Bully's Advent Calendar: Day 7

Monday Night Murals: He thinks he'd blow our minds

I can usually take or leave Alex Ross's artwork, but one piece of his I really like—maybe I should say six pieces of his—is his mural (with Tony Harris) from Starman:

Starman #57-62 (September 1999-February 2000), art by Tony Harris and Alex Ross
(Click picture to Alcyone-size)

One of the strengths of James Robinson's Starman was its emphasis on the "legacy hero"—the proud dynasty of superheroes that have all been named the same and who follow in each other's footsteps. A Kid Flash or two aside, I'd never been much compelled by DC's legacy heroes, but Starman, with its father/son in conflict plot right from issue #0, nailed the essence of what I like about continuity in superhero comics. There's plentiful little gems for those versed in the history to pick up if you do know and recognize Starmen past: Ted Knight (moonlighting, no doubt, on his job working alongside Mary Tyler Moore and Ed Asner), Will Payton, David Knight, the short series of Prince Gavyn, alien Starman stories, even Starmen like Mikaal Tomas who only appeared previously for one single issue. Robinson spun their histories together at the same time he introduced my favorite Starman, Jack Knight. Jack's adventures discovering his history and his legacy are interspersed with "Times Past" stories that fill in the story from generations ago. At the same time Robinson created one of my favorite fictional metropolises (metropoli?) in the DC Universe, Opal City, and even rescued villain The Shade from the deep history of The Flash to give him a role as a mover, shaker, and plotter in, around, and behind the scenes.

The interconnection between the Starmen isn't just in the story: it's right up there on these covers featuring pretty much ever Starman (except Robert Hays), their supporting characters, and behind them, big-ass Starman of the Thiry-First Century (previously the Dream-Girl-wooin' Star Boy of The Legion of Super-Heroes, and now a member of the Justice Society of America...don't ask me how, I dunno, something to do with bad clams, I understand) against a star-spangled background of...hey, it's a huge star! Holy symbolism, Starman!

When I was puttin' 'em together with my original issues, scissors and Elmer's Glue (it's a messy job, but somebody's gotta do it!), I noticed that he Starman covers are somewhat unique among interconnecting, "mural" images: the tops of the lower tier overlap with the bottoms of the top tier, so you're actually getting a little cleaner fit to the image than you often do with these things. It's pretty impressive all put together like that even with the logos and UPC codes and the reminder that I spent fifteen clams on these comics. But take a look at the original artwork minus the logos:



Pretty cool, huh? Lucky for you 'n' me that DC Direct released that as a poster, so you can pink it up on your wall and listen to your Marillion albums all night long. Only thing that's missing? It ain't a black light poster.

365 Days with Ben Grimm: Day 341

Panel from Marvel Two-in-One #8 (March 1975), script by Steve Gerber, pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Mike Esposito, colors by George Roussos, letters by Charlotte Jetter

Bully's Advent Calendar: Day 6

Ten of a Kind: You're a little late/I'm already torn

See also. More Ten of a Kind here.)

365 Days with Ben Grimm: Day 340

Cover "B,"Fantastic Four v.2 #4 (February 1997), art by Whilce Portacio

This just makes me so happy

The BBC 1 2009 Christmas channel ident:



Brought to my attention by the ever-Who-ful Dorian Wright.

Bully's Advent Calendar: Day 5

Separated at Birth: By the time I get to Phoenix, she'll be rising

You may remember a few weeks ago I posted this fiery, waterlogged Separated at Birth:

L: [Uncanny] X-Men #101 (October 1976), art by Dave Cockrum
R: Avengers West Coast #71 (June 1991), art by Tom Morgan and Danny Bulandi

(Click picture to Titanic-size)



Well, prepare for that Sep to be super-sized with the addition of two more Jean Grey comin' outta the pool covers!

L: Classic X-Men #9 (May 1987), art by Art Adams
R: X-Men Adventures, Season III #71 (June 1995), art by Mike S. Miller

(Click picture to Titanic II: The Revenge of Jack-size)

Only six more and I've got Ten of a Kind!

