The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day XXXX: You're Not Surprised, Are You?

Time to face facts, and acknowledge that, for the time being, the 40 Years project is asleep. It's resting and waiting, like Cthulhu in R'lyeh, for the stars to align and the time to be right.

I love comics, and I'll always love comics, but right now my creative energies are aimed in a different direction. I've recorded and released 4 albums in the last 4 months and I've been building a large-scale, three-dimensional board game table for the 2nd edition of Arkham Horror that I'll be writing a bit about on my collecting blog once I've revived it.

I'm still reading and still jumping into the stranger parts of the comics hobby. But perhaps, after all this time, I've run out of interesting things to say about them. I'll be back, I'm sure. I'm still committed to the idea of reading my entire collection, and I may just do it without blogging for a while. Perhaps there'll be a once a month digest of the project, rather than a day by day journal. When I started the project, I was well into my doctoral work, and I thought the daily writing about comics was a good idea to help work out some of the things I was thinking about. I'll admit that once grad school crumbled, it became a bit more effort to write on a daily basis. And that was almost 5 years ago.

The world has changed significantly since I started this blog in 2008. My first proper entry in the Giant Box was an obituary of Steve "Howard the Duck, Man-Thing" Gerber. I wonder if it says anything that the first entry here was about something I consider to be one of the great tragedies of recent comics history? But since that time, we've all become embroiled in a tragedy larger than any of us could really conceive. Not just COVID, but also the divisions that have become starkly apparent since the election of Donald Trump and since the health measure protests around the world.

I honestly don't know if I could carry on a civil conversation with someone who was anti-vax or anti-mask. That refusal, to me at least, signals a fundamental selfishness that I think is anathemic to our continued positive evolution as a species. The way that Socialism and socialism have been vilified in our culture by those for whom money and power are be-all and end-all has radically fractured our societal ability to see community as an organism that requires care and sacrifice, just the same way that the individual body that makes up community does. It's things like this that, honestly, make me think that, sadly, either I or my offspring, will likely witness the collapse of our civilization and our species.

Fuck, I'm a cheery one, ain't I?

So before I go for a little while, some recommendations:

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Part 4: Diamond Is Unbreakable - although I haven't watched the anime of Part 6 yet, Part 4 of this unabashedly insane and awesome series has so far been my favorite. It's got a creepy Twin Peaks-vibe to it that somehow meshes perfectly with the fashion and hyperbole that characterizes Jojo. I picked up a hardcover of the first volume of this storyline because I loved it so much. Jumping in at this point may be a bit confusing for a newcomer, but there's plenty of recap sites out there, I'm sure.

The Adventures of Tintin - a couple of years ago, one of my sisters-in-law got me a beautiful slip-cased edition of the complete adventures of Tintin. They're in a smaller format than the usual European albums, but still manage to reproduce the bandes beautifully. And I thought it was time for me to explore this seminal and revered strip.

Echolands, Ice Cream Man - these are the only two ongoing, contemporary titles I'm reading at the moment. ICM is apparently being adapted to TV, and I'm kind of non-committal about that. The comic is one of the coolest comics I've read, and uses the medium in wonderful ways. Echolands is J.H. Williams III doing a superhero-fantasy-scifi comic. Williams' use of different art styles to evoke what I see as different levels of mythic resonance for each character is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen in comics. Have a look at his revelatory work on Detective Comics, where he helped to establish Batwoman. Or on Promethea. Or anywhere.

Right. I'm off. I'll be popping things up here every now and again when inspiration strikes, but like a good Calgarian when the snows have been falling since September, the 40YoCP is now in hibernation.

Onward.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Weekend Edition

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In an effort to not make me hate writing completely, I think my weekend comics will be blogged this way. Just a short note and some thoughts I had on each one.

Day 2419 - Generation Gone #1 by Ales Kot and Andre Lima Araujo. A cool concept, which I've come to expect from Mx. Kot. They are a writer that wears their Grant Morrison influence on their sleeve. Like me with Marillion or Ween. 3 hackers steal some code that causes structural changes in their bodies and gives them superpowers. And they're angry young people.

