Honey West (Gold Key, 1966)

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Silver & Beyond: Magnus- Robot Fighter Part One

For some odd reason, I've always found the character Magnus to be absolutely fascinating, yet I cannot for the life of me put a finger on the exact reason why. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that the mental image of some dude karate-ing (my word) the f**k outta robots brings the same type of smile to my face today that it did when I first discovered the character in question at the age of probably 7 or 8. It's the same type of smile one sees when a child first takes notice of the concept of dinosaurs,(specifically the T-Rex)....that is, the first recognition of the abstract concept of "bad-ass".


I mean, c'mon...what's more bad-ass than a guy punching friggin' robots bare-knuckle style?

If you're looking for more depth than that, or some sort of radical character development and evolution outta the various incarnations of the comic book, then look elsewhere. I think one-time Magnus writer Keith Giffen summed it up the best when he said: "The title of the book is self-explanatory. It's about a guy named Magnus, and he fights robots."

From Wikipedia:

Magnus, Robot Fighter is a fictional character created by writer/artist Russ Manning in 1963, based primarily on Tarzan. Magnus first appeared in Magnus Robot Fighter 4000 A.D. #1, published by Gold Key Comics in February 1963. The character was subsequently published by Valiant Comics and Acclaim Comics in the 1990s. In every incarnation, Magnus was a human who battled rogue robots in the year 4000. While the concept remained the same throughout the years, the way it was approached changed depending on the publisher.

By the year 4000, humanity has become dependent on robots. H8, the Pol-Rob chief of the civic sector of North Am, a continent-spanning mega-city, was damaged in a radiation accident. It sought to promote the human dependency on robots and gradually impose totalitarian rule in the area under its control.

Magnus was raised by a robot known as 1A, a name which implies that he was the very first robot of his type ever manufactured. 1A seemed to be self-aware and possess emotions. A firm believer in the Three Laws of Robotics, 1A recognized the threat represented by the dependency of humans on robots in general, and the developments in North Am due to H8 in particular. Therefore, 1A trained Magnus as a warrior to protect humans against both rogue robots, and humans who used normal robots for evil purposes. Magnus was trained from infancy by 1A in an under-sea domed house, using advanced techniques, to become a skilled martial artist who could break steel with his bare hands. In addition, 1A equipped his charge with a device that would allow him to "hear" robot-to-robot radio communications.

Magnus' girlfriend was named Leeja. Robots that served as police were called "Pol-Robs" (as in police robots); they were painted black and white like city police cars. All robots had identifying numbers painted on their chest and backs. Other robots, such as taxi drivers, could be nothing more than a torso with arms and head attached to a flying automobile.

Both the Gold Key and Valiant versions take place in North Am, a gigantic megalopolis that encompassed the entire North American continent. The city consists of several "levels." The higher levels are populated by wealthier individuals, often regarded as "soft" and complacent. The lowest level, the Goph Level, is populated by a hardier and less educated class known as "gophs."

By AD 4000, the nation of Japan is home to 50 billion people. The major islands of Japan are covered by a single, contiguous structure known as the Host. Grandmother, a Freewill electronic network, controls virtually every facet of daily life.

Aside from North Am, Earth also features a city on the continent of Antarctica named Antarcto. The city consists of several transparent domes, inside each of which the climate is carefully controlled. Construction of these habitats was fiercely opposed, for fear of ecological damage to the fragile Antarctic system. As well, there is the area known as Himalhina, which apparently includes at least all of India and China.

Original series

The original series, titled Magnus, Robot Fighter, 4000 AD, premiered in 1963. It was written and drawn by Russ Manning. For the duration of the title's original run, Magnus battled rogue robots, aliens, space pirates and other threats. He fell in love with Leeja Clane, the daughter of one of North Am's senators. Leeja developed limited telepathic abilities after training by M'Ree and other humans who had acquired them as a result of their minds being linked together while imprisoned in suspended animation by H8. The series was popular in the 1960s. As the '70s approached, sales began to decline. The last issue (#46) was published in January 1977. However, Manning only completed 21 issues; the rest were reprints of previous issues or new stories by others (#23-28). The inferior quality of the non-Manning stories was the main reason for the decline of popularity.

