Chew the Fat: A Simple Summer Survey of Style and Sentiment!

 

Redartz:  Almost done with June already; seems as if this year just started. And late June means that we are in the heady days of High Summer! This time of year is nice, as generally the scorching heat of later Summer hasn't arrived yet (although where I live, the heat and humidity is already pretty oppressive). At any rate, it seemed a good time to offer a salute to those lazy, hazy, crazy days of Summer (a bonus hat tip to the first to identify that old chestnut's performer). Plus, it's been awhile since we did a quiz, so here we go with a little Summer Survey. Pour yourself an iced tea and let's get started...

1. Name your favorite "Summer Song". Yes, a challenge to start off with. There are sooooo many perfect possibilities for this, but my pick will be Bananarama and "Cruel Summer". A great song, and it always evokes that art school Summer of 1984; burgers grilling in the lot between our apartment houses while that song played on somebody's boombox. Oh yeah...

 

 

2. Share a comic that has specific Summer memories for you. For me, this one's easy. Amazing Spider-Man 161 (you remember, the issue with Nightcrawler). That Summer of 1976, I was taking Driver's Education at school. Our High School was located near downtown, a short walk from the store where I got my weekly fix of comics. The day that book came out I had class scheduled, so I stopped and picked it up on the way to DE. I subsequently sat and read it , sitting in the shade of the school building while waiting for class to begin (perhaps not the coolest image amongst the other future drivers, but hey, it was Spider-Man. Nuff Said).

3. Name your favorite Summer Blockbuster film. Here's another possibly challenging question, but I'll have to go with "Raiders of the Lost Ark". Perfect fun, perfect adventure, perfect music, perfect cast. And a perfect way for a pack of college students to spend a Summer night in air-conditioned comfort (our apartment building had no A/C, so we loved to get out on those sultry evenings).

4. What's your favorite Summertime edible and / or potable?  I'll go with a tasty Hot Dog, red hot, with Cheese and Mustard, preferably with a ballpark around it. And wash it down with an icy cold lemonade, fresh squeezed...

5.  Describe a feature of Summer that is uniquely appealing to you personally. This I can answer in one word: fireflies. Or, as they were called in my neck of the woods, "lightning bugs". Fascinating little insects, fun to watch and they don't bite. In fact, they often like to land on you and crawl down your arm. Seeing a bunch of these little illuminated wonders flickering on a late June night turns me into a ten-year-old all over again...

 

Okay, my survey is done; yours is just beginning! We all await your Summery summations...

Funny Books: Ducks and Covers! Disney's Donald and Scrooge...

 

Redartz:  Some of the first comics I ever read, and loved, were Walt Disney books featuring the adventures of Donald Duck, his nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie, and Donald's financially obsessed Uncle Scrooge McDuck. These stories grabbed my youthful  imagination, and held me fast even through the teen years and on into adulthood. Indeed, there were times when I stopped buying superhero comics, or dropped Archie comics, yet still maintained interest in these Disney Ducks. And much of the reason for that was the gargantuan influence of Carl Barks. 

Carl Barks was the writer /artist for Donald Duck for decades, and was the creator of many beloved Disney characters, particularly Scrooge McDuck himself. Barks' storytelling skills are the stuff of legend; going way beyond the limited 'gag strips' that were found in some "funny animal" books. Barks told humorous tales, cautionary tales, morality tales, and usually with a hefty dose of adventure. How could any kid resist titles like "Ghost of the Grotto", "The Cave of Ali Baba", or "The Lost Crown of Genghis Khan"? 

And the cast of characters Barks weaved into his 'Duck Tales': the Terrible Beagle Boys, Magica DeSpell, Gyro Gearloose, Flintheart Glomgold, just to name a few. Barks gave each character a unique voice and personality, and gave the world of Disney's Ducks a level of characterization rivaling that used later by Marvel. And that characterization certainly applied to the main cast: manipulative Scrooge, bemused Donald, and the nephews (who generally seemed the most rational and capable of the whole family). 

But there was much more to Carl Barks than just his writing. His artwork is equally legendary; not for nothing was he known as "The Good Artist" (for years there were no credits for Disney creators, but his rendering stood out from the rest earning him that sobriquet). Barks was unparalleled at giving emotive expression to his characters. 

