Chew the Fat: Marvel in the Bronze Age!

Martinex1:  Today let's Chew the Fat about something I am sure is near and dear to many of our hearts...Marvel Comics during the Bronze Age!  What do you miss about the publisher during that era?  What do you miss most about comics at the time?  We correspond nearly daily about the wonderful years in the 1970s and 1980s when life seemed more carefree and we opine about comic books during those days, but can we succinctly say what was so special about the creativity and spectacle of Marvel during that time?

Here are some categories to get your thoughts racing!  But you tell us what was so special about Marvel!

Was it the crazy covers with word balloons and plenty of bombast?

Was it thought balloons?

Was it the letter pages and bullpen bulletins?

 Was it the House Ads?

Or the Hostess Ads, Subscription Ads, and Vendor Ads?

Was it the corner box or the price?

Was it the comics coming out at the time?

Was it that the whole genre was more accessible and more mainstream?

Was it Stan Lee and his unbridled energetic enthusiasm?

Was it Jack "King" Kirby and not only his return but his ongoing influence?

Was it the Bullpen and their crazy antics and feeling of fun?

 
What made Marvel so great? You tell us!  From your vantage point...what attracted you?

Two Questions: Youthful Studies and Mail Order Madness

Redartz:  Hello again, friends! Today I've been caught by the DDD, or "Dreaded Deadline Doom" as longtime Marvelites will remember. So to keep the conversation going, here are two questions to roll around your mental block:

1. What was your favorite subject to study in school?

2. Have you ever purchased anything by mail out of a comic book, and if so, what?

 As you all are sitting breathlessly on the edges of your seats, I'll give you my answers:

1. Science (or as Thomas Dolby might put it, "SCIENCE!"). Even when I went off to art school, I picked Astronomy and Geology as electives. And yet today, I still examine the rocks at my feet, and study the sedimentary formations of the landscapes I encounter. Nerd cred ascertained.

2. Actually I bought several things from comics. When I was about 9, I bought a "Surprise Coin Packet" advertised in one of those classified pages in some comic. Hoping for the advertised Silver coins or rarities, I only received a few foriegn coins and a well-worn steel cent. Oh well, should have known better. And in 1974, when those cool Marvel coins were advertised (you recall, Spider-Man, Hulk and Conan in glorious metal), I took the bait. Ordered all three, thanks to the generosity of my Mom. And although all my old FOOM goodies are long gone, I still have the coins.

Okay, let's hear from you fine folks...
 

 

This & That: Our Favorite Covers, Simple as That...

Redartz:  Frequently here at BitBA, we consider comic covers. In fact, Marti has bestowed us with countless striking covers under the banner of his "Quarter Bins." And what's not to like about ogling fine comic art, displayed openly on a glossy, eye-catching sheet of cover stock? Indeed, I love looking at covers so much, I have several hundred loaded as images on my tablet: just something to browse through at lunch, if I need some visual stimulation. And it was during one such session, scanning more covers, that I figured, "okay, what would my top ten covers be?". No time frame limitations, they may be old or new; Marvel, DC, or anyone else, any genre.  Just ten covers that you could easily hang on your wall and stare at for years to come. 

So, today we present our picks: our personal top ten covers. After you check out our selections, feel free to comment; and then name your personal favorites. Doesn't matter if the interior art stunk, the story was awful, or the  book was a reprint. If you loved the cover, it's fair game. 

Redartz:  My ten covers are as follows. While making my choices, it quickly dawned upon me how daunting a task it is to select only ten, out of all the covers I've encountered. So these ten might not be my exact picks if you asked tomorrow, but they all would certainly be finalists.

Fantastic Four 45, by Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott. A beauty by the FF's prime team.

Amazing Spider-Man 135, by John Romita, Sr.  Spidey's had countless great covers, but this one is near perfect.

Avengers 20, by Jack Kirby and Wally Wood. Wood may be the finest inker I've seen over Kirby. Wish there'd been more such covers.

Sugar and Spike 21, by Sheldon Mayer. Love the b/w cartoon background, and the face-backwards foreground.

Dr. Strange 1, by Frank Brunner. A masterwork of intricacy and mysticism.

Avengers 171, by George Perez and Terry Austin . A very full composition, but incredible in it's detail.

Archie Giant Series 25, by Dan DeCarlo. DeCarlo could have been considered Archie's "Kirby"; he defined the look.

Journey 6, by William Messner Loebs. Wonderful use of the logo, the borders, and the leaves. Poetic visuals indeed.

Adventure Comics 425, by Michael Kaluta. Stunning, magnificent image; Kaluta's simple design here is breathtaking in it's beauty.

Finally, what may be my favorite cover, period: Star Spangled War Stories 138, by Joe Kubert. That cover struck me like a slap in the face the first time I saw it, and is the only comic I ever paid twenty five dollars for JUST for the cover. An absolute masterpiece of composition, color and dramatics.

 

Martinex1: Those are all beautiful examples, and like you my selections are constantly shifting.  Many of my favorites are based not only on style and art but also around a memory as to when I acquired the book and what it meant to me.  So without further ado, here are my top ten...

Avengers 164 is the first comic I purchased (not the first I owned, but the first I bought off of a rack).  It will always have a memorable place in my heart.  Thankfully it was a George Perez masterpiece with a lot of characters and a lot of action.  It also ended up being one of my favorite stories too.  This cover I will remember until I am old and gray. 

Squadron Supreme 11 may seem like an odd choice.  But in 1986 this Paul Ryan cover jumped off the stands to me.  It still strikes me as an unusual layout with interesting and not well-known characters. In my mind, this cover always makes my top ten. I know it is not iconic, but I just admire it.

