The Third Day of Classic Comics Christmas '06

[Cei-U!]

Most of you know that I briefly and unsuccessfully pencilled for Marvel back in the Shooter era. What you may not know is that the sample I sent in when I first made contact with Marvel was an eight-page solo story starring Volstagg the Voluminous (a fitting epithet given its double meanings of "big" and "loud").

Visiting the chambers of Ularic the Warlock while running errands for Odin, Volstagg mistakes a magic potion for a pint of ale and chugs it down. The potion turns him back into the powerfully-muscled Lion of Asgard he had been in his youth. For the next hour, he makes all those who've mocked him--including Fandral and Hogun--regret their words. Alas, the spell wears off, leaving V the V hauling fat ass to get away from his less-than-amused pals.

Others can extol his virtues as comic relief and as Asgardian Falstaff but my personal connection to him makes Volstagg #10 on my list.

Cei-U!
Forsooth!

[Lone Ranger]

10. Lone Ranger

I can’t really admit to having grown up on the Lone Ranger. I did see some reruns of the 50s show when I was a kid and certainly enjoyed them, but the Lone Ranger was never really part of my childhood.

It wasn’t until I read an article in Comic Book Marketplace 6 or 7 years ago, featuring those wonderful painted covers, that I became a true Lone Ranger fan. The moment I saw them, I just had to have them. Thanks to this era of eBay and instant gratification, within weeks I had a dozen of ‘em. Nice, shiny, beautiful covers. You know what else? Those stories between the covers weren’t half bad, either.

I really love the Lone Ranger because he’s the most misunderstood man in the west. He’s not actually wanted for anything, but the very fact the he wears a mask targets him for suspicioneverywhere ge goes. He has to win each person over individually, but once he has – they are an ally for life. Of course, as Lyle Lovett once sang, Tonto does the dirty work for free and he certainly plays a vital role in these adventures. Yet, there is something about the Lone Ranger, whose identity was borne of tragedy (like so many heroes) that makes him the real stand-out for me.

There’s nothing quite like a Lone Ranger comic book. A beautiful painting on the outside and a Newman/Gill masterpiece on the inside.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v471/scottandkat/CBR/top12/LoneRanger-sm.jpg

[Hintermann]

#10 Wally Gator: Unfortunately, only a handful of dedicated stories are available featuring this obscure, but utterly lovable “Professional Alligator”. He has a chapter in each of the 3 issues of Hanna-Barbera’s shortlived title “Band Wagon”; elsewhere, he sometimes appears as a supporting character in Huckleberry Hound, Cave Kids or other Hanna-Barbera comics. Included in his CV are talents like eating food, basking in the sun and crying crocodile tears. The poor fellow is totally harmless and very philanthropic, but always seems to come a cropper – such as when he decides to “go up in the world” by joining Night School, but ends up in ‘Nightingale Flying School’ by mistake, thanks to a strategically parked van blocking the signboard. Needless to say, his favourite song is ‘See You Later, Alligator’ and he always listens to it on his beloved record player – a birthday present that he sent to himself. One of the most endearing scenes is where he decides to pack and leave his home – the town zoo – to avoid a bullying gorilla; when Wally says “There! I’m packed!”, he is holding nothing but a gigantic toothbrush! It is one of great injustices of this world that Wally Gator did not get his own English comic book (but there appear to be a few issues of French titles dedicated to him.)

PS: My niece has Wally Gator doll that plays Elton John’s ‘Crocodile Rock’ song.

[Kan-Man]

10. Lone Ranger


One of my fondest memories is being on a family vacation in the early 70s (probably Cape Cod or near there) and picking up Lone Ranger #18 on the spinner racks. I've still got it. I always seemed to find more Gold Key, Dell and Charlton than DC and Marvel when we went on those trips so each one I have holds a nice memory for me.

Have you ever tried to track down the original artwork for any of those painted covers? That would be quite a find.

[Red Oak Kid]

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q144/redoakkid/orion2.jpg

10. Orion

It was the New Gods book that really turned me on to Jack Kirby. There is some pretty good characterization of the relationship between Light Ray and Orion. On first glance Orion seemed like a mindless warrior type. But it becomes pretty apparent that he really doesn't like his role as the bad ass. The more he battles, the more he hates it. But his hatred for Darkseid and his minions drives him forward. Maybe I'm reading too much into him, but he seemed full of self loathing for what he was.

[Budman]

10. Veronica Lodge

Veronica Lodge, or "Ronnie" to her friends, is a complex character whose many facets can be used in a variety of storylines. She can be sort of a female Richie Rich and the readers of Archie Comics can be entertained by the way she sees and deals with the world as opposed to way normal people do. Because her dad’s a millionaire, she can be used in stories where she jets around the world and/or encounters spies, adventure, and intrigue. She can be the spoiled brat who actually has a heart of gold, and the readers can be relieved when she finally acts according to it. Ronnie can also be a villain, scheming to get her way and using her wealth, popularity, influence, and looks to do so, even resorting to dirty tricks when they are called for. Readers can cheer when her plans go awry and good old, girl-next-door Betty Cooper triumphs. But even though Ronnie and Betty are rivals, they are also friends and readers can enjoy stories where the two girls support each other. Veronica didn't always travel to the darkside, and often would join the gang in fighting for a noble cause or just in hanging out and having fun.

