The Fourth Day of Classic Comics Christmas 2018

MWGallaher
Fortress of Solitude member

Posts: 2,503

The Fourth Day of Classic Comics Christmas 2018 Dec 18, 2018 20:00:14 GMT -5 DubipR, Roquefort Raider, and 5 more like this

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Post by MWGallaher on Dec 18, 2018 20:00:14 GMT -5

9. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Classics Illustrated #24, First Comics, 1991
by Dean Motter (poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge )

Yesterday, Motter's Prisoner, and today, Motter's Mariner!
Unlike most of the Classics Illustrated, both this revived version and the original Gilberton run, this adaptation uses the original unabridged poem as its script (Gilberton's version had some of the poetry in captions but invented dialog for the speech balloons!). Motter provides visuals and pacing, and they are memorable and haunting, well-suited to this disturbing tale of a cursed sea voyage. One of the niftiest touches is how Motter injects a touch of fantasy by making the ship nearly round instead of conventionally ship-shaped. No, it's not a feasible design, but it has an impact that an ordinary design wouldn't, and conveys a sort of "directionlessness" that's fitting for the fate it meets after our hapless narrator kills the albatross. The coloring is effectively oppressive and unnerving, and the characters are expressive "actors" in this emotional, creepy adaptation. In my book, this was the best of First's CI run, and remains a favorite nearly 30 years later.

Last Edit: Dec 18, 2018 20:00:35 GMT -5 by MWGallaher

MDG
CCF Hall of Heroes

Posts: 9,924

The Fourth Day of Classic Comics Christmas 2018 Dec 19, 2018 12:26:44 GMT -5

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Post by MDG on Dec 19, 2018 12:26:44 GMT -5

Dec 18, 2018 20:00:14 GMT -5 MWGallaher said:

9. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Classics Illustrated #24, First Comics, 1991
by Dean Motter (poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge )

I'll have to look for this. Spain Rodriguez' adaptation of Colderdge's Kubla Khan was on my short list.

Slam_Bradley
Fortress of Solitude member

Posts: 14,173

The Fourth Day of Classic Comics Christmas 2018 Dec 21, 2018 17:33:29 GMT -5 Prince Hal likes this

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Post by Slam_Bradley on Dec 21, 2018 17:33:29 GMT -5

Random thoughts because it's a thing I do. And I wanna.

“The Milking of the Planet of the Apes,” MAD #157 - I've said before and I'll say again, I could have filled my list with stuff from Mad (with at least one story from Panic).

Worms of the Earth - Again...I love REH and many of the adaptations of his work. I'm pretty sure I've read this...but it's been a long time.

Zorro by Toth - Hmmm...I repeated this on this day.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (Tundra, 1992) - I probably need to look for this. I love me some Bo Hampton.

Savage Dragon 118-121 - I've never read Savage Dragon. I'm guessing at this point I probably won't.

Marvel Premiere #33-34 - I really like these books. And Solomon Kane is a great character.

Star Trek (Marvel) - NO! I said I've talked about Star Trek.

Parsifal adapted by P. Craig Russell and Patrick C. Mason - More opera from Russell....which is better than Oprah from Russell.

The Rats in the Walls Richard Corben, Skull #5, Last Gasp, 1972 - I've not read this. I want to like Corben a lot more than I actually like him.

Queen of the Black Coast from Conan the Barbarian - I feel like I've talked about REH. Needless to say I love lots of Conan. And I considered lots of REH that didn't make the cut.

James Bond 007: Serpent's Tooth #1 - 3 (Dark Horse, 1992) - I've not read this one. I probably should. I tend to like Bond funnybooks.

Rom #40-41 - I've never read Rom. Or redrum. Given the copyright issues...I probably won't.

Tales From the Bully Pulpit (Image 2004)- Interesting. I may have to read this.

The Three Stooges (St. John, 1949) - I'm not sure how the Stooges would work in funnybooks. But cool.

A Date With Judy National (DC), 1947 series - This is a book I know only from the odd cover. And I'm very convinced that Phil and Farrar are the same person.

SUPERMAN: WAR OF THE WORLDS - Have I mentioned I hate Superman? I actually love this book. A lot of it is Michael Lark who is a fabulous artist. But I don't hate Superman nearly as much when he's not omnipotent and when he's in the 30s and 40s.

Star Wars: Splinter of the Mind's Eye - I remember when the novel of this was HUGE. I never read it. Myself and a lot of my SF friends thought of Alan Dean Foster as a joke. That probably wasn't fair.

Richard Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung adapted by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane - I actually bought this when it came out. It's a really pretty book.

WWF Battlemania - Huh. Well that's a thing. I'd never have imagined that that would be a thing.

The Shadow DC Comics 1987 Andy Helfer, Bill Sienkiewicz, and Kyle Baker - I actually like this version of The Shadow a lot. Not enough to make my list. But enough to think of it.

Rocky and his Fiendish Friends #4 - This is cool. I think some of these have been reprinted in recently-ish. But I could be wrong. I love me some Blocky & Oxwinkle though.

