Sunday Funnies: The Flintstones

Back in the Groovy Age, every kid watched the Flintstones. We loved Fred, Barney and the gang. We loved 'em so much that the Flintstones actually ran under three different publishers back then! They started at Gold Key, flourished at Charlton, and finished out the decade at Marvel.

I hope you dig this sampling of Charlton's version of our favorite stone age family from the Flintstones and Pebbles #31 (May, 1974). Yabba-dabba-doo!

(Click to enlarge 'em, ya bonehead!)

Weird Sunday Funnies: John Byrne's Rog-2000

What happens when a taxi-driving robot helps a sweet, well-intentioned, but not-so-bright old lady--who also happens to be a witch? Find out as we continue our journey into...

ROG 2000 was created by John Byrne (If you don't know who he is, welcome to the planet earth. Hope you enjoy your stay.) back in his fan days for a fanzine (duh) called CPL. Here's the whole "origin of Rog 2000" by Byrne himself from the Byrne Robotics FAQ page:

"Back in the Jurassic Period, Bob (Layton), along with Roger Stern and a few other names you'd be less likely to know, ran a fanzine called CPL, out of Indianapolis. I got hooked up with them, providing spot illustrations. One day I sent in a drawing of a robot with his arm blown off. Since there were several people named Roger "on staff" at the time, Bob decided this was the latest editor, and dubbed the robot ROG-2000. Roger Stern then got in touch with me and asked for more. Since I had no access to xerox technology at the time, I had to work from memory, and the robot I came up with was somewhat different from the original. The illustration of him sitting behind a desk, reading mail, is the first official ROG-2000 drawing."

He was given the opportunity to create a Rog 2000 strip as a semi-regular back-up in Charlton's magnificent E-Man comic (issues 6-7, 9-10). Written by E-Man co-creator Nick Cuti, Rog 2000 was a breath of fresh air. Whimsical, fun, charming, and yet balancing all of that with a decidedly 70s sensibility, Rog 2000 became something of a cult figure in comics fandom. Here, from E-Man #9 (March, 1975) is Ol' Groove's fave Rog 2000 strip, "The Wish" by Nick Cuti and John Byrne!

13 Covers: Werewolf? There Wolf!

Still longing for a last bit of lycanthropy, Groove-ophiles? Here ya go! 13 covers featuring a bevy of hirsute hooligans for your viewing pleasure! Enjoy!

Werewolf Week Continues! Swamp Thing in "Monster On the Moors"

Welcome back to Werewolf Week, Groovesters! As I promised yesterday, we're heading back to 1973 (almost exactly one year before Batman #255--ain't time travel a trip?) to focus on another wily wolf-man as we keep on truckin' toward...I've already expounded on the greatness of Len Wein in a few different posts, so there's no need to keep beating that drum. If you don't realize by now that "Live-it-up" Len was one of the Groovy Age's shining stars, you ain't never gonna see the light, brother! As for Swampy's artist, Harris (He Ain't My Cousin) Smith over at Negative Pleasure is doing a great series of tributes to Bernie Wrightson. (Hope he leaves me something to say here, later on!) I guess that means there's really nothing left for Ol' Groove to do but get outta the way and get on with the story! So, from Swamp Thing #4, January, 1973, Messrs. Wein and Wrightson, along with letterer Gaspar Saladino, colorist Tatjana Wood, and editor Joe Orlando introduce us to the coolest-looking werewolf ever..."The Monster On the Moors"! As you can see, our favorite muck monster has been in a plane crash. Seems he was hitching a ride and weighed the plane down, either causing it to use too much fuel or overworking its engine or somesuch. Main thing: the plane crashed in Scottland (and don't dare play "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" around Swampy). For the next few pages, we witness an old couple, Angus and Jenna Mac Cobb, retrieving the survivors, Abby Arcane, Matt Cable, and the pilot, from the wreckage and loading them up on a wagon. They speak cryptically about someone else beating them to the wreck and losing "another one" as the Swamp Thing watches them load his comrades into their wagon. When they leave, he follows them...For the next few pages, Cable explains the details of the crash to the Mac Cobbs, while and eaves-dropping Swamp Thing fills in the missing details (for the reader) of how he helped the plane land more safely by using his own body as a brake. Of course, he can't just shamble in and tell his friends and the Mac Cobbs his side of the story; they'd freak out and Cable'd try to kill him.

Then the pilot decides to go out to check the plane's damage (he should'a been wearing a red shirt...)

Poor pilot. Throat ripped out! Brrrr! Nope, Swampy, you're certainly not the only monster on them there moors...meet the Mac Cobbs' son, Ian...Now growing up, I always heard that there were only two reasons for a guy to have hair on his palms...and since this is a family-friendly blog, I'm guessing that Ian might just be our lycanthropic lurker. Later that night, our band of misplaced misfits begins to hear strange noises outside. Cable decides to investigate, and the real fun begins!