The original concept is a deliberate inversion or update of the Tarzan mythos, the syndicated comic strip of which Russ Manning had previously illustrated. Where Tarzan was a human raised as a noble savage feral child by African great apes who saw the world through his naturalistic upbringing and opposition to the rules and limits of civilization, Magnus was a human raised by a benevolent robot named I-A, who saw mankind becoming ever more decadent and complacent human civilization doomed by its ever-increasing dependence on robots. In one case, the hero is a throwback to a hardier and more naturalistic time. In the other, he is a creation of science sent to carry the message to the rest of humanity that Man must control his own destiny and carve out his own path, rather than become little more than an overfed herd of cattle tended by robots. Both heroes live and operate according to their own set of rules and are, because of this, considered outsiders and something of a threat to the established order of things.

Valiant

In 1991, Jim Shooter obtained rights to three Gold Key characters: Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom; Turok, Son of Stone; and Magnus, Robot Fighter. He intended to use those characters to launch his new comic book line, Valiant Comics. Several months later, the company launched Magnus, Robot Fighter.

The series began where the original one left off. The artists took great care to replicate the setting and trappings of the original stories. But as the new series progressed, it began to deviate from the original concept. The term "Freewills" appeared in the Valiant run, introducing the concept that the rogue robots seen previously were not simply the product of random malfunctions, but were the result of a common phenomenon which allowed robots to become sentient. While some of them were malevolent, others merely wanted to be free. It was also learned that 1A was also a freewill. With Magnus's help, a colony of benevolent Freewills was established called the "Steel Nation." At the same time, Magnus became disgusted with North Am's elite. He journeyed to the lower levels of North Am and befriended a group of social outcasts known as Gophs.

As the series progressed, it was used to introduce other heroes to the Valiant Universe. In issue #5, a Japanese hero known as Rai began appearing in Magnus's title, and would eventually move on into his own series. In the sixth issue, the future version of Solar made his debut. The issue also introduced the spider aliens, who became a recurring threat throughout the Valiant Universe. In the 12th issue, modern readers were reintroduced to Turok, Son of Stone.

Unity

During the Unity crossover, it was revealed that Magnus was actually born during the Unity conflict. He was a child of a harbinger named Torque and a woman named Kris Hathaway. Geomancer Geoff McHenry sensed that someone like Magnus was needed in the future, so Solar transported the baby Magnus to the future, where he was picked up by the Solar from that time period and delivered to 1A. It was also revealed that Magnus's strength wasn't solely due to his martial arts training; rather, it was a harbinger ability inherited from his father.

The Malev War

Shortly after the Unity crossover, the future Earth was invaded by alien robots called Malevs directed by the giant brain, introduced in the original series, that encompassed the planet of Malev 6. This invasion forced all of the future heroes to band together. Their adventures were showcased in a spin-off title, Rai and the Future Force.

After the Malev War ended, all future titles jumped twenty years forward. Magnus became the leader of North Am. He married Leeja (his love interest since the original series) and had a son, whom he named Torque. Magnus spent the rest of the series battling various threats. During the Chaos Effect crossover, he was transported to the 20th century, but he eventually returned to the future.

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Gold Key Magnus Robot Fighter #1

Valiant Magnus Robot Fighter complete series:

Bulk Pack 1

Bulk Pack 2

Super Goof #1 (Gold Key, 1965)

Being a big fan of the funny animal superhero parody/ satire, this book became a favorite during my youth. During the last few years, I've been working towards tracking down a complete run of all 74 issues. The final issue, #74, holds the distinction of being one of the last Disney licensed books that the great Dell/GoldKey/Whitman empire published prior to ceasing all comic book publication in April 1984.

From Wikipedia:

Super Goof (also Super Pippo) is a fictional character, the Disney character Goofy's superhero alter ego. He gets his power by eating Super Goobers (peanuts). His powers are similar to Superman's. Goofy became the first Disney character to get a career as a superhero, but several would follow — notably Donald Duck as Paperinik, whose reliance on gadgets and the night made him more of a Batman figure.

Super Goof first appeared in The Phantom Blot #2 (February, 1965) by Del Connell (story) and Paul Murry (art), where he was just imagining that he was a super hero. He made his first appearance as an actual superhero in Donald Duck #102 (July, 1965), in the story "All's Well that Ends Awful", also by Connell and Murry. In his third appearance, "The Thief of Zanzipar" from Super Goof #1 (October, 1965), the origin of his powers is meteor-irradiated peanuts. In later stories, Super Goof not only encountered the Phantom Blot, but also such adversaries as Black Pete, the Beagle Boys, Emil Eagle, and Mad Madam Mim.

