Tom Strong #12



Nice homage to the JLA/JSA crossovers.

Creative Team: Alan Moore-writer, Chris Sprouse & Al Gordon-art, Todd Klein-letters, Matt Holingsworth-colors, Scott Dunbier-editor

Synopsis: Tom Strong and Tom Strange, his opposite number, from Terra Obscura, survey the massive metallic lifeform that is transforming Terra Obscura into a world ship. Doc Strange is at a loss about how to stop it and Tom Strong focuses on the surviving heroes of SMASH (Society of Major American Science Heroes), who orbit the Earth, trapped in bubbles that keep them in a time loop.



Tom theorizes that is he can focus the warp drive of the Hyper Saucer into a tight enough beam, he can disrupt the time loops and release the heroes. he will need Doc Strange to go out and bring them in, before they succumb to the vacuum of space. They prepare and then target Pyroman first and it works. Doc brings him in and introduces him to Tom Strong, then goes after the Fighting Yanks. They are followed by The Ghost, Miss Masque, Princess Panther, American Crusader, Lance Lewis, The Liberator, The Ape, The Woman in Red, Mystico, The Scarab, The Magnet and The Grim Reaper. Finally, there is the Terror's young sidekick, Tim.....



Doc tells Tim about the Terror's last words, "Tell Tim..." and asks what that might mean. Tim says that Bob Benton, the Terror, was a polymath and had created something he called Project Omega. he believes it would be kept in the Terror's private lab, in Invertica City; but he doesn't know where it is, as the Terror kept it a secret. The heroes set course for Invertica City, and then descend down the main shaft, into the city, built into the ground. There, onloookers see the heroes return and are then joined by the Four Comrades, a kid gang of heroes, who are now middle aged. They decide to see if the Magnet can trace vibrations from the lab, as well as the ectoplasm of the Ghost (now called the Green Ghost) and they locate the lab and a cylinder, marked with crossed bones.



It is filled with little black ball bearins, marked with similar logos. Tom Strong finds the project files, on a computer. He finds an "activate" command and selects it and the ball bearings leap into the air and form an image....



It is the image of The Terror, who identifies itself as Terror 2000 and refers to the heroes as "subscribers." It has the Terror's personality encoded in it and Doc Strange fills it in on the Terror's death and the alien invader. The Terror tells Tim to return the spheres to the container and take them to the South Pole. he then responds to American Crusader, whe had called The Terror a "psychopath," to which he takes exception and gives a chilling warning.

They set course for Antarctica and develop a plan. American Crusader and Pyroman will emit an electro-magnetic pulse, to disable the alien drones. Then, they will activate the Terror 2000 program. They zap the drones and Doc Strange and the Woman in Red try to disable the world engines. The rest try to distract the alien. The alien attacks and the original Fighting Yank dies, sheltering his daughter. Doc Strange gets hit with a blast, but survives. Tim pilots the Hyper Saucer, while Tom Strong rides the underside, with magnetic boots and opens the cylinder, releasing the Terror 2000...



It locates the alien brain and takes control of its form, forcing it to launch itself into the sun.

The Fighting Yank is buried and the rest of SMASH say their goodbyes, as Tom Strong departs on the return journey home. They vow to aid Tom Strong, if he ever needs them.

Thoughts: Terrific ending to the story, which brings back the Nedor heroes, including the Black Terror, in a new form. Moore has a bit of an error, or someone does, as, at no point, does the American Crusader refer to the Terror as a "psychopath." Either it didn't get lettered or Moore forgot to include that piece of dialogue.

Tom Strong assumes the Terror 2000 is piloting the alien to a barren world, to covert it to a ship and the others laugh at him and say he doesn't know the Terror, as it kills the al;ien, by forcing it to fly into the sun.

Once again, Tom uses brain power to solve the problem, rather than brawn or weapons.

The SMASH team makes for an interesting bunch of characters, especially the way that Moore describes them. The American Crusader is a nuclear powered hero, while Pyroman harnesses vast energies. Woman in Red has an alien ruby which enhances her powers. Fighting Yank draws strength from his cloak and speaks to the ghost of an ancestor. They speak of Captain Future, who went off into space, in 1958/59 and hasn't been seen since. teh Ghost is a magically powered hero. We will take up their story, as they seek to return their world to normal, in the mini-series Terra Obscura, down the road (and its sequel). For now, Tom Strong moves on with his adventures, as Warren Strong and Young Tom Strong join him, in a new adventure.

Invertica City is literally an inverted city, growing into the ground, rather than the sky, emphasizing the opposite nature of this world. Also, there is New Lancaster, instead of New York (the opposing Houses, in the War of the Roses).

This does feel truncated, in parts, as they go from not knowing where the Terror's secret lab is, to Magnet leading them there, along with the Green Ghost's mystical abilities. It never quite seems earned. We also see some of the others, but they have no speaking parts. When Terra Obscura starts up, it will lead to some confusion in identifying some of the characters, especially more obscure one, like The Liberator and the Eagle. Nedor's "Big Guns" were The Black Terror, The Fighting Yank, Miss Masque, Doc Strange and Pyroman, with most of the rest as back-up features. American Crusader was probably the next most popular. Even so, The Black Terror and The Fighting Yank were the top dogs, appearing in their own comics and others, including America's Best Comics, alongside Miss Masque. Terror had Black Terror and Exciting Comics. They were at their best in the hands of Mort Meskin and Jerry Robinson, who provided the acme of the art on their series.

Top 10 #12



Creative Team: Alan Moore-writer, Gene Ha & Zander Cannon-art, Todd Klein-letters, Alex Sinclair-colors, Scott Dunbier-editor

Synopsis: Jackie Phantom and Lt Peregrine are watching M'Rggla Qualz' show reels (projected by the eyestalk of a Dalek head), looking for clues to the link between her death, the Seven Sentinels and the death of Blue Jay, aka Glenn Garland. The latest one features them in a space mission, about to head home, when Peregrine notices Saturn in the background, but it is supposed to have been shot in an alien galaxy. Jackie mentions she didn't see the sky change, either. The reel ends and Peregrine loads another, why they talk over the anomaly. Jackie remarks that all of the Seven Sentinels missions seem to take place in outer space, or alternate dimensions; but never on their world/reality. She also says they have only their word about these missions. The new reel starts and they finally find the clue they are looking for....



