Comic Book Robot Design in the 40s

Robots have been a part of comic books from the beginning, but they certainly weren’t the sleek, adamantium-shelled menaces we have today. The best word to describe comic book robots in the 40s would be Clunky. That’s not to say that they didn’t kick ass, but they just look a little soft in the middle when compared to latter day bots. Here are a few prime examples.

Perhaps the Godfather of all comic book robots is Bozo the Robot (yup, that’s right) who was a major feature for Quality’s Smash Comics. The look is completely comical by today’s standards, but he was probably cutting edge at the time. He actually brings to mind the earliest Iron Man armor from Tales of Suspense #39. Perhaps Tony Stark had a stack of Smash Comics in his POW camp. Even without a streamlined look, Bozo was plenty agile as can be seen on this cover to Smash Comics #5. Those alligators don’t seem at all fazed by the fact that they are chewing on tin.

Another early example of 40s robot design can be found on the cover to Pep Comics #1, featuring a trio of Irv Novick designed robots. The thing I love about these guys is how much they look like movie gangsters. I guess it’s appropriate seeing how the Shield is a federal agent. My guess is that Novick was trying to design metallic Jimmy Cagneys, and he did a great job. The weakest part of the design is most definitely the ‘skirt’ look that would later haunt both 1950s Robotman and 1960s Iron Man. The thing I like most about these particular gangster bots is the chest gun design. It’s just so cool that back in the day robots weren’t equipped with lasers, but still have to pack heat like everyone else.

The Justice Society had to take on robot threats more than once during the 40s, but none quite as distinctive as this particular ‘Metal Menace’. As far as I understand, this is actually a living metal being from Jupiter, but in my world, if it looks and walks like a robot, it’s a robot. He looks as though he was cobbled together by a 12-year old using scrap metal. I am not sure what the heck those antennae do, but they do give the robot a bit of an insectoid look. It must be a very well oiled machine if nobody in the JSA can hear him coming. Maybe Hawkman heard the robot but can’t warn the others because he doesn’t have a mouth.

Our final example of 40s robot design is from later in the decade and represents a slightly sleeker and shinier look – something that would carry over into sci-fi comics, pulps and movies in the 50s. This ultra cool robot was drawn by Alex Schomburg during his airbrush Xela period. Matt Groening was obviously a fan of this design as he used it for Bender on Futurama. The thing I like about this robot is the fact that he’s not afraid of rust, as he’s wading his way through a pond. He must be made of new alloy. The weakest part of the design is the car radio antenna atop his head, but I’ll cut my man Alex some slack, as he’s created the ultimate 40s robot.

Let me know if you’ve got any favourite comic book robot designs from the 40s. In the not-too-distant future, I’ll be looking at robot design in the 50s, 60s and 70s.

Single Issue Hall of Fame: Fantastic Four #233

Sometimes Fantastic Four comics give me a headache. They can be too large in scope, too ambitious and generally too loud. At the very beginning of John Byrne’s tenure with the Baxter Bunch, we are treated to a very subdued, very human story. In a nutshell, this is a Human Torch solo story that kicks off with a priest delivery a dead man’s last wish to Johnny. Johnny plays detective and ultimately winds up taking on Hammerhead.

While the plot and the pacing are quite strong, it’s the characterization of Johnny Storm that really impressed. Far too often, Johnny has been pigeonholed as the ‘hothead’ of the Marvel Universe, but Byrne pulls off a neat little trick here, allowing us to getting inside Johnny’s head as he gets in over it. At times, it has the look and feel of an early Spider-Man issue, especially when Johnny becomes aware of his overconfidence. It’s also a good primer for new readers as some of the aspects of the Torch’s powers are highlighted. In a single issue, John Byrne turned Johnny Storm him into a character I care about by focusing more on the ‘Human’ and less on the ‘Torch’.

Bear Punch Covers

There are many covers out there featuring bear attacks or people being threatened by bears, but very rare is the cover where our hero actually has enough courage to take on a bear. Here are some examples:

Supersnipe Volume 4 #11
It seems that no matter what category I select, there’s a Supersnipe cover that fits the bill. This is actually one of two Supersnipe covers featuring some Man vs. Bear action. As I’ve stated before, I’ve never read one of these books buy you know they’ve got to be good (if a little repetitive). In the 1940s, the Arctic might as well have been Mars and publishers were obviously keen on tapping into their readers’ desire to adventure into the unknown. Nowadays, tourists pile into ATV to visit the huge beasts. Modernity is kind of sad.

