Making a Splash: Ant-Man In the Groovy Age

Hank Pym! Scott Lang! Pick your favorite Ant-Man, but here they are in all their Groovy Age splash-page glory from Iron Man #44, Marvel Feature issues 4-10, and Marvel Premiere #47-48!

Making a Splash: Michael Golden Goes Bats, Man!

Hey, hey, hey, Groove-ophiles! Michael Golden's Batman was way beyond awesome, and it's a shame he didn't draw more of the Darknight Detective's adventures. We can give thanks, though, for those he did illustrate (and, yeah, you lucky Groove-ophile, you, they're all here on the Diversions--check 'em out!). Here are the splashes from those gorgeous-o-yet-all-too-rare masterworks...

Batman #295

Batman Family #18

Batman Family #19

Batman Family #20

Batman #303

DC Special Series #15

Making a Splash: P. Craig Russell's War of the Worlds/Killraven

Dig it, Groove-ophiles! For Ol' Groove, one of the highest-of-the-high-points of Marvel in the Groovy Age was Don McGregor's War of the Worlds/Killraven run in Amazing Adventures. With artists like Herb Trimpe, Rich Buckler, and Gene Colan, McGregor took Roy Thomas' cool idea (H.G. Wells' Martians return to conquer Earth) and elevated it into a unique, way ahead of it's time sci-fi strip. When neo-artist P. Craig Russell joined him as artist (A. A. issues 27-32, 34-37 (layouts only on 35-36), and 39, August 1974-August 1976 ) the comic became legendary. Russell's art was as unique and cool as McGregor's writing, with both men elevating the comics medium with each passing issue. Russell is a master, there is no doubt, and even his early work showed a style that stood out from all the rest...

Groove's Faves: "Ant-Man No More!" by Friedrich and Russell

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Today we're wrapping up Mike Friedrich's nearly-forgotten Ant-Man series from Marvel Feature. As a kid, this was one of my fave series, and I have to say, despite the silly villain, I dig this finale from Marvel Feature #10 (April 1973). My reasons? 1) P. Craig Russell is coming into his own as an artist. Frank Chiarmonte's usually heavy inks don't hide Russell's rapidly-growing style. 2) A super-villain who lives in a trailer. (As I've said before, Friedrich was great at giving us weird/ironic twists a la Steve Gerber before Gerber started in that direction, himself!) 3) An Avengers cameo! 4) And that final page, in which Friedrich and Russell totally and charmingly capture Hank and Jan's relationship--plus the reveal of how/why Hank was narrating this whole series in such a, as Jan puts it, "poetic" way. Check it out, baby...

Cover art by P. Craig Russell and Dan Adkins w/Frank Giacoia

Groove's Faves: "...The Killer Is My Wife!" by Friedrich and Russell

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! It's time for more Ant-Man and the Wasp from their time-lost series in the first volume of Marvel Feature! Today's classic, "...The Killer Is My Wife!", from Marvel Feature #9 (February 1973) was written by Mike Friedrich, penciled by a very young P. Craig Russell, and inked by Gold Key mainstay and cartoonist (Apartment 3-G) Frank Bolle. Look out for cameos by Iron Man and Bill (Black Goliath) Foster!