Chew the Fat: Giant-Size Marvels!

 

 

Redartz:  Back in the Bronze age, specifically two memorable years in the mid 1970's, Marvel Comics engaged in a noble experiment in four color entertainment. 1974 and 1975 saw the publication of the Giant-Size Marvels! Extra-sized editions of many of Marvel's most popular titles, each appearing on a quarterly basis. Granted, Marvel had published bonus-sized Annuals in the past, and DC had been doing giants for some time; but this was still a leap of faith for Marvel. 

Although that 'leap of faith' lasted only about two years, it produced quite a few great stories, and one truly monumental one. Marvel's 'Giant Size' era began with "Giant Size Super Stars", a 35 cent gem featuring the Fantastic Four. This was immediately followed by "Giant Size Super Heroes" with Spider-man; both of these books hold fond memories for me. I'd just started collecting, and these two seemed like a reward for taking that 'leap' of my own! 

Marvel had originally planned to release books at the 35 cent level as well as a series of "Super Giant" titles, but apparently that all got too confusing; starting the next month the Giant Size titles all cost 50 cents for 68 pages. The format was a new 'novel length' lead story, followed by a reprint of a classic Marvel tale appropriate to the particular title. All the 'big guns' had Giant-Size editions: Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Avengers, Defenders. Additionally, numerous other Marvel books got the Giant treatment: Master of Kung Fu, Dracula, Man-Thing. Even an attempt was made at another horror anthology with new stories: Giant-Size Chillers! 

As the  months went on, Marvel made the Giant format a means to debut new features: Super-Villian Team Up, with Dr. Doom and the Sub-Mariner; and Invaders- telling WWII stories of Marvel's Golden Age Captain America, Sub-Mariner and Human Torch. Then of course, the most monumental of all was the return and reboot of the X-Men by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum; a book that launched one of the most successful franchises in comic book history. 

But as 1975 wore on, it looked like the days of the Giants were numbered. The last round of Giants were all reprints, adding such titles as "Giant Size Thor" and "Giant Size Dr. Strange" in a sort of revival of the old Annuals. Those Annuals, incidentally, would return the next year in 1976, which helped offset the sting of losing those monthly Giants. 

My personal favorites? I mentioned the Spidey and FF issues above, another huge favorite was Giant Size Avengers 2: with the "Celestial Madonna" and Kang, it was one of the best Bronze age Avengers tales ever. Then there was Giant Size Defenders 3, with Daredevil guest starring; a cool story with the Grand Master. Yet another that I loved was Giant Size Man-Thing (you knew I'd fit that in somewhere, didn't you?) 4: a particularly intense Manny story by Steve Gerber, and the first solo story for Howard the Duck. I could go on and on, but you get the idea. It was a huge treat to see these big editions supplementing the regular four color fun we got in the 32 pagers. 

In conclusion, here's a selection of covers to prompt your memory and excite your eyeballs. What Giants were your favorites? How did they compare to DC's giants? What other characters should have had Gant sized books? For our UK contingent, did those stories ever see print across the pond? Were you ever fortunate enough to encounter any of the US Giants? This week, we're all Giants...

 

 

    

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Chew the Fat: Undergrounds, Indies and Comics that 'Pushed the Envelope'...

 

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Redartz:   One book that really served to educate me early on about the comics industry and all it's variations was Les Daniels' "Comix: A History of Comic Books in America". Published in 1971, it was fairly current in 1974 when I got into comics seriously. Although the chapters on humor, funny animals, Marvel and DC were familiar territory for the burgeoning reader in me, the chapter on Underground Comix (spelled with an 'x' to differentiate from mainstream comics) was a real eye-opener. 

Here were described all the things that my parents were originally afraid that comics would expose me to: politics, sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll. Some of the material Daniels reprinted was explicit enough to make my naive self slightly uncomfortable. But some years later, I discovered a lot of great reading in those same Undergrounds. In particular, "Arcade: the Comics Revue" from Art Speigelman and Bill Griffith, showcased work by many of the Underground's top talents: Robert Crumb, Denis Kitchen,
Aline Kominsky, Spiegelman and Griffith. 

Bill Griffith was the man behind "Zippy the Pinhead", a very odd book that I found irresistable. Another book he produced was "Griffith Observatory", a heavily satiric, critical eye on American society of the late 1970's. 

Art Spiegelman, among many other things, gave us the monumental graphic series (and later novel) "Maus". And to this day, "Maus" remains the most powerful, most gut-wrenching, most impactful comic I've ever read. 

Which brings up another point about Undergrounds. Originally Undergrounds, which arose in the 60's and early 70's, were focused mainly on the non-code approved subjects mentioned above. Hence they were primarily available through 'head shops', college bookstores and such. But as they faded from the scene by the late 70's, they evolved into the Independent comics we enjoyed in the 80's and beyond. That may be a bit of an oversimplification, but many of the creators, subject matter and material that made the Undergrounds paved the way for books like "Maus".  We got Harvey Pekar's "American Splendor", Los Bros Hernandez' "Love and Rockets", and so on. Then there was Daniel Clowes, known for "Ghost World" and "Eightball", but I'm fond of his "Lloyd Llewelyn".

Therefore, this week, let's join the Underground. Whether it was Crumb's "Zap", or Howard Cruse's "Barefootz", what comics (comix) did you get a kick out of? Did you risk your parents' disapproval by indulging in a few Undergrounds? Did you follow any of the 80's indies? Could "The Walking Dead" exist without the ground being broken by Kitchen Sink's "Death Rattle"?  It's all on the table, all that edgy, risky, 'hide it from Mom and Dad' stuff...