Joe Palooka #48
If you’ve ever browsed a Joe Palooka Cover Gallery (and who here hasn’t?), you know that he’s punched just about everything in creation. It’s really nice of Joe to help out the young campers, but doesn’t he know that you are supposed to play dead when confronting by a grizzly bear? Or is that a black bear? I always get them mixed up. This is probably the friendliest looking killer bear that you are likely to see – looks more like a kangaroo on steroids.

Marvel Family #82
Is that the same bear that took on Supersnipe? Won’t he ever learn? I like how Cap and Cap Jr. have decided to sit back and let Mary do all of the heavy lifting. Judging from the look on the polar bear’s face, Mary got him right in the solar plexus. Either that or the reproductive organs are located fairly high. This was near the end of the line for the Fawcett line of Marvel titles, so they obviously had faith that a good old-fashioned Bear Punch cover would help spike sales.

Adventures Into the Unknown #148
I can tell what’s going through Nemesis’ mind on this cover. He’s thinking ‘What the hell am I doing on a Golden Age cover in the middle of the 60s?’ Well, my masked friend, the fact that this cover was drawn by Kurt Schaffenberger (as Jay Kafka), who also contributed to (you guessed it) Marvel Family #82, might have something to do with it. You’d think that after taking on various super-villains and a T-Rex, Nemesis wouldn’t be so worried about a grizzly bear but I guess everyone has their phobias.

You've Been Warned: Grim Ghost #3

I thought I'd try another new theme here, spotlighting the worst of the worst. It may not be a nice thing to do, but I might save you a buck or two.

Grim Ghost #3

This may be the worst comic book produced by Atlas-Seaboard (and that’s saying quite a bit). I found the first two issues to be some of the best comics produced by Atlas-Seaboard (and that’s not saying much at all), but this one was just brutal. Tony Isabella’s story was beyond nonsensical, as the reader is somehow forced to cheer for Satan, whose diminutive stature doesn’t exactly strike fear into the hearts of readers. Normally I love Ernie Colon’s artwork, but I’d swear that this book has some panels drawn by Sanho Kim. It looks like bottom of the barrel fanzine art.

Atlas-Seaboard certainly came in like a lion and went out like a lamb, especially if that lamb was struck by a car and was left on the side of the road.

Verdict: For Completists Only

Memoirs of a Bronze Age Baby: Star Trek (Gold Key) #39

Star Trek (Gold Key) #39

This is one of the very first comic books I ever owned as a small boy. I recall that it was purchased by my parents (potentially as part of a 3 pack) at a side of the highway shop somewhere in upstate New York while we were on a camping trip when I was 3 (turning 4). I have no idea what happened to my original copy, which I don’t think I’ve seen for 25 years. I was thrilled to see a copy at a local shop. $1.99 seemed liked a pretty small price to pay for a trip down memory lane, so I scooped it up.

I sat down to read it with a very deliberate goal in mind. I was going to take my time, and focus on each page (including ads) to see what memories were stirred. Right off the bat, the ad for old movie posters (Creature for Black Lagoon, Lauren & Hardy) brought very vivid feelings to mind. When I was little, I used to actually think the world had been black & white in the ‘olden days’ and snapped into colour at some point. It was this ad that made me dream up that whole concept. From there, each page brought new memories – the full splash of the crew on a spacewalk, the fairly homoerotic bacteria shower, and the ad for patches featuring various cartoon characters (of course, I knew Bugs Bunny and Casper back then – but who the heck was Snuffy Smith?).

The thing is, the story isn’t half bad either. The Star Trek crew revives a cryogenetically frozen Nobel Prize Winning Scientific Genius from the past. I can’t recall his name, but it might as well be Dr. Lennoneinsteinghandi. Kirk, Spock and & Company are the only ones who can save the Earth from lowering it defenses due to mass hypnosis. It’s quite a lot of fun, as much like the TV show, present day societal issues are explored. In this case, it seems that ‘Peace through Vigilance’ is actually the best route to follow. It’s pretty good stuff, and Alden McWilliams does a decent job making sense of a fairly off-the-wall story.

I won’t let this one get away again.

