Panel from "Bacchus is Back" in Deadface #1 (April 1987); script, pencils, and inks by Eddie Campbell; letters by Trevs Phoenix and Eddie Campbell
Thursday, October 08, 2015
Today in Comics History: Comic book newspaper actually looks a little like a real newspaper for once
Panel from "Bacchus is Back" in Deadface #1 (April 1987); script, pencils, and inks by Eddie Campbell; letters by Trevs Phoenix and Eddie Campbell
365 Days of Star Wars Comics, Day 281: The real heroes of the Alliance
Cover of Star Wars Handbook, Volume One: X-Wing Rogue Squadron (July 1998), painting by John Nadeau
Wednesday, October 07, 2015
Countdown to Halloween: Jack Kirby's Monsters! Night Seven: Flat Other-Earth Society
I ENTERED THE DIMENSION OF DOOM and all I got was this big ugly-ass monster.
Splash panel from "I Entered the Dimension of Doom!" in Tales of Suspense #23 (November 1961), plot by Stan Lee, script by Larry Lieber, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Dick Ayers, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Ray Holloway (?)
Puny li'l thing, ain't he?
He was given to me by these monsters from another dimension who were two-dimensional! I mean, man, they were flat out flat, baby! (Hey: where'd they keep that monster, then?)
Remember these simple tips for the caretaking of your new monster from the two-dimensional world: no bright lights, don't get him wet, and never feed him after midnight. And oh yeah: don't expose him to the super-growth vapor that makes him rampage and run amok throughout the civilized human world. That last one, mostly.
Luckily, the world was saved...by litigation!
So, this was a story about comic book characters who were two-dimensional. Well, as the man once said...aren't they all?
Splash panel from "I Entered the Dimension of Doom!" in Tales of Suspense #23 (November 1961), plot by Stan Lee, script by Larry Lieber, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Dick Ayers, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Ray Holloway (?)
Puny li'l thing, ain't he?
He was given to me by these monsters from another dimension who were two-dimensional! I mean, man, they were flat out flat, baby! (Hey: where'd they keep that monster, then?)
Remember these simple tips for the caretaking of your new monster from the two-dimensional world: no bright lights, don't get him wet, and never feed him after midnight. And oh yeah: don't expose him to the super-growth vapor that makes him rampage and run amok throughout the civilized human world. That last one, mostly.
Luckily, the world was saved...by litigation!
So, this was a story about comic book characters who were two-dimensional. Well, as the man once said...aren't they all?
365 Days of Star Wars Comics, Day 280: As a practical joke, they told her she looked intimidating in this outfit
Page from Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi: Prisoner of Bogan #1 (November 2012), co-plot and script by John Ostrander, co-plot and pencils by Jan Duursema, inks by Dan Parsons, colors by Wes Dzioba, letters by Michael Heisler
Tuesday, October 06, 2015
Countdown to Halloween: Jack Kirby's Monsters! Night Six: The Creature Who Stalked Me
So I said to Mama Bull, "No! I'm not eating my broccoli!" And she said "Well, maybe you should find out what happens when little bulls won't eat their broccoli!" And she gave me this comic book.
Cover ofBroccoli Lover's Monthly Tales of Suspense #19 (July 1961), pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Dick Ayers, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Artie Simek
My little black button eyes widened as I began to read:
Splash page from "The Green Thing!" in Tales of Suspense #19 (July 1961), plot by Stan Lee (?), script by Larry Lieber (?), pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Dick Ayers, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Ray Holloway (?)
Of course, as in all classic Marvel origins, it begins with a scientist. Doin' something incredibly stupid. In this case injecting a powerful experimental radioactive sciency-type growth serum into a random plant. Except that's no mere random plant, that's an evil plant. (You can tell, because it actually eats giraffes.)
Hey! How many times have we told you: don't tamper in God's domain!!! You know what happens when…oh, like we couldn't all see this coming.
That's right — let's fight the giant plant with a stick. That's like trying to fight a savage tiger by hitting it with another, slightly smaller, savage tiger. Also, when you do that wind-up? Don't make such a long speech. Just gives the plant monster more time to twist his fibers to create a loop or a lasso. See? I told ya!
GROOT, NO
So what's the scientist's solution? Inject another plant with the serum and watch them fight to the death. Well, sure…what?!?!
The moral of the story? Eat your broccoli until you're blue in the face.
