Groove's Faves: "What if Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu, Had Remained Loyal to Fu Manchu?" by Moench and Hoberg

Hey, hey, hey, Groove-ophiles! Today we're gonna look at a fave that might never again see print--the fabled What If...? #16's (May 1979) "What If Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu, had Remained Loyal to Fu Manchu?" by Doug Moench and Rick Hoberg (with inks by Bill Wray and the late, great creator of the Rocketeer, Dave Stevens). Not only has this one been left out of Marvel's recent What If...? Classic reprint tpb series, but it's also (sadly and/or ironically) one of the best What If...? tales of the whole Groovy Age series.

It's no secret that Moench is one of the best comicbook writers ever, but MoKF was his baby--nay, his masterpiece, so editor Roy Thomas had the good sense to hire Moench to write this twisted What If...? tale. Who but Moench could make Shang-Chi and his cast so different--and yet stay so true to the characterization of the regular M.U. series?  And while Rick Hoberg hadn't drawn any issues of MoKF (his art appeared mostly in--you guessed it--What If...?), he certainly pulled out all the stops on this double-length tale. Inkers Wray and Stevens--superb artists themselves--lent Hoberg's pencils the proper mood needed to make this very special What If...? story really work. Ready? Set? Enjoy!

Those Groovy Saturday Mornings: Alex Toth's Space Ghost! Will Meugnoit and Dave Stevens' Herculoids!

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Ya thought it was wild when Disney bought Marvel? Well, back in the Groovy Age, Marvel got some practice playing nice with other companies' cartoon cavorters when they licensed Hanna/Barbera's line of comic cut-ups. It was a short-term deal, but there were a few true gems that actually came from the Marvel/HB partnership. Take for example TV Stars #3 (September 1978). I'm talkin' Alex-freakin'-Toth applying graphite and ink to his beloved Space Ghost, baby! Oh, and just for fun, how about Will Muegnoit and a pre-Rocketeer Dave Stevens supplying the art for a Herculoids short? Can your eyes handle the splendor? Will your mind be able to fully take in this sublime experience? Of course you'll pass this titanic test! You're Groove-ophiles!

And thanks to Mark Evanier for supplying these stupendous stories for those leviathans of lead!