Super Goof's secret identity is known only to his nephew Gilbert who also calls himself Super Gilly on occasion. His favourite "shout" is Ta-Dah. Comic relief in the stories would spring from the fact that Super Goof's powers would "wear off" at the least opportune moments, such as when he was flying or in need of super strength. Goofy always kept a few Super Goobers in his hat, but would occasionally forget to restock, leading to situations in which he would have to get out of trouble without the super powers. In a crossover story, Huey, Dewey and Louie found a Super Goober plant sprouted by a dropped goober, and "borrowed" Super Goof's powers; after doing a round of super deeds, the ducks' powers faded, and they had to be rescued by the Junior Woodchucks.

Super Goof had his own comic book series from 1965 to 1984 with a 74-issue run from Gold Key Comics. Reprints appeared in Walt Disney Comics Digest, one of the Dynabrite deluxe comics issued by Western in the late 1970s, and Disney Comic Album #8 (1990) from Disney Comics. The first release in the German-language Heimliche Helden book series by Ehapa published Oct. 2005 was devoted to Super Goof. Gemstone reprinted a story drawn by Jack Bradbury for the Studio Program as a backup in their 2006 release Return of the Blotman with the rescripting handled by longtime Super Goof aficionado Joe Torcivia. He also appeared in one episode of House of Mouse.

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Super Goof #1 CBR file

The Conquerer (Dell Movie Classics #690, 1956)

WTF?!? John Wayne as Genghis Khan?!? UNINTENTIONAL COMEDY GOLDMINE! Plus, the backstory and the aftermath of the filming is a priceless bit of madness...

Take it away, Wikipedia:

The Conqueror is a 1956 CinemaScope epic film produced by Howard Hughes and starring John Wayne as the Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan. Other performers included Susan Hayward, Agnes Moorehead, and Pedro Armendáriz. The picture was directed by actor/director Dick Powell. The film was principally shot near St. George, Utah.

The picture was a critical and commercial failure (often ranked as one of the worst films of the 1950s), which is remarkable given the stature of the cast. Wayne, who was at the height of his career, had lobbied for the role after seeing the script and was widely believed to have been grossly miscast. (He was so "honored" by The Golden Turkey Awards.)

Reportedly, Howard Hughes felt guilty about his decisions regarding the film's production (see Cancer controversy below) and kept the film from view until 1974 when it was first broadcast on TV. The Conqueror, along with Ice Station Zebra, is said to be one of the films Hughes watched endlessly during his last years.

The exterior scenes were shot on location near St. George, Utah, 137 miles downwind of the United States government's Nevada Test Site, Operation Upshot-Knothole, where extensive above-ground nuclear weapons testing occurred during the 1950s. The cast and crew spent many difficult weeks on the site. In addition, Hughes later shipped 60 tons of dirt back to Hollywood for re-shoots. The cast and crew knew about the nuclear tests, there are pictures of Wayne holding a Geiger counter during production, but the link between exposure to radioactive fallout and cancer was poorly understood then.

Powell died of cancer in January 1963, only a few years after the picture's completion. Hayward, Wayne, and Moorehead all died of cancer in the mid to late 1970s. Cast member actor John Hoyt died of lung cancer in 1991. Pedro Armendáriz was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 1960 and committed suicide after he learned it was terminal. Skeptics point to other factors such as the wide use of tobacco— Wayne and Moorehead in particular were heavy smokers — and the notion that cancer resulting from radiation exposure does not have such a long incubation period. The cast and crew totaled 220. 91 developed some form of cancer by 1981 and 46 had died of it by then. Dr. Robert Pendleton, professor of biology at the University of Utah, stated, "With these numbers, this case could qualify as an epidemic. The connection between fallout radiation and cancer in individual cases has been practically impossible to prove conclusively. But in a group this size you'd expect only 30 some cancers to develop...I think the tie-in to their exposure on the set of The Conqueror would hold up in a court of law."


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Dell Movie Classics #690 CBR file

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century #1 (Gold Key, August 1979)

One of the books I'm eagerly awaiting is the upcoming revisionist take on the classic sci-fi property Buck Rogers coming out of Dynamite Entertainment early this summer....



So, for this installment, I figured I'd share a look at my generation's interpretation of Buck...the comic book adaptation of the late 1970s NBC television series....



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Buck Rogers #1 CBR file

Who's Who....Cares? Drive-In Triple Feature

Once again, I mingle the two thingas I enjoy the most into one post: B-Movies and odd-ball comic books.


