Monday, July 31, 2017
Marvel-ous Mondays: "In the Path of Solam!" by Drake, Heck, and Tartaglione
Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Ya know, I've been accused of having little-to-no taste, but I yam what I yam, and I yam one who digs Don Heck's art on these early Captain Marvel epics. I guess the kid in me (who totally flipped for this particular ish) is still alive and well and in control. If that's good or bad, I dunno, but hey, I'm having a good time here! Captain Marvel #6 (July 1968) was my first dose of our Space Born Super-Hero (which may explain a lot!) and, as I said, it blew me away. Colorful, action packed, easy to digest art (and I have to say, some of those Don Heck/John Tartaglione panels still make my pulse pound: the splash; the second panel of page 5; panel 1 on page 15; all of page 19; and the top panel of page 20), and a fun story by Arnold Drake with a good mix of superheroics, sci-fi, and soap opera. Oh, and I didn't buy this one--got it from one of my uncles on a family vacation. It was coverless, and if I'd seen it with the cover I'd probably have flipped even more, 'cause I do so dig that cover (never actually saw it until I got Internet in 1998, by the way). Anyhow, I still have a soft spot for this ish, so I hope you can share at least some of my enjoyment as we find ourselves..."In the Path of Solam!"
Friday, July 28, 2017
NINTH ANNIVERSARY POST! The Grooviest Covers of All Time: Nine Nines for Our Ninth!
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, Groove-ophiles!
Can ya believe it? Nine years ago today, Ol' Groove started this blog with no real idea of what he was doing! Now, after nine years--I still dunno what I'm doin'! I sure am having fun doing it, though! Ol' Groove hopes you are, too, 'cause it really is all for you, Groove-ophiles! Way back in 2008, I never dreamed that this blog would last this long, or that I'd meet so many far-out folks (fans and pros, alike), or that so many Groovy Age mags would finally wind up in tpb form for all the world to enjoy! Keep on truckin', Groove-ophiles! And to say "thanks for your support," here are nine of Ol' Groove's favorite ninth issue covers from the Groovy Age!
Can ya believe it? Nine years ago today, Ol' Groove started this blog with no real idea of what he was doing! Now, after nine years--I still dunno what I'm doin'! I sure am having fun doing it, though! Ol' Groove hopes you are, too, 'cause it really is all for you, Groove-ophiles! Way back in 2008, I never dreamed that this blog would last this long, or that I'd meet so many far-out folks (fans and pros, alike), or that so many Groovy Age mags would finally wind up in tpb form for all the world to enjoy! Keep on truckin', Groove-ophiles! And to say "thanks for your support," here are nine of Ol' Groove's favorite ninth issue covers from the Groovy Age!
Thursday, July 27, 2017
They Don't Make 'Em Like That Any More--Or Do They? InDELLible Comics' Popular Comics
Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Hot on the heels of the successful re-birth of Charlton Comics (as Charlton Neo) comes the rebirth of Dell comics as InDELLible Comics! In fact the Charlton re-birth inspired the good folks at InDELLible to bring back one of the oldest and most venerable titles of all time: Popular Comics as All-New Popular Comics featuring public domain Dell characters, public domain Golden Age characters, brand new characters, and more! Not only that--aw, what do you wanna hear from Ol' Groove? Let's hear the straight skinny from InDELLible honchos Jim Ludwig, Dave Noe, and Daerick Gross Sr.! Take it away, InDELLible Ones!
All-New Popular Comics #1 is now available on Amazon in physical and digital editions. It’s a 64 page, 8X10, full color comic book anthology with card stock covers. The comic captures the new adventures of the Dell Comics characters from the forties to the sixties. The first issue has a wide variety from superheroes to humor to horror and science fiction and fantasy and western! The latter is represented by the return of a special historical character not seen since the mid sixties, Lobo, the first African-American character to have his own comic book.
Dell Comics was mainly known for its licensed work, and at one time vastly outsold Marvel and DC. Its lesser known characters, however mostly languished quickly and were soon “orphaned” after Dell folded in the seventies. Taking the spark of what made the characters interesting and keeping the fun adventurous and mostly all-ages aspect of Dell, InDELLible Comics has breathed new life into the classic motifs, eventually even adding new characters and other public domain characters as the stories permit.
The endeavor started out almost a year ago with Jim Ludwig over on his Dell Comics Heroes facebook page. He had been talking about starting some kind of book, but wanted to know if anyone would be able to help him. David Noe volunteered to help, and they co-founded what soon became known as InDELLible Comics. Just a few weeks later, Dærick Gröss Sr. signed on as the necessary visual editor, and they were off and running. Within the first year, the business was started, the book was conceived AND finished! Dozens of creators have signed on to show their talents and tell their stories.
