Bully Says: Comics Oughta Be Fun!

Saturday, September 14, 2013

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 257: Alphabet Antics House Ads Week, Day 7

Now I know my ABCs. I wish I had more DVDs.

Y's for Young Justice, a fun comic, yeah!; Z's for Zatanna; tog ev'ew lla s'taht dna.

DC Comics alphabet house ads
Y: from Action Comics #114 (November 1947)
Z: from Detective Comics #130 (December 1947)

Bonus Saturday week-end Alphabet Antics wrap-up feature!:

Two-page house ad for Batman and the Outsiders in DC Sampler #3 (Late Fall 1984); script by Mike W. Barr; pencils, inks, and letters by Jim Aparo

(Click picture to Duke of Oil-size)

Bonus Saturday week-end Alphabet Antics wrap-up feature, Part 2! Here's some animals DC didn't think of for their ads:

Geez, Superman, stop it with the exotic pet gifts for Lois.

Geez, Superman, stop it with the exotic pet gifts for Lois.

Splash page from "The Alphabetical Animal Adventure" in World's Finest Comics #42 (September-October 1949), pencils and inks by Al Plastino

Bonus Saturday week-end Alphabet Antics wrap-up feature, Part the Third! And here's the Mystery Science Theater 3000 short that's been running through my mind all week and inspired the title of this feature. Watch out for the plagiarism from Ogden Nash!

Now we know our ABC,
Thank you for the ads, DC.

Comics Within Comics Month, Day 14: Let's destroy a copy of Detective Comics #27

'This isn't paper, it's some kind of metal!' 'No, that's paper.'

And thus Dr. Wertham destroyed his first comic book.

Panels from Batman: Hollywood Knight #3 (June 2001), script by Bob Layton, pencils and inks by Dick Giordano, colors by Glenn Whitmore, letters by Sean Konot

'Say! Da Batman threw away a poifectly good hat!'

'Say! Da Batman threw away a poifectly good hat!'

Cover of Detective Comics #27 (May 1939), pencils and inks by Bob Kane

Friday, September 13, 2013

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 256: Alphabet Antics House Ads Week, Day 6

My sister took all the Es from my alphabet blocks and now I can only spell names of imps from the Fifth Dimension.

U is for Ultra, multi-alien; V is for Vertigo, spooky beyond ken.

W is for Watchmen, sequel-ized with bold glee; X is for X-Men, not pubbed by DC.

DC Comics alphabet house ads
U: from Action Comics #110 (July 1947)
V: from Detective Comics #126 (August 1947)
W: from Detective Comics #127 (September 1947)
X: from Batman #43 (October 1947)

Comics Within Comics Month, Day 13: Say, why does Dazzler have Nightcrawler and Iron Man on the cover of her first album?

Y'know, it makes sense that Dazzler's first album...

'Not available on CD.'

'Jim Shooter was handing them out on a street corner.'

Panels from Uncanny X-Men (2013 series) #9 (September 2013); script by Brian Michael Bendis, pencils and colors by Chris Bachalo; inks by Tim Townsend, Mark Irwin, Al Vey and Jaime Mendoza; letters by Joe Caramagaa

...would be the cover of her first comic book!

Where'd she get all those cool Marvel Super-Hero and Super-Villain balloons for her birthday party?

Where'd she get all those cool Marvel Super-Hero and Super-Villain balloons for her birthday party?

Cover of Dazzler #1 (March 1981), painted art by Bob Larkin

Today in Comics History, Friday the 13th: Archie's head is severely squished due to bad luck

'Also, it happens to be Eat a Hamburger Day!' 'Jug, EVERY day for you...' 'I SAID IT'S EAT A HAMBURGER DAY!'

from "Lucky Thirteen" in Archie's Pal Jughead Comics (1993 series) #213 (July 2012), script by Craig Boldman, pencils by Stan Goldberg, inks by Jim Amash, colors by Barry Grossman, letters by Phil Felix

I'm off to SPX!

The Small Press Expo, that is, in Bethesda, Maryland, all weekend long! I hope to see you there...yes, you! I'm talkin' to you! I'll be hoofing my way around the floor and attending panels...look for me being carried around by my pal John and be sure to say hi hi hi!

If you can't make it to SPX this weekend, ~~shame on you~~ there'll still be plenty of Bully fun all this weekend on the blog with Comics Within Comics, 365 Days of DC House Ads, and Today in Comics History...the fine Bully features you've come to know and love! Either way you win!

