Redartz: you knew it as soon as you opened the page. He was waiting for you, lurking, plotting. The Leader! Yes, the leader has returned, and he thinks this might be the week when no spectacular subject is broached, when he can take over and have his way with everything and everyone. Prove him wrong; you're wiser, smarter, and much more interesting than he is! So great honor and laurels await the courageous one who names the topic for us!
Oh, and please consider another invitation to join the discussions at our Twitter feed; Martinex keeps the tweets going and the fun flowing!
Redartz: I've long had a fascination with Outer Space , originating with watching the Apollo astronauts and their adventures as a child. I tuned in to "Lost in Space". I read books about the stars and planets. I even got a small telescope one Christmas, and eagerly focused it on the moon. Therefore, it's only natural that space-based comic books would be appealing. Chances are that many of you found such comics attractive as well (after all, how can you resist the Vastness of Space and All It's Mysteries?).
When it comes to the subject of the cosmos, comics have approached it in several ways; directly and indirectly. There have been fact based, scientific comics (for instance, Dell's "Man in Space"). Then there are comics that deal with the stars via the star drives of Science Fiction (say, "Mystery in Space"). And of course there are the books whose protagonists are themselves spacefarers ("Captain Marvel", and so many others). All these types of comics are on the table for our discussion this week; and if you're so inclined feel free to bring up your favorite comic stories that may only deal with space under specific circumstances (for example, any who love to read about the Fantastic Four traveling to that infamous Fifth Quadrant of the Andromeda Galaxy to deal with the Skrulls).
You may ask, "Okay, Red; what ones did you like?" Glad you asked. Although the straightforward, scientific space comics are rather uncommon, I definitely liked the second and third categories. Especially the Science fiction variety; my fondness for anthologies is common knowledge here at BitBA. Two titles in particular always got my dollars: "Mystery in Space", and "Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction". One DC, one Marvel; after all, fair is fair.
"Mystery in Space" in our Bronze age, was a DC revival title in 1980 that featured a handful of short stories in each issue. With sharp covers by Joe Kubert and interior art by the likes of Marshall Rogers, Steve Ditko, Jim Aparo, Trevor Von Eeden, Mike Golden and many others, MiS was full of fine visuals. The stories ranged from 'meh' to 'Holy Cow'; but they never failed to entertain.
"Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction" was also an anthology, but it was a black and white magazine format publication from Marvel; debuting in 1974. Like "Mystery in Space" above, "Unknown Worlds" ended up as a rather short-lived title. Nevertheless, during it's limited run it gave us a load of good stories and top notch art. I had just begun my comics collecting career at that time, and was amazed at the quality of the magazine from issue number 1. The first issue artists included Neal Adams, Mike Kaluta, Al Williamson, Frank Brunner and Gene Colan. Pretty impressive debut. And also like "Mystery", in Unknown Worlds the stories themselves varied a bit. but if memory serves the overall entertainment level was pretty high.
As for the other space-oriented books: obviously there were many that I loved: Jim Starlin's "Warlock" series, and in particular the Avengers Annual 7 / Marvel Two in One Annual 2 masterpiece. In the pursuit of brevity we'll leave it at that for now; let's get ready to hear from you. The Universe is large, and so is the subject. Proceed to launch with all your thoughts about comics and space; and if the fates allow, I'll meet you someday in orbit (I still haven't given up hope yet)...
Redartz: It's a momentous week for fans of pop music: ABBA has released two new songs ahead of a new album due in November! Those of us who are fans of the Swedish foursome have waited some 40 years (and I was a fan from their start, back when my friends looked at me cockeyed as they played their Aerosmith and Nazereth lps). For most of that time the likelihood of new ABBA tunes seemed remote. Nevertheless, here we are, and here they are; back with their engaging melodies and catchy hooks. Few acts in rock history could execute a pop song as effectively, as satisfyingly, as Anni-frid, Bjorn, Benny and Agnetha. Indeed, no less than Pete Townsend called the single "S.O.S." the greatest pop single ever made.
And therein lies our topic for the week. What do you consider the perfect pop single? Yes, there are countless candidates that you could name. My pick- I'd have to agree with Mr. Townsend; "S.O.S." remains a stunningly rich performance, and is still greatly enjoyable even after countless listenings.But that's simply my opinion. What's yours? What are the greatest stand out singles of the rock era? What were your favorites, and why? And feel free to share your thoughts about ABBA, as well. I'll be setting aside funds for their "Avatar Concert" (ABBAtars?) next year...
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...
Redartz: If you're any fan of American Baseball, you've heard about the recent "Field of Dreams" game. If not, you may be familiar with the iconic Kevin Costner movie by that title. Well, in both cases, part of the charm (perhaps the whole point) is the magical blending of past and present. Or to paraphrase James Earl Jones' speech, ...All that was good...and could be again...".
Anyway, it seemed like it might be fun to apply that approach to comics. Just how, you ask? Well, in a two fold question form, that's how. And for our UK contingent, never fear- you can answer these questions too; they aren't baseball specific. Shall we begin?
