"Wild 1/2!" - Wally Wood - Mad Mondays!

You can tell it's 1954 by the next story up in Mad (THE COMIC BOOK) #15.  It's Harvey Kurtzman and Wally Wood's take on the classic Marlon Brando film "The Wild One", "Wild 1/2!".

This one doesn't really stand out to me as a Wood story...something seems hurried about it.  Perhaps he wasn't interested much in the subject matter.

Either way or even if it's just my imagination...if it's Wood, it's good!

Dig in, kiddoes!

Talk to you soon.

"Pot-Shot Pete" - Harvey Kurtzman - Mad Mondays!

Harvey Kurtzman let's himself shine here in Mad (THE COMIC BOOK) #15 from 1954, with "Pot-Shot Pete...Sheriff of Yucca-Pucca Gulch!".

Dazzlin' cartooning, Harvey.  That's all I can really say.

Read on, kiddoes...it's the real deal.

mmmmmmm...good cartoons.

Talk to you soon.

Chicago Daily News - November 13, 1948 - Sunday Funnies!

Sunday Funnies this week gets it's lead from a few newspaper comics sections I bought at a reasonable price off of eBay a few years ago.  This one;s from the November 13, 1948 edition of the Chicago Daily News and has some real honeys in it!

Two helpings of Al Capp with "Li'l Abner" and "Abbie and Slats" with Raeburn Van Buren.  A pretty much forgotten adolescent strip called "Dotty Dripple" by Buford Tune.  Some of Ed Dodd's tried and true "Mark Trail".  A fashion type strip that looks about 20 years too late for it's art deco stylings, but pleasant to the eye none-the-less...with even some fun paper doll action.  A little soap opera action with "Rex Morgan, M.D.".  Another forgotten children strip that has a really interesting drawing style (if a bit forced feeling) by someone named Cecil Jensen and finally a sign that the good ol' days weren't always so good...Fred Neher's "Life's Like That" - ugh!

All in all though a fun and varied grab bag that oughta make yer oatmeal taste good as you longe over it this Sunday!

Talk to you soon!

Avengers! Assemble!! - Imperious Rex!!!

Captain America Cometh!!

Here with the fourth issue of Marvel Comics' "The Avengers" from 1963, ol' Stars an' Stripes finally joins the ranks alongside Iron Man, Thor, Giant Man and The Wasp, replacing the unpredictable Hulk, to take on The Sub-Mariner.

Stan Lee and Jack Kirby were truly creating a new mythology, month by month.

Meanwhile, here in the present humdrum ordinary world of ours, I'm taking the day off of work to go check out that new "Avengers" movie that is surely to become the sleeper hit of the year (why oh, why won't they advertise the darn thing?).

Spread the word kiddies, The Marvel Age of Comics is still happenin'!

EXCELSIOR!

Talk to you soon!

The Avengers Meet the Sub-Mariner!

Ah, the Mighty Marvel Universe gets bigger and smaller with every passing issue!

One of the great things about (the early days especially) the Marvel Universe that Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko were creating, was the continuity that was being introduced in the books.  Not just from book to book, but from character to character.  As big and dynamic as the heroes and stories were, they all appeared as part of a bigger-still world than the one they dominated!

Enough of that...we're trying to build up to the premiere of "The Avengers" movie tomorrow!  So in wanton anticipation, here's "The Avengers" issue #3 from 1963.  The Hulk resigned from the team last issue and has now joined forces with Prince Namor, The Sub-Mariner to return and combat our erstwhile team of Thor, Iron Man, Giant-Man and The Wasp.

It's shirts VS. skins the Marvel Age way!

This is pure fun in the way only Stan and Jack could do it!

Talk to you soon!