And then there’s another aspect to Veronica. One web page said that she was the true magnetic North of every male’s romantic compass. No guy in the Archie universe, except for Jughead of course, can resist her. And the best of the Archie artists were up to the task of rendering her as the most beautiful girl in that world. Veronica’s sex appeal could be played for laughs, as when she strikes poses and reduces men to drooling idiots whom she can then wrap around her little finger, or when she purrs things like, “Archiekins, I just HAVE to go to that concert,” and sets Archie off on a misadventure to raise enough money to take her.

But to me, Ronnie was the most attractive when she wasn’t consciously trying to allure men, but was turning them on just the same. In some stories, another aspect of her personality is emphasized and she is portrayed as a sweet, fun-loving, young miss who is busy enjoying her life, oblivious to the fact that males of every shape and age and size are checking her out as she breezes by. And/or she can innocently be led by a lucky guy to a romantic spot without realizing his intentions and then find herself falling for him as kisses become the order of the day. In these stories she is much like Betty Boop or Marilyn Monroe or the Famous Studios version of Olive Oyl or Melody of the Josie comics. She is the appealing paradox of the totally innocent total flirt. She may not have sought a guy’s attention, but knows what to do with it and how to enjoy it when she has it. In these types of stories, Veronica is The Sexiest Comic Book Female Of All Time.

Although Archie Comics were always considered more “wholesome” than books of other genres, during the ’60s and early to mid-’70s particularly (and even once in great while today), occasionally the writers and artists would push the envelope somewhat and create stories, scenes, situations, and bits of dialog that were actually very romantic and/or, yes, even very provocative and hot. I’ve tried to track down the best of these that I can remember and have found some others in my quest, but trying to track down old Archie stories is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. There were so many titles the company published during that time period with each of the issues containing multiple stories featuring the same cast of characters, and many times there was no real reason a story had to appear in one book as opposed to another. So a story featuring Reggie trying to steal Veronica away from Archie (and sometimes succeeding!) could be in Archie, Laugh, Betty And Veronica, Reggie And Me, or Archie’s Pals ‘N’ Gals, etc. And good luck tracking down stories where Reggie gets romantic with Midge, or where a different guy wins Veronica (Archie didn’t always wind up with the girl!). Such stories could have appeared anywhere.

However, as I was growing up, there was an upside to stories being anywhere. I could buy the Archie titles that were "for guys" and still “girl watch.” A romantic story featuring the appealing Veronica could just as easily appear in Archie, as in Betty And Veronica. I even found one in Jughead once!!! And my younger sister and younger girl cousins would buy Betty And Veronica, Betty And Me, and Mmmillie The Model from Marvel, and then also would want to read the Archie Comics titles I was buying. I couldn’t admit that I longed to read their comics that were "for girls,” so I would hesitate and let them “talk me into” swapping comic books for awhile. Then when I was by myself I would go, “All right!! Veronica’s in a bikini! Betty’s in shorts! Veronica’s snuggling with a guy! And in the next story, the girls are in mini-skirts!!!”

[Cei-U!]

In case anyone asks, the originals of the Volstagg pages mentioned above were destroyed in a house fire years ago. A handful of prepratory sketches have survived, however, including the one attached below.

Cei-U!
I summon the blast from the past!

[dan bailey]

Man, I would've loved to have seen that Volstagg story, Kurt! Sounds like a blast.

Extremely impressive sketch, too.

[Budman]

In case anyone asks, the originals of the Volstagg pages mentioned above were destroyed in a house fire years ago. A handful of prepratory sketches have survived, however, including the one attached below.

Cei-U!
I summon the blast from the past!

Fantasic sketch of Volstaag, Cei-U! And thanks for organizing these threads!

Since the Lone Ranger was listed today and Zorro was listed previously, I'll confess that they were two of my heroes while I was growing up. I would pretend to be them. My younger sister was Tonto.

[Kan-Man]

#10... Metamorpho

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c118/Kan-Man/metamorpho_bolland.jpg

This one was an audible. I was going to pick Superman more for historical reasons than anything else. But I realized I needed a slot for Metamorpho.

I've always been drawn to characters with a distinct voice. And if it's one with a sense of humor, all the better. Metamorpho was a character that always stuck out for me because he was just so odd. I even managed to track down his first appearances in Brave & The Bold during my collecting days.

I can't specifically cite storylines or issues or creators, I just know I've always loved the character and that's what this list is all about.

PS - this is my second selection in a row with the name Rex. Hmmm.

[dan bailey]

10 -- Squirrel Girl

The last of my entries to be added (by several days), Squirrel Girl popped into my mind about midweek. Like most, & very probably all, of us I've been ruminating over possibilities for inclusion ever since Kurt first mentioned this year's theme, but for some reason this one never occurred to me till I'd already arrived at my preliminary dozen (more accurarately 14 or so, since I'd already had to reluctantly winnow out at least a couple of favorites).

When I remembered Squirrel Girl along about Wednesday, though, she was a given, especially considering the criterion I noted with my choice of Volstagg -- "Would I buy, without a second thought (the contents of my wallet &/or checkbook willing), any comic with this character on the cover &/or known to feature him or her inside?"

