Wednesday, June 01, 2011

Sluggo the Fugitive

SLUGGO

And I heard, as it were, the noise of thunder. One of the four beasts saying, 'Come and see.' and I saw, and behold a white horse.

FRAMED FOR A CRIME HE DIDN'T COMMIT

Selected panels from throughout Dell Giant #34: Nancy and Sluggo: Summer Camp (September 1960), by John Stanley
(with apologies to Mike Sterling)

There's a man goin' 'round takin' names

There'll be a golden ladder reachin' down

At the terror in each sip and in each sup

Will you partake of that last offered cup

Multitudes are marchin' to the big kettledrum

The virgins are all trimming their wicks

It's hard for thee to kick against the pricks

Then the father hen will call his chickens home

The wise man will bow down before the throne

And at his feet they'll cast their golden crowns

It's hard for thee to kick against the prick

In measured hundredweight and penny pound

And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts. And I looked, and behold a pale horse, and his name that sat on him was Sluggo. And hell followed with him.

365 Days with the Warriors Three, Day 152

Panels from Avengers #4 (July 2011), script by Brian Michael Bendis, pencils and colors by Chris Bachalo, inks by Townsend, Mendoza, Vuy and Faucer, letters by Clayton Cowles

(Click top panel to god of roundess-size)

Great Moments in Comic Book History: Dr. T.J. Eckleburg guest-stars in Archie Comics

And as I sat there, brooding on the old unknown world, I thought of Archie's wonder when he first picked out the neon lights in the windows of Pop's Chok'lit Shop. He had come a long way to this rivered dale and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it, like I'm always trying to grasp those delicious hamburgers. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond Moose's house, where the dark fields of the republic were a great place to make out with Betty or Veronica. Archie believed in the light, the wholesome future that year by year recedes before us like the Bee's hairline. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter — tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther, perform more practical jokes like Reggie.... And one fine morning— So we beat on, jalopies against the traffic, borne back ceaselessly into the Pep Comics of the past.

Cover of Laugh #8 (July 1988), art by Dan DeCarlo

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Zing!

'I tell ya, one a' these days...POW! To the moon, Mockie!'

Panel from West Coast Avengers #15 (December 1986), script by Steve Englehart, layouts by Al Milgrom, finishes by Joe Sinnott, colors by Ken Feduniewicz, letters by Janice Chiang

365 Days with the Warriors Three, Day 151

Quite possibly THE greatest Hogun quote of all time.

Panel from Thor #601 (June 2009), script by J. Michael Straczynski, pencils by Marko Djurdjevic, inks by Danny Miki, colors by Paul Mounts, letters by Chris Eliopoulos

Great Moments in Comic Book History: Big Boy is beheaded during French Revolution; hamburger ceases to exist

I'm pretty sure that's Ronald McDonald under that executioner's mask.

Cover of Adventures of the Big Boy (West Coast Version) #127, date and cover artist unknown

Monday, May 30, 2011

With great traction comes great handling

Hey, what's this?

A great advertising campaign is like a PUNCH IN THE FACE!

It's a magazine pull-out car advertisement....

Ooooh, shiny.

For the Chrysler 300.

Now that Detroit has seceded from the nation, I have to import all my Motown LPs.

But hey, Mister Walter Chrysler: first, you got it backwards! And second, if you're gonna create a car to go along with one of the most famous...if not the famousest maxim of superhero comics...

And Peter Parker never felt guilty, ever again. The end.

And Peter Parker never felt guilty, ever again. The end.

Panels from...aw, c'mon, guess! They're from Amazing Fantasy #15 (August 1962), script by Stan Lee, pencils and inks by Steve Ditko, letters by Artie SImek. Yeah, you knew that!

Then at least give us the common courtesy to have it be the all-new 2012 Chrysler Spider-Mobile!!

You actually DO see this every day in Manhattan traffic.

You actually DO see this every day in Manhattan traffic.

'I'm really more of a cupcake man, Spidey.'

Panels from Spider-Man/Human Torch #3 (May 2005), script by Don Slott, pencils by Ty Templeton, inks by Nelson and Tom Palmer, colors by Sotocolorist, letters by Dave Lanphear

Advertising! Somebody get Don Draper on this, right away, please!

Let's see that crummy Batmobile do THIS!

Let's see that crummy Batmobile do THIS!

365 Days with the Warriors Three, Day 150

It was around that time that General Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross began to regret inviting the Asgardians to take part in the annual war games.

Panels from Thor v.2 #58 (March 2003), script by Dan Jurgens, pencils by Alan Davis, inks by Robin Riggs, colors by Dave Kemp, letters by Saida Temofonte

Great Moments in Comic Book History: Autobot Blaster attempts Lori Singer's stunt from Footloose

Wow, this is a real toughlove way to teach him the alphabet.

Cover of The Transformers [UK] #139 (November 14, 1987), cover artist unknown

What do you think, Lori Singer?

That's an awfully unsubtle way to pick his pocket.

That's an awfully unsubtle way to pick his pocket.

