Redartz: For your consideration today, here are two questions that will require you to think back a bit (one much further than the other, admittedly). Let's get right to them:
1. Was there ever a comic book, series, character (or creator) that you initially despised; then later came to appreciate, even love?
2. What is the first toy you remember having as a child?
As is our custom here, I'll give my answers to get things started.
1. Anything by Gil Kane. No, it was nothing personal; I just didn't like his artwork at all. When I first started reading comics, his covers were everywhere on Marvel publications. I just couldn't get past the nasal shots and sometimes contorted positions. And , it seemed many of those covers looked alike, especially the Conan covers. However, over the years, his style grew on me. By the time his stint on "Sword of the Atom" appeared, his art became something to look forward to. And he is my favorite penciller, under the inks of John Romita Sr, when it comes to the web slinger. |
| Okay, it wasn't this clock, but I had one of these too. |
2. The first toy I can recall having was a plastic clock. You know, the kind where you can move the hands around. It was green, and had see-through innards. I remember holding it on my parent's couch at the age of two. Can't remember much else that early, that toy clock must have been pretty important to me at the time...
Okay, now it's your turn- stretch that memory, think back, and remember!
16 comments:
Red - you really fired up the "way back" machine today...
Probably my first toys I recall were the ubiquitous push/pull xylophones / telephones on a stick that made music as you pushed /pulled them along. (At least, that's what the family photos indicate, lol!) But I do strongly recall receiving the "Mighty Mike" truck that climbed along along an elevated track. (Youtube it; I can't describe it well.)
JIm Shooter's run, as a young teen, on the Legion, in Adventure Comics. I was generally disinterested in DC comics (like many of us) and those 60s DCs just seemed bland. In the early 90s I acquired a deep run on Shooter's Legion cheap and thoroughly enjoyed it! I went back and reread a few issues a few months ago (inspired by BitBA) and still enjoy it 50 years after it was written and 25 years after I finally took a chance and read them!
For artists..., perhaps Perez.., I didn't care for his early Avengers stint.., the panel art all just seemed a bit shaky, but I can tell now he was still learning his craft because when he got to DC's NTT, he was the 'Artist SUPREME'. As for other artists, I like Gray Morrow more nowadays, but I also liked his Space:1999 70s b7w art (depending on inker).
Most artists I didn't like as a kid..., I frankly still don't like.
As for earliest toys..? It would have to be my Captain Action. I may have had some toddler toys early, but sheesh, when I got him with his Aquaman and Superman suits, it was fantastic. I remember enjoying watching the Marvel Superheroes cartoons, with him in hand. Honestly don't know why I never got the Batman and Robin sets.., who knows. His later-released 'Action Boy' was even more the fav.
In a close second place around that time was my Major Matt Mason astronauts and space sets. Incredible stuff.
Redartz, I'd echo your thoughts on Gil Kane. I didn't care for him as a kid. In fact, I'd have gone on record as a 10-year old saying he ruined The Inhumans and various other books he took over. However, as an adult I have a real appreciation for his style, particularly in the Silver Age. And the Gil Kane Spider-Man Artist Edition is one of my prized possessions. Just a beautiful book.
Early toys? Man, I'll have to go along with some pull toys, Fisher Price farm, stuff like that. I also recall a large plush Cuddly Duddly (non-Chicagoans will have to Google The Ray Rayner Show to see what I'm talking about).
Doug
I honestly can't recall what my first toy was - probably something handed down from my older brother, as I do recall playing with some banged up Hot Wheels and a Tonka truck or two when I was really little. Either that or those little plastic farm animal toys (later, there would be a lot of those brightly colored dinosaur toys).
As for the first question, I first have to say that I liked Gil Kane's art from the get-go. For me, artists that I really didn't like at first as a kid were Ditko and Kirby. I later learned to appreciate both, esp. Ditko, although I still don't have that unreserved love for Kirby's art that most American comic fans do.