Day 2420 - Porn Star Fantasies #7 by Xenia Blue, Crystal Gold, Paradise, and Chuck Bordell. This series reprints the fictional stories that are back-ups in the "True Stories of Adult Film Stars" series. I don't know how much of the "True Stories" series is actually true. I like to think that most of it is, if embellished for creative reasons somewhat. The biographical pieces, almost to a fault, tell the stories of women who really like sex, but are told that it's not okay for young women to like sex. And then they discover the porn industry and their own power. I'm sure there's some shady as fuck stuff that is left out, but the takeaway is that, if true, each of these women entered this industry not because they were abused or broken, but because they were people who loved sex in a world that told them that women shouldn't.

Though maybe I'm being a bit too optimistic in that reading.

Onward.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 2418: Archie Giant Series Magazine #175, September 1970

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I'm in a minority, I think, when I profess my love for the Archie Giant Series Magazine series. Granted, it stopped being quite so giant by the end of its run, and common understanding is that it was a bit of a dumping ground for stories not deemed quite good enough for the main titles.

But it also gives, at least in this early anthology iteration of the title, a nice, median-range overview of what Archie, as a company and as a character, was attempting during a time of pretty intense civil unrest. This era of Archie tends to skirt the really troubling issues, but every now and again we'll get a glimpse of one of the writers or artists offering a subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) critique of current events. If I'm to be honest, it's very often a critique with a bit of a sneer, but, as with Marvel in the 60s, you've got a bunch of guys who are rapidly approaching middle age trying to write as if they're the heppest, coolest cats on the block, Daddio. As someone well past that approach, I recognize that I do not, and cannot, speak like the young people of today. And this is a good thing 😏

What we can never fault any Archie comic for is the quality of its art, however. Archie Comics are the creme de la creme when it comes to cultivating a house style. That's not to say that there aren't differences between the various extremely-talented artists who've graced Archie's pages, but when you're establishing a brand with a highly visual component, visual recognition is key. You need to be able to identify Archie Andrews in any media, by any artist, and immediately associate him with the brand.

That's given me an idea for a rare non-40 Years post. I'll try not to forget.

Onward.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 2417: Vixen Wars #3, 1993

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I know, I know. But after yesterday's superlative read, I wanted to bounce right over to the other side of the spectrum and read something truly, truly bad. As I noted in my previous review of this series, Vixen Wars is truly, truly bad.

Now, I'm trying to be a more positive person, so let's find some good things about the story. First, and foremost, the narrative features a society that has switched completely to non-lethal weaponry. In this issue, the action of which was pretty nonsensical, it's only the men who wield lethal bullets in their guns.

So that's one thing.

The cover is pretty nice, too. The most notable thing about Vixen Wars is its early feature of the work of Georges Jeanty. I honestly don't know how Mr. Jeanty feels about this early work, but the quality of some (only some) of the draftsmanship on the book points to the more notable, and mature, works that have come from a very talented artist.

I can't quite peg the political stance of the book. While women are in charge, they still all dress like they're on Playboy TV. The women champion non-lethal conflict, while the men are still cast as uncaring killers. Are non-lethal weapons good, or is the comic arguing that only final solution offering weapons can properly assert power?

Honestly, I don't think I care. I've got two more issues of the series, so I think they'll be on the upcoming docket. With comics that are bad, I sometimes just want to read them to get them out of the way. Trouble is I'd have to dedicate a ridiculous amount of time to the bad comics I have from the 90s, and it might just kill my love for the hobby. Variation it is then.

Onward.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 2416: M.O.M.: Mother of Madness, July 2021

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 Late by a day. A less than auspicious beginning to Year 8, I agree.

Whatever.

M.O.M.: Mother of Madness is one of the coolest, smartest, beautifulest (?) comics I've read in fucking ages. The brainchild of Emilia "Khaleesi" Clarke, ably assisted by Marguerite Bennett and Leila Leiz.

Given that this book deals very explicitly with the male gaze, I feel slightly bad mentioning off the top how gorgeous this book is. Like, seriously a beautiful comic. I'm a fan of J.H. Williams III, and the way that he fuses different styles of art in his panels and layouts. Ms. Leiz has a similar approach, though very much her own style. From Connor-esque cuteness to Ashley Wood levels of scratchiness, the books visual aesthetic matches perfectly the narrative that it complements.