Like Volstagg, S.G. always brings a smile to my face. I can't speak for the rest of you, but that's an extremely rare, & hence highly treasured, commodity in my life.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c129/arktrav/Squirrelgirl.jpg

[dan bailey]

This is my second selection in a row with the name Rex. Hmmm.

Will we be seeing Rex the Wonder Dog tomorrow?

Until a couple of days ago, as it happens, my #10 was shaping up to be Valkyrie (Steve Gerber Defenders version), which would've given me consecutive choices of Volstagg, Evey Hammond & Val, making me look like an utter V for Vendetta obsessive & quite possibly exposing me to some uncomfortable scrutiny just in case someone should blow up Parliament &/or No 10 Downing Street anytime soon ...

[benday-dot]

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q144/redoakkid/orion2.jpg

10. Orion

It was the New Gods book that really turned me on to Jack Kirby. There is some pretty good characterization of the relationship between Light Ray and Orion. On first glance Orion seemed like a mindless warrior type. But it becomes pretty apparent that he really doesn't like his role as the bad ass. The more he battles, the more he hates it. But his hatred for Darkseid and his minions drives him forward. Maybe I'm reading too much into him, but he seemed full of self loathing for what he was.

I'm glad to see Orion represented... he just missed by top twelve.

[benday-dot]

In case anyone asks, the originals of the Volstagg pages mentioned above were destroyed in a house fire years ago. A handful of prepratory sketches have survived, however, including the one attached below.

Cei-U!
I summon the blast from the past!

Extraordinary sketch to match an extraordinary story idea. That story you submitted/proposed just seems so perfect and inevitable, that it has the feel of having already happened. A masterful What If?

[benday-dot]

http://fantasticfour.ugo.com/images/galleries/fantasticfour_galactus_comics/fantasticfour_galactus_1.jpg

Honestly, it wasn’t planned this way, but it appears I am intent on having Jack Kirby deck my halls with his boundless invention. For the third day in a row Kirby returns. And on this day of Christmas it’s… a villain! Or is it? That's part of the brilliance… you’re never really certain about Galactus. He really came as such a departure from the classic super-villain vein. He’s not one of those bent in the head, snickering psychotic madmen bent on world conquest, or maniacal acts of revenge. Galactus was never one to much care about power, or petty things like nursing grudges and accumulating riches. The towering giant of Lee/Kirby’s imagination simply wants to find his next meal. The fascinating thing about Galactus is that it’s hard to despise him… Though he would devour us all without so much as an indigestive rumble, he is in truth merely out to fork his next baked bean. Is he so different from us? Galactus in fact changed irrevocably the whole existential direction of superhero villainy. He came on the scene like no other world threats before him. He came so dispassionately, so unexpectedly.

So large, so unfathomable, so alienating he dehumanizes us at once. His scale, his incomprehensible largeness, his purpose that so exceeds us transforms us into specks, motes in the eye. But then as the space opera moves into its act of extremist gravitas, we realize that in the face of our own mortality as visited by this near abstraction from the stars, that it is ourselves now beckoned to transcendence. No sooner does Galactus threaten to utterly dehumanize the reader who stares up at him with awe and helplessness, but that same reader, vicariously through the Fantastic Four, Thor or whomever it is that has come to earth’s defense, sure enough, in the face of such a threat, comes to terms with the unexpected opposite. It is ever, under the exuberance of Stan and Jack, that the virtue of a humanist defense always thwarts the plans of the cold, impossible peril from the stars. Who said there was no heart in the story cosmic. Galactus… a character inspiring and vital, in spite of himself.

[MWGallaher]

http://home.comcast.net/~vicoscia/images/Hank.jpg
#10: Hank Pym
I first met Dr. Pym when he guest-starred in an issue of Incredible Hulk. He didn't make much of an impression, but a few months later, Marvel Feature #4 showed up at the Northgate Walgreens. Instead of going to the movie at the Northgate Theater, I spent my money on comics, including that one, where I got my first exposure to the rich history of Hank Pym: Ant-Man, Giant-Man, Goliath, Yellowjacket...how cool to have been a whopping four different super-heroes, each notable in his own right? That run was right up my alley, echoing "The Incredible Shrinking Man", one of my favorite 50's SF films, with Herb Trimpe drawing a series I firmly believe he was born to do; even Jack Kirby didn't pull off the tiny perspective on Ant-Man as well as Herb did.
It helped that he was something of a Marvel underdog, never achieving the success of his peers. That made Jim Shooter's shocking 80's Avengers court-martial of the character that much more resonant, and though I know that storyline put lots of fans up in arms, I relished seeing one of my favorite characters subjected to classical tragedy on a scale that none of the Marvel heroes had ever been subjected to.

[Scott Shaw!]

No. 10: TUBBY TOMPKINS

http://www.comics.org/coverview.lasso?id=13534&zoom=4

The best friend (and often the rival and even the nemesis) of "Little Lulu" Moppet, Tubby Tompkins -- at least when written by John Stanley -- is one of comicdom's funniest characters. Often portrayed as being self-important, greedy, stubborn, melodramatic and sexist, Tubby is nonetheless, at his core, a kind-hearted and even sentimental kid. He is also wildly obsessive; for example, Tubby is absolutely convinced that Little Lulu's father, innocent Mr. Moppet, is up to no good, and will assume his secret identity as the master sleuth known as "The Spider" in order to expose Lulu's dad as the über-villain Tubby suspects he truly is.

