Chew the Fat: A New Year's Exercise in Optimism!

 

Redartz:  Well, here we are again; marking the transition from one  year to another. We all know what kind of year we've just been through. And, the times that lie ahead are uncertain. Nevertheless, it's always a bit easier to face the unknown if you are shielded by a sense  of optimism. Here at BitBA we like to keep things positive, and in this spirit, our goal this week is to nurture that positivity! How, you may ask? Well, with the help of a few contemplation-inducing questions. Aaaaaaand, here we go...

 1.  Looking back at this past year, name at least one good thing you've taken from it. Could be societal, could be personal, could be anything. 

For me, I gained another grandson this past year! Also, after driving my notorious red bomb for the past ten years, I finally got a better set of wheels. Actually, it's red too, but what else would you expect from ol' Red? 

2.  Looking ahead to the coming year, name at least one thing you hope to see/ experience / accomplish. 

Personally, I hope to resume some travel, and get out a bit. Particularly hoping to rejoin some of you at the Chicago comic con this spring, if it's in the cards. 

3.   Thinking back to the years of our youth, name a year that sticks with you as being a notably good one. Then share what made it a memorable one...

My pick is 1975. I started high school that year, attended my first real comic convention, and started painting. Plus there were an awful lot of fine comics published that year, imho.

4.  Name something you've watched or read this year that really impressed.you. 

As we had some extra 'around the house' time this year, my wife and I watched some older classic films. One that we watched, for the first time in my case: "How the West Was Won", a Cinerama epic from 1962. And epic it was; what a cast. Anytime James Stewart makes an appearance, it's bound to be worth a look. Plus John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Gregory Peck and more? Imagine that budget in today's dollars...

5.  Gratitude is helpful in maintaining optimism. What Christmas gifts were you graced with this year?

I received numerous very nice gifts; our youngest son gave my wife and I a Nintendo Switch system! And my wife gave me a book of interest: "John Romita, and All that Jazz". Which just goes to show how well she knows her husband's taste in comics.

 Don't know about you, but I feel better already. So help us all out, and share your answers to these queries. And, to each of you, best wishes for your health and happiness in 2021, and beyond!

 

 

Short Cuts: "Giant BitBA Holiday Grab Bag"

 

Redartz:  Ah, here we are; Christmas week. Another year coming rapidly to a close, and what a year it has been. We're all bound to be a  bit preoccupied this week, so in the spirit of Marvel's classic Bronze age "Holiday Grab Bag" Treasuries, BitBA simply offers up a selection of holiday sounds and images; hopefully to bring a little smile or two. Feel free to share any thoughts, memories, wishes, or whatever comes to mind. To all of you, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Peaceful Kwanzaa, Festive Festivus, and heartfelt best wishes. And thanks for  being part of the BibBA community, whether you're a commenter or reader. You all make it fun. Now please excuse me; I've gotta go set out some cookies...

 

 

Chew the Fat: Weaknesses, Temptations and Vulnerabilities; Ours and Theirs...

 

Redartz:  This afternoon I was wrapping some Christmas presents. So what does that have to do with our topic? Well, for an artist / professional picture framer, my gift wrapping skills leave much to be desired. I can execute a painting or drawing with some success, but I can't fold gift wrap neatly around a box to save my life. Which got me to thinking, just what are my various weaknesses and vulnerabilities? 

 Everyone knows about Superman and Kryptonite, or Green Lantern and the color yellow (which always seemed a bit too convenient for his foes). 

 

Marvel heroes also have their failings and vulnerabilities, perhaps  less obvious but still extant. Where would Peter Parker be without crippling guilt? So there are some obvious examples. You can guess where this is headed.

What other vulnerabilities can you think of in the comics world? They might be physical, or mental, or magical (again, Superman- if someone came up with magic Kryptonite he'd be truly sunk). After all, its' those chinks in the armor that make a hero heroic, after all- without risk, there's not really any sacrifice.