Shark Wrasslin' Part 2: The Revenge of Jaws

Over at Comic Book Resources BR, we got a good thread about Shark Wrasslin’ Covers going and the issue of the movie Jaws and its impact was raised by Kirk G. That got me thinking, all the way back to the mid-70s when I was still a pre-schooler (albeit one with a shark poster in my room). Bicentennial fever was high (and so were gas prices, and the Montreal Olympics were putting a great city into unfathomable debt. In the funnybook business, it seems that many editors decided that sharks should become the new gorilla. Here are some examples of how many comics tried to cash in on the success of Jaws.

An direct homage to the image from the Jaws poster was used for Spidey Super Stories #16 . This title always had some slightly subversive humour going on (much like the Electric Company TV show) as can also be seen from the Star Wars cover published a little later in the run. The only real difference between this cover and the poster is that Spidey is not in his birthday suit. Overall, it's a pretty snazzy cover, with Mr. Parker showing Olympic level form in the Freestyle. The only real negative for me is that they didn’t use a cover of Spidey waterskiing a few years later to celebrate the release of Jaws 2.

Over at DC, home of the gorilla cover, Mike Grell was commissioned to draw the cover to Action Comics #456 putting Supes right into the line of fire. Boy, are these sharks ever vertically inclined. My good pal Prince Hal commented that this is a very stiff looking action scene from Mr. Grell and I cannot disagree. A bit more fluidity is badly needed. Unless that shark has swallowed kryptonite, I am not sure why Supes is at all worried. Certainly not one of the more iconic Superman covers; so it’s probably best for us to simply move along.

A much more enjoyable (and believable cover) comes courtesy of the fine folks at Warren. Like the Action Comics cover, the word Jaws is highlighted on the cover to Creepy #101, but this time it’s to the point of dwarfing the actual title. Mr. Warren was never one for subtlety. Perhaps indicative of the organizational skills at Warren, this one was published 3 years after the release of the Spielberg movie – maybe they thought Jaws 2 would be the real moneymaker. IIRC, this one actually features a story involving sharks, drawn by the cover artist, Rich Corben, as well as some other waterlogged tales (reprints, I think). This one I liked a lot, especially since the colour scheme harkens back to Krigstein’s cover to Piracy #6.

Finally, we have Ghost Rider #16 and the absolute nadir of the cashing in on Jaws craze. When dealing with a comic book about a satanically possessed motorcycle stunt rider, it’s a good idea to suspend your disbelief, but the premise of this cover actually calls for the use of hallucinogens. I don’t actually own this comic, so I cannot explain to you exactly how Johnny Blaze got himself into this predicament – but knowing some of the scripts that were cranked out during this era at Marvel, you are probably better off coming up with your own story. The only thing that would make this book ‘in the gripping tradition of Jaws’ would be if GR said “I’m gonna need a bigger bike”.

Fin

Shark Wrasslin' Covers

Long before the release of Jaws, sharks held a special place in the hearts of comic book cover artists. There are plenty of well-known covers out there featuring sharks, especially in titles that regularly feature undersea adventures. There is a whole sub genre (at least there is now!) of covers featuring a typically surface dwelling protagonist going Mano e Mano with a hungry shark.

Shark Wrasslin' Covers were particularly popular in the Golden Age, and perhaps the best remembered example is Lou Fine's cover to Hit Comics #5. Now, none of have ever read these early issues of Hit Comics, but we all know these covers through countless reproductions in Comic Book Marketplace, the Gerber Journals and various Ron Goulart books. OK, maybe this isn't a shark, but it sure ain't a marlin with those teeth. All we know is that it is a Killer Fish, but a very threatening pink underbelly. While it sure looks as though the Red Bee knows how to wrestle this shark, I'm a bit more concerned about those shackles around his ankles. This is the gold standard for Shark Wrasslin' covers.

Perhaps a little less well know, but highly desired by an psychotically obsessed corner of the Golden Age collectors market is Catman #33. LB Cole produced some of the greatest covers of the Golden Age, and his Catman covers are certainly among his best. We've got typically eye-catching Cole colour here, and a fish that certain looks more like a shark than the fish threatening the Red Bee. Catman is looking cool and confident and must be thrilled that he packed his the long knife that morning. Kitten (I am not making that up - that's her name) has the body language of someone out for a morning swim. Perhaps she is simply mesmerized by the school of exotic looking fish, who don't seem to even be the least be fazed by the action to their immediate right.