This is a story about a woman who, through absolutely no fault of her own, gains superpowers that are triggered (word used purposefully) by the aspects of her self for which she has been criticized. When fearful, she gains super hearing. When sad and crying, she gains super healing. There's a lot of fourth wall breaking in the story, and this is a comic that is utterly, utterly self aware. "You sat through 22 Marvel movies. You can give me 5 pages" says our focal character as she is giving us some pretty heavy back story. Through this self-awareness, we can see the vital and driven message that the creators are directing us toward. It's not subtle. The pages are peppered, uncomfortably, with off-hand remarks from male-identifying people in the story. Horrible remarks. Despicable things to say, and to do. I felt that one of the most depressing things about this comic is that it's set about 25 years in the future, and toxic masculinity seems to be alive and well.

But M.O.M. isn't going to stand for it.

Oh, and for more woman-y goodness, as far as I can tell the entire book, from editorial on down, was done by female-identifying people. It shows. I don't know if anyone else has noticed this, but when you've got a comic like this, or Womanthology, it shows. There's a different, wonderful quality to the creation.

I'm late to this game, as the series came out last year. There's two more issues, I'm going to get them this week. Honestly, if you enjoyed Bitch Planet, this comic is the next one to read.

Onward.

Well...What Now?

The end of February finally rears its head, as did, a few days ago, the end of year 7 of the 40 Years project.

Year 7 was difficult. As was year 6. On top of the tumult created by a cartoon character running the most dangerous country in the world and a global pandemic that a bunch of idiots seemed to think was a hoax, I've been doing some intense therapy and life alteration, trying to pull myself out of a hole of worthlessness, hopelessness, and disappointment. I'm still disappointed in the human race. We could be doing so much better.

Year 8 of the project will start tomorrow, March 1. Resetting the anniversary to this date makes it much easier for me to keep track, and I really want Year 8 to be a good one. I'm writing more and I'm thinking more. I've let my interest in comics recede somewhat over the last couple of years, but I'm trying to renew my interest and poke about in some of the less highlighted aspects of the hobby.

To that end, here are the only two comics I am currently following:

Ice Cream Man - easily one of the most creative and strange comics I've ever read. Imagine Twin Peaks meets Sandman meets Twilight Zone, and you have the beginning of an idea of what this comic is like. Disturbing and amusing, sometimes at exactly the same time. Worth a read.

Echolands - honestly, if J.H. Williams III is attached as an artist to a project, it's basically a slam dunk for me. I think, of all artists working in the field, he has the best understanding of how art can reflect story in comics. His work embodies the idea of the medium being the message. Echolands is a cool-ass fantasy/sci-fi story that deserves your attention.

See you tomorrow?

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 2412: Herbie #5, November 1964

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Publisher: American Comics Group

Writer: Shane O'Shea

Artist: Ogden Whitney

This absolutely qualifies as one of the strangest comics I've ever read. The premise is that the main character, Herbie, who is not an Asian stereotype despite how much he looks like one, is a quiet, rotund young man who is basically omnipotent. He has thoroughly undefined powers that he seems to get from his lollipops, and although he is often called upon to save the world, he has no real passion about it.

I think that there's a good argument to be made that Herbie is God. But I will need more issues of this insane series to really figure it out. Apparently in the next issue he dons some actual long underwear and tries his hand at superheroics. It is a very, very odd comic.

Onward.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 2411: Martian Manhunter Special #1, 1996

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 Publisher: DC Comics

Writer: Paul Kupperberg

Artist: Mike Collins

I fully admit I have not read a lot of the solo J'onn J'onzz material. When his solo series began back in the early 2000s, I checked it out, but it didn't resonate with me, even though the Ostrander/Mandrake creative team had done some amazing things with the Spectre. I wonder if the Manhunter is one of those characters who, because of his remarkable power set, is a difficult one to write dramatically. Much like Superman, J'onzz is virtually unstoppable. Granted, his Achilles' heel (fire) is a lot more accessible and prevalent than something like kryptonite. Having a more ubiquitous weakness allows perhaps for more drama.

But I don't know why he doesn't pull me in like some other heroes. He's cut from the same cloth as a well-done Superman, or Starman, or Wonder Woman. But, I think, some characters have yet to find their personal genre, and perhaps J'onzz is one of them. While we may have had some great stories, I don't think the character has found his great story yet.

Today's story was pretty good, some spacebound conflict in which the Manhunter gets embroiled. But, as with a lot of Paul Kupperberg's work, I found it to be a competent superhero story, but not a great one.