Chew the Fat: Second Chances, Afterthoughts, and Updates...

 

Redartz:  You know how sometimes, in the middle of a conversation, you draw a blank? There's something you want to say, but you just can't quite put it all together; and by the time it comes to you, the conversation has moved on. Well, this week the discussion has you and your belated comment completely in center stage.Or, it may simply be that there has been new information, new experience, new stories to tell since a given topic was addressed. As we generally live week-to-week, it can be challenging to go back and add a thought to something weeks or months past. Whatever the reason, this time around we are opening up the forum for a review of the year's topics to this point; to give you the chance to add that update; insert that late comment, put the exclamation on that previous point.  

An update to a recent post is what prompted this little interlude: a few weeks ago we discussed the Disney Ducks and specifically Uncle Scrooge. I mentioned that I was starting Don Rosa's "The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck"; since then I've completed that volume. It was so impressive, it became necessary to give you some updated thoughts. And here they are:

First off, it's a beautiful presentation package. Two huge volumes in a nice slipcase. Quality stock pages with fantastic color reproduction.  Fantagraphics built this collection to last. The first volume features Don Rosa's original 12 part series of "Life and Times". The second volume is filled with additional stories and background related to but not actually part of the series. It's a bin of comics riches well worth diving into and burrowing through...

Secondly,  the stories are phenomenal. I just finished volume 1 and am amazed at the detail Rosa included. I'm no expert on Carl Barks' entire library.  But its apparent that Rosa has touched on many elements, major and trivial, that I recall from Barks' original tales. The characterizations are full and engaging, the guest appearances wide ranging. And the artwork? Spectacular,  again a wealth of richness. One can easily see why this tale won the Eisner Award. It's one of the most enjoyable comic novels I've ever read. Can't wait to start on Volume 2! Oh, here's a sample page from the first volume...

For any of you who might be interested,  this book gets my highest recommendation!

Now that you have my update,  the opportunity falls to you. And to make it a bit easier for you, here's a lighting list of all the topics we have dealt with this year so far: 

Gil Kane, Fred Hembeck, Popeye, Classic Films, Modelling kits, Eclectic Music, Snow, the Fantastic Four, Close shaves, DC's Adventure Comics, the Best Comics of the Bronze Age, Cars in Pop Culture, B/W Science Fiction, Situation Comedies, Bicycling, Comic Book Oddities, Homecomings, Barry Smith, Live Concert Albums, Unexpected Finds, Yearbooks, Reruns, the Disney Ducks, Summertime, Progressive Rock, Marvel on Video, Fast Food and Joe Kubert. Whew... 

Ok, we've laid out the spread for you. It's a veritable banquet; so now's the time to remedy all those instances of  " Wish I'd said that"... 

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...

Chew the Fat: Adventures in Biking!

 

 Redartz:  As we prepare to undertake another week's discussion, once again some thank you credits are due. In this case, the kudos go to HB, for prompting the idea for this topic in a recent comment. Well done, sir; it sure helps to have so many sources for inspiration when it comes to ideas for a post! And now, onward...

In the past, we've discussed bikes, and we've discussed road trips. But we haven't discussed that mainstay  of kid gang movies, the bike trip. Think of "The Sandlot", "It", "Stranger Things"; what is one thing they have in common? The group of friends and their faithful two-wheeled steeds. Even "E.T." had Elliot and crew riding in style (in the sky, actually).

I'd bet  a cold Dr. Pepper that most every one of us had some similar experiences, cruising the streets and trails on our Shwinn's and Huffy's in search of adventure, comics, or bottles to cash in. So now we get to revisit those heady days of speed, comradeship, and the occasional mean, chasing dog..

My adventuring days began once my parents finally lifted my range restrictions. For seeming eons, I was limited to riding from one end our our (rather lengthy) suburban street to the  other end. But when they released me to the streets, I was off. My friends and I would ride to the drug store (for the obvious usuals: comics, baseball cards, candy bars or a Coke). We'd  ride from one kid's house to another to another. We'd ride to school every now and then, passing on the normal daily bus ride. 

In our neighborhood we had access to a great patch of woods along a river, winding to a gravel pit in one direction and downtown in the other. We would drag our bikes down to that trail along the river and ride over roots and rocks. 

Our trail (on foot here, but you get the idea)

And this was years before anyone heard about 'mountain bikes'. It was especially cool to ride towards downtown, as you'd pass by a city park along the river; a perfect place to park the bikes for a rest and go hit the swings. It was even better if you'd packed a lunch ; that made for an epic summer afternoon. lying by the river, watching the sun glisten off the ripples (and off your shiny handlebars), enjoying the breeze, and 'shooting the breeze' with your pals. 

 

My longest ride was with a good friend who lived in the next town. One Saturday morning we took off riding (his Dad was kind enough to cram my bike in their trunk when he picked me up for an overnight visit). We rode out of town, out into the country, and down one County road after another; just exploring, talking, and following nothing in particular. Eventually we made our way back into town, but only after my little mileage meter showed about 25 miles had expired. Looking back, I realize that there's really no better way to wander than on two wheels. Fast enough to actually get somewhere, but slow enough that you genuinely see your surroundings, feel the roadway and the grass, hear the birds. A road trip in a car takes you much farther, but keeps you insulated from that whole world out there. 

But enough mental meanderings from me. What tales do you have of a bike, a buddy and a bit of road?