The Grooviest Covers of All Time: No DC for Neal!

Hey, hey, hey, Groove-ophiles! Y'know, there was a time during the Groovy Age when DC's fave artist, Neal Adams, was on the outs with them. He was trying to make the comics industry more fair and employee friendly, mainly by taking on the cause of Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who felt--and Neal agreed--that DC (and the upcoming Superman film) were gypping the creators out of their fair share of what would be a multi-million dollar proposition. Of course, while Neal was crusading, he had to make moolah, so he turned to Marvel, Charlton (!), newcomer Atlas/Seaboard, and once, even a "ground-level" publisher, Sal Quartuccio for some income. He did mostly covers, while he and his cohorts at Continuity Associates took care of whatever interiors needed taking care of. But it's Neal's covers we're celebrating today! One could imagine Neal finishing a piece and thinking, "Look what you're missing, DC!"

Bring On the Back-ups: "True Heroes Never Die...!" by Wein, Buckler, and Celardo

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Today let's check out what was to have been the first (doggone that DC Implosion!) episode of the regular Hawkman back-up series for Detective Comics. "True Heroes Never Die...!" was written by Len Wein and illustrated by Rich Buckler and John Celardo for Detective Comics #479 (June 1978). Let it fly, Winged Wonder!

Black and White Wednesday: Stan and John's Spidey Strip Samples

Dig it, Groove-ophiles! Hidden in the pages of the legendary 1975 Mighty Marvel Comic Convention mag are the sample strips Stan Lee and John Romita originally whipped up in their efforts to sell Spider-Man to a comic strip syndicate. We know they eventually succeeded and were picked up by the Register and Tribune Syndicate (1977 through 1985; other syndicates after that). Well, here are the b&w that put Spidey in the funny pages of your local newspaper!

THAT Spidey is bound to be a Gil Kane/Jazzy Johnny production, innit?

Bring On the Back-ups: "To Be Frank" by Cuti, Staton, and Patterson

Hey, hey, hey, Groove-ophiles! Today we're gonna check out a rare solo episode of our favorite diminutive P.I., Michael Mauser! "To Be Frank" was written and penciled by Mauser's co-creators, writer Nick Cuti and penciler Joe Staton, and inked by Bruce Patterson (his first pro-job in the U.S. of A.) for Vengeance Squad #4 (October 1975). You're gonna dig this!

Ol' Groove's Request Line: "Massacre by Remote Control" by Bates and Grell

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! We're back with a very special post from Ol' Groove's Request Line--Mike Grell's first full artwork on The Legion of Super-Heroes from Superboy #203 (April 1974)! This is a great big "Happy Birthday!" request for Groove-ophile (and artistic genius) James Sanders III! It's a milestone in the history of the Legion in more ways than one baby, right down the letters page (which Ol' Groove has included) and its heavy-handed handling of Dave Cockrum's departure from LSH! Here ya go, Jimbo! Happy Birthday!!