I've held a long-time fascination with the works of the late H.P. Lovecraft, so naturally any attempts at film adaptations of his work usually hit big on my radar. This 1963 film, loosely based upon Lovecraft's "The Colour Out of Space" (originally published in Amazing Stories, Sept. 1927), is a decent flick, and it's best attributes seem to have nothing to do with it's intentions to adapt the original work. Karloff is worth the price of the ticket alone, IMO.

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Dell Movie Classics: DIE, MONSTER, DIE! CBR file.


I have two guilty pleasures when it comes to B-films of the 1960s: Elvis films of the era,....and AIP ensemble comedy flicks . I tend to enjoy the madcap zany antics more if they're masked by a genre motif, (Invasion of the Star Creatures, Ghost of Hot-Rod Hollow, and Ghost in the Invisible Bikini being amongst my favorites), but comic book adaptations of those films tend to be non-existant.

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Dell Movie Classics: BEACH BLANKET BINGO CBR file

I actually have a copy of the above give-away comic that I picked up at my hometown local mom n' pop video rental store (which is sadly now long-defunct). The art and story are crap, but it's a decent little trip back memory lane to a time when Jan Claude Van Damme was still making low budget direct to video fare....kinda like today!

Plus, the back-story behind Cyborg is kinda interesting:

Per Wikipedia:
This film was conceived to use the costumes and sets built both for an intended sequel to the 1987 He-Man film Masters of the Universe and a live version of 'Spider-Man'. Both projects were planned to shoot simultaneously by Albert Pyun. After Cannon Films had to cancel deals with both Mattel and Marvel Entertainment because of their financial troubles, they needed to recoup the money spent on both projects. Then Pyun wrote the story Cyborg (1989). Some network television still give the film's title as Masters of the Universe 2: Cyborg which often confuses many into thinking a sequel to that film was made.

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CYBORG give-away comic book CBR file

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (Dell Movie Classic #725, 1964)

Quite possibly one of my favorite Christmas films ever, and certainly the one that started me down the path of love for B-Films and Cult Movies...

Some interesting facts I've learned about the film over the years, culled from investigations driven by my insane fascination with the flick:

• The Martian guns are actually painted Whammo Air Blasters.
• The Air Force stock footage seen as the military "pursues" the Martians is the same footage used in the opening credit sequence of Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964).
• Most of the film was shot in an abandoned aircraft hangar on Long Island, New York.
• Vincent Beck, who portrayed "Voldar" in the film, made his last film appearence as the judge in one of my favoite grindhouse revenge flicks, 1983's Vigilante, directed by Bill Lustig
• Bill McCutcheon, who played comedy relief Martian Droppo, won a Tony Award portraying gangster Moonface Martin in the 1988 revival of "Anything Goes", and was "Uncle Wally" on Sesame Street from 1984-1992.
• Pia Zadora's first film role as Martian girl Girmar (age 6)
• Ned Wertimer, who portrays news reporter Andy Henderson was a staple of 70s sitcoms (he's best known as Ralph Hart on 50 episodes of The Jeffersons), and was one of the "singing gallows pirates" in Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End (2007)
• The film was sadly the last role for Doris Rich, who portrayed Mrs. Claus in the film. She would die tragically in a fire 7 years later in 1971 of smoke inhalation.
• Gene Lindsey, the actor in the crappy polar bear suit, would later go on to be "Randall Drew" in genre favorite soap opera Dark Shadows, and would later appear as Alfred D. Baldwin in All the President's Men (1976)

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Santa Claus Conquers the Martians Dell Movie Classics CBZ file


Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (Golden Records SLP170, 1964)
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Santa Claus Conquers the Martians

The Dell Comics Monster Superheroes

I remember as a kid in the late 1980s reading about these comics in an article devoted to them in the (now defunct) fan magazine, Comics Feature. Being a young horror fan, as well as a comic book fanboy, I was intrigued.

