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Post by MDG on Dec 14, 2023 11:14:56 GMT -5
Why can't they? (It's a great cover, BTW)
At first glance, they see the MAD banner and Alfred and think it's something closer to the 80s or 90s because the formats look so similar. And it also looks quite new as far as condition goes!
I find that odd, since I'd think 75% of the imagery on it would be unfamiliar to most folks born after '75 or so.
It always makes me think of this Al Dorne illustration from '53. ( And Arthur Godfrey appears in both!)
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Post by MDG on Dec 14, 2023 10:02:47 GMT -5
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Post by MDG on Dec 14, 2023 9:58:31 GMT -5
I show people this cover and they can't believe it's from 1957.
Why can't they? (It's a great cover, BTW)
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Post by MDG on Dec 13, 2023 11:10:03 GMT -5
I believe a "classic comic" in general should be bronze age or older. I feel comics today are in a post-classic period, like post-modernism in the fine arts.
For the purposes of this forum--lists, contests, etc.--I'm fine with a rolling 10-year period.
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Post by MDG on Dec 13, 2023 11:04:02 GMT -5
Every couple of years it seems like someone in comics or Hollywood comes up with the "brilliant, fresh" idea to do Alice in Wonderland or Dorothy in Oz, "only it's all creepy and serious and she's actually insane", promoting it as if this were some novel take that we haven't seen over and over again. At least Moore had a different angle: "It's all sexual." Alice, Oz, Robin Hood, Sherlock Holmes, all mined to depletion, over and over. Todd MacFarlane did this with a series of toys, and I don't think he even bothered with a backstory to justify it.
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Post by MDG on Dec 13, 2023 10:58:50 GMT -5
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Post by MDG on Dec 13, 2023 10:56:55 GMT -5
I believe my favorite period of the title--the point where MAD became MAD was a good decade between the early 60s to early 70s, where the title took no prisoners in sending up / targeting every walk of life--from the social to political, without a politically correct bone to be found in its creative structure. The MAD of this period (with writers such as Lou Silverstone, Stan Hart, Larry Siegel, et al.) were fearless and knew culture to the degree of knowing how to parody anything, yet say something about the inherent, flawed nature about said something (unlike D.O.A., very on-the-surface sketch comedy one found on TV of the 60s and 70s). MAD's roster of artists (and artist/writers) was a legendary example of a publisher going from strength-to-strength with talent. I'd rank the aforementioned publishing period among the top five strongest collective of artists in the medium's history (more on that later). This is probably my favorite period as well, though I'd almost say (shockingly, in view of my love for Kurtzman) the best period of the magazine started soon after Feldstein took over as editor. Starting without much in the way of resources, he quickly built a stable of "idiots" that produced consistently funny and quality work. There were always MAD imitators--besides the long-running Cracked and Sick, this book has some great examples--but they always seemed watered-down.
One special thing about Mad was, even if they knew their audience was 13-year-olds, they didn't act like it. When I started reading it (more like 8 or 9 years old), a ton of stuff went over my head. I can re-read the same articles now and get them. (When my son got a subscription in the 90s, I didn't get stuff because a lot of the pop culture references were things tweens/teens knew, not adults.)
The first issue I bought off the stands (dated January '68, so, yeah, I was 9, almost 10 when it came out):
Last issue I bought (I think) (June '75):
I've started picking up issues when I see them cheap--mainly pre-'68 and specials.
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Post by MDG on Dec 13, 2023 10:33:03 GMT -5
Was the 1988 Flash Gordon mini-series from DC any good? ... I know you didn't ask, but if you haven't read it I gotta recommend the 1995 Marvel Flash micro-series (two issues) by Mark Schultz and Al Williamson. After years of increasingly photo-referenced work on Secret Agent Corrigan and being a utility inker at DC and Marvel to pay the bills, this was a chance for Williamson to get back to what he loved best and he turned in some of the best work of his career.
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Post by MDG on Dec 13, 2023 10:17:14 GMT -5
Christmas is coming, so let's have a straightforward Christmas-themed cover: specifically covers showing Santa Claus--or another character dressed as Santa Claus--heading up or down a chimney, either from the roof or fireplace. No Christmas break for the rules: • Post one, and only one, classic cover that fits the theme of the contest.
• Your cover must be from a published comic book or collected volume published before December 2013.
• Please include the title and the issue number of the comic, preferably in bold, in case some posters cannot see your image. (Admittedly, I never do this, but this is Panic #1 by Al Feldstein)
• Covers must be posted before voting begins.
• Voting takes place on Tuesday, December 19, 2023, beginning at 12:01 am PST and ending at 11:59 AM PST.
• Vote by posting the name of the poster whose cover best fits the theme or that you simply like the most in bold.
• The winner of the contest is the entrant with the most votes after the voting period ends.
• The winner gets to choose the theme for the next week's contest.
• If you don't think the cover fits the theme, don't post disparaging remarks about it. Just don't vote for it and keep quiet.
• If a cover is more recent than the classic time frame, kindly point it out to the poster, who may then choose an alternate before voting begins Have fun and Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, or blissfully sitting things out!
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Post by MDG on Dec 12, 2023 20:09:30 GMT -5
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Post by MDG on Dec 12, 2023 10:20:10 GMT -5
tarkintino
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Post by MDG on Dec 12, 2023 10:17:07 GMT -5
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Post by MDG on Dec 12, 2023 10:14:50 GMT -5
Superman catches the enchanted hammer and beats Thor in the JLA/ Avengers crossover. The trouble is - the hammer is magic. Superman is vulnerable to Magic. Well, this can open up all sorts of theological discussions. If Thor is a god, are his powers magical or divine? Do those mean the same thing? Is Superman vulnerable to all supernatural forces? Could he beat up Jesus?
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Post by MDG on Dec 11, 2023 14:09:56 GMT -5
ONe thing stands out about the JLA pin-up: Superman and Batman looming largeer than life over everyone else - literally bigger than the rest even though standing behind them. Wonder Woman OTOH has a seat with the rest of the rank and file - which I presume means that the whole idea of the "Trinity" of the biggest DC characters had not yet been formulated. So when did the Trinity concept - Superman, Batman, and WW - first gain acceptance? Actually, that's the J SA, which makes their looming presence even more odd, because the "World's Finest team" enjoyed only honorary mebership in the JSA and appeared in just two issues of All-Star. I can buy two reasons for why Batman and Superman are so large.
The Earth-2 reason is that those aren't the real Bats and Supes, but statues that the JSA is having theor picture taken in front of for some reason.
The Earth Prime version is that Anderson originally didn't include them in the picture and was told to add them later, and scaled them up a little to fill up the design.
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Post by MDG on Dec 11, 2023 10:28:39 GMT -5
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