THE DUCTILE DETECTIVE by Dave Goode

One of the things I loved about the Silver Age of Comics was the double-feature comic book. One of my favorites was Detective Comics when it featured Batman and the Elongated Man.Ralph Dibny made his comic book debut in Flash No.112 (May 1960) where we learn the Elongated Man's origin.

When he was 9 , Dibny visited the circus with his family and became fascinated with the Indian rubber man. Because the sideshow performer will not reveal the secret of his elasticity , Dibny spends years visiting every rubber man he can trying to learn their secret. He does notice that they all drink Gingold , a brand of soda water derived from a tropical rubber plant. Dibny distills and drinks the essence of the plant. Because of an X factor in his type O blood the Gingold gives him the ability to stretch his body to any length he desires.Creating a costume of a specially treated material he first becomes a performer and then a super-hero of sorts as the Elongated Man.

Dibny would appear in several issues of the Flash , partnering with the "fastest man alive" for several far-out adventures. In Flash No.119 (March 1961) he would marry socialite Sue Dearbon ,becoming one of comic books first married superheroes. He would also reveal his secret identity to the world.

The story goes editor Julius Schwartz didn't know that DC had acquired the rights

to Plastic Man and had John Broome (writer) and Carmine Infantino (artist) create the "ductile detective". Aside from his ability to stretch I never saw much of Plas in the Elongated Man. And his stories in the Flash were vanilla. But that would change when he was given his own feature beginning in Detective Comics No.327(May 1964). Dibny became more of a wisecracking hero. And he was shown to be a bit of a exhibitionist as well. Then again he had worked in show business.

 

It was after watching the classic movie mystery THE THIN MAN(1934) as a teen that I caught the "Nick and Nora" vibe that the Elongated Man writers were working for. And the character became one of my favorite second-banana heroes. Ideal to serve as Batman's back-up in Detective Comics.

This may be a stretch, but did you know that some of the best costumed crime didn't need superpowers? No, 
they used judo. Just like the heroes in JUDO COMICS by
Dave Goode and illustrated by Vance Capley. Do you have a copy yet? Click this link:

Link...get it?

Don't forget to listen to this weeks special episode of Sundown Cinema. We discuss scary films with Dave Goode, Vance Capley, Ricky Blalock, and David Walker:

THE REAL KARATE KID by Dave Goode

Back in 1984 when I 1st heard there was going to be a Karate Kid movie I wondered how the other
members of the Legion of Super-Heroes of the 30th Century were going to fit in it. Of course I was to
find out the movie had nothing to do with the Silver Age hero.

Karate Kid would appear in Adventure Comics No.346 (July 1966) in a story that also introduced Ferro
Lad , Nemesis Kid and Princess Projectra. Created by teenage writer Jim Shooter Karate Kid was an
expert at all forms of hand- to -hand combat known in the 30th century. Now add into the equation that
as a member of the LoSH he was a teenager.

So he mastered all these forms of combat before he was
20. Batman having mastered 127 martial arts doesn't seem so implausible compared to this.
He was also the master of "super karate". Which was more or less super tameshiwari. So like Magnus,
Robot Fighter at Gold Key ,Karate Kid was able to smash steel with shuto blows. Only he never called
it smashing or breaking.

He almost always said he was going to "karate" something. This really wasn't
that strange. Karate was still relatively new to Americans in the 60s. And in other comics of the period
when someone was drawn using a "karate chop" it was usually accompanied by a thought balloon in
which they were saying they were using karate. Otherwise it looked like they were simply slapping
someone.

By the end of the Silver Age Karate Kid's techniques looked more realistic and diverse.

As if someone
on the creative staff started buying Black Belt magazine. During the Bronze Age Karate Kid got a name
(Val Armorr) ,a new costume (I'm sure I wasn't the only one who hated the original) and an origin. He
would also get his own series in 1976 that ran for 15 issues. Not DC's greatest marketing move.Giving
their ready-made martial arts hero his own series at the tail-end of the martial arts movie fad. Duh.
Oh yeah.That 1984 Karate Kid movie that had nothing to do with the comic book hero? Well in the end
credits there's a shout out to DC Comics for their letting them use the name Karate Kid.

Speaking of karate, Goode Guy Comics, publisher of JUDO COMICS, presents our latest creation....
EL TIGRE

Science Fiction Double-Feature by Dave Goode

When I was a kid back in the 60s I was introduced to a number of cool movies through New York's MILLION DOLLAR MOVIE on WOR Channel 9.Two of those flicks were WORLD WITHOUT END(1956) and QUEEN OF OUTER SPACE(1958).







