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Post by codystarbuck on Oct 26, 2021 23:50:31 GMT -5
Oh, that @#$%&*! cat! Round 2... Shazam! #30 Superman of Steel my Little Annie Fannie! Get David Horowitz on the line, I smell a con! Creative Team: E Nelson Bridwell-writer, Kurt Schaffenberger-pencils, Vince Colletta-inks, Jerry Serpe-colors, Joe Orlando-editor Synopsis: Billy Batson and MennnnnnnnUncle dudley are in Pittsburgh, looking for Jim Shooter, when they hear a police report about Sivana robbing another DC Comics newsstand distributor and meet with the real manager of the company...  Sivana only stole a copy of Action Comics #467, from back in October. We cut to him reading it and cackling. Billy goes to a steel mill, since he can't find Shooter or Sivana and works on a piece about how hot it is, when he spots Sivana dumping something in a vat of molten steel. he swaps with Captain Marvel, who has to rescue a worker when Sivana dumps the guy over a rail, towards the stuff. After CM rescues him, he sees a figure rise out of the steel. It's Steel Sterling, champion of Justice...  no, wait it's Joe Magrac....  ...folk hero of steel workers. the rescued worker relates the tales of his deeds (Joe, not the steel worker)...  He climbs out of the vat and starts munching on i-beams (he's a bit peckish) and smashing equipment. CM slugs him and he fires back, then CM knocks him out of the building. CM switches back with Billy Batson and Joe trudges off to report to Sivana, to a chorus of "Curses!" Sivana realizes that CM must have switched back with Billy and sends Joe to grab him. He finds Billy coming out of the mill, grabs him and slaps a steel gag over his mouth. Billy takes out a pad and writes an insult and joe slugs him, knocking the gag loose, so he can call Captain Marvel...  They slug it out, then a steel jackass kicks CM and a whole herd of steel animals stampedes. CM runs off to consult with the Elders, because adhering to the tv formula is more important than the tv show trying to mirror the comics. Atlas is of no help and should stick to maps. He mutters something about many hands making light work; but, too many cooks spoils the bush, with the bird in hand! Captain Marvel summons Captain Marvel Jr, Mary Marvel and the Three Lieutenant Marvels (and the 16 non-com Marvels, one corporal, a private first class and Civilian Marvel, but no Hoppy).  They smash the steel animals and then a steel Man of Steel attacks CM...  The Man of Steel returns to report to Sivana, then Captain marvel rips away the facade and captures Sivana, to a round of "Curses!." The rest of the Marvels return home, since they aren't important enough to appear regularly in the book anymore. Thoughts: Well, this was different and it was nice to see a folklore hero other than John henry and Paul Bunyan, even if it wasn't a real folk hero. Joe Magarac first appears in a Scribner's article, by Owen Francis, in 1931. Francis claimed to have heard the stories from steel workers; but, research turned up no mention of the character before the magazine article. His emerging from a vat of molten steel is a reverse on one version of the tale, where he melts his body down to build a new mill. As I alluded, the cover is a con, as Superman never appears in the book, only Sivana's steel duplicate and the cover of Action #467. My further allusion to David Horowitz is a reference to the consumer advocate, who hosted the long running series Fight Back!, where he teste advertising claims and addressed consumer complaints to manufacturers and conglomerates. His show is one of the reasons why I never took anything in a marketing campaign at face value. One of my favorite pieces he did was in relation to old Tonka tv commercials, where they claimed their stamped metal toy trucks could withstand the weight of an elephant. in the commercial, you see and elephant step on a dump truck and not smash it. Horowitz restaged the ad and had the elephant actually place weight on the toy, not just rest its foot on it. It flattened it like a pancake! He later duplicated the Energizer bunny ads, with the rabbit never winding down, but compared the same toy with others powered by competing batteries, including Duracell. The winner? Rayovac! Remember that before you shell out for the more expensive batteries! Otherwise, this if pleasant enough and I read it, back in the day. It's nice to see the Looie Marvels and Mary & Jr; but, they barely contribute. DC was paying per use of the characters and I get the feeling they went cheap, in the latter days of the series, until the last issue revamp. Quite frankly, that was half the problem with the series in that they didn't know what to do with Mary and Junior, apart from some of the better back-up stories (especially Mary's tales). If they had used the villains more, it would have sorted itself out; but, they seemed reluctant to use them as a group, until this stage (and even then they never did the massed Monster Society, but just 2s and 3s). The Steel Sterling cover is from the revived Red Circle comics, in the early 80s, as Steel starred in an issue of Blue Ribbon comics, then shared a book with The Original Shield (as opposed to Lancelot Strong, alias the Shield). They never did much with him; but, that Blue Ribbon issue had potential and they revisit his origin, where he came up with a formula that gave him strength and invulnerability, then plunged into a vat of molten steel, swiping from Superman, the Shield and Joe Magarac. None of the revivals seemed to want to touch him as their own Superman. I guess the warning over Lancelot Strong, in the 50s, had them gunshy. At this point, this little experiment is kind of petering out. The stories are getting repetitive and the Elders just don't work and remind me of an infamous pro wrestling match, in Portland, with Tanya Harding. Harding grew up a fan of Portland wrestling and had her legal trouble, after her boyfriend and bodyguard conspired to club Nancy Kerrigan. She had turned down an offer from All-Japan Womens Professional Wrestling to train to be a wrestler, since she was banned from skating. She did take part in a special show co-promoted by the Portland group and AAA lucha libre, from Mexico. At the time, Art Barr, who was the son of referee and co-promoter Sandy Barr, was working for AAA, in a tag team with Eddie Guerrero and Konan, as Los Gringos Locos, and were the hottest, most hated heels in Mexico and had done sold out shows in Los Angeles, when the WWF couldn't fill a mid-sized arena. The match had Harding manage Guerrero and Barr; but, Oregon had a strong wrestling commission and would not grant Harding a manager's license (a real thing) and barred her from being at ringside. The promotion set up a chair in the entrance way, just outside the limit that the commission said she could not cross, and had her sit there, during the match. Periodically, Guerrero and Barr would roll out of the ring and run back to consult with her, then run back into the ring. It was a terrible idea and it killed the heat of the match and was a laughing stock in the national press. This feels the same, as Billy runs away from a fight to get useless "advice" from an elder, then go back to the fight. It sucked in the tv series and it sucks worse here. Next issue is a bit of a change, as Captain Marvel will meet up with minute Man, another Fawcett hero and the only major one not seen in the JLA crossover (Commando Yank starred on some covers; but, Minute Man was a bigger deal). Surprisingly, he isn't a speedster! |
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Post by codystarbuck on Oct 26, 2021 23:53:58 GMT -5
ps The stupid kitten was messing around behind my computer and shut off the power strip, killing the computer, modem, telephone and light. If she wasn't cute she wouldn't survive long in this world!