I've never actually had the pleasure (is that the right word?) of reading a copy of Supersnipe Comics, but from what I can gather, it involves the Walter Mittyesque adventures of a young Jerry Bails. If you've ever scanned the GCD or Gerber cover galleries, you'll know that Supersnipe has some of the strangest covers of the Golden Age, and that's saying quite a bit. This seems to be the same shark that attacked Catman and Kitten, and his looking to feast of swimmers. Luckily, Supersnipe and his tiny, tiny head has arrived just in time to make the waters safe once again. While I like the overall vibe of this cover from kitschy perspective, Messrs. Fine and Cole needn't have worried about losing their livelihoods.

When I first saw this next cover, a couple of questions came to mind. Firstly, what is the Shadow doing wrestling a shark? Second, does he always wear just a bright, white shirt under his cape? Finally, did everyone in the 40s walk around with a knife in their pockets? The thing I like most about this particular covers is that this actually looks like a shark - no pink underbelly, no goofy upside-down smile. Again, we've got a school of disinterested fish, but what I really loved about this particular cover is the fact that the Shadow's fedora didn't pop off the minute he hit the water's surface, but somehow has only been loosened once the shark fight got underway. A great cover that loses a few points due to the presence of the floating heads of the pseudo-Newsboy Legion.

I'll leave you with this cover to Wonder Woman #101. I don't have much to say about it except that upon closer inspection, I'm surprised it managed to get a CCA Stamp. First of all, if it weren't for that little bit of blue showing, you'd think that the Amazon was out for a skinny dip (with shoes, of course). Somewhat related to the near nudity, I am also a little concerned that, in a crisis, her facial expression is one of arousal. Very strange. Perhaps is the ultra-rare Vibrating Shark. Wonder Woman has appeared on more oddball comic book covers that any other character, but this one is off the charts. She obviously really enjoys shark wrasslin'. I hope you did too.

Single Issue Hall of Fame: Justice League of America #14

The original Justice League of America series is probably best remembered for its multi-issue JLA/JSA crossover and the forgettable seemingly never ending JLA Detroit saga. There are some real single issues gems in the series though, and #14 is my favourite as it is pure Fox/Sekowsky goodness. Of course, it’s the Murphy Anderson bowling–motif cover that catches your eye. Bowling covers are a favourite of mine too, but that’s a whole different story.

Open up this book and you’ll soon find that everything that is so lovable about the DC Silver Age (in all of its implausible goofiness) is present. To a certain degree the actual story is almost an afterthought as the entire premise is to set up a scenario wherein the Atom can prove his worthiness to validate his selection into the Justice League. The JLA is on the ropes as the combination of amnesia and a team of second-string villains (Sea Thief? Doctor Davis?) was just too much for them to handle.

Luckily instead of simply killing our heroes; the mystery villain keeps everyone on ‘pins’ and needles, by packing the Atom into an explosive ball to ‘strike’ the JLA. Luckily, he escapes without a second to ‘spare’ and sends the villain’s plans right into the gutter. Yup – it’s corny, but it’s a lot of fun – and as a bonus we get a surprise twist at the end and a one panel appearance from Superman to satisfy contractual obligations, no doubt.

In the end, we have a nice moment in the JLA Meeting Room as the team shows that it’s willing to go above and beyond to accommodate their new diminutive member. It’s great stuff all around. This story can be found in the DC Showcase Presents Justice League collection as well as Volume 2 of the JLA Archives.

Quick DVD Reviews

Little Miss Sunshine
I had pretty high expectations and for the most part, they were met. It’s a fun little film with just enough pathos to make it stick with you for a while. A vanful of misfits is just a little too much to swallow at times, but the likes of Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Steve Carell and Alan Arkin could make Plan 9 from Outer Space an Oscar nominee. It also reminded me how much beauty pageants for kids give me the creeps.
Grade: B+

Stranger Than Fiction
I thought I knew exactly how this movie would play out. I was a more than a little wrong. I was simply expecting some sort of post-modern Charlie Kaufman-lite type of thing, but it proved to have its own voice and I really liked the way it moved along. A lot of understated performances, which was nice as there was a real opportunity to ham it up here with the likes of Ferrell and Hoffman sharing scenes.
Grade: B+

The Queen
Meh. Nice job all around in terms of the performances, but I felt like the story got stuck in a loop for the entire middle act. The whole ‘Will she or won’t she go to London?’ bit ended up being the focus of the entire movie. Plus, the whole ‘Stalkers & Stag’ metaphor was too ham-fisted for my tastes. The whole thing came across as a bit of a Movie of the Week.
Grade: B-

