Orlando’s special projects department, would coordinate the talent under Joe’s watch. We’d still pick the teams but he’d do the handson editing. So, even though I assigned the Bronze Tiger story in Suicide Squad to writer Larry Ganem and artist Peter Krause, I didn’t get to work as closely with them.

72 • BACK ISSUE • Tryouts, One-Shots, and One-Hit Wonders Issue

From this second round came repeaters such as Acerno on inks and Calchi back to write the Atom story for Balent. Haspiel went from assisting Howard Chaykin to drawing a Batman tale in Detective Comics and was asked back to Justice League International for the final Bonus Book, this time inking himself. Haspiel has gone on to an award-winning career as a writer/artist and webcomics pioneer. It should also be noted Krause has recently been doing his own pioneering with Mark Waid on Irredeemable at Thrillbent.com. Meantime, Haspiel’s first writer was Mark Askwith, who had founded Canada’s famed Silver Snail chain of comics shops at the same time, and later returned to DC to write The Prisoner with Dean Motter.

While Kevin Dooley and Rob Simpson eventually went from new talent to editorial staff, the Bonus Books introduced DC to Ganem, now working for talent administration, and Hank Kanalz is currently DC’s senior vice president of Vertigo and integrated publishing. (DC declined our request to interview Ganem and Kanalz about their earliest experiences with the company.) Along with writers and artists, the Bonus Books also gave the first recorded pro sales to colorists Daniel Vozzo (Wonder Woman #18) and Glenn Whitmore (Flash #12). [Editor’s note: Glenn, of course, colors most of BACK ISSUE’s covers, including this issue’s magical Arthur Adams one!]

The Flash Bonus Book deserves special mention, not only because it was far and away the best and most charming of them all but because it was the sole

installment that had any impact on DC’s ongoing mythology. While the new Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys didn’t catch on, they did receive an entry in Who’s Who ’88 #2. And the story was the culmination of Dr. Light’s transition to a laughingstock, its final panels (where he writes a letter to Amanda Waller) setting up his entrance into Suicide Squad six months later.

After the program faded away in a cost-cutting measure, the quest for places to try newcomers became the never-quite-solved conundrum. In the end, it received more lip service than it actually put things into practice.

As a result, for the last 20-plus years, breaking in to DC has grown increasingly difficult. There was, of course, the digital comics line Zuda, which catered to a specific type of creator and audience, but it never worked as a feeder to the mainline books and characters.

Still, there’s a certain pleasure you can take in looking back at these early efforts, recalling that thrill of discovery when you see someone with honest talent and knowing they are destined for a bright future.

Light Fever (left) An unused cover rough by Gordon Purcell from the Doctor Light Bonus Book. (right) Original art for the cover that was actually published, with Purcell inked

by Timothy Dzon.

This Bonus Book appeared in Flash #12 (May 1988).

TM & © DC Comics.

ROBERT GREENBERGER is a former editor and executive at DC Comics and Marvel Comics. Now a freelance writer, he continues to write fiction and nonfiction books while providing reviews at ComicMix.com. For more, see www.bobgreenberger.com.

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This Spider-Man and Sasquatch vs. the Juggernaut pencil commission by artist Geof Isherwood, from the collection of Mike Cross, was kindly submitted to us for publication in our Team-Ups issue, BI #66, but space limitations did not allow its publication there. Since this “Back Talk” features letters about #66, allow us to share Mr. Cross’ contribution below…

In regard to the latest issue, #66, I was disappointed to read Terry Austin’s letter in the letters column, expressing his frustration with incorrect credits for the background imagery in the Superman vs.

Amazing Spider-Man Treasury. As a self-described “expert” on defining comic-book artwork credits (well, I like to think so anyway), I can tell you that Terry’s work is absolutely unmistakable on that book. To consider that anyone else might have produced those backgrounds would be laughable. One thing that you can say about Terry’s work is that no one, in the history of comics, inks like Terry Austin. That super-fine and crisp, detailed line is absolutely one-of-a-kind. I can still remember reading Superman/Spider-Man the first time and literally pausing as I flipped through the comic, noting that those backgrounds were spectacular, but not indicative of what Dick Giordano normally produced. Dick G. was the master of the implied line, while Terry’s work was deliberate and fully rendered, much like an architectural image. Those backgrounds literally made the book, as enlarging the artwork to that larger size meant that things like the background images suddenly became a lot more obvious to the reader and much more a part of the story. They gave the book its “panoramic” feeling. It was also obvious that Neal Adams had inked some of the figures, something that I heard that he did often when jobs hung around at Continuity.