Back in the 1950s, Tubby became so popular that he was awarded his own Dell funnybook, in which he sometimes shared adventures with his Grandpa Feeb, an ancient geezer who was mired in his own second childhood. This is when I first encountered Tubby; as a similarly fat and obsessive kid, it's no wonder why I liked him so darn much.

Dark Horse is currently reprinting LITTLE LULU in inexpensive paperback editions; check 'em out to see why I love Tubby Tompkins so much!

Or, as Tubby might exclaim: "YOW!"

Aloha,

Scott!

[Cei-U!]

10 -- Squirrel Girl

Not to be a meanie but did she debut before Jan. 1, 1997? If not, I have to (reluctantly) rule her ineligible.

Cei-U!
Rules is rules!

[Scott Shaw!]

#10 Wally Gator: Unfortunately, only a handful of dedicated stories are available featuring this obscure, but utterly lovable “Professional Alligator”. He has a chapter in each of the 3 issues of Hanna-Barbera’s shortlived title “Band Wagon”; elsewhere, he sometimes appears as a supporting character in Huckleberry Hound, Cave Kids or other Hanna-Barbera comics. Included in his CV are talents like eating food, basking in the sun and crying crocodile tears. The poor fellow is totally harmless and very philanthropic, but always seems to come a cropper – such as when he decides to “go up in the world” by joining Night School, but ends up in ‘Nightingale Flying School’ by mistake, thanks to a strategically parked van blocking the signboard. Needless to say, his favourite song is ‘See You Later, Alligator’ and he always listens to it on his beloved record player – a birthday present that he sent to himself. One of the most endearing scenes is where he decides to pack and leave his home – the town zoo – to avoid a bullying gorilla; when Wally says “There! I’m packed!”, he is holding nothing but a gigantic toothbrush! It is one of great injustices of this world that Wally Gator did not get his own English comic book (but there appear to be a few issues of French titles dedicated to him.)

PS: My niece has Wally Gator doll that plays Elton John’s ‘Crocodile Rock’ song.

I love Wally Gator too, Hinterman. In fact, he's one of the last-introduced Hanna-Barbera characters -- along with Touché Turtle, Lippy the lion and Hardy Har Har, Frankenstein Jr. and the Impossibles -- that I hold in high esteem, even though few of his cartoons or comic book stories are particularly funny.

And I've drawn or inked him many times, particularly in Marvel's H-B LAUGH-A-LYMPICS.

It should be noted that Wally shares the H-B tradition of animal characters who yearn for freedom from their comfortable surroundings; this also includes Yogi Bear, Squiddly Diddly, Magilla Gorilla and the Hair Bear Bunch!

Aloha,

Scott!

[Aaron Kashtan]

Not to be a meanie but did she debut before Jan. 1, 1997? If not, I have to (reluctantly) rule her ineligible.

Cei-U!
Rules is rules!

According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squirrel_girl), Squirrel Girl first appeared in 1991.

Also, Chance Falconer barely squeaks in under the deadline, since Leave it to Chance #1 (http://www.comics.org/details.lasso?id=59372) came out in October 1996.

[Kan-Man]

Galactus… a character inspiring and vital, in spite of himself.

The Tick cartoon did a brilliant parody of Galactus (Omnipotus?) with Kirby-like animation. The Tick served as his herald, offering foot massages and at one point pulling a small meteor out of his ear.

[Aaron Kashtan]

Number 10 is a thief, a reaver, a slayer, born on a battlefield, of gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, at various times a soldier, thief, pirate, nomad chieftain, general, and king, and perhaps the manliest man who ever lived:

http://www.cardscomicscoins.com/usrimage/ctb1.jpg

Conan believes that his god laughs at him whenever he suffers adversity, and he goes through life determined not to give Crom that satisfaction. With infinite reserves of courage, strength, and lust for life, he triumphs over every obstacle in his path. And he gets all the girls. Obviously he's the ultimate male power fantasy, but even if you realize that, you can still stand in awe of the greatness of this panther from Cimmeria.

[Aaron King]

10. Machine Man
Machine Man is, in my opinion, Oddball-worthy. First, he appeared in a movie spin-off comic, despite never having appeared in the movie (2001: A Space Odyssey), written and drawn by Jack Kirby. Then he gets shoehorned into the Marvel Universe for a short-lived ongoing. He resides in character limbo after that, occasionally taking some vacations to serve with the West Coast Avengers, to travel to the future, and become the Watcher, an omniscient archivist of everything that occurs on Earth. Then he joins a piratey comedy team of C-listers.

Machine Man has a great look: solid purple metal with a fake human face and huge red bug eyes. His arms and legs extend ala Inspector Gadget and he has about a half-dozen other cool upgrades. Initially, he was a tragic hero in the traditional Marvel sense. His creator, a military arms scientist being paid to create killer robots for the U.S., gives his X-51 robot a personality and removes a failsafe bomb from his metallic “son,” dying in the process. Christened Aaron Stack and taking the heroic name of Machine Man, the robot decides that he will be a man and not a machine (which makes you wonder about his choice in super-name), all in loving memory of his father.

