Monthly Archives: May 2006

Strange Tales #144 [1966] – The Day of the Druid

Posted on May 18, 2006 by Bob

Kirby does layouts for the 12-page SHIELD story in this issue, with Howard Purcell providing finished pencils and Mike Esposito inking. Esposito also inks Kirby on the cover.

The story introduces a new menace, the Druid, who uses magical trappings to disguise his high-tech science weapons. One of those weapons is a giant flying egg full of various weapons, which pursues Nick and Dum-Dum. Couple of good scenes during the chase, including the trademark flying SHIELD car with the flipped wheels (which is also on the cover). It also predicts the use of airbags in cars (were those ever used in practice before 1966?).

StrangeTales1441966.jpg

The end of the story takes us back to the SHIELD barbershop, and introduces new recruit Jasper Sitwell, who would become a major player in future issues.

Published 1966

Posted in Genre, Superhero | 3 Comments

Upcoming Kirby – Marvel in August

Posted on May 16, 2006 by Bob

Trio of Marvel books with some Kirby in August. GALACTIC BOUNTY HUNTERS continues, with a Jack Kirby / Karl Kesel cover. Two short reprint back-ups, from RAWHIDE KID #25 and #26, in another new western one-shot. And a few covers in the third Iron Man MASTERWORKS volume (five by Kirby if they only reprint the Iron Man covers), as well as 10 pages in the Iron Man / Sub-Mariner crossover from TtA #82.

gbh2.jpgJACK KIRBY’S GALACTIC BOUNTY HUNTERS #2
Written by LISA KIRBY & STEVE ROBERTSON
Penciled by MIKE THIBODEAUX
Cover by JACK KIRBY
In order to save his abducted son, Mainframe must reunite the members of his old fighting unit: the sensual Skylla! The effervescent Garm! And the hero-turned-homemaker Tyr! Meanwhile, Garrett Berkley bonds with his captor Slugg as the pair sets course for the most lethal place in the galaxy: Dangerland!
32 PGS. $2.99

MARVEL WESTERNS: STRANGE WESTERNS STARRING THE BLACK RIDER
Written by STEVE ENGLEHART & JOE R. LANSDALE
Penciled by MARSHALL ROGERS & RAFA GARRES
Cover by MARSHALL ROGERS & ERIC POWELL
Reuniting the comic legends Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers (BATMAN: DARK DETECTIVE)-the famed writer/artist team tell an all-new tale of Marvel’s dark Western avenger, THE BLACK RIDER. When a mystery brings mild-mannered Doc Masters to New York City, rooftops and dangerous allies lead his dark alter ego to answers that will shock him to his very soul.
PLUS: A dark and devilish 8-page tale featuring a cursed weapon and the man known as GUNHAWK in “Midnight Gun” by Joe R. Lansdale and Rafa Garres.
ALSO: Re-presenting two classic Kirby RAWHIDE KID tales, “The Bat Strikes” and “The Bullet Proof Man.”
48 PGS. $3.99

mmim3.jpgMARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE INVINCIBLE IRON MAN VOL. 3
Written by STAN LEE, ROY THOMAS & AL HARTLEY
Penciled by DON HECK & GENE COLAN
Cover by JACK KIRBY
The Iron Avenger returns for another round of Marvelous Masterworks Mayhem, and this one’s gonna go straight down to the final bell, True Believer! So buckle up your red and gold retrorockets and get ready for adventure a’plenty as only Marvel can make it!
Stan “The Man” and the Dynamo of Delineation, Don Heck, will pit Tony Stark against the undersea menace Attuma, the Dream-Maker and the massive menace of the Titanium Man in classics without compare. But then the order changeth! After defining the series for nearly 30 issues, Don Heck passes the torch to no less than Gene “The Dean” Colan, whose lush illustrations take the Invincible Iron Man to spectacular heights! Yup, Mssrs. Colan and Lee dive into a who’s who as the Mandarin returns, Ultimo attacks and Iron Man goes toe-to-toe with Namor the Sub-Mariner in one of Marveldom’s earliest cross-over epics!
This baby’s so going to move so quick that you won’t have to worry about rust, but you may just have to slap on a pair of oven mitts before handling!
Collecting Tales of Suspense #66-83 and Tales to Astonish #82.
256 PGS. $49.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2067-X

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Upcoming Kirby – Showcase Presents Challengers

Posted on May 15, 2006 by Bob

Coming in September, a cheap black&white volume collecting all of Kirby’s dozen Challengers issues, as well as 10 more issues drawn by Bob Brown beyond that. A good deal for those who didn’t want to get the two thin ARCHIVES editions that collected just the Kirby stuff.

spchalls.jpgSHOWCASE PRESENTS: CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN VOL. 1
Written by Jack Kirby, Dave Wood and Ed Herron; Art by Kirby, Bob Brown, Wally Wood and others; Cover by Kirby

Collecting Showcase Presents #6, 7, 11, 12 and Challengers of the Unknown #1-18 (1957-1959)! Relive the classic Silver Age adventures of Jack Kirby’s Challengers of the Unknown — a team brought together by fate dedicated to a life of harrowing adventure in the name of good!

DC Universe 540pg. black&white Softcover $16.99 US

On Sale September 27, 2006

Posted in Upcoming Kirby | 4 Comments

–Link– Simon & Kirby Blog

Posted on May 13, 2006 by Bob

Welcome to the neighbourhood Harry Mendryk’s Simon & Kirby Blog, joining this one in being hosted on the growing Kirby Museum blog empire. Harry’s just started a series of posts on the end of the S&K collaboration which should prove fascinating.

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Monster Menace #4 [1994]

Posted on May 12, 2006 by Bob

Two Kirby/Ayers reprints in the final issue of this mini-series, both 7-pagers, both from 1961.

From STRANGE TALES #90 is “Orrgo, the Unconquerable”. Orrgo is a creature from one of those warlike alien races who decide that Earth is only worth conquering if just one of their number can conquer humanity. He lands in the middle of a circus and makes short work of all of Earth’s defences with his mental powers, melting tanks, turning airplanes into birds and bombs into eggs, freezing Washington and causing New York to float in the air. He then hypnotizes humanity so he can rest before summoning his peaple. Fortunately for humanity, Jo-jo, a gorilla from the circus, angry at not being fed due to all the fuss Orrgo caused, kills he sleeping alien. As a reward for saving the planet, Jo-jo gets extra bananas. Some gratitude. Some very nice images, like the planes turning to birds and Orrgo’s general goofiness.

And courtesy JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #64 comes “I Dared to Battle Rorgg, King of the Spider Men”.

MonsterMenace41994.jpg

Down in New Mexico, young Tim’s parents are critical of his fascination with sci-fi comics. Normally I’d take Tim’s side in this, but he’s also ignoring the extremely attractive Ann to finish his comics. Anyway, Tim and Ann are at the site where the first webs of a vast alien spider invasion touches down, led by Rorgg. Fortunately, Tim’s expanded imagination manages to reason that a powerful dose of DDT will kill Rorgg and drive off his army. After that everyone was much more accepting of Tim’s comic reading. Unfortunately, the DDT killed them all off soon after… No, just kidding. Another light but fun story, not one of the great ones, but with some spiffy aliens.

Published 1994

Posted in Genre, Science Fiction | Leave a comment