Sunday, March 30, 2014

November 1963

(Continued from October 1963)

FANTASTIC FOUR  20
cover by Jack Kirby & George Roussos
Review  (coming soon)


TALES TO ASTONISH  49
cover by DON HECK
Review  (coming soon)


AMAZING SPIDER-MAN  6
cover by STEVE DITKO
Review  (coming soon)


JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY  98
cover by Jack Kirby & Sol Brodsky
"CHALLENGED BY THE HUMAN CORBA!"

from the GCD: "Synopsis: While visiting India, Don Blake finds that one of his old teachers has been murdered by a villain who gained the power of a snake. Thor fights the Cobra in New York and defeats him, after Jane Foster sees her new boss's cowardice and goes back to Doctor Blake."

JACK KIRBY was clearly over-worked to insane levels, as Don Heck (already a regular on ANT-MAN and IRON MAN) steps in for his 1st of 3 THOR episodes. I'm not thrilled... but what the hey.  Kirby continues to supply the story, while "Ye editor" does dialogue.  The main point of interest here is the introduction of THE COBRA, who would become a VERY long-running super-villain for decades to come.

"ODIN BATTLES YMIR, KING OF THE ICE GIANTS"

from the GCD: "Synopsis: The ice giants, led by Ymir, attack Asgard but Odin defends it and traps Ymir inside a ring of fire."

Not much of a sypnopsis, but what the hey.  JACK KIRBY supplies story & art, "ye editor"  dialogue, and Don Heck the inks.  While this story takes place (apparently) in the dim distant past, Ymir would turn up in the PRESENT-day Marvel Universe on a number of instances.

While this was going on... FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #1 featured the Sub-Mariner reunited with his people, and attacking NYC; FF #19 introduced a VERY long-running villain in "Prisoners Of The Pharaoh", while FF #20 had "The Mysterious Molecule Man" (which included another appearance by The Watcher).

X-MEN #2 had "No One Can Stop the Vanisher"; SGT. FURY #4 had "Lord Ha-Ha's Last Laugh"; TALES OF SUSPENSE #47 had "Iron Man Battles The Melter" (the first of 3 STEVE DITKO episodes in which IM's bulky yellow armor is destroyed); STRANGE TALES #114 has Kirby return to pencilling for "The Human Torch Meets Captain America" (a deceptive title if ever there was one, heh), TALES TO ASTONISH #49 also has Jack Kirby back on pencils for the 1st of 3 episodes, with "The Birth Of Giant-Man", in which he totally revamps the series while "ye editor" replaced Ernie Hart on dialogue while Don Heck supplies inks to maintain consistency.  Finally THE AVENGERS #2 has "The Space Phantom", in which Iron Man (still in his yellow armor), Giant-Man (in his new identity), Thor (same as ever) and Wasp (ditto, tee-hee) have a severe misunderstanding with The Hulk, who QUITS the group after being a member for less than one issue.

When you consider that Jack Kirby was writing ALL of these at the same time... doesn't it just blow your mind?
    (2-3-2014)


STRANGE TALES  114
cover by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers
"CAPTAIN AMERICA"

Synopsis:
Johnny's obstacle course training is interrupted when some friends tell him of news that Captain America is alive, and is making a public appearance at an antique auto show.  Cap & Johnny stop some crooks, but Cap is extremely rude, saying he doesn't need any help.  Doris raves about Cap to make Johnny jealous.  But "Cap" breaks the 2 thieves out of jail.  On being caught, they claim Cap just wanted them as decoys to draw the police away while he robbed a bank!  "Cap" gives Johnny a really hard time, until he's finally stopped and unmasked.  "Cap" turns out to be Carl Zante, The Acrobat, whom Johnny fought once before.  Back home, Johnny looks over some old Captain America comics, which include the details that Cap was really Army Private Steve Rogers, and wonders if he is still alive or will ever return...

Indexer notes:
2nd appearance of The Acrobat; previous app. in STRANGE TALES #106 (March 1963).  Story involving a C.A. imposter, was a try-out to test the idea of reviving C.A.  The real Cap would return only 4 months later in THE AVENGERS #4 (March 1964).

"THE RETURN OF THE OMNIPOTENT BARON MORDO!"

Synopsis:
Strange receives a call for help from Sir Clive Bentley in England, not realizing it's really Mordo in disguise.  On arrival at Bentley's castle, Mordo traps Strange with a spell that will end his life as soon as a candle goes out.  Strange mentally sends out a call for help, and a mesmerized girl comes to put out the flame early, freeing him.  She turns out to be Victoria Bentley, daughter of Sir Clive, who passed away 10 years earlier!  He realizes she must have a latent talent for sorcery.  Mordo returns, and he & Strange fight in their astral forms.  After, Victoria asks if she can become Strange's disciple, but he tells her the time will not be right until after Mordo's menace is ended.

