Modern Comics were a funny thing, and confounded me when I was young. They seemed to be everywhere in the late 70s, and perhaps even into the early 80s. By 'everywhere', I mean the discount stores my mother used to drag me to in the east end of Toronto. Locals will remember names like Bi-Way and Bargain Harold's. These stores had out of date 3-packs and loads of Modern Comics. I had no knowledge of the pedigree of these books, so for all I knew Hercules and Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt were contemporary characters. This book really threw me for a loop, as I had never see anything quite like Sam Glanzman's artwork before (I don't think I'd seen any DC war books at that point, or at least couldn't spot the similarities). With hindsight, I can now appreciate that Glanzman was trying to give the book a very unique look and the characters look as though they've stepped right off a Grecian urn. I dig this stuff now (although I realize it's not for everyone), but I thought it was the absolute pits as an 8-year. I still kind of feel that way about the Sanho Kim drawn Thane of Bagarth back-up, though.
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Memoirs of a Bronze Age Baby: Hercules (Modern) #11
Modern Comics were a funny thing, and confounded me when I was young. They seemed to be everywhere in the late 70s, and perhaps even into the early 80s. By 'everywhere', I mean the discount stores my mother used to drag me to in the east end of Toronto. Locals will remember names like Bi-Way and Bargain Harold's. These stores had out of date 3-packs and loads of Modern Comics. I had no knowledge of the pedigree of these books, so for all I knew Hercules and Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt were contemporary characters. This book really threw me for a loop, as I had never see anything quite like Sam Glanzman's artwork before (I don't think I'd seen any DC war books at that point, or at least couldn't spot the similarities). With hindsight, I can now appreciate that Glanzman was trying to give the book a very unique look and the characters look as though they've stepped right off a Grecian urn. I dig this stuff now (although I realize it's not for everyone), but I thought it was the absolute pits as an 8-year. I still kind of feel that way about the Sanho Kim drawn Thane of Bagarth back-up, though.
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4 comments:
"Not for everyone, but I dig it". Yes, exactly. You be the ventriloquist, and I'll be the dummy Scott. My thoughts on Charlton Hercules, and Sam Glanzam on that title in particular, are precisely yours. These later issue Hercules (8-11 say)were not only Greek urn inspired, but were pretty trippy as well, and more wonderful for it. Craig.
Wow, I used to own this book when I was a child. There was an older kid in the neighbourhood who used to con me into trading my DC and Marvel superhero books for Modern issues of Judomaster, Peacemaker and Herc. Even worse, he would say "Well there's TWO stories in this comic, so you have to give me two of your comics." I still want to punch that kid in the nose.
Modern Comics were a mystery to me at the time, too. There was a convenience store in my hood that started carrying ONLY Modern comics for a time. Bizarre.
Ah, the discount stores . . . the bulk of my collection, prior to '87, came from Towers and Bi-Way. It was a lot of fun digging through the piles of multipacks looking for Spidey and Cap and FF.
Very interesting cover. I've not seen "Modern" comics, although I've heard of the Charlton characters (Peacemaker et al). I'll have to look this one up and maybe add it to my "wacky comics to look for at cons" list. Thanks as always.
I must admit this Hercules title is a mystery to me, but looking at that cover makes me want to track some of these down, that cover rocks. Have to agree with you on Sanho Kim, even as a kid I hated that guys drawings, they look as though he slapped them down as quick as possible, very sloppy.
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