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Post by codystarbuck on Oct 31, 2021 16:40:29 GMT -5
Shazam! #31 See, they should have had a 16 ton weight, not a 5 ton. That's plannin', innit? Creative Team: E Nelson Bridwell-writer, Kurt Schaffenberger-pencils, Bob Wiacek-inks, Jerry Serpe-colors, Joe Orlando-editor Captain Marvel is teaming up with another Fawcett hero! Synopsis: Captain Marvel has stepped into Rush Limbaugh's nightmare...  Billy Batson and Uncle Dudley pass through German Village, in Columbus, OH. They go to Weston's restaurant, where they meet up with Jack Weston, the former Minute Man...who is probably single, because that is not a name for fulfilled relationships, of you think about it! They also meet yet another DC newsstand distributor, for some reason (maybe they will push our comics harder). They are interrupted by the Rainbow Squad, a group of women in ugly co-ordinated costumes, who say they are there to rob the place (and don't call them ladies!) Dauntless speaks to a waiter, who once took down an armed mugger, who backs down from them. A group of men decides to fight them, when they demand their valuables; but, each of the women has a super power. The men get smacked around like a bunch of internet trolls at a roller derby match! One of them starts a fire and Billy uses the smoke to hide his transformation. he soon gets "smacked" around....  Um....................nah, they won't go there. Dynamoll attacks him why he contemplates why he gets flustered by the attention of women (but not men). It does nothing and he doesn't notice. Meanwhile, Virago punches out Jack Weston. The women meet back with their benefactor and we find out how they got powers.....  The blond dude orders the women around and he seems to know a lot about Captain Marvel. They call him Mr Wonderful..... Paul Orndorff?  Uncle Dudley and Jack Weston consult with the Elders and get Achilles, who isn't the best guy in the world for advice....  Jack decides he must be Minute Man again to aid Captain Marvel. Elsewhere, CM is still walking around trying to figure out how to fight girls, when Dynamoll hits him with lightning, causing the changed and she grabs Billy Batson and ties him up and gags him. She carries him back to mr Wonderful, who ties him to a chair, underneath a 5 ton weight, as the women watch. Then, in comes........ Minute Man! He rips off Billy's gag and he can say the magic word and the 5 ton weight falls on Captain Marvel and shatters into a million pieces (weighing .002 pounds). However, he still can't fight girls. Minute Man punches Mr Wonderful. He then takes on the women, but the gang up on him like an Oprah audience....  Mr Wonderful laughs at the fallen Minute Man and Captain Marvel recognizes the voice. he strides towards the women and their powers don't work on him. He does nothing as they attack him and lets them defeat themselves. He then gets rather rough with Gibralta, as he hogties her, while kneeling on her neck!  He then smashes Mr Wonderful into a million pieces (weighing less than .002 lbs), revealing that he is a robot, who is being controlled by Mr Mind! We then learn how he defeated the electric chair and escaped from the museum, where he was put on display....  Minute man comes to and Mr Mind uses the distraction to escape between the floorboards. The women are hauled off to jail and Minute Man tells Captain Marvel that he is going to stick around for a while (just not at DC Comics!) Jenette Kahn announces the release of The Original Swamp Thing Saga....  Thoughts: Well, it was nice to see Minuet Man, and it is not surprising that he frustrated a group of female villains (Ba-dump-bump!) Minute Man was one of several Shield/Captain America knock-offs (The Shield got there first, though Simon & Kirby did it better), though with nary an origin story. He appeared in master comics and 3 issues of his own book, and had one of the better patriotic costumes of all of the flag-waivers, of the Golden Age, but his adventures weren't quite in the same league as Cap. Still, at least he wasn't pushed out of his own book by some freckle-faced kid, like The Shield! No idea why he wasn't used for the JLA cross-over, aside fromt he fact it mostly sucked, which kept him free of its taint. It is nice to see Fawcett's other heroes turn up in this series and we are left to speculate why they were not used before (aside from the JLA), except for DC to be too cheap to license the other characters (or seeing little value, since they had similar characters, already. Bullet man and Bullet Girl will get an adventure, down the road a little bit; but, that's gonna be it. His powers aren't really explained well, either. The visuals suggest super speed, when he pulls off Billy's gag (there are speed lines), though Celeritas, the Rainbow Squad speedster is way faster, but he defeats her with strength and combat training. However, he doesn't have super strength, as Virago puts out his lights. So, it seems like he is just a trained fighter, which was really all Cap was, before post-Silver Age writers started upping his abilities and the effects of the Super Soldier Formula/Vita Ray treatment. Originally, it was just a chemical Charles Atlas course, that gave him a body at the peak of human ability, then he was trained to fight. No super strength, speed, etc. He still needed parachutes then and didn't trade punches with the Hulk or whatever. He was a combination gymnast, boxer/wrestler/martial artist, commando, and strategist. The Shield was mostly the same, though his costume added a limited invulnerability. Lancelot Strong upped the ante a bit, under Simon & Kirby (enough to get DC involved). So, Minute Man is pretty much another pro wrestler hero, able to kick butt because he is the babyface. The Rainbow Squad bit is rather troubling, especially in light of a brand new woman publisher, at DC. The women all portray negative stereotypes of the feminist movement, in the 70s, from not wanting to be called "ladies," to Virago hating men. They are decked out like a poor version of the Super Sentai/Power Rangers squad, looking more like a cross between pro wrestlers and a weird cheerleading squad. The fact that they are colored in pastels really doesn't help, either, as it just makes the costumes that much worse and makes them look weaker than strong, bold primary colors. I didn't cover it; but, here are the members... Virago-strength Sybil-mental powers Gibralta-invulnerable aura Celeritas-speed Dauntless-generate fear, control emotional responses Dynamoll-generate energy (electrical and atomic) Sybil seems to lead in the field, since she is the Wise Woman. Dynamoll seems to have the most raw power. Captain marvel is impervious to their abilities, but is bashful with women. Quite frankly, if this wasn't played for kids, I would start to question whether Captain Marvel isn't actually gay, as he indicates he is uncomfortable with the attention from women. Granted, that could just be shyness with the opposite sex, as Captain marvel isn't exactly a being who is an emotional adult, who grew and developed. he just is, in the days before everyone wanted to change the premise and character and make him the adult form of Billy