Today in Comics History, October 16: Furby invented

from "The Bouncing Ball of Doom!" in Strange Tales #131 (Marvel, April 1965), co-plot and script by Stan Lee, co-plot and pencils by Bob Powell, inks by Dick Ayers

Today in Comics History, October 9: And that's why Chuck Taine is undefeated

from "The Bouncing Ball of Doom!" in Strange Tales (1951 series) #131 (Marvel, April 1965), co-plot and script by Stan Lee, co-plot and pencils by Bob Powell, inks by Dick Ayers, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Sam Rosen

Today in Comics History, October 6: The Mad Thinker vows to beat Johnny Storm in this year's chili cook-off

from "The Bouncing Ball of Doom!" in Strange Tales #131 (Marvel, April 1965), co-ploy and script by Stan Lee (credited), co-plot and pencils by Bob Powell, inks by Dick Ayers, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Sam Rosen

Today in Comics History, October 5: Happy birthday, Steve Miller!

Born on this day: guitarist, singer, songwriter, joker, smoker, midnight toker Steve Miller!

But Bully! (you say) Musician Steve Miller has never been in a comic book!

You're wrong, Maurice! Let me now tell you the true story of Steve Miller through...comic books!


Steve Miller grew up a poor white boy in this text story about a mermaid mole. That's a mole that looks like a mermaid, BTW, not a creature that's mole on the top and fish on the bottom.


"The Mermaid Mole" in Adventures into the Unknown #2 (ACG, December 1948), creator uncredited and unknown

Today in Comics History, July 19, 1963: Should I stay...

from "Orrgo...The Unconquerable!" in Strange Tales #90 (Marvel, November 1961), plot by Stan Lee (?), script by Larry Lieber (?), pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Dick Ayers, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Ray Holloway (?)

Today in Comics History, April 26: Happy birthday, Fin Fang Foom!

Born on this very day many many (many!) years ago: Fin Fang Foom, The Most Fearful Menace of All!


from Marvel Age #100 (Marvel, April 1991); text by Chris Eliopoulis and Barry Dutter; pencils and inks by Ron Zalme (altho' that picture looks very Art Adams-y to me, doesn't it?), colors by Renee Witterstaetter
Well, April 26 is what it says here in Marvel Age #100, so it's canon, fanboys! Note: may not be canon.


cover of Strange Tales #89 [first appearance of Fin Fang Foom] #89 (Marvel, October 1961), script by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Dick Ayers, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Artie Simek
Happy one millionth, Mister Foom! You don't look a day over 850,000, big guy.

Today in Comics History, April 18: Happy birthday, Carl Burgos!

Born on this day in 1916: Carl Burgos, writer, artist, and creator of the Original Human Torch (who, with the Sub-Mariner and Captain America, became the foundation of the Marvel Universe)!


"Carl Burgos' Hot Idea [The Story of the Human Torch!]" in The Human Torch (1940 series) #2 (Marvel/Timely, Fall 1940), script and art by Carl Burgos

The Greatest Superhero Quotes of All Time

#1:

Panel from "The Oxnalian Revolution" in Superman (1939 series) #15 (March-April 1942), script by Jerry Siegel, pencils and inks by John Sikela

#2:

Pin-up from Strange Tales (1951 series) #127 (December 1964), pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Chic Stone, colors by Stan Goldberg (?), letters by Sam Rosen

#3:

Jack Kirby's Monsters, Night 12: I Fought the Colossus and the Colossus Won

Cover of Strange Tales #72 (December 1959), pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Christopher Rule, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Artie Simek
Yes, Jack Kirby predicted planetary warming, as seen in this absolutely true-to-life scenario that also happens to feature a world-wide computer that can predict the outcome of any global question, even what will be on NBC in the fall of 2015. (It predicts Blindspot will be cancelled by January!)


Splash page from "I Fought the Colossus!" in Strange Tales #72 (December 1959), plot by Stan Lee (?), script by Larry Lieber (?), pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Steve Ditko, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Artie Simek
In short, this is not much different than the also-Kirby Ruler of Earth. Still, guys, I'm pretty sure naming a big worldwide government-replacing computer "Colossus" is not all that great an idea.


...especially a computer that is secretly building a big ass robot. Or, as he was known in those days, Peter Rasputin.


Like Honeycomb, this robots big. (Yeah, yeah, yeah!) Also, dig that kuh-razy Kirby architecture! Frank Gehry, turn in your t-square — Jack's got you beat!


