Evel Knievel Week, Day 5: Viva Knievel!

To misquote one of the greatest thinkers of our time:

Evel Knievel never had his own comic book, did he? Have you ever seen his own comic book? Hmmm? How can you say someone is great who's never had his own comic book?

Hey! Watch those words! We're not talkin' 'bout Gary Busey, Lucy!


Evel Knievel one-shot giveaway (1974), cover art by John Romita Sr. and Joe Sinnott




You can read the Evel Knievel comic book here!

More Knievelads!:


Ad from Marvel Spotlight #20 (February 1975)




Ad from The Secret Society of Super-Villains #5 (January-February 1977)




Ad from Batman Family #3 (January-February 1976)



And finally...The Greatest Beach Towel of All Time!


Ad from Fantastic Four #160 (July 1975)

Viva Knievel!

Evel Knievel Week, Day 4: The Evel Mad

from MAD #217 (September 1980), script by Dennis Snee, pencils and inks by Harry North




from MAD #178 (October 1975), script by Paul Peter Porges, pencils and inks by Sandy Kossin

from MAD #205 (February 1972), script by Lou Silverstone, pencils and inks by Jack Davis
(Click picture to Snake Canyon-size)



Special Thursday Bat-Bonus! Is that Evel Knievel himself the Batman is facing off against?


Cover of Batman #326 (August 1980), cover art by Jim Aparo

Sadly, no. It's not Evel Knievel. But the Great One is name-checked (and I don't mean Batman!)


Panels from Batman #326 (August 1980), script by Len Wein, pencils by Irv Novick, inks by Frank McLaughlin, colors by Adrienne Roy, letters by John Costanza

And before you complain...no, Batman isn't actually misspelling (in his mind) Mister Knievel's first name. Note that it is in quotes...Batman is making an internal pun!

Batman: master of wordplay.

Evel Knievel Week, Day 3: Who knows what Evel lurks in the hearts of men?

So, who's the greatest and most popular star-spangled hero whose exploits fab artist Cliff Chiang has illustrated? No, no, not that woman of wonder with her satin tights, not this week in this feature. After all, it's Evel Knievel week! Ever wonder why those toys I've been featuring this week were so popular? Who tried to jump over sharks before the Fonz? And what the heck was up with that "swagger stick"? Cliff Chiang explains it all for you in these panels from The Big Book of the '70s!







Panels from "The Decade of Evel" in The Big Book of the '70s (May 2000), script by Jonathan Ridgeway, art by Cliff Chiang


Wednesday Bonus! Even the mysterious and macabre Ghost Rider was not immune to the cult of Evel!


Panel from Marvel Spotlight #7 (December 1972), script by Gary Friedrich, pencils by Mike Ploog, inks by Frank Chiaramonte, letters by Herb Cooper

Evel Knievel Week, Day 2: A Lesser Evel

Back cover ad from Avengers #155 (January 1977)

Evel Knievel Week, Day 1: Deliver Us from Evel

The Mid-Day Matinee this week, all week: Evel Knievel! You couldn't read a comic book in the 1970s without seeing an ad for the daredevil of the day...not Matt Murdock, the man who jumped the shark when it was still cool to do it, the all-American hero who defeated Doctor Doom and Galactus and...whoa, I think I went one too far. Anyway, as likely an American folk hero as we got in the 1970s until Billy Carter came along, the death-defying, cycle-challenging, swagger-sticking Evel Knievel!


Back cover ad of [Uncanny] X-Men #103 (February 1977)
We were so nostalgic for the incredible edible Evel that Marvel reminded us recently: Evel Knievel ads are part of our national heritage by reprinting the whole meshuggah ad all over again!


Ad in Captain Britain and MI13 #13 (July 2009)
Evel, won't you?