The Prestige
What I liked most about this film, is it actually feels like a smallish 70s flick (think The Duellists), but there’s also a bit of a Hammer Victorian-era setting B Movie thrown in there too. Bale, Caine and Jackman are superb, and the whole film just oozes with atmosphere. The scenes in the U.S. with Bowie are the weakest point, as it all feels a bit slapped on, to help explain the almost inexplicable plot. I didn’t feel that was necessary – a few little mysteries left to ponder wouldn’t have been the worse thing that could happen. All in all, I admired this film because it was mainstream and yet sufficiently different so as to be unlike anything else I’ve seen in a while.
Grade: A-

The Illusionist
Well, it was a pretty damned fine year for movies about late 19th Century magicians. I was concerned that I had rented this one too soon after The Prestige, but the movies could not be more different (well, I guess that’s not entirely true – I guess and animated musical would have been even more different), but it is smaller in scope and delivery. Norton is in full command here – able to utilize his intensity for the first time in a long time. Giamatti wisely lays low but does a nice job as the conflicted detective. Jessica Biel is fine, but fairly wooden - if she picks more projects such as this, she could have an interesting career.
Grade: B+

Single Issue Hall of Fame: Conan #9

The ability to cram an interesting story, full of fully realized characters into a single comic book has nearly become a lost art. Now, I love a good story arc as much as the next person, but there is something magical about a single comic book that contains all of the elements needed for quality 4 Colour entertainment. Over the next little while, I’d like to focus on what I’ve inducted into my own personal Single Issue Hall of Fame. These are book that have been able to excel on all levels within the confines of two staples and one cover. Here’s my first inductee:

Conan the Barbarian #9

I’ve always liked Conan. I stress liked, because I am not one of those people who absolutely loves Conan, as I was never really into the sword and sorcery stuff as a kid, so I really only read this comic sporadically (we are talking early 80s here) and I actually preferred the black and white magazine.

When I began collecting back issues, however, early Conan books were easy to track down and still not too pricey. One of the earliest ones I got my hands on was issue #9, featuring 'The Garden of Fear'. I probably liked it well enough as a child, but I don’t really remember the story staying with me for too long.

I re-read it more recently in one of the Chronicles of Conan volume and was totally blown away. Of course, Barry Smith’s art is engaging and dynamic, but I was most struck by the sense of atmosphere created by the combination of Smith’s art and Roy Thomas’ words. The whole notion of the black winged demon in a tower surround by carnivorous plants had such a great Gothic, almost Lovecraftian feel to it.

As I understand from the afterword to the volume, Thomas adapted this tale from a non-Conan story written by Howard. If found this to be somewhat ironic as I perceive it to be the perfect Conan story. If you have read it, I urge you to seek it out. This is as fine a comic book story as you were likely to find at Marvel in the early 70s – it is simultaneously beautiful and unsettling.

Dr. Strangelove Covers

Anyone who has ever flipped through an Overstreet has noticed that certain thematic covers are noted as collectors try to scoop up all of the Infinity Covers (my personal fave) or Christmas covers that they can find.

Lately, I been spotting certain certain trends in comic book covers that are just a little more obscure. Nothing quite like Scott Shaw!'s 'Fish in Face' covers, but still a little off the beaten path. One that I've seen more than a few times, is what I'll call a Dr. Strangelove cover, as a nod to the famous Slim Pickens scene at the end of Kubrick's classic film. Of course, all of these covers predate the movie, but that really neither here nor there.

For a while, during the Golden Age, it was apparently very au currant to draw a superhero straddling a giant rocket, atomic or otherwise. I am not sure if Dr. Wertham even had much to say about this, but it seems to be one of the more Freudian of all comic book cover themes. Let's take a look at a few examples.


The most famous of these is likely Special Edition Comics #1, which was recently redrawn by Joe Simon for an Overstreet Price Guide cover. We are not entirely sure what the Big Red Cheese is doing with this particular projectile, but he's obviously elated. In and of itself, this is a very tough to find and valuable comic, and will only skyrocket in price after the Dr. Strangelove cover genre takes off. If you can tell me exactly what type of bomb that Cap is riding, it means you've been spending too much time on artillery websites.