Onward.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 2410: Two-Fisted Tales #7, April 1994

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Publisher: Russ Cochran

Writer: Harvey Kurtzman & Ed Rock

Artists: Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Davis, Wally Wood, Johnny Craig, John Severin

We're coming up to the end of Year 7, and, as I noted in the last post, this year has been difficult. Hell, the last couple of years have been difficult, but that's the same story that everyone has right now, so at least I'm not alone. But I've quit my delivery job, I'm having a go at writing full time, and I love it, and I want to get the project up and running again.

I don't read, or generally consume, media that has to do with war or crime. They're two human activities that I am pretty much against hallowing through art. Unless, that is, the art is decrying the darker natures that lead us to these pursuits. While I acknowledge that they're fertile places for stories to be told, the sometimes celebratory atmosphere of such tales makes me uncomfortable. But when Mike at the Purple Gorilla suggests something to me, I'd be a fool not to listen. And, of course, the tales in this comic don't celebrate war - they decry it and point to the horrible inequities and violence that grow from it.

That said, as much as the stories and art were fucking brilliant, it didn't resonate with me as much as the horror and sci-fi titles coming out of the company at the same time. I have a much easier time finding my metaphors in things that I can fully divorce from reality. In stories that take place in less-stylized settings, I sometimes have a hard time finding the piece of the tale that resonates with me. Perhaps that's something to keep in mind as I move on.

Onward.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 2409: Fantastic Four #144, March 1974

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Publisher: Marvel Comics

Writer: Gerry Conway

Artists: Rich Buckler & Joe Sinnott

Man, year 7 of this project has been a real shit show. But, y'know, I try.

Before I get to today's comic, for the last little while I've been working through my Superman comics chronologically. My oldest is an issue of Lois Lane from the early 60s. Let me tell you, and I say this as a great fan and admirer of what Superman has become, some of this early stuff is just...bad. I mean, the art is great, and the dialogue and narrative flow are expert, but the subject matter of the stories is just subpar. I think about 90% of the stories across all titles that feature Lois are somehow about her needing to marry a good man. Superman uses his powers to play some pretty mean pranks on various friends, and Jimmy Olsen is the irresponsible "pal" Superman could possibly have. So let's just call it all apocryphal and move on, shall we?

I'm going to be spending a lot more time writing for work, so I'm hoping this will inspire me to get back to the project on a daily basis. Today's issue is a pretty rad 70s FF, with Medusa filling in for Sue, and Doctor Doom seemingly meeting his doom at the end of the comic. I will say this - Ben Grimm is a giant pain in the ass in this comic. I find the Thing's characterization to be off-putting sometimes. Given the things he's seen, I always expect Grimm to be a more even-tempered and open-minded creature. He is these days, but in his genesis he was written as a very pig-headed and resistant character. Thank goodness someone came along and gave him a bit of nuance eventually.

Not much more to say, except that this comic and I share a cover date.

Onward.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 2384: DC Comics Presents #89, January 1986

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Publisher: DC Comics

Writer: Bob Rozakis & Todd Klein

Penciller: Alex Saviuk

Cover Artist: Denys Cowan

Oh, hey there. Happy December?

I've recently developed a bit of a sweet tooth for late Bronze Age Superman stuff. It's really good and thoughtful, and really trying to be what comics become in about the mid 90s or so. But it's also revelling in the weirdness that was Silver Age DC. As an advent calendar this year, my partner took 25 comics and put wrapping paper in front of the covers in the bag and taped them up to our bedroom closet door. It's awesome, and most of it is this Bronze Age Superman stuff I'm into. Though, really, it's more Bronze Age Superman and Supergirl. I've been grooving on the Superman Family book as well as DCCP. Oh, and Lois Lane in Family. The stuff written by Tamsyn O'Flynn is fucking excellent.

Gonna try to be a bit more mindful of this blog. I'm also considering moving it over to Wordpress, as that's what I use for work and I'm getting pretty good at it. We'll see.

Onward!

