adamstrange Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 Thanks for the reviews! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theagenes Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 Before reading Theagenes' review, here are my thoughts: The first thing that struck me about last week’s comic is the inside front page for 2 reasons: 1) the advertisement of Centaur selling early Lone Ranger story books and yet (as far as I know), there never was a Lone Ranger comic book feature run by / in Centaur and 2) the Editor’s page discussing early sci-fi ‘zines. We know they were common place but to be mentioned in this page is interesting all the more so since one name jumped out: John Giunta! The ‘zine is Scienti-Tales (copies of which can be found in the collection of the University of Maryland – Baltimore County). This is 1939 so Giunta, born in 1920, was 19 and on his way to a 30-year comic career with Harvey, DC, Marvel and Archie. Some of his earliest work was for Centaur around the same time. As for Forrest Fickling, the budding editor first mentioned. He went on to create the Honey West series of Detective novels. He died at age 72 in 1998. You can read more about this series at : Honey West . Great stuff Scrooge! I forgot to mention the inside FC, but that jumped out at me as well with the discussion of fanzines. Fickling I wasn't familiar with, but I was familiar with Giunta of course (see my Crom the Barbarian thread from a few weeks ago). I thought that was very cool to see him mentioned a s a young man creating a fanzine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Black Hand ® Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 The only good thing about BR7, is the cover, which is great. The first issue to read is BR9, when Mr. Justice appears. 16 is another great one to read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrooge Posted March 23, 2007 Author Share Posted March 23, 2007 The only good thing about BR7, is the cover, which is great. The first issue to read is BR9, when Mr. Justice appears. 16 is another great one to read. Thanks BH, I'll keep those in mind for future installments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrooge Posted March 23, 2007 Author Share Posted March 23, 2007 Great stuff Scrooge! Thank you Sir. Now get cracking and post about the Rang-A-Tang & Co. in Blue Ribbon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Black Hand ® Posted March 24, 2007 Share Posted March 24, 2007 The Rang A Tang story in the last issue, 22, was a wonderful, touching story. I won't give the story away in case we ever read it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbcomicbox Posted March 24, 2007 Share Posted March 24, 2007 I'm starting to get an itch for Centaurs. I just thought I'd add this nice pic. Some more on the Fair: 1939-1940 World's Fair Gustavson did some wonderful work on this feature and The Arrow and Alias the Spider for Quality. By the way, that black and white piece of the Fantom is part of my original art collection. jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Detroit MIke Posted March 24, 2007 Share Posted March 24, 2007 i lifted it from a scoop.diamondgalleries auction prices realized report. it is a nice piece. i hope you don't mind? dm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrooge Posted March 26, 2007 Author Share Posted March 26, 2007 We're continuing our early publishers round with Hillman this week and Victory Comics # 1 from August 1941 - Victory Comics # 1 This time, AStrange can just read his copy and post his comments Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamstrange Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 By golly, I'll do that. Just soon as I find the sucker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theagenes Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 I've gotten a little behind on my reviews, but my wife and I are expecting a baby any day now ( )and things have been a little hectic - I believe the term is "nesting." But, let me try and throw out a few quick thoughts on the Blue Ribbon. First off, great cover! Probably the best thing about this issue. Rang-a-tang: Obviously a Rin-Tin-Tin knock-off; pretty weak story. The writers need to realize that there is a difference between foreshadowing and outright spoilers. I suppose I should be used to the racial stereotyping in so many of these early books, but I still cringe when I see things like the depictions of the Indians (and other non-white individuals in the other stories). "How!" - please. Hercules: I guess the idea of a mythological figure returning to modern times and becoming a superhero has been around for awhile. I suppose the premise is supposed to be that Herc has adventures here that parallel his 12 Labors, but here the attempted comparison with the Stymphalian Birds and the Erymanthian Boar is weak and forced. The best part of he story was the Bundanians - obviously they're meant to represent the Nazis, who we weren't at war with yet, but what's funny is that the name "Bundanian" is a dig at the German-American Bund, the rather vocal pro-Nazi organization in the US (I'm sure the joke would have been obvious to readers in 1940). Gypsy Johnson - Again with the racial stereotyping - "Me killum whitey!" huh? Weak. The Fox was not bad. He's a New Deal, champion of the little guy taking on slum lords and