Sticking with Fawcett, we find another member of the Fawcett family taking a ride on a WMD on the cover of Captain Marvel Jr. #19. As with his colleague, Captain Marvel Jr. also seems to be thrilled to have his legs wrapped around a deadly missile. We are still not in the atomic age just yet, so this one can only do so much damage but as resident of Dresden (and Billy Pilgrim) can attest, enough non-nuclear bombs can make life pretty miserable. Although Mac Raboy is certain a demi-god when it comes to cover design, I do worry about the impact CM Jr. is having on the aerodynamics of this bomb.


Obviously other publishers got their hands on Fawcett's sales figures and decided that the Dr. Strangelove covers the reason behind the success. When it comes to crazy cover adventures, no Golden Age hero comes close to Doll Man (that's a whole other blog entry, though) as can be seen on the cover to the to Feature Comics #50. Now, Doll Man has wrapped his bare legs around many strange objects, but this one likely takes the cake. Again, I'm not really sure what's going here as Doll Man is sailing over the heads of the bad guys. Is he actually saving them by steering it away. Is Doll Man a traitor? Should someone tell Spin Shaw?



Finally, we see a 3rd tier publisher choose the Dr. Strangelove cover as a possible springboard for the coming of a second Golden Age. Captain Flash is perhaps no Captain Marvel, but even he found time to overcompensate for shortcomings in the loin area but hopping aboard an explosive device on the cover to Captain Flash #1. This is almost a retro cover, as it was published in the mid-50s, a decade after the above posters. As it was during the heart of the Atomic Age, the fine folks at Sterling obviously thought that a generic superhero riding an atom bomb would be enough to make them a big player. Of course, Captain Flash #1 isn't exactly Showcase #4, but Mike Sekowsky sure gave it his best with this cover. Here's a question, though - shouldn't a place named Atom City actually welcome atom bombs?

A Second Look - Batman: A Death in the Family

Remember when the death of a superhero was a big deal? Seems like 100 years ago. I recently dusted off my old Death in the Family TPB and tried to give it a look with fresh eyes. My expectations were low, as I had never had much invested in Jason Todd and the whole democratization of storytelling had always rubbed me the wrong way a bit. I also recall thinking that the whole Middle East angle to the story was about as clichéd 80s as you could get.

You know what? I was wrong. The story really isn’t half bad, Jason Todd comes across as far more sympathetic a character than portrayed earlier, there was a good degree of pathos in his search for his mother, and the whole Middle East connection seems pretty topical today. His death – the sheer brutality of the Joker’s beating (much of it kept off-panel), his last minute heroism and the Batman’s reaction are all well present and retain a real impact.

I’ve always found Jim Starlin to be pretty hit and miss as a writer and he’s responsible for one of my least favourite Batman stories ever (The Cult), but he does an ok job here. I get the feeling like he wanted to introduce a bunch of ‘Big Ideas’ and make grand statements, but someone wisely suggested that he focus on the more human element of the story. All things, of course, are made better by Jim Aparo art and this story is no exception. Whenever I see an Aparo cape & cowl, it feels like a homecoming. He is able to convey emotion here, and I couldn’t think of an artist better suite to telling this story. We miss you Jim.


All in all, I think it holds up pretty well. It’s a shame that DC felt it needed a big stunt, and I sometimes feel as though this storyline (along with Crisis) helped to open some floodgates that should have remained shut. That being said, it’s really a pretty good piece of comic book storytelling and made me feel sad for the loss of Jason Todd. That’s quite an accomplishment.

I Heart Heath's Haunted Tank

I know that I’ve written about Russ Heath before, and I’ll certainly write about him again but he’s on my brain right now, so you’re stuck with me chatting about him today. Heath is one of those artists whose work I really love, but whenever the time comes to jot down a list of top 10 or top 20 favourite artists, he just never seems to come to mind for inclusion. OK – that’s a bit of a lie, having reviewed my top 50 artists list on last year’s CBR compilation, I had him slotted at #19.

The reason I don’t often think of Heath is probably because he didn’t work on any of my favourite books when I was a kid, like Aparo, Newton or Dillin and wasn’t a huge factor in the initial wave of back issue collecting I undertook – which focused on the likes of Kirby, Ditko and Toth. Russ Heath just kind of snuck by me – who knows why? I was aware of the name, and must have seen some bits and pieces in reprint form but really didn’t get to know his work until about 10 years ago.

The first time his I really made the connection between his name and his artwork was with his arc on Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight. The arc was called Heat, and it was the way Heath was able to draw a heat wave onto the printed page. I knew the name was legendary, but I’d never actually seen the man at work. I was pretty impressed, as it looked very good when compared to most of the artwork in DC books at the time.