Memories of this article lay dormant in the back of my head for a couple of decades, until I ran into a copy of Frankenstein #2 at a local convention, and much to my surprise within a few months (via local shops, conventions, and pure dumb luck) I was actually able to amass a near complete collection of the titles (I've never run across a copy of Frankenstein #4, see pic below)....So, without further ado, here's the DELL MONSTER SUPERHEROES:


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Dracula #1-#4 CBR zip file

From Wikipedia:

Dracula is a superhero comic book series published by Dell Comics, based on the three classic Universal Pictures monsters. Dracula lasted 3 issues from 1966 through 1967, numbered 2 through 4. (#1, published in 1962, was an adaptation of the 1931 film). In 1972-73, Dell reprinted the series, numbering them #6-8 (the reason for skipping issue #5 is unknown). The hero of the comic, Dracula, is a direct descendant of the original Count Dracula, now working as a medical researcher in the old Dracula castle. Due to his experiments, he gains certain bat-like powers (like being able to turn into a bat, etc.). He then embarks on a superhero career, making a costume and leaving for America (since the local peasants have burned down his castle). In America, he adopts the secret identity of "Al U. Card." In issue #4, his lab assistant B.B. Beebe accidentally gains the same powers, and became his sidekick, Fleeta.

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Frankenstein #1-#3 CBR zip file

From Wikipedia:

A character based on the literary and movie monster Frankenstein was the star of a short-lived attempt by Dell Comics to publish superhero comic books based on the Universal Pictures monsters.

Frankenstein lasted three issues, numbered 2-4 (Sept. 1966- March 1967). Issue #1 had been a 1964 adaptation of the 1931 movie. Art was by Tony Tallarico.

Frankenstein is Frankenstein's Monster, who has been lying dormant under a castle (while a large modern city has grown around it). Upon awakening, he makes a rubber mask to hide the fact his skin in green (or at least his head), and takes the name "Frank N. Stone". Befriending a billionaire, who dies and leaves Frank his fortune, he now devotes his life to being a superhero.


From Wikipedia:

Werewolf is a fictional superhero that appeared in comics published by Dell Comics. Werewolf was part of Dell Comic's attempt to capitalize on the popularity of the Universal Pictures monsters (the other two were Dracula and Frankenstein). Werewolf first appeared in Werewolf #1 (December 1966).

Werewolf lasted 3 issues from 1966 through 1967, numbering #1-3. Because "Wolfman" was a copyrighted name, Dell went with the more generic "Werewolf". Credit for the scripts is unclear, but they may have been written by Don Segall; artwork for all three issues was provided by Bill Fracchio, with inks by Tony Tallarico.

Werewolf is really Airforce Major Wiley Wolf. After crashing in the Arctic Circle, he lived with a group of wolves, saving one he named Thor. After being rescued he became a CIA operative, along with Thor. The CIA provides Wolf with a high-tech suit, which makes him bulletproof and protects him from chemicals and gases. He uses the suit to fight the enemies of freedom and democracy.

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Werewolf #1-#3 CBR zip file

Space Ghost - Silver & Beyond

Decided that it was about time for yet another trip into Silver & Beyond, this time around taking a look at Hanna-Barbera's galaxy-spanning hero: Space Ghost.

From Wikipedia:
Space Ghost is a character created by Hanna-Barbera Productions and designed by Alex Toth. He started out as a superhero who, with his sidekicks Jan, Jace and Blip, fought villains in outer space. In more recent years, he has been retooled as a fictional talk show host on Cartoon Network and revamped in a DC Comics mini-series.

Space Ghost debuted in 1966 in Space Ghost and Dino Boy, where Space Ghost shared time with an unrelated segment called Dino Boy in the Lost Valley. Space Ghost was voiced by Gary Owens along with Tim Matheson as the voice of Jace and Ginny Tyler voicing Jan. Don Messick also added his voice talent to Blip. Tim Matheson had previously added his voice talent to that of the title character "Jonny" in Jonny Quest, another Hanna Barbara adventure cartoon. That Space Ghost show only lasted until 1968, but re-appeared in all-new segments on Space Stars in 1981. 22 episodes were produced and introduced a new assortment of villains including an evil version of Space Ghost called Space Spectre, who came from an alternate universe. The Phantom Cruiser was also given a sleeker and more modernized look. Similar to the original series, Space Ghost often came to the aid of the Herculoids and vice versa. They also frequently crossed paths with the Teen Force, and it appeared that Jan and Teen Force member Kid Comet were dating as well.