Special Bonus Other-Artist-Monster from the same comic: hey, from co-creator of Iron Man, Don Heck comes this guy: Maaboo!
I only know Maaboo from his sidekick role to Yogi Bear, so it's nice to see him getting the spotlight for once.
Cover of
My little black button eyes widened as I began to read:
Splash page from "The Green Thing!" in Tales of Suspense #19 (July 1961), plot by Stan Lee (?), script by Larry Lieber (?), pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Dick Ayers, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Ray Holloway (?)
Of course, as in all classic Marvel origins, it begins with a scientist. Doin' something incredibly stupid. In this case injecting a powerful experimental radioactive sciency-type growth serum into a random plant. Except that's no mere random plant, that's an evil plant. (You can tell, because it actually eats giraffes.)
Hey! How many times have we told you: don't tamper in God's domain!!! You know what happens when…oh, like we couldn't all see this coming.
That's right — let's fight the giant plant with a stick. That's like trying to fight a savage tiger by hitting it with another, slightly smaller, savage tiger. Also, when you do that wind-up? Don't make such a long speech. Just gives the plant monster more time to twist his fibers to create a loop or a lasso. See? I told ya!
GROOT, NO
So what's the scientist's solution? Inject another plant with the serum and watch them fight to the death. Well, sure…what?!?!
The moral of the story? Eat your broccoli until you're blue in the face.
Special Bonus Other-Artist-Monster from the same comic: hey, from co-creator of Iron Man, Don Heck comes this guy: Maaboo!
I only know Maaboo from his sidekick role to Yogi Bear, so it's nice to see him getting the spotlight for once.
365 Days of Star Wars Comics, Day 279: Fox News of the Star Wars Universe
So, Darth Vader goes an' orders this:
Panel from Star Wars: Purge: The Tyrant's Fist #2 (January 2013), script by Alexander Freed, pencils and inks by Marco Castiello and Andrea Chella, colors by Michael Atiyeh, letters by Michael Heisler
…which is reported in the media as this.
I'm pretty sure J. Jonah Jameson of the Star Wars Universe would be incensed.
Panel from Star Wars: Purge: The Tyrant's Fist #2 (January 2013), script by Alexander Freed, pencils and inks by Marco Castiello and Andrea Chella, colors by Michael Atiyeh, letters by Michael Heisler
…which is reported in the media as this.
I'm pretty sure J. Jonah Jameson of the Star Wars Universe would be incensed.
Monday, October 05, 2015
I mash up Batman and the Simpsons, which I'm pretty sure no one has ever before done on the internet
Pal Mike "Silver" Sterling posted a ponder (or is that pondered a poster) about Frank Miller's upcoming Dark Knight III: Reich 'Em If You Got 'Em over at Twitter today:
To which I of course had to be a smartass and whip this up in the ol' BullyShop Photobooth:
I believe the saying is "Simpsons did it first."
I know this is supposedly the last, but I want to see Miller do a new Dark Knight comic every decade. I want a DK by 90-year-old Miller.
— I'm Right Behind You (@mikesterling) October 5, 2015To which I of course had to be a smartass and whip this up in the ol' BullyShop Photobooth:
@mikesterling pic.twitter.com/xXwpKwx1fp
— Boo-ly (@bully_thelsb) October 5, 2015I believe the saying is "Simpsons did it first."
Countdown to Halloween: Jack Kirby's Monsters! Night Five: Cyclops was right
And now, because you demanded it (note: no one has actually demanded this), the first appearance and origin of that popular Jack Kirby character: Scott "Slim"* Summers, the X-Man known as Cyclops!
Cover of Tales of Suspense #10 (July 1960), script by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Steve Ditko, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Artie Simek
See Scott Summers as Cyclops, demonstrating his uncanny mutant power of throwin' big-ass rocks and sinking the Dejah Thoris II, the canonical pleasure yacht of Dr. Peter Corbeau, creator of Starcore!**
Splash page from "I Brought the Mighty Cyclops Back to Life" in Tales of Suspense #10 (July 1960), plot by Stan Lee (?), script by Larry Lieber (?), pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Dick Ayers, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Artie Simek
Thrill as Scott Summers is rescued from the suspended animation he's been placed in by Mister Sinister, who hung around orphanages grooming young boys in such a creepy way*** it's surprising he isn't mentioned in the same disdainful breath as Jimmy Savile, Gary Glitter, and Dave Lee Travers.