Meanwhile, Duan "Dust Devil" Bodine and Shockhead Pete are at Duane's mother's apartment, where she tells him the Ex-Verminator id demanding payment for something and she doesn't know why. Verminator asks Duane to confirm the pest control job he did and Duane has no idea who he is. Ex-Verminator realizes that the reality has changed due to the cosmic confrontation between Galacti-Pus and Cosmouse, when he sees the undamaged kitchen, where the battle was taking place. Duane starts sending him on his way and he explodes....



Pete stuns him and they run him into the station.

Elsewhere, Officer Joe Pi arrives at Irma's house to pick her up; but, she and Ron are enjoying a morning.....um........moment and her kids answer the door. He daughter tells Joe that they aren't up yet and Irma, in a towel runs past, telling Joe she is running late and needs to jump in the shower. Her daughter adds that they have been up there a while, making strange noises. Joe covers for her, asking if she has been doing her special Police Exercises. Her daughter asks if she can do special Police Exercises and Irma tells her when she is older. Ron thanks Joe for putting him onto the particle physics jobs, as he has an interview. The cops head out and Irma thanks him for covering for her and Ron, with the kids.

They report in for roll call and there is a big gathering of officers. Captain Traynor handles the briefing. He says they have had a major breakthrough and turns it over to Lt Peregrine and Jackie Phantom. Peregrine says the death of Glenn Garland isn't tied to his career as a pop singer, but as a science hero sidekick, to Perry Sommerville, aka Kingfisher, a member of the Seven Sentinels. Det Jackson questions about them being major powers and mentions their fight with the Krell Armada. Jackie takes over and tells them about checking with Trans-Solar Registry, about the Seven Sentinels' missions and opponents. Most didn't exist or were defeated by other heroes; and, the Krell are a primitive reptile species who only just developed the wheel, let alone space travel. Their entire history is a lie. She reveals their true purpose...



Shockhead Pete challenges this, asking if the kids are alleging this and kids make up these kinds of things all the time. Peregrine responds that they have film evidence of Atoman being serviced by Scorchy, the kid sidekick of The Sizzler. Pete and the rest are stunned, sickened and horrified. Peregrine tells them that they had the same reaction, seeing the footage. They are going to apprehend the Seven Sentinels and weapons will be issued by Wolf Spider.

They tool up with "black radiation" cannons, for the Scarlet Sceptre and Blue Wave guns for Atomaid. Det Jackson asks Smax how Robyn is doing and he says coming along and he is visiting her later. She asks if he is on the detail to arrest Atoman and he says no, he was assigned to bring in The Sizzler, instead. Shockhead Pete continues to be a dick to Joe Pie and gets himself embarrassed again.



Pete is quickly losing friends.

The officers move out on their assignments and begin their raids, arresting members of the Seven Sentinels. They're not gentile about it, either....



The main force arrives at Sentinel Spire, the headquarters of the Seven Sentinels. They are greeted by Richie "Taps" Minelli, the team's mascot, who says there are no tours today. Hyperdog shows his badge and Richie reaches for a button, but is stopped by The Word, who uses his ability to control people through voice commands to freeze him in place. Spaceman reads his thoughts and confirms that 4 of the Sentinels are there: Kingfisher, Sceptre, Boomerang and Davy Jones (aw no, not Davy Jones! I loved the Monkees......Marcia Brady will be heartbroken). They go in and find two young girls in towels, one of whom is Marta "Boots" Wesson. She says she was forced to seek other means of support, after Stefan Graczyk's death. They take them to be booked and go after the big perps. They find them naked, relaxing around a pool. They police tell them they are under arrest. Perry Sommerville, aka Kingfisher starts to panic and Gil "Boomerang" Marcchones tells him to shut up and demands to see a warrant. Wolf Spider produces the arrest warrant and the men are taken into custody and loaded into a paddy wagon, buck naked, for all the crowds to see. The kids are covered up with jackets from Spaceman and The Word.

In the background is the sign for the local store, Green Apple/Green Grocer, as well as the shop Good Vibranium.

Kemlo reports in and says that Alex "Spaceman" Glushko has already scanned them and that Atoman was the one who killed Glenn Garland.

Shockhead Pete and Dust Devil go to Lawrence "The Hound" Lomax's estate to arrest him and the butler answers. he throws water on Pete, which short-circuits him, Duane grabs the butler by the throat and demands to know where Lomax is and the butler points him to the entrance to the secret lair. The hound tries to run Duane down with his Hound-mobile. Duane draws his weapon...



The shot rips through the engine block and the car crashes and Lomax is thrown clear of the wreck. Dust Devil reports in that The Hound has been collared.

Captain Traynor, at the station is pleased and checks in with Smax, who confirms that they have The Sizzler in custody. Traynor orders Smax to join the others at The Fall Out Shelter, to take Atoman into custody. he tells Janus to alert Corbeau and Jackson to take the Young Sentinels before anyone can warn Atoman. They use the soft approach, since the kids are victims. Wendy Spiers, aka Atomaid, sidekick to Atoman, is confronted with a black radiation cannon, which can hurt her. She seems catatonic, until Synaesthesia (Det Jackson) notices that Atomaid is emitting ultraviolet light. Det King Peacock Corbeau says she must be confusing things, since ultra-violet would be the edge of perception, like ultrasound, then they realize what she is doing...



He looks out the window and sees the police cruiser pull up. The heavy mob move in and Irma remarks that Atoman's lifespan is over 300 years and he will probably get 15 years and be out. Joe Pi suddenly utters oops and says he seems to have smacked his arm against something solid and disabled his automatic recording device, and Irma realizes he did it before she finished saying that they oughtta take him out. She thanks him. Smax arrives and Irma tells him that Atoman has the door bolted tight and Smax fires his blue flash. It is reflected back at him and Joe Pi confirms the door is impregnium. Joe then overrides the intercom and uses it to speak to Atoman, telling him they are there to arrest him. He tells them to speak to his lawyer and Officer Pi informs him that his lawyer, Gil "Boomerang" Marchiones is in custody, for child sex offenses. He then gives Atoman his options.



Atoman tells Pi that he slipped up and gave him his way out. Pi asks if he means violet soundwaves, which will kill him. Joe Pi tells him not to do anything rash and tries to talk him out of it, but Atoman steps into his sound chamber and activates the violet sound waves. Joe Pi has failed.



They head back to the station and Irma's admiration for Joe grows.

They report back to the station and Traynor commends them on a good job and sends everyone home.

Smax visits Robyn, at the hospital (where we see the Eddie Murphy and Rex Harrison Doctors Doolittle, escorting ManWolf down the hall, and also Dr Strangelove, in the background). He tells her what happened, then starts to talk about going to his uncle's funeral and complications and has trouble getting his words out. Robyn asks him is he is trying to ask her to come along and he finally says yes.

