TIAHBlog at 16 Presents 16 Covers -- Number Sixteen: AT LAST!!!

Staggering winded and achy across the finish line of this sixteen-post marathon, it's time to keep a semi-promise I made earlier in this (gasp!) sixteen-count-series... TOP THREE COVERS, finally  - naming a THIRD cover to join THIS ONE...

...Which shared co-honors with the one below, both by Bugs-master Tom McKimson (... and both counting as a single-occupant of one of those precious three slots - yes, I'm doing TWO-INTO-ONE here, but I was never very good at math)! 

And, of course, THIS magnificent Batman cover by Neal Adams! 

An image so strong, so powerful, so awesome, that you don't even bother to question why Batman remains masked... and "pants-ed" for that matter!  

And, while all of these had great stories backing those covers, they were primarily selected on the sheer brilliance of the covers themselves!   

But for that final slot, I find myself looking beyond strictly images, getting into the story it illustrates and the significance of said story - simultaneously noting that the cover is great in and of itself!  

So, without further ado (and "further a-don't", even) my list of  TOP THREE COVERS - in no particular order - is rounded out by (...pause for effect, while we cue the drumroll)...

DONALD DUCK in LOST IN THE ANDES by the great Carl Barks (originally published in 1949 by Dell Comics, as part of their unparalleled-in-comics-history FOUR COLOR SERIES!) 

...But, NOT the original printing as seen above!  No, the one that means much more to me is its first American reprint in THE BEST OF DONALD DUCK #1 (Gold Key Comics, Cover Date: 1965)!

While it has a little less detail than the original FOUR COLOR cover, I feel the BLUE background served the illustration far better than the garish orange of the Dell version!  You can take your pick! 

But, as I indicated, it was what this version REPRESENTS that makes it special!  

Walking up the corner street to the nearest soda fountain store that carried comics with my aunt (not the one with the nice house - but the "more fun" one who lived off-and-on with us) on a Friday early evening (knowing there was no school for two whole glorious days) and finding this on the rack!  I was so excited, I didn't even WANT a fountain soda!  I just wanted to get this baby home, and leap into it!  

...And finding it to be (what *still is*) my choice for THE SINGLE GREATEST COMIC BOOK STORY OF ALL TIME!  THIS POST can tell you why, and spare me the additional marathon-depleted-effort!   

And so we name THE BEST OF DONALD DUCK #1 our well-deserved and final (whew!) cover number sixteen! 

Now, if you'll excuse your exhausted and beleaguered host, I'm going to completely self-dissolve in a pail of liquid human-goo!  If any portion of me remains, those parts (once congealed) will be back soon!  

TIAHBlog at 16 Presents 16 Covers -- Number Twelve: The Long Arm (and Legs) of the Law!

Many years before JUDGE DREDD was THE LAW...

...It was personified by DICK TRACY!

And, while Judge Dredd could - and would - do many amazing things to  (intentional oxymoron alert) "violently keep the peace"...

...Could even HE equal this astounding feat demonstrated by Dick Tracy?! 

...An astounding FEAT with his LEGS!  (...feat, legs... that's a JOKE, son!) 

Yes, if one can believe his or her comics-reading eyes, the cover of DICK TRACY #135 (Harvey Comics, Cover Date: August 1959) would seem to show Tracy's "wide stance" straddling a CITY BLOCK!   

In contrast, here is the cover of DICK TRACY # 4 (Mad Cave Studios, Cover Date: August 2024), showing a more proper perspective between Tracy and the city streets he strives to keep safe!  

How 'bout that... Cover Dates of AUGUST 2024 (above) and AUGUST 1959 (below)!  I guess times DO change!  

Were the STREETS MUCH NARROWER in 1959, or were POLICE DETECTIVES MUCH TALLER?  I wouldn't hazard a guess!  

But, in defense of Dick Tracy's creator, writer, and artist the great Chester Gould (...as if he needs me to defend any aspect of his work), this cover that appears to have gotten its perspective so wrong (...hey, maybe I should have saved this for a future installment of "I'M NOT AN ARTIST BUT...") was NOT drawn by Gould, nor was it constructed from any Gould interior reprint panels!

Yes, this issue, and many like it, was filled with Chester Gould Dick Tracy newspaper strip reprints, in this case from April thru July 1939!  And there is no such actual corresponding scene in Gould's work of 20 years prior.  Let's take a look at what Chester Gould DID give us...

NOPE! No street-straddling going on here!  

But, we needn't be so hard on the uncredited cover artist for DICK TRACY # 135, because even the best manage to blow-their-perspective once in a while.  And here is one each from two of the greatest comic book artists ever to set pencil to paper, or illustration board, or whatever they use.  (...Maybe Deb can help me out here?)  