With those giant clodhoppers a-trampin' left 'n' right, how could the robot be anything other than an enemy? So, let's escalate the fight directly to atomic weapons. Really? And you guys got this far in civilization with that sorta attitude? I call shenanigans on that.


Luckily, the robot is rock stupid and is easily led over a cliff. Maybe they shouldn't have installed that special secret "Wile E. Coyote" protocol.


Then, humanity threatens the most powerful computer in the world by arriving to chop it up with axes and sledgehammers.


But what's this? (In my William Dozier voice) Turns out that the computer had built the robot to bring about an era of peace, harmony, prosperity and knowledge. Also: giant robots.


How does that make ya feel about humanity now? ... Dumb-asses.

Countdown to Halloween: Jack Kirby's Monsters! Night Ten: I've paid my dues / Time after time / I've done my sentence / But committed no crime

Cover of Strange Tales #98 (July 1962), pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Steve Ditko, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Artie Simek
The Champion came down to Earth
He was lookin' for some guys to hit


Splash page of "No Human Can Beat Me!" from Strange Tales #98 (July 1962), plot by Stan Lee (?), script by Larry Lieber (?), pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Paul Reinman, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Ray Holloway (?)
He challenged humanity so hard
Our heads from our bodies split


He beat us all at wrasslin'
Tossin' every guy outta the ring


He knocked a baseball outta Yankee Stadium
To Long Island with just one swing


He challenged the greatest weight-lifter
By picking up his stand


He golfed eighteen straight holes in one
And not one ball into sand


He climbed the mightiest mountains
In just one leap and hop


He beat us all at every game
From checkers to Gnip Gnop


But then a guy named Johnny
Made the Champion start losin'


He said 'Don't come back, you son of a bitch
Earth's the best there is at snoozin'.



If you're, like me, a fan of the Ever-Lovin' Blue Eyed Thing, this tales probably reminds you of one of the great comics of the eighties, Marvel Two-in-One Annual #7, in which Cosmic Elder the Champion of the Universe challenges all of Earth mightiest heroes to a boxing match:


Page from Marvel Two-in-One Annual #7 (1982); script by Tom DeFalco; pencils by Ron Wilson; inks by Bob Camp, Mike Esposito, Frank Giacoia, Dan Green, Armando Gil, and/or Chic Stone; colors by George Roussos, letters by Jim Novak
But it's only Mister Grimm who can go the distance in the ring, round after round.


The Thing brings into four-color life that famous saying by Winston Churchill:


"Never, never, never give up."


Alongside with Superman vs. Muhammad Ali, it's one of the greatest comic book boxing stories of all time.


And it ends in a draw.


So, remember, in the words of Mister Charles Daniels: Johnny said, "Devil, just come on back if you ever wanna try again, I done told you once, you son of a bitch, I'm the best that's ever been."

Countdown to Halloween: Jack Kirby's Monsters! Night One: Close Encounters of the Kirb Kind

BWAHHHHHHH! (In my spooky vampire voice.) It's once again time for that orangy-and-blackiest holiday of them all, Halloween! Which is coming up in only thirty-one short, chilly fall nights, so you'd better stock up on candy to hand out now. I really mean it. Do not run out of Halloween candy! This month, all month, you should be checking my humble little puppet-town cow-blog for titanic tales of those terrifying titans, those Kingtastic Colossuses (Colossi?), those masters of the macabre month: Jack Kirby's Monsters! Every day, a new Kirby Monster from the Atlas Age of Comics! Also, as in previous spine-tinglin' Octobers, I'm once again part of the Countdown to Halloween web ring of Halloweeny horror! Be sure to visit the other 170+ (!) members of Countdown to Halloween for lots of other fun stuff leading up to our scariest day, because I'm pretty sure you'll find witches, goblins, ghouls, vampires, and a Frankenstein or two in there.

Over here, I'm pretty sure we'll run into the Plant Thing from Venus, the Stone Men of Halloween Easter Island, the Molten Man-Thing, not to mention Fin Fang Foom (brother of the illustrious Doctor Victor von Foom), all of 'em in living color by K-I-R-B-Y, King of the Monsters! (Actually, he was an elected official, but we still call him king.)

But first up, one of Jack's first Atlas Monsters: the Flying Saucer! (Not to be confused with the delicious, cold, creamy Carvel treat.)


