Separated at Birth: I always feel like somebody's watching me

L: Crisis on Infinite Earths #5 (August 1985), art by George Perez
R: Flash #225 (October 2005), art by Howard Porter, John Livesay, and James Sinclair
(Click picture to Earth-6-size)

365 Days with Ben Grimm: Day 206

Panel from The Thing #23 (May 1985), script by Mike Carlin, pencils by Ron Wilson, inks by Bob Layton, colors by Bob Sharen, letters by John Morelli

Saturday Morning Cartoon: Starship Farragut "Power Source"

Starship Farragut: The Animated Episodes "Power Source, Part 1" (2009), produced by NEO f/x in association with Farragut Films

Kirby says: Don't Ask, Just Buy It! (Next Month.)

Hey kids! Remember when the final panel of a comic book story teased and tantalized you with the promise of the excitement, adventure, thrills and Skrulls of next month's issue, winding you up so much that you could hardly wait to bike on down to Mr. Gower's drugstore and plunk down your twelve cents to pick up the very next issue featuring the conclusion of the storyline that sent shivers up your spine and poked out your eyes with a very sharp, long, pointed stick but you didn't care because it already said "senses-shattering" on the cover of the book?

Nope, me neither.

So let's let the Archduke of Anticipation, the Emperor of Expectation, the Tycoon of To Be Continued, the King of Comics...recapture that giddy, glorious feeling through

Jack Kirby's 'Next Issue' Panels from Captain America #193-208!

#193


#194


#195


#196


#197


#198


#199


#200


#201


#202


#203


#204


#205


#206


#207


#208


#209


#210


#211


#212


#213


Wow! I'd buy every single one of those comics! So, that's the lesson, Marvel...if you can't bring back Kirby...bring back the cliffhanger 'to be continued' box!

365 Days with Ben Grimm: Day 205

Panel from The Thing #10 (April 1984), script by John Byrne, pencils by Ron Wilson, inks by Hilary Barta, colors by Julianna Ferriter, letters by Jim Novak

"Spidey, this is not 'Nam. This is bowling. There are rules."

Panels from Amazing Spider-Man #92 (January 1971), script by Stan Lee, pencils by Gil Kane, inks by John Romita and Tony Mortellaro, letters by Artie Simek

(And if it's more Gil Kane action of the fisticuff variety you're cravin'—well, bub, head yourself over to Dr. K's 100-Page Super Spectacular for the ever-lovin' Gil Kane Punch of the Week! It'll knock your block off!)

365 Days with Ben Grimm: Day 204

Panel from Marvel Two-in-One Annual #7 (1982), script by Tom DeFalco, pencils by Ron Wilson, inks by a whole lotta guys (Bob Camp, Mike Esposito, Frank Giacoia, Dan Green, Armando Gil, Chic Stone), colors by George Roussos, letters Jim Novak

My Favorite Show to the Tune of Another

Revenge of One Show to the Tune of Another

More Shows to the Tune of Another

One Show to the Tune of Another

365 Days with Ben Grimm: Day 203

Panel from Fantastic Four 1234 #1 (October 2001), script by Grant Morrison, pencils and inks by Jae Lee, painted colors by Jose Villarrubia, letters by Richard Starkings and Wes Abbott

Loose lips sink ships

...so nobody tell FDR that Sergeant Nick Fury is a blabbermouth! What's that you say? The consummate Army man, the tough son of a gun who bleeds khaki and spits bullets, is a lousy yellow-bellied troop-movement-fact-giver-outer? The pride of Easy Company? (No, not the one with Sergeant Rock...the other Easy Company.) The hard as nails never-shaved still-two-eyed Nick Fury? How can this be, you ask yourself, Mr. and Mrs. America and all the ships at sea? How can this be? Well, maybe if Fury would stop publishing the details of America's military might in the back pages of his own furshlugginer comic book!!!



