"The Flash"-The Carmine Infantino Era

Artist Carmine Infantino and the rest of "The Flash" co-creators were given the task by DC Comics (National Periodical Publications) to update and change the version of "The Flash", who was created in the 1940's. This task they accomplished with "Showcase"#4 (Oct., 1956), and a new legend was born!

Police scientist, Barry Allen was working late in the police lab, when a bolt of lightning struck a rack of chemicals, that engulfed his body. Barry soon dicovered that he had super-speed to run wherever he wanted in a "flash"; he could run on the surface of water; and vibrate through solid objects, as well as walls. He adopted his name "The Flash", after reading a comic book of his hero,the original "Flash" from the 1940's. Barry had a fiance, Iris West, who he would eventually marry and reveal his identity to.

Carmine Infantino and the writers would also usher in an exciting, colorful, dynamic array of super-villains--- (just to list a few):  Mirror Master; Gorilla Grodd; The Top; The Trickster; Captain Cold; Heat Wave;and Professor Zoom (The Reverse Flash).

The Flash would also gain a young side-kick in his wife Iris' nephew, Wally West. Wally faced an identical incident, like his uncle Barry had, and gained the same powers of super-speed. He donned his own costume and fought crime as "Kid Flash". He eventually joined the "Teen Titans" with Robin,Wonder Girl, Aqualad,and Speedy.

Infantino drew "The Flash" for several issues of Showcase,as well as "The Flash" #105-174. His amazing style put readers right into the action with his multi-images of The Flash, as he was running; around,through,and over and under everything. He conveyed it well, in his own unique way.

In "The Flash" #123, comic book history was made, ("Flash of Two Worlds"), when the current Flash would meet and team-up with the original Flash, who was from Earth 2. The story won the 1961 Alley Awards for both art and story. Later, in "The Flash" #148 ("Doorway to the Unknown"), would also win Infantino the 1964 Alley Award for art, and the writer would win the story award for that year. Quite an accomplishment!!!

Carmine Infantino later became publisher at DC Comics. Irv Novick (another great and memorable artist) took over the duties of drawing "The Flash" for many years after Infantino stopped. Infantino was named as one of the "Fifty Who Made DC Great" in 1985. He more than lived up to that legacy.                              

DC & Marvel Cross-overs / The Early Years

The first DC / Marvel collaboration came out in 1975, although it wasn't a mixing of DC and Marvel superheroes. It was a comic book adaptation of the 1939 MGM movie "The Wizard of Oz", called respectively "The Marvelous Wizard of Oz". The artwork was handled by John Romita Sr. ( the famous "Amazing Spider-Man" artist)

In January 1976, DC and Marvel made comic book history with their first superhero team-up / battle cross-over. That over-sized $2.00 comic would be "Superman VS The Amazing Spider-Man". The two heroes would first battle each other, then team-up to defeat the villains of the story : Lex Luthor & Doctor Octopus. The story was pencilled by Ross Andru and inked by Dick Giordano. I remember how excited I was to get this comic ( I was ecstatic )! I still have the comic to this day and it now has special significance ( I was able to get it signed by the writer,Gerry Conway; at the Emerald City Comicon in Seattle this year). This comic paved the way for countless other DC/Marvel superhero team-ups, which continue to this day.

Probably the three DC/Marvel team-ups that I would have liked to have seen are: Batman / Captain America (1996); The Hulk VS Superman (1999); and of course, Justice League / The Avengers (2003), but  I had stopped actively collecting comics by the end of the 1970's.

I can only imagine the great collaborations to come, between my two favorite comic book companies.

The Thing vs The Hulk-The Epic Match-up

"The Thing vs The Hulk" battles have always been considered some of the most epic match-ups in all of comic book history, and they still continue up to present time, causing more property damage than ever. There  have been 53 Thing / Hulk clashes up to now, according to "Hero Envy-The Blog Adventures" ( an excellent, informative and fun resource, by the way ), with The Hulk winning 9 times; The Thing winning 5 times; with all the rest apparently a draw. I wish to make mention of some of their main skirmishes during the 60's & 70's ( the eras that I still collected comic books).

The first battle (although a short-lived one) came in "Fantastic Four"#12. The fight only lasted for a few frames, but it set the stage for the many epic battles to come.

Their next encounter with battle, would be the one that most comic book historians consider one of the most (if not the most) epic of all time. This historic occasion occurred in "Fantastic Four"#25-26. The Hulk is on the rampage in N.Y.C., while The Fantastic Four attempts to stop him. The Thing valiantly steps up to do battle with The Hulk. After several clashes and a major amount of building busting and carnage, The Avengers join with the F.F. to try to stop any more destruction. But it is The Thing who keeps up the battle, even after being beat down many times. The Hulk finally tires of the relentless Thing always getting back up and coming back for more. The Hulk leaves and the city is safe once more.

One of the strangest Thing / Hulk battles came in "Giant-Size Super-Stars" #1. Their minds were temporarily swapped to each other's bodies, giving the fight and outcome a totally different perspective.