Hope to see you in Bethesda! (And not at that terrible vegetarian restaurant, either.)

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Video: Wolverine: A Film By Woody Allen

Today in Comics History, September 12: Danny and Caroline enjoy their Star Wars™ blue milk

'You're not taking the hint, Danny. I'm breaking up with you.'

from The Unwritten #35.5 (DC/Vertigo, May 2012), plot by Peter Gross, script by Mike Carey, pencils and inks by Gabriel Hernandez Walta, colors by Lee Loughridge, letters by Todd Klein

Video: A sheep teaches a young bull to head butt

Today in Comics History, Thursday the 12th: Good evening. It's 8:37 on Thursday the 12th, and it's time to dopeslap Valeria Richards.

from FF (2011 series) #20 (Marvel, September 2012), script by Jonathan Hickman, pencils and inks by Nick Dragotta, colors by Chris Sotomayor, letters by Clayton Cowles

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 255: Alphabet Antics House Ads Week, Day 5

Q is for Question, either guy or female; R is for Ragman; and his tattered veil.

S is for Superman, who snapped a guy's neck; T's for Teen Titans, their canon's a wreck.

DC Comics alphabet house ads
Q: from Superman #45 (March 1947)
R: from Batman #40 (April 1947)
S: from World's Finest Comics #28 (May 1947)
T: from Detective Comics #124 (June 1947)

Comics Within Comics Month, Day 12: Wow, it was nice of the artist of FF #288 to allow the artist of Star Brand #19 to use his cover in that comic book

'I dunno, I could be, son, but all you gosh-darn John Byrne kids look alike to me.'

Panel from Star Brand #19 (May 1989), script and breakdowns by John Byrne, finishes by Jeff Albrecht, colors by Andy Yanchus, letters by Rick Parker

Clearly the thing Doc Doom wants from the Beyonder is his secret of peeing, which he learned from Peter Parker. YES IT'S CANON FANBOYS

Clearly the thing Doc Doom wants from the Beyonder is his secret of peeing, which he learned from Peter Parker. YES IT'S CANON FANBOYS

Cover of Fantastic Four (1961 series) #288 (March 1986), pencils and inks by John Byrne

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Here, have some Planet Terry. In Greek.

Panels from "Η επίθεση των ταραντούλες" ("Attack of the Tarantalugs") in Marvel Star Comics #31 (October 1987), originally published in Planet Terry #6 (September 1985); script by Lennie Herman, pencils by Warren Kremer, inks by Jon D'Agostino, colors by Peter Kremer, original English letters by Grace Kremer

(Click pictures to it's-all-Greek-to-me-translate-to-English)

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 254: Alphabet Antics House Ads Week, Day 4

M is for More Fun, at DC that's quaint; N is for Nightwing, who also now ain't.

O is for Oracle, she couldn't walk; P is for Prez, more a dove than a hawk.

DC Comics alphabet house ads
M: from Superman #43 (November 1946)
N: from World's Finest Comics #25 (December 1946)
O: from World's Finest Comics #26 (January 1947)
P: from Detective Comics #120 (February 1947)

Comics Within Comics Month, Day 11: You'll rot your mind on that garbage

'Geez, Mom, it's not like it's a BENDIS comic.'

Panels from Guardians of the Galaxy (2013 series) #0.1 (April 2013), script by Brian Michael Bendis, pencils by Steve McNiven, inks by John Dell, colors by Justin Ponsor, letters by Cory Petit

They were lucky to get Dazzler as a crew member.

They were lucky to get Dazzler as a crew member.

Cover of Marvel Premiere #41 [Seeker 3000] (April 1978), pencils by Dave Cockrum, inks by Joe Sinnott,

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Comics News for September 10, 2013

"Illegitimate child of Bender and Leela terrorizes city" "Lord Horseface is denied his tea break" "New 52 retroactively affects all back issues"

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 253: Alphabet Antics House Ads Week, Day 3

I only wish my Scrabble tiles were this obliging.

I is for Isis, of TV notoriety; J is for Justice, League or Society.

K is for Kirby, The Fourth World is Jack's; L is for Legion, which just got the axe.