Kemlo meets Anette for dinner and they kind of sort out there situation and he realizes she really is in love with him and he with her, as weird as it seems.

We cut to Captain Traynor arriving at home and see his famous jet aircraft in a hangar, emblazoned with a shark emblem. he goes inside to an apartment, where an older man waits for him, putting dinner on the table.



The man is Wulf, Jetlad's partner, a former member of the flying squadron the Skysharks. They have ben lovers for years and Jetlad talks about the case and the Seven Sentinels being pedophiles. He is somewhat uneasy and their past comes up, as they met when Jetlad was young. He was 16 and Wulf was 24. he asks him how it was different than this case. Wulf says they were in love.

Thoughts: Here endeth the series.

Well, there is more; but we will get to that; but, this is the end of the regular series. I don't count Season 2, as Alan Moore had nothing to do with that and it was DC just mining the corpse of his work, again.

A lot of heavy stuff in this issue. The Sentinels were not heroes, they were sexual predators, who used their stage managed status to lure impressionable kids into their world and exploit them. This wasn't new, as Rick Veitch's Brat Pack covered similar territory. The whole concept of a child sidekick is pretty twisted, when you apply real world concerns to it, though the idea was a POV character for kids. The concept was used by Dr Frederic Wertham to point fingers at Batman, though he stated it represented a homosexual relationship and not of child molestation situation. In Wertham's time, homosexuality was treated as a mental disorder and equated with pedophiles, just as cross-dressing was also lumped in with homosexuality. It was years before homosexuality was removed as a disorder from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. It took longer to separate child predators from homosexuality, though there still remains a stigma attached when it comes to a homosexual person just befriending a gay youth, or one who is confused about their sexuality. Even within the LBGT community, the subject is a controversial one. There was the the case of puppeteer Kevin Clash, who operated Elmo, on Sesame Street, who became embroiled in scandal when a 23 year old man came out with the story that they had been in a sexual relationship, since the man was 16, which was a felony, under New York law, even if the relationship is consensual. Clash admitted the relationship but said it was consensual. The man recanted his statements, but another accusation came up, claiming Clash abused them at 15. Lawsuits were brought but the statute of limitations had passed. Clash had been forced to resign from Sesame Street.

The whole subject of this issue is pretty dark stuff as there is little that you can imagine to be worse than crimes committed against a defenseless child. I sat through a court martial of a warrant officer, who had been temporarily assigned to my office, for sexually abusing his stepdaughter, from the ages of 11 until 15, when she finally broke down to a school guidance counselor and the crime was reported. I was sickened and angered. I was acting as bailiff for the court, since they needed someone of higher rank, but I was unarmed. As I sat there, I had thoughts going through my head, wishing that I had a sidearm, at that moment. I have never wished harm on another person; but, I am still uncertain of whether I would have done my legal duty or succumbed to those thoughts, had I been armed. I'm glad I never found out.

That is also the problem of throwing around terms like "pedophile" or "pedo" or related terms, jokingly or carelessly. We have seen how such things have been used to label political enemies and stir people to violence, with the ridiculous QAnon conspiracies and tales of child exploitation rings and consuming child flesh. The same kinds of conspiracies were created by the Tsar's secret police and the Nazis to attack Jews and justify anti-semitic attacks and the Holocaust. It's the exact same playbook. Such behavior draws attention away from real sexual abuse and it is hard enough to get the victims to report to adults that they have been abused, as too often people react like Shockhead Pete, questioning whether the kids are making it up, or because of threats to them by the perpetrators. It is hard enough to get at the truth without reckless politicians and ignorant a-holes branding people as "pedos" because they don't like them or their policies and investigators have to sort through the false allegations and not ignore the real ones.

Leaving that aside, Moore gets into a real narrow edge with the juxtaposition of Jetlad and Wulf and the Seven Sentinels. The Sentinels are predators...there is no love, just power over children, for their own gratification. Wulf and Jetlad are complicated by their ages, 16 and 24, when they met. Under the afore-mentioned New York law, it would be a crime, regardless. However, they met in 1949, at the end of a war, where Jetlad was a soldier, of a sort, as was Wulf, You had 16 and 17 year old soldiers, despite the minimum age requirement, as records weren't cross-checked as easily, without computers. Some of those soldiers had sexual experiences with adults, before they were 18. We have seen news stories of teachers involved sexually with their students. When it is a man, there is anger and disgust and they are perceived as a criminal and deviant. When it is a woman, especially an attractive one, the reaction gets more mixed, as there is an element of male society that practically cheers the young men who were involved with the "hot" adult woman, like they are living out a fantasy. It is still an adult with power over a minor, no matter how attractive they are.

Moore's dialogue, that Wulf and Jetlad were in love doesn't change that fact; but, when you look at the individual circumstances, as we will see, in the 49ers graphic novel, it wasn't a cut and dried situation. Jetlad was chronologically 16, but had been living an adult life and was not a typical 16 year-old. Also, Wulf was not some chickenhawk, on the make. It is that grey area that is unsettling, because it makes us examine things that make us extremely uncomfortable and there isn't a neat, tidy answer. Age of consent has always been a touchy subject and it varies across decades and societies. In many places, it was legal to wed at age 13. Royalty married in childhood, as a political bond. Teenagers were treated more as adults before the 20th Century, when psychologists and others started questioning such notions, not to mention reformers of the Victorian Age, who fought child labor exploitation.

I find that I do see Wulf and Jetlad as a different thing, as Jetlad was mature enough to make adult decisions, despite his chronological age, He came out of a war more than a child, no matter what. Also, as we will see, Wulf was sincerely in love with Jetlad and that love was returned and it continues decades later.

Leaving the heavy stuff behind, we do get some more fun,like the Verminator being crewed out of his fees because Cosmouse altered reality so that Verminator was never hired in the first place. Then, there is the exchange at Irma's house, with Joe and the kids, which also serves to show that Joe is not just sentient, but also a feeling creature, as he is capable of humor and empathy. That is further reinforced when he destroys his recorder to protect Irma from charges, if something happens. When he starts to tap into the intercom system, he asks Irma if they have heard of Asimov's laws, in Neopolis and she says no. We understand why he asks when we see what happens to Automan. Isaac Asimov, in his fictionwriting, developed the 3 Laws of Robotics:

1.) The First Law: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2.) The Second Law: A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3.) The Third Law: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

Joe violates the First Law, by not only allowing Automan to kill himself, with violet sound waves, he actually plants the idea in his head, thereby deliberately driving him to self-harm. Irma seems to realize this when she looks at Joe, after he says "Problem solved." As he covered for her, she covers for him.