 

WORLD WITHOUT END was directed by Edward Bernds who directed a number of Three Stooges shorts and Bowery Boys movies.The screenplay,also by Bernds,had just about all the pulp sci-fi cliches an 8 year old fan-boy could want.Four astronauts returning from a mission to Venus when their ship begins traveling at unheard of velocities.They crash land on what they first think is Mars.But is what they find out to be the post-apocalyptic Earth of 2508.There they encounter a dog-sized cave spider,mutant cavemen and an underground civilization populated by men who look like the "before" in before and after ads and women who could have walked out of a Vegas chorus-line.The men from the past help to trigger the rebirth of the human race.

I imagined an adaptation of this movie drawn by Al Williamson or Frank Frazetta.Or many the pair working together.

QUEEN OF OUTER SPACE(1958) was also directed by Edward Bernds.With a screenplay by Charles Beumont from a story by Ben Hecht this was more great pulp sci-fi brought to life on the big screen.





Four more space explorers from Earth crash land on Venus.Our heroes are taken prisoner by the Vesuvians who just happen to be stunningly beautiful women.They have imprisoned the men and taken over the planet under the rule of the domineering masked Queen Yllana.Yllana has a plan to destroy the Earth.But our heroes save the day with the help of some dissenting Vesuvians led by the beautiful scientist Talleah played by Zsa Zsa Gabor.

It's funny.I know there was never a comic book adaptation of this flick.But in my mind's eye I see one adapted by Wally Wood. 

Visiting an alternate comic book history can be fun! But NONE are more fantastic than the atomic and silver age style stories written and created by Dave Goode and illustrated by Vance Capley! Do YOU have YOUR copy of JUDO COMICS? No? Then order yours TODAY!! Just click the "Link" below!

The Return of Jungle Johnny by Dave Goode

Arguably the greatest swimming champion of the 20th century , Johnny Weissmuller was as big , if not bigger , than Michael Phelps. In the 1920s he stood on equal ground with such sports legends as Red Grange , Jack Dempsey and Babe Ruth. He of course would become a movie star portraying a variation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan of the Apes in six movies for MGM. And then in another six pictures for RKO. But I knew Weissmuller first as Jungle Jim from the syndicated television series. Later I would discover the 13 Jungle Jim movies he made for Columbia Pictures. And from 1954 to 1955 Weissmuller would play himself in three more flicks for Columbia, CANNIBAL ATTACK , JUNGLE MOON-MEN and DEVIL GODDESS. All of which would have been great adapted to the comic book page.

Considering just how little Columbia's Jungle Jim movies had to do with Alex Raymond's comic strip , which they were based on , you could have taken the stories from the movies and translated them into comic books without anyone ever noticing. With art by the likes of Frank Frazetta , Al Williamson and Wally Wood. That trio would have been great illustrating some of the sexy sarong-clad native girls that appeared in the movies. As well as the adventures of "America's No.1 Jungle Hero".  And as I could easily imagine a Johnny Weissmuller comic book I can just as easily imagine a Johnny Weissmuller adventure digest magazine. Just like with the Johnny Weissmuller comic book I can't understand why some
publisher didn't give it a shot.

 And now....Dave Goode and Vance Capley present:

Do you love comics?! We do too! We love them so much we made Judo Comics!! Don't be a CHUMP, grab your copy of Judo Comics by clicking this Link!

Watch Dave Goode and Vance Capley discuss this blog  and comic on youtube:

The World's Finest Models by Dave Goode

 If you are a Silver Age Kid chances are you probably owned the Superman model kit from Aurora. This was a decided must have for fan-boys of the era. Pure bosso-keeno coolness from 1963. It's coolness began with the illustration on the box cover of Superman (looking more than a little bit like George Reeves) smashing through a brick wall. That was an image burned into this Silver Age kid's mind from repeated viewings  of The Adventures of Superman. The man of steel more powerful than a locomotive and faster than a speeding bullet crashing through a wall to save the day.

A couple of years later during Batmania , Aurora would give comic book readers a Batman model kit. It had the caped crusader swinging on a tree branch brandishing his batarang. I kept the two figures on top of a bookcase in my room for years guarding a stack of books. It was just too bad that the figures weren't heavy or strong enough to use as actual bookends. Still later Aurora would come out with a couple of other superhero model kits. Superboy and his pet Krypto , the Superdog dragon-hunting. And Wonder Woman roping an octopus with her magic lasso. But the only other superhero model kit I picked up was Robin , the Boy Wonder heroically pulling the lever on some machine in the Batcave. Why oh why didn't they have him swinging on his bat-rope and brandishing his batarang?

