Moench/Mayerick Ka-Zar

[berk]

Anyone here remember the Doug Moench stint on Ka-Zar back in the mid 70s? Other than a memorably well-drawn story by guest artist Russ Heath, the highlight for me was the final several issues, drawn by Val Mayerick. I think these feature some of Mayerick's best work, always at its best when he inked himself as he did here, and the story brought Ka-Zar into a slightly Tolkienesque fantasy setting which I thought worked better than Moench's overt Tolkien tribute "Weirdworld" from a few years later.

Anyway, apart from wondering what anyone else thought of this minor Marvel story from the 70s, my question is, was it ever continued elsewhere after being left hanging with the cancellation of the series. The last issue was #20 and IIRC, ended with a bt of a cliffhanger. It's been so long since 've read it that I can't recall whether this was the beginning of a new story or if it was still in the middle of the one that had started around #15. One of these days I must track down the 1 or two issues I'm missing and read the whole thing again.

[Cei-U!]

If memory serves, the leftover plot threads from Ka-Zar #20 were hurriedly and rather dismissively wrapped up in X-Men #115 or thereabouts.

Cei-U!
I summon the quick fix!

[berk]

I'm pretty sure I was reading X-Men around that time; I wonder if I read that issue and forgot all about it.

[Cei-U!]

I'm pretty sure I was reading X-Men around that time; I wonder if I read that issue and forgot all about it.

Considering Claremont and Byrne devoted all of half a page to wrapping up Moench's storyline, that's understandable.

Cei-U!
I summon the kiss off!

[pmpknface]

Yeah, here's Ka-Zar's MCP page: http://www.chronologyproject.com/k.htm

It seems that chronologiclly it goes like this:

KZ2 18
KZ2 19
KZ2 20
UX 115 (Uncanny)
UX 116
CX 22/2 (Classic X-Men, 2nd story)
UX 116
M/TU 104 (Marvel Team-Up)

[Gothos]

Ah, you've touched on one of my favorite unfinished story-arcs. Once I learned that the story-arc was never to be completed thanks to a sudden and graceless cancellation, I was appalled not just by that but also because it was the first time the Ka-Zar feature had ever been *good.* Before that, the best it had been was adequate, but to me it was a real irony that Marvel chose to keep the title around for so many years of mere adequacy or outright mediocrity, and then cancel it when Moench and Mayerick were giving it some Burroughsian "oomph," which was in perfect keeping with the whole "Tarzan in Pellucidar" concept that Lee and Kirby adapted.

Who was editor back then? Any way we can blame Jim Shooter for the untimely ending?

[berk]

Ah, you've touched on one of my favorite unfinished story-arcs. Once I learned that the story-arc was never to be completed thanks to a sudden and graceless cancellation, I was appalled not just by that but also because it was the first time the Ka-Zar feature had ever been *good.* Before that, the best it had been was adequate, but to me it was a real irony that Marvel chose to keep the title around for so many years of mere adequacy or outright mediocrity, and then cancel it when Moench and Mayerick were giving it some Burroughsian "oomph," which was in perfect keeping with the whole "Tarzan in Pellucidar" concept that Lee and Kirby adapted.

Who was editor back then? Any way we can blame Jim Shooter for the untimely ending?Yeah, my feelings are much the same.

But you've made me feel stupid now for having said earlier that it was Tolkienesque; now that you mention it, you're totally right - ERB was the real reference I was loking for.

just glanced at my old copies - editorship passed from Wolfman to Archie Goodwin in the midst of the story; but I don't blame Goodwin for the cancellation; neither of those guys ever struck me as the power-monger type.

and thanks, pmpknface, for posting that Ka-Zar chronology.

[C.O. Jones]

What was going on in that storyline? It's been so long I can't remember.

[InfoBroker]

Jim Shooter was EIC when Kazar went through what I consider to be the best phase of his development with Bruce Jones writing, Louise Simonson editing, and Brent (Don't I know this fellow from Astro City?) Anderson was doing the art.

Jim was a big fan of the book, and pushed it heavily. It was also one of the very first Marvel Comics to go the direct sales route.

I enjoyed the playful and sophisticated interactions between Kazar and Shanna. Very much a couple those two were at the time. In fact, since Louise was using her "Jones" pen name at the time, I assumed that writer Bruce Jones was modeling the dialog from real life incidents between himself and what I assumed was his wife and editor.

It was interesting to learn later that she was indeed married, but not to Bruce.

-jb the (mis-matched, matchmaker) ib -

[Cei-U!]

What was going on in that storyline? It's been so long I can't remember.

Something about a dimensional rift and... flying sharks?

Cei-U!
I summon my not-exactly-encyclopedic knowledge of Ka-Zar!

[C.O. Jones]

Something about a dimensional rift and... flying sharks?

Cei-U!
I summon my not-exactly-encyclopedic knowledge of Ka-Zar!

I recall something about flying sharks now. Thanks, C! All that I can remember on my own is when he came to the States in Astonishing Tales way back in the day and was involved with Mockingbird before her superhero days and an older black lady biochemist, and all this was tied into the Man-Thing somehow. That and later in his own title he'd come to the UK and ended up fighting Klaw.