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7/28/2019 Drink Tank 344 - A Marvel issue
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7/28/2019 Drink Tank 344 - A Marvel issue
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The Drink Tank 344Thats a Kurt Erichsen civer! Its been a while since weve had him in these pages! Also, youll be seeing
that there Gallifreyan symbol (a hapenny to the rst person who can tell me what it means!) from the wonderfu
Jesi Pershing a bunch! Its awesome, no?
Plus, Teddy Harvia, and words from good folks, including Hugo-nominee (and Future Supremem Court
Justice!) Steve Stiles.
But mostly, this issue is about Chuck Serfaces piece leading in to our MASSIVELY AWESOME Marve
Comics edition of Nerdvana Podcast (JC Arkham and JoshBot do a GREAT job with it! You can listen to it at
http://nerdvanapodcast.com/ and its all over the place and a lot of fun (start with the Batman episode at http://
www.nerdvanapodcast.com/Episodes/Nerdvana-S01E03a.mp3) and keep on going!
Ive got a lot of thoughts about Marvel, its a comic line Ive only been into at times, but largely Im not afan. I love The Flash, Batman, Plastic Man, Elongated Man, Johnny Thunder, Wildcat, and especially The Justice Soci-
ety. Always my favorite. Marvel had The Hulk, who was awesome at times, and Daredevil. When I was growing up
there was the X-Men, at the time the biggest thing in comics. I liked the X-Men to a degree, but always into the
DC stuff far more. On the plus side, there were stories back in the day that were awesome. There was a X-Men
issue where it was Kitty telling a bedtime story about Pirates!
But mostly, it passed over me while I was reading about Barry Allen and Crisis On Innite Earths.
Of course, there is stuff where the creators were so good, the material so awesome, that you have to love
it. Frank Miller on Daredevil is one of my all-time favorites. I read it on the same ight that I read Alan Moores
run on Swamp Thing, which it held up very well against. The Hulk was written by Greg Pak for a while, and it was
Awesome! There was Secret Wars, which was so prevalent when I was at the exact right age!And then, there are the movies. You cant argue that they havent been so powerful, so well-done. There
have been some dogs, Elektra, Daredevil (though not completely), the Fantastic Four (again, there were moments)
and even the third Spider-man movie wasnt that great. I HATE the Blade movies, which some argue is not a
Marvel lm, but it is. I liked the Ang Lee Hulk movie, though The Incredible Hulk was much more watchable, and
Captain America was slightly better than decent. I loved all the Iron Man movies, and The Avengers, and especially
Thor.. I may be the only person who thinks Thor was better than The Avengers, but thats what Ive thought from
as soon as Id seen them both.
Marvel TV has been hit-or-miss. In the before times, there was Spider-Man at the time there was also
Wonder Woman (from DC), and there have been some great, and terrible cartoon. In fact, the X-Men cartoons
were bad, and at the same time you had the brilliant Batman cartoons to contrast. There was also a 70s Spider-
man-Man was was pretty good, and a really good Secret Wars cartoon series. So its hit or miss, though I reallywant to see what Joss Whedon does with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. next season.
So, Im not much of a Marvel guy, though Ive certain read a fair bit of Marvel along the road, but Ill prob-
ably always be a DC guy. Marvels never really had anything to compare with the Vertigo line, which makes methink that Marvel knows what audience pays its rent!
So, this issue is Marvel Comics and I hope you enjoy it!
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Five Episodes from theHistory of Marvel Comics You
Might Not Rememberby
Chuck SerfaceOn Saturday, June 8, 2013, the insane crew of the Nerdvana Podcast will undertake the daunting task
of outlining the entire history of the Marvel Universe, from the very beginnings of Timely Comics, to the
horror stories of the Atlas Era, to the rise of heroes during the Silver Age, to the current multimedia subsidiary
of Disney known as Marvel Entertainment. We could go in any number of directions, and I suspect that upon
meeting that symbolic fork in the road well take both directions. Nonetheless, I decided to review back issues
and critical commentary to discern those episodes that shine most brightly in the rmament of Marvel.