Eventually, he meets his robot love in Jacosta, a stunning model sporting a shining silver chassis. Ultron kills her… until the year 2020, where Machine Man is reassembled by some horrible future cyberpunk kids and finds Jacosta, now old and fat (she looks to have bad her head attached to a Volkswagon Beetle). Despite the cool Bart Sears art, I think the climax of this story is gone from my head, which is okay because it was apparently retconned into not actually being Machine Man, but how and why you’d retcon a story that may or may not take place in a possible future just makes my head explode.

In a sort of “What If?” story, Aaron was brought to the Moon to become the Watcher and record everything that happened on Earth because the original Watcher was blinded and needed someone without any emotions to serve as his eyes. If he knew anything about Aaron, he would’ve picked a different robot, since the dramatic point of his entire life was, “I am more than a machine.” So Aaron betrayed the Watcher and saved the world.

And now, Aaron is a member of Nextwave, a team created by HATE (a government organization/SHIELD analogue) that’s funded by the Beyond Corporation (an international terrorist organization/HYDRA analogue). The team discovers these backdoor dealings and defect, trying to stop the Beyond Corporation’s use of Unusual Weapons of Mass Destruction. His “roboty parts” make him far superior in comparison to his “fleshy” teammates.

A Seemingly Random List of Comics: 2001: A Space Odyssey #8; Machine Man (volume 1) #1-9; Nextwave #1-12

Jack Kirby's Machine Man (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/49/Machine_Man_01-00.jpg/250px-Machine_Man_01-00.jpg)
Machine Man v. Fin Fang Foom from Stuart Immonen (http://www.zeuscomics.com/images/covers/nextwave-2.jpg)
http://www.wizkidsgames.com/images/figures/Rotating/HMSV/HMSV_087.jpg

[Red Oak Kid]

When all is said and done on these twelve days, Cei-U may need to start a thread in which we can all post our near misses.

So far, I have regretted not choosing E-Man, Black Bolt and Nathanial Dusk. But not enough to actually change my choices. My picks are pretty much set in stone, the only problem I have is what order I present them.

Also, I ran across Johnny Dynamite who is also a personal favorite.

[Lone Ranger]

No. 10: TUBBY TOMPKINS



Great choice Scott!

I probably am not surprising anyone when I state that a certain rotund, part-time sleuth makes an appearance on my list as well.

[Lone Ranger]

Have you ever tried to track down the original artwork for any of those painted covers? That would be quite a find.

I've only ever seen one. It was the pre-paint pencils to a LR cover on eBay.

Most were painted by Ernest Nordii, Don Spaulding and Hank Hartman.

For some crazy reason the photo covers always command a higher price, and that's just fine with me.

[shjonescrk]

10. Sub-Mariner

Issue 63 was my first issue way back in 73. Looking back at the story yesterday I can see it wasn't that great. Art by Sam Kweskin & Syd Shores was okay, though the cover is lovely. By issue 67 Don Heck was the artist and I really enjoyed the art, and he was my first favourite artist.

I subequently got all of the Sub-Mariner tales from Tales to Astonish and most of the Sub-Mariner comic itself and when I got cancelled with issue 72 I wasn't pleased. Ah well.

There was a mini series by Bob Budiansky, iirc, but it never resonated with me at all. I was excited when Byrne got to have a go but I gave up after 12 issues as I thought it was awful.

Steve

[dan bailey]

According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squirrel_girl), Squirrel Girl first appeared in 1991.



Yep -- in Marvel Super-Heroes (2nd series) #8, when she met Iron Man in the never-to-be-forgotten (except by Cei-U, apparently, who I'm sure never saw it in the first place ... not that I did till earlier this year, myself) "The Coming of Squirrel Girl." (Besides, if a character co-created by none other than Sturdy Steve Ditko didn't qualify for inclusion, I'd have to conclude we might as well shut down this forum & go home.)

[dan bailey]

Actually, lest it seem like I'm waxing indignant or something over the date of Squirrel Girl's first appearance, let it be known that I'd completely overlooked the 1/1/97 proviso for inclusion & completely lucked out in this case. Which probably means that a certain former Defender is back in the game, knocking out the tragically too-new Deena Pilgrim from Powers ...

[Cei-U!]

Yep -- in Marvel Super-Heroes (2nd series) #8, when she met Iron Man in the never-to-be-forgotten (except by Cei-U, apparently, who I'm sure never saw it in the first place ... not that I did till earlier this year, myself) "The Coming of Squirrel Girl." (Besides, if a character co-created by none other than Sturdy Steve Ditko didn't qualify for inclusion, I'd have to conclude we might as well shut down this forum & go home.)

All righty then, Squirrel Girl is in as your #10 choice.

Cei-U!
Glad it all worked out!

[dan bailey]

http://fantasticfour.ugo.com/images/galleries/fantasticfour_galactus_comics/fantasticfour_galactus_1.jpg


Awwww, man -- if that's not the greatest cover ever, it's waaaay up there. Somehow, for me the crowning touch has always been (not that I was paying any attention to comics in general when this masterpiece showed up on the spinner racks ... I first obtained a copy about 11 years later, as a high school senior) the awestruck members of the public gathered on skyscraper roofs, which reminds me of something out of my beloved '50s sf movies, a la The Day the Earth Stood Still, or something.