Indexer notes:
Episode #32nd appearance of Baron Mordo1st appearance of Victoria Bentley, who would return in STRANGE TALES #160 (September 1967).  Not counting next issue's flashback, Mordo returns in STRANGE TALES #117 (February 1964).  Inker is obviously George Roussos, though not credited on artwork.  "Ye editor" notes he was waiting for reader feedback after Strange's 1st 2 appearances; this suggests Roussos may have inked this episode because of a very last-minute decision to begin running the series regularly.
     (8-17-07)


TALES OF SUSPENSE  47
cover by Jack Kirby & George Roussos ??
Review  (coming soon)


THE AVENGERS  2
cover by Jack Kirby & Paul Reinman
Review  (coming soon)


X-MEN  2
cover by Jack Kirby & Paul Reinman
Review  (coming soon)

(Continued in December 1963)

All Text (C) Henry R. Kujawa
Artwork (C) Marvel Comics
Restorations by Henry R. Kujawa

October 1963

(Continued from September 1963)

FANTASTIC FOUR  19
cover by Jack Kirby & Paul Reinman
Review  (coming soon)


TALES TO ASTONISH  48
cover by Jack Kirby & Sol Brodsky
Review  (coming soon)


AMAZING SPIDER-MAN  5
cover by STEVE DITKO
Review  (coming soon)


JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY  97
cover by Jack Kirby & ??
"THE LAVA MAN"

from the GCD: "Synopsis: Thor battles the Lava Man, a monster brought to the surface by Loki, who claims all the dry surface of Earth for his people. Odin forbids Thor to love Jane Foster, leading to her leaving her job as Dr. Blake's nurse."
"Indexer Notes: Dr. Andrews is first called Basil by Jane Foster on page 6 but then is called Bruce by Dr. Blake on the last page. Apparently in the Marvel Universe nurses can't work for doctors that they're not pursuing a romantic relationship with.
"

SGT. FURY, X-MEN and AVENGERS were bi-monthly when they started.  That means, this month JACK KIRBY actually had time to get back on THOR!  Which is to say, he's been doing ALL the stories from the beginning, with help, but this time the middle-men are cut out, and JACK KIRBY does story AND pencils!  The "editor" also cuts out the middle-men this month, kicking Robert Bernstein out of a job and taking over writing the dialogue himself (while CONTINUING to steal credit AND PAY for the stories as well).

In addition to the 13 page lead story, JACK KIRBY also begins a long-running 5-page back-up series... "TALES OF ASGARD!"

from the GCD: "Synopsis: Beneath Asgard lies the Well of Life. From it came Ymir, greatest of the Frost Giants and Buri, the first Norse God who gave life to Borr. Borr had three sons. Odin was one of them."

JACK KIRBY supplies series concept, story & art.  Dialogue by "ye editor", inks by "George Bell" (the MOON-LIGHTING George Roussos, who, according to his interview in ALTER EGO, was doing "ye editor" a favor by inking pages at HALF-RATES over the weekend... no wonder so many of them looked so awful).
    (2-2-2014)


STRANGE TALES  113
cover by Jack Kirby & Don Heck
"THE COMING OF THE PLANTMAN!"

Synopsis:
Johnny has a date with Doris Evans, who drives him crazy as she's the only girl he's gone out with who's not impressed with his being The Torch, and prefers him as "Johnny".  He sees her father fire his gardener, Sam Smithers, for "fooling around" with an invention designed to increase the intelligence of plant life.  Shortly, in a "million-to-one freak accident", lightning strikes and alters Sam's device so "it works!"  Not only does it increase plants' intelligence, they also follow his mental commands.  Donning a costume, he robs the store where Doris' father works and plants evidence to frame him for the crime.  Johnny swears to clear Evans' name.  Soon Johnny & The Plantman are engaged in battle, and The Plantman demands the city be turned over to him!  (Talk about rising megalomania.)  Johnny manages to break the plant-device, but The Plantman gets away, promising himself, "Next time my plan will be foolproof!!"

Indexer notes:
1st appearance of The Plantman, whose costume resembles that worn by The Shadow; he would redesign his costume & return in STRANGE TALES #121 (June 1964).  1st appearance of Doris Evans, who would continue as Johnny's semi-reluctant girlfriend until the end of his solo series.
     (2007)

Crazy enough, Superman creator Jerry Seigel worked on this issue, possibly contributing to the story, but just as possibly ONLY doing dialogue over a story idea from Jack Kirby and written by Dick Ayers.  I pont this out because of the peculiarity of the introduction of Johnny's new girlfriend, trouble-and-a-half Doris Evans, who in all of 60s Marvel, is the closest thing ever seen to the kind of BAD girlfriends usually associated with DC heroes!!  And check out that cover-- and the narrative text.  Is it any wonder some Marvel fans like to compare Johnny's solo series to DC's SUPERBOY comics?
     (8-19-2018)


TALES OF SUSPENSE  46
cover by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers
Review  (coming soon)

(Continued in November 1963)