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 2355: Doctor Tomorrow #2, October 1997

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Publisher: Acclaim Comics

Writer: Bob Layton

Penciller: Dean Zachary

Cover Artist: Unknown, though suggested to be Butch Guice

I made a bit of a blunder this Remembrance Day and posted something on Facebook that hurt the feelings of a good friend of mine who serves in the military. Still trying to figure out how to apologize. But today's comic actually brings me back to something I raised in that post, and that's the rhetoric used to describe historical wars. Or, rather, recent historical wars, rather than all historical wars. The three-issue opening arc on Dr. Tomorrow is titled "The Glory War," and chronicle's the character's origins in the opening days of the Second World War. It's this notion of glory that set my blood boiling a bit this November. All we seem to hear about Remembrance Day is about the glory, about the honour, about the sacrifice, about how heroic it was that these brave young men and women gave their lives in defense of their country. And not just in the sense that some did not return from the battlefields - some did and still gave their lives. My Grandad was such a person, battered and scarred, from all that I can tell, from his experiences in WW2. Yet still, despite the cost in lives and lifetimes, we still revere these young people, we still only remember the glory, the honour, and not the fact that they were sent to die often for reasons that had nothing to do with what they were told. I'll stop there. That's not the point of this post. But that rhetoric of reverence for people who were sent, in some cases unwillingly, to war just rubs me the wrong way.

The character of Dr. Tomorrow appears first in the Acclaim Universe in 1941-42, as far as I can tell. Only a few years after Action Comics #1 goes on sale and kicks off the Golden Age of Superheroes. It's not a new device for installing a history into a newly-created shared narrative, but it's a good one. As we recognize various ages of comics, we also recognize how those ages work together to create the foundations of a shared narrative universe. When writing a story of the Golden Age of a setting, there are certain signs and signals that let us know what kind of a history is being installed. It's a superheroic history, of course, but that isn't just communicated by the captions and artwork - it's communicated in the way that the comic is in dialogue with the actual, "real world" history of the superhero genre. Like giving your hero an origin point near to the first big three DC heroes. In Gerard Way's take on Doom Patrol, he hints at a figure called the God of Superheroes, the Platonic form of all of the superheroes that have come since. By stationing Dr. Tomorrow so close to the early originals, the comic signals that he is to become a template figure for the shared universe moving forward, similarly to how Captain America has been positioned in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sadly, I'm not sure Acclaim's version of the Valiant Universe lasted long enough for any of this admitted speculation to come to fruition.

But we got a pretty cool comic series out of it. Oh, and today's issue is a tribute to Will Eisner and his early Spirit adventures.

"I made it a rule to never look into the future more than a year at a time."

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 2354: Doctor Tomorrow #1, September 1997

For information on stopping the spread of COVID-19, and on the importance of being vaccinated, have a look at the World Health Organization site.

 

(Yeah, yeah, 2 in a row. Contain yer excitement 😏 Going to try a bit of a format change for a while, see how it feels.)

Publisher: Acclaim Comics

Writer: Bob Layton

Penciller: Don Perlin

Cover Artist: Mike Mignola

I've had this one kicking about the collection for about 20 years now. I started finding Acclaim comics in the comic bin at a used bookstore in Kitchener, ON, that I'm sure has gone the way of most used bookstores nowadays. It's where I first found Quantum & Woody, and where I started poking my nose into the Valiant/Acclaim universe. I've always found the idea of a historically presented superhero universe, like Astro City, for example, and this series is a cool way for the Acclaim superhero universe, relatively new, to establish a history for itself.

I don't really know much about the series, having only read this issue, but I'm intrigued by the premise, though I have inklings already, of an ontological paradoxical nature, about what's going to happen.

Or, perhaps I think I do, except that I don't. Bear with me. The series is the brainchild of writer/inker Bob Layton. Each issue has a different art team, and is presented in tribute to a particular luminary of Comics' history. Today's is a paean to Jack Kirby. I'm missing a couple of the later issues, which I may try to track down in the next few days, but I noticed at some point that Mr. Layton's name does not appear on the final issue. And, being, as far as I can tell, a fairly open company about the ways things work behind the scenes, there's an explanation in the back matter of the final issue. According to this, Layton asked to have his name removed from the issue because he had differences with the editorial department over how the series should end. The editorial side had plans for a character from later in the series that must have somehow conflicted with Mr. Layton's, as the writer, original ending.

That got me thinking about The Eternals. Not the movie, but the mid-80s maxi-series from Marvel that dropped around the same time as Squadron Supreme. The last four issues of that series, originally helmed by Peter B. Gillis, were written by Walt Simonson. It's been a while since I've looked, but I imagine the excuse given for Gillis' departure is similar to that given for Layton's. I wondered, briefly, why this might be the case until I realized that by the end of the series, there would have been significant sales figures for previous issues, indicating whether or not it was worthwhile to continue the character/series somehow. And that continuity, the imposition of the shared narrative universe, on what looks to be a story with a definite end, has to cause some ruptures. Perhaps I'll look into it a bit more over the next few days as I continue Dr. Tomorrow's cool-ass history.

