Ten of a Kind: Going to a Go-Go

Wow, I shoulda done this post a few weeks ago when I was running Go-Go Checks Week, shouldn't I have?











The theme, if you haven't got it by now, is Go-Go Checks Covers, but ones other than those published by DC Comics in the mid-sixties. In other words...Go-Go Homages! They're often used in a fashion to indicate or imitate a retro look (see Big Bang Comics and Radioactive Man). Marvel Comics published Assistant Editor's Month comics with Go-Go Checks topping them (Iron Man and Conan among them). Periodically they're even used just to indicate a story that takes place in that groovy time period itself (Animal Man).

Here's a few other covers that feature Go-Go Checks of a sort, but are definitely not intentional parodies...but I like 'em all the same, and it's my blog, so there.






How popular are Go-Go Checks? So popular that Ambush Bug has a nemesis designed and named after them.


Panels from Ambush Bug: Year None #1 (September 2008), plot and pencils by Keith Giffen, script by Robert Loren Fleming, inks by Al Milgrom, colors by Guy Major, letters by Pat Brosseau
So popular that even Doctor Octopus...er, I mean, the Superior Spider-Man, has decorated his lair with them!


Panel from The Avenging Spider-Man #15.1 (February 2013), script by Chris Yost, pencils by Paco Medina, inks by Juan Vlasco, colors by Dave Curiel, letters by Joe Caramagna
Bur by far my favorite homage to Go-Go Checks appears in the annual-size wrap-up to DC's 2000 special event Silver Age:


Cover of Silver Age 80-Page Giant one-shot (July 2000), pencils by Alan Davis, inks by Mark Farmer, colors by Lee Loughridge

Nope, there's no Go-Go checks along the top edge of this comic book, but check out the all-new, all-different superheroes charging right at us. Notice the one in black-and-white? What's his story, huh? Why, it's quite simple:


Panel from Silver Age 80-Page Giant one-shot (July 2000), script by Mark Waid, pencils and inks by Eduardo Barreto, colors by Glenn Whitmore, color separations by Digital Chameleon, letters by Kurt Hathaway

Why, that's SPOILER WARNING!!! none other than the Martian Manhunter using Robbie Reed's "Dial H for Hero" dial to become, like the rest of the Justice League, a new and different superhero, one that' not under the thrall of the Injustice League. In this case, J'onn's become...Go-Go!

And after the story ended, Go-Go was never seen again. Can his debut in the New 52 be far off?*

Credit where credit is due dept: Many of these covers were suggested by pal "Mighty" Mike Sterling, the uncontested King of Free Comic Book Day! G'wan, stop by his blog Progressive Ruin and tell him Bully, the Little Stuffed Bull Who Mike Often Refers To as A Little Stuffed Bull, sent ya!

(More Ten of a Kind here.)

*Yes.

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 82: Go-Go Checks Week, Day 7

Hey, how come there's no introductory Go-Go Checks House Ad for our seventh day? Well, because as far as I can see, there isn't one. I can only find six general Go-Go Checks Ads. So, it looks like DC was fully behind this initiative. (Kids love the Go-Go Checks!)

Anyway, here's one more title-specific Go-Go House Ad!


Go-Go Checks house ad for Doom Patrol #110 (March 1967) and Challengers of the Unknown #55 (April-May 1967), printed in Metamorpho #11 (March-April 1967)

Comic cover art: Doom Patrol #110: pencils and inks by Bruno Premiani, letters by Ira Schnapp
Challengers of the Unknown #55: pencils and inks by Bob Brown, letters by Ira Schnapp

Ads designed and lettered by Ira Schnapp
Go-Go Checks designed by Irwin Donenfeld and Sol Harrison

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 81: Go-Go Checks Week, Day 6

Top: Go-Go Checks house ad, printed in Teen Titans v.1 #4 (July-August 1966)
Bottom: Go-Go Checks house ad for The Adventures of Bob Hope #102 (December 1966-January 1967) and Showcase #65 [The Inferior Five] (November-December 1966), printed in Metamorpho #9 (November-December 1966)

Comic cover art: Bob Hope #102: pencils and inks by Bob Oksner
Showcase #65: pencils and inks by Mike Sekowsky

Ads designed and lettered by Ira Schnapp
Go-Go Checks designed by Irwin Donenfeld and Sol Harrison

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 80: Go-Go Checks Week, Day 5

Top: Go-Go Checks house ad, printed in Metamorpho #5 (March-April 1966)
Bottom: Go-Go Checks house ad for Mystery in Space [Ultra the Multi-Alien] #105 (February 1966) and Tales of the Unexpected #93 (February-March 1966), printed in Strange Adventures #185 (February 1966)

Comic cover art: Mystery in Space #105: pencils by Carmine Infantino, inks by Murphy Anderson
Tales of the Unexpected #93: pencils and inks by Jack Sparling, letters by Ira Schnapp

Ads designed and lettered by Ira Schnapp
Go-Go Checks designed by Irwin Donenfeld and Sol Harrison

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 79: Go-Go Checks Week, Day 4

Top: Go-Go Checks house ad, printed in Hawkman #13 (April-May 1966)
Bottom: Go-Go Checks house ad for The Atom #30 (April-May 1967) and Hawkman #19 (April-May 1967),
printed in Metamorpho #11 (April-May 1966)

Comic cover art: The Atom #30: pencils and inks by Gil Kane, letters by Ira Schnapp
Hawkman #19: pencils and inks by Murphy Anderson, letters by Ira Schnapp

Ads designed and lettered by Ira Schnapp
Go-Go Checks designed by Irwin Donenfeld and Sol Harrison

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 78: Go-Go Checks Week, Day 3

Top: Go-Go Checks house ad, printed in Detective Comics #352 (June 1966)
Bottom: Go-Go Checks house ad for Showcase #62 [The Inferior Five] (May-June 1966), printed in Capt. Storm #13 (May-June 1966)

Art of The Blimp taken from the cover of Showcase #62 (May-June 1966), pencils and inks by Joe Orlando

Ads designed and lettered by Ira Schnapp
Go-Go Checks designed by Irwin Donenfeld and Sol Harrison

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 77: Go-Go Checks Week, Day 2

Top: Go-Go Checks house ad, printed in Capt. Storm #13 (May-June 1966)
Bottom: Go-Go Checks house ad for Plastic Man #5 (July-August 1967) and The Inferior Five #3 (July-August 1967), printed in Metamorpho #13 (July-August 1967)

Comic cover art: Plastic Man #5: pencils by Carmine Infantino, inks by Mike Esposito
Inferior Five #3: pencils by Mike Sekowsky, inks by Mike Esposito

Ads designed and lettered by Ira Schnapp
Go-Go Checks designed by Irwin Donenfeld and Sol Harrison

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 76: Go-Go Checks Week, Day 1

It's the swingin'est week of them all, cats and kittens! Because all this week i'll be posting two ads each: one general, and one specific, for the DC Universe's most infamous promotion of all time and all infinite (or 52) Earths! Get ready! Are you hip enough for...




Top: Go-Go Checks house ad, printed in Detective Comics #348 (February 1966)
Bottom: Go-Go Checks house ad for Flash #163 (August 1966) and Batman #183 (August 1966),
printed in Teen Titans #4 (July-August 1966)

Both comic book covers: pencils by Carmine Infantino, inks by Joe Giella

Ads designed and lettered by Ira Schnapp
Go-Go Checks designed by Irwin Donenfeld and Sol Harrison