Sound and the Fury: When I Was 17!

Martinex1: Have you ever been nostalgic for the days before stress and responsibilities set in?  Perhaps that is why we always look back at the Bronze Age.  But at what age was it that you were really on the verge of being an accountable adult, coming off the relative ease of youth and jumping feet first into life?  For me that was around age 17.  High school was ending; I'd had a few Summers of work in my past; driving was second nature; and life long friendships were secure. 

Whatever the age that you felt that transition, what were you listening to at that time?  What music, albums, bands, singers were on constant play?  This is the Sound and the Fury after all!  So whether you feel your life changing coming-of-age was at 15,16 17 or 22... what were you listening to?

This has been a rather musical week at BitBA and we have more fun around the corner, but indulge me with your favorite tunes of that important era and what they meant to you. 

Here are some key examples of what I was listening to at the time.   Am I still listening to this music now?  Well that can be some of the discussion we have later today!  So get us started, what were your tunes of transition, and do they hold true to this day?  Cheers!

Follow the Leader: Episode 60: Modern Bands!

Martinex1: It is Tuesday, so it is time for another round of Follow the Leader!  Keep it clean.  Keep it fun.  But get us started on a topic to carry us through the day!  Comics, film, novels, television, food, games, music, and theater are all in our wheelhouse.   Cheers!

Short Cuts: Musical Memories...

Redartz:  Good day, everyone! We have, in previous posts, discussed how certain comics can trigger specific memories of the circumstances in which they were acquired. Well, nothing can match the emotional resonance that music is capable of. So our question today: is there a song that , when you hear it, prompts a particularly unique associated memory?

There are numerous such songs that 'push my keys'. One example for  you: "Magic" by Pilot ("Ho, ho, ho, it's magic!).  When I hear that song, I recall vividly hanging out in my friend's garage in the summer of 1975, helping his mother set up a rummage sale and reading Avengers comics. I can still see that ping-pong table covered with bric-a-brac, and the transistor radio perched on one corner. My  buddy  and I both put some items in that sale, in order to pick up some additional comics funds!  And we both thought that song was great. 

Your turn; share a tune and a memory!

Adventures in Comics: Favorite Finds!

Redartz:  Collecting comics (or most anything, really) can be a laborious process for some. You have titles you favor, characters or artists you pursue. You probably have used a 'want list', you may have had a 'pull list' at a comic shop. Perhaps you hunted for years, searching for a particular issue before finally acquiring it with a well-deserved air of triumph! You gotta love filling those holes in your collection, and adding a long-sought treasure to your pile. 

However, there is also a wonderful element of surprise inherent in collecting. Have you ever hit a convention, flea market, or shop, and found something unexpected? Some item you just stumbled upon, but knew you'd have to have it. Maybe it was something that reminded you of childhood. Maybe it was a colossal key issue at a bargain-basement price. Perhaps it was something you didn't even know existed until you came across it on that momentous day. These are the stories we will be sharing today: your favorite lucky finds.

To prime the pump, here's  four favorite finds of mine :



Some of you may recall my fondness for Sheldon Mayer's classic kid series "Sugar and Spike". The book disappeared from the stands in 1971, and individual copies are fairly scarce, in any condition. One one fine Sunday morning several years ago, I was indulging in another favorite hobby: flea marketing. I hadn't found much this particular morning, and was heading down the back of the lot (this being an outdoor flea market). Browsing over one booth along the back row, among a myriad of miscellany, I spotted a dusty plastic bag with the telltale edges of some comic books sticking out. Inside were about a dozen old books, mostly in lower grade: an old Wonder Woman, a Patsy Walker, even a vintage Batman . But what really floored me was a pretty nice copy of Sugar and Spike 20 (all of the books dated from about 1958). Asking the proprietor of the booth for a price (no tag was visible), I was told the bag could be mine for a whopping 8 dollars! Less than a dollar each! Needless to say, that dingy bag and its contents found a home that day, and the Sugar and Spike remains a prized possession.






 
At another flea market, more recently, another treat awaited discovery. This particular market was quite large, and many booths offered comics (and often priced for collectors). I generally look for mixed  dollar boxes and lots, rather than buying from a dealer charging Guide prices. Fortunately there were many such booths as well. One of them had an interesting box of Silver and Bronze age books for 1 or 2 dollars each. Many were in pretty rough shape, but I selected several. The favorite find in this case was a Gold Key Giant comic of Uncle Scrooge, reprinting the Barks classic "Back to the Klondike". Definitely a reader copy- there was significant spine roll and a couple bits missing from the cover, but I'd wanted to read that story for a long time. Now I had the chance.










 

Find number three wasn't actually a comic, but was comic-related (and forgive me if I've related this tale before). Yes, at another flea market, I found a complete (albeit unassembled) 1974 Aurora Spider-Man model kit. It even contained the Romita comic book inside accompanying the

instructions. It was a kick to put it together, and it holds an honored place on the shelf (next to my wife's Elvis figure).








