"A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME...." by Dave Goode

One of the things I always found neat about the old time burlesque queens were their stage names. Something else burlesque and pro wrestling have in common. It's how a Virgil Riley Runnels becomes a Dusty Rhoades. And a Fannie Bell Fleming becomes a Blaze Starr. This is of course how it works in Hollywood as well where Roy Harold Scherer Jr. becomes Rock Hudson. And Norma Jean Baker becomes Marilyn Monroe. There's no business like show business.

 

One of my favorite stage names for a burlesque queen was Miss Beverly Hills. Born Beverly Jean Montgomery on August 7, 1939 she would have been 10 when DC published the short-lived Miss Beverly Hills of Hollywood comic book. A comic that featured the interactions of a young Hollywood starlet and actual Hollywood stars. Just saying.

 Beverly Montgomery began working as a chorus girl at the Tropicana in Vegas at 17. She would later marry hair stylist Bill Powers. She would then be discovered by night club owner Chuck Landis and became a headline stripper as Miss Beverly Hills. Like a lot of other striptease stars she would attempt to break into movies. And she had a lot more success than many others. She would garner roles in 39 movies and television shows. Mostly as eye candy. And many times uncredited. And more than a few times, as in BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S , playing a stripper. In a television adaptation of Robert Bloch's story YOURS TRULY, JACK THE RIPPER she portrayed a stripper named "Miss Beverly Hills". People quite often talk about life's "second acts" And Miss Beverly Hills had an interesting one. Leaving show business she moved to Hawaii where she became an ordained minister.

Below is another comic featuring Miss Ginger Snaps from Dave Goode and Vance Capley inspired by something I once read ecdysiast Tammy Parks say in an interview.

A SILVER AGE SUPERMAN FAVORITE by Dave Goode

A SILVER AGE SUPERMAN FAVORITE Dave Goode

Born in 1957 I came to comic books by way of reruns of The Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves as the Man of Steel. One of my favorite stories from the Silver Age of DC was The Tyrant Superman from Superman No.172 (Oct. 1964). This was a 3- art story written by Edmond Hamilton and illustrated by one of my favorite tag-teams, Curt Swan (pencils) and George Klein (inks). The chapters in this story were The New Superman, Clark Kent- Former Superman, and The Struggle of The Two Supermen.

This story is one of the S.W.O.P (Superman Without Powers) tales from the era.
The story begins with a deadly green comet threatening the Earth ,which sort of reminds you of The Adventures of Superman episode Panic In The Sky. Realizing that the comet might kill him he tests two men from the Bottle City of Kandor to see who would make the best replacement as the new Superman. A blond Kandorian named Ar-Val wins the competition. The comet doesn't kill Kal-El. But it does take away his "powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal man".

Soon after taking over his role as the new Superman Ar-Val proves to be an egotistical glory hound. He refuses to go after the Braniac-Luthor team who have kidnapped both Lois Lane and Lana Lang. He begins building monuments to himself and the narcissist even demands a law be passed that no one else can wear a Superman costume or use the name "Superman". Clark Kent is temporarily given the powers of three members of the Legion of Super-Heroes (Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, and Invisible Kid) and Elastic Lad to become the "Former Superman".

The Former Superman's new super-powers are no match for Braniac and Luthor and he's captured. Ar-Val finally gets around to acting like a hero (only after being blackmailed by Jimmy Olsen). The Former Superman sacrifices himself to save Ar-Val. In gratitude Ar-Val transfers his powers to Kal-El, but is transformed into living stone in the process. The story ends with Kal-El resuming his role as Superman and vowing to someday restore Ar-Val to life.

What always made this story stand out to me was all the Silver Age tropes that were included in this story. There was a flashback to Krypton where we see young Kal-El and his parents Jor-El and Lara. There's the Bottle City of Kandor. There is mention of the Justice League of America and Superman borrowing Green Lantern's power ring. There is the Braniac-Luthor team and both Lois Lane and Lana Lang. There is the Legion of Super-Heroes. All in one comic book. You know if this story was done today it would end up being told in a six issue mini-series.