FANTASTIC FOUR #26 (Marvel Comics, Cover Date: May, 1964): 

 I know Marvel heroes are supposed to be "Larger Than Life"... but, Sheesh! 

Many of them are TALLER THAN THE DIFFERENT FLOORS of this skyscraper under construction! We'll give Giant-Man a break on this, but look at SUE STORM at cover's middle! She could NOT FIT into the space of that next-to-top-floor - even before the available space is further shortened by any "below-floor" or "above ceiling" wirings or other necessities!  

She'd have to BEND OVER just to walk down that building's halls!  Same pretty much goes for the others!  ...Poor perspective on the part of... the great JACK KIRBY! 

WALT DISNEY'S COMICS AND STORIES #174 (Dell Comics, Cover Date: March, 1955) ...And, given the differences in cover dates vs. release dates,  the issue most likely on sale at the time of my birth!  

Donald Duck has always had a "big head", but enlarging-and-simultaneously-scrunching it is painfully uncharacteristic of the great CARL BARKS!  Even as the nephews are done with his "usual" superior level of skill! 

I've always had some doubts about this cover being completely penciled and inked by Barks!  Donald's head is just so WRONG!  But both INDUCKS and GCD say it's Barks, so I'll have to ACCEPT IT... but I don't have to LIKE IT... and I DON'T... Nyaaah! 

But, if two of the faces on the theoretical "Mt. Rushmore" of comic artists (...or, would that be "Mt. BRUSHmore"?) can have these covers on their resume, who am I to quibble over the cover of DICK TRACY # 135?  

I'll just award it the honor of being Cover Number Twelve... even it if is "quite a stretch!" 

 That's a JOKE TOO, Son!  

TIAHBlog at 16 Presents 16 Covers -- Number Nine: Another Top Three Cover(s?)!

Okay, I thought about it! Perhaps longer and harder than I even had the time for today, but in THIS POST I named BATMAN #244 (DC Comics, Cover Date: September, 1972) as one of my TOP THREE FAVORITE COVERS!  

 ...And deservedly so!  

And, to be perfectly honest, I never, at any time, gave any real thought to what the others might be!  

Sure, I made a TOP TEN STORIES list in the late '90s which, if I weren't so (all together now) Horrifically Busy all the time, I'd probably update for the 2020s!  Not at all sure what would change, and what would remain, from the original list - but I KNOW Casty's "Night of the Living Text", to which I contributed its "George Romero Tribute Title", would displace SOMETHING among those ten precious slots!  

...But, I began to wonder today, WHAT WOULD THE OTHER TWO COVERS BE? (See, this series has me THINKING, in addition to going stark raving DAFFY!)  

 AW, C'MON! WE DID THIS GAG TO DEATH YESTERDAY! 

 YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ONE OF THE TOP THREE COVERS! 

...AND DON'T BOTHER STUFFING THE BALLOT BOX  WITH REPRINTS, IT WON'T HELP!

Anyway, I began thinking about what other covers might rival BATMAN # 244 for sheer awesomeness and, I must admit, there aren't many!  

...And, ironically, it was BEING PESTERED BY DAFFY yesterday, which led me to tonight's answer! 

Oh, Daffy, sometimes you can be your own worst enemy, because it was thinking of YOU that brought me to... ("Oh-no!" says Daffy plaintively, as a pit begins forming in his stomach!)...BUGS BUNNY! 

And, as always, BUGS BUNNY delivers the goods... with a pair of covers that DO INDEED rival BATMAN # 244 for sheer awesomeness! 

Just look at these Rabbit-Rific covers for FOUR COLOR #123 (Dell Comics, Cover Date: October, 1946)... 

...And FOUR COLOR #142 (Dell Comics, Cover Date: April, 1947)... 

...Both by the great Tom McKimson, and tell me they don't run with Neal Adams' BATMAN # 244! 

Of course they do!  And so, the honors for Cover Number Nine are shared by FOUR COLOR #123 and FOUR COLOR #142! 

...But, if you'd prefer to stick with Batman's "desert and sword motif", we've got one for that as well - FOUR COLOR #298 (Dell Comics, Cover Date: October, 1950)!  

 They kinda go together too!  

Can't say when, but I'll probably round out my TOP THREE FAVORITE COVERS sometime before this series is over... 

...Or, maybe I'll just pick something at RANDOM, like this!  When it gets to be this late at night, there's just no telling what I might do! 

TIAHBlog at 16 Presents (Not 16 Candles, but) 16 Covers!

We've all had individual and specific life-changing days!  Days which, for better or bitter, we will always remember!  I, personally, have had many... on BOTH sides of the "Good vs. Bad" ledger! Far too many to bog (...or BLOG) you down with here, even if I *were* inclined to do so.  

But Thursday, August 14, 2008 was one I thought little or nothing about... until some time well after when, as we often do with such days, come to later realize their import.  

