Making a Splash: Sal and Joe's Incredible Hulk

Hey, hey, hey, Groove-ophiles! One of Ol' Groove's favorite Incredible Hulk era was the Len Wein/Sal Buscema/Joe Staton run of issues 194-203 and 205-209 (September 1975-June 1976, August-December 1976). Sal and Joe's art was a huge factor in how cool Incredible Hulk was during this time. Teen Groove loved how their styles meshed. In fact, Ol' Groove would dare to say that Joe was one of Sal's all-time best finishers evah! Check out the following splashes to see if you agree...

Random Reads: "Manslaughter" by Cary Bates and Rubeny

January 13, 1976. It was a cold, gray day. It was a Tuesday. I was off from school. Snow day. A trip to town and thirty cents got me a copy of House of Mystery #240. The cover story was a typical shocker with some nice E.R. Cruz art. Nothing out of the ordinary. Next comes "Manslaughter" by Cary Bates and Rubeny (Ruben Yandoc). I stop, stunned. Staring at me from the first page is Humphrey Bogart. That's right. Bogey. The copy called him "Mick Mason", but I knew who he really was. I started reading...

I'll say it before you say it, baby: "They should have called this one...'Frankencow'!" Here's lookin' at you, calf.

Black and White Wednesday: "Encore Ghastly" by Tom Sutton

Greetings, groove-ophiles! Someone recently made a statement to the effect that Tom Sutton may just be the most pure comicbook horror artist of the 1970s. Pieces like Creepy #61's (March 1974) "Encore Ghastly" go very far in making such a statement very, very hard to argue with. But why argue? Enjoy, baby!

Groove's faves: "Brainwave Blows Up!" by Conway, Levitz, Estrada, and Wood

Dig it, Groove-ophiles! The second ish of DC's All-Star Comics revival of the Justice Society of America is comin' at ya! "Brainwave Blows Up!" from All-Star #59 (December 1975) was written by Gerry Conway (with plotting assist by future JSA scribe Paul Levitz) with art by Ric Estrada and Wally Wood (with background inkining assist by A. L. Sirois). It's a fun story, playing up the "generation gap" with the original JSA-ers looking at the Super Squad members as junior apprentices, when Robin, Power Girl, and Star-Spangled Kid were actually the ones who saved the day. Of course, the elder heroes would have the last laugh as just over a year later, the Super Squad would be folded into the JSA proper. But hey, that's all in the future. Let's just dig on this fun super-hero yarn...and drool over all all that beautiful Wally Wood inkmanship (is that a word? It should be!)

Cover art by Ernie Chan

Marvel-ous Mondays: "Evil Is All In Your Mind!" by Englehart, Sutton, and Giacoia

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Can you dig it? Another episode of the bouncing Beast! This one is chock-full of great stuff--villains like Mastermind, Unus the Untouchable, and the Blob! The Marvel Universe return of Patsy Walker (Baxter) and Buzz Baxter! Lots'a snappy patter by Hank McCoy! And a mysterious lady from the Beast's past! Are you ready for the Steve Englehart/Tom Sutton/Frank Giacoia wonderment to begin? Then, let's go! From Amazing Adventures #13 (April 1972), here is..."Evil Is All In Your Mind!"

Cover art by John Romita