Hero Histories

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

PLASTIC MAN "Three Faces of Plastic Man" Part 1

After the Silver Age Plastic Man's debut...

...numerous long-time comics fans who were expecting the Golden Age version wrote in asking if this was supposed to be the same guy in a modern setting.

As it turns out...nope, he wasn't the earlier version, not by a long shot!

For one thing, though both versions could shape themselves into almost anything, the original Plas couldn't change color as this guy does, making finding him easier since his red costume and black and yellow-striped belt were dead giveaways!

Though Gil Kane had left the series after the premiere, long-time comics pro Win Mortimer took over the illustrating duties with his usual panache.

This never-reprinted tale from DC's Plastic Man V2N02 (1966) shows off his talent at humorous comics, also evident in his work on Stanley and His Monster and Fat Albert (adapting the animated TV series)!

Stanley and His Monster co-creator Arnold Drake continued his Plastic Man scripting from the previous issue.

Be here tomorrow as we see a couple of the alleged origins of Plas!

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Plastic Man 80-Page Giant

Featuring classic tales from each of his eras (Golden Age/Silver Age/Bronze Age)

Friday, June 23, 2017

Reading Room WOLFF "Daughter of the Witch"

When Last We Left Our Post-Apocalyptic Barbarian...

...that pretty much covers it!
Carry on...

This never-seen-in-America chapter of the Wolff saga from New England Library's Dracula #8 (1972), by Luis Gaska (aka Sadko) and Estaban Maroto takes us into uncharted territory!
What is "worse to come"?
We'll find out...soon!

Friday, March 24, 2017

Berni Wrightson's RED-NECK!

The late, great Berni Wrightson didn't do much super-hero material...

...and this never-reprinted strip is probably his least-known work in the genre.

It's not even from a comic, but from Esquire Magazine's March 1972 issue!

The Monster Times #5 (1972) reviewed the article and accompanying strips.

"Berni, the baneful Wrightson, presented the adventures of Red-Neck...obviously Archie Bunker's fondest dream; abble to beat tall children in a single bound!"

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Berni Wrightson
A Look Back

Friday, March 17, 2017

Reading Room NOT WHO YOU THINK: BANSHEE "Origin"

Before a certain Marvel villain-turned X-Man...

Art by Dave Cockrum

...acquired the name, there was this guy...who also used the name of an female Irish demon!

Illustrated by Louis Cazeneuve, this premiere/origin of the Banshee plays more off the classic "Criminals are a cowardly, superstitious lot..." shtick with a costumed athlete than the later, sonic super-powered mutant from Marvel.

Of course I'm curious as to why a villain named "The Scorpion" is wearing a Devil mask instead of, say, a hood with an embroidered scorpion image.

Was he working on a really tight budget?

Debuting in Fox's Fantastic Comics #21 (1941) and continuing until the book was cancelled two issues later, the Banshee migrated to a new book, V... Comics, for it's brief two-issue run, then disappeared into comics limbo.

He didn't even appear in Dynamite's various Project Superpowers series which even brought back characters whose names had been co-opted by later, currently-trademarked (though unrelated) characters like Daredevil and Yellowjacket.

(Blue Beetle is a whole 'nother story...)

BTW, HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY!

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