  

He also excelled at , well, basically everything. He could beatifully render dramatic scenery, 

 

 

 animals, 

 bizarre monsters, 

 and intricate architecture.

 There weren't many humor books in which you found artwork that you could pore over and admire, regardless of the story. Barks' work, in that regard, puts him among the greats of the comics genre: Eisner, Kirby, Wood. And I'm not overstating things here; Barks' work has stood the test of time. Each generation rediscovers these great stories. In the bronze age, we had Gold Key and Whitman. In the 80's Gladstone Publishing kept them in the comics shops. Still later Disney itself published the books, and today we have Boom! and Dark Horse.

Don Rosa's first Duck cover

 

And what's more, there's more to it than simply representing the genius of Barks' work. Another artist/writer, Don Rosa, took on the Duck reins (where would one put reins on  a duck?) in 1987 and brought a whole new tradition of excellence to books like Donald Duck, Uncle Scrooge and Walt Disney's Comics and Stories. Like Barks before him, Rosa worked with intricate storylines and equally intricate artwork. I've come to love Rosa's work too, to the extent that I'm currently awaiting delivery of a copy of Rosa's magnum opus: "The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck"; a two-volume biography of the famous curmudgeon extrapolated from the whole history weaved by Barks. "Life and Times" won an Eisner for best story some years ago, and I'm finally going to enjoy it. 

 

 

 

Which brings me to one final point: the availability of the Disney Duck stories. One great strength of Gold Key was the variety of formats they used to present these comics. The regular comic series were supplemented by Digests, Giants, and large format collections. This practice has continued to the present day, as we have unprecedented access to finely bound collections of Barks (and Rosa's) works. 

 

 

To sum up: my love for the Disney ducks quite literally continues even today; a common reading thread that took me from childhood to grandparenthood! And chances are many among you are also fans of these books. Which is one way of saying it's time to hear from you; what are your thoughts about Donald, Scrooge, their creators, comics, casts, and all the rest? And while you compose those thoughts, here's some covers from the whole range of Duckdom...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Follow the Leader: Hometowns and Reruns...

 

Redartz:  Okay gang, it's about time to give you all another shot at picking a topic for discussion. For anyone new or needing a refresher, the first commenter to name a subject question gets the honor of , well, naming the subject question! So if there's anything about comics, books, films, cartoons, tv, music, culture, life on Neptune, or whatever, that you've been itching to talk about, now's your chance. The podium awaits!

Short Cuts: School Yearbooks- The Past Preserved, For Better or Worse...

 

 

Redartz:  As Summer begins, schools are closing; just has they have since we attended those crowded halls of learning. One of the most anticipated parts of the end of the school year was the distribution of yearbooks. Usually accompanied by a vigorous round of mutual book signing, reminiscing and sharing of summer plans. 

 

 

Shift to the present: looking at these bound volume time capsules now can be an exercise in both nostalgia and cringing embarrassment. As a youth I used to look through my parents' yearbooks and was amused at the photos, certain that my memories would never be so...quaint. Time got the last laugh, though. My yearbooks now contain ample evidence of the cultural and fashionistic excesses of the Bronze age. Along with quite a few handwritten messages from friends, acquaintances, old girlfriends and teachers, with all the accompanying emotional detritus. For the most part, these volumes sit collecting dust on my shelves, forgotten. But every once in a while, I'll pull one out for a laugh and bit of remembrance. 

 

Thus, for our discussions this week, what are your thoughts about yearbooks, the process of reminiscence, and the end of school in general?  Do you have any amusing tales of pranks, parties, or partings? Did you keep your yearbooks ( and in the case of your parents, did they keep all your school pictures- mine presented me with a whole manila envelope some years ago, containing twelve years' worth of uncomfortable portraits)? And just to show you that I'm devoted to journalistic integrity and full disclosure (not to mention possessing no sense of personal dignity), I leave you with one of those school photos of early Bronze age Redartz, I'll probably regret this...

 

Adventures in Comics: Surprises, Welcome and Unwelcome...

 

Redartz:  Are you one of those people who enjoy surprises? I am. That is, I enjoy good surprises. Unpleasant surprises I can do without. And of course, life is full of both kinds. So it only goes to follow that the activity of collecting (comics, or whatever) can also throw us an unexpected curve now and then. Therein lies our topic for discussion!