I don’t want to talk about Heath and his whole illustrious career and all that jazz right now. All I want to talk about is how kick ass his artwork looks in the DC Showcase Presents Haunted Tank volume. Most of my previous exposure to the Haunted Tank was through late 70s and early 80s of GI Combat. At this stage, DC’s war books were looking a little long in the tooth, and aside from the nice Kubert covers, they weren’t much to write home about. I had always found the concept of the Haunted Tank to be one of the Top 10 strangest in all of comicdom (that’s saying quite a lot).

I wanted to get my hands on the DC Showcase Presents volume as I pretty much plan on getting all of them. I had low expectations, as I knew this wasn’t a series I loved in the same way that I love Jonah Hex or Unknown Soldier. I am thrilled to report that I was happily surprised by what I’ve read so far. The stories are original and the action moves along at a good clip. The real treat, of course, is the artwork. These war books are renowned for the covers (especially those with the Jack Adler grey tones), but the interiors are pretty great too.

I have been absolutely blown away by the Russ Heath drawn issues. His artwork is so superb that I find myself having crazy thoughts like ‘Awwww, these next few stories only have Kubert art’. Who would have ever thought such thought were possible? Not me, until just last week. His artwork is just that good here.

What makes it so great? It’s the faces. He can paint any emotion with just a few strokes of the pencil. The look of panic in a soldier’s eye, the look of exhaustion in a drooping mouth, the sense of claustrophobia created by a few beads of sweat on a brow. It’s all there, in beautiful black and white. I’ve always felt that Toth’s Zorro comics should be used as a textbook for those studying comic book art. If I was Dean of such a school, I’d like to add Heath’s Haunted Tank to the reading list.

Manhunter by Goodwin & Simonson: A Look Back

Here I am wasting perfectly good bandwidth discussing a comic strip that has received more than its fair share of kudos over the years. You may be asking yourself – what more can this moron say about Manhunter that hasn’t already been said? Well, at the very least, I can present my opinions on this series punctuated with quirky Canadian spelling.

I had read most if not all of the Manhunter back-ups at one time or another via various back issues, but when I saw this Special Edition TPB on sale at an LCS not too long ago, I thought that it would be great to have the whole thing in a single package. Due to a heavy work and parenting loan, my quality comic book reading time has been somewhat limited as of late, but I finally did get the chance to dive into this book.

As it turns out, it certainly does lend itself to being read in one sitting. You really get a sense of where Archie Goodwin and Walt Simonson were headed with this character. Although it has been said before, this really is groundbreaking stuff; at least as far as mainstream superhero books were concerned. Goodwin’s obvious love of pulps is apparent here, as our hero operates in the shadows and reveals himself on a ‘need to know’ basis. The storytelling has a great more cinematic approach, as the plot unfolds in a slightly kinetic way, forcing the reader to pay very close attention.

The storyline contains so many great elements (shadowy secret society, clones, serious globetrotting) that we have come to know and love as members of the ‘24/Alias’ generation. In some ways, this storyline was so far ahead of the pack in the early 70s that it doesn’t feel at all dated today. It’s really incredible how much the creative team was able to squeeze into each short back-up tale.

Upon re-reading these tales, there are two things that really strike me today. The first is Simonson’s work here. I know he was pretty new to the industry at the time of the original stories, but he demonstrated that he had his own voice and would be telling stories in his own way. Working with Goodwin, Simonson was able to use some creative layouts that are riveting – they are absolutely Krigsteinesque in spots. The look Simonson have his figures changed over the years – morphing into a Kirby-style chunkiness. I much prefer these earlier, lean figures, as they are able to move more fluidly in the action sequences.

The second aspect of this series that really impresses me is Goodwin’s writing. Of course, he was a wonderful writer but he certainly falls into the ‘don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone’ camp. At a time when the likes of Roy Thomas and Don McGregor were demanding larger and larger word balloons, Goodwin was able to convey a wonderful story in surprisingly few words. It’s an impressive feat.

The really great surprise in this reprint collection, which I understand won some awards upon in initial publication, is a short, silent ‘final’ Manhunter story that provides some closure regarding the clone issue. It a fun little spectacle, based on notes left by Goodwin. Although it has been applauded time and time again over the past 30 years, I just thought one more voice of praise couldn’t hurt. Thanks Archie and Walt – it was a great ride.

