Friday, August 26, 2016
The Grooviest Covers of All Time: Groovy August Debuts
Happy Birthday to Groove! Yeah, baby, Ol' Groove has now spent 53 years 'pon this spinning globe we call Earth--and I've spent most of 'em reading comicbooks! Not counting my own debut (I debuted pre-Groovy Age, don'tcha know), August was also quite kind to the world of comics--especially during the Groovy Age! So to celebrate moi, we're gonna celebrate a dozen-and-a-half magnificent comicbook milestones. Nope, they're not all first issues, but they're all first somethings! Do you know/can you guess/can you figure out why all the non-first issues were included in this pulse-pounding post? Share your knowledge and/or theories in the comments section--then have a slice of cake on Ol' Groove!
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first deadman, first comic based on an action figure?, first vision, first DC kirby... and a bunch of dunno other than obvious first appearances of...
ReplyDeleteYou're right!
DeleteYou're a sneaky one Groove - you nearly had me there, trying to figure out which Avengers debuted in those issues after 57. But its the first Adams, Englehart and Perez in the other three respectively, right?
ReplyDelete-sean
Right on, sean!
DeleteWasn't the first Warlord sort of a double-first, in that it was also an ish of 1st Issue Special? And since "1st" is in the title, does that make it a TRIPLE first?
ReplyDeleteI have to dig my longboxes out of storage and re-read that old classic one of these days... by that, I mean the whole Warlord series beyond the issues you've already posted here. I can think of far worse ways to spend the rest of the summer!
Anyway, happy b-day, and thanks for the slice of cake!
CR
Didn't think of the Warlord mag that way--but you're right!
DeleteHappy birthday, Groove!
ReplyDelete1) 1st Deadman
2) 1st Cap Action (in US?)
3) 1st Vision
4) 1st Forever People?
5) 1st profanity on Marvel cover (Sue Storm is giving Thor the finger, but you can't see her!)
6) 1st Tigra
7) 1st Swamp Thing
8) 1st Clint as Giant Man?
9) 1st Madame Satan?
10) 1st E-Man (yea!)
11) New costume for Cap (and new powers)
12) 1st Squadron
13) 1st Warlord
14) 1st Huntress
15) 1st Madame Masque?
16) 1st Rook
17) 1st Moon Knight
18) 1st New Titans
You got a lot of 'em right, Philip, (1, 2, 3, (6, kinda), 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 18...but you get a Key to Groove City for your #5! I love it!!
DeleteHappy birthday from a fellow small-town Kentuckian who also grew up reading comics during the Groovy Age! I have two of those books (first appearance of The Huntress and first issue of The New Teen Titans), and they are among my most-prized comics.
ReplyDeleteWe had to work hard for those Groovy Age comics here in the hills of KY! Glad to have a "cousin" hanging out with us! Go Big Blue!
DeleteFirst Darkseid in the Jimmy Olson?
ReplyDeleteEven more than that going on, Peter! Keep reading! :D
DeleteHappy birthday, old groove :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Groove-ophile!
DeleteHappy Birthday Groove! Wow you just keep on delivering the good stuff to us! Hope you enjoyed your birthday and hope you have many more!
ReplyDelete- Mike from Trinidad & Tobago.
Gracias, amigo! It's been great!
DeleteHappy Birthday, Groove! Thanks for the blog and wishing you many more Groovy Birthdays to come!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bret!
DeleteHAPPY BDAY!!! Thanks for all that you do!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Dee! Thanks for hanging out with us!
DeleteIt's a day late, but happy birthday, Groove! May this planet be blessed with (at least) 53 more years of your presence.
ReplyDeleteAs for the non-first issue firsts, here's my go at your challenge:
Strange Adventures #205 is the first appearance of Deadman.
Avengers #57 is the first appearance of Vision.
Jimmy Olson #133 is the first issues of that series done by Kirby (and also, I think, the first issue of any comic written and drawn by Kirby when he switched to DC in 1970).
Avengers #93 is the first issue of the series drawn by Neal Adams.
Chilling Adventures in Sorcery #3 - drawing a blank here...
Avengers #105 is, I believe, the first issue written by Steve Englehart.
Captain Marvel #29 is basically the first issue in which he has blonde hair.