Marvel has given us an impressive number of memorable occurrences. Roy Thomas, for example,
penned the Kree-Skrull War arc that ran in Avengers (Volume 1) #89 -97, a groundbreaking epic that forever
altered the course of all superhero comics. An adaptation of another industry changer, Chris Claremont and
John Byrnes Days of Future Past that rst appeared in Uncanny X-Men #141 and 142 will soon grace the
silver screen. Many are the blockbusters, the moneymakers that inspire creative projects in various media,
commentary, spin-offs, and which never will be forgotten, especially now that reprinted trade compilations havebecome so widely available.
As a longtime reader, I remember passages from Marvel that might not but should survive the ages,
passages that entertained, caused me to reect, or both. Ive chosen ve such cases in point for discussion.
Each presents an element that reveals some aspect of character or circumstance that, whether one realizes it or
not, potentially changes the path of continuity, and I say only potentially, because, damn it, were in danger of
overlooking their importance.
Captain America Lifts Mjolnir
Odins enchantment inscribed on to the face Mjolnir, the
hammer of Thor, resonates throughout the history of MarvelComics and reads like Excalibur dening Arthur as the One
True King: Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy,
shall possess the power of Thor. Over the decades, a handful
of characters have taken turns at swinging the hammer while
the rest of us couldnt dream of even nudging it along the
ground. These honored few include Beta Ray Bill, Jane Foster,
Eric Masterson, Rogue, Storm, Conan the Barbarian, Superman,
Wonder Woman, and Odin himself. And so I wonder: just what
does it mean to be worthy? What does it take to lift that
mystic mallet, something the Hulk couldnt do even after a goodnights sleep and a heaping bowl of Wheaties?
In 1988, the answer came from Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz,
the writer and the artist of The Mighty Thor #390, at a moment
when Thor gets dog-piled beneath a horde of demon soldiers
and separated from Mjolnir. Suddenly Captain America, at that
time operating as The Captain, scoops up the weapon in
question and swats away the invading forces before returning it
to Thor. The story ends with Thor noting the importance of the
occasion and how the two heroes now are linked as those with
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Why shouldnt Captain America be worthy? Since his reappearance in Avengers (Volume 1) #4, writers
such as Stan Lee and Steve Englehart successfully had evolved him from the Golden-Age soldier sticking it to Adol
into the solid moral core of the Marvel Universe, the man who twice walked away from his heroic identity when
retaining it would have meant betraying his ideals. Were in the presence of no government tool or callow patriot
here, my friends. Beyond doubt, Steve Rogers is the real deal, who even during a period when he foreswore his
red, white, and blue costume and shield still had what it took to raise Mjolnir from the ground. Years later, he
temporarily would rebel against the injustices depicted in the Civil War, leading to his temporary death. Most
likely, fans dont much discuss this event, because it occupies a few pages in a so-so story with nothing-special
art. Regardless, let us not forget that these few pages delivered an important instance in the history of Thor andCaptain America, teaching me at least what it means to be worthy.
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The Death of the Ancient One
Were familiar with Stephen Strange
the venal surgeon whose hands were damaged
irreparably in an auto accident. Destitute, he
travels to the Himalayan retreat of the Ancient
One, rumored to possess the power to cure hiscondition. But what condition does the master
cure? After determining his worthiness, the Ancient
One puts Strange through a course of training that
leads him toward becoming a master of the mystic
arts and eventually the Sorcerer Supreme, he
who protects the Earth dimension from magica
danger. Doctor Strange rst
appeared in Strange Tales #110, dated July 1963
Ten years later, after endlessly battling supernatura
threats of innite variety, nally he obtains the title
Sorcerer Supreme. Readers learn that Strangeachieved in decades what had taken the Ancient
One centuries to obtain, beginning back when he
was just Yao from the village of Kamar-Taj. Even
with an enviable aptitude it still took decades
Surely Batman would nod in appreciation of such
discipline and patience.
What nally happened to bring the good
doctor to the point of graduation? Co-written
by Steve Englehart and Frank Brunner with art
by Frank Brunner, Marvel Premiere #10 fromSeptember 1973 stands as one of my favorite
comics ever and tells how nothing less than the
death of the Ancient One, brought about by Strange
himself, will stop the demon Shuma-Gorath frominvading Earth through the Ancient Ones mind. In a sequence that presages the sacrice of Obi Wan Kenobi or
the passing of Yoda in the Star Wars lms, the Ancient One transcends his physical existence to become one with
Eternity, the essential nature of the universe itself. As he departs, the Ancient One passes on his exalted mantle
to Strange. Readers must remember this development not only for the stirring writing and art, but because o
the sense of something earned. Strange put in his time -- no
bolts of lightning or lab accidents for him, but power gained
through worthiness and discipline. How sad that recentlyDoctor Strange has been removed as Sorcerer Supreme,
the job now handed over to Brother . . . er, I mean Doctor
Voodoo.