such. I dig it. Corporal Collins - As you can probably guess, this was one of my favorites. I see Scrooge has done a great write-up on the background of Dunkirk, so no need to go into that. I take it Collins is supposed to be an American volunteer fighting for the French. This was fascinating seeing how a fictional work with a very real contemporary setting has to deal with the events on the ground. You have the complete routing of the French and British forces, but you still need to make your character win in the story. You spin it the best way you can, with your hero covering the retreat and preventing what could have been a much worse disaster (which is pretty much how the Allies tried to spin it as well). I enjoyed this one! Alright, I'll have to get to the rest of it later - I did have a few things to say about Doc Strong and Loop Logan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Detroit MIke Posted March 28, 2007 Share Posted March 28, 2007 Good luck to the future dad! I guess we're going to lose one of the best reviewers for a while? Here's some tidbits on this week's Victory Comics # 1. I had to do a little research on Hillman because I didn't know anything about them. I guess Victory Comics # 1 gets credit for being one of the first "war" books. The title went under right before Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. If it only could've held out a couple more issues... but, face it, the Conqueror couldn't keep up with some of the more popular red, white, and blue fellas. The Conqueror by Bill Everett was all about the cover. The story was not as impressive as the Everett art. The femme fatale bore a strong resemblance to Namor... except she was far more alluring. I did like the cliffhanger ending. I definitely would have picked up the next issue to find out more about the girl. In the text story, The Conqueror Confesses, we are told of our hero's origin. I thought it was a much better story and I wish that had been the comic feature. I love the early mention of cosmic rays. Overall, the art was above-average, but the story was uninspiring. Bomber Burns and his Firebrand was a pretty decent tale of an American shot down by the Nazis. He decides to avenge the death of his partner by borrowing an RAF aircraft, painting it a dazzling red, and beefing it up with an assortment of guns and a flamethrower. I thought it was a decent read. Famous Heroes of the U.S. Armed Forces from Cornell Alumni News Jan 23, 1919 Lieutenant Isaacs, an officer on the transport President Lincoln, sunk by a submarine, told of his experiences when he was taken prisoner by the attacking U-boat, After ten days as a prisoner on the submarine, during which he learned much which later proved of value to the British Admiralty regarding the methods adopted by the U-boat commanders, he was taken to a prison camp where he was held for four months. He escaped by swimming the Rhine and arrived in England just before the armistice was signed. Beginning his talk at eleven thirty, the hour when tired banqueters usually think of "that last train," Lieutenant Isaacs talked until well after midnight but so interestingly that the proverbial pin could have been easily heard. i think i can hear in pin drop in here... show some love guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Detroit MIke Posted April 7, 2007 Share Posted April 7, 2007 Did you have your baby Jeff (Theagenes)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theagenes Posted April 13, 2007 Share Posted April 13, 2007 Did you have your baby Jeff (Theagenes)? Healthy baby girl, born Tuesday night! I haven't been on the boards much lately, for obvious reasons, and I have some catching up to do. I did read the Victory comics though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamstrange Posted April 13, 2007 Share Posted April 13, 2007 Did you have your baby Jeff (Theagenes)? Healthy baby girl, born Tuesday night! I haven't been on the boards much lately, for obvious reasons, and I have some catching up to do. I did read the Victory comics though. Congratulations!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Detroit MIke Posted April 15, 2007 Share Posted April 15, 2007 Congratulations! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swapto Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 Congratulations! (thumbs up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benz Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 congrats! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrooge Posted August 23, 2007 Author Share Posted August 23, 2007 (edited) By request from Theagenes, I'm reviving the thread. Here's a run down of the books we've already read: 1. Planet Comics # 6, June 1940 2. WonderWorld Comics # 4, August 1939 3. Detective Comics # 7, September 1937 4. Amazing Mystery Funnies v.2 # 7, Summer 1939 5. Blue Ribbon Comics # 7, November 1940 6. Victory Comics # 1, August 1941 ( I may re-run Victory # 1 later since few of us read it ...) Note that the links to the previous files are no longer active as my account lapsed over time. Here's the new one for the coming week - Crack Comics # 1, May 1940 Crack Comics # 1 Edited August 23, 2007 by Scrooge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theagenes Posted August 23, 2007 Share Posted August 23, 2007 Sweet! Never read a Clock story! Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