[MDG]

#10. The Creeper

Gotta love Ditko, but it's a little hard to love his characters. There's Dr. Strange and Spiderman, sure, but at this point they're unrecognizable from the originals. And Mr. A is a little standoffish. So is the Question.

The Creeper, though, as originally conceived, was one Ditko's character that shows his sense of humor. His first work for DC (along with Hawk & Dove) and a pretty wild concept, visually and in terms of character. I remember seeing the ads and saying, "what is this?!?!?"

Did the Creeper ever achieve his potential? I guess not. (I'd like to have seen Steve Englehart do more than his couple stories.) But a unique character from one of comics most unique creators.

MDG

[benday-dot]

Awwww, man -- if that's not the greatest cover ever, it's waaaay up there. Somehow, for me the crowning touch has always been (not that I was paying any attention to comics in general when this masterpiece showed up on the spinner racks ... I first obtained a copy about 11 years later, as a high school senior) the awestruck members of the public gathered on skyscraper roofs, which reminds me of something out of my beloved '50s sf movies, a la The Day the Earth Stood Still, or something.

I think what's especially effective about it, other than the aspects you well cite, is that the Fantastic Four, normally the front and centre heroes of the book, the centrepiece of the action, are here reduced to but four more frightened figures among the masses staring up at the looming menace that is Galactus. Kirby's cover brilliantly fails to distinguish the fab foursome at all from that general public you mention huddled together on top of skyscrapers. The unknown peril Galactus is not even shown, but you know by this cover, that he must something quite like the comic world had not seen before.

[Simon Garth]

Dammit - a big "snap" and "shucks, ya beat me to it" for my #10:

http://www.ditko.comics.org/ditko/crea/crcreep1.jpg
I know almost nothing about the Creeper, other than that he was another great Ditko character, looked weird, and behaved weird, and as a kid, that was good enough for me. Ranting talk show host in his ‘day job’, hysterical loon in primary colours the rest of the time. And also, the precursor to this strange beast:

http://www.steveenglehart.com/Comics/Comics%20Images/Foozle.jpg

[benday-dot]

Number 10 is a thief, a reaver, a slayer, born on a battlefield, of gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, at various times a soldier, thief, pirate, nomad chieftain, general, and king, and perhaps the manliest man who ever lived:

Conan believes that his god laughs at him whenever he suffers adversity, and he goes through life determined not to give Crom that satisfaction. With infinite reserves of courage, strength, and lust for life, he triumphs over every obstacle in his path. And he gets all the girls. Obviously he's the ultimate male power fantasy, but even if you realize that, you can still stand in awe of the greatness of this panther from Cimmeria.

Ah Conan... for so long a favourite of mine, and for so long on the uttermost periphery of the Marvel Universe, that he remained on the periphery of my memory as I sadly totally forgot about him in compiling my list.

[Gingold]

10. Mary Jane Watson

MJ's dialogue as written by Stan Lee in the early Spidey comics is sublimely ridiculous, and I'm pretty sure that's why I like her so much. When she's written correctly, Mary Jane is the most fun character in any comic she's in. Sure, she's been pretty lame since at least 1990 or so, but classic MJ is a woman I can understand Peter falling for. Gwen Stacy had been dead and gone for years before I started reading comics, so Mary Jane has always been the woman in Spidey's life for me.

[zilch]

"I may be crazy, but i ain't no fool..."


10. Delirium of the Endless

Somebody from the landmark series had to be on the list, but who? Morpheus? Nah, too stuffy...

So i go for the cute crazy chick.

She knows WAY more than she lets on and, well, she's even more fun than the goth chickie.

Still waiting for telephone pole ice cream.


Tommorrow... "Does he or doesn't he... only Clairol knows for sure..."

[SamuraiJack]

KILOWOG!!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v79/SamuraiJack31/Kilowog.png


Hmmmm- reasons why I love Kilowog?

Wicked-looking alien? Check.

Attitude? Double check.

General bad-assery? Ginormous check!

It's hard to top a list like that (in my mind anyways), but here are a few more. Kilo trains GLs. In order to be a GL you have to have some serious willpower, as it's what their power levels are based upon. So, by default, if this guy trains recruits, it stands to reason he's pretty much one of the more powerful Lanters out there. Not only that, he's a genius as well! Kilowog saved his entire race from extinction (for a little while at least) by storing their essences inside his power ring, a feat no other Lantern would have thought of. And last but not least, in order to further set him apart from the other GLs, Kilowog's ring is the only one (as noted by Hal in GL:Rebirth) that makes noise when it's used, not to mention it's the only ring in existence that is capable of communicating with every Green Lantern simultaneously. Not bad for a genetic scientist from Bolovax Vik, eh?

[Dr. Hfuhruhurr]

One of my favorite supporting characters in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (and one all-too-forgotten in recent years), Robbie reigned in J. Jonah Jameson when he went a little too far off the beam in his hatred of all things Spider-man -- at least, as much as such a thing is possible -- and proved to be a good friend to both Peter Parker and Spider-man. My favorite period for Robbie would be AMAZING, say, #140-190 or so. In these issues, not only did Robbie develop into a confidant and source for Spider-man, but it also became obvious that Robbie, like Captain Stacy before him, knew that Peter was Spider-man all along but simply kept that knowledge to himself.

http://www.spidervillain.com/Cast/JoeRobertson/JoeRobertsonASM161.jpg

[prince hal]

# 10. Hans Von Hammer, the Enemy Ace was the result of a perfect combination of artist and writer, one of several who came to vivid life courtesy Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert. (Were they DC's closest approximation of Lee and Kirby back then?)