Ah, but what about us? As this is the Holiday Season, we all are surrounded by temptations, distractions, and challenges even more than we normally face during the year. So as we consider our four color friends' weaknesses, let's consider ours as well. 

As for me, I mentioned my wrapping difficulties. Certainly not a crippling affliction, but it provides annual amusement and frustration for my wife ("How can you not wrap a present neatly?!?" ). By the way, I tried to use just about every available form of punctuation in that last sentence...

You just saw another of my weaknesses- a tendency to wander off point mentally. Which seems to be getting worse as the years go by. Focus, Red, focus. So what else 'gets' to me? I'm notoriously tempted by sweets, chocolate will draw me like the moth to a bug light. Which, returning to the Holiday theme, becomes very challenging indeed. And all those Christmas cookies; Santa is lucky if I leave him any at all. 

Aaaand, I always seem  to cram too much of everything into too little time, usually to the detriment of all of it.. Bet some of you can say the same there.  And so as to avoid cramming too much verbiage here, I'll turn the platform over to you now. What is your 'kryptonite', as it were? While thinking of comic heroes and their chinks, try to consider your own. What about you brings a knowing smile and eye roll from your 'significant other'? We're all breathlessly waiting to hear...

Oh, and at the risk of appearing self-indulgent, here is an example of one of my paintings, ink and watercolor.. My thanks for your indulgence...

 

Two Questions: "Music with Stories, and Stories with Music"

 

Redartz:  Music and stories (particularly comics), two of my favorite things. And most, if not all, of you would say the same, no doubt. Which brings us to this week's twin  questions:

1.  What are your favorite ' story songs'? 

I love story songs, As in songs that tell a tale, or carry a narrative, to some extent anyway. I'd have been quite comfortable back in the days of wandering minstrels, singing ballads touting the exploits of various heroes and heroines. Of course, there have been plenty of story songs within our lifetimes, even if no lute-bearing minstrel performed them. Two of those high on my list:

Men at Work, "Dr. Heckyll and Mr. Jive"

 

 

Vicki Lawrence, "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia"

2. What musically-themed comics (or novels) have you enjoyed? 

Other than reading several musical biographies, I can't off hand think of any novels, but there have been numerous comics inspired by or adapting musical themes that caught my fancy. A couple: 

Doctor Strange 32, in which Roger Stern culls a character from Gary Wright's 1976 classic tune.

 Then there's "Bop"; an anthology published by Kitchen Sink in 1982. Filled with a variety of musical stories, from such creators as Marc Hempel, Trina Robbins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Harvey Pekar and Alex Toth. Unfortunately it only appeared once, and promptly vanished from the comics horizon...

Now, as usual, the baton passes to you. What story songs kept your ear cocked to the radio; and what musical literature added melody to your reading?

 

 

Sound and the Fury: New Wave Faves, US Edition...

 

Redartz:  A couple of years ago we did a post in which we discussed our favorite  New Wave acts from the UK. We concluded with a promise to look at the US contingent. Never let it be said that we don't follow up on things, even if it takes us awhile!  

The late 70's and early 80's were rich times musically, with the surging presence of new sounds from new performers; a wide variety of approaches all encompassed beneath the umbrella term of
"New Wave". Much of that arose from the wondrous environs of the UK. But the USA
 was not to be left out, as these bands (and the others which you all will be naming) can attest . This discussion isn't really about the 'best', as obviously that is a relative and subjective judgement. This post we're dealing with our favorites; and here are three of mine.

 

Talking Heads

Probably the first 'New Wave' band I came to enjoy was Talking Heads. I was at first slow to jump on the bandwagon, still hanging on to my standard pop tastes. But the persuasive efforts of some art school friends, and this song, broke the ice for me. Shortly I was incurably hooked, hunting for any 'alternative' act I could find. And one of the first was the album from which this song came, "More Songs About Buildings and Food". I loved that lp, and every subsequent offering from David Byrne and Co. And that includes the excellent "Tom Tom Club". But anyway, here's the tune that started it all for me.