It was a day when Esther was away for work and I had nothing to do... yes, REALLY!  This guy who did not *create* the phrase (all together now) "HORRIFICALLY BUSY",  but has since assumed virtual ownership of it - especially when preceded by a parenthetical "(all together now)" - really had nothing to do!  

New DVD day was Tuesday.  New comic book day was Wednesday.  And I wouldn't have a "Thursday Night Film Group" until 2012... so what was I to do?  

Well, to quote the great Doctor Zachary Smith of LOST IN SPACE: 

"Boredom, like necessity, is very often the mother of invention!" 

There were a LOT of Blogs around back then, many of which I admired and visited regularly. (Today, alas, not so much!)  And, while I might not have *actually been* a "writer" at that point, at least I fancied myself as one - what with over 300 comic book Letters of Comment, and regular appearances in Fanzines and APAs since 1994 under the title "THE ISSUE AT HAND" (affectionally shortened to "TIAH")!  

Then, I was struck by one of those "Chocolate and Peanut Butter" moments and thought I like BLOGS, and I like writing TIAH... so why not combine them into TIAHBlog?  

The rest has been 16 years of history (with much FUN) and counting!  

A constant in my life ever since - and one which, I'll readily admit, I let lapse a bit more often than I'd care to - but, unlike all the other things I've written for, both amateur and professionally, this is the ONE THING that's MINE and no one can take it from me... Okay, okay... Maybe Google, but you know... 

So, HAPPY SWEET SIXTEEN to TIAHBlog!  

But, instead of the song-standard SIXTEEN CANDLES, we will celebrate with SIXTEEN COVERS!

One each day for the NEXT SIXTEEN DAYS!  Can I manage that?  Well, stop by each day for the next SIXTEEN and see if I can live up to that ambition!  

They will be SIXTEEN COVERS that I like for one reason or another - or maybe it's just the 16th issue of something!  The beauty of it is that even I won't know until I post it!   

But, to kick things off, we shall begin with one that was (and remains) a long-standing joke between David Gerstein and myself... FELIX THE CAT #2 (Dell Comics, Cover Date: April-May, 1948), which I jokingly dubbed "SIX-SCREAM CANDLES", despite the incontrovertible fact that there is only ONE CANDLE present!

You can read the HOW and WHY at THIS POST!  

And, as a bonus - not to be counted among our own "SWEET SIXTEEN COVERS" - is the cover of  POPULAR COMICS #139 (Dell Comics, Cover Date: September, 1947) and dubbed in the linked post as "VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF DECEASED"...

...A gag on a particular favorite classic TV show of mine...

So, one down and 15 more to go... Come back tomorrow to see where we go from here!  

Limited Comics Review: Uncle Scrooge and the Infinity Dime.

It's here! It's out! It's the subject of our post!  It's UNCLE SCROOGE AND THE INFINITY DIME (Marvel Comics, Released June 19th, 2024)!

I dub this a "LIMITED Comics Review" for two reasons... ONE: Time and my usual state of being (...all together now) HORRIFICALLY BUSY, which is even more so than usual lately.  TWO: My status as a member of the Fantagraphics team that handles these very same characters finds me in the unlikely position of discussing the wares of a larger and... um, more influential "competitor"! 

So, I'll tread lightly, fairly, honestly... and with some (unusual for me) degree of brevity.  

First and foremost, I think that everyone would agree that it's great to see a new Uncle Scrooge story even partially produced in the USA!  I add "partially" because it seems to be a collaboration between Marvel and Disney Italy.  ...And, if (Disney owned) Marvel doesn't have the resources to do this, then who does?  

The story itself was good.  An epic, sweeping, universe-shaking tale that is common today.  Structurally reminiscent of "Scrooge's Last Adventure" - seen in the USA in IDW's UNCLE SCROOGE #13 (legacy #417) thru #16 (legacy #420).  If you liked that, you'll like this.  

And while I DID like both "Scrooge's Last Adventure"  and "The Infinity Dime",  I find myself sorta burned-out on epic, sweeping, universe-shaking tales from other publishers.  Early Scrooge adventures with a more tightly-focused and specific scope, such as Carl Barks' great "Back to the Klondike", "Tralla La", and somewhat later ones like "The Twenty-Four Carat Moon" and "The Flying Dutchman" were more than stirring enough to make them forever classics without the now-seemingly-requisite universe-shaking. 

That said, "The Infinity Dime",  works well on a number of levels, including at least one that "strictly Disney" fans may or may not get.  

Writer Jason Aaron is to be commented for his efforts. I personally felt better about this project upon learning that he was its writer - having enjoyed his work on the limited series BATMAN OFF-WORLD (DC Comics, 2024) a series whose most notable flaw is the extraordinary gap between issues!  