There are easter eggs, such as the store signs I mentioned and the Dalek head, but they are kept out of the arrest scenes and more of the serious moments. We again see the Robby the Robot head typewriter/computers, at the station, which has been a constant nod, as well as the police cruiser, which were inspired by the police spinners, in Blade Runner. Ex-Verminator's van has the slogan: "Ex-Verminator Services, Ltd.-Radioactive Spiders.....Career Defining Bats...All your Ultrapest problems," referring to the origins of Spider-Man and Batman. in the lower portion of the same panel, on a rooftop, we see the Beatles set up for a gig, but this beatles consists of the Yellow Submarine Ringo, Marvel's super villain The Beetle, Beetle Bailey, and the Blue Beetle. Inside Duane's mother's kitchen, there is a "Hang In There Kitty," poster, but it is Streaky, hanging from the vanes of Sputnik, in outer space.

The Black radiation Cannons and Blue Sound Wave Generators look like 1950s sci-fi pulp rayguns. When Sun Woman is arrested, one of the young attendants, in a Greek toga, looks like Etta Candy and Davy Jones looks like a variation on Popeye. Flying outside Sentine Spire we see Tetsujin 28, aka Gigantor, The Big Guy (The Big Guy and rusty, the boy Robot), The Impossibles' car and one of the Omega Men.

"Taps," the Seven Sentinels mascot is a reference to the JLA's Snapper Carr and the drawing of him reminds me of Gil Kane. There are trophies reminiscent of the JLA. T the Hounds-'s lair, we see various costumes, including a fireman and a space helmeted dog, referencing Laika and fire dogs. There is also a fire hydrant and signs on exhibits are shaped like dog bones. There is a black cat with a notation of The Maltses Cat, 1971, a reference to the Maltese Falcon and the actual cat breed, the Maltese. In place of Batman's giant penny there is a giant dog tag, with the name Rex on it, possibly referencing Rex The Wonder Dog, though it could just be the cliche of naming a dog Rex.

The Sizzler is arrested at a supermarket, where we see various advertising mascots, including Speedy, the Alka-Seltzer kid and the Frito Bandito. We also see Steve Austin and Jamie Somers,in the background, as well as variations on The Flash and the Kingdom Come Kid Flash. Outside the Heroes Hangout, where the Young Sentinels gather, we see the car of Dick Dastardly, from the Wacky Races.

In Automan's Fall Out Shelter, we see the gant samurai from Terry Gilliam's Brazil, plus variations on the trophies in the Fortress of solitude. Outside, in the street, we see the Army Surplus Special, aslo from Wacky Races, and a sign for "M. Mallah Brasserie," referring to Monsieur Mallah, of the Brotherhood of Evil.

In another street panel we see "Stanley Lieber's Hyper Bowling," a reference to Stan Lee's hyperbole. In the same panel is Amazos Copying. We also see references to Mysterio and the Evel Knievel Stunt Van, from the Aurora toy line (I had one of those!). Outside the station, we see Cling and Clang briniging HR Puffnstuf inside, in handcuffs, while the Shoveller, Screwball and Jackpot, of Bob Burden's Mysterymen, walk in.

At the hospital, aside from Doctors Strangelove and the pair of Doolittles, there is a figure that looks like a variation on Doc Ock, but with a helmet, to make him more squid-like. Otside, we see Blue Devil, swing along a rope, like daredevil. Another street scene has characters from several indie comics, including Reuben Flagg, Joe Phatt and Kirby (Mage II), Edsel & Sean Knight (Mage), and a character from Why I Hate Saturn. The restaurant Kemlo and Anette eat in is Topo's, with Aquaman's octopus above the door. Jetlad's uniform, in 1949, looks like US Marine Corps Dress Blues.

There is an add for the X-Games, which was still new, back then. I see it is still going on. There is also an Army of One add, which is a lonely way to fight a war. Inside the cover is an add for the movie Monkeybone, with Brendon Fraser and Chris Kattan. Looking at it you are amazed that Fraser would end up winning an Oscar, after doing crap like that. Of course, he had done Of Monsters and Men, but he got offered more of the former than the latter, hence is rather tearful acceptance speech. That was a good year for deserving winners.


So, Top 10, essentially done, with just the side projects to follow. It turned out to be my favorite series, thanks to the humor, the easter eggs and the great plots. It didn't start out that way; but that is how it ended u. Moore really had fun with this, a city of superbeing, which allowed tons of satire, sight gags and allegories for stories he couldn't do at DC or Marvel (leaving out that DC owned Wildstorm fur the duration of the series.)

The Smax mini-series will follow Jeff Smax and robyn Slinger, as they cross into Smax's home reality, a world of fantasy literature conventions and characters, which will allow for easter eggs along those lines. The humor juxtaposes some dark stuff. The 49ers explores the original police department of Neopolis, as it is being built and growing. The city was created by mad scientists andex-Nazis and filled with super-normal beings from around the world, with various easter eggs for old comic strips and things of that era. We will see Wulf and Jetlad meet, plus meet Robyn's father, Col Lilliput, as well as the other figures you see on the mural, at the precinct house. We will also see creatures like eastern European vampire gangsters, 1940s femme fatale characters and soldier heroes, and a dark underbelly of the post-war world. Zander Cannon will draw Smax, while gene Ha handles The 49ers.

Top 10 came back for Season 2, but in far lesser hands and it isn't worth covering, without Moore, just as Tom Strong continued and I will skip those, apart from Moore's last story, which was withheld, until the end.


Jetlad drives a car, with an exposed turbo charger intake, like Mad Max's V-8 Interceptor. His jet is a mixture of things, with forward swept wings, a rounded nose cockpit (like the Heinkel bomber) and a high front undercarriage. The Skysharks are analogs of the Blackhawks and Jetlad is one of Airboy. Outside their window, in the final panel, we see characters from the Return to Oz, the Glass Elevator from Willie Wonka, Maurice Sendak's Mickey and his dough airplane, from In the Night Kitchen, Peter Pan and the Darling children, ET and Elliot on the bicycleand Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

The last page promotes the upcoming Smax mini-series and the 49ers graphic novel and Kemlo is wearing a t-shirt that says "Who let me out?" a reference to the annoying song, "Who Let The Dogs Out." Earlier, he wears a PETA t-shirt.