Cover of Strange Worlds #1 (December 1958), pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Christopher Rule, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Artie Simek
Now just w-w-w-wait one doggone minute, Mister Bull! (you might say in your Jimmy Stewart voice, and a very fine impression it is too.) Just how the Sam Scratch can a flying saucer be a monster? Well, you just wait an' see! See if I don't show you! Yah boo!


Splash page from "I Discovered the Secret of the Flying Saucers!" in Strange Worlds #1 (December 1958), script by Stan Lee (?), pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Christopher Rule, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Artie Simek
Witness the shame of this pre-Reed Richards professor, who has just been turned down for membership in the Legion of Super-Heroes…hilariously! Also, everybody thinks his UFO stories are pretty funny. Even, sitting on the extreme right, The Joker! Well, he thinks everything's funny.


His quest to find out the secret truth behind flying saucers knows no boundaries! It also apparently knows no panel borders! Yow, Mister Kirby, that's dramatic! But did you lose your ruler that day?


Suddenly, swamp gas! No, wait, it's an actual livin' breathin' OO-EFF-OH!


Check out the alliteration in that first panel! (If that ain't Stan Lee, it's an incredible simulation.) Kirby gives the flying saucer just enough detail to make it looks like it actually works, mechanically, and yet not too much to overwhelm the inker. He was already prepping for dealing with Vince Colletta, wasn't he?


The flying saucer beams images of its home world into our hero's head, thus giving humanity a look at alien technology (or, as we like to call it, Kirbytech!) while simultaneously creating progressive rock.


Again, check out the first caption. Oh, that explains the whole thing! This story takes place on the Planet Garth! Currently being seen in the Secret Wars miniseries Battleworld: Wayne and Garth's World! Anyway, the Incredulous Hunk demands to see what the life form inside the flying saucer looks like before it returns home! Can you spot the surprise twist ending barreling around the corner at warp speed towards us?


Surprise! Twist Ending! (Told ya.) The Flying Saucer is the Kirby Monster! It has legs, and eyes, and a tongue made out of a staircase, I guess. Also, dig that swepy-back metallic hairstyle! It's groovy, man, far out of this world!


Perhaps mankind was not yet ready to make that leap into the unknown…to conceive that a being which could travel through space might not look like us at all…but might resemble the very craft which have buzzed above us in the sky, inspiring in hushed whispers tales of unknown alien worlds. All we know is that this flying suacer's existence must remain a secret to man, even in…the Twilight Zone.

---

Special extra-bonus Comics Did It First section! Stan 'n' the Atlas were not averse to re-using a plot from now and again (what, you think only Archie Comics did that?), and here's an earlier version of O. Henryesque ending of a flying saucer turning out to be an alien being from five years before, with a decidedly New England seafood flavor!


Panels from "The Secret of the Flying Saucer!" in Men's Adventures #21 (May 1953), script by Stan Lee, pencils and inks by Fred Kida
And before Captain America and Iron Man barged in rudely and took over the pages of Tales of Suspense for themselves, Steve Ditko — the second pillar in the Grandmaster of Art Pantheon at Marvel — illustrated a very similar story:


Panels from "I Know the Secret of the Flying Saucer!" in Tales of Suspense #11 (September 1960), script by Stan Lee (?), pencils and inks by Steve Ditko, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Artie Simek
Enough versions for you yet? Of course not! Here's a strangely familiar twist-ending story drawn by Don "Why won't Marvel give me credit for co-creating Iron Man?" Heck! (Seriously, how did I become the guy who has to remind Marvel about that?)


Panel from "The Impossible Spaceship!" in Strange Tales #101 (October 1962), plot by Stan Lee, script by Larry Lieber, pencils and inks by Don Heck, colors by Stan Goldberg, letters by Terry Szenics
If you don't care for the original cooked-lobster-red (hey, seafood again!) coloration of the Strange Worlds spaceship alien, well, just wait sixteen years until the story is reprinted and recolored in the pages of a 1970s Marvel monster comic! Behold: the blue and grey Batman Color Scheme Flying Saucer Alien!


Panel from reprint of "I Discovered the Secret of the Flying Saucers!" in Where Monsters Dwell #32 (November 1974)
Finally, leave it up to those crazy Brits to not only charge a shilling for a comic with big sixty-eight pages but to recolor the flying saucer! And leave out the blurb on the bottom. Eh, knowing British comics, there was probably a free prize glued there. Maybe a clam!


Cover of Race for the Moon #5 (Thorpe & Porter, 1959)
I'm pretty sure that's the most exhaustive examination you're ever gonna get about a Kirby space alien in which you can comfortably sit inside and zoom around the universe.