He gives away secrets of Allied armaments! To be fair, of Axis weaponry as well, but that's no excuse, Fury!

from Sgt. Fury #4 (November 1963)



And here's the US Army's secret hand-signals! Not shown: the one fingered salute he gives those lousy Ratzis! (If British, add an extra finger.)

from Sgt. Fury Annual #1 (1965)



No need to let Herr Schiklgrüber know what our tanks, guns, and war-bound livestock cost, Nick...when after all we all know the true cost...human lives! (bum bum bum!)

from Sgt. Fury #6 (March 1964)



What's that, Fury? Let's publish the details of some more guns in your lousy comics? And sell them at newsstands where "kindly old" Mister Bimmler and Goseph Joebbels down the street can pick 'em up? They aren't in it for the investment, Nick...uh, uh, no way! How can I tell, you ask? They don't put the comics in Mylar snugs!

from Sgt. Fury #5 (January 1964)



Who do you think you are kidding, Mister Hitler? You don't have to have spies to capture the secrets of the B-26 bomber...just pick up this month's issue of Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos Who Give Secrets Away in the Back-Up Section Just Before the Letters Column and Stan's Bullpen Bulletins (only 12 American cents per copy!)

from Sgt. Fury #14 (January 1965)
Click picture to big-size...if you're a traitor!

Yes, that's the Martin Marauder...not to be confused with the Martian Manhunter!




This diagram of Fury's base in Dover, England, gives every element of the layout away to the enemy. The only detail that's missing? All those bluebirds over the white cliffs of Dover!

from Sgt. Fury Annual #1 (1965)
Click picture to bilden Sie Ihnen, Naziabschaum jeden Detailfreien raum!



Now here's something you don't see every day...if you're a Nazi spy!: Nick Fury and Easy Company's base of operations! Won't Uncle Adolph be happy to see that Stan Lee and Dick Ayers are visiting that day. Bomb the place now and the world need never face the horrors of...Ravage 2099!

from Sgt. Fury Annual #1 (1965)
Click picture to catch all the hilarious off-color Army men banter...
before you blow 'em up!



But in the end, it's all part of a massive disinformation planned down to the finest detail by Fury's CO, General "Happy" Sam Sawyer! The Ratzis ain't gettin' their hands on a single copy of these comic books...instead they'll be carpet bombed by thousands of these colorful portraits of a guy who will soon be wah-hooing his way into Berlin and storming up to Hitler's Bertesgarten to put his stone-hard fist right in der Fuhrer's face! You go get 'em, Fury! Waaaaaah-hooooooo!

from Sgt. Fury #12 (November 1964)

365 Days with Ben Grimm: Day 202

Panels from Fantastic Four #47 (February 1966), script by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Joe Sinnott, letters by Artie Simek

Hey Kids! #!%@#$&ing Comics!

So, I'm reading my comics the other day, including the all ages imprint Marvel Adventures which features ultra-fun and not at all Dark versions of our favorite Marvel characters. Ah, Earth-20051, with your high-adventures stories, clever plot twists and humorous characterization, I think I love you most of all!



Of course all the Marvel Adventures books are completely appropriate for a little stuffed bull to read. (Why, they even keep them at bull's-height reach over at Bergen Street Comics so I don't have to ask Tom or Amy to borrow a stool or to boost me up!) See, it says so right on the cover:



Yup, there ain't nothin' on that cover that suggest this is a comic book I shouldn't be reading, not a trace at all that this book is age-inappropriate for a six-year-old little st...



In the words of the late great Marvel humor mag...What Th--?! This book is labelled Ultimates? Why, I'm not 'llowed to read that book at all what with the sex and the violence and the swearing and the Wasp-eating and the nasty Jarvis and the...golly. Golly.

Huh. Well, I guess that explains this panel in the book:



Okay, okay, I Photoshopped the last panel...but everything before it is real! It really does say "Ultimates" on the UPC box of Marvel Adventures Super-Heroes #9! Whoopsie!

365 Days with Ben Grimm: Day 201

Panels from What If? #36 (December 1982), script and art by John Byrne, colors by Bob Sharen, letters by Joe Rosen

Ten of a Kind: Come let us make bricks and burn them hard

But if you want hands-down the finest book ever written about the Empire State Building, well, then you need:


(More Ten of a Kind here.)