In the final six episodes of the original series, Space Ghost battled the "Council of Doom" (which consisted of Moltar, Zorak, Spider Woman (also named the Black Widow), Metallus, Brak, and Creature King), and Space Ghost and his sidekicks came across other Hanna-Barbera superheroes who would later have their own shows. Creature King sent a space ape to fight Space Ghost, and Jace used the phantom cruiser's energy force to get rid of it and put both of them in a time warp, sending them to a prehistoric world, where Mightor took care of the space ape, and Space Ghost went back using his power bands. Another time Zorak put Jan, Jayce, and Blip in a capsule and sent them hurtling through space to Earth where they landed in the ocean, and Moby Dick got them to the surface. Another time, Moltar sent Space Ghost and his Molten Men to the planet Quasar where the The Herculoids help Space Ghost out. And lastly, after escaping Brak and Spider Woman, the council uses their trump card, a negative transportation ray which sends him to some magical world where he is attacked by the Sultan of Flame and Shazzan saves him and has the power to send him back.

n 1967, Gold Key Comics published one issue of Space Ghost in his own comic. The character also appeared in the anthology title, Hanna-Barbera Super TV Heroes (1968-69), which featured other Saturday morning crimefighters such as the Herculoids, Birdman and the Galaxy Trio.

Marvel Comics' "Hanna-Barbera TV Stars" no. 3 (Dec. 1978 issue) was a superhero special that featured a Space Ghost story, "Pilgreen's Progress." Ironically, it was the only time Alex Toth ever drew the character for comics.

In 1987, Comico published an adaptation of Space Ghost by Mark Evanier and Steve Rude that was an homage to the spirit and look of the cartoon.

In 1997, Archie Comics published Cartoon Network Presents Space Ghost with art by Scott Rosema, based on Coast to Coast.

In 2004, DC Comics (Hanna-Barbera's corporate sibling) published a Space Ghost mini-series, which featured a serious, sci-fi/space opera version of the character and showed his origins for the first time. The series was written by Joe Kelly and illustrated by Ariel Olivetti. Thaddeus Bach, a human interplanetary peacekeeper, is betrayed by corrupt fellow officers, who kill his pregnant wife and her unborn child, after which Bach himself is gutted and left for dead on a desolate planet. Bach is rescued by an alien who gives him both a reason to live and the technology contained in his suit and spaceship. His two teenage sidekicks, Jan and Jace (spelled "Jayce" here), are revealed to be orphans of Zorak's assault on their home world, whom Bach adopts as his wards. (Blip is not seen in the mini-series.) It is they who christen him "Space Ghost," after a make-believe character their parents made up to frighten them out of bad behavior. He adopts the identity to avenge his family and bring the corrupt officers who killed them to justice.

It has always amazed me that a character that seemed so well suited for the superhero comic book medium has made just a little over a dozen appearances in the printed comic book page.

The only appearance I've never been able to locate and purchase for my own personal collection is the above-mentioned "Hanna Barbera's Superstars #3 from Marvel Comics, and would love to track down a copy, being a huge fan of Alex Toth's work....
Of all the comic book adaptations of the spectral hero, I have to admit that I've had a fondness for Steve Rude's take on the character in the '87 Comico one-shot, which I purchased in junior high when it hit comic book shops and it continues to be one of the more prized books in my collection.

I kinda think that the "hyper-realistic" take on SG and his villians in the 2004 DC Comics mini is interesting to look at, at least....especially their take on Zorak....

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Space Ghost #1 (Gold Key, 1966)
CBZ file

Space Ghost 1987 One-Shot (Comico)

CBZ file

Space Ghost (2004 6 issue DC Comics mini-series)

JPEG Scan Zip File

Dark Shadows #1 (Gold Key, 1968)

I have many fond memories from my childhood that involved watching syndicated re-runs of this show with my mother, who was a huge fan. I'm currently working on tracking down a complete set of this book, and am currently only two or three issues away....

From Wikipedia:

Dark Shadows is a Gothic soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966 to April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis, who tells of a dream he had in which a girl takes a long train ride to visit a large mansion. The story "bible," which was written by Art Wallace, does not mention any supernatural elements. It was considered daring (and unprecedented in daytime television) when ghosts were introduced about six months after it began. The series became hugely popular when, a year into its run, vampire Barnabas Collins, played by Jonathan Frid, appeared. In addition to vampires, Dark Shadows featured werewolves, ghosts, zombies, man-made monsters, witches, warlocks, time travel, both into the past and into the future, and a parallel universe. A small company of actors each played many roles and, as actors came and went, some characters were played by several actors. Major writers in addition to Art Wallace included Sam Hall, Gordon Russell, and Violet Welles.

Dark Shadows has the distinction of being one of only two long-running soaps to have every episode released for home video (including a reconstruction episode #1219, the videotape for which is lost). The other is Australian soap Prisoner. Dark Shadows was first released on VHS and currently in progress on DVD. (Episodes were numbered from #1 to #1245, but some episodes were pre-empted due to holidays, news, etc. so the number of episodes actually broadcast is 1225.)