Tomorrow Stories #11



Creative Team: Alan Moore-writer; Hilary Barta, Rick Veitch, Jim Bailke and Joyce Chin-art; Todd Klein-letters, Bad@$$ and Wildstorm F/X-colors, Scoot Dunbier-editor

Synopsis: "Splash City Rockers"

With the anti-hero sentiment on the cover, Splash decides a change of career is in order. He decides on music....



He signs a deal with Tony Finito of Finito Records (a cousin to Sydney Kaput, of Kaput Comics). He gets a makeover and tries depressing ballads, but decides that a violent misogynistic video is the way to go....



Daisy walks out on him and goes back to comics. Splash is heartbroken and does a break-up song, which is the sure sign of career death. After a techno DJ reduces his stuff to soundbites, he makes a movie of his career, but the director walks out. He returns to daisy with an idea for a graphic novel.

Thoughts: A couple of good gags;but as a satire of the music industry, it's a bit weak.

"Vermin"

Hitler is reincarnated as a cockroach.....



Mrs Herschell, whose apartment is infested with them, calls in Greyshirt and tells him of their little torches and forming swastikas, and the rallies....



He brings back the solution to Mrs Herschell's problem: roach motels. The cockroaches enter and are gassed. End of problem.

Thoughts: Little heavy handed on the satire and the reverse of the history kind of misses the mark, as a joke.

"Being The First American"

Parody of Being John Malkovitch, with USAngel seeing the world from inside First American, before the reverse occurs....



"Bedsheets & Brimstone"
Cobweb and Clarice go to an auction and witness socialite Verma Plexis spend half a million on some bedroom furnishings that belonged to the libertine, Isidric Lauterman. She feels the luxurious counterpane and is sucked into it, as Cobweb and Clarice arrive. They follow her and find themselves in a world of sado-masochistic practices. Verma doesn't want rescuing and Lauterman offers Cobweb the chance to flog Verma for decades, which tempts her, but Clarice pulls her mistress away. They burst out through the mirror of the vanity table and Lauterman, now in the real world, is set alight by his burning desire and destroyed.

Thoughts: Parody of BDSM-themed erotic fiction and cheap romance tropes, which seems mostly an excuse to draw such scenes to sell the comic.

As you can tell, this series has overstayed its welcome and the jokes are played out. Cobweb, especially is down to deliberate tease without real satire or commentary. Let's just finish off the series.

Tomorrow Stories #12



Now they are doing it just to sell comics!

Creative Team: Same bunch, plus Kevin Nowlan & Jack B Quick and minus the Splash Branigan feature. Hilary Barta inks Rick Veitch on the Cobweb and Greyshirt crossover.

Synopsis: Greyshirt has been obsessed with Cobweb, since he was 13 and saw a tijuana bible of her. He has foundreferences to her in Victorian French pulp literature, a surrealist picture book and stories from the 40s, 50s 60s and beyond,,, making her over 100. There is a story about her in the Indigo SSunset, which he shares with Rocky.....



Greyshirt visits her only known associate, socialite Laurel Lakeland. He gets the cold shoulder from her servant, Clarice, and Laurel says Cobweb is likely busy and she just knows her, she doesn't stalk her and suggests he not either. Clarice gives him the bums rush.

Greyshirt does some investigating and notices a Sunset article about Wealthspinner.com and suspects its real owner. He goes to its offices and finds Moneyspider standing over the prone Cobweb and Clarice, about to bind them in her special silk. Monespider fires little spider bite darts into Greyshirt's face, paralyzing him. Cobweb and Clarice spring up, having been playing possum and Moneyspider departs and their ambush is ruined. She delivers a warning to Greyshirt and leaves him lying on the floor, until morning, when the toxin wears off. The paper has a field day with his failure. Rocky counsels him to forget Cobweb, before she breaks his heart, but he ignores him and goes back to the Lakeland Estate, convinced she is either Cobweb or obsessively copied her, from the past. He finds a note pinned to her door, along with a newspaper headline about the death of his former criminal self, Frank Lafayette.

Cobweb has gone to the disused Central Station, where Greyshirt has his lair. She sneaks in, chloroform's Rocky and pokes around. She waits and Greyshirt shows up and she ambushes him, convinced he is still a criminal and up to no good. They have a tough fight and then Cobweb lands on his desk and finds the tijuana bible and knows the truth.....



She gives him what he has only dreamed about and then they go their separate ways.

Jack B Quick

Jack and his buddy Teddy overhear Jack's parents talking about the birds and bees and his mother says he will learn when he reaches puberty. Jack thinks it is part of a conspiracy and consults a map and locates Puberty, KS. he and Teddy sneak out to investigate and find their thoughts changing, as they near Puberty.....



He pushes Teddy across the city limit and changes come over him. He has a growth spurt and is covered in acne. He runs off in a major mood swing, but returns with a very mature Daisy Finkelmeier, who says girls reach Puberty before boys. Daisy and Teddy head up the road, towards Trouble, which is just past Caution. Jack goes back home, where it is safe.

Teddy and Daisy's parents come to find out about their missing kids and why they got a call, saying Daisy was "in Trouble." Jack says it is an avian/apiary conspiracy and the parents are all in on it, as they have been through Puberty and they confirm it. he concocts a plan to stop the Birds and Bees!

Ne blows up the road to Puberty, with Daisy and Teddy trapped on the other side, living in debt an longing to be kids again. He kills the birds in the area and the grownups plead with Jack's father to stop him, as he is killing their sex lives. he says he can't stop him, that Jack is living in denial. Jack soon sets out on another exploratory journey...



First American

USAngel is interrupted while she writes Starsky & Hutch slash fiction and learns that First American is being murdered. She becomes The Next American and attacks his foes, but he isn't dead, finds her fiction, inserts himself and knocks her catatonic and marries her and they have kids, until she reclaims the typewriter and it ends.

Thoughts: The Greyshirt & Cobweb crossover is a nice bit of fun handled in an obvious but excellent manner. Jack B Quick is more anarchic fun and still the best feature of the anthology. First American is more tired jokes.

That is it for Tomorrow Stories, apart from two Specials, in 2005 and 2006, which I do not have files of, so I can't really review them. Moore did return for part of it, though I don't know if they had unpublished material or whether he wrote new stories. Steve Moore writes parts of those specials and there are some new artists involved.

Quite frankly, though this series has individual moments, as a whole, it was the least interesting component of the line, Though Tom Strong's terrific Tales also feel a bit less than the original batch of books, at times. Jack B Quick is the funniest and Greyshirt is also a favorite of mine, for the Spirit pastiche. Cobweb flutters between sexy & fun and self-indulgent, while Splash Branigan and First American are very hit and miss.