or at least still have Billy's adolescent mind, in an adult body. at Fawcett, captain Marvel and Billy Batson are two separate entities, with their own thoughts and personalities. Billy even remarks about it, in a few stories. Mary and Freddy retain their minds, as Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel Junior, as well as their youth (though they were matured a bit, from their classic versions). However, Captain Marvel was relatively innocent and child-like, which helped fuel the idea of him having Billy's mind, in the revamps. The problem is that the Golden Age stories were more innocent and fairy tale-like, which was part of the charm. The Marvels acted like fairy tale adults, while the Batsons and freeman acted, more or less, like kids (though mature kids, as time wore on). In early stories, Billy changes into Captain Marvel to take Beautia Sivana out on a date (as seen in the Secret Origins of Super-Villains Collectors' Edition); so, obviously, Captain Marvel wasn't entirely flustered by women. This story seems to parody feminists and this was at the height of the Women's Movement and the push for the Equal Rights Amendment. The group reads like a bad satire. They never get a chance to speak for themselves and defer to Mr Wonderful. No thought is given to their background and they end up being worse than "Them," the group of pseudo-lesbians (presumably, as they are depicted like pulp fiction lesbians, though never named as such, thanks to the Code) that were featured in Wonder Woman #185.  That was under the Old Regime, which featured the liberated and de-powered WW, in a series with lots of bondage and submissive poses on the covers. Lots of DC covers and interior stories presented a rather warped view of the Women's Movement, in their pages. Wonder Woman was portrayed as a bit of a shrew, in JLA and, after she regained her powers, the other (male) Leaguers secretly followed her, to make sure her "mind was right." Black Canary and Hawkgirl were secondary to their men and Zatana spent more time getting rescued from peril by the JLA than aiding them in their battles. The Legion was a little better about this, though even then the boys tended to be more dominant than the girls. You'd think this wouldn't fly under Kahn; but, i suspect she didn't see the particular issue and she was still butting heads with entrenched editors. She is brand new to the job, at this point, with a select few allies (Neal Adams, Joe Orlando, Paul Levitz) and there will be some house clearing, before DC starts making positive progress on any front. I have no idea about Bridwell's attitude, other than it kind of fits his generation and background, writing for Mad and doing satire in Inferior Five. Mike Richardson's Between the Panels described him as someone, wo in another life, would have been illuminating manuscripts. I'm going off memory, which is dangerous; but, i believe he was described as living alone, in an apartment crammed with comics, pulp magazines, paperbacks and cigarette butts. I have no idea if he had romantic relationships with anyone. I've never heard of a mean streak or a misogynistic attitude; so, I suspect he was playing stereotypes for comic effect. The image of Captain Marvel kneeling on the neck of Gibralta, as he ties her up, is pretty dark, as it suggests domination and, at the extreme, rape. Gibralta is the only one he subdues this way, since he "can't hurt her." he doesn't physically attack the others, just lets them defeat themselves (collide with one another, reflect back their power. Here, though, he is physically assaulting the one woman of the bunch he can't physically hurt. He subdues her, to eliminate her as a threat, which has a logic too it; but, that could have been depicted in a more peaceful manner, like just lassoing her or capturing her in a cage or digging a pit and dropping her in, to hold her until the police arrive. It is not explained how the police round them up, as their powers still presumably exists, unless destroying Mr Wonderful removed their source. That doesn't seem likely, as handyman is shown giving them some of his abilities, via a ray machine. Earlier, when Uncle Dudley and Jack Weston consult the Elders, Achilles says that a woman caused the Trojan War and a quarrel over a woman led to him leaving the fight, for a bit. He then says "Women can be so troublesome!" That's a rather warped view of the myths of Achilles and the Trojan War. A woman did not cause the war; rather, it is caused by her husband's reaction when she is kidnapped/enchanted, runs off with a lover (depending on the interpretation). She was married to King Menelaus, of Sparta, who goes ape@#$% when Paris steals her away and the rest of the gang get dragged into things, because of treaties (that's generalized and there are other versions of things). Achilles mother tries to hide him, because of prophecies of his death in war and disguises him as a girl, only to be tricked by Odysseus, who is disguised as a peddler, showing fine fabrics and other feminine things, but Achilles shows interests in the weapons he has hidden among the fabrics. Achilles goes off to the war. Achilles leaves the fighting, not exactly due to a quarrel over a woman, but in Agamemnon acting dishonorably. Agamemnon had taken the daughter of a priest of Apollo as a slave and a plague is released among the Greeks (in the Iliad). The prophet Calchas determines the source, but will only speak up with Achilles' backing. Achilles agrees and Calchas reveals that the girl must be returned to her father. Agamemnon agrees, but then reneges on the promise, unless Achilles gives up a woman he took in battle, to take the slave's place. So, it is the actions of males that causes the war and Achilles withdrawal, which leads to the death of his friend. So, rather a one-sided account of the Trojan War and a rather misogynistic interpretation of women, in history. Now, you can say this is all in hindsight; but, this is published in 1977, when tv featured tons of liberated, working women, including the Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda, Phyllis, The Bionic Woman, Alice, Laverne & Shirley, and even stuff like The Bob Newhart Show, Barney Miller and Eight is Enough presented liberated female characters and episodes that addressed the equality of the sexes and opportunities for women. The 70s were a battleground for lots of minority rights, and a very transitional period. DC being so out of step, even with a new female boss, seems typical of why they were so far behind Marvel, in the market (though Marvel wasn't that liberated, when you read how some of their females, even characters like Ms Marvel, were treated, in specific stories). Regardless, it is a shame that this element mars what is otherwise a decent story, with a welcome return by a Fawcett hero, as well as one of the best villains of the Golden Age. It was possible to present the women as the dupes they were and still present a more balanced view of women, especially if Mary Marvel had been used in this, instead of being reduced to a cameo role, in the previous issue. Mr Mind returns to bedevil Captain Marvel, next issue, in Detroit, as Mr Tawny also makes his return.
