Happy 101st Anniversary of the Birth of Jack "King" Kirby!

There is a reason so many of us call Jack Kirby "the King of Comics." Here are a dozen covers that make the trumpets blare for Ol' Groove...

Thanks for the glorious memories, Jack!

Marvel-ous Monday: "Behind the Mask of Zo!" by Goodwin, Heck, and Shores

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Well, here we are! The final issue of the "green" era of Marvel's Captain Marvel--issue #16 (June 1969). If you haven't noticed, the most consistent thing about the early Captain Mar-Vell was that nothing was consistent! His motives changed, his powers changed, his mission changed, and even his costume changed a little (up to this point). Now, under the hands of author Archie Goodwin and artists Don Heck and Syd Shores, the whole magilla was getting wrapped up, and Marv would have a totally different look (and outlook, and powers, and mission...) by the end of "Behind the Mask of Zo!" Check it out...

Oh, and yeah, the radically different next ish. featuring the blue and red Marv by Roy Thomas, Gil Kane, and Dan Adkins can be found right here!

Marvel-ous Monday: "The Moment of--The Man-Slayer!" by Drake, Ayers, and Shores

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Here's Captain Marvel #12 (January 1969) by Arnold Drake, Dick Ayers, and Syd Shores. It's another wild one with Mar-Vell returning to earth (and all the problems he'd left behind) and using his new Zo-given powers to battle...the Man-Slayer! Kind of a snoozer of a villain, but the behind-the-scenes villain might intrigue you--along with the behind-the-scenes guest appearance of Madame Natasha--The Black Widow! It's time! "The Moment of--The Man Slayer!"

Cover art by George Tuska and Sal Buscema with John Romita (we think)

What happens to the Widow? Who was the baddie behind The Man-Slayer? You won't find out in the next ish of CM--nope, you'll have to skip on over to the Avengers #63 to find out! (Nope, Ol' Groove doesn't have that'un posted, sorry... but here's a small taste to help clear your wearied minds!)