"Who is this mysterious man from the future who has joined forces with the allied march into Europe?"

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 2353: Valiant FCBD 2016 - 4001 A.D. Prologue

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I honestly hadn't intended for there to be months between posts anymore, but, y'know, holy shit life gets in the way sometimes. I've been channeling a lot of my creative energies into music over the last few months, managing to compile three full albums of music that I hope to somehow release to the world once I figure out a good way to do so. And comics have fallen by the wayside.

Sort of.

I've kept up with the reading, and since we last met I've made my way through most of the Harris Comics content in the collection. I've come to appreciate Vampirella a bit more now - I made the classic mistake of seeing what she looked like and assuming that was the be-all and end-all of the character. It's shocking to realize, only every now and again thankfully, how much that kind of thinking, especially with regard to women, has been intrinsically programmed into my psyche. I've been thinking a lot lately about the ways that I have to deprogram myself from the toxically masculine behaviours that were performed as the norm for me when I was still learning how to human. Going back to school helped in a big way, but moments like this remind me that I have to remain vigilant.

So, yeah, Vampirella's a kick-ass lady who uses her scantily-clad appearance to stop enemies in their tracks, giving her the opening to kill the hell out of them. And she's battling in an America that's been, in some ways, taken over by all the creatures of the night that we fear. And her boyfriend's a creature-hunting congressman. It's all pretty great and ridiculous, and just good comics.

After that, I decided to dive into the Valiant/Acclaim publishing universe. There's a couple of longer runs in there that I skipped over, and will perhaps start on tomorrow, but I'm glad I did my overview first, as the Valiant/Acclaim universe is one with which I'm only tangentially familiar. I was a fan of the Acclaim Comics iteration in the early Naughts, but only, sadly, as that line was imploding. Quantum & Woody still ranks as one of the best superhero stories I've read, and I only wish Mr. Priest and Mr. Bright had been able to finish telling their story. I'll talk more about that soon, I hope. All that said, I'm going to be a little more on the lookout for Valiant/Acclaim stuff when I'm doing my dollar bin or TPB buying. I've managed to read bits and pieces across about 4 different iterations of this universe, as far as I can tell, and each of them have been really quite good. I think I used to link Valiant to Image too much, as the most prominent Valiant exposure I've had was their crossover with early Image in Deathmate. But where Image was over the top and grandiose, Valiant took a different route. I wonder if anyone's ever compared them with DC and Marvel at the beginning of the Marvel Era? Valiant takes the Marvel route of grounding its heroes in the "real" world, and it works almost too well. There's a series called Armorines, about, you guessed it, an armoured Marine squad. The characters are really well done, and there's some excellent commentary on U.S.-Cuban relations, from a diasporic point of view even (!), but it's still very pro-military in a way that just doesn't sit right with me. I've noticed this in only a few comics as I've been going through the collection, but there's definitely ones written so much farther right on the political spectrum of where I sit that it becomes noticeable. The key, I suppose, is to appreciate that the belief in that particular ideological perspective has created what amounts to a wonderful popular work of art. The artists behind the work all obviously feel strongly about the material they're presenting, and that's fabulous. Indeed, I get that feeling from all of the Valiant/Acclaim books - but again, they promote a "Bullpen" atmosphere in their back matter, so perhaps I'm simply buying into the rhetoric that Stan Lee perfected back in the 60s.

Ah, voluminous. I really ought to try to get back to daily writing.

More to come.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 2303: Scary Miss Mary #1, June 2001

For information on stopping the spread of COVID-19, and on the importance of being vaccinated, have a look at the World Health Organization site.

 

 Oh, hey. How's it going?

Let's jump back in with a comic that has no GCD presence. As far as I can tell, this comic is linked to a clothing brand called Fine Clothing. I don't know anything else about it, nor, really, do I need to. The comic conforms to the Slave Labor Graphics aesthetic that was enjoying something of a peak back in the early Naughts. Miss Mary is trading on the paths laid by comics like Gloomcookie and Johnny the Homicidal Maniac. Cute, but will fucking gut you without a moment's hesitation.

