Daily Archives: January 5, 2005

Giant-Size Master Of Kung Fu #4 [1975] – Yellow Claw reprints

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Two short reprints from YELLOW CLAW #2 in the back-up slot this issue, the first of three issues of the series Kirby had drawn during his brief stint at Atlas in 1956. It’s possible that these are among the stories Kirby inked himself. Whoever inked them did a great job. The stories are, as is typical for the YELLOW CLAW stories, too short and formulaic to really develop much, but have great visuals.

“Temujai the Golden Goliath” has a couple of naming connections. “Temujai” is an oddly similar name to “Tegujai”, the conqueror of Kirby’s unfinished novel THE HORDE (presumably both based on Temujin). And even odder, Jimmy Woo’s pilot is named “Rocky Davis”, published just before the Challengers debut. Anyway, in this story the Yellow Claw has constructed a giant robot in the form of of Temujai, hoping to use it to take control of Asia using people’s superstitions.

mokf4

Jimmy Woo is sent to investigate, gets captured and thrown in with the scientist who invented the artificial skin on the robot, and with the Claw’s traitorous neice Suwan takes control of the robot. At the end we find out that the fake skin only lasts a short while anyway, so I guess the Claw’s plan was futile.

The next story is “The Mystery of Cabin 361”. I guess a page was edited out here, but the plotting on these stories is so jumpy that I can’t tell where. In this one, Jimmy spots the Claw and Suwan boarding a cruise ship and goes undercover as a steward. He gets captured again (not the best agent, is he, although I guess it’s a genre standard from James Bond or Maxwell Smart), but manages to foil the Claw’s plan. In an entertaining variation, the Claw takes the effort to drug Suwan so she can’t betray him, but even in that state she’s instrumental in his defeat.

As usual in these reprints, lettering is changed so Jimmy Woo is changed from an FBI agent to SHIELD.

Published 1975

Fear #5 [1971] – “Gorilla-Man” and “Channel X”

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Three Kirby/Ayers reprints in this double-sized issue, which begins and ends with the two “Gorilla-Man” stories from TALES TO ASTONISH #28 and #30.

“I Am the Gorilla-Man” features evil scientist Radzik, first exiled from his home country for forbidden experiments, then perfecting a machine which lets him switch bodies with animals. After a test experiment switching with a cat, he decides the most logical use of this invention would be to switch to a gorilla body to commit crimes. Must have been a comic fan. So he steals a gorilla, placates him with bananas and switches bodies. Unfortunately, he didn’t realize that gorillas were evolved enough to be able to control his body, and the gorilla has Radzik in the gorilla body send to the zoo, where he gradually become more beast-like.

Two issues later (far too soon to actually be by popular demand), the sequel “The Return of the Gorilla-Man”. After a short recap, we see Radzik, apparently not so far descended into bestial state, gets hold of a crayon, and writes a note to a guard promising a reward for his freedom. Yes, the guard actually falls for this. Eventually Radzik finds himself among scientists, but his hands get burned on the way so he can’t write. He does prove his intelligence in other ways, such as doing puzzles, playing poker, playing ping-pong and driving.

Fear #5 [1971]And yes, I know that all those require more use of hands than is required for writing….

Confident that the scientists would find a way to restore his humanity so he can resume his planned life of crime, Radzik is surprised to find himself herded onto a rocket, where he’s sent on a trip to the stars, something the scientists were reluctant to sacrifice a human volunteer on.

Two fun goofball stories, and I love the way way Kirby draws gorillas.

Also in this issue, “What Lurks on Channel X?” from JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #73. In this story, a couple with a cranky landlord is given a free experimental TV. The TV begins to hypnotize them, and tell them of the conquest plot this is part of. Fortunately, the landlord comes to the rescue when he takes down their antenna as a violation of apartment rules. The aliens give up at this point. I love how poorly all these alien would-be conquerors take even the smallest set-back in these stories. Not a great story, but it does have a brilliant splash page, which can be seen on the Monster Blog (as can, by the way, splash pages and covers from most of the Atlas stories I mention here, if you ever want to check out more).

The cover is also Kirby/Ayers from the cover of TtA #28, which is an unusual panel layout cover, with a different take on the Gorilla-Man story.

Published 1971