DC in the late 1970s had a bit of a problem, one that they'd start to correct for in the coming years. And that was the changing make-up of the primary audience for comic books. People at DC had realized that there were more older readers than had generally been thought--up to this point, the … Continue reading BHOC: SUPERMAN #335
I had gotten back into the habit of buying ACTION COMICS after a break of three or four months. I don't remember making any specific determination that I wasn't going to follow the Superman titles any longer, it was just a thing that happened--possibly because my financial resources were being strained by all of the … Continue reading BHOC: ACTION COMICS #493
It was right before this issue of FANTASTIC FOUR came out that SUPERMAN THE MOVIE finally opened on December 15, 1978. And strangely, for a film that sits so highly in my personal lexicon, I don't really have a strong recollection of going to see if for the first time. I don't think we got … Continue reading BHOC: FANTASTIC FOUR #204
I can remember this stretch of issue of JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA trying my patience a little bit. As writer Gerry Conway continued to unravel the mystery of Zatanna's mother and her upbringing, I increasingly was checked out on the series. A lot of this had to do, I expect, with my absolute inability to … Continue reading BHOC: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #164
The marketing build-up to the premiere of SUPERMAN THE MOVIE was gathering speed, and one of the benefits of it was this, the final FAMOUS 1st EDITION that DC produced during the 1970s (though they'd bring the format back to a limited degree in recent years.) These were Treasury Edition sized reproductions of the most … Continue reading BHOC: FAMOUS 1st EDITION #C-61
This was one of the strangest issues of THOR that I bought as a relatively new Marvel reader, and I didn't completely understand why for several years, until I had learned enough about the history of comics to be able to fully appreciate it. Ever since the end of his Ragnarok storyline, writer/editor Roy Thomas … Continue reading BHOC: THOR #280
For no particular reason, I've been thinking about SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE recently. It's a film that I first saw new back in 1978 and that has been a favorite ever since. What's more, it is clearly the progenitor for all of the big-budget super hero movies' that have come after it, to one extent or … Continue reading Fifteen Thoughts about Superman: the Movie
One of my absolute favorite creators in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s and beyond was Fred Hembeck. I first encountered his work as a single-tier strip on DC's in-house promotional page, the Daily Planet. Eventually, my friend Glenn Hauman showed me one of the collections of Fred's material that were being released by … Continue reading HEMBECK 1980: Fred Hembeck Reviews SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE
These days, the concept of a crossover between two different fictional characters has become so entrenched in popular culture that it's difficult to come across a pairing that is truly noteworthy. In a world in which everybody is exploring a Multiverse, it seems strange to think that there was a time when the idea that … Continue reading 5BC: 5 Most Unlikely and Unprecedented Crossovers
It's one of the great lost pieces of Superman Americana. For three months in 1966, actor Bob Holiday starred as the Man of Steel in 129 performances of the Broadway musical It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman. While a cast recording was made and is readily available today, and a few promotional appearances … Continue reading It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Superman 1966 Souvenir Program
The Tom Brevoort Experience 