"Frank N. Stein" - Will Elder - Mad Mondays!

Harvey Kurtzman & Co.'s "Mad" the COMIC BOOK was showing no sign of slowing down as issue #8 hit the newstands in late 1953!


Kurtzman's first story of the issue with able assist by the king of "chicken fat" hisself, Will Elder, was their take on the sci-fi/horror classic "Frankenstein". This has no shortage of the afformentioned "chicken fat" so grab a spoon and dig in!

Only the fershlugginers at Mad could do a story of a Hitler-headed, bird-brained monster back from the dead in 1953.

What? Too soon?

I didn't think so.

Talk to you soon.

Sunday Funnies!

Start your day the 4-color way!

Al Capp's "Li'l Abner" (with a little help from Frank Frazetta, yet!) from December 20, 1953. The Wrecker is jest a innercent li'l lamb...Mammy thinks!

Cliff Sterrett's "Polly and her Pals" from February 7, 1924! High finance real estate investment in the jazz age...

George Herriman's "Krazy Kat" from July 7, 1935! Mrs. Marihuana Pelona introduces Krazy to the Mexican pancake...

Milton Caniff's "Terry and the Pirates" from January 13, 1935! The "Lucretia Borgia" of the south seas!

Talk to you soon.

"Hank Gutstop Gets a Job" and "Ice Cream & Salted Peanuts"

OTR Friday at last! And a couple of undated episodes from 1940 of Paul Rhymer's "Vic & Sade" to make it feel like the weekend's here!

First up, there's big commotion in the house as Sade's greatest bane, Hank Gutstop hits Vic up for $200 for anew wardrobe for his new job...choir member at the Ellsworth Street Church. Rush would gladly leave the conversation if only he had 9 cents.

Enjoy!


Next up, a gaggle of Rush's friends gather 'round the house close to midnight waiting for the Husher's party to end, with the promise of being offered any ice cream and salted peanuts that are left over. A cast of thousands and but 2 speaking parts. Rhymer's genius at work.

Enjoy!


And finally, here's that part 2 of the Vic & Sade chapter from the 1979 book, Radio Comedy that I promised you 2 weeks ago. It's a page turner!

Talk to you soon.

Intermission

Honest, I'm NOT dead!

"A 'Slight' History of the Golden Age of Comic Book Super Heroes" WILL resume as soon as I get back into the groove after my brief vacation to Montana, to celebrate my sister's retirement.

The vacation didn't mess me up, it's getting back into the work deal.

Something about me just refuses to get used to working.

I'd better get over it.

Sister's soooooooooooooooo lucky.

Talk to you soon.

"Smilin' Melvn!" - Wally Wood - Mad Mondays!

You know...I may do some more digging and see what all I can find. If I hadn't already started this "Mad Monday's thingie, I would do a "Wood Wednesday". There's NOTHING I don't like about this guys stuff!

Not to worry though, our last story from "Mad" the COMIC BOOK #7 from 1953 is a dandy Wally Wood and Harvey Kurtzman collaboration. They take on classic comic strip (and by this time movie serial hero) "Smilin' Jack" with their own "Smilin' Melvin!".

Dig in!

Up next week: You guessed it, Mad #8!

Talk to you soon.

Sunday Funnies!

Sunday 4 Color Sunday, kiddoes!

Dig into the fun!

Al Capp's "Li'l Abner" from December 13, 1953..."The Wrecker" rears her pretty head...


Cliff Serrett's "Polly & her Pals" from January 31, 1924, Pa's attack cat...

George Herriman's "Krazy Kat" from June 29, 1935, Bennie Banana has missed his way...

Milton Caniff's "Terry & the Pirates" from January 6, 1935, Pat and Terry enjoy captivity?

Talk to you soon.

In Brightest Day, In Blackest Night...!

No evil shall escape my sight,
Let those who worship evil's might,
Beware my power...Green Lantern's light!

That's right, Kiddoes! It's super-hero movie time again!

Tomorrow the big screen adaptation of DC Comics' silver age version of "The Green Lantern" drops all over the place...and yes, I'll be there!


The silver age of comics began at DC. Julius Schwartz had begun reviving the then-dormant super hero genre in 1956 when he reimagined one of DC's heroes of the golden age "The Flash" in the pages of a comic called "Showcase". It was such a success, Schwartz decided to make lightning strike twice, by borrowing another retired hero "The Green Lantern" and bringing him into the Eisenhauer era.

This "Green Lantern" was scientific in nature as opposed to the original more mystic and magic origins, this "Green Lantern" was a cosmic policeman who patroled the galaxy righting wrongs and fighting evil. Ace test pilot Hal Jordan was a man without fear and was chosen as an agent of the "Gaudians of the Universe" on the planet Oa and charged with patroling "space sector 2814".
You'll learn all of this when you see the movie unless you had a proper education and you know it already. I'm looking forward to the movie. The trailers I've seen have won me over, despite my original aprehension at the thought of Ryan "Possibly the Worlds Loudest Douche-Bag" Reynolds, being cast in a role where douche-baggery isn't an option.

For now, here's the very first appearance of Green Lantern in the September-October issue #22 of "Showcase". Written by John Broome and drawn by the mighty Gil Kane!

Enjoy!


Kicks right off with the origin story!

Comics of the 50's and 60's and somewhat into the 70's had neat little educational features like this. I miss them...

Not wasting any time, Hal crashes into another adventure!

More stuff to make us smart between super-hero stories. Good stuff!

And then Hal kicks butt again!

I'm off to buy candy to smuggle into the movies.

Talk to you soon.