So, yeah, this was a cute comic that, for all intents and purposes, is a long-for ad for a clothing brand. I've got a couple of comics of this ilk in the collection, one from JNCO Jeans that springs to mind in particular. It's an odd pairing, and I'd be very interested to see how much of an impact on visibility or sales a comic like this had on the clothing brand to which it was yoked.

Now, what I will say is that some of the choices Mary makes in the comic reminded me so much of my kid when they were growing up that I had to have a bit of affection for the little goth lady and her attempts to fit into the black eyeliner-free world. In particular, the tale of Mary's class making dolls at home and then having a show and tell - Mary shows up with a voodoo doll stuck with pins, whom she loves dearly, which no one really understands.

Anyway, I'm back, I guess. I don't think the project's going to be daily anymore. I just don't have that in me at the moment. I'm going to try to do some other things. I've been having some thoughts in the months I've been away from the blog. If I can get my ass in gear, and kick the ADHD to the curb every now and again, there'll be some neat things, I hope.

More to follow.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 2270: The First Kingdom #6, 1977

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 I have definitely, definitely, complained on this blog about misleading covers on comics. Sadly, today's is one. Tundran and Fara, seen so joyously holding hands and hunting on the cover, never meet in the interior of the issue. Fara's life, post-slavery (oh, yeah, she's enslaved and leads a revolt and then escapes last issue), is taken up with the old hunter Nator, who is banished after Darkemoor is slain. He hitches his star to her wagon and trains and befriends her. Though the passage of time is not always well-delineated in the series, I think by the end of this issue, she's about 11 or 12. You'll notice that even from the cover, Mr. Katz has started changing her design, especially in light of how she was depicted on the previous cover. While Tundran retains his muscled build, Fara's is fading into the lithe form of the vast majority of women in the series. This is not to say that they're not still strong warriors, only that the "ideal" that Katz shoots for in his depictions is more influenced by the thin female forms of the 70s than by what an actual hunter/warrior maiden might actually look like.

However, far more intriguing is the delving back into the past of Terog and Himemet's lives. Definitely more of a science fiction bent, and some really intriguing clues dropped as to the origins of the Transgods of Helleas Voran. There's an introductory piece by Mark Evanier in this issue, and he notes that, in creating such rich and complex worlds, few writers manage to do so "without pillaging other creators' universes." He goes on to say that Katz actually has, and I think I'd have to agree. I don't see any reflections of other epics, fictional or not, aside from the very broad strokes of there being gods, and a godly realm, and a hell realm, though with the aforementioned clues in this issue, I'm starting to question if those realms, and those gods, are actually what I think they are. And then there's the mysterious references to "the experiment" throughout the issue. There's something deep and interesting going on here. I'm happy to be experiencing it.

More to follow.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 2269: The First Kingdom #5, 1976

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 "The Children of the Tamra." The Tamra, if I'm understanding context, is what the people of this era call Earth, so in naming Tundran and Fara (whose birth is chronicled this issue, and who is the reincarnation of the goddess Selowan) so, we're being given yet another clue as to the importance of these two characters. You'll also see a seated figure up there between the two children - this is the Oracle, who has shown up since the first issue and given some dire predictions about Tundran's life. Poor kid.

I have to say, these kids are ripped. Not just on the cover, but as we witness their development through the issue, they're in super-great shape. As is, literally, everyone in the series. Perhaps it's as a result of the harsh environment in which they live, but there doesn't look like there's the opportunity, or genetic predisposition I suppose, to grow...softer. This is a hard world full of hard people. That said, both children were born of great love, so beneath the chiseled exteriors must dwell some gentler emotion.

I'm going to step lightly into a dodgy subject now. I want to offer some thoughts on Mr. Katz's depictions of nude and semi-nude children in this issue. I noted in a previous post that the majority of the people in this series are bare with the exception of tiny, tiny codpieces. In introducing characters who are minors, I wondered how Mr. Katz would handle the nudity. Turns out, he handles it just the same way he handles the nudity of everyone involved. It's there because of the environment and that's it. Not for titillation but for narrative consistency. What's quite wonderful about these depictions is that there's really not that much difference between the pre-pubescent forms of Tundran and Fara - perhaps some slight deviations due to biological sex, but in their abilities and their early development, they're just kids. I'm curious to see if, as the two mature, if they err more toward the typical representations of male and female in the rest of the series. Males seem to be muscular and developed, while women are slender and lithe, with little muscle definition. I think to take away Fara's more muscular design simply because she goes through puberty would be a shame. If she's to be a companion for Tundran (and I think that's where things are heading), then let her keep her warrior physique as he tries to regain his kingdom.