All-New Popular Comics, or PopCom as it is nicknamed, is published in a POD format. That means there is no stockpile of books somewhere. The books are only printed as they are ordered. All the contributors, including editors, are volunteering their time and talents. The only monetization for them is to buy at wholesale and sell at retail. This is a labor of love, with the creators pouring everything they have into the stories.
Although the next few issues are already full or scheduled, InDELLible will soon be looking for more scripts and artists, colorists and inkers and letterers.! For more information, search for InDELLible Comics on facebook, or email the editors at:
Jim Ludwig (EIC)- narfstar13@gmail.com
Daerick Gross Sr. (visual editor)- daerickgross@yahoo.com
David Noe- (script editor)- wnoe@aol.com
There ya have it, Groove-ophiles! If you miss the sheer variety of the Golden Age, the fun of the Silver Age, and the cool of the Bronze Age, PopCom is gonna hit you where you live! (Oh, and Ol' Groove even has a story in a near-future ish! Stay tuned!)
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| Cover art by Steven and Lily Butler |
All-New Popular Comics #1 is now available on Amazon in physical and digital editions. It’s a 64 page, 8X10, full color comic book anthology with card stock covers. The comic captures the new adventures of the Dell Comics characters from the forties to the sixties. The first issue has a wide variety from superheroes to humor to horror and science fiction and fantasy and western! The latter is represented by the return of a special historical character not seen since the mid sixties, Lobo, the first African-American character to have his own comic book.
Dell Comics was mainly known for its licensed work, and at one time vastly outsold Marvel and DC. Its lesser known characters, however mostly languished quickly and were soon “orphaned” after Dell folded in the seventies. Taking the spark of what made the characters interesting and keeping the fun adventurous and mostly all-ages aspect of Dell, InDELLible Comics has breathed new life into the classic motifs, eventually even adding new characters and other public domain characters as the stories permit.
The endeavor started out almost a year ago with Jim Ludwig over on his Dell Comics Heroes facebook page. He had been talking about starting some kind of book, but wanted to know if anyone would be able to help him. David Noe volunteered to help, and they co-founded what soon became known as InDELLible Comics. Just a few weeks later, Dærick Gröss Sr. signed on as the necessary visual editor, and they were off and running. Within the first year, the business was started, the book was conceived AND finished! Dozens of creators have signed on to show their talents and tell their stories.
All-New Popular Comics, or PopCom as it is nicknamed, is published in a POD format. That means there is no stockpile of books somewhere. The books are only printed as they are ordered. All the contributors, including editors, are volunteering their time and talents. The only monetization for them is to buy at wholesale and sell at retail. This is a labor of love, with the creators pouring everything they have into the stories.
Although the next few issues are already full or scheduled, InDELLible will soon be looking for more scripts and artists, colorists and inkers and letterers.! For more information, search for InDELLible Comics on facebook, or email the editors at:
Jim Ludwig (EIC)- narfstar13@gmail.com
Daerick Gross Sr. (visual editor)- daerickgross@yahoo.com
David Noe- (script editor)- wnoe@aol.com
There ya have it, Groove-ophiles! If you miss the sheer variety of the Golden Age, the fun of the Silver Age, and the cool of the Bronze Age, PopCom is gonna hit you where you live! (Oh, and Ol' Groove even has a story in a near-future ish! Stay tuned!)
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
Black and White Wednesday: "Among the Great Divide" by Gerber, Starlin, and Wiacek
Check it out, Groove-ophiles! Steve Gerber and Jim Starlin were to of the strongest, most unique, most, yes, idiosyncratic voices of the Groovy (or any) Age. Their comics were the ones you looked forward to because you really didn't know what to expect--except that it would be a comicbook experience like no other. They worked together a few times, with varying degrees of success. An early collaboration in Iron Man #56 (legend has it) got 'em fired from the mag by Stan Lee, himself. Then you get a macabre, thought-provoking, uncomfortabley amazing piece like "Among the Great Divide" from Rampaging Hulk #7 (December 1977). Since the story features one of Gerber's signature characters, Man-Thing, when Teen Groove flipped to the back of the mag, he knew he was in for a treat. When I saw that the art was by Jim-freakin'-Starlin (inked by Bob Wiacek)--yeah, I knew I'd spent my buck well. Everyone was still buzzing about the TV mini-series Sybil (starring future Aunt May (!), and soon-to-be Emmy and Oscar winner, Sally Field), but of course Gerber and Starlin took their look at the serious subject of Dissociative Identity Disorder (then known as Multiple Personality Disorder) and gave their story--and the disorder, itself--its own twists...though most of my friends didn't know that this, superior, story even existed. Many folks still don't. Well, if you're reading this--you know it now...