At the time, I also remember noting Terry’s backgrounds on other artists, such as Tex Blaisdell’s heavy-handed inking of Curt Swan. Blaisdell was not an inker that I cared for, but with Terry’s

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Superman TM & © DC Comics. Spider-Man TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

backgrounds (and Bob Wiacek’s at times), those Superman stories just looked sharper and more interesting.

Years later, when reading Neal Adams’ Superman vs. Muhammad Ali Treasury, I noted immediately that Terry had produced the inks on the backgrounds of that book—literally from the moment that I opened the pages. I was very familiar with his fan work in the science-fiction fanzines, and knew that he worked at Continuity at the time, so the connection seemed obvious to me. Again, the backgrounds in that book were just stunning, bringing Neal’s amazing pages (still his best work to date, in my humble opinion) to a new level.

Terry should be proud of those jobs so I can understand why it frustrates him so to read that others might have done the work instead. All I can offer to him is the thought that there is simply no one else that could have produced background art that looked that terrific. We all know that it was your work, Terry!

In regard to issue #61, your terrific issue devoted to the Treasury Editions at DC, I had some additional information that I thought that I would share with you. At the time of the production of the Superman vs. Wonder Woman treasury, I was a good friend of artist Don Newton, who was, in turn, a friend of inker Dan Adkins. Adkins had lived in Arizona for a while before he moved back east to Reading, Pennsylvania, and Don and he talked almost daily on the telephone, to share industry gossip and to gripe about current assignments, etc. When Adkins was working on the [José Luis] García-López pages for this book, I can remember listening in on a conversation between the two of them about the Treasury book, in which Adkins was expressing concern with the deadlines. His main reason for concern was that García-López, after completing full pencils on the first 20 pages or so, had become very ill. For some reason, I even remember that he might have been in the hospital for a short stay. Because of that, the later-number pages that reached Adkins were very much just rough layouts, and Adkins therefore had to do full finishes on the work. If you look at a number of the panels, the normally crisp and detailed García-López artwork seems less so, and you can see a clear emergence of the more organic Adkins shading and drawing style in a lot of the faces, especially in the FDR and Einstein facial renderings. My full memory of that book was that Adkins put a lot of extra work into it, much more so than a normal ink job for him. Part of that memory is him griping about the project “landing in his lap” and therefore being in deadline hell. In the end, the book turned out well for everyone, but I just thought it was worth noting Dan’s extra and somewhat uncredited work.

Keep up the great work—BACK ISSUE is better than ever!

– Jay Willson Jay, we appreciate that—and your behind-the-scenes story about Superman vs. Wonder Woman.

Re Mr. Austin’s letter in BI #66, our friend Terry has this to add…

THE FINAL WORD ON SUPERMAN VS. SPIDER-MAN I was contacted by a decidedly upset Joe Rubenstein following my latest letter printed in BACK ISSUE #66 attempting to set the record straight once and for all concerning who inked the backgrounds on the first Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man book. Following a few emails we traded, I agreed to send along a short note to clarify what I thought was clear in that earlier missive but in hindsight may not have been as clear as I first thought—mainly that it was my own paranoia at the time as a rather naïve kid from the Midwest who, having left the comfort of home and parents behind for the first time and finding himself with his first real job at Continuity Associates in the decidedly alien environs of New York City, interpreted Joe’s seeming hostility toward me as jealousy (he will admit to being “grumpy” and “abrasive” due to other personal circumstances that are his alone to share if he ever sees fit), and that led me to believe that I had to safeguard the Superman/Spider-Man pages from him in case he decided to do something with them to get me fired.

I’d like to emphasize that at no time did Josef ever threaten or

make any attempt to actually do so. I apologized to Josef in private if that was the impression that I gave in my earlier letter and it seems only right that I do so in public as well…

In the hindsight of maturity, no, I don’t think that he would have done anything to try to get me booted off the project, but as a scared kid who was alone for the first time in his life in a strange and sometimes overwhelming environment, I can see how that guy might have thought that. And did.