Dark Shadows was distinguished by its vividly melodramatic performances, atmospheric interiors, memorable story lines and an unusually adventurous music score. Now regarded as somewhat of a camp classic, it continues to enjoy intense cult status among its followers. Director Tim Burton and pop icon Madonna have both gone on record as fans of the series. As a child Johnny Depp was so obsessed with Barnabas Collins that he wanted to be him

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Hanna-Barbera TV Super TV Heroes #1 (Gold Key, 1968)

One of the things that really surprises me is after the quirky, culty sucess of properties such as Space Ghost: Coast to Coast and Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, is that Warner Bros. (the folks who hold Hanna-Barbera's leash) has never tried to revive and capitalize on their superhero franchises of the 1960s, especially with the current wave of popularity that seems to be surging through Hollywood with what seems to be an endless stream of comic book and superhero films....

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Solar, Man of the Atom- Silver & Beyond

Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom #1 ( October 1962) debuted from the fledgling Gold Key imprint created out of the split between Dell and Western Publishing, basically a move that originated when when Western switched to in-house publishing rather than packaging content for branding and distribution by its business partner, Dell Comics.

Raymond Solar, from the beginning, was a character that bucked several cliched superhero conventions of the era.

One, his origin made him out to be a fairly tragic figure. Irradiated in an "atomic accident", Solar gained energy manipulation abilities and several other typical more than human attributes, but as a result of his origin, he basically became a walking atomic pile, forced into a life of solitude because of the enormous amounts of radiation he was prone to give off.

Second, he lived this tragic Hulk-like existence for the first 5 issues of his book...with matching green skin, to boot...that is, until his fifth issue, where he finally received his official red union suit and basically for the rest of his title's run (which lasted about 30 plus issues spread out of two decades) became a typical superhero battling giant robots, dinosaurs, and the occasional evil scientist.

Third, his origin sequence itself is kinda long in the tooth compare to the typical "8 pages and yer a hero" origin story that was the norm of the day, the transition from hip young scientist (you can tell he's cool because he's constantly wearing sunglasses), to radiation victim to full blown costumed do-gooder taking the aforementioned 5 issues to finally bear fruit....

Below is a download link for scans of my copies of the first five issues of Solar's Silver Age Gold Key incarnation...

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Once you've had a chance to check out the good Doc's Silver Age origin, hopefully we'll be able to compare and contrast it to his 1990s incarnation's debut story....

Solar: The Valiant Years



Now, I was a huge fan of Valiant Comics and their tight little shared universe continuity during the earlier part of their publishing existence. I dare anyone to find a tighter continuity than those books possessed. Everything was nice and neat, everything was connected, and in ways that actually IMO made sense.

Valiant's origin of Solar was a trippy little deal, that dealt with time travel, alternate universe's and the possibilities of what might happen if a person actually did come into possession of god-like powers and,....well....actually became God. Plus, it was written by Jim Shooter (the man who practically reinvented Marvel in the 1980s, putting it on the road to multimedia giant that it is today) and illustrated by Barry Windsor-Smith....

From Wikipedia:

The new version (now known simply as Solar) was a physicist named Phil Seleski. Seleski was a fan of the Gold Key line, especially the adventures of Doctor Solar. One day, Seleski and his colleagues were testing a new type of fusion reactor. When an accidental breach threatened to decimate the entire area, Seleski rushed to shut down the reactor. He succeeded, but he was exposed to lethal doses of radiation in the process. Amazingly, the exposure didn't kill him. Instead, it gave him an ability to manipulate energy. Seleski tried to use his powers for the good of mankind. He became determined to destroy the world's supply of nuclear weapons. The US government tried to stop him. Unfortunately, their efforts caused Seleski to lose control of his powers, which in turn caused Earth to fall into a giant black hole. Seleski wound up thrown several weeks back in time (or so he thought). The guilt over his role in destruction of his world caused him to split into two beings: Doctor Solar, who believed himself to be Seleski's childhood hero; and Phil Seleski, who retained all the memories of the original. Seleski sought to prevent an accident that gave him powers from taking place. His efforts were complicated by the presence of Doctor Solar, who was convinced that Seleski was a dangerous criminal. Eventually, Seleski managed to convince his alter-ego that they needed to work together. They fused with the past version of Seleski and prevented the accident. In the process, they discovered that Seleski's fusion reactor was actually a "wish machine" that allowed anyone within close proximity to change the universe in any way they saw fit. Before the original accident, Seleski wished that he could become his childhood superhero. As a result, the reactor simulated the events that gave the original Doctor Solar his powers. Seleski also found out that he didn't travel to the past. After falling into a black hole, he tried to recreate his universe. For the most part, he succeeded. However, there were several important differences, the most important of which was that Earth was now populated by a large number of super-powered beings. The revelations inspired Seleski to take up the mantle of his childhood hero. He became known as Solar, Man of the Atom.