Witness Cyclops defeated by the mighty Ulysses Bloodstone, monster hunter of the Marvel Universe, who threw salt into his eye!
Gasp in astonishment as Cyclops peers through his patented ruby quartz crystal glasses which he must wear at all times lest his mighty optic beams, both his blessing and his curse, might destroy Wolverine and Jean Grey, who appear in shades of red and pink to him, because of the aforementioned ruby quartz crystal glasses!
Shiver in your seat as Cyclops attacks FBI agent Amos "Fred" Duncan, the X-Men's first government liaison**** and also the only X-character who has never received his own four-issue limited series!
Shake, rattle, and roll as Scott Summers, fiercely jealous of the secret relationship of Wolverine and Jean Grey, traps them in a cave so they can't go down for a date to Salem Center's favorite hang-out spot, Harry's Hideway!*****
Congest (congest?) as X-Man Bobby Drake, the chill-factorin' mutant called Iceman, traps Cyclops in a massive frozen tomb from which he will never be seen again, at least until the snowball-laden debut of Chad Bowers and Chris Sims' new series X-Men: Winter of '92!******
Cyclops!
*Scott's nickname "Slim" is Marvel canon.
**This is completely Marvel Universe canon.
***This is also Marvel Universe canon. Creepy, but canon.
****Canon!
*****Curiously enough, also completely true Marvel canon.
******Might be canon if we wish hard enough.
Cover of Tales of Suspense #10 (July 1960), script by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Steve Ditko, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Artie Simek
See Scott Summers as Cyclops, demonstrating his uncanny mutant power of throwin' big-ass rocks and sinking the Dejah Thoris II, the canonical pleasure yacht of Dr. Peter Corbeau, creator of Starcore!**
Splash page from "I Brought the Mighty Cyclops Back to Life" in Tales of Suspense #10 (July 1960), plot by Stan Lee (?), script by Larry Lieber (?), pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Dick Ayers, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Artie Simek
Thrill as Scott Summers is rescued from the suspended animation he's been placed in by Mister Sinister, who hung around orphanages grooming young boys in such a creepy way*** it's surprising he isn't mentioned in the same disdainful breath as Jimmy Savile, Gary Glitter, and Dave Lee Travers.
Witness Cyclops defeated by the mighty Ulysses Bloodstone, monster hunter of the Marvel Universe, who threw salt into his eye!
Gasp in astonishment as Cyclops peers through his patented ruby quartz crystal glasses which he must wear at all times lest his mighty optic beams, both his blessing and his curse, might destroy Wolverine and Jean Grey, who appear in shades of red and pink to him, because of the aforementioned ruby quartz crystal glasses!
Shiver in your seat as Cyclops attacks FBI agent Amos "Fred" Duncan, the X-Men's first government liaison**** and also the only X-character who has never received his own four-issue limited series!
Shake, rattle, and roll as Scott Summers, fiercely jealous of the secret relationship of Wolverine and Jean Grey, traps them in a cave so they can't go down for a date to Salem Center's favorite hang-out spot, Harry's Hideway!*****
Congest (congest?) as X-Man Bobby Drake, the chill-factorin' mutant called Iceman, traps Cyclops in a massive frozen tomb from which he will never be seen again, at least until the snowball-laden debut of Chad Bowers and Chris Sims' new series X-Men: Winter of '92!******
Cyclops!
*Scott's nickname "Slim" is Marvel canon.
**This is completely Marvel Universe canon.
***This is also Marvel Universe canon. Creepy, but canon.
****Canon!
*****Curiously enough, also completely true Marvel canon.
******Might be canon if we wish hard enough.
Today in Comics History: New superhero backed up by utility minivan
Page from Black Market #4 (October 2014), script by Frank L. Barbiere, pencils and inks by Victor Santos, colors by Adam Metcalfe, letters by Ed Dukeshire
365 Days of Star Wars Comics, Day 278: Wow, this guy really hates Chrissie Hynde
Panels from Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith: Spiral #3 (October 2012), script by John Jackson Miller, pencils by Andrea Mutti, inks by Pierluigi Baldassini, colors by Michael Atiyeh, letters by Michael Heisler
Sunday, October 04, 2015
Countdown to Halloween: Jack Kirby's Monsters! Night Four: It's just a ghost rollercoaster, step right up and get your tickets
ROLLERCOASTER! (SAY WHAT?) OF GHOSTS!