Meanwhile, the Mac Cobbs serve Cable and Abby some doped sherry (more classy than the gas Wein had Lupus use on Batman, I s'pose). They have plans for curing Ian of the full-body fur coat he grows during the full moon...with Cable's blood!

Now that's a werewolf, man!

Always let that be a lesson to you, Groove-ophiles; if you have kids who might have a touch of werewolfism, don't have silver-trimmed chandeliers hanging around the house!

Tomorrow: Doug Moench! Mike Zeck! Solomon Kane! And "The Silver Beast Beyond Torkertown!" Be here as Werewolf Week rolls on!

Werewolf Week! Batman in "Moon of the Wolf"

Come in quickly, Groove-ophile! It isn't safe outside! There were two full moons last week--and there are a few lycanthropic lurkers still around. They're breaking the rules because they know that this week is Werewolf Week as we continue on our...Even a man who is pure in heart
and says his prayers by night
may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms
and the autumn moon is bright.

For some reason, werewolves have always been Ol' Groove's favorite creatures of the night. I never understood why. Maybe it was the fact that in the old Universal Movies, Larry Talbot was a good guy trying to free himself from a curse he didn't deserve. Most comicbook werewolves were usually decent folk trapped in their curse by no fault of there own, as well.

Len Wein seemed to master the "werewolf-as-a-sympathetic-villain" motif, so we're gonna look at how he handled two very different werewolves with two very different heroes (the Batman today, Swamp Thing tomorrow).

Batman #255 (December, 1973) is quite a mag. Not only is it one of those fabulous 100 page issues, but it is artist Neal Adams' last full-length Batman tale. That in itself makes the comic worth checking out, since Adams' Batman is pretty much the definitive version for droves of Bat-fans. It's also special because it is one of the rare times that Len Wein, who was definitely a super-star at that point with Phantom Stranger, Justice League, and of course, Swamp Thing already on his resume (Wein would return to the Batman near the end of the Groovy Age to leave his masterful mark on the character). The only thing that didn't really make sense is that the story was released in December, rather than October. Oh well, it's still neat.

Enough talk, Groove! Let's get on with the story already!

Okey dokey! What better way to start a werewolf story than by having a lovely victim, unaware of her danger, being stalked by the creature? And what better way to start a werewolf vs. the Batman story than to have the Dark Knight Detective already on the creature's trail?

The fight doesn't last long. The werewolf gets past the Batman, grabs the girl, and tosses her out the window. The Caped Crusader then uses his handy bat-rope to swing out the window and capture the girl, which (naturally!) allows the werewolf to get away. After getting the girl to safety, the Batman stops by for a chat with Commissioner Gordon. The Dark Knight Detective fills the commissioner in on his latest case, and Gordon informs our hero that two Alaskan timber-wolves have been stolen from the zoo. Gordon's instincts tell him that the Batman's Wolf Man and the robbery must be connected. No wonder the Caped Crusader hung out with Gordon so much. He's a really smart guy...

That rotten Professor Milo, taking his failures out on our hero! Don't do the crime if you can't do the time, ya geek! Anyway, as the story continues, we learn that Lupus is a pal of Bruce Wayne's. While they're working out at the gym, Lupus let's Wayne know he has a check for charity--if the Batman would come and pick it up. Wayne tells Lupus that he won't have to worry about tracking the Batman down, because once our hero hears of Lupus' generosity, the Batman'll find him. A short time later, the Caped Crusader shows up on Lupus' balcony asking for the donation, surprising Lupus not one bit ("Oh, yes--that! Please join me in my study and I'll write you a check!"). Once in the study, Lupus shuts the door and offers the Batman a drink. Naturally, our hero politely refuses (yeah, the real Batman was polite, dangit!) and mentions that it's getting rather warm in the room. Realizing that he's being gassed, the Caped Crusader reaches out and grabs Lupus by the shirt, tearing it as he falls. (Unfortunately, it seems that the real Batman wasn't quite as infallible as other versions. Maybe he should've consulted Gordon before visiting Lupus...)

Lupus turns the Batman over to Milo who chains him to the grounds of a rainy construction site, intending to turn the Wolf Man loose on our hero...

Julie Schwartz wasn't jivin' when he had 'em call this story "A New Batman Shocker" on the cover, was he? Hope you dug our trip down Lycanthropy Lane, Groovesters! Be back tomorrow to watch Wein work his wizardry with Bernie Wrightson on "Monster on the Moors"! Til then, stock up on silver bullets!