The Valiant origin went as a far as acknowledging the Gold Key version of the character, who much like in our reality, is a fictional comic book character, as evidenced in the page below (from Solar, Man of the Atom #2 October 1991)


Solar: Alpha & Omega Download Link (Hosted by Megaupload)

Lobo #1 (1965, Dell Comics)

From Wikipedia:

Lobo starred in Dell Comics' little-known but groundbreaking, two-issue series Lobo (Dec. 1965 & Sept. 1966), also listed as Dell Comics #12-438-512 and #12-439-610 in the company's quirky numbering system. Co-Created by writer D. J. Arneson and artist Tony Tallarico, it chronicled the Old West adventures of a wealthy, unnamed African-American gunslinger called "Lobo" by the first issue's antagonists. On the foreheads of vanquished criminals, Lobo would leave the calling card of a gold coin imprinted with the images of a wolf and the letter "L".
Tallarico in a 2006 interview said that he and Dell writer D.J. Arneson co-created the character based on an idea and a plot by Tallarico, with Arneson scripted it.
“
I had an idea for Lobo. And I approached D.J. Arneson and he brought it in and showed it to [Dell editor-in-chief] Helen Meyer. ... She loved it. She really wanted to do it. Great, so we did it. We did the first issue. And in comics, you start the second issue as they're printing the first one, due to time limitations. ... All of the sudden, they stopped the wagon. They stopped production on the issue. They discovered that as they were sending out bundles of comics out to the distributors [that] they were being returned unopened. And I couldn't figure out why. So they sniffed around, scouted around and discovered [that many sellers]] were opposed to Lobo, who was the first black Western hero. That was the end of the book. It sold nothing. They printed 200,000; that was the going print-rate. They sold, oh, 10-15 thousand.

AWARDS:

On May 19, 2006, Temple University College of Arts and Sciences presented Tallarico its Pioneer Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Comics and Books Industries, in recognition of his creating the first comic book to star an African-American.

Black comic-book stars
While Marvel Comics' 1950s predecessor Atlas Comics had published the African tribal-chief feature "Waku, Prince of the Bantu" — the first known mainstream comic-book feature with a Black star, albeit not African-American — it was one of four regular features in each issue of the omnibus title, Jungle Tales (Sept. 1954 - Sept. 1955). Comic books' first known African-American superhero, Marvel's Falcon, was introduced in 1969[2], but there would be no Black star of his or her own comic until 1972, with Marvel's Luke Cage, Hero for Hire, followed in 1973 by Marvel's Black Panther (introduced as a supporting character in a 1966 issue of Fantastic Four) in Jungle Action.

And to think....I found this book years ago rummaging around in a second hand shop and bought it and five or six other comics in a bundle for around a buck.

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Dell Four Color #596: Turok, Son of Stone (Dell, 1954)

This is one of the prizes of my collection, IMO. Dell Four Color #596 (1954) is the first appearance of Turok, Son of Stone, a fairly long-lived property that's spawned two separate comic book incarnations (Dell/Gold Key/ Whitman's Silver Age version and the popular 1990s Valiant version: Turok-Dinosaur Hunter), as well as a successful video game franchise (and one of my personal favorite first person shooters of all time, to boot).




What inspired this particular post was the recent animated direct-to-DVD adaptation of the character which hit store shelves earlier this month:


The flick's not bad, but...it's just not Turok. The character I remember reading from youth, in second hand copies found at local rummage shops and yard sales wasn't thrown into a berserker rage whenever confronted with conflict...he always seemed to be one of the cooler headed heroes of the comic book pages, adapting quickly to his strange enviroment full of cavemen and dinosaurs....oh well....just chalk it up to an old fogey pitchin' a bitch about a "revisionist" take on a favorite character. Now, I know exactly what those Silver Age fans meant when they used to moanabout stuff during my youth in the 1980s and 90s.


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