All Text (C) Henry R. Kujawa
Artwork (C) Marvel Comics
Restorations by Henry R. Kujawa

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

September 1963

(Continued from August 1963)

FANTASTIC FOUR  18
cover by Jack Kirby & Paul Reinman
Review  (coming soon)


FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL  1
cover by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers
Review  (coming soon)


TALES TO ASTONISH  47
cover by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers (and DON HECK)
Review  (coming soon)


AMAZING SPIDER-MAN  4
cover by STEVE DITKO
Review  (coming soon)


JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY  96
cover by Jack Kirby & Sol Brodsky
"MAD MERLIN!"

from the GCD: "Synopsis: Merlin is awakened after a thousand years and immediately decides to try and take over the world; He battles Thor using familiar Washington D.C. monuments. Thor defeats Merlin and forces him to return to sleep."
"Indexer Notes: This 'Merlin' was revealed to be an imposter in Avengers Annual #22. In most of his appearances he calls himself 'Maha Yogi'. He has been said to be a mutant, but this is also false."

The last of JOE SINNOTT's 5 episodes of THOR features our mythological hero fighting another character from history and/or mythology.  Jack Kirby continues supplying stories while busy elsewhere, with Robert Bernstein either fleshing out Kirby's story or simply supplying dialogue (hard to tell at this point).

The Sep'63 issues were incredibly hectic for JACK KIRBY.  In FANTASTIC FOUR #18, he had "A Skrull Walks Among Us", the sequel to FF #2, and a story that was later adapted into the 1967 Hanna-Barbera FF cartoons by Alex TothDick Ayers supplied inks.  ANT-MAN & WASP in TALES TO ASTONISH #47 had "Music To Scream By" with Ernie Hart & Don HeckIRON MAN in TALES OF SUSPENSE #45 had "The Icy Fingers Of Jack Frost", which not only introduced a new villain, but also the first members of that series' supporting cast-- Happy Hogan & Pepper Potts, with Robert Bernstein & Don HeckSGT. FURY AND HIS HOWLING COMMANDOS #3 had "Midnight On Massacre Mountain", with Dick Ayers on inks.  JOHNNY STORM in STRANGE TALES #112 had "The Human Bomb", and while the story seems to be almost entirely the work of Jerry Siegel & Dick Ayers, there's a good chance the villain, The Eel, was another one from Kirby.

You'd think a workload like that would KILL most people.  Well, on TOP of that-- you had X-MEN #1, which introduced a new series, an entire team of new characters, and one very long-running badguy, Magneto.  Inks were by Paul Reinman, who's usually on my S*** list of really BAD inkers.  There's indications that this issue was rushed out terribly fast, as the art is sketchier and skimpier than usual.

And on top of THAT-- this month also saw THE AVENGERS #1!!!  "The Coming Of The Avengers" gathered together Iron Man, Ant-Man & Wasp, Hulk (who'd lost his own series some time earlier), Rick Jones & The Teen Brigade, featured a cameo by the Fantastic Four, but mostly, acted as a SPIN-OFF of THE MIGHTY THOR!!  The villain of the piece, who set the whole story in motion, was-- OF COURSE-- Loki.  That sonofabitch just had nothing better to do with his endless time as an immortal, did he??

Oh, "Merlin" (or somebody calling himself that) wound up having a cameo in THE AVENGERS #10, 14 months later.  Same guy, or not?  Hard to tell.
    (2-1-2014)



STRANGE TALES  112
cover by JACK KIRBY
"THE LIVING BOMB!"

Synopsis:
Flying over Glenville, Johnny wonders if the residents have grown bored with him.  He gives them a "free show", but the reaction is decidedly negative.  This turns out to be the fault of TV commentator Ted Braddock, who's been doing a series of very negative editorials about Johnny, which have succeeded in turning many people against him.  Meanwhile, The Eel steals a bag containing "Project X" from inventor Charles Lawson, who begs him to return it.  It turns out the bag contains a miniature radio-active atomic pile, which is danger of going off within one hour of being exposed to air if the proper switch is not thrown on it!  Hearing about it on the news, a fence tells The Eel why it's too "hot" to handle.  Lawson helps Johnny track down The Eel, who's gotten rid of the device, but not believing him, Johnny attacks.  Johnny manages to fly the device into the upper atmosphere where it explodes, as he absorbs most of the blast-- but nearly dies in the process.  As Reed uses a ray to restore Johnny's "half-dead cells" to vitality, Braddock broadcasts a editorial retracting everything bad he ever said about The TorchJohnny recovers, causing cheers in the general public and frustration among the underworld.