Lee Elias at Harvey: Babes, Bullets and Blechh!

Time and time again, we read that the comic book industry had a tough time in the 50s. The advent of the Comics Code Authority coupled with new distraction for youngster such as television made it tough for many companies to find an audience (RIP EC, Quality and Fawcett).

The downside to all of this doom and gloom talk is that many companies were producing comics of a quality that hadn’t been seen to that point and haven’t been seen since. Much of this is due to the amazing roster of talented artists who worked in the industry during the decade. The EC bullpen is certainly the most (in)famous, which superstars such as Craig, Ingels, Cradall and Davis. It could be argued that the Atlas bullpen was just as strong featuring Joe Maneely, Russ Heath, John Romita and Don Heck. Some people may think that DC produced mainly bland comics in the 50s but anyone who has ever read ‘Greatest Comics of the 50s’ has be amazed by the artwork by Frank Frazetta, Ruben Moreira and Alex Toth.

One company that is almost always forgotten in all of these discussions is today best known for friendly ghosts and rich kids with huge heads. I’m talking about Harvey, folks. For my money, Harvey produced some of the finest comics from the late 40s to the late 50s. They may not be known for superheroes, but they published many excellent titles in the Horror, Romance and War genres. Harvey had its own bullpen of fine artists and although they may not be as well known as those who worked for EC or Atlas, they are worth spotlighting. It almost impossible to pick up a Harvey book from this period and not be impressed by the artwork. You’re likely to come across work by such greats as Bob Powell, Rudy Palais and the artist featured in this blog entry: Lee Elias.

Lee Elias may be best know to many fans as the guy who worked on some wacky DC characters (like Ultra the Multi-Alien), or whose name pops up in the occasional oddball Marvel title of the 70s (see Human Fly). Elias actually has one of the longer curriculum vitaes in comicdom. A quick search on the GCD shows that Elias’ first work pops up in the early 40s on Fiction House titles such as Wings, Rangers and Planet Comics. Elias really began making his mark as the lead artist on Black Cat.

Black Cat had been around for years, making appearances in Pocket Comics and Speed Comics. Her adventures were great (drawn by Powell and Joe Kubert, among others) but the stories were brief and hamstrung by WW2 patriotism. In her solo title (still a fairly novel idea that a female superhero could headline a book), she was infused with a mixture of style and energy by Elias’ wonderful artwork. Like so many of his generation, the influence of Milt Caniff is undeniable, but Elias seems to add an extra level of excitement, as his figures seem to be in constant motion. The Black Cat artwork featured here is a good example of what Elias brought to the time; it was exciting and yet elegant.

Of course, with superheroes going out of vogue towards the end of the Golden Age, artists needed to find work in other genres. Luckily for Elias, his skill set was adaptable to almost any genre. Check out the romance page I’ve included here. We’ve got a typical yarn about a girl who falls in love with a rich guy only to find out he’s so rich. Elias is able to work wonders considering his artwork is threatened by the text throughout the story. It’s incredible to see how he manages to squeeze some dancing, a drive in the country and a moonlit paddle into a single panel.

To help serve as a counterbalance to its countless romance titles, Harvey also published a myriad of war books. These are often ultra-violent and not terribly sympathetic to the Communist cause. From time to time, though, a story would be told on a smaller scale - a ‘one man’s war’ type of tale. Lee Elias excelled at these, as he was able to bring both quiet and chaos into a story. Check out the original art war page I’ve included here (I tracked down some online images, thinking that his lovely work would really shine in black & white). It is a tale told simply, yet effectively. There is a real sense of danger and dread here.

To cap off this short discussion of Lee Elias’ work for Harvey, how can I possible leave out the horror stuff. Sure, EC horror books are the most famous – they have been reprinted endlessly and have spawned a TV series, but many of the most famous, and graphic, images from the horror genre actually come from Harvey titles, many of them drawn by Lee Elias. Face Melting Cover? Elias. Exploding Face Cover? Elias. Branding Cover? Elias. The list goes on and on. For some reason, this gentleman who drew such lovely romance stories could also draw the most disturbing covers imaginable. I’ve including my favourite here. For my money, no other horror cover from the 50s comes close to this one in terms of making your skin crawl. Ugh, Rats! Blechh!!

So that a quick look at one of comicdom’s often overlooked creators. Golden Age Harvey books are a relative bargain when compared to those by Timely/Atlas, DC or EC so I urge you to check them out.