Almost paradise / We're knocking on heavens door / Almost paradise / Push the pedal to the floor

Where have all the good men gone / And where are all the gods? / Where's the street-wise Hercules / To scrape me off the roads?

Tonight I gotta cut loose, footloose / Don't swerve to miss that goose / Please, Louise / I don't wanna break my knees / Jack, get back / Before I hit tarmac / Turn off cruise / 'Coz my foot just came loose!

The Mid-Day Matinee this week, all week: Great Moments in Comic Book History! If it happened, and if it's great, and if I have it in my collection, and if I had a chance to scan it, and if I had a joke for it, you'll find it here!

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Ten of a Kind: Nobody puts Jimmy Olsen in the corner

He's being attacked by those things from Jonny Quest! (Madman Adventures #1)

The role of Balder in this presentation will be played by John Candy. (Thor #344)

'Wolverine, see how many of those babies you can catch...NOT WITH THE CLAWS NOT WITH THE...oh, dear.' (Astonishing X-Men: Xenogenesis #5)

Oh, they're just coming to straighten his tie. (Powers #7)

Conan, no! Legs together, honey! (The Savage Sword of Conan #124)

Wow, Elektra has a lot of ASBO youth pals. (The New Avengers v.1 #27)

'We're cuuuuute! Collect us all!' (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight #22)

Uh oh, they caught Jimmy Olsen stealing cable again. (Action Comics #737)

Oh no! Storm's being attacked by tiny falling leaves! (Astonishing X-Men #34)

I fail to see the problem with this situation. (WildC.A.T.S. #3)

(More Ten of a Kind here.)

365 Days with the Warriors Three, Day 149

'Dear All-Father Odin: we accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole age in banishment from Asgard for whatever it was we did wrong. What we did *was* wrong. But we think you're crazy to make a scroll telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us... In the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a thunder god... and an grim warrior...and a lover...and a gourmand. Does that answer your question?... Sincerely yours, the Asgard Club.'

Cover of Avengers Academy (Thor Goes Hollywood Variant) #13 (July 2011), art by Amanda Connor

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Same Story, Different Cover: Blistering Barnacles!

L: Le Petit Vingtième #32 (August 9, 1934), cover art by Hergé, featuring the first serialized segment of Le Lotus bleu (The Blue Lotus) in its original 1934 version
R: Le Lotus bleu, first edition of the redrawn and colorized 1946 version, cover art by Hergé

(Click picture to Haddocksize)

The 1946 cover art was the standard design for editions of The Blue Lotus through 2006, when this "painted" re-colored cover debuted:

'How do you kill a black dragon? With a black dragon gun. How do you kill a red dragon? Paint it black and shoot it with the black dragon gun.

'How do you kill a black dragon? With a black dragon gun. How do you kill a red dragon? Paint it black and shoot it with the black dragon gun.

365 Days with the Warriors Three, Day 148

Whoa, Heimdall pimped his shield for shizzle!

Panel from Thor #162 (March 1969), script by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Vince Colletta, letters by Sam Rosen

Superheroes Shamelessly Shilling Stuff Saturday: Sticks to the Roof of Your Mouth

Say, what do you think Peter Parker's favorite brand of peanut butter is?

Wow, that COP looks real responsive to that alert, huh?

Panels from Spider-Man: The Task and the Terror, (1994), one of four comics produced for and given away on lids of Peter Pan Peanut Butter. Script by Mark Bernardo, pencils by Craig Brasford, inks by Sam DeLaRosa, colors by Mark Bernardo, letters by Ken Lopez

So! How'd that all work out for ya, Spidey?

Even now, Norman Osborn is cackling maniacally while he makes a Fluffernutter with Pete's groceries.

Even now, Norman Osborn is cackling maniacally while he makes a Fluffernutter with Pete's groceries.

That's our Petey!

Didn't Aunt May teach you to not talk with your mouth full?

Friday, May 27, 2011

Because it's really hot and it's pretty late and it's Friday night, here's a low-content post

Thor Dr Pepper!

After he drinks two or three 2-lits bottles of this, Volstagg's belch can be heard as far as Niflheim.

This concludes tonight's hot-weather late-evening Friday-night low content post.

365 Days with the Warriors Three, Day 147

'Well, first, he's going to make him rake the back yard...'

Panels from Thor: The Trial of Thor one-shot (August 2009), script by Peter Milligan, pencils and inks by Cary Nord, colors by Christina Strain, letters by Joe Caramagna

Ads from the Distinguished Competition, Day 5: Worlds will live, worlds will die, and the comic book crossover event will never go away again

Ad for DC Universe: Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985) which became simply Crisis on Infinite Earths

Thursday, May 26, 2011

The Zen of Batman: Evil

'What about what the Joker did to Batgirl?' 'Oh, he's going down. He's going DOWN.'

from Batman "Deep Freeze" (November 10, 1966), written by Max Hodge

365 Days with the Warriors Three, Day 146

Sadly, Volstagg's mission was derailed by a KFC on the road ahead.

Panels from Thor #198 (April 1972), script by Gerry Conway, pencils by John Buscema, inks by Vince Colletta, letters by John Costanza