"Take Me to the River"

Devo

Next on my personal list of US New Wave faves is Devo. At first, I found their offerings to be rather weird. Too weird for my tastes. However, once my eyes (and more specifically, ears) were opened a bit, the Spudboys' brand of strangeness was irresistable. Although I didn't purchase any Devo records until "Whip It" hit big, I then made up for lost time. Within a short time I picked up all their previous lps, and was sure to grab the new ones that followed. Here's one great track from "Oh No! It's Devo!"

"Explosions"

The Go-Go's

Much as I loved the above two groups, I never had the pleasure of seeing them live. On the other hand, I had the pleasure of seeing these girls live not once, not twice but three times! Once at a small club in Indianapolis. Once as the opening act for the Police. And once as headliners themselves (at Purdue University, I believe our friend Charlie Horse 47 was there too). 

The Go-Go's output may have been smaller than many other acts, but the sheer fun they exuded made up for that. One great aspect of the 'New Wave' was a return to 'fun'. And that perfectly describes this group's music. And what's more fun than this cut from the group's second album?

"Vacation"

Okay, there's my three picks. There were many many others, but these three acts had a place close to my heart and mind. What acts from the American New Wave set your blood to pumping?

 

 

Chew the Fat: Observing the Onset of Holiday Hullabaloo...

 

Redartz:  Well, it's Thanksgiving week here in the USofA, and it's a bit outside the usual (as everything seems to be this year). Preparations for the holiday season are underway, albeit with many adjustments for the ongoing pandemic. Anyway, it's got me thinking both backward and forward- about holiday preparations in the past, and what we're doing this year. 

 

Thanksgiving in our family was pretty much like many other families' observances. We had relatives over , or piled into Dad's car and hit the road. We kids didn't have much to do other than to watch the parades on tv all morning, while the adults worked on dinner. 

Dinner itself was traditional, Turkey, cranberry sauce, yams, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie. Of course this dinner was served on two tables, the 'Adult' table and the 'Kids' table. It was a source of personal accomplishment when I was finally able to sit at the table with the big folks...

 
 

 

 

 

 The day after Thanksgiving, known everywhere as
Black Friday, was also part of the tradition at our house. Each year we got up super early, drove to the Mall (often a big one in another town; our local mall was pretty modest). Once there we joined the throngs in shopping, lugging bags, awaiting seating space in the food court, and trying to recall where we had parked. Again, being kids, we didn't have the headache of writing the checks; we just enjoyed all the hubbub (and the window shopping, and the decorations...}.

 

 

Finally, one more Thanksgiving week tradition remained: putting up the Christmas decorations. Our family almost always did this the weekend immediately following Thanksgiving. Dad and Mom did most of it, but we youths were busily hanging ornaments on the lower branches, untangling strings of lights. and generally getting in the way.  It was chaotic, frequently messy, but always a blast.

 

Long story short, Thanksgiving at our house was a grand entry into the Holiday Season, and basically lasted from Thursday through Sunday. The excitement generated carried us through until New Year's. But what about this year? Again, like many households, ours will be doing things differently. A much smaller dinner. No plans for Black Friday shopping, although I may do some online browsing. However, I do plan to start decorating over the weekend. At least that much tradition can be retained!

 And now it's your turn. What memories do you have of Thanksgiving, and /or the Holiday Season in general (knowing that Thanksgiving is a US phenomenon, basically)? What traditions did your family have to prepare for the Season? And what are you doing this year? Personally, it's been quite a tough year, but  despite that (or perhaps because of it) I'm rather looking forward to the holidays more than usual. Like they sang in "Mame",  "we need a little Christmas, right this very minute...".  

Brave or the Bold: Comparing the 'Team-Up' Comics...