Marvel Entertainment has announced possible plans
for a lm adaptation of Doctor Strange. Taking into account
that lm as a medium doesnt allow for certain comic-book
tropes, lets hope that at least some aspect of Stranges
commitment remains. The death of the Ancient One is but
one chapter in our mystical heros journey, albeit one that
remains a classic milestone.
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Dr. Doom Frees His Mother From HellDr. Doom, arguably the greatest super-villain of
all time: the super genius, the scarred despot of Latveria,
the armored terrorist bent on world domination, the . . .
mamas boy? Victor Von Doom was born into a traveling
tribe of Zero Roma, derogatively known as gypsies.
His mother, Cynthia, practiced magic, and sold her soulto Marvels devil gure, Mephisto, for power, so when a
Latverian soldier later killed her, she went straight to Hell.
Young Victor vowed hed learn magic and science to free
her from this fate.
Indeed, the machine Von Doom was developing at
Empire State, the one involved in that historic moment
when Reed Richards tried to point out the computational
errors Doom had made, would have been a trans-
dimensional teleportation device for opening a door into
Hell had it not exploded and set Victor on the road to
becoming Doctor Doom. Years later, Doom gained hisopportunity to free his mother, as recounted in Triumph
and Torment, a one-shot graphic novel issued in November
1990, starring Doctor Doom and Doctor Strange.
Roger Stern and Mike Mignola remind readers
that ascending to Sorcerer Supreme is not only difcult
to achieve, but difcult to retain. Periodically, the Vishanti,
a trio of magical deities, summons Earths magic users to
combat for the title. Strange comes in rst, while Doom
nishes second. However, the second-place nisher
always earns the right to ask the winner for a favor. Ratherthan world conquest, Doom asks Strange to help him free
his mother from Hell, which in many ways constitutes a
task more daunting than global domination.
Each Midsummers Eve Doom had retreated to
his castle in Doomstadt, opened a portal to Hell, and
battled demons in vain efforts to free his mother. Now
with Strange at his side, we see the depth of Dooms
torment as upon meeting his mothers soul the proud
monarch drops to her feet weeping like a wounded child.
Stern, by this point famous for his excellent writing in
the Avengers, and Mignola, who later would gain famefor Dark Horses Hellboy, reveal aspects of Doom that
distinguishes him from other villains. One cannot imagine
the Red Skull caring for his mothers soul, and probably
he would have sold her to Mephisto before shed found
the opportunity to do it herself. Why this graphic novel,
this crucial exploration of Dooms psyche, has gone out of
print dees explanation. I demand a reissue -- now!
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Dr. Octopus Count Have SavedInvisible Womans Baby
Fans have expressed mixed feelings aboutevents unfolding in the world of Spider-man. The
spirit of Doctor Octopus now occupies Peter
Parkers body? How can an established villain hope
to act as a hero? John Byrne provides a possible
answer with A Small Loss, the story in Fantastic
Four #267, rst released in 1984.
Consistently Ive erred when paraphrasing
this story to friends. Always I give the benet of the
doubt to Doctor Octopus, wrongly crediting him
for saving Susan Richards. I forgive myself, however
given that Byrne successfully brings readers toempathize with the pitiful condition of this villains
life. After rereading the story, Im now straight
on the facts and, as I was with Sterns depiction
of Doctor Doom, impressed with the complexity
Byrne adds to Octopus.
The story begins with Reed Richards
consulting the most prominent scientists in the
Marvel Universe hoping to save Susan Richards
in labor with their second child, a mutant whose
powers are placing both her and her mother in
mortal danger. Walter Langkowski, one of the
scientists present, urges Richards to seek out the
only man with the specic expertise for the job at
hand, Doctor Octopus -- uh-oh.