Avengers #141 is the first issue drawn by Perez.
First Issue Special #8 is the first appearance of Warlord.
Secret Origins of the Super-heroes #17 is the first appearance of Huntress (the Helena Wayne version, obviously).
Iron Man #116 is the first issue of the now legendary Michelinie/Layton (and Romita Jr.) run on that title.
Yep! And Russ has the answer to the Chilling Adventures In Sorcery first...
DeleteCaptain MARVEL 29 isn't this the issue he becomes the Protector of the Universe and his hair goes blonde (I think it was silver before).
ReplyDeleteYou got it, Paul!
DeleteNo wonder I always hated going back to school, when summer ended with excitement like this! The above list includes several of my all-time favorite comics.
ReplyDeleteSome major Avengers milestones up there: Avengers #57 was the debut of the Vision, of course. Avengers #93 saw the reunion of Roy Thomas with his all-too-brief X-Men collaborator Neal Adams in what turned out to be a criminally short time together on the book. Avengers #105 brought in Steve Englehart as writer, and issue #141 introduced George Perez to the series.
Right on, Richard!
Delete1st Deadman, 1st Captain Action comic, 1st appearance of new Vision, 1st Kirby JO and 4th World, 1st interior Avengers art by Adams, 1st appearance Cat, 1st Swamp Thing comic, 1st Englehart Avengers, 1st Morrow-edited Sorcery, 1st appearance E-man, 1st cosmically blonde Captain Marvel (also 1st issue scripted by Starlin), 1st Perez Avengers, 1st appearance Warlord, 1st appearance Huntress, 1st Misheline/Romita Jr/Layton Iron Man,1st issue the Rook,1st issue Moon Knight, 1st issue New Teen Titans. Do I get a HellNo-Prize?
ReplyDeleteYou get the Key to Groove City, baby! Nailed 'em all!
DeleteOh, and I guess, reflecting on what Unknown said, Captain Action is the first toy-license comic, too.
ReplyDeleteIron Man 116
ReplyDeleteWas the premier issue of David Michellini (spelled wrong I think), Bob Layton and J R Jr. which began their iconic run.
Iron Man was always my favorite hero and it was good to finally see him get his due dilligence as one of Marvels mainstream characters.
Now.....WHERES MY CAKE???
I ate it! And it was gooooooooood! :D
DeleteDunno...but a belated Happy Birthday to you, Groovester...Keep on Truckin'....
ReplyDeleteTruckin' on, brother!
DeleteOooh! Fun game! More please. Here are my guesses --- made without consulting the inter webs to increase the challenge.
ReplyDeleteCat: First comic with an all-female creative team (and also, of course, a female lead character)
Warlord: First appearance of Warlord, did not get his own mag til later. Weirdly that mag lasted only 2 issues before getting resurrected by Jeanette Kahn and having huge success
Swamp Thing: First issue but not first appearance... initial appearance was in ... um.. House of
Mystery?
Captain Marvel: First appearance of new costume (and new powers?). Never liked to green and white duds so this was a big improvement
Avengers 141: First appearance of the alternate Earth that the Squadron lives on ... ummm... Earth Prime? Hmmm that does not sound right
Iron Man 16: Hmmm not sure. First issue with Bob Layton art? First issue of the "Demon in a Bottle" alcoholism subplot?
Some good guesses! Except for inker Wally Wood, you're right about The Cat...I think! ;D Yep on Warlord; Right on Swamp Thing, except the "pilot episode" was in House of Secrets (#92); Right on CM; Right on Iron Man (he joined writer David Michelinie and penciler JRJR to complete the titanic trifecta!)
DeleteBelated Happy Birthday Groove. NOt sure when I discovered your blog, late 2014(?), but it's been a constant "blast from the past" ever since! (Just curious why you didn't show Cap Marvel 17, where he got his new (and much less preferred, from my perspective) uniform. I still dig your May 15, 2015, "How Green was my Mar vell!" and occasionally go back for a look.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your support and the b-day wishes, CH! The reason I didn't show CM 17 is 'cause it came out in July. Maybe I'll do a post like this next July!
DeleteDohhhh... weird things happen to my logic when I see that blue-red Captain Marvell! Bring back Gene and Green!!! in the meantime make mine Sad Sack! have a great monday!
Delete