Saturday, February 04, 2012

Same Story, Different Cover: Zabu demanded they remake this cover, but starring him

L: Daredevil v.1 #12 (January 1966), layouts by Jack Kirby, pencils and inks by by John Romita Sr.
R: Ka-Zar v.1 #2 (December 1970), pencils by Marie Severin, inks by Bill Everett
(Click picture to re-creation-size)

366 Days with Alfred Pennyworth, Day 35

'Pull up a litter box and make yourself comfortable.'

Panels from Batman #22 (April-May 1944), script by Alvin Schwartz, pencils by Bob Kane, inks by Jerry Robinson, letters by George Roussos

Friday, February 03, 2012

In a World with a Little Stuffed Bull...

No post tonight (sorry, folks)...not here at least. Since I was up all day yesterday tracking Grover Groundhog and his hilarious whistle-pig whimsey and land-beaver larks, I'm goin' to bed early with a mug of hot chocolate and a good book. But you can sgtill catch your daily dose of Bullyosity over at my pal Dorian's blog (postmodernbarney.com), where I helped him out by watching movie trailers for his feature In a World! Although I highly recommend that you skip all the movies we talk about, do not miss this column with the cutest co-writer of them all! (Yes, it's true...Dorian really is that cute.)

366 Days with Alfred Pennyworth, Day 34

'They shed on the bed and keep licking my face.'

Panel from Elseworld's Finest #1 (October 1997), script by John Francis Moore, pencils by Kieron Dwyer, inks by Hilary Barta, colors by Gloria Vasquez, letters by Bill Oakley

"Sluggo is always an option."

Say it ain't so, Mike Sterling! Today Mike is so busy fielding phone calls about when the Watchmen prequels are going to be available, and if there will be accompanying pogs, that he hasn't had time to do a complete post for the day! Don't worry, Mike! I will help you out! I hereby donate this post to Progressive Ruin so Mike can have a day to relax! Kick up your heels and dance, Mike!

Even if he DID sell pogs.

NO, SLUGGO

Did you build a scale model to support proof of concept first, Mister Smith?

panels from Four Color #1034 [Nancy and Sluggo Summer Camp] (Dell, September 1959)

YOU CAN'T BE ON "MYTHBUSTERS"

Even though I know how much you want to meet Kari Byron.

Then Nancy comes over and hits him with a tennis racket.

Thursday, February 02, 2012

Today in Comics History, February 2: Groundhog Day Bonus Feature!

In order to fulfill the requirements for our second-class periodical mailing rate, we now present this text story page featuring Chip 'n' Dale in their pre-Rescue Ranger days. It was unknown at the time, but this is actually the very first published work by British-American author Christopher Hitchens.*

This is from the period when Chip 'n' Dale took English language lessons from the Hulk.

This is from the period when Chip 'n' Dale took English language lessons from the Hulk.

text story from Mickey Mouse (1962 series) #125 (Western/Gold Key, May 1970)
*Oh, c'mon, roll with it. It makes a dandy urban legend.

Grover Groundhog Day, Hour 24

He's running back into his burrow, but he'll be back next year for Grover Groundhog Day 2013!

Panels from All-New Collectors' Edition #C-53 (January 1978), script and pencils by Sheldon Mayer, inks by Tenny Henson

Grover Groundhog Day, Hour 23

Page from All-New Collectors' Edition #C-53 (January 1978), script and pencils by Sheldon Mayer, inks by Tenny Henson

Grover Groundhog Day, Hour 22

Here we see Grover getting ready to shiv a punk during a barfight in Albuequerque.

Panel from Limited Collectors' Edition #C-24 (February-March 1974), script and pencils by Sheldon Mayer, inks by Tenny Henson

Grover Groundhog Day, Hour 21

And this is the day that Grover dropped acid!

Panels from Limited Collectors' Edition #C-42 (February-March 1976), script and pencils by Sheldon Mayer, inks by Tenny Henson

Grover Groundhog Day, Hour 20

I'm picturing this entire sequence set to the tune of 'Yakety Sax.'

Panels from Limited Collectors' Edition #C-42 (February-March 1976), script and pencils by Sheldon Mayer, inks by Tenny Henson

Grover Groundhog Day, Hour 19

'And commies. And that groundhog is a commie. I know a commie when I see one. I didn't take a legful of shrapnel at Inchon to be served burnt toast by some commie groundhog.'

Panels from Limited Collectors' Edition #C-24 (February-March 1974), script and pencils by Sheldon Mayer, inks by Tenny Henson

Grover Groundhog Day, Hour 18

The most pointed military satire since 'Catch-22!'

Panels from All-New Collectors' Edition #C-53 (January 1978), script and pencils by Sheldon Mayer, inks by Tenny Henson

366 Days with Alfred Pennyworth, Day 33

So it was ALFRED who murdered Vesper Fairchild! With the poison soup! In the Bat-Kitchen. Okay, I'm ready to make an accusation.

Panels from Batman #545 (August 1997), script by Doug Moench, pencils by Kelley Jones, inks by John Beatty, colors by Todd Klein, letters by Greg Wright

Grover Groundhog Day, Hour 17

'Well, time to resort to cannibalism.' 'We've only been stuck here ten minutes!' 'Quiet, you.'

Panels from All-New Collectors' Edition #C-53 (January 1978), script and pencils by Sheldon Mayer, inks by Tenny Henson

Grover Groundhog Day, Hour 16

Not many people know that the North Pole has a very rigid death penalty.