Another unusual match-up came in "Fantastic Four" #166-167. The battle took off between The Thing and The Hulk as always. but by the end of Part #1, The Thing ends up joining WITH The Hulk to do battle with the rest of the F.F.! This continues through most of Part#2, with The Thing coming to his senses and helping to defeat The Hulk by the end.

If you come across any of these classic battles (as well as any of the others), you are in for comic book heaven, full of explosive excitement.        

"The MARVELous Stan Lee

Stan Lee ( Born Stanley Martin Lieber ) made his comic book debut with a text filler called "Captain America Foils The Traitor's Revenge" in Captain America #3 (1941); although this article deals with the "Marvel Age of Comics" of which Lee was the co-creator.

In Nov. 1961, writer Stan Lee, working with artist Jack Kirby, created "The Fantastic Four". Over the next decade, Lee co-created (with artists Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby & Bill Everett, as well as other artists) an amazing array of modern superheroes and super-heroines, who all continue to endure to this day.

Just to list a few---"The Amazing Spider-Man", "The Fantastic Four","The Incredible Hulk, "The Mighty Thor", The Invincible Iron Man, Daredevil,"The Avengers", "The Uncanny X-Men", "Doctor Strange", "The Silver Surfer", "The Black Panther", and so many more. Lee was also responsible for reviving the 1940's characters "Captain America" and "The Sub-Mariner".

One of the factors that made Marvel superheroes different from those of DC and other companies, is that they had to deal with day-to-day problems, as well as learning how to responsibly use their acquired superpowers and abilities. The heroes were usually involved in exciting, flaming, and often explosive battles with super-powered villains.

Stan Lee has worked for other companies (including DC) in his later years, but his legacy will always be in his Marvel superhero creations. In 2007, a Stan Lee action figure was created for the "Marvel Legends" collection.

Stan is still thriving to this day (at age 90) and regularly makes comedic cameo appearances in nearly every blockbuster movie adaptation of his classic superheroes, as well as various TV cameos (usually portraying himself); on shows like "The Big Bang Theory".


Stan's Marvel superhero legacy should and will endure for many, many more decades.


                                     

Batman-The ("ZOWIE") 60's TV Series

Welcome back to stately Wayne Manor, where millionaire Bruce Wayne, his youthful ward, Dick Grayson (who battle criminals in Gotham City as Batman & Robin); their butler, Alfred and Aunt Harriet, all reside.

In Jan.1966, on ABC, a new prime-time series was born; that series was "BATMAN". The show immediately became a runaway overnight success. Adam West ( a TV and sometimes movie star) played Batman / Bruce Wayne; Burt Ward ( a relatively unknown 19 year old actor) played Robin / Dick Grayson; Alan Napier ( a well-known character actor ) played their faithful butler, Alfred; and Neil Hamilton ( a  classic character actor ) played Police Commissioner, James Gordon. They all did a marvelous job at acting out their roles. The show was a mix of high camp, adventure, fight scenes, and a big splash of color. The 1st and 2nd seasons had a 2 night format (Wed.-Part 1 with cliffhanger ending; Thurs.-Part 2,conclusion of story). Batman & Robin had wonderful gadgets, from the fabulous Batmobile,Bat-Boat, Bat-Copter, and Bat-Cycles, to the fantastic Bat-cave ( not to forget their weapon-filled utility belts).

The villainous roles were usually acted out by classic film and TV stars. It became a status symbol to star as a guest villain on " BATMAN ". Stars would also make appearances at windows, as Batman and Robin would scale the wall of a building. All of the other actors on the show, also filled their parts grandly.

Some of the highlight Villain roles---Cesar Romero as The Joker, Burgess Meredith as The Penguin; Frank Gorshin as The Riddler; and as the curvy Catwoman-Julie Newmar. There are too many talented actors who played villains to list here, but you get the general idea.

Surprisingly enough, the show only lasted three seasons. At  the start of the 3rd season, the producers decided to add the character of Batgirl / Barbara Gordon (played by the lovely Yvonne Craig). She was a welcome addition to the show, but sadly enough, it was not enough to warrant further seasons.

During the height of the 1st season, the producers made a theatrical movie version of "BATMAN", that was a box office smash hit. Also during that time, a "Batmania" craze began. The "BATMAN" TV show has had a lasting influence on the later animated series' and blockbuster movies that followed. The Batman and Robin that usually come to my mind first, are Adam West and Burt Ward. They made an excellent team.

Two weeks ago, I got to fulfill one of my boyhood wishes. I got the privilege to meet, talk to, and get autographs from Adam and Burt. I'm glad I finally got the opportunity to meet them in person ( at the Emerald City Comicon in Seattle).

Adam & Burt; Thanks for the memories. You truly were "The Dynamic Duo".

Batman-The (Excellent) Animated Series

One of absolute best (and truest to its comic book source) adaptations of "Batman", can be found in "Batman-The Animated Series". This "Emmy Award" winning series  was developed by Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski in 1993, and ran through 1995, in its original form; although it has endured through further series, two feature films, spin-offs, and many well made Warner Premiere animated made-for-DVD features.