I know some have said that Von Hammer was a one-note character, all brooding existential angst and world-weariness, (a "Dark Knight" of the skies?), but a closer reading of the Von Hammer stories does reveal more. First of all, he was a German, a "bad guy" who, granted was not a Nazi, but was still the most realistic portrayal of any combatant, let alone an enemy, that comics had yet seen. I'm going to assume that EC probably did stories about "the enemy," but never a series or a continuing character. And Charlton's "Willy Schultz series, which I've never ever seen a copy of (AARGH!) began after Enemy Ace.

Anyway, the point is that this was quite the unique and beautifully illustrated series. It seemed adult before there was such a designation in comics. As a kid, I had a different reaction to Von Hammer's stories than I did to any of the other military characters. Reading them, it occurs to me, basically broke me of the Sgt. Fury habit. They made Fury's thinly disguised superheroics, much as I enjoyed them, seem like real kids' stuff even to an 11-year-old.

Kubert's artwork,a combination of shadows and flame, captured the two sides of Von Hammer's conflicted, obsessive nature beautifully. Kanigher, so often prone to purple prose, was at his least purple. Is there an epithet in comics more evocative than "The Hammer of Hell"? And no one who has ever read an Enemy Ace story will forget the "killing skies."

Complicated before it was chic to be so, Von Hammer's saga was particularly powerful given the times, with America embroiled in a faraway war against a foe apparently innumerable and implacable. Like the Enemy Ace we kept heading back to the killing fields, unsurpassed as killing machines, yet doomed to be on the losing side. Like Von Hammer, too, we were torn between doing what our government told us was our duty and what our hearts told us was wrong.

Von Hammer's vision of life was as bleak and fatalistic as comics got back then, a nightmarish, but true re-creation of war from a combatant's perspective. Unlike today's grim 'n' gritty poseurs who mouth vapid cynicisms because it's easier than thinking, Von Hammer saw life as a Darwinian struggle, saw that struggle boiled down to its essence in his daily fights to the death in his wire-and-canvas plane, and knew, as surely as he knew what an accomplished killer he was, that he would one day be killed.

[Graham Vingoe]

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o156/grahamvingoe_2006/05815547774-1.gif

10- Hank Pym

- No matter what identity he has Hank Pym is my favourite Avenger. I have a soft spot for Yellowjacket but issue 28 introdecued him as Goliath and thats the point he became most interesting to me.
I have reservations about how some writers have handled him ( yes you Chuck Austen) but again, Hank Pym is a class act and my favourite of the brilliant scientist school of superheroes.

[Slam_Bradley]

(and I'm behind because I don't get on the internet on the weekend).

Helena Wayne, the Earth-2 Huntress.

This is probably the first character that I followed throughout her entire career, from first appearance to untimely and unnecessary death.

Helena/Huntress (as I stated in last year's 12 days) is the reason that I truly loved Earth-2. We could see the growth and aging of heroes like Batman and yet still have their modern adventures with a never-aging counterpart. Helena was the natural extension of that mythos. The progeny of Batman and the culmination of the very clear attraction between Batman and Catwoman that was apparent in Batman #1.

Helena was a great addition to the JSA. And her back-up series in Wonder Woman was one of the great back-ups of the time (and the only reason to read the horrific Wonder Woman book).

http://www.mp-shoot.com/comics101/images/2004/jul28/allstar70.jpg

http://www.mp-shoot.com/comics101/images/2004/aug11/zucco.jpg

[Nate C.]

Conan believes that his god laughs at him whenever he suffers adversity, and he goes through life determined not to give Crom that satisfaction. With infinite reserves of courage, strength, and lust for life, he triumphs over every obstacle in his path. And he gets all the girls. Obviously he's the ultimate male power fantasy, but even if you realize that, you can still stand in awe of the greatness of this panther from Cimmeria.


Aaron, I love your analysis of Conan. Especially the god stuff. I love (from Conan, the movie) his prayer to Crom.

"Do not remember who was good and who was bad. Only remember that five stood against five thousand. And if you will not help me, then to HELL with YOU!" (paraphrased.)

[Nate C.]

#10 Thor

Superman began as a Moses archetype. (Bullrushes, savior of his people, not from "here", etc.) who DC turned into a Christ figure only in recent (the last couple of decades) years.

Marvel had a god early on.

I have always loved the Norse gods more than the Greek. Hands down. Seeing Thor in the pages of a comic book was just too much. And imagined by Lee and Kirby, with scripts by Leiber, it was pitch perfect. A blending of the Scandanavian trappings but completely freed up to appeal to a modern audience, Thor was a wild ride.

What you should read-

The original Lee/Ditko run, or the Simonson run of the eighties.

[dan bailey]

#10 Thor
scripts by Lee's bro (name escapes),

Larry Leiber.

[Cei-U!]

What you should read-

The original Lee/Ditko run, or the Williamson run of the eighties.