Richards approaches Octopus in his prison
cell and addresses him as Dr. Octavius, the true
identity buried beneath the damaged psyche born
in the accident that deformed both his body and his mind. The ploy works, and Octavius agrees to help. On their
way to Susan, however, Octavius sees an image of Spider-man on a billboard and relapses into Octopus. Richard
must ght him, and the baby dies during the delay.
I want to remember Octavius as having saved Susan Richards but not the baby. It turns out neithersituation is true, but both could have been true if Octavius had remained stable and not reverted to Doctor
Octopus. For less than an hour, we see the personality buried beneath the damaged criminal, and perhaps a bit o
this personality is driving him now as he undertakes his current role as Spider-man. I do not know, and truthfully
I hope that Peter Parker regains control of his body. But I argue that this now almost forgotten story from the
archives of the Fantastic Four provides for the possibility of more than some might expect from Doctor Octopus
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The Arrival of Howard the Duck
Marvel Comics in the late 1960s and 1970s developed into a
breeding ground for creative excellence. Jim Steranko forever elevated
comic-book art to the avant-garde with his efforts on Nick Fury. Frank
Brunner intensied the surreal imagery that Steve Ditko had established
in Doctor Strange to psychedelic levels, and Doug Moench and PaulGulacy brought a martial-arts/espionage ambience to Master of Kung-Fu
after the exit of co-creators Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin. Englehart
produced a wonderful line of story arcs for Captain America and the
Avengers, my favorite of which, The Celestial Madonna Saga, provided
my introduction to Marvel Comics. Starlin then redened outer space
in Captain Marvel and Warlock, both vehicles for the Thanos Cycle
which I hope will inuence upcoming lms, Guardians of the Galaxy and
Avengers II. A host of horror comics for example, Tomb of Dracula,
Ghost Rider, and Marvel Spotlight on Son of Satan sprang up after the
Comics Code Authority loosened its rules in 1971. Finally, among all thisinnovation arrived Howard the Duck.
n 1973, writer Steve Gerber and artist Val Mayerick brought the
cigar-chomping waterfowl to Earth in Adventure into Fear #19, when that
title featured the bizarre adventures of the swamp monster called Man-
Thing. Thanks to Thog the Nether-Spawn and his shifting of the Cosmic
Axis, Howard fell from Duckworld to our reality dominated by what
he terms, hairless apes. Marvel released the rst issue of Howard the
Duck in 1976 and the tone throughout read more as underground than
mainstream.
Throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s, Howard reigned as a
satirical outlet for politics and humanity in general as he ventured forth,trapped in a world he never made. Gerber often used Howard to poke
fun at the comic-book medium and at Marvel Comics itself, especially
when Howard adopted the personae of Iron Duck and the Master of
Quack-Fu. Students on college campuses nationwide transformed Howard
into a cult hero. In his Marvel Comics: The Untold Story, Sean Howe relates
how students at one university besieged the visiting Stan Lee with questions
about the duck of the moment. Lee, who hadnt been in Marvels ofces for
a while, answered, Howard who?
Who? The Howard who ran for President of the United States as the
candidate for the All-Night Party, who faced villains such as the Space Turnip
Doctor Bong, and my favorite, Hell Cow. Once upon a time, I nearly named
a family pet Howard the Duck, a decidedly strange name for a cat. I went
with Adam Warlock, which did less to ease my familys anxieties. Comic
fans during this era loved Howard madly, and felt bitterly disappointed in the
lm that weakened his bite.
Today younger fans can experience black-and-white reprints of
Howards stories in Marvels Essential volumes, or in color with the expensive
Howard the Duck Omnibus. I urge them to do so, as the lm fails to capture
the true feel of the Howard phenomenon, beloved now and forever for
challenging boundaries and kicking asses.
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Without Julius Schwartz, Marvel Comics would not exist.OK, thats a bit of an inamatory statement, but there is enough truth to it that I think I can say it and not
have Stan Lees ghost come and visit me while I sleep tonight.