– Terry Austin

LARSEN-OUS BEHAVIOR? I just picked up #66, which has proven a great read. I have to say, the cover was a bit surprising. I know it is by Gil Kane [penciler] and Terry Austin [inker], but if you hadn’t credited it, I honestly would have thought it was Erik Larsen. I mean, can you blame me?

One thing I would like to mention, which happily did not pop up much in this issue, but I had noticed, for example. In issue #61, in several of the articles, the entire story was given out for stuff that was just on the cusp on being reprinted. I am thinking specifically of the Superman vs. Shazam! and Superman vs. Wonder Woman tabloids.

I know both came out several decades ago but I didn’t get a chance to read either until the reprints, so when I started reading the articles on both I had to hold off to not ruin the experience for myself.

I don’t want to come off as a jerk, but is there any possibility when discussing subjects like that, an overview of the story as opposed to a scene-by-scene breakdown could be given? It shouldn’t interrupt the creative casts’ input on their memories and would still allow a bit of a surprise for someone who hasn’t read the material.

Finally, I have to agree with you on the Haney Brave and the Bold stories, and it was one of the reasons I picked up the Showcase Presents editions (I really wish they came out with a non-Batman team-up editions with things like the Green Arrow/Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman/Supergirl, and Flash/Spectre teamings).

Thanks again for another great issue.

– John Moret John, you’re right—our articles shouldn’t reveal “spoilers” about their stories’ content, even when discussing material published way back when. And now that so much Bronze Age material is being reprinted, it’s even more important to avoid spoiling story details; first-time readers (or longtime readers with fuzzy memories) should enjoy and be surprised by these tales. Some of our recent articles have veered from this, and we’ll try to do better with our future ones.

TRUE-IN-ONE BACK ISSUE #66 is one of the most fun editions to date. I particularly enjoyed Jamie Ewbank’s article on Marvel Two-in-One. It was exhaustively researched, comprehensive, and a lively read. It’s tricky for someone to write an article on a series you know well and still make it sound new and interesting, and Jamie managed it. He also seemed to cover the entire series in one article: no mean feat! I’m still reading the edition—I always start with the Marvel articles— and now beginning the DC ones. I’ve zero emotional ties to DC, I admit, but it’s still enjoyable. Nice job, guys! Bonuses all round!

– Robert Menzies via Facebook

THE BRONZE AGE DC/MARVEL CROSSOVER YOU DIDN’T SEE Bronze Age readers remember DC and Marvel characters sharing space in ads for Mego figures and Power Records; comics fans of the mid- to late 1960s also recall DC’s house ads promoting Ideal Toys’ Captain Action figure and his superhero costumes including Batman and Spider-Man (as well as Green Hornet, the Phantom, and other heroes).

But as Roy Thomas, P.C. Hamerlinck, and Ilke Hincer recently brought to my attention, in 1977 World Color Press—which for decades was the industry’s chief vendor for printing comic books— produced a commemorative one-shot publication drawn by Joe Kubert (and his associates). On the next page is its cover, featuring not only some of our favorite JLAers and Avengers but also some other companies’ characters. Truly, this is one of the Bronze Age’s most bizarre comics!

76 • BACK ISSUE • Tryouts, One-Shots, and One-Hit Wonders Issue

Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Hawkman © DC. Spider-Man, Captain America, Thor, and Howard the Duck © Marvel.

Archie and Jughead © Archie Comics. Casper © Harvey Entertainment. Tarzan © ERB.

Steve, we share your appreciation of Ron Wilson’s art. BI has featured Ron in our pages several times and undoubtedly will do so again.

X-MEN/TITANS I loved the last BACK ISSUE, but felt … iffy about the X-Men/Teen Titans article. It seemed like a play-by-play recap about facial expressions.

I’d love more in-depth coverage about this landmark issue someday.

– Todd Weber via Facebook Since BACK ISSUE began over ten years ago, while maintaining editorial consistency I’ve allowed different writers’ “voices” to help us chronicle comic-book history. Jonathan Brown’s “X-Titans” article offered more of an artistic analysis of this legendary one-shot than a behind-the-scenes exploration, hence its “Off My Chest” department header.

