Makin' Chaykin: "Cinemattack!" by Rozakis, Chaykin, and Rubinstein

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Ol' Groove was just browsing through the Files of the Forgotten when I ran across this buried gem from Batman Family #14 (July 1977). It's another magnificent Man-Bat back-up by written by Bob Rozakis, but this time it isn't drawn by Marshall Rogers or Michael Golden...but by Howard Chaykin with inks by Joe Rubinstein. Now I'm pretty sure I haven't seen any other Chaykin-penciled Man-Bat stories, so that makes this a kind of rarity. On top of that, though, is the fact that it's inked by a young Joe Rubinstein. Howard usually inked his own stuff, so it's both a surprise and a treat to see him inked by just about anyone else, especially a fave like Joe!

Random Reads: "The Wizard of Lemuria!" by Carter, Effinger, Isabella, Mayerik, and Colletta

Hey, hey, hey, Groove-ophiles! Let's get down with yet another chapter in the stunning saga of Lin Carter's Thongor of Lost Lemuria! Today's post focuses on the second installment of Marvel's adaptation of "The Wizard of Lemuria" adapted by George Effinger and Tony Isabella (writers) and Val Mayerik and Vinnie Colletta (artists). Dinosaurs! Flying ships! Wizards! Man-eating plants! Invisible servants! More dinosaurs! All this and a Gil Kane cover, too! From June 1973, it's Creatures on the Loose #25!

Scarier than Doing Your Taxes Week! Groove's Faves: "The Raven" by Poe and Corben

We're winding down with Scarier than Doing Your Taxes Week, Groove-ophiles, and we're ending with a biiiiig question.  Why did we need Classics Illustrated when we had Rich Corben doing adaptations like Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" in Comix International #2 (1975, reprinted from Creepy #67, October 1974)?

Scarier than Doing Your Taxes Week! Thursday Double-Play: "Demonrider"/"Monster on my Back" by Brennan, Abel, Wood/Glut, Mooney, and Morrow

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Y'know, it's bothered Ol' Groove for the longest time, how the final two issues of Archie Comics' Red Circle Sorcery (issues 10-11, September-November 1974) ran stories about a gargoyle-like demon riding piggy back on some loser and driving him bonkers. Had editor Gray Morrow tossed a story idea to two very different writers (T. Casey Brennan on ish 10's "Demonrider" and Don Glut on ish 11'a "Monster on my Back") and two very different artistic teams (Jack Abel and Wally Wood on "Demonrider" and Jim Mooney and Morrow, himself, on "Monster on my Back") by mistake and run them 'cause he was just playing out the thread, anyway? Was it a "No, guys, this is what I wanted" message from Morrow to the creative team on ish 10? Or was it some macabre master plan to make us fans go "huh?" Well, nearly four decades later, Ol' Groove is still going "huh?", and I'm betting you will too, baby! Onward...

Cover art by Gray Morrow

Scarier than Doing Your Taxes Week! Black and White Wednesday: "The Victims!" by Conway and Buckler

Hey, hey, hey, Groove-ophiles! Didja know that a couple'a years before Gerry (and it's Gerard, not "Gerald") Conway and Rich Buckler teamed up on Marvel mags like the Fantastic Four and Thor they worked together on a macabre mystery tale called "The Victims!"? Didja know it was an early entry into comicbook stories about clones--something Mr. Conway would later make an important ingredient in the Spider-Man mythos (like it or don't)? Didja know this shocker from Skywald's Nightmare #3 (cover-dated April 1971) was only the "Swash" Bucker's sixth pro job (unless Ol' Groove's miscounted)? Ya did know all'a that? Then why're ya readin' my ramblings, baby? Get on wit' da comix!