This Carmine Infantino classic - Flash 174 - was my first experience seeing an artistic interplay with a logo.  I never got over it.  

 I've always been a fan of Nick Cardy and his work at DC.  Unexpected 119 is one of my favorites featuring his pencils.  The use of lights and shadows, the shocked facial expression, and the hint of a horrendous twist just drew me in.  

John Byrne had a myriad of classic covers from his work on Marvel Team-Up, Fantastic Four, many DC books, and of course the X-Men.   So many examples of excellence to choose from, and I am sure others may have picked X-Men 141 (which is indeed a classic), but I have always been enamored with X-Men 138.   Even with a recap story inside and the annoying Toys R Us banner, I still like the simplicity of this moody and moving cover.

George Perez makes my list twice with Marvel Two-In-One 54.  Deathlok and the color scheme have much to do with this choice.  It always seemed to me that a lot of effort was put into this cover and I appreciate that.

 Amazing Spider-Man could have had a top ten list all by itself.  With covers by John Romita alone I could have filled a week of blogs.  But lately this simple cover on ASM 281 by Ron Frenz just appeals to me.  Who can resist floating heads?  Plus Spidey's humorous attitude just seems to shine through.  This is a great example of a little goes a long way.

Frank Miller sure hit the ground running on Daredevil and issue 158 was a monumental kick-off that showcased his talent.  I did not own this issue for a long time, but my desire to have it was driven by the cover.

John Buscema was just fantastic.  Recently I tweeted about his cover talent and I had time selecting which comic that I thought demonstrated his work the best.  I have to go with Silver Surfer #4.  It is just a classic.

 My final choice highlights a lot of favorites.  The first Marvel Sub-Mariner series is an underrated gem if you ask me.  Perhaps Subby's perceived belligerence may keep readers away.  At the very least, the art was top notch with the likes of John Buscema, Sal Buscema, Gene Colan, and Bill Everett involved.  But this particular cover happens to be by the great Marie Severin, and when I was very young I stared at it for hours when I first saw it as a house ad in a Marvel comic.  I love the colors and the drama.  Cheers!

Redartz:  Excellent choices, Marti! Byrne, Buscema, Infantino, Severin- what a lineup of all-stars...

Well, there's our respective 'top ten' lists. You may ask, "how could I devise a list with nothing by John Byrne, Barry Windsor-Smith or Will Eisner?" Ahhh, ask again tomorrow. At any rate, I'd be thrilled to permanently paper my walls with any of these gems. What say you, are these decent choices? And what might your ten picks be (I know, I know, trying to pick only ten is excruciating)...

Follow the Leader: Episode 77: Memorable Odors and Lost Teachings!





Martinex1: Tuesday, Tuesday, Tuesday!  Follow the Leader!

Two Questions: Fun With Grilling and Fortunate Billing...

Redartz:  Good day, everyone! Here's a quick and easy start to the work week. Two questions, and nothing too deep...

Young redartz helping at the grill...

1. As Summer has arrived, cooking out is a commonly-enjoyed indulgence. Have you any good grilling stories, or at least a good recipe to share?









 

2. What were some of the best bargains you ever got when purchasing a comic?


For my answers, you need not wait: 
1. Kind of amusing, but not too appetizing: One summer day I was helping my Dad on the grill (I was about 8 years old at the time, and 'helping' mostly amounted to watching). As he was busy fetching the hot dogs, I was busy monitoring the coals. Suddenly a grasshopper, of all things, hopped past me, and actually jumped up and right into the coals! It immediately jumped right back out, but to my amusement/horror, it instantly crumbled to ash upon landing on the ground. It didn't affect my appetite, but I never forgot watching that bug vanish...

2. I've had many good deals, but one purchase that stood out was at a flea market dollar box. I picked out about five books for five dollars, and upon getting home, realized that two of them were signed copies: a Donald Duck book signed by Don Rosa, and a DC Secret Origins issue signed by Dick Giordano! Pleasant surprises, both. 

See, quick and easy. Now you take a shot...

Short Cuts: Incredible 3-D!

Redartz:  Films, Television, Comic Books. There are many differences between those forms of entertainment; there are also similarities. One thing they all have in common: they have felt the influence of 3-D!  Whether viewed (through a special pair of glasses, of course) as a clever innovation or just a quirky gimmick, 3-D effects have added a layer of fun to movies and comics for decades. 

 


My first experience with the wonders of 3-Dimension viewing was on local tv. One weekend our local station had a promotion with a local fast food purveyor: they were giving away 3-D glasses with a purchase, usable to watch a special 3-D broadcast of "Creature From the Black Lagoon". I convinced my parents to get burgers there one night, got my glasses, and watched the film eagerly. To my dismay, however, the effect didn't work too well on a small screen, and double images were common. 

 


A few years later I bought a very cool comic at a Chicago Comic Con; the first 3-D comic published, featuring Mighty Mouse. Now that was cool, and very effective. If you don't mind red and green images, that is. 












In recent years, I've seen films such as "Ant-Man" and "Coraline" in 3-D, and they were incredible. Much more convincing with the polarized lenses. And yes, in some cases worth a couple extra dollars for the admission (Ant Man and the Thomas Train in 3-D was worth the price by itself). 

What has been your impression of 3-D entertainment? Think outside the box and add a new dimension to our discussion today... 

Oh, here's a scan of the first page of the Mighty Mouse 3-D book; for anyone who has a pair of red/green glasses available...