Interesting that you included a Conan cover. That was a character I initially didn't like, mainly based on his appearance. I thought he looked mean and frankly kind of ugly the way Buscema drew him. Then I got a hold of a few of those pocketbooks that reprinted the early stories drawn by B. W. Smith and Kane, whose depiction of Conan I found pleasing, and I also realized that the stories were really good. And at about the same time, a school chum of mine also turned me on to the Conan books, which I really enjoyed. So I started to occasionally pick up the current Conan books off of the spinner racks, or just borrow them from my buddy, who also had a lot of the Savage Sword magazines. Anyway, now I find Buscema's version of the character as pretty much definitive - well, his version and Frazetta's from the paperback covers.
1. First toy I remember . . . well, it's one of two. One was called "Billy Blastoff," a kid astronaut. The other was "Tricky Tommy Turtle," which was some kind of remote controlled turtle. Mine never worked.
2. The comic title that leapt to mind is rather obscure: Skull the Slayer. I really disliked it at first, but it grew on me fairly quickly.
I'm like Edo, I never got into Conan as a kid. After I read the original R.E. Howard stories, I appreciated the comics a lot more, especially since Roy Thomas was pretty scrupulous about following the originals. I remember not liking Gene Colan's art as a kid, but I grew to love it later on.
Earliest toy? That's hard, as everything kinda runs together. I had various stuffed animals (including an elephant that didn't look like an elephant because it had been re-covered so many times). Matchbox cars. Tonka trucks. Growing up in Saskatchewan I had the ubiquitous plastic farm animals and a plastic barn to put them in.
Like Mike Wilson I, too, did not like Gene Colan, and my stuffed toy dog, "Poochie," was in complete agreement. We've both come around since. I loved Ditko Spider-Man. Ditko Machine Man, not so much, though. Ka-zar is a character whom I didn't like, until I did.
1. For the life of me I can't really recall any creators that I didn't like at first and then grew to like later. I guess the closest would probably be Jack Kirby. (I know, I know. Allow me to explain).
One of my earliest TPB books was "Marvel's Greatest Superhero Battles" which included a 3-part story featuring Iron Man battling the Sub-Mariner. Well the first 2 parts of the story ran in Tales of Suspense #79-80 and were drawn by Gene Colan, but the story was wrapped up over in Tales To Astonish, and was mostly drawn by Jack Kirby (Gene did the first 2 pages but then got sick and Kirby had to finish the job). I didn't really know who Jack Kriby was at the time, and as a 10 year old the sudden (and drastic) change in artwork style really threw me for a loop. So, I remember being kind of upset that Colan didn't complete the story.
Of course it didn't take long for me to discover Kirby's incredible body of work, and he soon became one of my all-time favorite artists (naturally). And now when I look back on that story, the pages that Jack drew are some my favorite parts. You just can't beat The King when it comes to depicting all-out action fight scenes.
2. One of the earliest toys I can ever actually remember picking out at a store, and having it bought for me, was a Mego Aquaman action figure. I didn't even know who Aquaman was or anything about him, (but I guess I thought he looked cool). Then sometime after that the "Super Friends" show started airing, and when I saw Aquaman I was like "Oh my gosh!! That's my guy!" As a result Aquaman became my very first favorite Superhero. He still holds a special place in my heart.
Ok, now that I've had all day at work to contemplate things...
I grew to enjoy Conan b/c I picked up a large stack of the early B&W mags at Comicon on the cheap about 10 years ago. I had zero interest, with one exception due to the Barry Smith cover on a $.35 giant one shot, until then. The price ($1 each) and condition (near mint) drew me in and I was looking for something different. Talk about serendipity!
I grew to appreciate (tolerate?) Frank Robbins on the Invaders and to a lesser extent on the Shadow, but no where else. Probably b/c I could rationalize his art style to the time period.
