One of the hugest steps forward for the growing popularity of the Man of Steel in his earliest years and the event that represents the apex of the Superman fad which opened the floodgates to dozens of similar costumed champions in the pages of dozens of comic books was the arrival of Superman on the … Continue reading SUPERMAN: MATINEE IDOL Times Three
Wrapping up our coverage of the first issue of DC's in-house comic book fanzine, THE AMAZING WORLD OF DC COMICS. The series ran for 17 issues, as well as a few special releases both immediately before and during its run. It remains a treasure trove of information and artifacts about the National Periodical Publications of … Continue reading THE AMAZING WORLD OF DC COMICS #1, Part 3
Continuing on with our look at the first issue of DC/National Periodical Publications' in0house fanzine, THE AMAZING WORLD OF DC COMICS. An introduction to the DC interns known as the "woodchucks" as well as the men who supervised them. Most of these individuals went on to have prominent careers in the field, notably Paul Levitz. … Continue reading THE AMAZING WORLD OF DC COMICS #1, Part 2
Another installment of our popular feature where we showcase vintage photographs of popular comic book creators from days gone by. This is sometimes known as "Stan Lee and friends" given how often Lee was photographed over the years. Mark Gruenwald and Nel Yomtov at a convention in the late 1980s Renee Witterstaetter at a party … Continue reading Comics Creators in the Wild 11
The Atom is one of those characters whom these days you can't quite believe held a series for as long as he did. In the modern era when most super hero comic books are concerned with more direct power fantasies, in which fighting prowess is considered one of the most important factors, the Atom is … Continue reading WC: THE ATOM #8
As the Silver Age of Comics began to wind down, while the fortunes of the assorted super heroes whose careers had helped to define that period were similarly on the wane, it was other genres which were feeling the pinch the most. Among the titles having a bit of a rough go of it was … Continue reading Jerry Lewis Meets the Flash
Another book that I picked up brand new was the next issue of SUPERMAN FAMILY. I followed this series right up until its demise, though I really couldn't tell you quite why. I wasn't especially enamored of any of teh characters who had solo strips within its pages, so it must simply be the allure … Continue reading BHOC: SUPERMAN FAMILY #190
I've spoken in the past about how as a kid I was a bit disdainful towards DC's SUPER FRIENDS comic book series, an adaptation and outgrowth of the ongoing Saturday morning cartoon series. Now, mind you, I watched SUPER FRIENDS dutifully every weekend, but I was also aware even then that the story material was … Continue reading BHOC: SUPER FRIENDS #12
Quicksilver was one of the many second banana super heroes who profligated throughout the Golden Age of Comics, filling up the back pages of assorted anthology titles and providing thrills but not being so memorable or distinct that they ever became stars themselves. Occasionally, one of these back-page crime-busters would break out and become a … Continue reading The First Quicksilver Story
We've been talking a lot about the unofficial crossovers between characters and the homages that were done. But beyond that, there's a whole other category of instances in which one company either appropriated or parodied or referenced the characters of another. These instances tended to take many different forms--there was one memorable instance, for example, … Continue reading 5BC: Five Times DC Referenced Marvel Characters in Interesting Ways
The Tom Brevoort Experience 