Greyshirt got his own mini-series, coming off of this and I will explore that, down the road.

Tom Strong #14



Tom McWeeney channeling some Wally Wood.

Creative Team: Alan Moore-writer, Chris Sprouse, Al Gordon, & Hilary Barta-art, Todd Klein-letters, Matt Hollingsworth-colors, Scott Dunbier-editor

Tom McWeeney, who drew the cover (which I mistook for Hilary Barta, at first), was the artist and co-creator of Roachmill, the anarchic 1980s black & white series, from Blackthorne (one of their few good original books) and Dark Horse. He later did some work on the Turtles and work for DC and Marvel. There is a dedication inside, saying they hope he is feeling better. He's still around, so he must have been a bit under the weather, at the time. I wonder if he was supposed to do the main story, but was ill and Barta filled in, or something? Nothing on the editorial page, though.

Synopsis: It's 1954 and the Strong family has taken a little vacation to outer space, in the style of the period.



After a brief encounter with a tentacled monster (which Tesla names Spanky and wants to keep as a pet), they head to the beach and soak up the rays of the twin suns, which prove a little strong for Tom's "science-hardened" physique.....



Tom sets up the vollyball net and he tosses the ball over the net, for Tesla to catch and tells her to wait for it......and wait...and wait...and then Dhalua tells her to jump for it, which prompt's Tom to suggest that might not be a good idea and the next thing you know, Tom has to go get the heli-pack to get Tesla and the ball down from the upper atmosphere of the lighter gravity planet. Tom gets her before she gets to far out, though she is a bit chilly (ice blue). They decide to try safer pursuits and Tesla builds an elaborate and stylized sand castle, which seems to be growing of its own accord. Dhaluha has Pneuman test the water to see if it is too cold and he says the temperature is find...it's just corrosive! Tom retrieves his head before it succumbs to the acid and they decide that swimming is off (as King Solomon finds himself chased by a large butterfly species). Tesla's castle has grown exponentially, by this point. Dhalua questions whether Tom has read the guidebook correctly and Tom gets defensive. They try some other activities, with questionable results....



Dhalua has had enough and says she is taking Tesla and the saucer and looking for a new planet. Tom is determined to prove the guidebook correct and stays, and witnesses the rain, which is nuclear (mushroom clouds as it impacts his hand) and then sees that the sand castle has grown even larger and has a population that has achieved flight, in little saucers. They consider him a threat and attack with powerful energy weapons and Tom runs off, wondering what hell Tesla and Dhalua are experiencing, if this is a 4-star planet....



Our second story looks at their vacation, the following year. Pneuman watches over a sleeping Tesla, as Tom and Dhalua go sightseeing, in his new star-sleigh. They go to the Vulpecula system and look around, heading over to a blue planet to check it out. Instruments show it to be much like Earth. They find lush vegitation and small insects, but no signs of higher order animal life. However, they soon find the remains of a space traveler and a warning beacon....



Dhalua wants to leave and Tom starts to follow his wishes. Dhalua picks a large, beautiful flower, for Tesla, then Tom notices a stone path, which turns out to be diamonds. They follow it and Dhalua smells dumplings, like her mother used to make. They find a marvelous glass castle....



Tom finds a book on the ground and it is the unpublished sequel to Joyce's Finnegan's Wake, called Finn Wakes Agen, a story of Finn McCool, the hero of Irish legend. Inside, Dhalua finds wonderful clothes and Tom finds a film cannister, with a label that says "The Marx Brothers on Horseback Salad," a film written by Salvador Dali, for the Marx Brothers, but never produced. Dhalua hears singing and follows it and finds her first boyfriend, Okimbo. Tom says it is getting disturbing and Dhalua now appears to be her younger, teen-aged self. Tom then notices Pneuman II, his thunderbird, which he had as a boy. he starts changing into Young Tom Strong, then even younger, when he finds a real surprise.....



...his parents, alive and loving, promising never to isolate him in the gravity chamber or treat him like an experiment. He says it is all he ever wished for. Dhalua finds him and she is younger and says Okimbo lost interest in her and sees Tom is now a toddler. She wants him back older, at the age she fell in love with him. Suddenly, Tom is now 20, as Dhalua wanted, but is interrupted by Greta Gabriel, the woman he wanted, when he was 20. Dhalua wishes herself to or correct age, but Tom is torn between desires. The castle floods and they feel strong desire and sweet smells and are ready to give into the flood waters, when Pneuman pulls them out. He gets them out of the castle and says he came when he saw that the planet was listed as "off limits"



The last story features Tom and Dhalua in an adventure, with Johnny Future.

Tom and Dhalua have brought the hyper-saucer back to where Earth should be, but they find rubble and a red giant sun. Dhalua is suddenly enveloped in magenta energy and taken off by what appears to be a spacegoing jellyfish. Tom is stunned and then Johnny Future appears on the scene, saying he just left Tom at a meeting with the America's Best, including "Splash and the girls, in the 20th Century." he warns of a space slaver and Tom says he thinks that is just what happened to Dhalua and they go off, in pursuit.



Johnny tells Tom that it is 4 billion years into the future and Earth's sun is dying, the planet has broken apart. They travel in Johnny's living space ship, the Coelacanth. The slaver is from another dimension, under their reality. Johnny further reveals that the meeting he left is in Tom's future, when Promethea fights Splash Branigan. The travel to the underworld market, to find the slaver. Johnny is also looking for his feline hominid, Jermaal Pan Pavane. They spread out and find the slave market and the slaver, but she has already sold Dhalua and Jermaal. They track the buyers and do battle, but it looks like a stalemate. Johnny uses his brains and suggests to the warbull that the slaver, with a great intelligence, would be even more useful for running "xeno-xombies" and offers his captive in trade for Dhalua and Jermaal. The warbull likes the idea and makes the trade and the slaver gets a taste of her own medicine. Johnny Future helps them effect alterations on the Hyper-saucer and return home, to their time.