In the course of my comics collecting career, I've experienced quite a few surprises of both the welcome and the unwelcome varieties. What might those have been, you may ask? Well, pull up a seat; here's a tale of each to get things going;  starting with the unpleasant surprise (it's always good to end on a positive note).  

This past weekend my wife and I had the great pleasure of attending a big flea market; something which has been largely impossible for the last year and a half. It was a pretty good market, with loads of comics for sale (as well as many other items of interest). My purchases for the day included several vintage books, indulging my current trend of hunting Really Old books (the most recently published book I chose was from 1962). One of them was a copy of Pep Comics #109, from 1955. One dealer had a long box full of miscellaneous books, at five dollars each. The book was obviously worn, and had a torn place on the cover where the image was gone. That said, it was 'good enough' in appearance for a book of such age, it looked fun, and was only about as much as a new comic these days anyway. So I grabbed it. 

 

 

Fast forward to the return home. Opened up my new acquisitions to leaf through and assess them. It quickly became apparent that this "Pep" comic was a bit thin. Did a page count, and a bit of research; discovered that the multi-page "Katy Keene" story by Bill Woggon wasn't there. At least four totally missing pages, including what would have been a highlight to the issue. "Rats" was my immediate reaction; but also a bit of rueful amusement. I'd forgotten the cardinal rule to buying back issues: look through the book before buying. Ah well, it still had some fun stories in it, and it now becomes potential fodder for a 'cut and paste' project.

 

 

 

 

 

Ah, but what about a more pleasant surprise? This story also starts at a flea market (how would I ever manage a collection without those wonderful things?). Several years ago I was wandering on a Sunday morning, looking over booth after booth of goods. Happened upon a table loaded down with boxes of comics, literally hundreds and hundreds. Not bagged and boarded, just loose books in long boxes at 50 cents a shot. As you would expect, I pored each box, and ended up with about a dozen books selected. Nothing earth-shaking, but some fun items and some good reading. One of the books was a copy of DC's "Secret Origins" #6 from 1986: it had the origins of Halo (who, at the time, I was unfamiliar with) and of the Golden Age Batman. The Batman story was by Roy Thomas, with art by Marshall Rogers and Terry Austin (which is precisely why I chose that book). I paid for the comics and continued on to other tables. 

A few days later, I finally got around to opening up that "Secret Origins" issue to read. First up was the Batman story, which was predictably great. But upon turning the page to the beginning of the Halo story, I was met by a signature at the bottom of the page. It seems that the artist, one Dick Giordano, had signed this book! Obviously from the era when creators signed inside the book, rather than on the cover. As a big fan of Mr. Giordano, it was most definitely a Pleasant Surprise! 

 Soooooooo, you know what's coming next. What 'surprises' have greeted you upon purchasing some collectible, be it comic, lp or whatever?  Hopefully yours were more of the good variety than otherwise, but regardless, now you get to share them with BitBA assembled. And always remember to check out those interiors before paying...

 

Sound and the Fury: "Live Albums" and the Concerts that Inspire Them...

 

Redartz:  Over the course of the rock era, one of the signal features of many musical careers has been the release of a "Live" album. Once you got big enough, had a few hits, you could count on the eventual release of a live  performance recording; generally amounting to a 'greatest hits' collection, but often with some nice, uncommon tracks as well. Our discussion this time around will be centered upon such albums, as well as questions on concerts and preferred formats. Allow me a few words to illustrate.

 

Back in the Bronze Age (there's that phrase again), my favorite live album was "Wings Over America". Having been a fan of Wings (and that other band Sir Paul had been involved with) for a couple of years, the release of "WOA" in 1976 was most fortuitous.  That summer I got my driver's license, and got a car with, yes, an 8 track player in the dash. Ah, but what would be the first 8 track to drive to? No question, that 2-tape set was the choice, and it got worn out in play over the months that followed. Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to see the tour, but that album was a fine substitute. All of Wings' highlights, and for the first time since the Breakup, Paul included a few Beatles tunes on a commercial release. A perfect soundtrack for the Summer of '76.