The first part of the question parallels the movie, bringing the past into the present. Therefore, your challenge is to think of a comic book or series from the past (say, before Marvel circa 1961). Then offer your ideal creative team of Bronze age-or-later vintage to bring new life to that title.
My submission: It's common knowledge that I loved Marvel's "Man-Thing " series, especially under Gerber and Ploog. And the book still gets reboots in our current world. So, let's dig waaaay back to the EC Comics of the 1950s and try Ghastly Graham Ingels on the book! Bet he'd be a perfect fit...
Man-Thing by Mike Ploog
Old Witch by Graham Ingels
The second part of the question is based upon the recent game, wherein the present was revised as the past. Your challenge here is just the opposite of the first part, i.e. name a recent (Bronze age or later) comic or series, and present a classic creative team from the Halcyon Days of Early Comicdom.
My submission: Anyone familiar with "Lady Luck"? A cool character created by Will Eisner and Chuck Mazoujian,published as part of the famous "Spirit Sections", and by Quality Comics. To my mind, the first choice for a contemporary artist for her would be Bruce Timm. I'd buy that book in a heartbeat!
Lady Luck by Gill Fox
Batgirl by Bruce Timm
Oh, and incidentally- for any fellow baseball fans out there, feel free to toss in a comment or two about the movie and/or the game. If you haven't guessed yet, I enjoyed both. And I'm ecstatic that next year's Field of Dreams game will involve the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago Cubs. Oh, for a ticket...
Redartz: Greetings, all! Yes, the Leader has returned this week, and he's awaiting the first stout-hearted commenter to submit a discussion topic. I'm sure our vocal community will step up to the challenge !
And speaking of stepping up, may I take this opportunity to promote our BitBA Twitter feed? Our old pal Martinex has been keeping the Twitter world, well, atwitter about all things Bronze. If you haven't checked it out, consider yourself most cordially invited!
Redartz: Way back in 1960, a show debuted on ABC that would change the rules of tv animation forever. That show was "The Flintstones"; the first prime time animated series on US television. As such, it paved the way for such shows as the Simpsons, many years later. The Flintstones, from the fine folks at Hanna Barbera, ran on ABC for six seasons; after which it became a familiar staple of Saturday mornings for the next several decades. Watching Fred, Wilma, Barney and Betty is one of the earliest tv memories I have; as that show was one of the few evening shows that little Redartz was allowed to watch (having debuted the same year the Flintstones did; purely coincidentally).
Of course, most of my Flintstone viewing was done on weekdays after school: the show was syndicated, and shown for years every afternoon. The Flintstones and Rubbles became as familiar as my own family, and it was always a treat to watch; even when viewing an episode rerun for the sixth time. And of course the show's iconic theme song is burned into the memory of every kid and former kid from the last five decades! Speaking of that theme, we saw it in all it's glory up above. But the closing theme was replaced for awhile by this charming bit with Pebbles and Bamm Bamm; you may remember it...
By the way, Pebbles and Bamm Bamm had a show of their own, originating in our own Bronze age circa 1971. It was just the first in a long line of Flintstones-based shows, movies and specials...
One of the many appealing features of "The Flintstones" was the preponderance of guest stars who made appearances on the show. I have particularly fond memories of "Ann Margrock"...
Then there was Stoney Curtis...
And even Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick York doing their magic from "Bewitched"...
Those are but a few. No doubt you all can name some other favorite cameos. As with the Batman show a couple years later, the Flintstones' popularity seemed to attract others who 'wanted to get in on the act'.
Indeed, the Flintstones truly became a pop culture monolith; tie-ins and promotions were popping up everywhere and continue to this day. How many of us had Flintstone lunchboxes, played with Flintstone colorforms, or took Flintstone vitamins? And then there was "Pebbles Cereal". It was a favorite at our house, and you can still pick up a box yet today on the shelf at your local supermarket. Interesting fun fact: some of you may remember Post (the manufacturer of "Pebbles" cereal) years ago had a cereal called "Rice Krinkles". Kind of like Rice Krispies, but sweetened; they vanished from the shelves in the mid to late 60's. Apparently they were re-branded into "Pebbles" at the request of the folks at Post. Oh, and Cocoa Pebbles are my choice, although the Fruity ones are good too.
And how could we fail to mention the Flintstones' countless appearances in print? It's testimony to the show's ongoing popularity and influence that every major comic book publisher in the United States has published the characters at one time or another. Dell, Gold Key, Charlton, Marvel, Archie, Harvey and DC all have had a turn presenting the adventures of the Stone Age icons. I'd draw your attention to DC specifically, having had some fun with "The Flintstones and the Jetsons", and featuring Fred and friends in "Scooby Doo Team-Up". Here's a gallery of Flintstone comics, old and new, including examples from each of those afore-mentioned publishers.
Finally, lest you think that "The Flintstones" is just a part of television's past. there is word of a new series coming on Fox called "Bedrock". Apparently twenty years later than the events from the original series, it will give us Fred approaching retirement age and Pebbles as a young adult. Will it be worth watching? Only time will tell, but it just goes to show you that you can't keep a good caveman down..
Oh, one more bit of vintage- here's the Screen Gems tag that followed the ending credits for the Flintstones. It all comes back to you...
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