Can't Always Tell A Book By It's Cover! by Dave Goode

 

You often hear about how DC comic book stories back in the Silver Age were built around the images on the cover. I don't know how often this was done. You would think it would be easier to take a strong image from a story and use it on the cover. But the editors at DC decided it was a comic's cover that sold the book. And that made it the most important part of the comic. And in truth the cover was the selling point. It was the cover that induced the reader to part with their ten or twelve cents. So the editors , writers and artists came up with a striking cover and then wrote a story to go with it. Sometimes the story had very little to do with the cover. That quite wasn't the case with Superman No. 174 (January 1965). Though it could have used the disclaimer that read, "No Scene Like This To Be Found Inside!".

The great Curt Swan/George Klein cover is followed by an equally great splash page by the same artistic tag team. And of course I had wished the whole story was illustrated by them. But Al Plastino does a more than competent job on the story written by Edmond Hamilton. Some might consider that after Swan, Plastino was the definitive Silver Age Superman artist. The story has Adam Newman, a previously unknown character, visiting Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. He reveals to the mild mannered reporter that he and not Kent is Superman. The rest of the story revolves around Kent trying to prove that he's the Man of Steel. And failing miserably.

You know that Clark Kent is Superman. But gosh darn it until those last pages you really start to believe he's suffering from an incredible delusion. And then Hamilton reveals how the hero has been tricked. Sorry no spoilers.Just let me say it's an interesting story. One that doesn't rely on Superman being super. And you even get a cameo by Batman. As a Silver Age kid I for one miss the days When Superman and Batman were best friends. And shared their every secret.

 

THE CANARY IS A PRETTY BIRD by Dave Goode

In my mind the original Black Canary had the sexiest costume of any comic book heroine. Perfect for an Artists & Models Ball. Or for a night out at the local fetish bar. Okay so the buccaneer boots with the 4 inch heels may not have been practical for guerilla warfare against crime in the streets. But most super-heroines wore heels in the fight for truth , justice and the American way. Especially at the time when Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino created her. And like the other heroines of the period who didn't posses powers and abilities beyond those of mere mortals she was a " judo expert ".

 

 

 

 

Making her first appearance in Flash Comics No. 86 ( August 1947 ) the Black Canary was a supporting player in the Johnny Thunder back - up feature. A female Robin Hood who took a page from the Green Hornet's  playbook. She would infiltrate criminal gangs to smash them from within. Soon she was the most popular character in the feature. The Johnny Thunder strip was cancelled. And the Black Canary was awarded her own strip in Flash Comics No. 92 ( Feb. 1948 ) where she was given the secret identity of flower shop owner Dinah Drake. She would also take Johnny Thunder's place in the Justice Society of America. When I first found these Golden Age Black Canary stories with her and her Phillip Marlowe - like detective boy friend Larry Lance I thought they may have made a good series of B - Movies from Monogram.

I first learned about the Black Canary during the Silver Age in Justice League of America No. 29 ( August 1964 ). She had made her first Silver Age appearance in a flashback scene in The Flash No. 129 ( June 1962 ). That was followed  by appearances in Justice League of America No.21 (August 1963 ) and Justice League of America No. 22 ( Sept. 1963 ) . Later she would team with her Justice Society teammate Starman in The Brave and The Bold No. 61 ( August 1965 ) and The Brave and The Bold No. 62 ( Sept. 1965 ) with stories by Gardner Fox and art by Murphy Anderson. By this time she and Larry Lance were a married couple.

 

 

 

 

I would imagine Anne Francis who portrayed " private eyeful " Honey West on television in 1965 starring in a Black Canary movie. As I imagined Veronica Lake as the Canary in a 1940s movie. It's been said that Veronica Lake was actually the model for the character. Of course since Dinah Drake's blonde hair was a wig ( part of her disguise ) it really wasn't necessary to have a natural blonde play the role.

I enjoyed the Black Canary's appearances in the Justice League up until she became a member of that team and given an unnecessary super - power. But what I got a real kick out of was Marvel's Silver Age Black Widow. Changing her from a Russian spy to a full fledged super - villainess she was given a second - hand Black Canary costume.

