February 1 & 5, 1970
Groovy Age Splash Page of the Week
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| From Marvel Treasury Edition #4, February 1975 |
Collecting the Groovy Age...
DC 1st Issue Special Hardcover
One of the reasons for the new format here at DotGK is because Ol' Groove won't be as focused on sharing whole comics as much as I have done in the past. Why? Well, if you're keeping up with the comicbook reprint market, the answer's pretty obvious: there's not a whole lot from the Groovy Age that's not already or getting ready to be put into print! Case in point: DC's 1st Issue Special! Who'd'a thunk that DC's little-known mid-70s try-out mag would get the hardback collection treatment? Not moi! But hey, while it's unexpected, it's most definitely appreciated--and you can bet your banged-up copy of Avengers #88 that Ol' Groove has pre-ordered his copy! Instead of the usual run-down of what's gonna be in the collection (all 13 issues of 1st Issue Special, duh!), how 'bout we just savor the splashes that represent each scintillating (or silly, whatever the case may be) story...
The retail price is $39. 99 and it's scheduled to go on sale April 15, 2020. Are you as excited as Ol' Groove is, baby? See ya next week! Pax!
Don't publish this, but errata means errors. You should change that to ephemera which means collectible items that were around for only a short time.
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Chris A.
Thanks, Chris, but I went ahead and published your comment so I could let everyone in on my little joke--I'm actually tweaking old Bullpen Bulletins headers for some of my alliterative headings, and part of the fun is the self-effacing silliness inherent in those headings. They fit my particular style, too, 'cause goodness knows I've made enough boo-boos over my 3000-plus run of posts! So expect to see such silliness shared spasmodically! But thanks for watching out for Ol' Groove, Chris. I truly appreciate your tryin' to save me from embarrassment. I'm hopeless, though... ;D
DeleteI owned Superman #225 in childhood and found the story to be very touching. Haven't seen it in over 40 years!
ReplyDeleteGreat Kubert & Adams covers on Sgt. Rock & Unexpected.
Since DC is reprinting the 1st Issue Spectaculars I wonder if the DC Special titles like the Secret Lives of Joe Kubert or the Weird Mystery Tales with a Wrightson cover & frontispieces will be, too?
Regards,
Chris A.
The finale of the story:
Deletehttps://comics.ha.com/itm/original-comic-art/panel-pages/curt-swan-and-george-roussos-superman-225-story-page-23-original-art-dc-1970-/a/121817-15144.s
Here's an interesting review of that story.
Deletehttps://confessionsofasupermanfan-wordpress-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/confessionsofasupermanfan.wordpress.com/2010/03/25/the-secret-of-the-superman-impostor/amp/?amp_js_v=a2&_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQCKAE%3D#aoh=15811194339802&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&_tf=From%20%251%24s&share=https%3A%2F%2Fconfessionsofasupermanfan.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2F25%2Fthe-secret-of-the-superman-impostor%2F
I'll have to track it down and give it a look myself.
Gene Poole
Warts and all, that issue of Superman is truly memorable. That's the thing about The Groovy Age. Stories that were supposedly "throw-away kid stuff" left an indelible mark on many of us. Fifty years haven't dimmed it's appeal!
DeleteNow I wanna check that ish out!
DeleteLeo Dorfman who wrote that story had quite a career not only at DC but also Charlton, Dell and Gold Key.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Dorfman
- Neil
I bought it yesterday & reread it. Sure, it's goofy kid stuff, but there are some great moments in it that resonate. The story also has an almost epic feel to it with so many changes of location & yet such an internalized conflict: Superman is basically fighting with a non-super-powered clone of himself---a good five years before Gerry Conway dealt with those same themes in the Amazing Spider-man #149. I also like how at the heart of the story is Superman's humanity (yes, I know the character is Kryptonian) & his---& the clone's---moral & ethical values.
DeleteRegards,
Chris A.
Dingbats of Danger Street - That is pure treasure right there!
ReplyDeleteWe rapped about it here: http://diversionsofthegroovykind.blogspot.com/2010/04/sunday-funnies-jack-kirbys-dingbats-of.html You can join in the fun!
DeleteI like the Stegosaurus Barry drew in "Red Nails", having the black & white original in Savage Tales #2 & the colour version in the treasury edition a few years later.
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Chris A.
It would be hilarious to Photoshop Superman into that Sgt. Rock cover. The medic says, "I can't kill!" then Supes says, "All right, I'll kill you!"
ReplyDelete- Neil
The indicia to the Lady Cop issue of 1st Issue Special says that issue was edited by Sol Harrison. Can that possibly be right? I never knew he did any story editing. And did he ever edit any other comic books?
ReplyDeleteApparently he was an editor on a 15 pager called "The Origin of Superman":
Deletehttps://www.comics.org/search/advanced/process/?target=sequence&method=icontains&logic=False&keywords=&title=&feature=&job_number=&pages=&pages_uncertain=&script=&pencils=&inks=&colors=&letters=&story_editing=Sol+Harrison&first_line=&characters=&synopsis=&reprint_notes=&story_reprinted=¬es=&issues=&volume=&issue_title=&variant_name=&is_variant=&issue_date=&indicia_frequency=&price=&issue_pages=&issue_pages_uncertain=&issue_editing=&isbn=&barcode=&rating=&issue_notes=&issue_reprinted=&is_indexed=&order1=series&order2=date&order3=&start_date=&end_date=&updated_since=&pub_name=&country=us&pub_notes=&brand_group=&brand_emblem=&brand_notes=&indicia_publisher=&is_surrogate=&ind_pub_notes=&series=&series_year_began=&series_notes=&tracking_notes=&issue_count=&is_comics=&color=&dimensions=&paper_stock=&binding=&publishing_format=
Gene Poole
Sol Harrison had a 50 year career at DC Comics, working in what is regarded as the first true comic book in 1933:
Deletehttps://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sol_Harrison
Ah, Lady Cop....the only Marvel or DC comic I've ever owned with V.D. as part of the plot!!
ReplyDeleteAl Jaffee's fold-in for Mad 159 in 1973 dealt with the same topic. Google it and see for yourself.
Delete- Neil
1st Issue Special was a pretty mediocre title. But the Dr. Fate issue was a superb standout; one of Simonson's best. Too bad it didn't sell well. So we can only enjoy this one-shot and dream of what might have been.
ReplyDelete