Question for our readers: Do you like mixing things up from time to time, or do you prefer the traditional retrospective behind a comic’s or series’ development and history?

I SCREAM FOR SUPER-TEAM Just finished Dan Johnson’s piece on the oft-forgotten Super-Team Family series, which I loved as a kid. Two tidbits to contribute: 1) Every time I tried to include a reference to Jean’s history of mental illness in the Identity Crisis collection, Brad Meltzer had it excised. He clearly didn’t want to dredge up this piece of continuity in a series that relied on continuity. When I interviewed him for the collection, he didn’t even want to answer a question about it.

2) Every time I tried to find a way to reprint “The Search for Jean Loring” as a Lost Annual or in some other thematically appropriate collection, it was rejected.

Odd, isn’t it? I wonder if it was just something embarrassing to its editor, or [if DC] didn’t like the variety of talent involved.

I’ll never know.

– Bob Greenberger

WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER ISSUES OF MTU?

RON WILSON ROCKS! Wow, I really enjoyed BACK ISSUE #66. The Team-Up feature completely resonated with me. I was never a big fan of the mainstream superheroes. I always liked the second-string, offbeat characters— which, of course, appeared in the all of those great team-up books.

With the DC team-up comics, I got to read wonderful Silver Age reprints and read stories of some favorite characters that did not have their own comic, like Wildcat, Deadman, and one of my big-time favorites, the Vigilante. And all of those wonderful, offbeat characters in The Brave and the Bold. I could not pass up anything with my man Metamorpho.

With Marvel, it was the same—I got the chance to see some of my favorite offbeat second-string characters. One of my first team-up comics that I bought was Marvel-Two-in-One #13. It has the Thing teaming up with the one and only Power Man, in the clutches of a giant, green beast calling itself “Braggadoom.” When I saw that cover, I had to have that comic. Wow, what a comic! I have a recreation done of that cover by the original artist, the great and vastly underrated Ron Wilson.

Marvel Team-Up and Marvel-Two-in-One for me were like a breath of fresh air. They had good stories and art, and I got to see characters that I did not see every day. It was always something different. Who could pass up that MTIO #47 with the Yancy Street Gang? That story and all of those team-up books gave reader a broader view of the Marvel Universe; same thing with DC. And when you read these team-up books you knew, or at least I did, you were not getting the same old/same old as I did reading Spider-Man, Superman, or Batman.

I always enjoy BACK ISSUE. Keep up the great work. I look forward to future issues.

– Steve Ogden

I just finished the article about Marvel Team-Up and I felt that it gave short shrift anyone who worked on the title not named Claremont or Byrne. Except for a few mentions of other creators, you would almost think that those two were the only creative team involved.

What about the storyline that ran from #48–51 that introduced Captain Jean DeWolff? Or the cool time-travel storyline that ran from #41–46 and had Spider-Man team up with Scarlet Witch, the Vision, Dr. Doom, Moondragon, Killraven, and Deathlok? And why did the Human Torch appear in the first three issues and four of the first ten issues? And what about the issues where the Human Torch was the lead hero in the book (#s 18, 23, 26, 29, 32, and 35)?

– Doug Hancock via Facebook Doug, we regret that BI #66’s Marvel Team-Up article, which did skew more toward being a retrospective of Chris Claremont’s stint as MTU scribe, wasn’t branded as being such.

In the meantime, we direct you to BACK ISSUE #44 (“Spider-Man in the Bronze Age”) for an overview of MTU, and to issue #7’s “Ultimate Team-Up Guide” which listed the co-stars of each issue of MTU. Hulk’s headlining issues of MTU were mentioned last issue, and our forthcoming “Fantastic Four in the Bronze Age” issue (BI #74) features an article about the Human Torch that includes his MTU stories.

TELL IT TO TEAM-UP! Hello! I’ll say it up front: BACK ISSUE #66 was a fantastic read.

To be truthful, I didn’t begin reading comic books regularly until the mid-1980s, when I was about ten years old, and the majority of the titles profiled in BI #66 were published prior to then. However, I have subsequently gotten many of these via searches through the back-issue bins at comics shops and conventions, or via reprints and trade paperbacks. And, like BI contributor James T. Arnold (who, incidentally, penned an excellent piece on Swamp Thing #25), I love picking up original comic-book artwork, although my collection is rather modest. Two of the pieces in my collection, incidentally, are from titles that were profiled in BI #66.