 Aurora would also come out with a line of Marvel superhero model kits. The Amazing Spider-Man,the Incredible Hulk and Captain America , the Living Legend of World War Two. But after putting together the "World's Finest Team" I really had no further interest in superhero models. Now Aurora's line of classic Universal monsters was an entirely different story. I owned the model kits for Count Dracula , the Frankenstein Monster , the Wolf Man , the Mummy and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. All very cool stuff.

Speaking of cool superheroes, grab your self a copy of JUDO COMICS! 
 That's right, Judo Comics! Featuring brand new Atomic and Silver Age superheroes and adventurers! Including Dr. Judo, Mr. Incognito, the Golden Adonis, and the Phantom Gorilla! Super neat-o articles! Fun comics! Great price!

Monsieur Mallah,Silver Age Simian by Dave Goode

Silver Age kid that I am I've always had a strange fascination for the intelligent apes of the era. I love the Super-Ape minions of the commie comic book villain the Red Ghost. And what Silver Age kid wasn't a fan of Gorilla Grodd,arch-enemy of the Flash? My personal favorite intelligent ape of the 60s however was Monsieur Mallah. A six feet three inch 400 lb. French speaking gorilla.

 

Created by Arnold Drake (writer) and Bruno Premiani (illustrator) Monsieur Mallah first appeared in the pages of THE DOOM PATROL No.86  (March 1964) from DC Comics. He was the subject of an experiment of a scientist. The scientist raised a captured gorilla's I.Q. through shock treatments and other methods to the genius level of 178. The scientist who would later become the super-villain the Brain after losing his own body. One of those disembodied brains that you find so often in pulp fiction and B-movies. He would name the beast Monsieur Mallah and educated him for the better part of a decade training him as his assistant. The pair would become charter members of the Brotherhood of Evil and sworn enemies of the super-hero team the Doom Patrol.

Of course as a gorilla Mallah was a physically formidable foe. Standing 6' 3" he was quite a bit taller than an average gorilla.But just as strong. Silverback gorillas are 6x as strong as humans per kilo bodyweight. So a silverback gorilla (220 kg.) weighs about twice as much as a large human. So a silverback is about 12 times as strong as a human athlete. And even more impressive is the fact that they can run between 20 to 25 mph. To put that into perspective Usain Bolt ,the 3-time Olympic champion has been clocked at 23.25 mph.

In the Silver Age before CGI if you were making a Doom Patrol movie featuring Monsieur Mallah or a Flash movie featuring Gorilla Grodd you would be using an actor in an ape-suit. But we Silver Age kids were so use to men in ape-suits from repeated viewings of serials and monster movies from the thrilling 30s and fabulous 40s we wouldn't have cared. We had our own super-power. We had the ability to suspend belief.

 You can read the Phantom Gorilla's first action packed adventure in the pages of JUDO COMICS! Get yours today! Wanna watch Dave Goode and Vance Capley discuss ape suit cinema, comics, and the Phantom Gorilla? Click here for the VIDEO!

Starring Steve Holland by Dave Goode

 

I was about twelve or so when I discovered "men's sweat mags". The attraction was immediate and obvious. Colorful covers with steely-eyed,square-jawed American servicemen rescuing lingerie-clad women from the hordes of Hitler and Hirohito. Or maybe an American G.I. stripped to the waist and threatened with torture by some SS She-Wolf. Then there were the jungle-themed covers. Rugged safari guides protecting blondes in torn blouses from savage tribesmen or untamed animals. This was wonderfully parodied by Frank Frazetta on a National Lampoon cover. Even better were the occasional covers that had intrepid explorers captured by a tribe of Amazons , stripped to the waist and again threatened with torture. Or better yet...a "fate worse than death".

 

 

 

 

 

Of course the model used for many of these heroic he-men was Steve Holland. A little while back I began imagining a parallel world where Steve Holland became a huge star in B-Movies based on the stories found in the pages of men's sweat mags. Movies like the Ilsa flicks starring Dyanne Thorne. But with less nudity and sex. Or like the Johnny Weissmuller Jungle Jim movies with a bit of implied nudity and sex. Flicks with titles like " Escape From The Torture Chamber of the SS She-Wolf ". Or "I Was The Love Slave of the Panther Women of Cozi-Cozi Island ".Talking about this with buddy Vance Capley we had the idea to give you some idea what that parallel world might look like with a few faux movie posters and lobby card.

 

 

 

 

Do you enjoy action? Then you need to get JUDO COMICS today!