Dave Goode and Vance Capley discuss their favorite episodes of the classic Adventures of Superman TV show:

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A What If Moment If There Ever Was One by Dave Goode

A WHAT IF MOMENT IF THERE EVER WAS ONE by Dave Goode

The first time I came across Joe Robinson was in the book Tarzan Of The Movies. It seems Robinson was to have starred in a movie titled TARZAN, THE KING OF BRUTE FORCE (1960). The estate of Edgar Rice Burroughs threatened to halt the unauthorized flick's release for copyright infringement. So Robinson's character was renamed "Thaur", or in some cases "Taur". When I got to see the movie a few years later I couldn't understand why they tried to name him Tarzan to begin with. This was a straight up sinew & sandal flick that had nothing to do with Edgar Rice Burroughs' jungle hero. Better to have just named him Maciste. In any case there would be up a sequel THAUR AND THE AMAZON WOMEN (1963). (aka Thor & the Amazon Women)

I would later find Robinson was a third generation professional wrestler. He was also a judoka who along with his brother Doug instructed actress Honor Blackman from the hit television series THE AVENGERS. Over the years he would appear in a number of movies and television series. He also worked steadily as a stuntman.




His first credited feature role however was in A KID FOR TWO FARTHINGS (1955).

Based on a book by Wolf Mankowitz, who also wrote the screenplay for the
movie, Robinson plays a bodybuilder who works in a tailor shop in London's East end. He accepts a promoter's offer to become a pro wrestler so he can afford to buy his girl friend played by the beautiful British actress Diana Dors. 


The pair remind me quite a bit of Mickey Hargitay and Jayne Mansfield. I can't help but imagine the story transported to New York's garment district and starring Jayne & Mickey. In the course of the movie Robinson faces off against the former heavyweight boxing champion of the world Primo Carnera who plays a squared circle heel called  "Python Macklin". Looking at Robinson and Carnera together the duo remind me of Tarzan and Phobeg in Edgar Rice Burroughs' story TARZAN AND THE CITY OF GOLD. Carnera also appeared in HERCULES UNCHAINED (1959) starring Steve Reeves and that got me to thinking.

The story goes Italian movie producer Federico Teti was looking for an actor to appear in his peplum epic HERCULES (1957). His daughter would see the musical comedy ATHENA (1954) that had 1950 Mr. Universe Steve Reeves in a featured role on television and told her father that she had found his Hercules. The rest is as they say history. But what if instead of ATHENA it was A KID FOR TWO FARTHINGS that Teti's daughter saw on television? How would the world of pop culture possibly have been changed?

Below is a new Golden Adonis piece by Dave Goode and Vance Capley for a future project that the dynamic duo is working on. It seems somehow appropriate for this week's blog.

Golden Adonis created by Dave Goode art by Vance Capley

If you grew up as a "monster kid", do you remember Kolchak the Night Stalker? Well, the good folks at Visual Comics did, and boy do they have a treat for YOU! Monster Magazine issue number 6 is 120 pages LOADED with tons of information about Kolchak the Night Stalker from Mark Dawidziak, Sterling Clark, and the Monster Magazine staff. Warner Todd Huston writes about TV horror host Svengoolie. Our very own Dave Goode unwraps the Mummy's Hand. We visit with Horror Host of the month the Unusual Stranger...and much much more. This issue sports 3, that's right, 3 super cool covers by Ricky Blalock, Sterling Clark, and Vance Capley.

ARTISTS, MODELS, & COMICS by Dave Goode

ARTISTS, MODELS, & COMICS by Dave Goode

If you started reading comics at a very young age. Say before the age of six. More likely than not you imagined putting on a costume and going out to fight the forces of evil in the name of "truth, justice, and the American way". Then sometime when you were a little older you imagined being a comic book creator. You probably created your own comics from the very beginning. Self written and drawn pastiches of your favorites. I've got some very fond memories of elementary school and making comics with fellow fan-boys. And there were various episodes of television shows and movies that were cartoonist-themed.

 

I remember the short-lived television series HE AND SHE from the era of Batmania that starred Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss about a cartoonist and his wife. 

 

Also from the Batmania era was The Winged Avenger episode of the cult British television series THE AVENGERS that had Steed and Peel matching wits with a deranged comic book artist.