Cover of Tales of Suspense #30 (June 1962), pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Dick Ayers, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Artie Simek
Tonight, exactly what it says on the tin, if indeed comic books were made out of tin: it's the Ghost Who Rode a Roller Coaster! Scary, eh, kids?
Splash page from "The Ghost Rode a Roller Coaster!" in Tales of Suspense #30 (June 1962), plot by Stan Lee (?), script by Larry Lieber (?), pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Dick Ayers, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Ray Holloway (?)
There's a sucker born every minute in the Marvel Universe, and this guy is gonna cash in on it! Meanwhile, the Flying Zakons try to remember just exactly when it all went wrong.
In the modern post-war world of dangerous thrillride construction, more is better and danger is America's aphrodisiac, or something like that. Just like the ever-growing political tensions of the Cold War age pitted nation against nation in a nuclear race to have a number of bombs that equal at least (X+1) where the other guy's bombs=X, so too must amusement parks constantly up the ante and the kill rate of their dangercoasters! Thus was born the legendary rivalry of Knott's Berry Farms and Sig Flags.
Because, yep, a great way to excite your guests is to suffocate them within an inch of their lives. That's why Disneyland inaugurated that infamous ride where, aboard Captain Nemo's submarine Nautilus, hairline cracks in the hull gradually fill up the interior until you are completely submerged under water. Walt called it "Twenty Thousand Leaks Under the Sea." Until the lawyers arrived.
Showing the legendary excellent timing of the afterlife, the Ghost Who Rode a Roller Coaster arrives just in time for the final page. And we heartily applaud his supernatural actions. You go,Girl Ghost!
Play us off, Ohio…er…Players!
Disclaimer: Absolutely no one has actually been murdered during the making of this song, or the making of this comic book. Except some Marvel Bullpen interns, and also Artie Simek.
Cover of Tales of Suspense #30 (June 1962), pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Dick Ayers, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Artie Simek
Tonight, exactly what it says on the tin, if indeed comic books were made out of tin: it's the Ghost Who Rode a Roller Coaster! Scary, eh, kids?
Splash page from "The Ghost Rode a Roller Coaster!" in Tales of Suspense #30 (June 1962), plot by Stan Lee (?), script by Larry Lieber (?), pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Dick Ayers, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Ray Holloway (?)
There's a sucker born every minute in the Marvel Universe, and this guy is gonna cash in on it! Meanwhile, the Flying Zakons try to remember just exactly when it all went wrong.
In the modern post-war world of dangerous thrillride construction, more is better and danger is America's aphrodisiac, or something like that. Just like the ever-growing political tensions of the Cold War age pitted nation against nation in a nuclear race to have a number of bombs that equal at least (X+1) where the other guy's bombs=X, so too must amusement parks constantly up the ante and the kill rate of their dangercoasters! Thus was born the legendary rivalry of Knott's Berry Farms and Sig Flags.
Because, yep, a great way to excite your guests is to suffocate them within an inch of their lives. That's why Disneyland inaugurated that infamous ride where, aboard Captain Nemo's submarine Nautilus, hairline cracks in the hull gradually fill up the interior until you are completely submerged under water. Walt called it "Twenty Thousand Leaks Under the Sea." Until the lawyers arrived.
Showing the legendary excellent timing of the afterlife, the Ghost Who Rode a Roller Coaster arrives just in time for the final page. And we heartily applaud his supernatural actions. You go,
Play us off, Ohio…er…Players!
Disclaimer: Absolutely no one has actually been murdered during the making of this song, or the making of this comic book. Except some Marvel Bullpen interns, and also Artie Simek.
Today in Comics History: Limited Collectors' Edition fails to deliver on Superman-celebrating-Bicentennial action. Also, some history stuff.
Hey, let's look at today's Bicentennial Minute, courtesy of the baitiest-and-switchiest comic book of all time, Superman Salutes the Bicentennial! Which consists entirely of Tomahawk reprints.
Page from illustrated story "Valley Forge" in Limited Collectors' Edition #C-47 [Superman Salutes the Bicentennial] (August-September 1976); script, pencils, and inks by Fred Ray
And that's the way it was.
Why thanks, Spock's half-brother!
Page from illustrated story "Valley Forge" in Limited Collectors' Edition #C-47 [Superman Salutes the Bicentennial] (August-September 1976); script, pencils, and inks by Fred Ray
And that's the way it was.
Why thanks, Spock's half-brother!