 


My final find was found at, you guessed it, a flea market (are you starting to see why I love to go to these sales?). I do, incidentally, look for other things besides comics. Among them cd's and DVD's. At this market, one  booth had a table full of DVDs, too many to really look through completely. But I pored through a few dozen, and to my amazement, found a movie I'd wanted for decades: "Murder By Death". I'd seen the film at the theater back in the 70''s and remembered it fondly. But it is somewhat obscure, and I never expected to find a copy on disc. Nevertheless, there it was, and only a dollar! And that evening, my patient wife was kind enough to sit through it with me- actually, she rather enjoyed it too: great cast and a great comedy.





Well, there you have my favorite finds- not necessarily Big Ticket Items, but treasures to me. What surprises have you encountered in your collecting pursuits? Don't keep us in suspense, give us all the details. Everyone likes a story with a happy ending...

Panel Discussion: The Best Single Panels; Avengers Edition!

Redartz:  Hi fellow 'panelologists'! Awhile back you may remember we did a post examining some of the most striking individual panels from Bronze age Spider-Man comics. Well, it seems time to follow that up with a look at some great panels from the Avengers. Technically, some of these 'panels' are full pages, but still constitute a single image nonetheless. 

Choosing these examples was a very difficult task (although looking through all those issues was a treat to the eyes). The Avengers was blessed with some truly spectacular artwork over the course of our time frame here. The finest artists and inkers of the era were assigned to the title, and there was an embarrassment of fine panels from which to choose. So to add some degree of challenge, I tried to use some panels perhaps less obviously classics. And so, with no further delay, let's have a look at some Assembled Avengers.

Giant-Size Avengers 2 (Dave Cockrum)

Here's a panel, actually most of a page, from one of the greatest "Giant-Size" books Marvel ever published. The climax of the first Kang War, as Kang tries to identify the identity of the Celestial Madonna. Dave Cockrum inks himself here, and it shows as a labor of love. Excellent representation of time twisting as two of Kang's identities come together in battle.

The Avengers enjoyed some pretty fine Annuals, and this one was among the best. And the beautiful visuals from Golden and Gil are a big reason why. I love how much interaction Golden crams into this panel.

Avengers Annual 10 (Michael Golden and Armando Gil)

Speaking of Annuals, this was a classic. Jim Starlin's Thanos epic, in Avengers Annual 7. Here we have the last page of the story, and if there's a better way to visually summarize the tale's conclusion I can't imagine it. A truly perfect blending of scenes; Starlin cements himself as one of the Avengers' finest storytellers.

Avengers Annual 7 (Jim Starlin and Joe Rubinstein)

John Buscema was responsible for many great Avengers  Silver Age stories, and he was still riding high in the Bronze. Check out this incredibly touching panel of Cap after the war with Zemo. And mention must also be made of Tom Palmer's rich inks. Magnificent.

Avengers 277 (John Buscema and Tom Palmer)

Avengers 270 (John Buscema and Tom Palmer)

This art team was so good, they deserve another panel. Amazing composition in this example, and the perception of depth is enhanced by the heaviness of the foreground vs. the sparse background

Now we have Big John inked by Joltin' Joe Sinnott, another stellar teamup. This particular panel struck me for it's remarkable attention to individualizing what is basically a common henchman. Just a bit player, but Buscema really gives him a unique close-up for  his 'starring moment'.

Avengers 153 (John Buscema and Joe Sinnott)

Avengers 153 (John Buscema and Joe Sinnott)

From the same issue, we get this magnificent shot of a looming revived Wonder Man. Great framing between the buildings, and note the perfect alignment of the skyline between Wondy's legs. It's all in the details...


















And now here's another of the Avengers' greatest illustrators: John Byrne! This panel just jumped out at me; very unusual lighting: total darkness to the left, with Deathbird silhouetted by the white-hot explosion to the right.

Avengers 189 (John Byrne and Dan Green)

Avengers 189 (John Byrne and Dan Green)

And here's another panel from that issue, with another example of evocative lighting. Hawkeye is in total silhouette, framed by girders (it could almost be a fine-art etching). His pose, Deathbird's expression, the frame's balance; all perfection. Byrne's genius shows, once again.

Avengers 186 (John Byrne and Dan Green)

Another rather experimental panel from  Avengers 186 offers us a very memorable depiction of the Scarlet Witch. Now that looks like a Hex. I'm continually amazed by Byrne's variety of illustration techniques. Also, credit must be given to Dan Green's smooth, polished inking. Not overpowering, but nice: letting Byrne's dynamics shine through.

One more panel from Mr. Byrne, from the great issue 181. Here he does a masterful job at showing the Beast's acrobatics. It brings to mind some of Steve Ditko's depictions of Spider-Man...

Avengers 181 (John Byrne and Gene Day)

From John Byrne to George Perez; this is like touring a candy factory. Just too many goodies. This panel exemplifies some of Perez' strengths; group shots, detailed backgrounds, facial individuality, and solid composition. Plus he does the best 'Kirby Krackle' this side of the King himself.