Indexer notes:
1st appearance of The Eel; next appearance in STRANGE TALES #117 (February 1964).  The Eel, with his blueish-purple costume and oily-slick coating may have inspired the villain on the 1967 SPIDER-MAN cartoon, "The Slippery Doctor Von Schlick".  Charles Lawson, an atomic scientist, may have been related to Walter Lawson, an expert in guided missiles, who died in MARVEL SUPER-HEROES #13 (March 1968).  The plot about a miniature atomic pile which eventually explodes is similar to that in the Mike Hammer film, KISS ME DEADLY (1955).  The Torch teams up with Spider-Man (eventually) in STRANGE TALES ANNUAL #2 (September 1963) shortly after this story.
     (2007)


STRANGE TALES ANNUAL  2
cover by Jack Kirby & Sol Brodsky
Review  (coming soon)


TALES OF SUSPENSE  45
cover by Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko & Don Heck
This is an odd one. The figure of Iron Man is a STAT, taken from the splash page of SUSPENSE #43!! I wonder what this looked like "before"?

After 6 episodes with NO supporting cast of any kind, Iron Man finally picks up 2 new cast members-- and they make a BIG DEAL about it right on the cover!

What I continue to wonder about is, WHO exactly came up with "Happy Hogan" & "Pepper Potts"? Those do sound like Jack Kirby names to me. But what about the designs? Just as "Tony Stark" is clearly modelled on Errol Flynn (while his whole persona, by comparison, comes from Howard Hughes), ex-boxer-turned chauffer "Happy" is clearly based (at least, in these early episodes) on boxer-turned actor Nat Pendleton (who played the ambulance driver in the "DR. KILDARE" movie series!!). "Pepper", according to Don Heck, was based on Ann B. Davis-- though I have not to this day found a single photo of her looking quite like what Heck drew.

Strangely enough, the bad guy in this issue, "Jack Frost", did not reappear in the series until the mid-70s, in a fill-in done by Bill Mantlo, George Tuska & Vince Colletta (the "go-to" guys for "inventory" fill-in stories).

    (3-21-15)



THE AVENGERS  1
cover by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers
Review  (coming soon)


X-MEN  1
cover by Jack Kirby & Paul Reinman
Review  (coming soon)

(Continued in October 1963)

All Text (C) Henry R. Kujawa
Artwork (C) Marvel Comics
Restorations by Henry R. Kujawa

Sunday, March 23, 2014

August 1963

(Continued from July 1963)

FANTASTIC FOUR  17
cover by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers
Review  (coming soon)


TALES TO ASTONISH  46
cover by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers
Review  (coming soon)


JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY  95
cover by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers
"THE DEMON DUPLICATORS"

from the GCD: "Synopsis: An evil scientist forces Dr. Blake to help him with a duplicating machine by kidnapping Jane. The device duplicates Thor, but cannot duplicate his magic hammer, allowing Thor to defeat the duplicate. Dr. Zaxton accidentally duplicates himself and falls to his death, leaving his good duplicate to take his place."

This is wild.  The "SUPERMAN III" parallel CONTINUES for the 2nd issue in a row!  First, Thor turns EVIL.  Now, he splits into two people, and fights himself!  Doesn't it look like whoever wrote that AWFUL movie in the 80's was thumbing thru THESE comics when they were looking for ideas?  ("Blue tights, red cape, super-strong, flies... ehh, close enough!")

I have no doubt Jack Kirby supplied the story here, while JOE SINNOTT does full art for the 4th of 5 episodes.  Robert Bernstein continues on the dialogue (and possibly fleshing out the story).

Kirby was supplying stories this month to Ernie Hart & Don Heck in ANT-MAN ("When Cyclops Walks The Earth") and Robert Bernstein & Don Heck in IRON MAN ("The Mad Pharaoh"), and Ernie Hart & Dick Ayers in THE HUMAN TORCH ("Fighting To Death With The Asbestos Man")

In addition, it's QUITE possible this was around the time Jack Kirby also got roped into coming up with a proposal (which would, in a rare instance, almost certainly be "work for hire") for DAREDEVIL, in which he designed the circus acrobat costume & came up with the series format of his being a circus acrobat, in the style of Kirby's earlier STUNTMAN... which Bill Everett then REJECTED and replaced with his own ideas.  I say this because recently I found out that-- yes-- THE AVENGERS-- was slapped together specifically to replace DAREDEVIL on the production schedule, because Bill Everett was running really, really late, and Martin Goodman, who was chomping at the bit so much to PREVENT Pete Morisi & Charlton Comics from reviving the REAL Daredevil, had actually been STUPID enough to put the Marvel character ripping off that name on the production schedule, BEFORE the book had been done, or had even been completely conceived!!
    (1-31-2014)


STRANGE TALES  111
cover by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers
"FACE-TO-FACE WITH THE MAGIC OF BARON MORDO!"

Synopsis:
In his castle in Europe, Baron Mordo plots to steal the secrets of his former master, The Ancient One.  Sending his spirit form to Tibet, he causes Hamir to poison The Ancient One's food.  From his NYC sanctum, Strange senses his master's plight, and challenges Mordo to a battle in their spirit forms.  After, The Ancient One warns Strange that Mordo will be a danger to them both, as long as he lives.