More to follow.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 2268: The First Kingdom #4, 1976

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Book four completes the introductory parts of The First Kingdom, introducing what Mr. Katz himself calls the hero of the series, Tundran. Though I came to enjoy Darkenmoor's story, it seems he is a precursor, and that his son, born in tragic circumstances, will be the focal character for the remaining 20 books of the epic.

The other interesting aspect added in today's comic is a dash of science fiction, as we are given the origins of Darkenmoor's mutant companion Terog and his love Himemet. Their story cements the idea that this is a post-apocalyptic Earth, as the two mutants start out life as human-looking creatures from another galaxy who head to Earth to try to stop the imminent nuclear holocaust. They don't quite make it, and then are exposed to radiation that turns them to their current, diminutive (and long-lived?) forms. I'm curious to see if the science fiction aspect becomes more prominent as the series unfolds, though I only have up to issue 8, so I'm going to have to do some hunting soon.

More to follow.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 2267: The First Kingdom #3, 1975

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And finally we see the founding of Darkenmoor's "Gan," the major city of the First Kingdom. I find it amusing that the technological level is probably about Iron Age but no one wears any clothes. I'm considering that it could be that the temperature is constantly so warm that they don't need clothes, and that there's no nudity taboo in the culture. Or that Katz just like drawing (and who doesn't?) naked people. It reminds me very much of Mike Grell's work on The Warlord, and that series explicitly notes the temperature of Skataris. Perhaps with this being technically a post-apocalyptic setting, the ambient radiation adds to the temperature. It certainly is meant to have mutated many, if not all, of the animals in the world, and some of the people.

One character I'm finding both confusing and annoying is an old prophet who just keeps showing up and dropping cryptic hints about Darkenmoor's son and then disappearing. I'm just not sure where he came from - he's one of the few characters that we haven't really been given even a little bit of background. I'm banking on time traveller.

We also get our first major death, maybe, in today's issue. Nedlaya, Darkenmoor's mortal love, despairingly throws herself from a cliff after finding out about the hunter's immortal love, Selowan. I say maybe because there's never a body recovered, and somehow Darkenmoor needs to sire an heir and Nedlaya was the primary candidate for Queen and Mother that we've seen thus far.

Katz produced this series, to begin with, 2 issues per year. And he leaves us on cliffhangers, which is a strange choice for such a spaced-out publication schedule. I think I'd have made each issue self-contained. Trying to keep the momentum of a cliffhanger over 6 months would be difficult, and, aside from Darkenmoor and Selowan, the characters are fairly thinly-scripted, so there's not a lot of investment there yet either. This is another of those series that, I think, works better as a whole rather than as a serial.

More to follow.

Further Reading and Related Links

An interview with Mr. Katz from a few years back. Some insight into the series and its finale.

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 2266: The First Kingdom #2, 1975

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 I read the first issue of this sprawling epic years ago as part of my magazine read-through. I don't think that's likely to pick up any time in the near future, and I'm curious as to where the story's heading, so let's get stuck in.

Continuing the tale of Darkenmoor the hunter as he travels across the wasted realms to found the First Kingdom, Katz's epic continues to lay out the history of the post-apocalyptic world (well, we're assuming it's post-apocalyptic - the editorials make reference to this, but there's been little evidence in the actual narrative). Today's issue gives us some history of the "Transgods" that seem to rule over this world. I was concerned that it was going to turn into one of those things where I'd have to try and remember a billion names, but it really doesn't appear so. There's a large-ish main cast, but not so large that I have to turn back pages and remember who each character is. The only problem is that with some of the gods the designs are very, very similar. There's differences in height, but not a lot of difference in design, even of clothing. But there's few enough of the characters that it only takes moments to sort out who we're talking about.

As much as I'm getting to know the characters, there's definitely a sense that it's not really Darkenmoor and his people we're that interested in, so much as his son, of whose future fate we get occasional glimpses and prophecies.

And then there's that format. As I noted in my previous entry I'm not a huge fan of the reliance on expositive captioning, but the editorials have pointed to the experimental nature of Katz's work. I'm trying to embrace that.

More to follow.

Further Reading or Related Links

The First Kingdom puts me in mind of Marvel's awesome Weirdworld.

And, this venerable series still has a web presence!