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BACK ISSUE • 77

First things first: fantastic cover artwork! I am a huge fan of Terry Austin’s work. He is one of my all-time favorite inkers/ embellishers. He actually seems to have overwhelmed Gil Kane’s pencils on this piece, but looking it over, yeah, I can see a few Kane-esque poses to the figures, especially Captain America.

I recall that in the mid-1990s, at some comic con or another, I was browsing through the back issues at a dealer’s table when I came across a comic book I had never heard of before. It was Super-Team Family #15, featuring the Flash and the New Gods. Between the facts that I am a huge fan of Kirby’s Fourth World and the dramatic cover art by José Luis García-López, I just had to buy it. And inside was a fun, entertaining tale written by Gerry Conway, with very nice art by Arvell Jones and Romeo Tanghal. I don’t really think that I’ve come across any other issues of STF since then, so I found Dan Johnson’s article on the short-lived title very informative.

A few years later, I was fortunate to purchase a couple of nice interior pages from super comic-art collector Frank Giella for very reasonable prices. One of those was a page from STF #15. I’ve had it ever since then, and when I met Arvell Jones at the 2010 New York Comic-Con he autographed it for me. Jones revealed that he was a longtime Kirby fan, and when he got the assignment to pencil STF #15, he was excited to get to have an opportunity to draw the New Gods.

The second page of art I bought from Frank, incidentally, was from Marvel Two-inOne #30. The Thing doesn’t appear on it, but it does feature Spider-Woman, the High Evolutionary, and the hordes of Hydra, making it a cool acquisition for this fan of classic Marvel. I’ve acquired a whole bunch of MTIO back issues over the years. Despite both the super-fluctuating roster of creative teams and the oft-contrived circumstances of the Thing having to team up with a different character each issue, as Jamie Ewbank detailed in his excellent article, it was an enjoyable book.

The Thing is my favorite member of the Fantastic Four. As Ewbank points out, Ben Grimm has unfortunately never been able to sustain a long-running solo title, so MTIO was the next best thing … no pun intended!

I was happy to see one of my favorite issues of the series, #86, covered. I really like how over time Tom DeFalco and other writers gradually reformed the Sandman,

eventually transforming him into a hero worthy of joining the Avengers. You can imagine how I felt when Howard Mackie and John Byrne had the character backslide into villainy, although at least later writers did attempt to explain why this occurred, which I guess led to some interesting work on the character.

I also enjoyed Lex Carson’s article on Super-Villain Team-Up. I agree with the sentiment expressed by some of the creators interviewed, that SVTU was a good, offbeat concept that perhaps never lived up to its full potential. I definitely regard SVTU #16–17 as one of the darkest, most unsettling stories ever published by Marvel, at least until “grim and gritty” came into fashion a decade or so later. Peter Gillis did an amazing job presenting the Red Skull and the Hate Monger in an unflinchingly diabolical light that almost makes the reader’s skin crawl. Yet at the same time, Gillis is surprisingly able to add some subtlety and depth to the typically one-dimensional representation of pure evil, the Red Skull, by having him express genuine regret that he has to betray the man who mentored him, the Hate Monger, a.k.a. Adolf Hitler, in order to ensure both his own survival and ability to one day rule the world.

Getting back to Terry Austin, I was sorry to see that there wasn’t room in the piece on the X-Men/New Teen Titans crossover to highlight his inking of Walter Simonson’s wonderful pencils. What an amazing team they made! I wish they would work together again.

And it was good to see Austin’s presence in the letters column again, filling us in on his recollections concerning the Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man special.

– Ben Herman

Metal Men TM & © DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.

COLLECTING ORIGINAL ART If I learned one thing from this issue, it’s that James T. Arnold seems pretty wealthy.

– Opus Next issue: “Robots,” unbolting the stories behind ‘70s and ‘80s favorites Cyborg, Metal Men, Robotman, Red Tornado, Mister Atom, the Vision, Jocasta, Shogun Warriors, and Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot. Plus: the legacy of Brainiac! Featuring the riveting work of KEITH GIFFEN, PAUL KUPPERBERG, FRANK MILLER, DOUG MOENCH, GEORGE PÉREZ, WALTER SIMONSON, JOE STATON, HERB TRIMPE, MARV WOLFMAN, and more!

