Monday, February 1, 2010

Monday Miscellanea/Bring On the Back-ups: Hercules in "In His Footsteps...the Huntsman of Zeus!!"

One of the downfalls of keeping DotGK at least a couple weeks ahead post-wise is that Ol' Groove sometimes gets behind on what's going on in the "real" world. In other words, it's time to play a little catch up with a new installment of Monday Miscellanea. Onward!

ITEM! Ol' Groove is truly humbled and honored to have been awarded the Kreative Blogger award from not one, but two pulse-pounding blogs! Both Electic Banana and Dear Bastards have bestowed the coveted Kreative Blogger award 'pon yers trooly, and I have to say it feels pretty doggoned good! So here's a giant-size "Thanks, Man" to Drake at EB and Mob at DB for adding to the list of things that make doing this blog worthwhile. Hookay, part of the deal is that I need to give y'all 7 things about me that people might find interesting. I did a meme similar to this a while back, so if there's some overlap, blame it on my truly uninteresting life, dig?

1. I still write comicbooks occasionally. I have a five pager in the first issue of Surprising Comics' Surprising Theater #1 due out next month.

2. I sing baritone in a gospel group called Change of Heart, and we actually have a song on the charts.

3. I am an educator who teaches Language Arts to fifth and sixth grade students at a local school.

4. I passionately hate beans of any kind.

5. I am an uber-fan of the University of Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team. Have been all my life. I actually got to attend their 2000th win.

6. Besides the comicbooks of the 1970s, I am also a great fan of other areas of 1970s pop culture, especially TV, music, and movies.

7. I actually like some things that aren't stuck in the 70s; movies like O Brother Where Art Thou and Zombieland, TV shows like Lost and Fringe, books by A. Lee Martinez and Victor Gischler, comics like All-Star Superman and Wednesday Comics, and even some music by Norah Jones and Daughtry

Now I need to nominate 7 more blogs. This is tough, 'cause as you can see I have tons of them over there in my blogroll, and they all deserve to get this award. After mucho debate here are my 7 Kreativ Blogger picks (in no particular order):

Bronze Age Babies: Doug and Karen do a fantastic job of covering not only the comics of the Bronze Age but they throw in some other great pop-culture insights as well. This blog is so great that if I didn't love it so much I'd be jealous.

Comics Bronze Age: Andrew Wahl is the dean of Bronze Age reviewers. I read every post, and you should too!

Booksteve's Library: Booksteve's blog is a wonder to behold. He is a great writer with a huge range of interests. Pop culture, famous or obscure, old or new, Booksteve's got ya covered. He also has several other blogs that are far-out as well, but this one started it all (for me at least).

Grandbridge Street and other misadventures: You knew my pal Joe Bloke would be here, didn't ya? Joe's tastes in comics are almost a carbon copy of my own, making it a challenge to get some stuff out there before he does--but that's part of the fun. If you like the Diversions, you'll love the Street! Hey, Joe--we still need to do a cross-over!

Silver Age Gold: Aaron Bias is tops at giving the Good Old Days that irreverent treatment that makes Ol' Groove giggle just a bit too much.

Gold Key Comics: Mykal Banta runs a bunch of classy blogs, any of them award-worthy, but GKC is my fave. Yeah, I was one of those kids who would pick up Gold Key Comics on purpose. Mykal gives those classic mags the treatment--and respect--they deserve.

Silver Age Comics: Pat Curley's blog is one of the classiest, best written blogs around. He's always interesting and entertaining, and I love his interactive stuff--especially the quizzes. An all-time fave, baby!

Whew! There ya go. If you haven't checked those bodacious blogs out yet, Groove-ophiles, do it today!

ITEM! While Ol' Groove's givin' shout-outs, I need to mention a couple'a new blogs that are currently blowing my mind! First up, Charlton vs. Mighty MLJ just cracks me up. Earth-Two shows us the similarities, differences, and downright zaniness inherent in the make-up of this dynamic duo of comicbook universes. It's fun, it's original, and it is dy-no-mite! Another new blog that is really grabbing Ol' Groove's attention is Apocolyte's World of Comics. Apocolyte was already groovin' with Black 'N' White and Red All Over and The Blog at the End of Time, but his World of Comics is not only great looking (love the titles and fonts) but filled with so much neat stuff that the mind verily boggles. And finally, Mykal Banta is at it again with yet another high-class blog, this one is called Star-Studded War Comics and focuses on (duh!) classic war comics of the Golden through Bronze Ages. A must-read, Groove-ophiles!

ITEM! The polls have closed on whether or not Ol' Groove should post non-Groovy Age stuff from time to time (yeah, I'm adding this part in "real time") and I have to say the voting was close! 33% of ya voted "Yes!", 27% rode the fence with "Well...Okay", and 39% voted a resounding "No!". So do I compare the "Yes" and "No" votes dead on, or do I add the "Well...Okay" votes into the mix. And if so on what side? I was hoping for a huge swing one way or another, to tell ya the truth. Ol' Groove's gonna have'ta mull this over a bit, but for the time being, the "No" votes have it. Probably...