Panel from Limited Collectors' Edition #C-24 (February-March 1974), script and pencils by Sheldon Mayer, inks by Tenny Henson

Grover Groundhog Day, Hour 15

Panel from All-New Collectors' Edition #C-53 (January 1978), script and pencils by Sheldon Mayer, inks by Tenny Henson

Grover Groundhog Day, Hour 14

Yes, you're right! It's Blues Traveler frontman John Popper. Two points.

Panels from Limited Collectors' Edition #C-42 (February-March 1976), script and pencils by Sheldon Mayer, inks by Tenny Henson

Grover Groundhog Day, Hour 13

Panels from Limited Collectors' Edition #C-24 (February-March 1974), script and pencils by Sheldon Mayer, inks by Tenny Henson

Grover Groundhog Day, Hour 12

'Geez, Sheldon Mayer told me it was just another panel border!'

Panels from Limited Collectors' Edition #C-24 (February-March 1974), script and pencils by Sheldon Mayer, inks by Tenny Henson

Grover Groundhog Day, Hour 11

Later, Uncle Bloogle soundly thrashed young Grover with his birchwood cane. Grover admitted 'It was worth it.'

Panels from Limited Collectors' Edition #C-24 (February-March 1974), script and pencils by Sheldon Mayer, inks by Tenny Henson

Grover Groundhog Day, Hour 10

The threat of Mutually Assured Destruction is the only way that Santa's Workshop can remain safe.

Panels from All-New Collectors' Edition #C-53 (January 1978), script and pencils by Sheldon Mayer, inks by Tenny Henson

Grover Groundhog Day, Hour 9

I think I heard an audible 'BOING' at the beginning of the second panel.

Panels from Limited Collectors' Edition #C-42 (February-March 1976), script and pencils by Sheldon Mayer, inks by Tenny Henson

Grover Groundhog Day, Hour 8

Whoa! Grover has the mutant ability to BREAK THE FOURTH WALL! Meta, baby!

Panel from Limited Collectors' Edition #C-24 (February-March 1974), script and pencils by Sheldon Mayer, inks by Tenny Henson

Grover Groundhog Day, Hour 7

Didn't this happen to Lucy and Ethel too?

Panels from Limited Collectors' Edition #C-24 (February-March 1974), script and pencils by Sheldon Mayer, inks by Tenny Henson

Grover Groundhog Day, Hour 6

'It's Elvis Costello, and he's REALLY ticked off that you ripped off his song!'

Panels from Limited Collectors' Edition #C-20 (Christmas 1972), script and pencils by Sheldon Mayer, inks by Tenny Henson

Grover Groundhog Day, Hour 5

'Well, let's go set the 'Days on This Work Site Without Injury' sign back to zero.'

Panels from Limited Collectors' Edition #C-24 (February-March 1974), script and pencils by Sheldon Mayer, inks by Tenny Henson

Grover Groundhog Day, Hour 4

Thus began the colloquially-known 'Things Went Everywhere in the World Incident of 1978.'

Panel from All-New Collectors' Edition #C-53 (January 1978), script and pencils by Sheldon Mayer, inks by Tenny Henson

Grover Groundhog Day, Hour 3

Later, Grover had to admit he was WAY out of his depth and he wouldn't have FIRED the pistol at Archduke Ferdinand if he'd KNOWN who he was.

Panels from Limited Collectors' Edition #C-24 (February-March 1974), script and pencils by Sheldon Mayer, inks by Tenny Henson

Grover Groundhog Day, Hour 2

It's statements like that which would later get Rudolph court-martialed after his disastrous tour in Vietnam.

Panels from Limited Collectors' Edition #C-42 (February-March 1976), script and pencils by Sheldon Mayer, inks by Tenny Henson

Grover Groundhog Day, Hour 1

To be fair, Bono often does the same thing.

Panels from Limited Collectors' Edition #C-24 (February-March 1974), script and pencils by Sheldon Mayer, inks by Tenny Henson

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Sherlock Holmes is a dick

'THAT's for all the slash fiction they're writing about you and Watson!'

Panels from "The Unknown" in Kid Eternity #10 (July 1948), pencils and inks by Pete Riss

366 Days with Alfred Pennyworth, Day 32

'You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off, sir.' -- There. Got THAT joke out of the way for the rest of 2012.

Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne and Sir Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth in a still from Batman Begins (2005), directed by Christopher Nolan

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Things Bully Got for Christmas: A Ping Pong Set

Line judge not included. Mainly because Marshall was too busy reading.

We're gonna get so good we can play in the London Olympics!

Now this is how that comic '15 Love' should have ended.

366 Days with Alfred Pennyworth, Day 31

'Not now, I'm gonna swing by Mickey D's and then hit a movie, Alfred.' '.....' 'KIDDING! I'm kidding. Take it out of petty cash.'

Panels from World's Finest #315 (May 1985), script by Joey Cavalieri, pencils by Stan Woch, inks by Ian Akin and Brian Garvey, colors by Nansi Hoolahan, letters by Duncan Andrews

Monday, January 30, 2012

Oh, that poor guy

Well, I guess it could have been worse...his first name could have been Chuck. Chuck Schmuck. The Canuck. Where'd he put his hockey puck? It's over there in the maple syrup truck.

from the letter column of Amazing Spider-Man v.1 #4 (September 1963)

366 Days with Alfred Pennyworth, Day 30

And then Lenny and Squiggy come in. 'Hello, Bats!'

Panels from The Batman Strikes! #15 (January 2006), script by Matthew K. Manning, pencils and inks by Wes Craig, colors by Heroic Age, letters by Travis Lanham