My favorite comic book creator movie was ARTISTS & MODELS (1955) directed by Frank Tashlin, who also helped to write the screenplay. It starred the comedy team of Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis who had been appearing in their own comic book series from DC since 1952. The movie also stars Dorothy Malone and Shirley MacLaine. Both Martin and Malone play comic book artists. MacLaine plays Malone's roommate who also doubles as the model for the comic book character the Bat - Lady. Interestingly enough the movie was released nearly a year before Batwoman made her debut in Detective Comics No. 233 (July 1956). It should also be noted that Dean Martin, the coolest member of the Rat Pack, was a huge comic book fan.

 

I'm also a fan of the comedy HOW TO MURDER YOUR WIFE (1965) that starred Jack Lemmon , Terry - Thomas , and the stunning Virna Lisi. Lemmon portrays a syndicated comic strip artist who uses models ( just like real life cartoonists Alex Raymond and Milton Caniff ) and researches his comic strip to the last detail. Acting out scenes for his strip. He also lives a swinging bachelor lifestyle that Hugh Hefner would have been envious of. 

Woodrow Wilkins, the comic book artist that Michael Crawford portrays in CONDORMAN (1981) does pretty much the same. I've given my buddy Vance Capley grief over this flick for years now. But the truth is that I find this movie based on Robert Sheckley's book THE GAME OF X very entertaining. 

I also like an episode of the television series SIMON & SIMON titled "Almost Completely Out of Circulation". In this episode from the show's fourth season detectives Rick and A.J. Simon investigate the murder of a comic book artist. Prop comic book art for this episode is provided by Will Meugniot and Bruce Timm. With coloring and color seperations by Jo Meugniot and Murphy Anderson.

When I created the comic book character Mr. Incognito, the American Luchador I used photo references of an old teammate from my high school wrestling days who wrestled semi-professionally as the model for the "poor man's Mil Mascaras". I found it was also a cool way to meet hot models. The ones that posed for the damsels in distress in my various comics.

On my last trip to Columbia, Tennessee my buddy Vance Capley and I posed for photo reference for our Dr. Judo comic.

OF GORILLAS AND HULKS by Dave Goode

OF GORILLAS AND HULKS BY DAVE GOODE

 When you talk about gorilla artists in the Silver Age of Comics the conversation usually begins with Carmine Infantino. And rightfully so. But for my money the best ape artist of the era was Steve Ditko. Nobody drew a gorilla quite like Ditko. Ditko's best known gorilla was the giant ape Konga. Charlton's KONGA comic book was a sequel of sorts to the British horror movie KONGA (1961) distributed by AIP. Oddly enough the comic book adaptation appeared in June 1960, nearly a year before the movie was released. The second issue cover dated August 1961, written by Joe Gill and illustrated by Ditko more or less took up where the movie ended. And the series has become something of a cult favorite. Fondly remembered by Silver Age readers.

Ditko would team up with another titan of the era, Jack Kirby, inking the pencils of the man known to comic book readers as the "King" on THE INCREDIBLE HULK No.2 (July 1962). Page one of that story has one of my favorite illustrations of the Hulk. In it the green Goliath looks like nothing so much as the personification of brute force. And reminds one that in his first appearance the Hulk was mistaken for both a bear and a gorilla. 

 

Kirby and Ditko would team again on FANTASTIC FOUR No.13 (April 1963). This was the issue that introduced readers to the menace of the Red Ghost and his Super-Apes. For the record the communist villain's anthropoid minions were a baboon, an orangutan and a gorilla. This was a really fun story that I wish the art chores had been switched with Ditko doing the pencils. 

And when the character Kraven the Hunter was introduced in THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN No. 15 (Aug. 1964) Ditko had him battling a pair of escaped gorillas as only Ditko could. Nobody drew a fight scene quite like Ditko either.

My favorite issue on the original run of the Hulk's comic book came in the sixth and final issue cover dated March 1963. In this story the Hulk faces the Metal Master. With Dick Ayers inking Ditko pencils the Hulk in his purple trunks resembles a professional wrestler. The massive Bruno Sammartino or Dick the Bruiser come to mind. On further examination Ditko gave this Hulk the same physique he gave to his gorillas. But with much thicker legs. It gave the Hulk the look of being shorter. Except for when he was standing next to something or someone to give him scale. By the way gorillas generally measure about 5' 8" inches in height and weigh in at about 450 pounds. Seven foot tall, 800 pound gorillas can only be found in movies and sometimes comic books.

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