Indexer notes:
Episode #21st appearance of Baron Mordo.
     (2007)


TALES OF SUSPENSE  44
cover by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers
Review  (coming soon)

(Continued in September 1963)

All Text (C) Henry R. Kujawa
Artwork (C) Marvel Comics
Restorations by Henry R. Kujawa


July 1963

(Continued from June 1963)

TALES TO ASTONISH  45
cover by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers
Review  (coming soon)


FANTASTIC FOUR  16
cover by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers
Review  (coming soon)


AMAZING SPIDER-MAN  3
cover by STEVE DITKO
Spider-Man's NUMBER ONE ARCH ENEMY makes his debut RIGHT HERE!!!  Don't let anyone fool you into thinking otherwise. We're talking dangerously criminally INSANE here, people.


JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY  94
cover by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers
"THOR AND LOKI ATTACK THE HUMAN RACE!"

from the GCD: "Synopsis: Loki uses his magic to cause Thor's hammer to hit his head, turning him evil. Thor frees Loki, and the two terrorize Earth until the other Asgardians arrange for another blow to the head to reverse the change."

The above story description reminds me of the scene in SUPERMAN III where Supes turns evil, and when he finds a woman on top of the Statue of Liberty who appears to be committing suicide, he says to her, "I hope you don't expect me to save you because I don't DO that sort of thing anymore."

After one month off, JOE SINNOTT returns on full art, his 3rd of 5 episodes.  Jack Kirby (undoubtedly!) supplies the story, Robert Bernstein the dialogue.  Loki is increasingly becoming a regular in this feature, having appeared in 5 out of the first 12 episodes so far.

Among other things, this month, Jack Kirby did his 3rd (of 3) episodes of full pencils on IRON MAN in TALES OF SUSPENSE #43-- "Kala, Queen of the Netherworld".  He also did SGT. FURY AND HIS HOWLING COMMANDOS #2, "Seven Doomed Men!"  Incredibly, he was gonna get EVEN busier in just another 2 months!!
    (1-30-2014)


TALES OF SUSPENSE  43
cover by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers
Review  (coming soon)


STRANGE TALES  110
cover by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers
"THE WIZARD AND PASTE-POT PETE!"

Synopsis:
Johnny practices in his obstacle course, then thinks back on his adventures with The Wizard & Paste-Pot Pete.  By a wild coincidence (?), Pete breaks The Wizard out of jail and the two join forces.  They frame Johnny as a spy, but their partnership is strained by Wiz's megalomania.  "I'm a partner, not a servant, you know!" says Pete.

Indexer notes:
More humor than usual in this episode.  3rd appearance of The Wizard; previous app. in STRANGE TALES #102 & 105 (November 1962 & February 1963).  2nd appearance of Pete; previous app. in STRANGE TALES #104 (January 1963).  1st time they teamed up in what would become pretty much a lifelong partnership!  Wizard returns in STRANGE TALES #118 (March 1964).  Pete has a 2-panel cameo in THE AVENGERS #6 (July 1964), then returns in STRANGE TALES #124 (September 1964).

"DR. STRANGE MASTER OF BLACK MAGIC!"

Synopsis:
A man haunted by a recurring dream of a hooded figure in chains calls on Dr. Strange for help.  Strange decides to help by entering the man's dreams.  After mentally travelling to the Himalayas to seek advice from his mentor, The Ancient One, Strange enters the dream dimension and confronts Nightmare-- his "ancient foe".  Realizing Strange may stumble on his own guilt, the man tries to shoot Strange, but thanks to The Ancient One, Strange's amulet freezes the man in his tracks.  After Strange returns safely, the man confesses to having ruined several men in business, and knows he must confess his guilt to the police.  "It will be the only way you can ever sleep again.", says the mystic.  (All this in 5 pages!)

Indexer notes:
Episode #11st appearance of Dr. Strange, Wong, The Ancient One & Nightmare.  It's clear there's a lot of history between Strange & Nightmare, and that Strange has been "in business" helping people for some time before this story.  Dr. Strange resembles Vincent Price, who played a magician in the Roger Corman-Edgar Allan Poe film, THE RAVEN (1963).
    (indexed 8-17-07)


(Continued in August 1963)

All Text (C) Henry R. Kujawa
Artwork (C) Marvel Comics
Restorations by Henry R. Kujawa

June 1963

(Continued from May 1963)

FANTASTIC FOUR  15
cover by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers
Review  (coming soon)


TALES TO ASTONISH  44
cover by Jack Kirby & Don Heck
Review  (coming soon)


JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY  93
cover by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers
"THE MYSTERIOUS RADIO-ACTIVE MAN!"

from the GCD: "Synopsis: While on a medical mission to India, Dr. Blake becomes Thor to repel a Chinese attack. In order to fight Thor, a Chinese scientist irradiates himself to gain great power. He fights Thor in New York, and nearly defeats him, but Thor blows him back to China, creating a nuclear explosion."

