Random Reads: "Stake Out!" by Younger and Grandenetti

What it is, Groove-ophiles! Just for the screams, why don't we gnaw on this biting bit of comicbook creepiness by Jack Younger and Jerry Grandenetti? Were those two titans of terror just winging it when they concocted "Stake Out" for Atlas/Seaboard's Tales of Evil #1 (December 1974)? Or did editor Larry Lieber stick his neck out for them? Ouch!

Black and White Wednesday: "In the Beginning--" by Lee, Lieber, and Everett

Happy Birthday, Stan (The Man) Lee! 94 today? Wow! He's still going strong (I was able to snap a blurry shot of him at the Cincinnati Comics Expo back in the fall--blurry because a security dude was grabbing at my phone! I was half a football field away, dude! The closest I'll ever get to Stan, gimme a break! But, was he ever an autographing machine!)

Anyhow, my admiration for Stan Lee never wavers, his importance to comics in general and Marvel in particular can never be overstated, imho. Regardless of where you stand on the "Marvel Method" of writing, t'was Stan's personality, both on the comicbook page and off, that made the world stand up and take notice of Marvel. In April 1968, Stan gave his greatest co-creation (Spider-Man, natch) a shot at "the big time" by having him headline Marvel's first b&w, magazine-sized superhero mag, Spectacular Spider-Man #1. The idea was ahead of its time, but man, what a cool mag it was! In honor of Stan's birthday, let's look at an awesome re-telling of Web-Head's origin from that self-same mag, illustrated by The Man's brother, Larry Lieber, and a man who worked for Marvel before it was even Marvel, Sub-Mariner creator Bill Everett! Face Front!

Excelsior!

Ol' Groove's Request Line: "The Revenge of the Spider-Witch" by Fleisher and Boyette

Ever since Ol' Groove posted this article about Atlas/Seaboard's Tarantula series in Weird Suspense, many of you out there in Groove City have been clamoring for more. Who'da thunk ya'd love that big, hairy Count Lycosa so much? Well, ask and here ya go! From Weird Suspense #2 (January 1975), here are co-creators Michael Fleisher and Pat Boyette with "The Revenge of the Spider-Witch!" Dig it!

Cover art by Larry Lieber and Frank Giacoia

Ol' Groove's Request Line: "The Invaders!" by Lieber and Wood

Hey, hey, hey, Groove-ophiles! Because you demanded it, we're back with more of the awesome artistry of Wally Wood from his Dr. Doom series in Astonishing Tales! Today's chapter, written by Larry Lieber, features a re-vamp of sorts, since Captain America villains the Red Skull and his sometimes-allies, the Exiles, regroup under a cool new name: the Invaders! (Man, Marvel never wastes a good name or two, does it?) Sadly (for Woody fans), this cliff-hanger from Astonishing Tales #4 (December 1970) is the last of Wally Wood's run; next ish, George Tuska takes his place!

Ol' Groove's Request Line: "Doom Must Die!" by Lieber and Wood

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! A lotta you have asked for it, so now you've got it! Today we're heading waaay back to September 1970 for the third ish of Astonishing Tales and yet another gorgeously illoed Wally Wood Dr. Doom mini-spectacular! Writer Roy Thomas is gone, replaced by Stan (The Man) Lee's brother Larry Lieber, by the by, so with that bit of info--away we go!!