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Post by mikelmidnight on Nov 1, 2021 11:50:37 GMT -5
Well, it was nice to see Minuet Man, and it is not surprising that he frustrated a group of female villains (Ba-dump-bump!) Minute Man was one of several Shield/Captain America knock-offs (The Shield got there first, though Simon & Kirby did it better), though with nary an origin story. He appeared in master comics and 3 issues of his own book, and had one of the better patriotic costumes of all of the flag-waivers, of the Golden Age, but his adventures weren't quite in the same league as Cap. Still, at least he wasn't pushed out of his own book by some freckle-faced kid, like The Shield! No idea why he wasn't used for the JLA cross-over, aside fromt he fact it mostly sucked, which kept him free of its taint. It is nice to see Fawcett's other heroes turn up in this series and we are left to speculate why they were not used before (aside from the JLA), except for DC to be too cheap to license the other characters (or seeing little value, since they had similar characters, already. Bullet man and Bullet Girl will get an adventure, down the road a little bit; but, that's gonna be it. His powers aren't really explained well, either. The visuals suggest super speed, when he pulls off Billy's gag (there are speed lines), though Celeritas, the Rainbow Squad speedster is way faster, but he defeats her with strength and combat training. However, he doesn't have super strength, as Virago puts out his lights. So, it seems like he is just a trained fighter, which was really all Cap was, before post-Silver Age writers started upping his abilities and the effects of the Super Soldier Formula/Vita Ray treatment. Originally, it was just a chemical Charles Atlas course, that gave him a body at the peak of human ability, then he was trained to fight. No super strength, speed, etc. He still needed parachutes then and didn't trade punches with the Hulk or whatever. He was a combination gymnast, boxer/wrestler/martial artist, commando, and strategist. The Shield was mostly the same, though his costume added a limited invulnerability. Lancelot Strong upped the ante a bit, under Simon & Kirby (enough to get DC involved). So, Minute Man is pretty much another pro wrestler hero, able to kick butt because he is the babyface.
I remember when this came out, I was oblivious to the contractual issues with the Fawcett heroes but was a confirmed DC Multiverse fan so was more than pleased to see Minute Man revived (I was also oblivious to the problematic elements of the story's attempt at a parody of feminism).
The costume presented here adds a mask, which wasn't present in 99% of his 40s appearances. My sense of the character is that he had slightly above average strength, albeit with no explanation, and not close to Cap's level. But that may just have been vagueness in the storytelling.
Also worthy of note that Minute Man was, along with Cap Jr, Bulletman, and Bulletgirl, a member of the Crime Crusaders Club, Fawcett's one-shot answer to the JSA.
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Post by codystarbuck on Nov 7, 2021 19:32:36 GMT -5
Shazam! #32 The little box with Mr Mind kind of ruins the cover layout, in my opinion. The scene is a nice mix of Silver and Golden Age cover stylings, with a hero participating in sports, but against an alien creature, with the Earth at stake. Nice to see Mr Tawny return, even if it is for a joke. Creative Team: E Nelson Bridwell-writer, Tenny Henson-pencils, Bob Smith-inks, Milt Snapinn-letters, Jerry Serpe-colors, Joe Orlando-editor Tenny Henson (also listed as Tenny Henson) was one of the Filipino artists who worked at DC. Aside from this, he did stories for GI Combat, Weird War Tales, Ghosts, House of Mystery, The Unexpected, and Secrets of the Haunted House. He moved into animation, working for Filmation, Warner and others. He worked on such shows as Blackstar, He-Man, Animaniacs, Tiny Toons and X-Men.  This is the first issue to carry a letterer credit. Synopsis: Billy Batson and Uncle Dudley have just arrived in Detroit and Billy has switched with Captain Marvel, to rescue a disabled jetliner.  He safely lands it and flies away, then a stewardess......excuse me, cabin attendant, informs the captain that the baseball team they were carrying, to play the Detroit Tigers, was gone! Billy and Uncle Dudley meet up with Mr Tawny, who introduces them to another DC Comics newsstand distributor, who he hoped could help hook him up with a tryout for the Tigers. Tawny is bored at the museum and wants to make Big League money!. he gets his wish, as we watch him at bat....  Next, they test his fielding. The assessment is that he is not spectacular, but the idea of a real tiger playing for the team outweighs actual performance and Mr Tawny is signed up to play alongside Mark Fidrych. On game day, the Tigers discover that their opponents have been kidnapped by Mr Mind, who challenges them to defeat his team, or else he will "wipe out," the visiting team (left unnamed).  Mr Mind's team roster is a bit unusual....  Captain marvel consults the Elders and speaks to Zeus. He tells him he must play, as a pro, to defeat the team and rescue the hostages, but that goes against being a selfless hero. Zeus tells him to donate the money to charity. Didn't know The Big Z was a lawyer. Captain Marvel gets a fast tryout for the team and is accepted, and Uncle Marvel joins as a coach. mr Mind isn't happy and schemes about nabbing Billy batson, to prevent Captain Marvel from playing. As luck would have it, CM switched back to Billy to phone in a story to Mr Morris, about the game. He is nabbed by Handyman, Mr Mind's henchman and catcher. he is bound and gagged and stashed in the visiting locker room. However, Great Skate leaves behind his cleats, since they can't fit over his wheels. The game commences and the Tigers are losing, as usual.  In the locker room, Billy Batson wriggles his way over to the discarded cleat and is able to tear off his gag and change. Captain marvel takes the field, for the 9th inning, with the score 28-2, in favor of the aliens. The aliens are at bat and CM strikes out Stretch and Handyman, and an unseen third batter and then the Tigers are at bat. CM leads off with a homer, using the Speed of Mercury. The rest of the team follows, including Mr Tawny and they bat well. The score is 28-8, with bases loaded and CM is up to bat, again. He hits a fastball up to the moon (where we see crashed service modules, which is the real lunar conspiracy!) and then the team racks up 7 more runs. At his third time at bat, CM drills one through the stadium wall!. The team brings the score to 28-24, but a double-play gets two outs on them, for CM's 4th time at bat. he is blinded by the shortstop, Kaleidoscope, but swings the bat so quickly that he covers the entire strike zone. He hits a homer, tying the game and then Mr Tawny hits the winning home run. Mr Mind tries to renege on his promise...  