After 3 issues, JACK KIRBY returns to doing pencils in addition to writing the story, and predictably, the quality jumps UP substantially.  This time we have a mix of "cold war" AND "sci-fi", with a new and dangerous super-villain being created who will, sometime later, be THOR's contribution to "THE MASTERS OF EVIL".  Once more, Robert Bernstein does dialogue (hard to picture him doing more with Kirby on both story AND art) while Dick Ayers remains the perrennial inker.

Jack Kirby also returned to pencil this month's ANT-MAN story in TALES TO ASTONISH #44, "The Creature From Kosmos", the one that not only fleshed out Hank Pym's background more but also introduced Janet Van Dyne-- THE WASP!  On the other hand, Don Heck had his 2nd episode of pencilling IRON MAN published this month, in TALES OF SUSPENSE #42.

After my still-recent experience of re-reading ALL my 60's Marvels in chronological sequence, I find that works best, as it gives one a more complete sense of how all these various books were slowly coming together and evolving, between Kirby, Ayers, Heck & Ditko (and sometimes others) all getting involved.

(WHAT the heck is it with all these titles with the word "Mysterious!!!" in them?  I'd bet that's the "editor"'s hand at work, it seems like his kind of "excess".)
    (1-29-2014)


STRANGE TALES  109
cover by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers
"THE SORCERER AND PANDORA'S BOX"

Synopsis:
Johnny feels bored living in Glenville.  After putting out a burning building and preventing a train from being derailed due to a flood, he runs across "The Sorcerer", an eccentric hermit who seems to value his privacy too much.  He has in his possession "Pandora's Box", and only needs the magic words to unlock it.  Some time later, he robs a bank, using "imps" from the box to cause everyone there to go mad temporarily, and have no memory of it afterwards.  After several robberies, Johnny has another run-in with The Sorcerer, who tries to use a flame imp to consume Johnny.  But it backfires, allowing Johnny to get the box away from The Sorcerer, who's now so affected by the last evil from the box, fear, that it looks like he's too afraid to ever menace anyone again.

Indexer notes:
The Sorcerer and his mansion in the country appears to be a tribute to Dr. Julian Karswell (Niall MacGinnis) from the film NIGHT OF THE DEMON (1957).  A woman who used "Pandora's Box" to commit crimes turned up in the 1967 SPIDER-MAN cartoon, "Here Comes Trubble".
     (2007)


TALES OF SUSPENSE  42
cover by Jack Kirby & Don Heck
Review  (coming soon)

(Continued in July 1963)

All Text (C) Henry R. Kujawa
Artwork (C) Marvel Comics
Restorations by Henry R. Kujawa


Friday, March 21, 2014

May 1963

(Continued from April 1963)

FANTASTIC FOUR  14
cover by Jack Kirby & Steve Ditko
Review  (coming soon)


STRANGE TALES  107
cover by Jack Kirby & Sol Brodsky  (April 1963)
Just a short note so far, the reason this issue is listed on this page is because, as far as I can tell, as far as Sub-Mariner's continuity goes, this story takes place after FANTASTIC FOUR 14, not before.


TALES TO ASTONISH  43
cover by Jack Kirby & Sol Brodsky
Review  (coming soon)


AMAZING SPIDER-MAN  2
cover by STEVE DITKO
Review  (coming soon)


JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY  92
cover by JACK KIRBY  (w/ Dick Ayers)
"THE DAY LOKI STOLE THOR'S MAGIC HAMMER"

from the GCD: "Synopsis: Loki magically diverts Thor's hammer to free himself from his chains. Thor returns to Asgard to find the hammer, and Loki tries to kill him with magical traps, but Thor overcomes them all to find his hammer and catch Loki."

Well, now the series is falling into a rut-- or simply narrowing the field a bit too much.  This is the 2nd episode in a row to feature Loki and his endless vendetta against his adoptive brother.

As last time, apparently Jack Kirby supplied the story, Robert Bernstein the dialogue (and possibly fleshed out the story full-script, it's impossible to say), while JOE SINNOTT provided full art.

The cover appears to be by Kirby & Dick Ayers-- except, the figure of Loki also appeared on a "Masterworks" pin-up page, which suggests it may have been a piece of art reused here and compositted by the production department.  Nick Caputo suggests the possibility of Jack Kirby inks, and while I believe the Thor figure was inked by Ayers, there's a good chance the figure of Loki (done separately) was all Kirby.
    (1-28-2014)


STRANGE TALES  108
cover by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers
"THE PAINTER OF A THOUSAND PERILS!"