Thoughts: This issue exemplifies why I say Moore brought the "fun" back to comics, as the opening story is pure FUN. It's a satirical romp through a typical EC sci-fi story, complete with oozing tentacled monsters, strange alien civilizations and lots of Wally Wood bubble helmets and flexible tubing. It also satirizes family vacations and the male ego refusing to admit a mistake, while traveling. The monster first utters the word Sqa-Tront, the name of the EC fanzine, started in 1967, as well as an expression by aliens (as well as "spa fon") in EC stories. Moore has fun with it, as the monster utters "Sp fon gool," which is a mix of EC alien jibberish and an Italian expression of vulgar meaning (basically, F-U). We also see Teslas' little sand castle crow into Dr seuss-like structures and evolve into a whole civilization, complete with hostile lifeforms (or ones that see Tom as hostile). Barta is great with this kind of Mad-like parody and Wood-esque cartooning. He also contributed to Marvel's What The? parody comic and he and Doug Rice did the single issue of the parody comic, Stupid, at Image, before the founders dumped non-core projects in the wake of backlash from the distributors over their chronically late books and undelivered projects, which accounted for significant lost dollars. He and Doug Rice did a spot on parody of the Dr Strange and Nick Fury stories in Strange tales, both aping the Ditko style and Steranko, perfectly, but to the extreme (Fury is covered in belts and pouches and has a ridiculously high tech office chair, the Barcalounger 1000).

The second piece is a nice morality tale, like many of the EC sci-fi stories, done in the more realistic style, by Chris Sprouse and Al Gordon. Tom and Dhalua find that the world gives them everything they ever wanted, at the expense of what they truly needed. Tom's conflicted nature over Greta may cause a bit of issue, in the future. Of course, these kinds of O Henry tales weren't limited to EC and have a long history in sci-fi and Moore's own work, along these lines, at 2000 AD. The Marx Brothers on Horseback Salad is a slight error on Moore's part, but mainly in chronology. Salvador Dali, who was friends with Harpo Marx (as was Alexander Woolfcott and some others of the art and literary world, while Groucho was friends with TS Elliot), wrote a surrealist screenplay, called Giraffes on Horseback Salad, intended for a Marx Brothers movie. MGM never produced it, considering it too surreal an uncommercial, while grouch didn't think it was funny, but was later adapted into a play, by the Elevator Repair Service, a New York theater collective, into The Marx brothers on Horseback Salad, with scenes recreating the script, based on the original Marx Brothers films and Dali's interactions with Harpo and his wife, Susan Fleming.

The final story is a space adventure, featuring the hero Johnny Future. This is Alan Moore's homage to British sci-fi hero Johnny Future, who appeared in Oldham's Fantastic comic, in the late 60s, produced by Alf Wallace and Luis Berjemo. It featured shorter adventures, with a more thoughtful approach to a super hero/space hero, which was an influence on Moore's work. The hero also serves as a link to a future project, Jonni Future, which will see a niece take up the mantle, in stories created by Steve Moore and Art Adams, in some of Adams' best work. Here, we get a typical story, set in the far future, as entropy is taking hold and see that brains are more necessary to solve the problem than brawn, a sentiment I always appreciate. This emphasizes why I loved Tom Strong; not only is he a throwback to pulp science heroes, he is a thinking hero, who uses his head more than his fists. Given the state of modern comics (especially at the end of the 90s, when you had been deluged with brainless muscle-head morons, who punched or zapped first and asked questions later). To use a pro wrestling analogy (which driver1980 will appreciate), Tom Strong was like watching endless matches of steroided muscleheads punch, kick and slam opponents, then see Kurt Angle and Steven/William Regal (Steven in Europe and WCW, Wiliam in the WWF/E) come in and twist them all into knots with actual wrestling holds, like the Lou Theszes and Verne Gagnes of old. Or, if you prefer, Tom & Jerry smashing each other with hammers, then seeing Bugs Bunny employ a little "stragedy."

After Top 10 and Tomorrow Stories wrapped up, Tom Strong and Promethea carried the line, for a bit, until Moore and Kevin O'Neil had the next League of Extraordinary Gentleman series ready, and Moore launched the side projects of Smax and Greyshirt, from Top 10 and Tomorrow Stories (plus the 49ers graphic novel), as well as the spin-offs Tom Strong's Terrific Tales and Steve Moore picks up the threads of the SMASH heroes, on Terra Obscura. This issue kind of serves as a preview of Tom Strong's Terrific Tales features adventures of Young Tom Strong, as well as Tesla Strong and the female Jonni future.

Going forward, we will see some reappearances by characters from past Tom Strong stories, as a bigger epic unfolds. We will also see an alternate reality, where Tom's mother has a different fate, leading to a very different hero emerging, in the future.

I think I missed this at the time, unless I decided not to buy it because it contained only a very few pages of Promethea and League, my two favourite ABC series. Even so, I'm a bit surprised I didn't pick up a copy anyway, since I did buy the occasional issue of Tomorrow Stories and even Tom Strong when the art looked all right to me, so this should have been enough to sway me.

Greyshirt: Indigo Sunset #1



To answer the headline, he's the guy on the bottom. Apparently, he is a member of Cobra.

Or The Shadow Fan Club.

Creative Team: Rick Veitch-writer & artist, Todd Klein-letters, Wildstorm F/X-colors, Scott Dunbier-editor

Synopsis: We start with a one-pager, where Lady L, a blind news dealer, gets the morning edition of the Indigo City Sunset, in the afternoon!



The reason for the delay is on the cover, as Greyshirt was battling someone at the printing plant.

"The Lure"

It's 1969 and mobster Carmine Carbone is in the Bottoms Up neighborhood, visiting his mistress, Lips. Carmine is trying to keep it on the QT, so his Mrs doesn't find out....



Lips has the hips and other parts, to match her name and, there is the suggestion that carmine is the father of her son, Franky. He's asleep and they go to her bedroom for some "horizontal conversation." Franky gets up in the morning and spies in on his mother, who is asleep in her bed, with Carmine. Carmine's "rod" and holster are on the bedpost and Franky swipes it and sneaks out of the apartment, past the sleeping hoods, who accompany Carbone, wherever he goes. He meets up with his friend, Johnny Apollo and shows him the pistol, then they head to their clubhouse, inside an abandoned mine exterior. The mine entrances are all boarded up and the climb up the crane arm, to get into their clubhouse. The decide to show it to Shempie.....



Shempie was a neighborhood boy, who disappeared. His family had a funeral, but Franky and Johnny found him in the mine. He is all shriveled up and his skin is papery, with a blue-white color. Johnny says The Lure got him, refering to an old story about the mine. They are interrupted by a hippie, from the street, who tells them that the mine is dangerous and they scare him off, with the gun. They go to do some target shooting and while Franky sets up some bottles, Johnny sees what looks to be a rat, then finds an old stuffed doll laying there. He picks it up and mutters something about it feeling "all blue." Franky looks for Johnny and spots him being pulled into the mine entrance by....something...