Metal Men cover by MICHAEL ALLRED. Don’t ask—just BI it! See you in thirty!

– Michael Eury, editor-in-chief

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES BACK ISSUE is on the lookout for the following comics-related material from the 1970s through the 1990s: • • • • • • •

Unpublished artwork and covers Commissions (color or B&W) and professional-quality specialty drawings 1970s–1990s creator and convention photographs Character designs and model sheets Original art: covers and significant interior pages Little-seen fanzine material Other rarities

If you have any of the above materials, please query the editor via email prior to submission. Art contributors will be acknowledged in print and receive a complimentary copy of the issue.

Since BI is a full-color publication, preference is given to color artwork.

Random convention sketches and “quick sketches” that do not reflect an artist’s best work and were not intended for print will no longer be considered for publication.

BACK ISSUE does not read or consider unsolicited manuscripts. However, we routinely welcome new writers to our magazine, and have done so since day one!

If you’re interested in writing for BI, please request a copy of the BACK ISSUE Writer’s Style Guide by emailing the editor at euryman@gmail.com.

Contact BI at: Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief, BACK ISSUE 118 Edgewood Ave. NE Concord, NC 28025

78 • BACK ISSUE • Tryouts, One-Shots, and One-Hit Wonders Issue

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IN MEMORIAM:

Covers TM & © DC Comics and Marvel Characters, Inc.

NICK CARDY 1920–2013

One of the joys of my job is getting to know talented people whose work I have long admired. One of the difficulties of my job is saying goodbye to them.

Artist Nick Cardy, interviewed in this issue’s Bat-Squad article, died on November 3, 2013. This issue is dedicated to his memory. – Michael Eury

Tryouts, One-Shots, and One-Hit Wonders Issue

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BACK ISSUE • 79

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“Robots” issue! Cyborg, Metal Men, Robotman, Red Tornado, Mister Atom, the Vision, Jocasta, Shogun Warriors, and Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot, plus the legacy of Brainiac! Featuring the riveting work of DARROW, GERBER, INFANTINO, PAUL KUPPERBERG, MILLER, MOENCH, PEREZ, SIMONSON, STATON, THOMAS, WOLFMAN, and more, behind a Metal Men cover by MICHAEL ALLRED.

“Batman’s Partners!” MIKE W. BARR and ALAN DAVIS on their Detective Comics, Batman and the Outsiders, Nightwing flies solo, Man-Bat history, Commissioner Gordon, the last days of World’s Finest, Bat-Mite, the Batmobile, plus Dark Knight’s girl Robin! Featuring work by APARO, BUSIEK, DITKO, KRAFT, MILGROM, MILLER, PÉREZ, WOLFMAN, and more, with a cover by ALAN DAVIS and MARK FARMER.

“Bronze Age Fantastic Four!” The animated FF, the FF radio show of 1975, Human Torch goes solo, Galactus villain history, FF Mego figures… and the Impossible Man! Exploring work by RICH BUCKLER, JOHN BUSCEMA, JOHN BYRNE, GERRY CONWAY, STEVE ENGLEHART, GEORGE PÉREZ, KEITH POLLARD, ROY THOMAS, LEN WEIN, MARV WOLFMAN, and more! Cover by KEITH POLLARD and JOE RUBINSTEIN.

“‘80s Independents!” In-depth looks at PAUL CHADWICK’s Concrete, DAVE SIM’s Cerebus the Aardvark, and RICHARD AND WENDY PINI’s Elfquest! Plus see ‘80s independent comics go Hollywood, DAVID SCROGGY remembers Pacific Comics, TRINA ROBBINS’ California Girls, and DENIS KITCHEN’s star-studded horror/sci-fi anthology Death Rattle. Cover by PAUL CHADWICK!

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Learn what went into the making of The LEGO Movie and other brickfilms with moviemaker DAVID PAGANO, chat with brickfilmers The Brotherhood Workshop, sit in on a talk with the makers of LEGO: A Brickumentary, a look at MINDSTORMS building, minifigure customization by JARED BURKS, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, AFOLs by GREG HYLAND, & more!

