Making a Splash: Happy Day After Keith Giffen's Birthday!

Happy birthday to Keith Giffen who just turned 65 yesterday! If you've hung around Groove City for any time at all, then you know the ever-so-talented Mr. Giffen is one of Ol' Groove's fave Groovy Age (and beyond! He still rocks!) artists. You can find samples of his best known Groovy Age series' like JSA (in All Star Comics), Defenders, Challengers of the Unknown, and Claw the Unconquered by doing just a little digging in the sidebar. But there are a few mags that you may not realize KG lent a pencil to, and those are the ones we're focusing on today: Kobra, Kamandi, Super-Villain Team-Up, and even House of Mystery! Happy birthday, Keith Giffen! Keep makin' those amazing comics!

Famous Firsts Week: "Encounter at Land's End!" by Thomas, Buscema, and Sinnott

FAMOUS FIRSTS WEEK winds up right here, Groove-ophiles! Ready to go for a swim? Here we go...

A mere six months after the Sub-Mariner's final issue, writer/editor (#1 Namor Fan) Roy Thomas found a way to bring our Prince of Atlantis out of the mothballs--and as usual, Roy came up with a unique way of doing it...

Ol' Groove can remember that dreary December Saturday morning in 1974, trucking out to the Ben Franklin's section of Mack's Superstore to get some paint for my Aurora Incredible Hulk model. Naturally, I had to stop by the ol' spinner rack and what would jump out and almost literally grab two quarters out of my stubby fingers? Giant-Size Super-Villain Team-Up #1! Subby was indeed back, teaming up with Marvel's #1 baddie, Doctor Doom! The first 68 page ish was made up of an extremely cool framing sequence by Thomas and artists supreme John Buscema and Joe Sinnott (and man, were they ever at the top of their game here!) with reprints (from Sub-Mariner #20 and Marvel Super-Heroes #20)  featuring our extremely odd couple as background/explanation of why they should team up. Roy's ca-razee idea was a hit, with GSSVTU becoming plain old Super-Villain Team-Up after two issues, where it would run (under a variety of writers and artists like Mike Sekowsky, Tony Isabella, George Evans, Sal Buscema, Jim Shooter, Bill Mantlo, Herb Trimpe, Steve Englehart, Keith Giffen, and Bob Hall) for a solid 14 issues (May 1975-July 1977), plus three "special" issues in 1978/79.

The series ended quite differently than the first ish of GSSVTU would have lead you to expect. After Roy's departure from the title, Subby became almost a supporting character as Doom took the lead and many other characters from the F.F. to the Avengers to the Champions--and even a new character created just for the series, The Shroud, took turns trying to take down old Metal Mouth. Still, the sheer momentum of the series and the variety of creators made the mag a fun (if confusing) one to follow.

And now for your reading pleasure, here's the framing sequence from that fab first ish! Enjoy!

Ahhh, could royal hero-villains ever look and sound more regal than when Roy, John, and Joe were workin' on 'em?

Saturday Super Smack-Down: Dr. Doom vs the Red Skull--On the Moon!

Greetings, fight-fans! Today's battle focuses on the ultimate battle between two of the ultimate evils of the Marvel Universe, Dr. Doom and the Red Skull! In Marvel Super-Villain Team-Up #12 (March, 1977), Dr. Doom sets out to the Skull's base on the moon (here you thought this Dracula-on-the-moon set-up in the new Captain Britain comics was an innovative idea--my, my you youngsters are just not with it!) with the aide of the Shroud--you'll be hearing about him in the future--and Captain America--it's complicated, don't ask-- to put the daddy of all tail-whuppins on the Red Skull, who has dared to threaten to destroy Doom's kingdom of Latveria. Got all'a that? Good, 'cause you really don't need a whole lotta explanation to set up a big brawl between the baddest baddies in comicdom, do ya? First, here's the credits: Story by Bill Mantlo, art by Bob Hall and Don Perlin! Here come the combatants...

In this cornah--at 6' 7" and weighing 415 lbs., wearing gray armor and a green hood...Dr. Victor von Doom!

And the challengah--at 6' 1" and weighing 195 lbs., wearing purple armor and a--er--red skull--the Red Skull!

And here's the bell!


Boy, that Skull is sneaky! A rocket-sled for aerial attacks and stun mines underground! How will even Doom overcome such strategy, fans?

Wow! The Skull should've known Doom would have something up his armored sleeve! If losing his rocket-sled isn't bad enough--

OUCH! That's gonna leave a mark!!

Doom has the Skull on the ropes! He should move in for the kill, but--no, he'd rather taunt than fight! Ya better close in before he gets back on his feet, Doomsy...

For a master strategist, Skull just made a baaaaaaaad mistake! You don't burn Doom on his looks--it only makes him mad!!

Oookay! Maybe the Skull's strategy wasn't so far off the mark, fans! He's got Doom hurt and cornered! Here comes the coup de grace...

That Doom has more lives than a cat--and more gadgets than Tony Stark! The battle is back on!! Hand-to-hand, the battle should belong to Doom...

Yep! The Skull has nowhere near Doom's strength, so it's no surprise when the "hand of Doom" strikes...

Don'tcha just love it when our bashful brawlers explain what they're doing as they do it? That one was for the Department of Redundancy Department!

But, anyway... Ya reckon the Skull has some kind of shovel built into that nutty armor of his?

Guess not! And here's your winnah--DR. DOOM--by a (dare I say it?) landslide! (Ouch!)

See ya next time, brawl buffs!