Saturday, June 19, 2010

Separated at Birth: Hawkaaa-aaa!

Conan #75/Avengers #28

L: Conan the Barbarian #75 (June 1977), art by Ernie Chan
R: Avengers v.3 #28 (May 2000), art by George Pérez, Al Vey, and Tom Smith

(Click picture to Prince Vultan-size)



365 Days with Hank McCoy, Day 170

Avengers v.3 #3
Panels from Avengers v.3 #3 (April 1998), script by Kurt Busiek, pencils by George Pérez, inks by Al Vey, colors by Tom Smith, letters by Richard Starkings



Saturday Morning Cartoon: The Mad Maestro


The Mad Maestro (1939), by Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising



Friday, June 18, 2010

Zuvembie Apocalypse!

Hey Vizh! What recent trend in alternate universes and variant covers are you really sick and tired of?

Vizh/Scar #1
Panel from Vision and the Scarlet Witch v.2 #1 (October 1985), script by Steve Englehart, pencils by Richard Howell, inks by Andy Mushynsky, colors by Janet Jackson and A. Philips, letters by L. Lois Buhalis



Special bonus: The Vision in a turtleneck!

Avengers #92
Splash page portion from Avengers #92 (September 1971), script by Roy Thomas, pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by George Roussos, letters by Sam Rosen



Hey, that turtleneck looks a little tight on Vision's Ultron-sculpted bod. How do you suppose he can squeeze in and out of clothes that snug, huh?

Avengers #92

And now you know why it's fun to go to the mall with the Vision:
he hardly takes any time to try on clothes.

(See also: The Vision in a Sweater!)


Special extra chess nerd bonus: take a look at Vision's chess problem. Why, that is an unusual variant of the English Opening...seeing as the English Opening is 1.c4 and the Vision's board actually shows 1.f4! I'm just nitpicking, but I can't see how the usual piece of the English Opening, the king's bishop's pawn, can have already been captured from the placement of the pieces. But, ya know...comic book chess. And I welcome someone with more chess knowledge than me correcting me!

Well, if he's going to learn an unusual opening, he's got the right book: chess grandmaster Leonid Stein was renowned as the "Master of Attack". Sadly, he would die in 1973, two years after the publication of Avengers #92, at the young age of 38. I dearly hope that before he passed, the Vision got a chance to meet and play a friendly game or two against Stein. I think Stein would have enjoyed pitting himself against an artificial man. After all, in chess...even an android can ply.



365 Days with Hank McCoy, Day 169

Avengers #171
Panels from Avengers #171 (May 1978), script by Jim Shooter, pencils by George Perez, inks by Pablo Marcos, colors by Phil Rachelson, letters by Denise Wohl

With a tip o' the nose-ring to Joecab for the suggestion!



Thursday, June 17, 2010

Double Dynamite!

Double Dynamite
From Chamber of Chills #1 (November 1972)



Double Dynamite
From Marvel Tales #34 (May 1972)



Double Dynamite
From Werewolf by Night #1 (September 1972)



Double Dynamite
From Chamber of Chills #2 (January 1973)



Double Dynamite
From Chamber of Darkness Special #1 (January 1972)


365 Days with Hank McCoy, Day 168

UXM #38
Panel from [Uncanny] X-Men #38 (November 1967), script by Roy Thomas, pencils by Don Heck, inks by George Roussos, letters by Gaspar Saladino



Wednesday, June 16, 2010

What really happened the night of June 16, 1973

Spidey's Cupcake Caper
Spidey's Cupcake Caper
Spidey's Cupcake Caper
Spidey's Cupcake Caper
Spidey's Cupcake Caper
Spidey's Cupcake Caper
Spidey's Cupcake Caper
Spidey's Cupcake Caper
Spidey's Cupcake Caper
Spidey's Cupcake Caper
Spidey's Cupcake Caper
Spidey's Cupcake Caper
Spidey's Cupcake Caper
Spidey's Cupcake Caper
Spidey's Cupcake Caper
Spidey's Cupcake Caper
Spidey's Cupcake Caper
Spidey's Cupcake Caper
Spidey's Cupcake Caper
Spidey's Cupcake Caper
Spidey's Cupcake Caper
Spidey's Cupcake Caper
Spidey's Cupcake Caper
Spidey's Cupcake Caper


365 Days with Hank McCoy, Day 167

UXM #342
Panels from Uncanny X-Men #342 (March 1997), script by Scott Lobdell, pencils by Joe Madureira, inks by Tim Townsend, colors by Steve Buccellato, letters by Richard Starkings