DC Comics alphabet house ads
I: from Superman #41 (July 1946)
J: from Detective Comics #114 (August 1946)
K: from Superman #42 (September 1946)
L: from Adventure Comics #109 (October 1946)

Comics Within Comics Month, Day 10: And that U.S. News and World Report issue is all about Namor

Panel from Thor #413 (January 1990), co-plot and script by Tom DeFalco, co-plot and layouts by Ron Frenz, finishes by Joe Sinnott, colors by Nel Yomtov, letters by Michael Heisler

This never would have happened if J. Jonah Jameson had appointed Carol Danvers editor of NOW magazine instead of WOMAN magazine. I think.

This never would have happened if J. Jonah Jameson had appointed Carol Danvers editor of NOW magazine instead of WOMAN magazine. I think.

Cover of Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #9 (November 1989), pencils and inks by XJackson Guice

Monday, September 09, 2013

Monday Night Murals: All Four One

Hey, I haven't done one of these in a while, have I? But I can't resist Mike Allred's...shall we say...fantastic portrait of the new FF across the covers of FF #2-5:

Covers of FF (2013 series) #2-5 (February-May 2013), pencils and inks by Michael Allred, colors by Laura Allred
(Click picture to Miss Thing-size)

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 252: Alphabet Antics House Ads Week, Day 2

E is for Earth-3, where heroes are greedy, F is for Flash (you know the rest of the rhyme.)

G is for Geo-Force, at whom everyone'll scoff, H is for Halo, who's not much better off.

DC Comics alphabet house ads
E: from Superman #39 (March 1946)
F: from Star Spangled Comics #54 (April 1946)
G: from Adventure Comics #103 (May 1946)
H: from Detective Comics #112 (June 1946)

Comics Within Comics Month, Day 9: First appearance, Golden Age Comic Book Guy

Panels from Martian Manhunter: American Secrets #2 (1992), script by Gerard Jones, pencils and inks by Eduardo Barreto, colors by Steve Oliff, letters by Pat Brosseau
is more or less this:

They're running away because Washington DC is radioactive.

They're running away because Washington DC is radioactive.

Cover of All-Star Comics (1940 series) #4 (not #5) (March-April 1941), pencils and inks by Everett Hibbard, with touch-ups on Hawkman's helmet and wings by Sheldon Moldoff
Apparently this guy is supposed to be a parody of Bill Gaines of EC Comics. If I were him, I'd sue from beyond the grave.

'But I'll get even with them. I'll give them...ROB LIEFELD!'

'But I'll get even with them. I'll give them...ROB LIEFELD!'

Sunday, September 08, 2013

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 251: Alphabet Antics House Ads Week, Day 1

This week, all week: it's DC Comics Alphabet Antics House Ads Week! Beginning in books cover-dated October 1945 and continuing for the following two years and a month, DC advertised its books through 26 alphabet-animal themed house ads, each spotlighting an unusual critter (sometimes realistically drawn, sometimes very cartoony) representing a letter and accompanied by some light doggeral about how much that animal loved DC Comics. Hey, how come you didn't use B is for Bull, guys? There were usually printed on the inside cover, so most are in black-and-white, but we'll be seeing a few color ones later in the week. Wherever possible, the ads featured a comic beginning with the same letter as the animal, too! And I'll be running you through all of these, all week long! (Some of the ads are in very poor shape and I've done a little reconstructive Photoshoppery on them, but results may vary.) Let's get things kicked off with the letter...um...the letter...let me consult my chart here...okay, the letter A! Take it away, letter A!

A is for Arak, Son of Thunder; B's for Blue Beetle, where'd he go, I wonder?

A is for Arak, Son of Thunder; B's for Blue Beetle, where'd he go, I wonder?

C is for Creeper, he's full of the crazies; D is for Deadman, pushing up daisies.

DC Comics alphabet house ads
A: from Batman #31 (October 1945)
B: from Superman #37 (November 1945)
C: from Batman #32 (December 1945)
D: from Superman #38 (January 1946)

Comics Within Comics Month, Day 8: 1,000 years in the future, parents are still throwing out their kids' comic books

Still, I suppose it's better than having Johnny Storm burn it up.

Panels from "Teenage Wonderland" in Teen Titans/The Legion Special (one-shot) (November 2004), script by Mark Waid, pencils and inks by Barry Kitson, colors by Chris Blythe, letters by Rob Leigh

Hey, look, Element Boy has changed the logo to inertron!