ANOTHER EAST SIDE KIDS DOUBLE FEATURE by Dave Goode

One of the great entertainment pleasures of my youth was watching East Side Kids movies on the local television stations. Growing up I didn't know anyone who didn't like these flicks. Though there were those who preferred the Bowery Boys to the East Siders.














For years I've dreamed of an East Side Kids comic book from the Golden Age of Comic Books by Simon & Kirby who created the Newsboy Legion and Boy Commandos for DC. Two of the movies from the East Side series that I could see being adapted to the comic book page were BOWERY BLITZKRIEG (1941) and LET'S GET TOUGH (1942).

BOWERY BLITZKRIEG was a fun little boxing movie with Leo Gorcey as Muggs McGinnis representing the N.Y. Police Department in an amateur boxing tournament. There have been more movies made about boxing than any other sport. And this one features about all the usual cliches. Including an improbable come from behind victory in the squared circle. This is also introduces Huntz Hall into the series.

LET'S GET TOUGH is my personal favorite of the series.The story has the Kids tackling an Axis spy ring. Something that wouldn't have been out of place in a Golden Age comic book. Fun stuff. And pretty exciting exciting too.

BETTIE, THE JUNGLE PRINCESS by Dave Goode

Do you remember certain DC Comics of the Silver Age where the editors, writers, and artists would come up with a cover image and then create a story built around it? The adage you cant judge a book by it's cover was often true when applied to these comics. I got the distinct impression this was also the case for the 10 page lead story found in Bettie Page Comics No.1 from Dark Horse in 1996. You start with the cover illustration by the late, great Dave Stevens that itself looks like a homage to Frank Frazetta's cover to Thun'Da No.1 from the 1950s.

With a script by Jeff Gelb and Dave Steven the story is penciled by Bret Blevins with inks by Blevins, Mike Manley, and Dave Stevens. The story itself is a hilarious tribute to B-Movie jungle adventures. And features thinly disguised cyphers for Ed Wood Jr. and Johnny Weissmuller.

The whole thing was most likely inspired by a photo shoot with pin-up model turned pin - up photographer Bunny Yeager and model Bettie Page done at the Africa U.S.A theme park in Boca Raton, Florida in 1954. The sexy "jungle girl" outfit Bettie is wearing was in fact made by Miss Page herself.

I like to believe there is an alternate universe where a B-Movie producer like a Sam Katzman decided to make a jungle adventure flick starring Bettie Page. Maybe even co-starring Johnny Weissmuller. As Johnny Weissmuller and not Jungle Jim. And Steve Calvert as Bettie's faithful gorilla companion. Something that was missing from the photo shoot with Miss Yeager.

And don't forget the comic!

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And As The Clown Prince Of Crime I Decline by Dave Goode

And As The Clown Prince Of Crime I Decline by Dave Goode

 

 

 

 

When the Batman television series premiered on ABC-TV, the 8 year old me thought it was cooler than the other side of the pillow. Largely because the pilot episodes Hi Diddle Riddle and Smack In The Middle were so much better than the comic book story The Remarkable Ruse Of The Riddler from Batman No. 171 (May 1965) they were based on. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During the first season of the show a number of the episodes were adapted from the comic books. Of these my favorite was adapted from my favorite Joker story at the time...The Joker's Utility Belt from Batman No. 73 (Oct. 1952) .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A story that I first read in reprinted form in 80 Page Giant Batman No. 176 (Dec. 1965).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Joker Is Wild and Batman Is Riled that originally aired on January 26 and January 27 of 1966 were not a spot on adaptation of the comic book story. But the screenplay written by Robert Dozier (the nephew of the show's producer) is darn close. With things, like the Joker's escape from prison, a welcome addition. Dozier's screenplay captures the spirit of the original. Another welcome addition was Nancy Kovack as the Clown Prince of Crime's moll Queenie.

Also sometimes we also forget just how good Cesar Romero was as the Joker. Since Jack Nicholson played the role in the 1989 movie screenwriters have made the character more and more psychotic. And we forget just how scary Romero was in the role. Especially in this episode.

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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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