Lets start with the Golden Age. These were the days when comics like Detective Comics, All-American
Comics, Adventure Comics, and Marvel Comics were published, introducing many of the most famous comics
character in history. Superman, Batman, Hawkman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman all appeared in these titles
which were 64 pages and typically featured more than one story focusing on various different characters. These
evolved into single character titles, and then team titles, and on and on. DC wasnt the only company that was
around at that point. One of the others went by the name Timely Comics. They did a bunch of great titles, they
sold pretty well, and introduced characters like The Human Torch (who was an Android at rst), Namor the
Submariner, and eventually, Captain America. They changed their name to Atlas Comics during the 1950s, and in
the very early 1960s were going by Marvel comics, which was the title of one of their earliest books (which oftenhad Frank R. Paul covers!)
So, the guy who was always there was Mr. Stan Lee. He started with Marvel when it was Timely, in 1941
He was eventually made the Editor of Marvel. He was editing a number of books, came up with a few great issues
under his belt. After World War II, the Superhero sunk a bit in the standing. Actually, a fair bit. Romance comics
Horror comics, Science Fiction comics, they became more popular through the late 1940s and early 1950s
but mostly, the Superhero was not the big name in comics. Yeah, they were still around, and many were very
successful, but not the big ones.
Julius Schwartz was working at DC. Hed been working on All-American Comics from 1944 until 1948
when it folded. He was given more and more editorial power at DC, and in 1956, he got Robert Kanigher and
Carmine Infantino to do an issue of Showcase Comics where they introduced a new, more modern, Flash.This was a BIG MOMENT.
This was the start of the Silver Age.
What The Silver Age Hath WroughtJulie Schwartz & The Flash,
Stan Lee & Spider-Manby Christopher J Garcia
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Julie Schwartz got rid of a lot of the chaff that had accumulated around the Golden Age heroes that were
still around. Batman had added a lot of silliness, but Schwartzy, he got rid of it and put heroes back on track! He
was a bit of a control freak, hed help develop the stories, then the writers would do their stuff, and often hed do
big re-writes. He was very much involved in the direction of the titles he edited, and it changed comics forever
One thing that he was very much responsible for was greater levels of science ction in Superheroes. Think abou
The Flash. In the Golden Age version, Jay Garrick inhales Hard Water vapors and that gives him super-speed
Hes just a regular student at the time. In the Silver Age version, Barry Allen is a forensic scientist, hes known fo
taking his time, but while hes working on night, theres a lightning strike that hits his chemical cabinet, giving him
superspeed. Its an accident, but its because of his scientic bent that hes given the power.Now, Stan Lee has been at Timely/Atlas for nearly 20 years, and DC is riding the whole Silver Age hero
thing all the way. They were just transitioning to being Marvel Comics, and he had seen the success of what
Schwartz had done at DC, so it was time for Marvel to take that path. If youve read any of the Atlas Comics
theyre not great until Lee introduces the Fantastic Four. That was a HUGE deal as it was a new kind of team, one
that was more family than Superhero gathering, like the old Justice Society. In fact, they had a monster in thei
midst, and brought back a variation on the Human Torch. This was exceptionally Science Fictional, right down to
getting their powers from being in space! They also lived without Alter Egos, for the most, which was kinda new
They also squabbled, but they played the entire heroing thing like a family.
The next big step was Spider-Man.
And it was basically The Flash again.
How? Well, a lab accident leads to a regular young guy getting spectacular powers, they both had girlfriendwho became a major part of the story, and most of all, they were both very different when they were under
their masks. Spidey basically became the biggest thing that Marvel would ever do, though at times theyve had The
X-Men as bigger deals.
The difference between Schwartz and Lee is that Lee was something of a glory hog, only begrudgingly
giving credit to his co-creators, which Schwartz was a control freak. Both had a rather singular vision for what
their company should be, but while Schwartz was more apt to guide his vision, Lee was often busy making himsel
the symbol for his company. Lee was also a bit better at bringing a more human element to comics than many o
Julies writers.
Without Julie Schwartz bringing comic book heroes back to the front, its doubtful Marvel would have
been able to come out into the light like they did. While I wouldnt say Lee and Marvel were aping DC, they were
certainly followers of their style, and while they would eventually become the most innovative comics company
in the marketplace, they started out following a path beaten by Schwartz & Co..