I hate to jump in with another post but I was looking at my "REMCO Mighty Mike Truck" on Youtube since I hadn't seen one since like 1967. This guy has one, looks like new though the package is very old looking, and is running it in his living room in 2015.
The guy has that clear plastic covering his couch like my grandparents and parents an neighbors had in the 1960s! I'll tell you the truth (always!) that I have as strong a memory of sitting on plastic covered furniture in the 1960s as I do of any toy or comic!!! It was really en vogue and all the fashionable houses in northwest Indiana ensconced their furniture in plastic!!!
You always wondered about the ones with melted plastic, from their cigs, if they would have burnt the house down but for the plastic covering the furniture!!!
I didn't care so much for Gene Colan when I first saw his art in the 70's, but I backtracked and read his 60's work and loved it, and I really enjoyed his stint with the Batman in the early 80's. With Gil Kane, I loved his 60's work, but not so much his later work. It was too scratchy for my tastes and it sort of gave me a phobia about nostrils. ;)
The first toys I really remember were a talking bear named Biff and the Major Matt Mason action figures.
Thank you for commenting today, everyone!
Charlie- good call on Shooter's Legion stories. I didn't dislike them at first, just kind of ignored them. But later, they really grabbed me. Also, nice pickup on those Conans. Can't beat the price. Oh, and you're right about that plastic furniture covering. I recall sitting on a couch with a bumpy plastic coating, rather like clear dinosaur skin. And it stuck to you if you were wearing shorts
david_b- glad you mentioned Gray Morrow. He doesn't really get mentioned that much around here, but he did some fine comic (and animation) work.
jeirich- Skull the Slayer! So there is someone else who read those. Do you still have those? It's difficult to recall much about the book, after all these years. Perhaps it's one of those books that reads better after some time has passed.
"If I recall, when I was young, a youngster, really, I had a stick. Just a stick. When I got older, an uncle gave me a piece of string."
Growing up, again with this stuff, I was Marvel. When I wasn't reading Marvel, I read Marvel. And then, Marvel. When I got older, I got into Justice League. The reboot. Justice League became Justice League International. Justice League International split into Justice League America and Justice League Europe. Stayed through all of it. Which brings me to a side question. Justice League Europe had a 68 issue run. I have 1-24, 26-63 and 65-67. I'm missing three issues. THREE!!! If my shoe was on your foot, would you pull that trigger?
Speaking of toys... I do recall a blue eyed, red headed flute player that loved to toy with my affections. You wouldn't know her. I met her at band camp. She lives in Canada...
(Things to do during Harvey:
Stand in your driveway watching your street disappear.
Realize your drafty old house is also leaky.
Eat all your peanuts before Sunday.
Wonder if you can buy three back issues with a FEMA check.
Watch a sunset after five days of rain.
Being grateful.)
Charlie Horse 47, you and I think alike buddy - I was just gonna say generally I dislike Frank Robbins's artwork but somehow on the Invaders it seemed to be a weird fit, if you know what I mean. Maybe it's because it's what I read as a kid, but I probably would not have liked it if he did other titles like the FF, Avengers or the X-men!
First toy I can remember? I had a whole boxload of those plastic green army men, along with assorted cowboys and Indians!
- Mike 'don't get the appeal of fidget spinners' from Trinidad & Tobago.
Prowl- yes, enough of the old completist remains within me that I'd definitely pick up the remaining three issues. And yes, seeing what has gone on over the past few days gives one pause, and cause for reflection. How quickly everything can change for a person; it behooves us to be thankful for what we have, who we are, and why we're here...
A day late here... so very quickly my first toys I recall were a popper with balls in it that looked like gum balls - when you would roll it the balls would pop. I also vaguely remember a slinky dog that got all tangled up.
As far as growing to like something - the Defenders were like that for me. I liked the characters and wanted to live the book but I first picked it up in a down note series of issues so it took a while to get in the swing.
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