Top comics cover artist DAVE JOHNSON demos his creative process, STEPHEN SILVER shows how he designs characters for top animated series, plus new columnist JERRY ORDWAY presents “The Right Way, the Wrong Way, and the ORDWAY!”, “Crusty Critic” JAMAR NICHOLAS reviews art supplies, and hit “Comic Art Bootcamp” with Draw editor MIKE MANLEY and BRET BLEVINS! Mature readers only.

FAREL DALRYMPLE shows how he produces Meathaus and Pop Gun War, director and storyboard/comics artist DAVE BULLOCK dissects his own work, columnist JERRY ORDWAY draws on his years of experience to show readers the Ord-way of creating comics, JAMAR NICHOLAS reviews the latest art supplies, plus more Comic Art Bootcamp by BRET BLEVINS and editor MIKE MANLEY! Mature readers only.

KIRBY AT DC! Kirby interview, MARK EVANIER and our other regular columnists, updated “X-Numbers” list of Kirby’s DC assignments (revealing some surprises), JERRY BOYD’s insights on Kirby’s DC work, a look at KEY 1970s EVENTS IN JACK’S LIFE AND CAREER, Challengers vs. the FF, pencil art galleries from FOREVER PEOPLE, OMAC, and THE DEMON, Kirby cover inked by MIKE ROYER, and more!

MARVEL UNIVERSE! Featuring MARK ALEXANDER’s pivotal Lee/Kirby essay “A Universe A’Borning,” KIRBY interview, MARK EVANIER and our other regular columnists, a look at key late-1970s events in Kirby’s life and career, STAN LEE script pages, unseen Kirby pencils and unused art from THOR, NICK FURY, HULK and FANTASTIC FOUR, plus galleries of ETERNALS, BLACK PANTHER, and more!

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DENNY O’NEIL’s Silver Age career at Marvel, Charlton, and DC—aided and abetted by ADAMS, KALUTA, SEKOWSKY, LEE, GIORDANO, THOMAS, SCHWARTZ, APARO, BOYETTE, DILLIN, SWAN, DITKO, et al. Plus, we begin serializing AMY KISTE NYBERG’s groundbreaking book on the history of the Comics Code, FCA (Fawcett Collectors of America), Mr. Monster, BILL SCHELLY and more!

We spotlight HERB TRIMPE’s work on Hulk, Iron Man, S.H.I.E.L.D., Ghost Rider, Ant-Man, Silver Surfer, War of the Worlds, Ka-Zar, even Phantom Eagle, and featuring THE SEVERIN SIBLINGS, LEE, FRIEDRICH, THOMAS, GRAINGER, BUSCEMA, and others, plus more of AMY KISTE NYBERG’s Comics Code history, M. THOMAS INGE on Communism and 1950s comic books, FCA, Mr. Monster, and more!

Golden Age “Air Wave” artist LEE HARRIS discussed by his son JONATHAN LEVEY to interviewer RICHARD J. ARNDT, with rarely-seen 1940s art treasures (including mysterious, never-published art of an alternate version of DC’s Tarantula)! Plus more of AMY KISTE NYBERG’s exposé on the Comics Code, artist SAL AMENDOLA tells the story of the Academy of Comic Book Arts, FCA, Mr. Monster, and more!

Second big issue on 3-D COMICS OF THE 1950s! KEN QUATTRO looks at the controversy involving JOE KUBERT, NORMAN MAURER, BILL GAINES, and AL FELDSTEIN! Plus more fabulous Captain 3-D by SIMON & KIRBY and MORT MESKIN— 3-D thrills from BOB POWELL, HOWARD NOSTRAND, JAY DISBROW and others— the career of Treasure Chest artist VEE QUINTAL, FCA, Mr. Monster, and more!

1940s WILL EISNER/”BUSY” ARNOLD letters between the creator of The Spirit and his Quality Comics partner, art and artifacts by FINE, CRANDALL, CUIDERA, CARDY, KOTZKY, BLUM, NORDLING, and others! Plus Golden Age MLJ artist JOHN BULTHIUS, more of AMY KISTE NYBERG’s History of the Comics Code, FCA, Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt, BILL SCHELLY, cover by DANIEL JAMES COX!

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