365 Days of Star Wars Comics, Day 277: Obi-Wan Kenobi: Ham radio enthusiast, stim-caf-drinker, denture wearer
Panels from "Walkabout" in Dark Horse Presents Annual 1999 (August 1999), script and pencils by Phill Norwood, inks by Shannon Denton, letters by Amador Cisneros
Saturday, October 03, 2015
Today in Comics History: Pinup photographer discovers Bettie Page
Panel from Original Sin Annual #1 (December 2014), script by Jason Latour, pencils and inks by Enis Cisic, colors by Chris Chuckry
Countdown to Halloween: Jack Kirby's Monsters! Night Three: I'm Pretty Sure I Can Prove Jack Kirby Saw King Kong
Tonight, "I'm Pretty Sure I Can Prove Jack Kirby Saw King Kong!" But you may have realized that already from the title.
Except he substituted a turtle.
Cover of Tales to Astonish #1 (January 1959), pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Christopher Rule, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Artie Simek
Ape, turtle...eh, pretty much exactly the same thing.
As further "proof," short of asking the notoriously swiss-cheese brain of Stan Lee if Jack saw "King Kong," let's dash over to Wikipedia™, "The Dictionary That Put That Annoying World Book Kid Out of Business." Bold text is mine!
Anyway, to continue on from the other night's exciting saga of giant clams, "We Found the Ninth Wonder of the World!" opens with this thrilling scene of a massive, apparently already-cooked red lobster! Diggin' the oversized seafood motif, Jack! If I hadn't read in the GCD index that you wrote these, I'da guessed they were penned by Shelly the Little Otter Puppet!
Splash panel of "We Found the Ninth Wonder of the World!" in Tales to Astonish #1 (January 1959), script (?) and pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Christopher Rule, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Artie Simek
Say, does that panicky guy in the lower left-hand corner running away from death by clawsection remind you of anyone?
Like King Kong, the story all begins with a three-hour cruise, and there's even more giant aquatic life on the table; in this case, a giant albino starfish. Although Professor Briggs claims it's a four-foot starfish, we can easily see he doesn't know much about his own business. It's clearly a starfish with five feet.
And also, Kirby fans: does Professor Briggs remind you of anyone else in comics?
Panel from Fantastic Four (1961 series) #10 (January 1963), script by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Dick Ayers, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Artie Simek
The sudden appearance of a geodesic dome rising from the sea frightens the men into sheer, pants-wetting panic over the imminent attack of the Montreal World's Fair Expo '67 Dome! As Expo '67 would not be created for over eight years, this proves the startling originality and prescience of Jack Kirby as a futurist and a guy who borrowed the plot and visuals of a movie from 25 years before.
Stranded on an uncharted island, kidnapped by "savages," dragged off towards a gigantic wooden fence, yadda yadda yadda — hey, remember that big gate from King Kong, as also seen on the cover of Tales to Astonish #1? Well, a great gate deserves another encore!
Luckily for the hapless crew of the SS Schmenture, Professor Exposition is on hand to give us all the necessary backstory! And he'd better hurry up too — they've all already journeyed four pages into a seven-page story!
Oh, just release theKraken Kong turtle already, huh guys?
Time and page count are runnin' out pretty fast, so instead of bringing Ting Tong back to New York, the Captain just fantasizes about it. Yeah, I'm guessing he saw that movie seventeen times on WOR's Million Dollar Movie, too. Let's compare and contrast the scenes, shall we?
Then, in the next panel, Captain Kane, False-Face, and Professor Parker escape thanks to a gratuitous motorboat ex machina! Thus was born that day the phrase "Well, isn't that conveeeeenient."
WHAT THE SAM SCRATCH, COMIC BOOK! It's an EVEN MORE IMPROBABLY LARGE TURTLE!
This first appearance of the scientist named Parker in this Atlas-era story was merely a teaser for the Marvel Age that was yet to come. Because that man later turned out to be...Spider-Man's dad.*
Panels from Amazing Spider-Man Annual (1964 series) #5 (November 1968), script by Stan Lee, pencils by John Romita Sr. (top) and Larry Lieber (bottom?), inks by Mike Esposito, letters by Artie Simek
There you have it! Pretty-near definite proof that at one point or another Jack Kirby saw King Kong at some point between 1933 and 1959 and figgered he could make turtle soup out of it. Well, whatever you may say about Experiment 247 and his big brother Experiment XYZ, you can't deny the fact that they are two of Jack Kirby's Monsters!