Tales of the Slayers (Dark Horse, '02) - I've never Buffy'd.

Frost Giant's Daughter, By REH Adapted by Busiek/Nord/Stewart Dark Horse 2004 - I've only read a bit of the Busiek/Nord Conan. I should remedy that. I think I may have read this.

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Classics Illustrated #24, First Comics, 1991 - Have I mentioned this was a cool bunch of books?

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The Fourth Day of Classic Comics Christmas 2018 Dec 24, 2018 18:30:33 GMT -5 Prince Hal likes this

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Post by Deleted on Dec 24, 2018 18:30:33 GMT -5

Thoughts on day 4 entries...

Mad-POTA-see previous days thoughts on Mad

Worms of the Earth-love this story and this adaptation, I have it in a nice oversized collected edition put out by Cross Plains Comics...

Alex Toth's Zorro -again see previous days comments

Legend of Sleepy Hollow-love the story, not seen that adaptation but love Hampton's work so may need to keep an eye out for that on the show circuit this year

Savage Dragon-Larsen's work has never really appealed to me. I respect what he has done, but not my cuppa.

Solomon Kane from Marvel Premiere-I like this but I always find it odd the fighting Puritan looks nothing like a Puritan in this adaptation. I think I reviewed this 2 part story in my From the Sorcerer's Scroll review thread.

Star Trek-see previous days comments

Rats in the Walls-love this story, love Corben's work, but I don't think I've ever read this one unless it was reprinted elsewhere.

Marvel Conan-see previous days again

Bond' Serpent's Tooth- some Bond was considered by me, but I don't own this one

Rom-I am putting a run of Rom together I think I only need 1 annual now) but I haven't read any of it yet

Tales from the Bully Pulpit-I think hondo mentioned this before in another thread, and it intrigues me but I have never run into it in the wild

Three Stooges-my dad loved the Stooges, I was over them by the time I was 8.

A Date with Judy-I know nothing about these but have seen the title before

Superman War of the Worlds-this got serious consideration from me and I even messaged Kurt to make sure it was eligible, but ultimately wound up with the near misses. Great stuff though.

Splinter of the Mind's Eye-I loved this book when I was kid. I was so hyped to get more Star Wars. I've never read the comic adaptation though.

Thomas/Kane's Ring adaptation-while I like PCR's adaptation a bit more as it has more room to do its thing, I really dig this adaptation.

WWF Battlemania-I've said my piece about wrestling already

The Shadow by Hefler/Siekewicz et. al. I bought this as it came out and liked it, but haven't read it since. I need to remedy that.

Rocky and Bullwinkle-I watched a lot of this as a kid and it made a lasting impression, but I've never read any of the comics.

Tales of the Slayers-never read this but may have tp find a copy for my wife.

Frost Giant's Daughter-Busiek's Conan was my day 11 choice, though Conan is thoroughly unlikable in this story (it's one of my least favorite of the original Howard stories, I still like things about it, but like a whole lot of other Howard stories better).

Rime of the Ancient Mariner-I don't have this, but Ia m picking up that First run of Classics Illustrated when I find them.

-M

Jeddak
Senior Member

Posts: 719

The Fourth Day of Classic Comics Christmas 2018 Dec 26, 2018 16:39:48 GMT -5 DubipR and brutalis like this

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Post by Jeddak on Dec 26, 2018 16:39:48 GMT -5

Day 4

Cheap Trick Busted

Marvel, 1990

This would be higher, cause I love Cheap Trick. But let's face it, the only reason it made my list at all is because it's Cheap Trick. I thought about that Alice Cooper issue Marvel did, and the Kiss appearance in Howard the Duck. But bottom line, I had to go with this promotional book.

Cause come on, it's Cheap Trick.

I'm a man, but I can change. If I have to. I guess.

Mister Spaceman
Friendly Neighborhood Regular

Posts: 2,035

The Fourth Day of Classic Comics Christmas 2018 Dec 29, 2018 8:26:17 GMT -5 Cei-U!, MDG, and 2 more like this

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Post by Mister Spaceman on Dec 29, 2018 8:26:17 GMT -5

"The True Story of Batman and Robin"
Real Fact Comics #5 (DC Comics, 1946)

The near-hysterical insistence on veracity in the titles of the comic book and the story itself belie the complete lie that is this fiction about Bob Kane's creation of Batman and Robin. The story creates an idealized auteur myth of Kane as a young man with a great idea who makes it big in the comic book industry. The equally great lie here is that major comic book publishers are creator-friendly places that eagerly encourage and reward up-and-coming talent right off the street. Kane's transformation into a major comic book creator is as big a myth here as Bruce Wayne's transformation into Batman, sans any trauma (no dead parents here, just a blithely supportive mother who sews a Batman costume per the design of her inspired son). The "aw-shucks" guilelessness of this fictional Bob Kane plays in stark contrast to our understanding of the real Kane who, at best, was a self-promoting egotist who was more than happy to erase Bill Finger from Batman's historical record. File this one under "Imaginary Stories".

Last Edit: Dec 29, 2018 9:38:15 GMT -5 by Mister Spaceman