CM followed the losing team and frees the hostages, but Mr Mind slips away, but he leaves a message that he will defeat Captain Marvel at Indianapolis. Thoughts: Well, it's a cute little story, though it reads more like a Harvey comic than either a DC or Fawcett. The parade of DC newsstand distributors continues, though I doubt it boosted sales any. I have to wonder whose idea this was. It's kind of pathetic. Tenny Henson has a nice loose hand, for the art, which sells the humor well and his designs for the alien baseball team are great. Detroit was obviously selected so that they could have Mr Tawny play for the Tigers, though why he would want to, is beyond me. In 1977, they were at the middle of the pack for the American League, with a record of 74-88. Mark Fidrych, who was a rookie sensation in '76, was the stand-out player, though it didn't help enough. Fidrych ended up with a short career (5 seasons, all at Detroit)) due to injuries. This was the era of the Yankees and Billy Martin, their first under the ownership of George Steinbrenner. They defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the World Series, 4 games to 2. This was the year of stars like Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, Sparky Lyle, Graig Nettles, Thurman Munson, Bucky Dent, and Mickey Rivers. I couldn't stand to watch baseball and even I knew who these guys were (I actually knew more baseball players in the 70s, as a kid, than I ever did, as an adult and was never a fan of the game). Next, Captain Marvel heads to Indianapolis and, I assume, the Indy 500, since Bobby Heenan was in the AWA and the WWA wrestling promotion in Indianapolis never recovered. Still, it would have been nice to see Captain Marvel and Dick the Bruiser take on Ibac and The Sheik! Heck, they can't even run into David letterman, as he was out in LA (maybe if he was home for Thanksgiving, with his mother).
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Post by mikelmidnight on Nov 8, 2021 12:17:56 GMT -5
Detroit was obviously selected so that they could have Mr Tawny play for the Tigers, though why he would want to, is beyond me. In 1977, they were at the middle of the pack for the American League, with a record of 74-88.
Tawky Tawny, known for his strategic decision-making, yep that's him.
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Post by Chris on Nov 8, 2021 14:25:47 GMT -5
I have no idea about Bridwell's attitude, other than it kind of fits his generation and background, writing for Mad and doing satire in Inferior Five. Mike Richardson's Between the Panels described him as someone, wo in another life, would have been illuminating manuscripts. I'm going off memory, which is dangerous; but, i believe he was described as living alone, in an apartment crammed with comics, pulp magazines, paperbacks and cigarette butts. According to Denny O'Neil, Bridwell didn't smoke.  I do seem to recall reading something about Bridwell's apartment being filled with the other things you mention, but I can't recall where I read it, or maybe if I saw it here a couple of years ago and that's what I'm thinking of. Also, I seem to recall that whatever I did read about an apartment filled with books, newspapers, and so on may have been about Gardner Fox instead of Bridwell. I can't keep all this stuff straight anymore. |
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Post by chaykinstevens on Nov 8, 2021 15:32:17 GMT -5
Tenny Henson (also listed as Tenny Henson) was one of the Filipino artists who worked at DC. Should that say also listed as Teny Henson? |
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Post by MDG on Nov 8, 2021 16:28:41 GMT -5
I have no idea about Bridwell's attitude, other than it kind of fits his generation and background, writing for Mad and doing satire in Inferior Five. Mike Richardson's Between the Panels described him as someone, wo in another life, would have been illuminating manuscripts. I'm going off memory, which is dangerous; but, i believe he was described as living alone, in an apartment crammed with comics, pulp magazines, paperbacks and cigarette butts. I do seem to recall reading something about Bridwell's apartment being filled with the other things you mention, but I can't recall where I read it, or maybe if I saw it here a couple of years ago and that's what I'm thinking of. Also, I seem to recall that whatever I did read about an apartment filled with books, newspapers, and so on may have been about Gardner Fox instead of Bridwell. I can't keep all this stuff straight anymore. The earliest comic conventions I went to in NYC in 74, 75, it wasn't unusual to see Bridwell scrounging through boxes with a want list. I don;t know who pointed him out to me, since I went to these shows alone; it may have been that I recognized him from seeing him on a panel. |
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Post by codystarbuck on Nov 8, 2021 21:58:26 GMT -5
Tenny Henson (also listed as Tenny Henson) was one of the Filipino artists who worked at DC. Should that say also listed as Teny Henson? Yeah, I switched back and forth so many times, as I kept getting conflicting info about which was the main spelling used. Real name, I believe, was Quintin. |
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Post by codystarbuck on Nov 8, 2021 22:01:14 GMT -5
I have no idea about Bridwell's attitude, other than it kind of fits his generation and background, writing for Mad and doing satire in Inferior Five. Mike Richardson's Between the Panels described him as someone, wo in another life, would have been illuminating manuscripts. I'm going off memory, which is dangerous; but, i believe he was described as living alone, in an apartment crammed with comics, pulp magazines, paperbacks and cigarette butts. According to Denny O'Neil, Bridwell didn't smoke. I do seem to recall reading something about Bridwell's apartment being filled with the other things you mention, but I can't recall where I read it, or maybe if I saw it here a couple of years ago and that's what I'm thinking of. Also, I seem to recall that whatever I did read about an apartment filled with books, newspapers, and so on may have been about Gardner Fox instead of Bridwell. I can't keep all this stuff straight anymore. Well, I read about his apartment in Mike Richardson's Between the Panels and there were some other stories about comic book finds at places with old time hoarders; I might have merged a couple of them together, with Bridwell's. I don't have a physical copy anymore. Given some of the people who worked in the DC offices and the era, I wouldn't be surprised if Bridwell was sucking up second hand smoke constantly. |
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Post by MDG on Nov 9, 2021 9:27:14 GMT -5
Given some of the people who worked in the DC offices and the era, I wouldn't be surprised if Bridwell was sucking up second hand smoke constantly. TBH, if you lived, worked, and took public transportation in NYC in those days, you were always suckin' up a lot of smoke.