The artistic style and backgrounds were said to be a mixture of 1940's Fleischer Studios "Superman" cartoons style, art deco, film noir, and modern style. The music was rich and full, done in the style of Danny Elfman's Batman movie themes and old crime thrillers by Shirley Walker. This all combined with excellent stories (with some adaptations taken directly from the comic books), made for an adventurous, suspense-filled, and very exciting series, that kids and adults could enjoy.

The voice talent was equally impressive. Kevin Conroy made a perfect Batman/Bruce Wayne. Loren Lester was an ideal Robin/Dick Grayson. Mark Hamill (Star Wars movies) fully embodied the persona and craziness of The Joker. All of the other voice talents were also great and were usually done by TV and movie actors, as well as a host of others. Two very special voice talents that were used came from the 60's live-action "Batman" TV series-Adam West (who played Batman) as Simon Trent/The Gray Ghost and Roddy McDowell (who played the Bookworm) as Jervis Tetch/The Mad Hatter.

One of the most memorable creations of the series was a villainous side-kick for The Joker, named Harley Quinn (voiced hilariously by Arlene Sorkin). She was insanely in love with and devoted to The Joker, even when  he cast her aside or left her to be arrested or die (although he always seemed to want her back). Her daffy plots to kill or be a thorn in the side to Batman, were all to impress her "Mr. J" (The Joker). She was always fun to watch and hear.

Many of the episodes, which were taken from classic " Batman" and " Detective Comics" issues, were adapted from some of my all-time favorite comic books from the 1970's.

Kudos to Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski, as well as all the rest of the creative people behind this series.

Emerald City Comicon (Seattle) 3/3/2013

Last Sunday (3/3), I had the great privilege of attending the "Emerald City Comicon". This was my 2nd Comicon I had ever been a part of. The 1st was the "Bellingham Comicon, at which I did some selling from my large comic book and memorabilia collection. I was not able to get a table at the E.C.C., because they were booked up very early. I went to this one with the intention of talking with some of the comic book dealers about the possibility of the purchase of my comics, and to leave them my business card.But, that was definitely not my only reason for being there (at the huge "Washington State Convention Center").

There was a vast selection of special guests who were invited to the Comicon, which included classic and current comic book artists & writers, as well as a host of Movie & TV stars (classic and current), and other special speakers. I decided to go to get signatures of some of my all-time favorite comic book artists and writers, right off the bat. The first one I wanted to go see----of course----was my very favorite artist,Neal Adams, who graciously signed my over-sized comic book. Then, I was off for more signatures from other great artists; Mike Grell & Howard Chaykin, and great writers; Denny O'Neil & Gerry Conway. I proceeded to go talk to comic book dealers after that, as well as seeing all the sights and crazy costumes.

I decided after that to go after that to get celebrity autographs. The first one I went to see was Dirk Benedict (Starbuck-Battlestar Galactica & Face-The A Team). He was enjoyable to talk to. Then, I went to see two of my all-time favorite TV heroes; Adam West & Burt Ward (TV's Batman & Robin). It was fantastic to meet them and get their autographs, too.

The convention was a blast. I only wish they'd have had something like this that I could have gone to when I collected comic books as a teenager and into my 20's.     WOW, it was a blast.

Gil Kane Appeciation

Gil Kane (born Eli Katz) was an excellent comic book artist, whose work has most likely been seen by nearly every comic fan, who has read DC and Marvel comics in the 60's, 70's and beyond. He began drawing in the 40's, under different names, for various companies. (I remember seeing a reprint of an early "Wildcat" (DC) story that he did under the name of Gil Stack).

Kane's artistic fame really took off after he co-created the modern "Green Lantern" for Showcase #22 (DC) in 1959. He continued drawing "Green Lantern" in his own comic, for nearly 75 issues. Other notable DC characters that Gil Kane was associated with were---The Atom, The Teen Titans, Hawk and Dove, as well as a host of others.

He also did some freelance work on "The Hulk" (Marvel) in Tales To Astonish, under the name of Scott Edward, and drew T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents for Tower Comics.

Another great era for Gil Kane came when he took over artistic duties for John Romita, on "The Amazing Spider-Man" in the early 1970's. He was involved with many Spider-Man's landmark events such as--- a 3 issue anti-drug story; the creation of Morbius, the living vampire; and the death of Gwen Stacy (Spidey's girlfriend) and the Green Goblin (Spidey's chief nemesis). He also drew many issues of Marvel Team-up (also with Spider-Man and a vast array of other Marvel superheroes). Kane and writer Roy Thomas revised Marvel's version of "Captain Marvel", and created the kung fu superhero "Iron Fist".

Kane's art featured his heroes and heroines involved in muscular but graceful battles, with sweeping artistic flow and bombastic clashes.

Gil Kane was also involved in designs for TV animation, and he continued to draw till his death on Jan. 31, 2000. He left an artistic legacy that will go on and on.