Synopsis:
Johnny captures a gang of truck hijackers, and a gang robbing a costume party.  Meanwhile, gang leader "Scar" Tobin is visited by counterfeiter Wilhelm Van Vile, a painter notorious for his carelessness, which causes Tobin to fear he's been followed by the cops, and tells him to hit the road!  But Van Vile demonstrates his new "talent"-- the ability to quickly make paintings which come magically to life, and follow his telepathic commands!  These include a 3-headed gorilla, a gun that wears tons, and a flying carpet.  While zooming over the city, Van Vile tells Tobin's gang how he found the paints, left behind by aliens from space, in an underground cavern while tunneling out of jail.  His ambition is to create an army of crime, and he feels beating The Human Torch (who helped send him to jail) will be a good test-case.  But despite sending painting-images of Reed, Sue & Ben to kill him, Johnny triumphs, destroys the alien paints and rounds up the gang.

Indexer notes:
"Scar" Tobin-- apparently-- makes a one-panel cameo appearance in the Iron Man story in this month's TALES OF SUSPENSE #41 (May 1963)
     (2007)


TALES OF SUSPENSE  41
cover by JACK KIRBY
"THE STRONGHOLD OF DOCTOR STRANGE"
This is the story I believe was the first IRON MAN story actually produced, from Jack Kirby, Robert Bernstein & Dick Ayers.  The villain of that story, I believe, was originally intended to be THE YELLOW CLAW, returning from the late-50's.  I'm guessing the "editor" nixed it because he wanted to distance the new "Marvel" from the old one.
    (1-28-2014)

And now, something really "controversial"................

This is a real fucking insult.  Wikipedia does it again....... from their page on DON HECK.

"During the period fans and historians call the Silver Age of Comic Books, Iron Man premiered in Tales of Suspense #39 (March 1963) as a collaboration among editor and story-plotter Lee, scriptwriter Larry Lieber, story-artist Heck, and Kirby, who provided the cover pencils and designed the first Iron Man armor.[14] Kirby "designed the costume," Heck recalled, "because he was doing the cover. The covers were always done first. But I created the look of the characters, like Tony Stark and his secretary Pepper Potts."[15] Comics historian and former Kirby assistant Mark Evanier, investigating claims of Kirby's involvement in the creation of both Iron Man and Daredevil, interviewed Kirby and Heck on the subject, years before their deaths, and concluded that Kirby

...definitely did not do full breakdowns as has been erroneously reported about ... the first 'Iron Man'. [In the early 1970s], Jack claimed to have laid out those stories, and I repeated his claim in print — though not before checking with Heck, who said, in effect, 'Oh, yeah. I remember that. Jack did the layouts'. We all later realized he was mistaken. ... Both also believed that Jack had contributed to the plots of those debut appearances — recollections that do not match those of Stan Lee. (Larry Lieber did the script for the first Iron Man story from a plot that Stan gave him.) Also, in both cases, Jack had already drawn the covers of those issues and done some amount of design work. He came up with the initial look of Iron Man's armor ...
"

Now, let's see JUST HOW MUCH is wrong with this...

"story-plotter Lee"

WRONG!

"scriptwriter Larry Lieber, story-artist Heck, and Kirby, who provided the cover pencils and designed the first Iron Man armor"

They make it sound as if Kirby came along at the end, as an afterhought, and ONLY designed the costume, NOTHING ELSE.

"Mark Evanier, investigating claims of Kirby's involvement in the creation of both Iron Man and Daredevil, interviewed Kirby and Heck on the subject, years before their deaths, and concluded that Kirby definitely did not do full breakdowns as has been erroneously reported about ... the first 'Iron Man'. [In the early 1970s], Jack claimed to have laid out those stories, and I repeated his claim in print — though not before checking with Heck, who said, in effect, 'Oh, yeah. I remember that. Jack did the layouts'. We all later realized he was mistaken. ... Both also believed that Jack had contributed to the plots of those debut appearances — recollections that do not match those of Stan Lee."

It should be obvious why I eventually had to BLOCK Mark Evanier on FB, as he became INSUFFERABLE, going out of his way to attack my comments almost as much as that other insufferable egotist, Kurt Busiek.

There are 3 IRON MAN stories pencilled by JACK KIRBY.  If you read the one in TALES OF SUSPENSE #41, it's pretty obvious the whole thing is structured as an INTRODUCTORY story.  The origin in Viet Nam was done AFTERWARDS, but published FIRST.  So when people say Kirby didn't do layouts on the first story, they're talking about the first PUBLISHED story.  It's all a big fucking CON GAME, to separate IRON MAN from the guy who actually CREATED the character in the first place.

As for S*** FUCKING L**, I have no interest in anything he says or "remembers", since he's one of the most consistent SERIAL LIERS in history.


For the entire DON HECK run of IRON MAN, I see there being 3 writers on the book-- 3 !!

1 - Jack Kirby -- he did the covers & came up with the story ideas.

2 - Don Heck -- he WROTE the stories Kirby supplied at the art stage, something that should NEVER be forgotten or under-valued.

3 - whoever wrote the dialogue.  Whether it's Larry Lieber, Robert Bernstein, Don Rico, Al Hartley, or "ye editor", NONE of these guys deserves to be thought of simply as "the writer".