Kind've like, y'know, everyplace else. |
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Post by codystarbuck on Nov 14, 2021 23:05:53 GMT -5
Shazam! #33 Creative Team: E Nelson Bridwell-writer, Tenny Henson-pencils, Vince Colletta-inks, Kurt Schaffenberger-special ink assist, Erick (actually Erik) Santos-letters, Jerry Serpe-colors, Jack C Harris-editor My guess is Schaffenberger redrew the heads for Captain Marvel, as they are more on-model than last issue. This is set at the Indianapolis 500; so, I will conduct this review like Jackie Stewart. Hoot, man! Synopsis: Captain Marrrrrvel pravents two racerrrrrs from crashin' inna tae each other, robbin' the crowd of a grrrrrreat spectaecle, ya ken? He then buggers off after ana switches bock tae Billy Batson, the wee lad he spends his time as. Billy catches oop w' Uncle Doodley, who is inna stands, a-watchin the race. The winnair is presented his coop by the pret-e gairl, when Mr Mind throws out a challenge, over the PA system. 'e sends out Mr At-um tae challenge anaone tae a race or he will irradiete tha' entire city. Mr At-um has been turned into a car, for the race. Billy changes intae Captain Marrrrrvel an' 'e consults tha Eldairs, fer help, ya ken? They promise to imbue a car with their attributes an then we get another newsstand distributor inserted in tha' story, fer nae guud raeson.  Captain Marrrrrvel builds the Shazamobile, then switches wi' Billy. He then sits in the car and says "Shazam! ana car is filled with the power of the Eldairs! The race begins and Mr At-um takes an early lead, but Cap'n Marrrvel catches up with him ana then passes him, takin' the lead. He then uses the speed of Merc-ury tae lap Mr At-um, 3 taemes! Mr At-um tries tae cheat, ya ken, ana fails ana Cap'n Marrrrrvel wins tha race.  Mr At-um's body turns up ana lifts the heed offa the car and puts it back on top. 'e then attacks Cap'n Marrrvel. They fight over the city....  Cap'n Marrrvel knock At-um intae space an then throws the radioactive car intae the sun. Uncle Doodley catches Mr Mind and that is the end of his crime spree.  Thoughts: This is pretty lame, even by the standards of this series, which weren't all that high. Speed Racer it ain't. Mr Atom is pretty much wasted and Mr Mind doesn't get to do any gonzo stuff. The designs are kind of dull and it just feels thrown together, so they could have a race story for Indy. This is the end of DC's attempt to emulate Fawcett, in terms of the look of the character. They finally give in to pressure to modernize Captain Marvel and that new look will debut next issue. We will also see Captain Nazi! And the return of Mary and Junior! For those who didn't grow up in the 70s, with ABC's Wide World of Sports, here's a bit of Jackie Stewart....with a Beatle! He even made the Scottish Wall of Fame! Apologies to any actual Scots out there. Here's some more authentic Scots... Oh, eck!
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Post by codystarbuck on Nov 20, 2021 17:29:59 GMT -5
Shazam! #34 Guess the tv show is off the air! Creative Team: E Nelson Bridwell-writer, Alan Weiss-pencils, Joe Rubinstein-inks, Ben Oda-letters, Cornelia Adams-colors, Jack C Harris-editor So, here is the deal; the Shazam tv show was done (Isis continued) and sales sucked. So, DC decided they needed to revamp things. They decided to redesign th characters for a modern audience and write stories for a little older audience. They debuted the new look in house ads and DC followed up, after, with the in-house fanzine, The Amazing World of DC Comics......  That is just wrong, for so many reasons. I'm not talking about Alan Weiss' redesign, per se, though he does make them look rather psychotic and steroided, but Mary Marvel, a minor in either form, sitting in Shazam's lap and stroking his beard! Junior looks like he is being portrayed by pro wrestler Butch Cassidy.... In the actual issue, Mike Barr (newly added to the DC staff), interviews Nelson Bridwell, who confirms that with the tv show off the air, DC wanted to turn Captain Marvel into something closer to the rest of their books and end the road trip in the Shazambeggo. He confirms sales were down and he also confirmed that the book was being cancelled, as he says the feature is moving to Worlds Finest. Bridwell had actually delivered the script for this issue (Shazam! #34) before Jack C Harris told him they wanted more emotion and mature stories in the book and he told him to check the script he just turned in and it was exactly what they had in mind. Alan Weiss did this single issue. I like Alan Weiss' work, always have; but, I'm not wild about his work here. Thankfully, my favorite Captain Marvel artist takes over next issue, which we will discuss, then. Amazing World also has a feature on Fawcett's other heroes and it confirms they had to pay a per appearance fee to Fawcett for any character they used and they didn't want to part with the money for the lesser heroes and they also turned their noses up at them, saying they didn't work in the modern day. Uh-hunh; guess you guys just aren't creative enough. Bullet Man and Bullet Girl will get one appearance (aside from a cameo here, with a couple of others). So, let us explore the New Captain Marvel (as opposed to the Old New Captains Marvel, like the MF shmoe or the guy with a fin on his head, before he went to a hair dresser). Synopsis: Driving into Chicago, Billy Batson and Uncle Dudley learn that the road has been mined!  Those aren't mines, that's just the pot-holes on the Dan Ryan. You get used to it! The real hazard is from the kamikaze drivers, hopped up on caffeine and late for work! CM lifts the Shazambeggo out of the way, then explodes the other mines (with some really weird body positioning). He carries the RV to a gas station and turns it over to the mechanics, while CM flies off to keep Billy's appointment. Dudley checks in with Sterling Morris, who passes on a message that seems to upset Dudley and he leaves the station, without telling CM/BB. Billy gos to meet Weldon Stone, station manager of a local affiliate of Amalgamated broadcasting (WGN? Naw, that was owned by the Tribune), who says the acts of terrorism have been linked to a neo-Nazi group. Nazis! I hate Illinois Nazis! (Warning NSFW (but deserved) language) Goose-stepping around the Sears Tower is Captain Nazi, who has detected the magic lightning. We finally learn his real name (Albrecht Kriger) and how he became Captain Nazi....  He was defeated at every turn, but heard that Sivana had trapped the Marvels, as he was preparing plans to conquer America. He went into suspended animation to wait the Marvels freeing themselves, so that he could destroy them and have nothing standing in his path. His followers have taken over the Sears Tower. Word reaches Billy Batson, who goes up to the roof to see what is happening and tries to call the lightning, but nothing happens. He learns that something is blocking satellite transmissions, as well as the lightning. he calls back home and has Freddy Freeman hook up some amplifiers and then shouts Shazam into the phone, which is amplified and the activates the magic, which travels back through the phone liens and transforms Billy into Captain Marvel. Meanwhile, Freddy decides it is time to do some Nazi Smashing, since CN crippled him and killed his grandfather. Captains Marvel and Nazi duke it out in the sky, but Ratzi zaps him with a lightning gun, that turns him into Billy and he falls from the sky. Luckily, Junior turns up to catch him, before he hits Daley Plaza. Junior then goes to kick Nazi butt like George S Patton!  