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Letter Graded Mailsent to
[email protected] Our Gentle Readers
Dear Chris,
Due to seemingly always being up to my ears in all sorts of stuff not having to do with fandom like, to cite
merely just one example, maintaining a house that, like me, seems to be on the verge of falling apartI usually
am compelled to limit my fanac to fan art at the expense of writing letters of comment. I had thought that my
retirement would open up more free time but instead what has happened is that tasks have multiplied to ll up
the vacuum. People warned me that this would happen; I laughed, but the joke was not on them.
I am looking forward to my retirement, hopefully after winning the Lottery to the tune of
40 Billion dollars so I can simply retire. Otherwise, I plan on working until I die, probably
putting together a zine behind my computer at the Museum.
Anyway, what incited me to write you was Tarals brief ruminations on Pat and Dick Lupoffs fanzineXero
published a long time ago. Just now I checked on my nearly complete collection (nearly because I am dismayedto discover Im missing the rst issue) and #2 is dated November 1960. The nal issue, not including the index
was #10, in the fall of 1963 (it is incredible to me that a fanzine with such a large page count sometimes reaching
80 pages for a single issue--should reach the tenth issue in such a short period of time). I had been in fandom in
a little under three years before the rstXero
but had begun attending Fanoclast meetings
(held at the Lupoffs Manhattan penthouse
apartment) by then and was there during the
fanzines birth.
I only have a couple of issues, but
theyre great! I really should get
another copy of the Best of Xero, as
the one I had walked away from the
Fanzine Lounge at some point!
The Lupoffs, the Fanoclasts, andXero
were all developmental for me in those
days, and each time an issue was printed
helped collate it as did Roger Ebert (who
had material in four issues) at least once, if
Im not mistaken. I even ran off an issue, the
multicolored #9 on Larry and Noreen Shaws
Rex Rotary out on Long Island, and themoney that Dick paid me for that, not a huge
sum, enabled me to go to my rst worldcon
in Chicago, accompanying Ted White in a truly
epic car journey.
Ive seen that cover! Its one of
the ones I think of when I think of
early 60s fanzines! I would pay good
money to hear the story of that car
trip to Chi-town!
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In the early sixties I was not an accomplished cartoonist I was a crappy one; the few published cartoons o
mine, like my rst one in Cry Of The Nameless #116, were pretty crude and lacked any kind of stylistic direction
But, on one evening when I was visiting the Lupoffs, Dick sat me down in front of a light box, handed me some
stencils and styli and said something like You want to be a cartoonist? So, draw! Under the pressure of this
command performance I actually produced a vertical multi-paneled cartoon, possibly about Lin Carters cranky
pet rabbit: it was still crude but it did have a sense of style I could build on, eventually leading to a mimeoed comic
strip in Dicks FAPA zine Horib, a collaboration between us entitled The Adventures Of Professor Thintwhistle
And His Incredible Aether Flyer. Dick eventually turned the strip into a novel, and later Ted White commissioned
us to redo it for Heavy Metalmagazine, a professional cartooning effort of mine that Im still very proud of, quitepossibly the rst steampunk graphic novel when it was reprinted by Fantagraphics Books.
Its one of my favorite graphic novels! I read Dicks novel, too!
On top of all that,Xero helped launch what we know today as modern comics fandom. So its all Dick
Lupoffs fault!
Taral also mentions Dan Adkins, a friend of mine who died on May 4th.Although Ive been out of contact
with Dan for many years, I was saddened by his death and feel as if a chapter in my life has closed. Besides liking
him as a friend, the fanzine he coedited with Bill Pearson, SATA Illustrated, was largely instrumental, along with Cry
Of The Nameless, in getting me involved with fandom.
SATAs written material was mostly uff, but to my 14-year-old eyes the illustrations and layout by Dan
were spectacular, the former being obviously inuenced by those who also inuenced me, Ed Emshwiller andWallace Wood. When I rst attempted doing serious illustrations people thought I was an Adkins clone.
When Dan was working on Dr. Strange, the Submariner, Woods magazines, the Warren titles, I spent
many an evening watching him work. When he was doing art for Amazing and Fantastic, I inked a few of his
illustrations and pencilled a few that he inked. We would listen to Elvis records all night long, and the rst record
I ever owned was an Oscar Brown Jr. lp that Dan gave me.