Avengers 160 (George Perez and Pablo Marcos)

George Perez loves to fill each page, each panel, to the absolute maximum. Sometimes this involves the use of odd-shaped panels, repetitive panels. or tight spaces. This narrow gem was stuck mid-page, but it has enough detail for an opening splash...

Avengers 162 (George Perez and Pablo Marcos)

Avengers 162 (George Perez and Pablo Marcos)

This panel gives us a shining look at the Golden Avenger. The only other artist I can think of who gave us such a scintillating Iron Man was Bob Layton.

This panel is fascinating- so much action underway in such a small space. Perez depicts the ant-covered Wanda, struggling Iron Man, downed Cap, mid-stride Wonder Man and attacking Vision, all while also showing  Ant-Man's creative shrinking dodge. A fantastic panel from a fantastic issue.

Avengers 161 (George Perez and Pablo Marcos)

And here is another shot from that great issue, showing a powerful, determined Scarlet Witch. I'm not always comfortable with Pablo Marcos' inks, but he works wonders over Perez...

Avengers 161 (George Perez and Pablo Marcos)

Stepping back a few issues, here is a nice group shot from one of Perez' earliest stories. Avengers Assemble, indeed...

Avengers 151 (George Perez and  John Tartaglione)

Avengers 148 (George Perez and Sam Grainger)

And another early Perez offering; a cool low-vantage point shot of Cap and Iron Man. Note the fun use of the logos; borrowing here that lick from the old Justice League stories.

Next, another Avengers illustrator represented. This panel from George Tuska shows a bit of playfulness. Effective use of the  leaves and their shadows on the topless Vision, reflected also in Wand's hair. And speaking of Wanda, you can really see Vince Colletta's inks at work in her face...

Avengers 137 (George Tuska and Vince Colletta)

Our Pal Sal, responsible for countless Avengers tales through the years. Here's the opening page/panel from a classic. And I give much credit as well to Joe Staton's inking here. Staton really gives an attractive polish to Sal's pencils, he may be my favorite inker for SB.

Avengers 132 (Sal Buscema and Joe Staton)

Avengers 127 (Sal Buscema and Joe Staton)

Look at the expressions on Mantis and the Swordsman in this shot. Spot on. Incidentally, Mantis' face here has a Romita-esque flavor...

Here is another panel, from the opening page, from that same issue. It's a personal favorite: the first Avengers story I ever read. And this great group shot helps explain my fondness for the book.

Avengers 127 (Sal Buscema and  Joe Staton)

A couple years later, Sal gets inks from the ever-skillful Klaus Janson. Klaus, like Terry Austin, makes just about any pencilwork look even better.

Avengers 172 (Sal Buscema and Klaus Janson)

Avengers 117 (Bob Brown and Mike Esposito)

Next, here's a powerful panel from one of the greatest Avengers arcs of all: the Avengers/Defenders war. Bob Brown and Mike Esposito convincingly show the force of this struggle between two titans. In water, Namor would have the advantage, but here Cap seems to be more than holding his own.

Finally, how could we not acknowledge Neal Adams' early Bronze age Avengers work? This panel, from the spectacular issue 93, shows off Adams's talents beautifully. And, of course, Tom Palmer's contribution is not to be ignored. There is wonderful fluidity and motion to Ant-Man's figure and the grasping pseudopods  (love that term). And there is the 3-D effect of Ant-Man breaking the panel borders...

Avengers 93 (Neal Adams and Tom Palmer)

Well,there you have it. A selection of some eye-pleasing panels from some of the great creators of the Bronze, depicting some of the greatest characters of the age. No wonder researching such articles is a pleasure! And speaking of pleasure, what is yours? Do you agree with my choices, or are there others that jump out of your memory? This list of panels, and creators, is certainly not comprehensive; who and what got overlooked? By all means, look through a few of your issues and tell us what you come up with.



closing

Follow the Leader: Episode 59: Comic Books of Doom!

Martinex1: Follow the Leader into a thoughtful and robust conversation involving comics, movies, creative types, and culture.  It all depends on who gets us started today, so once you see a comment has been posted jump in and join in the fun.  Or get us started yourself with a topic related to the Bronze Age!  Cheers!

Two Questions: Book Series and Card Game Queries!

Martinex1:  This snowy (at least for some of us in the Midwest) Monday let's consider two questions related to the Bronze Age.

Question 1: My sons read series of books that weren't published in the Bronze Age, like Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Captain Underpants, but what were your favorite prose series growing up?  What books did you just have to have?  Maybe these will jog some memories.

Question 2: We recently discussed board games, but a simple deck of cards goes a long way.  What card games did you play growing up?  Do you have a favorite?  Was it a family favorite or something you occasionally did to pass the time?  Poker? Hearts? Rook? Pit? Uno? Gin Rummy? Euchre? Go Fish?  Let us know and share some card playing stories as well.