He is about to pummel him into a stain on Buckingham Fountain, when Billy convinces him not to kill the goose-stepper and he hauls him off to jail. Then, he and CM round up the Skokie A##-whipes, aka Illinois Nazis and then Billy and Freddy go to the gas station to meet Uncle Dudley and are told that he made a phone call and then ran off. We then cut to the Rock of Eternity, where we learn that King Kull has broken free. Thoughts: Well, to start, the interior looks much smoother than the cover, though the Marvels still look a bit psychotic. There is at least some context for Junior. His proportions are a bit better, too. Captain Nazi gets a past, which ends up borrowing, a bit, from Phillip Wylie's novel, Gladiator, as Albrecht Krieger's father feeds him a miracle food, just as Abednego Danner injected his pregnant wife with chemicals that altered the development of in-utero Hugo, making him a superman, upon birth. Using Chicago had nothing to do with the Blues Brothers, which hadn't come out yet (the characters hadn't even appeared on SNL, by the time this issue was published). Both the BB film and this issue used Nazis in Illinois, near Chicago, because of real events. In 1977, the National Socialist Party of America sued the village of Skokie, IL, for the right to hold a rally there, after being denied permits. The group had held rallies before, in Chicago, at Marquette Park; but, the city used the tactic of forcing them to put up a $350,000 safety bond to receive a permit and then banning all political rallies from the park. The group then switched to the tactic of sending letters to the Chicago suburbs to indicate they planned to hold rallies in those locales and apply for permits. Most ignored them as the nutters they were; but, Skokie actually responded. The village was originally going to approve a permit, but work to give the group as little attention as possible, so the event would fizzle out and they would move on. However, Skokie had a very large Jewish population, a large percentage of whom were Holocaust survivors. They found this unacceptable and the Village was forced to take out an injunction against the NSPA and passed legislation to ban future events like this. The Nazis sued in court and lost in the lower courts; but, the US Supreme Court forced the Illinois Supreme Court to review the restraint on speech and the way was opened for the march. However, true to form, the bully boys chickened out and didn't hold their rally, despite what you see in the Blues Brothers. However, their rallies and the suits, as well as the ridicule in the film, pretty much sent the punks away, whimpering. Now, Chicago makes a certain sense, as northern and East Central Illinois had large German settlements, particularly around Bloomington, where I live. My mother's family is from this area and they are Anglo-German. There are German restaurants in the area, serving traditional German dishes (including hasenpfeffer), which is why everyone prefers to eat other ethnic food, because it doesn't get much blander than Anglo-German food! My dad's family is Anglo-Irish, which isn't any spicier; but, his family were farmers (so was my mom's) and they knew how to season food for some flavor! This was more of the kind of thing I wanted to see, for so long in the pages of Shazam! The classic villains, doing nasty things, fighting the Marvels. You don't get any nastier than Captain Nazi. He was a serious villain and there was no trickery with him; the stories got brutal, as you would expect. Everyone knows a real villain when they see one and painting a swastika on your chest pretty much puts a spotlight on you. I especially like the fact that Captain Marvel Junior has no mercy in him, when it comes to CN, as it is definitely personal. However, we have to uphold the Comics Code, so Captain Marvel has to talk him down. The Uncle Dudley subplot takes is into the next and final issue of the series, though the story will continue into Worlds Finest. Also next issue, the finest artist to handle Captain Marvel, in the modern era. Here's a hint... 
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Post by codystarbuck on Nov 23, 2021 19:08:27 GMT -5
Shazam! #35 Ah, skip the jokes about the Michael Netzer cover (though how come Mary is trapped and the other two are fighting?), get to the good part! Creative Team: E Nelson Bridwell (Bravo!, Encore, Author!)-writer, Don Newton (Hurray!)-pencils, Kurt Schaffenberger (Huzzah!)-inks, Ben Oda (um...good for him!)-letters, Cory Adams (Hello....)-colors, Jack C Harris (S'up?)-editor The good stuff: Don Newton finally gets to do his dream job!  Don Newton was a longtime fan, particularly of Captain Marvel. He was an art teacher, in Arizona and did fanzine art for a variety of publications, including Rocket's Blast Comic Collector, Golden Age Collector, The Comic Reader and others. His breakthrough came via Nicola Cuti, at Charlton, who hired him to do work there. He did several stories for the Charlton horror comics, then found himself following in the footsteps of Jim Aparo when he became the regular artist on The Phantom, with issue #67, as he drew breathtaking interiors and evocative painted covers...     That would lead to Newton coming to work for DC, on Aquaman and Return of the New Gods, then here and Batman, in Detective Comics. Newton refined the redesign that Alan Weiss brought and created a balance between classic Fawcett Captain Marvel and more modern DC. His work had a moody quality that accentuated Phantom and Batman, but also served to bring a seriousness to Captain Marvel; but also with a light enough touch, when required, to keep the classic humor elements. His figures had power and grace, and a quiet athleticism that some artists never managed....    Now, enjoy, as Don brings his awesomeness to his favorite hero, for probably the best stories of this era, at DC (for Captain Marvel). Synopsis: Captain Marvel and Junior are out flying, when they spot cars falling from the sky. They catch them, and notice that the Verrazano Narrows Bridge is missing and it must have vanished from underneath the cars!  