STRANGE TALES 128
cover by Jack Kirby & Sol Brodsky
The brother-sister mutant duo cross paths with THE HUMAN TORCH AND THE EVER-LOVIN' THING! This has the pair of Euro-baddies contemplating leaving The Brotherhood of Mutants, but events go awry and they change their minds (at least for now). DICK AYERS supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and the fabulous FRANK GIACOIA makes his 60's Marvel debut as INKER!!
(2-17-2014)
"QUICKSILVER AND THE SCARLET WITCH"
Synopsis:
Quicksilver wants to take leave of Magneto, even though his sister says they "owe him too big a debt." But she follows her brother's lead, and they seek out the Fantastic Four for advice. As only Ben and Johnny are home when they arrive, naturally, a misunderstanding turns into a brawl. When it's over, Quicksilver & his sister decide they're only "safe" with Magneto.
Indexer notes:
Previous appearance of Quicksilver & Scarlet Witch in X-MEN #7 (September 1964); next app. in X-MEN #11 (May 1965).
(8-18-2007)
"THE DEMON'S DISCIPLE!"
Synopsis:
Strange receives a desperate plea for help from a man who became the "disciple" of someone called "The Demon"; he thought it was "for kicks", but then realized how serious it really was! The Demon, sensing his disciple had fled to Strange, magically transports the man back to his lair, leaving only his clothes behind, and consigns the man to a pit beneath the floor. Strange tracks the man's location using the left-behind clothing, and soon confronts the evil mystic in an epic battle! Strange places a mystic veil over The Demon's mind, saying that in time it will be lifted, and he will know who it was that defeated him, and can destroy him. Strange frees the disciple, bidding him to go on his way and never look back.
Indexer notes:
The Demon would return, in league with Baron Mordo, in STRANGE TALES #132 (May 1965). The Demon's real name not revealed until DOCTOR STRANGE #56 (December 1982). No relation to the hero from FIGHTING HERO COMICS #1 (SFCA, December 1962) or Jack Kirby's Etrigan from THE DEMON #1 (DC, December 1972).
(8-18-2007)
FANTASTIC FOUR 34
cover by Jack Kirby & Chic Stone
A money-and-power-crazed BILLIONAIRE becomes too impatient with acquiring all the wealth of the world, and hatches a scheme to drive his competitors out of business, by winning a BET-- which involves a challege issued by them, to "DESTROY the Fantastic Four". Even in the 1960's, JACK KIRBY, supplying story & art, could SEE the TOTAL INSANITY that drives the filthy stinking RICH, and the utter CHAOS & DESTRUCTION and absolute lack of morality or concern for human life that some of these SICK individuals have. Ye "editor" does dialogue, while the fantastic CHIC STONE does inks. WOW!
(2-17-2014)
My friend Patrick Ford pointed out the likely model for "Gregory Gideon" to be none other than millionaire-recluse Howard Hughes!
TALES TO ASTONISH 63
cover by Jack Kirby & Chic Stone
Jack Kirby introduces the latest in his endless line of baddies, "The Wrecker" (no relation to the one who later turned up in THOR). CARL BURGOS supplies story & art on his 2nd of 3 episodes, ye "editor" does dialogue, and the astonishing CHIC STONE does inks.
"A TITAN RIDES THE TRAIN!"
A more confusing than usual HULK episode involving The Leader, Bruce Banner, Glenn Talbot, and a bunch of "Humanoids". STEVE DITKO supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and George Roussos does inks.
(2-17-2014)
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 20
cover by STEVE DITKO
JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY 112
cover by Jack Kirby & Chic Stone
from the GCD: "Indexer Notes" The majority of this story is a flashback to the events of Avengers #3 (both previously shown and new scenes elaborated on)."
If memory serves (as Sir Guy Grand like to say), this starts out with Thor running across some kids arguing over who's stronger. So to illustrate, he tells a story, relating a part of a recent battle nobody (including readers) knew about. In modern days, this would be refered to as a "DVD extra".
JACK KIRBY supplies the story & art; ye "editor" does dialogue, and the incredible CHIC STONE does inks. I first read this in MARVEL TREASURY EDITION #9.
"THE COMING OF LOKI!"
from the GCD: "Synopsis: The Asgardians battle the Giants."
"Indexer Notes: Part 1 of Loki's origin. First biographical Loki story. Chronologically first appearance of Loki."
That about says it all. JACK KIRBY supplies story & art for this latest installment of the "Tales Of Asgard" series, while ye "editor" does dialogue, and Vince Colletta does inks. I first read this on in the 1976 TPB, "BRING ON THE BAD GUYS".