ITEM! On to da comix! Here's a little-seen oddity from Ka-Zar #1 (May 1970) starring Marvel's version of Hercules. Extra cool factor: a special guest-appearance from the Kree/Skrull War era Avengers: Black Panther, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, and Goliath. Not too cool factor: Herc is scared outta his gourd by the skinny little villain. Here's Allyn Brodsky, Frank Springer, and Dick Ayers' one-and-only Hercules outing..."In His Footsteps...the Huntsman of Zeus!!"

Sure 'nuff Herc and the Huntsman popped up in Sub-Mariner #29 the very next month (June 1970). Ol' Herc has come a long way from this back-up to his current "Incredible" comic, huh?

12 comments:

  1. "I still write comicbooks occasionally." Did you ever mention this before? Be sure to mention it again when the book is available.

    I read that Hercules story once, when it came out…but then it vanished and I was never able to figure out where it appeared. Now I see why I wasn't able to track it down: it was someplace I never would have thought to look. Thanks!

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  2. Thanks, Goove, and back at ya! Your place is primo! -- Mykal

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  3. Wow, such nice woids from youse about me! Tanx, pally!

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  4. I'll be sure to plug away at the comic when it comes out, RAB! In fact, there may be some big news concerning my comicbook writing in the near future...

    Mykal, Booksteve, you're both welcome. I put a lot of thought into who would get those seven spots, so you can bet they were given with real sincerity and admiration!

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  5. I love this month's heading logo! As well as this hidden treasure, I never saw before. I love Hercules & have always been a huge fan of his. I also loved the Avengers line up in this era, Golaith/Clint's get up. I always thought rocked!

    I'm a Sub-Mariner nut as well & loved those years of Subby. One of my favorites besides the first Defenders. Was indeed the hercules VS Subby by awesome Sal Buscema!Wish I could afford & locate those pages! Thanks for posting these forgotten & for some like myself never seen treasures! Hey with a maine coon cat named Zeus. You know I gotta love mythology! For Olympus!! Thou are Truly The Groovy One!! I'd love to see you do a olympus week. featuring Hercules & Zeus & all the epic battles of Hercules! vs Thor, the Hulk. Ok I know with the Hulk that's the 60's! But I doubt any groovsters would complain if you snuck it in!

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  6. Hey, Groove. Thanks so much for the love! Know that it's mutual, my Bronze Age Brother!

    I enjoyed the Hercules story, too. Those old Ka-Zar's had the oddest backup stories. Don't the next two have new Angel stories by Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel? Weird.

    Cheers,
    Andrew
    ComicsBronzeAge.com

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  7. I love this blog. For years I was mostly a fan of '60s and '80s comics, but I skipped over the '70s. You've encouraged me to make up for lost time. Now I read dozens of '70s comics a night, and I love 'em! (Currently reading Kirby's Demon, Goodwin's Hero for Hire and the first year of 2000 a.d., all great!)

    You say you're a fan of '70s movies. I am too and I occasionally cover one in depth over at my blog, Cockeyed Caravan. Here's one:

    http://cockeyedcaravan.blogspot.com/2010/01/underrated-movie-22-electra-glide-in.html

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  8. True blue, Andrew! And yep, those Angel solo stories by Jerry Siegel did appear in the second and third issues of Ka-zar. Trouble is, there's a third part that wound up in an issue of Marvel Tales (!); when I finally scan it I'll probably do a post on those hidden treasures.

    Matt, I'm glad to have converted you to the Groovy Side, dude! That's part of my mission, y'know! And your site is dynomite! I'll be visiting often.

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  9. I, too, forgot all about this story! Thanks for posting this! Haven't seen it in over 30 years!

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  10. I love the new heading too. Keep up the great work GA. You're inspiring me to try and have better posts on my own blog.

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  11. Groove --

    Thanks for the Big Ups for the Bronze Age Babies! Karen and I appreciate it. Your place is always a blast!!

    From one teacher to another (hey, we aren't gettin' rich!) --

    Doug

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  12. aw, shucks, Groove! you humble me! much thanks!

    and the comic's not too shabby, either. . .

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Special thanks to Mike's Amazing World of Comics and Grand Comics Database for being such fantastic resources for covers, dates, creator info, etc. Thou art treasures true!


Note to "The Man": All images are presumed copyright by the respective copyright holders and are presented here as fair use under applicable laws, man! If you hold the copyright to a work I've posted and would like me to remove it, just drop me an e-mail and it's gone, baby, gone.


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As for the rest of ya, the purpose of this blog is to (re)introduce you to the great comics of the 1970s. If you like what you see, do what I do--go to a comics shop, bookstore, e-Bay or whatever and BUY YOUR OWN!