365 Days with Ben Grimm: Day 339

Panel from Marvel Age Preview #2 (1992) promoting the 1992 Marvel Holiday Special, artist unknown. I don't know if this pin-up appeared in color in the Holiday Special, but you can color this one yourself! Get your orange crayon ready!

Happy Sixth Blogiversary, Mike Sterling!

Go on over to Progressive Ruin and wish him a happy anniversary, why doncha?


Early photograph of Mike Sterling. He's the one on the right.

Saturday Morning Cartoon: Hector's Hectic Life

Hector's Hectic Life (1948), directed by Bill Tytla

Bully's Advent Calendar: Day 4

365 Days with Ben Grimm, Day 338

Panel from X-Men: The Hidden Years #8 (July 2000), script, pencils, and letters by John Byrne, inks by Tom Palmer and Joe Sinnott, colors by Greg Wright

Bully's Advent Calendar: Day 3

Well, that'll happen.

Once in a while, one of Doctor Doom's sinister plans works:










Panels from Fantastic Four #330 (September 1989), script by Steve Englehart writing as John Harkness (here's why), pencils by Rich Buckler, inks by Romeo Tanghal, colors by Jack Fury, letters by Jade Moedo

So. Sweet dreams!

365 Days with Ben Grimm, Day 337

Panel from Startling Stories: The Thing #1 (May 2003), script by Ron Zimmerman, pencils by Don Kramer, inks by Scott Hanna and Sandu Florea, colors by Studio F, letters by Dave Sharpe
(Click picture to Danny Thomasize)

Bully's Advent Calendar: Day 2

Each day, "open" the door for a Bully surprise counting down to Christmas!

Aw geez, Johnny, no, not again!: More of the Inappropriate Loves of Jonathan Spencer Storm

Johnny Storm. The Human Torch. One of the Fantastic Four. At the heart of it, a nice guy who tries to do the right thing. Except...well, how can I put this diplomatically...Johnny isn't the sharpest knife at the end of Wolverine's fist. He is, in fact, as dumb as a bag of HAMMER agents. He's not the brightest guy who ever set himself on fire, now, is he? Sure, we all love the light-up lug, but again and again he proves that the boy ain't right. You may remember his unfortunate obsession with Alicia Masters, who looked, in fact just like...ah, now you remember?...just like his sister Sue. No, Johnny, no! Geez, Johnny, stop that!



Geez, Johnny! Okay, yeah, but that's in comic book...we all know those things rot your mind. To take our minds off Johnny Storm and his CRUSH ON A GIRL WHO LOOKS JUST LIKE HIS SISTER let's turn to the world of literature and pick up a good book to read. Ah, this looks like an entertaining tome over here on the right: Peter David's What Lies Between...and what luck, it just happens to be about the Fantastic Four as well! Fine literature and comic book superheroes...two great tastes that go great together.

Hmmm...uh huh...mmmm, not bad...mmmm...hmmm...uh huh...hmmwha...

What the Sam Scratch?!?:



Now, I'm guessing Johnny doesn't the swiftly-cancelled Marvel UK comic book character Hell's Dark Angel but this swiftly-cancelled Fox sci-fi syfy TV show:



Okay, let's back up a minute here, Johnny. Now let's just get this straight, okay? You think this girl is hot...



Um, let me put it like this, Johnny. What do you think your sister Sue would have to say about that?



Okay then, what if we got your sister and this actress together in the same place so you could hang out with them together?



What do you think about that, Johnny?



Ummm...okay. So let me just double check on this, Johnny, 'kay? Girl of your dreams...



...hangin' out with you and then meets your sister?



Any reaction to that, Johnny? Make you think, or...



So, just DOUBLE-checking here, Johnny...



Nothin', huh? No reaction? Anybody home? Aw, c'mon Johnny, geez, take a look at YOUR DREAM GIRL:



...and YOUR FREAKIN' SISTER:



Say Johnny, why don't you stand here and look at this hot girl AND your sister for a while and chew some Doublemint Gum, huh?!?



ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT AT ALL, JOHNNY?!?



Aw, fer cryin' out...geez, Johnny, no no no NO!!!

Sigh. Eh, let's skip ahead in the book and see if there's any good bits about Ben Grimm.



Yeah, well, Ben, ain't it true? Everybody can't be Michael Chiklis, now, can they?