(2-17-2014)
TALES OF SUSPENSE 61
cover by Jack Kirby & Chic Stone
Maybe not, but Happy & Pepper sure think it happened. And Tony's PISSED, when he figures out WHO tried to KILL him by blasting his home to atoms via an orbitting KILLER satellite. DON HECK supplies the story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue & the invincible Dick Ayers does inks. Part 1 of 2!
"THE STRENGTH OF THE SUMO"
CAPTAIN AMERICA fights in the Far East, which just happens to be where IRON MAN wound up as well this month. JACK KIRBY supplies story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and the legendary CHIC STONE does inks. WOW!
(2-17-2014)
THE AVENGERS 12
cover by Jack Kirby & Chic Stone
Behind a hellacious Jack Kirby cover, DON HECK supplies story & art, while ye "editor" does dialogue, and Dick Ayers does inks. The Mole Man makes his 4th stab at world conquest in this one, and is joined-- for no apparent reason-- by The Red Ghost. That's 2 F.F. villains, and no F.F. in sight!
(2-17-2014)
X-MEN 9
cover by Jack Kirby & Chic Stone
SGT. FURY & HIS HOWLING HELLCATS 14
"THE BLITTKRIEG SQUAD OF BARON STRUCKER!"
Uncle Adolph himself personally orders Wolfgang to destroy the Howlers. Who is he to argue with der Fuhrer? DICK AYERS returns to supplying story & art, ye "editor" does dialogue, and George "inky" Roussos does whatever it is he does.
(2-17-2014)
CREEPY 1
cover by Jack Davis (Warren / [January 1965])
On-sale Date / 11-04-1964 (from GCD)
I've seen a lot of this online lately... but NOTHING compares to READING the actual magazine. I decided while I was organizing a lot of my magazines, that since I had my earliest Warrens handy, to take another stab at them. The last time was 15 years ago. So this would my 3rd time reading most of these.
While iconic, JACK DAVIS' amusing cover is actually the least-impressive work in the magazine. The logo only lasted this 1 issue. The next issue, things could change immensely for the better.
Russ Jones was editor. The credits say Joe Orlando supplied "story ideas". I wonder how true that was? The contents page also lists Maurice Whitman. Any ideas about this one? His name does not appear anywhere else in the magazine.
"VOODOO" is by Russ Jones & Bill Pearson. I always wonder when it takes 2 guys to do a story. Equal collaboration, or did one do story and the other dialogue? This may be the single most-impressive JOE ORLANDO art I've ever seen. And yet... everything else in the magazine-- EVERYTHING!-- blows him out of the water. That's saying something. The storytelling concerning the death of the wife is awkward & confusing. Oh well.
"H20 WORLD" -- Larry Ivie's story is more cerebral & thoughtful than most. AL WILLIAMSON & ROY KRENKEL make a great team (better than Williamson & Garzon many years later, I think). Future sci-fi, semi post-apolacylptic, but more hopeful than most.
"VAMPIRES FLY AT DUSK" may be the 1st collaboration between Archie Goodwin (who soon took over the mag) and REED CRANDALL (who later did 3 POE stories). Very moody piece with clever twist ending.
"WEREWOLF" -- Larry Ivie again, this time with FRANK FRAZETTA! The figure-work is what shines in this, but the loose, ethereal graytones also stand out. Another unusual twist ending. Famously, Frank's LAST comic story. Next issue, he started a whole new career.
"BEWITCHED" -- this time around, Larry Ivie's story seems confused & disjointed. GRAY MORROW's art is mind-boggling! He's operating on a different level from everyone else here.
"THE SUCCESS STORY" -- Was this the 1st Archie Goodwin-AL WILLIAMSON collaboration? Their wonderfully-SICK slap-in-the-face to BOB KANE, one of the biggest CON ARTISTS in comic-book history.
"PURSUIT OF THE VAMPIRE" -- Goodwin again, this time with ANGELO TORRES, who, astoundingly, does the MOST-IMPRESSIVE art in the entire magazine!! Russ Jones appears to have structured the entire anthology so that it gets better and better as it goes, so that it's not just a loose collection of unconnected items, but works as a single piece. WOW.
The cheapest copy "My Comics Shop" currently has of this is $48.00. And to think... I got mine at the Pennsaken Mart, in the 70s, for $1.00. I really wish back in the 90s I'd been buying more early Warrens, instead of all those damnable DC superhero comics.
(3-26-2021)
(Continued in February 1965)
All Text (C) Henry R. Kujawa
Artwork (C) Marvel Comics
Restorations by Henry R. Kujawa
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