 

 

Some years later, another live album (or more correctly, disc) took over the spot as my favorite live album. In 1985 I had the great pleasure to see Depeche Mode in concert in Chicago. I'd seen many shows, but none matched the magnitude and spectacle of this show in my book. They were incredible. Perhaps it was the electronic aspect of their music that made the show so appealing- unlike some live performances, the heavy use of synthesizers made the show sound as polished as a studio recording, while allowing the sheer energy of the live band to shine through. At any rate, the show was the best I'd ever seen.

 

Fast forward a few more years, to a local music store. While scouring bins for CD's, what do my eyes spy but a Depeche Mode disc with the title "101". As no Depeche Mode discs resided on my shelves at the time, I snatched it up, not realizing at the time that it was a live recording. A happy discovery, I assure you. It brought all the excitement of that 1985 concert right back into my living room. It's still a favorite.

 

 

 

 

 I've since added numerous other 'live' recordings to my collection, some great and some little more than semi-audible novelties. It has become  a source of interest to seek such recordings out now, in search of those unusual cuts and alternative arrangements you find therein. An example: Duran Duran, on "Seven and the Ragged Tiger", featured the song. "The Seventh Stranger". Subsequently that song was also included on DD's live album "Arena"; upon hearing that version, I greatly preferred it to the original studio recording. Which surprised me a bit at the time, as my experience had been that live performances often failed to match the quality of a fully engineered,  polished studio cut. Love the exceptions to the rule...

 To sum up, concerts are fun, and concert recordings can be as well. So, what live albums have you encountered, and which did you like? Were there any you thought fell pretty flat? How did they compare to the familiar studio albums? What rare performances, out-of-the-ordinary songs, and special appearances have you found on such albums? Do some artists sound better live, or  should they stick to the studio?  All these questions, and more, await your consideration...

Panel Discussion: The Art of Barry Smith!

 

Redartz:  Quite recently I was taking a leisurely tour through some comics websites and happened to see something that grabbed my attention. It seemed Barry Windsor Smith's decades-awaited book "Monsters" was being released by Fantagraphics. Out of curiosity I looked into the availability of a signed edition, and lo, there it was; a signed vellum page included in this special edition. Essentially forty dollars more than the standard edition. Well, I decided to think about it a bit. Next morning, I logged back in to pull the trigger on it, and discovered it was no longer available. The entire signed edition had sold out overnight.!Ah well, so then I ordered the regular edition . I'm currently about 100 pages into it and am most impressed.  Long story made short: Barry's newest work prompted the decision to open a discussion of his career and art in general. 

Before we look at his more familiar work, here's a few pages from "Monsters"; just to give you a sample.  I don't see the 'art deco' styling we know from his "Conan" work, However, Barry's trademark detail and intricate linework is evidenced everywhere. Literally, everywhere across 365 pages of fully illustrated story. Oh, and sorry for the skew images, this book is impossible to fit into a scanner...

Now, here's a sampling of Barry's black/white work. Personally, I enjoy his art in this format more than in color, but it's a visual treat either way. Not many can render with the finesse that he can, and still  maintain solid storytelling quality. And aside from the pen work, his sense of basic design and dramatic highlighting is superb. I could look at this print all day...

 

 

 

Here's the classic cover from Conan Annual 1. Better in color or b/w?  A tough call, what do you think?

 

 

 

 

 

And another fine image...

 

 

 

 

This is a set of bookmarks featuring a familiar scarlet haired warrior woman; a convention pickup back in 1975...

 

 

 

 

Then there's this incredible page from "Worms of the Earth" as presented in Savage Sword of Conan 16-17. Man, wish I'd kept those.

Inks by Tim Conrad

 

 

Finally, we present a selection of Barry's color work, in roughly chronological order. Talk about artistic development! There's some real gems here; Conan 16 reprinting "The Frost Giant's Daughter" in color ; with Barry himself handling the brush. And that Marvel Presents with the Thing is both gorgeous and a  hoot. Enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inks by Frank Giacoia

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inks by Dan Adkins

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Now that you've seen the evidence, time for you to make your judgement calls. What do you think of Barry and his work?  Which books are your favorites?  Granted, his work in comics has been intermittent, but what he's done has been pretty remarkable. Share your thoughts about the imagery and imagination of Barry Windsor Smith...