Funny Stuff: "What a Night for a Knight!" by Jack Manning

Dig it, Groove-ophiles! My grandkids are getting into the classic Scooby Doo cartoons, so I'm posting "What a Night for a Knight!" (with art by Jack Manning, adapted from the cartoon show's pilot episode) for them. I do so hope you dig it, too! From Gold Key's Scooby Doo #1 (December 1969)…

Black and White Wednesday: B&W Mags You Might've Read on July 4 During the Groovy Age

Happy Fourth of July, everyone! Happy Independence Day to all my groovy guys and gals in the U.S.! And a belated Canada Day to y'all in the Great White North! Today Ol' Groove's trying something different for both 4th of July and B&W Wednesday, and that's looking back over the entirety of the Groovy Age (1968-1980) at the black and white action and horror mags you could very well have bought when you stocked up on firecrackers, sparklers, and cherry bombs, baby! You might've been reading these while waiting for the burgers and dogs to grill or on a picnic with the family! All the following covers represent b&w comic mags that came out between July 1-July 4 each year of the Groovy Age! How's that for time travel, baby! Enjoy the covers (in no particular order--hey, I'm on holiday!), but don'tcha spill any mustard on 'em!

Decent Comics: "The Crime of the Black Orchid" by Fleisher and Redondo

Hey, hey, hey, Groove-ophiles! We're back with another Black Orchid back-up. This time, co-creators Sheldon Mayer and Tony DeZuniga aren't on hand to tell the tale of "The Crime of the Black Orchid," as writer Micheal Fleisher and artist Nestor Redondo fill in for an ish. Redondo would actually provide the art for the next couple stories since DeZuniga was finished with the strip (probably buried under inking work at Marvel). Fleisher would write several more BO back-ups, and Ol' Groove can't help but think that this experience would prepare Fleisher for his stint on Marvel's Spider-Woman (issues 21-32). Whaddya say let's head on back to May 1974 and flip through Phantom Stranger #32...

Marvel-ous Monday Groovy Guest Post: Mike Mikulovsky on "In the Coils of the Copperhead!" by Wein, Wolfman, Colan, and Janson

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Ol' Groove is stepping aside today to let Mighty Mike Mikulovsky lay one of his patented Groovy Guest Posts 'pon us! This one concerns "In the Coils of the Copperhead!" from DD #124 (May 1975) by Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Gene Colan, and Klaus Janson. Check it out...

Around this time (early 1975), I had been buying DC Comics' The Shadow by artist Mike Kaluta. I was buying many pulp hero novels, too, one being The Shadow novels with the stunning covers by Jim Steranko. When I first saw Copperhead, I thought he was way too cool a character to be wasted as a villain. He would have made a great anti-hero, but  instead, Marvel ripped off the Executioner character to create the Punisher as their anti-hero. 

I thought the Copperhead's trench coat and hat were great. The cover by Gil Kane with inks by Frank Giacoia really rocked. Even though he only appeared in seven pages of this issue, the interiors by Gene Colan and Klaus Janson really grabbed my attention. This was Gene Colan's last issue on DD for a few years, too. I was recently incredibly lucky to pick up page 10 of DD #124. I'm always looking for the remaining Copperhead pages from DD #124 & #125. So what do you think? Anybody else dig this character as much as I did and still do?