Franky's first thought is to get help, but Johnny is his buddy and he goes in after him, with the gun.

Meanwhile, Carmine is awake and yells at his hoods, asking who took his "rod." They don't know what happened and they are interrupted by the hippie, who tells Lips that Franky and Johnny are down by the mine and that they pulled a gun on him. She goes down there, with Carmine and the hoods, to find the boys, but no one is there. carmine spots Franky's footprints, headed to the mine entrance and the others notice slithering track, like a big snake. Carmine says it is The Lure. The hoods say he is just a myth and Carmine says he saw it once, while getting rid of Tootsie The Welcher. He kept quiet, lest everyone think he went nuts. he tells the boys to get the heavy artillery and they head into the mine.

Franky finds Johnny.....



He starts blasting at The Lure and it releases Johnny and they run off, but go in the wrong direction and get lost. Luckily, Carmine and the boys find them. Scissors grabs ahold of them, but he is carried off by The Lure. Carmine and the hoods follow and find Scissors, being turned into something like Shempie. They start blasting the creature with their tommy guns.



The creature is massive, winding all through the mine. They keep blasting and chopping parts of it. It eventually flees to deep within the mine. Carmine makes sure the kids are okay and tells them to keep schtum about it, or else. They promise.

Later, carmine visits Lips, again, and checks with the boys, who haven't said a thing. The answer without fear and Carmine likes that and advises them to hang onto their bat, but lose the ball, as the bat will help them more, in life.

"Six Seconds"

Mayor Plutarch is presiding over a public ceremony for Judge Joliet, who has helped sentence numerous criminals to jail. One of them, Snots Lamonica (ewwwwww.......) is watching and has a grenade and he is reading the manual for it. He pulls the pin and slips off the"spoon" (arming lever....looks like a handle and lets you hang it on a belt). He cocks his arm to throw it, when a cane reaches out and hooks his arm...



It is Greyshirt, who blocks the throw, but the grenade falls, armed, to the ground. It will go off in 6 seconds. Greyshirt scrambles and knocks it down into a subway entrance, falling after it. It explodes and Snots believes he has succeeded in killing Greyshirt, the man who collared him, even if he didn't get the judge who sentenced him. Then, Greyshirt emerges from the rubble, alive. Snots is taken away, with Judge Joliet saying he will postpone his retirement, to see Snots put away, for good. Snots doesn't see the suit of chainmail, worn under Greyshirt's suit, which protected him (uh....nooooo.......)

The rest of the issue is a faux newspaper, a copy of the Indigo City Sunset, with stories about The Lure, then a description of Greyshirt's battle with Clem "Coppernob" Grockle, a wifebeater and the man on the cover, with whom he is grappling....



There is a comics section....



,,gossip, and a feature on Indigo City's Roller Derby team, The Growlers, and their loss to the Neopolis Nozzles.

Thoughts: Great first issue to the spin-off miniseries, featuring Alan Moore & Rick Veitch's Spirit pastiche, Greyshirt. Appearing in Tomorrow Stories, Greyshirt let the pair do their best Eisner imitations and they did a pretty good job of getting the lowlife criminals and sob story schmoes they permeated Eisner's masterpiece. Regular readers will know that Greyshirt is former hood Franky Lafayette, who was scarred in a fight with former best friend, Johnny Apollo. The character's origin was a mix of The Spirit and Plastic Man, mixing the aesthetics of Eisner and Jack Cole, the other certified Golden Age comics genius. Cole had also done his own version of The Spirit, with Midnight, for Quality Comics, so that "Busy" Arnold could have his own version, which he owned outright (while getting a piece of Eisner's action, since he helped bankroll the feature).

The first story, "The Lure," features Li'l Franky and Johnny, drawn in the style of Li'l Archie, but with a seedier cast of characters. We see that Franky and Johnny's world was filled with criminals, loose women, crime, and mayhem. The clubhouse and similar things match the old Li'l Archie settings and elements, except Li'l Franky's favorite reading material is crime comics.

Wertham was right!

Even at this stage, we see that Franky ha a good heart and sticks up for friends and others in trouble, even as he dreams of being a hood and follows the worst examples. However, carmine Carbone shows that even gangsters have standards and will fight monsters, for the good of all.

The second story is more of a traditional Spirit story, but with Veitch's trademark grotesque take on things, as the villain, Snots Lamonica, has a constantly and graphically running nose. The story is mostly told through successive panels, juxtaposing the manual direction with the ceremony and Snts' actions, until Greyshirt steps in to stop the throw of the grenade. Then there is text about how the grenade arms itself and Greyshirt's failed attempts to stop it, before it turns into Snots crowing about killing Greyshirt, then eating crow when he reappears, alive.

Everything we see here reflects back on the stories from Tomorrow Stories, with references to Greyshirt's past and origin, his battle with Johnny Apollo, as well as references to villains seen in those stories, like Lapis Lazuli and Carmine Carbone.

The mini-series will flesh out the character, as it moves through his past, showing how he developed, until he turned to fighting crime, instead of committing them.

Veitch's art is perfect, if you ask me; but, I know he is an acquired taste and prone to the grotesque. he is definitely schooled in the style of the Undergrounds, though also classic superhero artists, like Eisner and Kirby and he studied at the Kubert School, in the original class. Still, Snots is more in the vein of The Maximortal and the scatalogical theme that permeated it, as well as the depravity seen in The Brat Pack and The One. For my money, though, he was one of the better deconstructionists of the 80s and 90s, with a more humorous bent than some. I used to pick up his Roarin' Rick's Rarebit Fiends, his surreal journey through comics based on dreams, in the spirit of Winsor McCay's Dream of the Rarebit Fiend, a precursor to Little Nemo in Slumberland, about the dreams of characters who have eaten Welsh rarebit sandwiches. Definitely prefer his stuff over brother Tom, though Tom's Star Wars Dark Empire helped revitalize interest in Star Wars and was pretty darn good (aided by the art of Cam Kennedy). Tom also wrote The Naz, which was a psychedelic look at a super being, but a little too LSD trip, for my tastes, compared to Rick's more satirical romps. Rick ended up being a sort of gateway cartoonist, for me, for more of the Undergrounds and those who worked in that style, like Terry LaBan, on Eno & Plum (and the Cud anthology, that introduced them) and Peter Bagge's The Bradleys and Hate. Before that, I had seen samples of Crumb, Gilbert Shelton and others; but was lukewarm to a lot f it, apart from Corben and Spain's Trashman.

Veitch knows his comics and channels his influences well.