So, King Kong, what do you think about tonight's blog post?
*No he didn't.
Except he substituted a turtle.
Cover of Tales to Astonish #1 (January 1959), pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Christopher Rule, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Artie Simek
Ape, turtle...eh, pretty much exactly the same thing.
As further "proof," short of asking the notoriously swiss-cheese brain of Stan Lee if Jack saw "King Kong," let's dash over to Wikipedia™, "The Dictionary That Put That Annoying World Book Kid Out of Business." Bold text is mine!
King Kong was sold to television after the conclusion of the 1956 release. One channel in New York showed the film seventeen times in a single week, with each showing topping the ratings.Kirby's full authorship of this script is still a question mark (literally, on the comic's GCD index page), but comics scholar and indexer Nick Caputo proposes it is a script by Kirby. (If it isn't, just take all the references to Kirby seeing King Kong in this post and change them to Stan Lee, okay?) And considering the similarities not just of plot and that "ninth wonder" blurb, but also of visual imagery ('specially in that gate sequence/cover above), I'm bettin' Jack Kirby saw it more than once. While smokin' cigars.
Anyway, to continue on from the other night's exciting saga of giant clams, "We Found the Ninth Wonder of the World!" opens with this thrilling scene of a massive, apparently already-cooked red lobster! Diggin' the oversized seafood motif, Jack! If I hadn't read in the GCD index that you wrote these, I'da guessed they were penned by Shelly the Little Otter Puppet!
Splash panel of "We Found the Ninth Wonder of the World!" in Tales to Astonish #1 (January 1959), script (?) and pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Christopher Rule, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Artie Simek
Say, does that panicky guy in the lower left-hand corner running away from death by clawsection remind you of anyone?
Like King Kong, the story all begins with a three-hour cruise, and there's even more giant aquatic life on the table; in this case, a giant albino starfish. Although Professor Briggs claims it's a four-foot starfish, we can easily see he doesn't know much about his own business. It's clearly a starfish with five feet.
And also, Kirby fans: does Professor Briggs remind you of anyone else in comics?
Panel from Fantastic Four (1961 series) #10 (January 1963), script by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Dick Ayers, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Artie Simek
The sudden appearance of a geodesic dome rising from the sea frightens the men into sheer, pants-wetting panic over the imminent attack of the Montreal World's Fair Expo '67 Dome! As Expo '67 would not be created for over eight years, this proves the startling originality and prescience of Jack Kirby as a futurist and a guy who borrowed the plot and visuals of a movie from 25 years before.
Stranded on an uncharted island, kidnapped by "savages," dragged off towards a gigantic wooden fence, yadda yadda yadda — hey, remember that big gate from King Kong, as also seen on the cover of Tales to Astonish #1? Well, a great gate deserves another encore!
Luckily for the hapless crew of the SS Schmenture, Professor Exposition is on hand to give us all the necessary backstory! And he'd better hurry up too — they've all already journeyed four pages into a seven-page story!
Oh, just release the
Time and page count are runnin' out pretty fast, so instead of bringing Ting Tong back to New York, the Captain just fantasizes about it. Yeah, I'm guessing he saw that movie seventeen times on WOR's Million Dollar Movie, too. Let's compare and contrast the scenes, shall we?
Then, in the next panel, Captain Kane, False-Face, and Professor Parker escape thanks to a gratuitous motorboat ex machina! Thus was born that day the phrase "Well, isn't that conveeeeenient."
WHAT THE SAM SCRATCH, COMIC BOOK! It's an EVEN MORE IMPROBABLY LARGE TURTLE!
This first appearance of the scientist named Parker in this Atlas-era story was merely a teaser for the Marvel Age that was yet to come. Because that man later turned out to be...Spider-Man's dad.*
Panels from Amazing Spider-Man Annual (1964 series) #5 (November 1968), script by Stan Lee, pencils by John Romita Sr. (top) and Larry Lieber (bottom?), inks by Mike Esposito, letters by Artie Simek
There you have it! Pretty-near definite proof that at one point or another Jack Kirby saw King Kong at some point between 1933 and 1959 and figgered he could make turtle soup out of it. Well, whatever you may say about Experiment 247 and his big brother Experiment XYZ, you can't deny the fact that they are two of Jack Kirby's Monsters!
So, King Kong, what do you think about tonight's blog post?
*No he didn't.
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