Groove's Faves: "What If...Celebrities Ran for President?" by Wolfman, Severin, and Costanza

'Tis Election Day in the U.S.A., Groove-ophiles! To celebrate (and help ease the pain if your candidate(s) don't do well), here's a ca-razee piece written by Marv Wolfman with art by Marie Severin and John Costanza (then John lettered it and Marie colored it up purty!) from Spoof #3 (October 1972). Back in '72, newfangled things like 18 year olds getting to vote and celebrities going political were new and novel, inspiring Marv to write "What If...Celebrities Ran for President!" Marvelous Marv's crystal ball was a mite cloudy on the details, but doggoned if he doesn't hit the proverbial nail on the head with his overall prognostications...

Now, if thou hasn't already done so...get thee offeth thine backside and VOTE! Groove hath spoken!

Countown to Halloween 2010! Sunday Funnies: "Darn Shadows" by Thomas and Severin

In June, 1970, Marvel Comics unleashed it's homage to EC's original, comicbook Mad with SPOOF. Evidently, they didn't have much faith in it, 'cause the second issue didn't appear until August, 1972--just over two years later. Funny, huh? You ain't heard the half of it, brother! Though it came out in June, SPOOF #1 was cover-dated October, so the ish kicked off with Roy Thomas and Marie Severin's send-up of the wildly popular soap opera (Ol' Groove kids you not!) Dark Shadows. Now THAT's funny! I can't tell you how much that show creeped Li'l Groove out--the music alone sent me running out of the house.



Yeah, my mom dug the show. More funny! Funniest of all, though, is this dank and dusty ditty. Enjoy!

Sunday Funnies: "Tarz An' the Apes!"

Hey, hey, hey, Groove-ophiles! Would'ja believe that about a half-decade before getting the writing-reins of Marvel's version of Tarzan, Roy Thomas did this twisted parody of our beloved jungle hero for Marvel's Spoof comic. Only a writer who knows and loves all things Edgar Rice Burroughs could skewer the Lord of the Jungle so perfectly. Of course it didn't hoit that Roy was backed by the superior art-team of the Siblings Severin (Marie and John). It's a bit dated, and certainly non-PC, but still lots'a fun. By now you know Ol' Groove's rappin' about "Tarz An' the Apes!" from Spoof #2 (August 1972), and heERE it is!

12 Days of Christmas: Steve Gerber's "What If...Famous People Were Santa Claus?"

Welcome back to the Christmas party for 2009, Groove-ophiles! Today's a short but sweet chuckle-fest was produced by the late, great Steve (Howard the Duck) Gerber, the enigmatic Warren Statler, and top-Archie artist Henry Scarpelli. "What If...Famous People Were Santa Claus?", from Spoof #4 (December 1972) is a neat look back at some of the top celebrities of the day. The main focus is on writer Gerber, himself, along with then-Vice President Spiro Agnew, TV sensation Flip Wilson, and the immortal John Lennon, but it's also filled with fun cameos by icons like John Wayne, Charlie Brown, Superman, Captain America, Beetle Baily, the Hulk, and Cher.


Just short of four years later, Marvel would take that What If...? title and create a whole new truly far-out (and serious) superhero mag around it, ya know. But that's a tale for another day...