I certainly identify Adkins with Doc Strange. In fact, his version is THE one that certainly
visually comes to mind when I think of Doc Strange. No doubt. I stopped reading DS for
years and years. and when I started to again, new issues and not the 1960s issues I could
get for a buck or two out of
the cheap bin at Brians Books,
it was a bit of jar getting usedto other artists. That doesnt
happen with a lot of other
characters.
I picked up a lot of art tips from
Adkins, and through him got to meet
one of my E.C. heroes, Wally Wood
quite a few times. Unfortunately
it was my proximity to Wood that
discouraged me from attempting to
get into comics for many years: Wood
was a workaholic and from what
could see, and what Dan told me, he
seldom got away from the drawing
board, putting in nonstop work weeks
That wasnt for me: I had spent too
much time as it was in the advertising
grind (which did, however, pay much
better); I wanted to have a life, to
smell the roses (read: weed, women
and rock n roll).
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Have you read Seduction of the Innocent, the novel from Max Allen Collins? Wally Wood
is a minor character in it!
Dan and Bill were also among the rst s.f. fans I ever met. I can still remember the rst time I met them
in their tiny apartment in lower Manhattan. Dan was recovering from the u, dressed in a bathrobe, sitting on
a narrow bed, chain smoking when he wasnt drinking his usual coke, working on some art taped to a board
propped in his lap. His rst paying work, to my knowledge, were little stfnal spot illos, for some digest sized men
s magazines.
Mention Dans work and it is inevitable that people will bring up his swipeswhich were legendary because
they were practically tracings --one illustration based on the movie poster for Judgement At Nuremberg comesto mind. Most artists use reference material and most artists --including Michaeangelo and Raphael--swipe. I did
if I was unsure of how a muscle would look in a certain pose, Id look at Buscemas stuff, or whoever.
But I also tried to teach myself to draw from the ground up by hitting the anatomy books. I dont think
Dan ever did. What he did do, however, was to ink and in his heyday he was one of the best inkers in the business
Aside from all that, I really liked Dan Adkins. Its hard to realize hes gone, like a chunk of my own life.
7/28/2019 Drink Tank 344 - A Marvel issue
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I am a big fan of Non-Fiction comics. Thats been true for a long time, since I was a kid, in fact. I liked theold stuff, the Cartoon Guides to various things by Larry Gonnick, and the ones that dealt with history or physics
or on and on. One thing that I love is comics about comics. Of course, I love things like Understanding Comics, but
the rst ones I was devoted to came out at almost the same time: Whos Who in the DC Universe and The Ofcia
Handbook to the Marvel Universe.
Oddly, it was the Marvel one that I loved more
Now, these were two comic book series that did the same thing: they told the stats and basic stories of
(almost) every major character in the respective comics universes. Thered be their stats, both in-universe (like
Height, Weight, combat knowledge, alliances, etc) and out of Universe (like First Appearance) and the combination
was hyper-important to a kid like me who really loved the old stuff and was always looking for rsts and such
The entries were so simple, just the kind of thing that a kid of 8 and 9 wanted to know about ALL the heroes.
Now, I knew DC heroes (not all, and it was Whos Who that got me all interested in The Newsboy Legionand Ma Hunkles turn as Red Tornado), so theMarvel Handbook was exactly what I needed. I could get myself into
training shape with it, be able to talk with my friends who read Marvel by reading the entires for all the characters
that the other kids were reading.
And every kid at Westwood Elementary, all grades, all genders, all social classes, were reading Marve
comics, mostly X-Men.
The layout of both was pretty much the same, though looking now Ill say that the design for Whos WHo
was much nicer, especially the way they had single color background imaging on every entry. That was a very very
cool technique, and I think they had better artists working on the project.
The real art treat, in both case, but especially the Marvel version, were the covers. They were wrap-around
and they had all the heroes included in the issue together, usually rushing forward towards some unknowable
goal. They were great! I still remember being hyper-excited about seeing them on the racks at Brians old location
There are tons of websites now that do a far better job than any of these could do. Both Marvel and DC
did updates, and multiple volumes, but today, it would be incredibly easy to have this information out there and
easily updatable, never having to worry too much about retcons and other changes to characters and places. Still
theyll never get the feeling of those wrap-around covers!
Wikis That Were Not WikisThe Ofcial Handbook of The
Marvel Universe & Whos Who
in The DC Universeby Christopher J Garcia