(DIGRESSION:  Issues 1-3 were cover-dated January, February, and March , 2024.  Issue 4 was cover-dated JUNE, 2024... and Issue 5 is still... still "Off-World", I guess!  I bought # 1-3 in one purchase, waited a very long time for #4 and expect to wait another good while for #5!  I read # 1-3 in one sitting, but will need to review the WHOLE THING before resuming!  END OF DIGRESSION)

Jason Aaron clearly loves the character of Scrooge McDuck, as is evidenced by his foreword - literally titled "Why I Love This Duck"...particularly as characterized by Don Rosa.  Thus, "his" Scrooge falls squarely into the "mythically invincible hero" mold of Rosa, more so than the "classically adventurous hero" of Carl Barks. Given this, Aaron, quite effectively, takes his tale to a level even Rosa might not have imagined.  

You might expect Rosa's "Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck" to permeate Aaron's epic, and indeed it does - spreading itself thickly throughout "Infinity Dime's" 30 pages... but there is another influence decidedly at work here (as hinted at above), Marvel's six-issue limited series of 1991, "The Infinity Gauntlet" , with an alternate universe's version of Scrooge taking on the role of "Infinity Gauntlet's" villain Thanos and substituting  alternate universe versions of "The Number One Dime" for the "infinity gems" of the original.  

I'm not a fan of post Silver Age Marvel Comics, and have never read "The Infinity Gauntlet" , but the obvious title homage was enough to tip off even me.  

One unexpected - and impressively clever - additional influence, a reference to Carl Barks' "Christmas on Bear Mountain", occurs on page one and sets the events of Aaron's story in motion.  

The art, by a number of different Italian artists, is sometimes over-rendered and hyper-colored, but good overall. 

Brimming with enough oversized or full-page panels, and Jack Kirby-esque, cinematic two page spreads to satisfy even Marvel movie fans!  

Why, there's even a nice little nod to RICK AND MORTY's Council of Ricks...

...With this story's offhanded mention of a Council of Gyros!

Right now you're probably asking yourself "WHERE'S DONALD?"  Well, you won't find the answer to that question until PAGE 24, but it'll be worth it!  NO SPOLIERS HERE!  

To sum up, "Uncle Scrooge and the Infinity Dime" is just enough on the "comfortable side of things" to satisfy a Barks traditionalist like me, while decidedly falling on the (all together now) "epic, sweeping, universe-shaking side of things".  

That means it should appeal to a wide swath of comics consumers, whose individual mileage will vary per their personal preferences. 

...And a big salute to writer Jason Aaron (we Disney comics writers and scripters must stick together) for walking such a fine line so successfully.  

I doubt I'll be able to say the same for Marvel's next foray into the world created, or otherwise enhanced, by Carl Barks, July's "What If...?  Donald Duck Became Wolverine", not written by Jason Aaron. 

...YES, REALLY! 

And here's the classic cover it's based on...

It will be followed up by September's "What If...?  Donald Duck Became Thor"... 

...Neither of which appeal to me!  Heck, I don't even like Donald as "Duck Avenger"! 

These are just too far removed from "my everyman-duck" Donald...

...But, again, your "traditionalist" or "non-traditionalist" mileage will vary.   I'll be passing on those, but do act according to your personal taste, and not some fogey blogger. 

I opted for the Alex Ross cover, not only because Alex Ross is such an amazing artist... 

...But because it's also (...all together now) more traditional!  

SO traditional, in fact, that Scrooge even appears to be diving into his MONEY CRIB, the 1951 precursor to his iconic MONEY BIN!  

But there are 13 (...count 'em 13!) variant covers, catering to all tastes!  While you're wondering why they didn't squeeze out just one more so as to avoid the potential bad luck in publishing 13 variants, you can see them all HERE at the GCD index that I'm presently preparing - and that should be completed soon. 

There are a host of additional features for your $7.99, including "Uncle Scrooge Cover Faves!" a gallery of Carl Barks Dell UNCLE SCROOGE covers and the wrap-around cover illustration by William Van Horn for UNCLE SCROOGE #250 - with no mention of Mr. Barks and Mr. Van Horn over its three pages. 

To tie in with events setting  "The Infinity Dime" into motion, there is also a reprint of Carl Barks' ultra classic "Christmas on Bear Mountain", which marked the first appearance of Uncle Scrooge - apparently using Fantagraphics' clean version of the original Dell/Western Publishing color, seen in The Complete Carl Barks Library Volume 5. 

A two-page preview of "What If...?  Donald Duck Became Wolverine", and other extras. 

I said I'd be brief... guess that didn't work out!  But, MY verdict on this much-awaited event is in.  Now, how about YOURS?  

Comments have been slower than usual lately... but I'm expecting you all to LIGHT IT UP for this one!  Have at it!  

When THIS Scrooge "lights it up"... he LIGHTS IT UP!