Methinks thou meanest Simonson.

Cei-U!
I summon yon lightning!

[Nate C.]

whups!

Thanks Dan and Kurt!

I summon the brain lapses!

[DarthAstuart]

10. Spider-Man

Everyone's favorite webslinger swings into my list at #10.

I've never been superattached to the Spidey comics, but I remember some of my first comics were Spider-Man. The ones I bought (or begged my mom to buy for me) in the spinner rack at the grocery store.

This is moreso for the Underroos-clad Saturday mornings watching Spider Man and his Amazing Friends, with the unforgettable Stan Lee opening narrations. That's when I think I really became a "True Believer."

Plus, Spidey is the epitome of probably my favorite type of hero--the Everyman hero. All my favorites have some sense of the "normal" about them--that they were just regular guys who were superheroes. Someone somewhere wrote that DC heroes were about being superheroes, and Marvel heroes were about having superpowers--if that makes any sense, it's always defined my feelings on the two.

http://www.omelete.com.br/imagens/quadrinhos/artigos/homem-aranha/ditko.jpg

[Chris N]

There are some heroes, that even though I know everyone else likes them to, they were a part of why I fell in love with comics. Most of my favorite characters are so because of one or two great writer's work on them. Batman is not so. Several writers have left a different impression of Batman with me, from Dennis O'Neill to Paul Dini to Frank Miller to Pete Milligan to Doug Moench and on and on. All part of the simple yet complex man. Why would a man wear a mask? In a world full of superheroes, somehow Batman seems to the one best suited to use to tackle that facinating question. What demons drive a man to dedicate his life to becoming a symbol? Anyways, I love Batman.

10. Batman

Here's a cover by my favorite Batman artist, Jim Aparo.

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o1/CocaC0la99/Batman305.jpg

[Rob Allen]

Like Slam, I don't get online most weekends.

10. Simon Garth, the Zombie

As opposed to Simon Garth the CBR poster. This character was my favorite from the first wave of Marvel black & white magazines. He seemed to bring out the best in several writers, and the art was consistently really good also.

Who could ever forget a title like, "Back to Back and Belly to Belly at the Zombie Jamboree"?

[benday-dot]

#10 Thor

Superman began as a Moses archetype. (Bullrushes, savior of his people, not from "here", etc.) who DC turned into a Christ figure only in recent (the last couple of decades) years.

Marvel had a god early on.

I have always loved the Norse gods more than the Greek. Hands down. Seeing Thor in the pages of a comic book was just too much. And imagined by Lee and Kirby, with scripts by Leiber, it was pitch perfect. A blending of the Scandanavian trappings but completely freed up to appeal to a modern audience, Thor was a wild ride.

What you should read-

The original Lee/Ditko run, or the Simonson run of the eighties.

Forgive me Nathan... but do you mean Lee/Kirby... Maybe did Ditko did Thor work, but I'm not aware of it.

[Joe Rice]

#10. Flex Mentallo

http://www.prospettivaglobale.com/Images/pagine/flex1.jpg

Flex is aided by the fact that he was the star of my all-time favorite comic, his own (now hard to find) four issue mini. The point of the comic was that deconstruction is fine and all, but with superheroes, eventually, you've got to build them back up and enjoy them. It paved the way for the Thesis of classic comics and the antithesis of the revisionist comics to be synthesized into something new, better than either. He was perfectly drawn by Frank Quitely, the best superhero artist working today, and the story is again the perfect mix of the personal and the universal, the tragic and the glorious, and all my life I'll never forget that climax.

http://pah2.golding.id.au/images/FlexMentallo.jpg

I paraphrase here, but there's something like, "Only a petulant teenage boy could confuse cynicism with realism." Muah, a kiss for you all.

[benday-dot]

#10. Flex Mentallo

http://www.prospettivaglobale.com/Images/pagine/flex1.jpg

Flex is aided by the fact that he was the star of my all-time favorite comic, his own (now hard to find) four issue mini. The point of the comic was that deconstruction is fine and all, but with superheroes, eventually, you've got to build them back up and enjoy them. It paved the way for the Thesis of classic comics and the antithesis of the revisionist comics to be synthesized into something new, better than either. He was perfectly drawn by Frank Quitely, the best superhero artist working today, and the story is again the perfect mix of the personal and the universal, the tragic and the glorious, and all my life I'll never forget that climax.

http://pah2.golding.id.au/images/FlexMentallo.jpg

I paraphrase here, but there's something like, "Only a petulant teenage boy could confuse cynicism with realism." Muah, a kiss for you all.

I plead sorry ignorance over the career of the hirsute looking Flex, but your write-up has me interested. Hard to find eh... has it been collected?

[Joe Rice]

I plead sorry ignorance over the career of the hirsute looking Flex, but your write-up has me interested. Hard to find eh... has it been collected?

Nope. There was some legal murmurings from the Charles Atlas company about the character after the mini was published. Ebay's your best bet, but you may have to pay some.

[Nate C.]

Forgive me Nathan... but do you mean Lee/Kirby... Maybe did Ditko did Thor work, but I'm not aware of it.


woops. what comes of trying to do five days of Christmas threads in one sitting.

Good eye, Benday. Indeed, keeping the good Doctor Strange and the good god seperate were too much for me.