I came across another stash of these Mexican issues of LA SORPRENDENTE HOMBRE ARANA that were published in the early 1970s, many of which contained new never-translated stories created exclusively for the Spanish-speaking marketplace by local talent, so popular was Spider-Man in those regions at the time that it had exhausted the supply of American … Continue reading Forgotten Masterpiece: EL SORPRENDENTE HOMBRE ARANA #165
This is a weirdly awkward cover, but one that works nonetheless. And I think it was new to me when I got this book, although I had read the story in this issue both in the third AMAZING SPIDER-MAN Pocket Books collection of classic issues, and MARVEL TALES (where a new cover had been commissioned.) … Continue reading WC: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #17
Given that today is Stan Lee's birthday and that he is likely the most photographed comic book creator in the world, it seems like an ideal time to do another installment of this series. Once again, these are all vintage photographs of assorted comic book writers, artists and editors from years past. Jack Kirby in … Continue reading Comics Creators in the Wild 9
As Dave Lister explains to Arnold Rimmer in an early episode of the British science fiction comedy series RED DWARF, "Death isn't the handicap it used to be." Today, it's a given that, in the world of super heroes, death is, at worst, a revolving door, and any character who breathes his or her last … Continue reading 5BC: Five Best Silver Age Character Deaths
One of the things that I tell people when we're talking about the history of Marvel Comics is that one of the amazing things about what those earlier pioneers created is the fact that, if you wait long enough, even the failures become successes. It was true of the Hulk, it was true of the … Continue reading WC: TALES TO ASTONISH #37
This issue of MARVEL TALES was yet another book that came to me in a 3-Bag bought at either a Toy Store or a Department Store, and like the other books I've covered, it would have been about nine months old when I purchased it. It contained a reprint of an issue of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN … Continue reading BHOC: MARVEL TALES #84
We've gone over the history of CHARLTON BULLSEYE in prior installments of this feature, but just to quickly summarize once again for newcomers: at the very start of the 1980s, longtime publisher Charlton was nearing the end of its time producing new material for comic books. One of the final things they attempted was a … Continue reading Brand Echh: Americomics #3
Now here was a beauty! This issue of TALES OF SUSPENSE features only the 4th appearance of Iron Man, the super hero who took over the title, ushering it into the Marvel Age of Comics. Like every book covered in this feature, I acquired this issue as part of my Windfall Comics purchase, where through … Continue reading WC: TALES OF SUSPENSE #42
Here we are with the third and final segment of this behind-the-scenes instructional booklet about making comic books produced by Charlton and sold by direct mail order only (though it was also offered as a subscription premium.) These descriptions of the various types of comic book stories are a bit funny in just how far … Continue reading The Comic Book Guide For The Artist-Writer-Letterer 3
The Blue Beetle is one of the longest running character-concepts in the world of comic books. The character was initially conceived in 1939 as a take-off of the Green Hornet, but the approach swiftly changed to better suit the needs of a burgeoning marketplace. The Beetle got a regulation super hero costume and even a … Continue reading The Last Blue Beetle Story
The Tom Brevoort Experience 