They are further puzzled by the bystanders complete lack of knowledge of any bridge having ever been there! then, the cars turn into older models, but still look new. They fly into the city and discover that the skyline has reverted to that of the past, with the World Trade Center and Madison Square Garden gone, but old buildings have returned. They go to Station WHIZ (Flowing with the sounds of Radio!), where Sterling Morris thinks they are nuts. He mentions the war being over and thinking of maybe going into television. CM and Junior fly off and realize they are the only ones not affected by the changes. They wonder about Mary and stop in to the Bromfield house to see her. mary bromfield has no knowledge of them or Billy Batson, but CM gets her to say Shazam and she is transformed into Mary Marvel. She tells them until that moment, she couldn't remember anything past 1941. Everything seems to be slipping backwards in time. CM realizes this could mean a problem for them, if they cross the point when they gained their powers...  They fly off to the Rock of Eternity to consult the wizard Shazam. He reveals that King Kull is behind it and he was released from his imprisonment by the magic lightning, thanks to Captain Nazi, last issue...  He seeks to return the world to the time when his beastmen ruled the planet and he ruled them! To find and defeat him, the Marvel Family will have to descend into Hell!  Wait, they already went to Cleveland. Oh.... that Hell! They don't actually go into Hell, but The Underworld of the Greeks, as they fly over the River Styx and see Charon, the ferryman of the dead.... (Another one where you can't get the original video on Youtube, for some reason) They then come across Cerberus....  No, no....that's Cerebus. I mean Cerberus, the three headed dog, who guards the Underworld.... Well......sort of.....This puppy (or puppies, depending on how you look at him) wants to play....  The come to the nasty parts and Mary goes to smack some sass-mouthed Furies, but gets grabbed by Typhon. Junior and CM rescue her, then she has to rescue the Big Red Cheese Head from Echidna...  They then face a figured shrouded in crimson robes. Who could it be......  Junior says not to worry, as he fought Satan single-handedly, when he inhabited the mortal body of Timothy Karnes, aka Sabbac. However, Old Scratch is much more powerful and Junior goes down, saying he is too much. CM isn't buying it and tells Junior and Mary to follow him and they dive directly at Mephistopheles, who turns out to be smoke and mirrors...well, smoke, anyway... CM says every victory they had over an evil creature increased the Power of Good, allowing them to beat Satan; but, it can't last. He leads them to Kull and they whoop the tar out of him and smash his amchines, returning time to its normal state. They meet up with Sterling Morris and ask about the alleged financial trouble and learn that Sterling may be forced to sell controlling interest in the station to Billy, wicked uncle, Ebeneezer Batson, the man who stole Billy's inheritance!  Dunh-dun-duh! Oh, and something has smashed into the prison cells of King Kull and Captain Nazi. Tune in next time, kids! Oh, wait, the book has been canceled! Head over to World's Finest, kids! Thoughts:First, Nelson surpassed himself with the best set up of any of the modern stories, capturing the flavor of the Fawcett epics, while bringing a brand new story. He throws in Greek myth left and right, as the Marvels descend into the Underworld, where they meet up with the Judeo-Christian Satan (allegedly). This isn't too much of a stretch as most of the imagery surrounding the average conception of Satan and Hell comes not from the Bible, but from Dante and Milton and a lot of mixing of Greek and Roman mythology. In Greek Myth, the Underworld was not "Hell," but, the after life. One crossed the River Styx, ferried by Charon, to reach it, which was the reason behind the old tradition of placing coins over the eyes of the dead. Once there, the deceased would find themselves judged as to their life and find themselves placed in the Asphodel Meadows, the Mourning Fields, Elysium or Tartarus. Tartarus was closest to the concept of Hell, as a place where the wicked are punished. Zeus banished the Titans to Tartarus, after they were defeated by the Olympians, while Odysseus sees other souls tormented there, in the Odyssey. Elysium was the place for the truly exceptional and virtuous, like some of the Heroes. In that, it is closer in equivalence tot he concept of Heaven. The Asphodel Meadows was the place for the not exactly wicked, but not virtuous, either. Sort of like Purgatory. The Mourning Fields were reserved for unrequited love (in the Aenid). So, Nelson makes great use of the storytelling traditions that lay at the heart of Captain Marvel, the being who give him power and their myths. That is where the strength of Captain Marvel lies, as a character, beyond the great villains and imaginative adventures. Meanwhile, Don Newton hits it out of the park, from panel 1. Just look at the single page illustration, when the Marvels arrive in Tartarus....  I would at least maim, if not kill, for the original of that! Newton has fun, too, as the bystanders at the missing bridge include CC Beck and Newton, himself (I think,,,the guy who says his car is brand new might be Newton, though it could just be a generic bystander). You'll note that the redesigned Mary does not have the yellow short boots, seen in The Amazing World of DC, but red ballet slippers, instead of her yellow ones. Either DC backed off of sexing up Mary or Newton wasn't aware of it or decided he didn't like it (or Harris or someone else). Sabbac gets name dropped and we haven't seen him, so far. He was a villain who was given the powers of of six demons (Satan, Aym, Belial, Beelzebub, Asmodeus, and Crateis. Timothy Karnes is transformed by black magical lightning and becomes Sabbac, in green robes, and then fights Junior, in CMJ #4 and 6. In his original adventure, the demons depart him, one by one, as Junior defeats his plans, until only Satan is left and defeated, forcing him to leave Karnes. Ibac was also involved with a demonic figure, Lucifer, who may or may not be Satan (he is and isn't, which doesn't clear things up), who drew power from 4 figures of evil from history (Ivan the Terrible, Cesar Borgia, Atilla the Hun and Caligula). On the letters page, there is no mention about this being the last issue in the series and there is only the next issue blurb at the end of the story, to follow up in World's Finest #253 and that it will be the new home of Captain Marvel. My guess is the letters page was done before the decision came down and the announcement was inserted at the end of the story to note that the next issue's story would be in World's finest, instead. This fate befell Return of the New Gods and All-Star Comics, as both moved over to Adventure Comics, when it became a Dollar Comic, as World's Finest does. We haven't hit the Implosion, yet, as the axe was looming over Shazam! for a long time and only the tv show prevented it from occurring sooner. So, from here, we move over to World's Finest to continue the story; but, first, we will make a stop at All-New Collectors' Edition, to look at Superman vs Shazam, for the confrontation everyone has been waiting for.
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