One thing that is CONSISTENT with the "origins" of comics-book character whenever "ye editor" is involved-- his explanations for "where" he got his ideas never make any sense, and the stories about how the books came to be almost always seem to be EXCESSIVELY complex and convoluted.  This is what happens when you're trying to LIE hard enough to cover up the actual truth.


Michael Hill:
"It is outrageous that the guy who's considered THE authority on Kirby decides that recollections that don't match those of Stan Lee are erroneous. Stan Lee, who is physically incapable of telling the truth."

For 10-15 years, I tried to be polite whenever I dealt with Mark Evanier.  After all, I liked his work with Dan Spiegle on "BLACKHAWK".

But then he got REALLY SNIDE about "my behavior" concerning Jack Kirby... so I just took the long-missing Patrick Ford's advice, and BLOCKED the sonofabitch.

"physically incapable of telling the truth."

I have a city councilman-- BRIAN COLEMAN-- who has the same problem.


It is ridiculous that that Wikipedia article goes on FOR SO LONG just to "debunk" Jack Kirby's claims that he "laid out" the first story.

See, they're talking about the origin.  KIRBY was talking about the first 3 episodes of the series.  The 3 that JACK KIRBY did the art on.  And remember-- if Kirby DREW if, Kirby WROTE it.  WITH ZERO INPUT from his alleged so-called "editor".

And incidentally (NOT REALLY), as has been pointed out to me MULTIPLE times-- the Iron Man origin-- is actually a REMAKE of a JACK KIRBY Green Arrow story from several years earlier.

Wikipedia would have people believe that S*** FUCKING L** wrote a story that ripped off a JACK KIRBY story... instead of JACK KIRBY ripping off HIMSELF... which creative types do all the time.

Anthony Wayne Pettus:
"Well, Evanier apparently blocked me. He didn't like it when I told off his buddy Shaw years ago when he was trying to name call and bully us on the old, now nothing, Kirby group. Can't sit on the fence on Kirby trying to appease Lee. Reminds me of the Fred MacMurray character in the Caine Mutiny."

One thing blatently missing from that Wikipedia SMEAR of Kirby's comments was the KNOWN FACT that Iron Man's debut was "DELAYED" by several months for reasons that have NEVER BEEN specified by L** or his cronies.

Isn't it OBVIOUS why it was delayed?

So they could STOCKPILE stories and the publish them out of sequence with SOMEONE ELSE on the art, to make it look like, hey, THIS time, Kirby had "nothing" to do with its creation.

There's also my own personal suspicion that Kirby fully intended for Iron Man to have an ASIAN arch-enemy from the series' inception.  GO LOOK at "The Stronghold of Dr. Strange" and tell me if every fibre of that story doesn't look like Kirby was bringing back THE YELLOW CLAW, who he worked on in the 1950s.

Also for reasons that have NEVER been specified, L** seems to have had a dislike (allegedly) for The Yellow Claw.  Witness what I strongly believe to be the LAST-MINUTE substitution of The Yellow Claw at the end of Jim Steranko's "NICK FURY" storyline with Dr. Doom, a change which makes NO sense in the context of the story itself, and which makes an outright confusing FARCE of the entire storyline.  J. David Spurlock published a detailed article explaining how the first 2 chapters of that, a prologue titled "Project Blackout", was NOT a flashback when Steranko wrote it, but was turned into a flashback-- AWKWARDLY-- at the last minute, creating MULTIPLE plot-holes and continuity problems in one go.  It struck me that if L** could go so far out of his way to FUCK over Steranko's storyline once, WHY NOT twice?

The previous "Hydra" storyline was ALL Jack Kirby's idea, though you never seem to hear people discussing that when they talk about the "NICK FURY" series.  Because L** had dropped off the series one episode before Kirby left, when Steranko arrived, Roy Thomas saw no point in writing dialogue over someone else's stories.  As a result, Steranko was "allowed" to write dialogue for HIS OWN STORIES, and within 6 months, became something of a sensation in the business, something ego-maniac L** could not abide.

Steranko essentially polished off JACK KIRBY's epic storyline, but when he started HIS OWN story, that was when his editor decided to step in and SCREW with his work.

And why would he do this?  That's simple.  Apart from removing The Yellow Claw's actually presence by suiggesting he was NEVER involved at all, it was also a move to show this young upstart who was getting SO MUCH attention among the fans WHO WAS BOSS.  L** was always having to come up with convoluted, non-sensical "explanations" for his editorial INTERFERENCE, but it usually came down to trying to prove who was in charge.

I mean, look what he did to John Buscema on SILVER SURFER #4.  Damn near destroyed the poor guy's self-confidence.

When it comes down to it, L** is one really miserable hate-filled BASTARD.
     (3-18-2018)

My fantasy version of TALES OF SUSPENSE #41:



SGT. FURY  1
cover by Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers
Review  (coming soon)

(Continued in June 1963)

All Text (C) Henry R. Kujawa
Artwork (C) Marvel Comics
Restorations by Henry R. Kujawa