 

Redartz:  One feature of comics in our beloved Bronze Age was the popularity of "team-up" books. And yes, I know that the concept existed back in the Silver Age in the form of DC's "Brave and the Bold". Nonetheless, it wasn't until the 70's that you found multiple such titles on the spinner racks. And therefore the 'Team up' comic became as much a Bronze age touchstone as Giant Size comics, Treasury Editions and Hostess Ads.

Between Marvel and DC, there were four 'biggies' that exemplified the genre. Of course the aforementioned "Brave and the Bold" was one, and DC added later "DC Comics Presents". Marvel offered "Marvel Team-Up", and "Marvel Two-in-One". Perhaps a bit less imaginative than DC's titles, but the names certainly told you what you could expect to find between the covers. 

And speaking of covers, below you'll find four groups of covers, representing some of each title's notables. Accompanying these will be a few comments from your humble host about these series.   So buddy up and let's have a look...

 Brave and the Bold

 "B & B" debuted back in 1955, and for years presented various adventure features and rotating headliners. One noteworthy issue was number 28, in which the Justice League of America first appeared! But a few years later, in 1963's issue 50, B & B gave us the first team-up story, with Green Arrow and Martian Manhunter. Various heroes were paired, but by 1966 Batman became the 'host' of the book (no doubt due to the influence of the then-current Batman tv series). And Batman spent the remainder of the series' run teaming with almost everyone imaginable, including the House of Mystery!

Bob Haney wrote most of them, but other writers jumped in later in the book's run. Artists included Ramona Fradon, Carmine Infantino, Neal Adams and Jim Aparo, among others.

Marvel Team-Up

Marvel entered the team up niche in 1972, giving Spider-Man a second book. For the most part Spidey hogged the limelight, but a few issues teamed other characters, primarily the Human Torch and the Hulk. Efforts were made, with varying levels of success, to mesh "Team-Up" storylines with the current ones in "Amazing Spider-Man". I personally enjoyed MTU, but seldom found it as readable as Amazing. One exception to that was the phenomenal Chris Claremont run, with frequent great art by John Byrne. 

Other writers included Gerry Conway, Len Wein, J.M. DeMatties and Bill Mantlo. Among the illustrators were Jim Mooney, Sal Buscema (who did a BUNCH),  and Kerry Gammill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marvel Two-in-One

Starting in 1973, everyone's favorite rocky orange Thing appeared in this title, giving bashful Benjy a spotlight outside of the Fantastic Four. Unlike Spider-Man, Ben Grimm never departed from the book (until it's cancellation and replacement with the Thing's solo title). He got to join forces with most everyone in the Marvel universe, including some appearances by his FF teammates. And the occasional crossover with Spider-Man was a big treat, especially the truly classic MTIO Annual 2.

Writers included Steve Gerber, Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Bill Mantlo and Mark Gruenwald. Artists appearing were Ron Wilson, Sal Buscema, John Byrne and George Perez, among others.

 

 

 

 

 

DC Comics Presents

It seems odd that it took so long, but DC finally gave the Man of Steel a Team-Up venue in 1978, in the form of DC Comics Presents. Superman got to join up with a vast array of guest stars, right up until the book's cancellation (kind of like the Thing in MTIO; except in the case of Superman his team-ups just shifted over into the John Byrne reboot of Action Comics). One short run of this book had Jim Starlin scripts and artwork, and was a definite high point. Among the writers were Martin Pasko, Len Wein and Denny O'Neil and Gerry Conway. You found art by the likes of Jose Luiz-Garcia Lopez, Joe Staton, and Rich Buckler. Interestingly there were numerous issues in which the guest star's reknowned creators were featured on this book, such as Alan Moore writing a Swamp Thing shot, and Keith Giffen doing Ambush Bug...

 

 

 

 

 

Sooooo, now it's time for your input. What series did you follow? Which do you consider more successful, which had the best stories and art? Which particular stories did you enjoy, which guest stars did you most anticipate? Any that didn't make the cut but should have? We're teaming up; I got things started and you get to take it from here!