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Why were DC SA monsters so lame?

Started by rjpb,

80 posts in this topic

Prince Namor

Prince Namor

Posted
Posted
But weren't the monster stories a reaction to the Japanese and Hollywood monster movies that were every popular around then? All those Hbomb created radiation monster? Or are you saying Kirby created the monster genre ?

 

In comics, I believe so.

He didn't create the idea of romance stories either, but him and Joe Simon created the romance genre in comics.

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Prince Namor

Prince Namor

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Well I have to assume it was overreaction to the comics code implementation - after all, that had just happened. I think DC just wanted to portray itself as safe fun for kids at that time. Also, they were on top, so they were doing something right.

 

That's probably as spot on an assumption as we'll find!

 

Marvel/atlas monsters are far superior but a large part of that is jack Kirby and or Stan. Marvel had some lame ones too don't forget. The washing machine cover on strange tales 65? Or so is one of the all time lame ideas. Once Kirby took over their quality went up. And I think they were just trying harder. Marvel was fighting to save the company. DC was on top and had more to lose.

 

I can't find an example of a Marvel monster comic before Kirby came back to Marvel.

I CAN find examples of Kirby doing those type of monsters and aliens and giant robots (some with names like ULTIVAC) during his run on Challengers of the Unknown, but it looks like he brought those kind of ideas to Marvel with him.

 

Stan, of course, spiced some of them up with his unique way of presentation!

 

I was just being loose with the term. I agree that there aren't any proper prehero "monster" comics pre-kirby.

 

 

I was just being a Kirby stickler as usual! :foryou:

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Boba

Boba

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I think Ross Andru came up with some fantastic monster covers -- Wonder Woman being one of DC best monster books!

 

I agree! If there's anything Wonder Woman likes more than being tied up, it's battling monster dinosaurs, a longstanding habit of hers she first developed as a teen:

 

22-05-201111549PM.jpg

 

22-05-201111556PM.jpg

 

31-05-201174104PM.jpg

 

31-05-201174124PM.jpg

 

02-06-201182023PM.jpg

 

;)

Seems like any books where Andru and Esposito plied their craft had an abundance of prehistorical monsters.

Star Spangle War Stories, WW and even Metal Men, although in those they were usually robotic monsters.

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frozentundraguy

frozentundraguy

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I think Ross Andru came up with some fantastic monster covers -- Wonder Woman being one of DC best monster books!

 

I agree! If there's anything Wonder Woman likes more than being tied up, it's battling monster dinosaurs, a longstanding habit of hers she first developed as a teen:

 

22-05-201111549PM.jpg

 

22-05-201111556PM.jpg

 

31-05-201174104PM.jpg

 

31-05-201174124PM.jpg

 

02-06-201182023PM.jpg

 

;)

Seems like any books where Andru and Esposito plied their craft had an abundance of prehistorical monsters.

Star Spangle War Stories, WW and even Metal Men, although in those they were usually robotic monsters.

 

Good grief that last dinosaur is on an escalator. :o

 

That's a sure fire store emptier, when the store manager wants to close on time. :sumo::devil:

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Boba

Boba

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I think the creators on Space Ranger and Challengers of the Unknown were vying for the crown of most absurd creature concepts. Although Detective Comics was nipping at their heels. Interesting that Kirby was the architect of the Challengers adversaries. Maybe DC hired him away to port his monsters to their titles.

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Hepcat

Hepcat

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Interesting that Kirby was the architect of the Challengers adversaries. Maybe DC hired him away to port his monsters to their titles.

 

Your time line is wrong. Jack Kirby left DC to join Marvel after Challengers of the Unknown 8 which was cover dated July 1959. He helped to create Marvel's fabled stable of monsters over the next few years,

 

I think the creators on Space Ranger and Challengers of the Unknown were vying for the crown of most absurd creature concepts.

 

Bob Brown was the artist on both series. But I don't think he ever did one as lame as this one below:

 

14-10-201170952PM.jpg

 

(shrug)

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Boba

Boba

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Interesting that Kirby was the architect of the Challengers adversaries. Maybe DC hired him away to port his monsters to their titles.
Your time line is wrong. Jack Kirby left DC to join Marvel after Challengers of the Unknown 8 which was cover dated July 1959. He helped to create Marvel's fabled stable of monsters over the next few years,

I had it backwards then - he went to Marvel with his monster kit hm

Thanks for the brain-boost (thumbs u

 

 

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Boba

Boba

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I think the creators on Space Ranger and Challengers of the Unknown were vying for the crown of most absurd creature concepts.

 

Bob Brown was the artist on both series. But I don't think he ever did one as lame as this one below:

 

14-10-201170952PM.jpg

 

And don't forget Doom Patrol - pretty crazy creatures there :P

 

5008_zpsf0c0c2cc.jpg

 

Was that Bob Brown as well?

Yep it is :sick:

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adamstrange

adamstrange

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Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man? I'm surprised DC didn't have a trio a bad guys named Rock, Paper, Scissors.
They probably had a "Genie with the Light Brown Hair." Oh, wait....
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adamstrange

adamstrange

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Interesting that Kirby was the architect of the Challengers adversaries. Maybe DC hired him away to port his monsters to their titles.
Your time line is wrong. Jack Kirby left DC to join Marvel after Challengers of the Unknown 8 which was cover dated July 1959. He helped to create Marvel's fabled stable of monsters over the next few years,

I had it backwards then - he went to Marvel with his monster kit hm

Thanks for the brain-boost (thumbs u

 

Kirby was drawing for Marvel in 1958 as his work appears in Marvel books that were on the newsstand in 58 (Strange Worlds 1, TT1 etc.)

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