Comments on: Scott’s Classic Comics Corner: Those Wonderful Gold Key One-Shots

By: wes carr

wes carr — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 01:28:25 +0000

Microbots was a favorite of mine along with Captain Venture and The Owl, which had a 2-issue run.
Back then comics were supposed to be fun, and I really liked the painted cover art.

By: Dan Bailey

Dan Bailey — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 02:47:02 +0000

Jet Dream and Her Stunt-Girl Counterspies … Jet Dream and Her Stunt-Girl Counterspies …

Huh. I think I’ve got a couple of old 45s by those guys.

By: benday-dot

benday-dot — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 01:24:46 +0000

Comic book coincidences are wonderful. I just, like as of 5 minutes ago, finished reading Jet Dream and Her Stunt-Girl Counterspies, already mentioned a couple times here. What’s it about? Well, as the cover copy says at the bottom corner of that great GK painted scene, “Jet and her Acrobeauts (surely Kirby himself wouldn’t have coined a better term) play human shields for a generalissimo worth two million — dead!”

It really is straight of the 60′s Man From U.N.C.L.E mod scene. An adumbration of Charlies Angles. The Joe Certa art is archetypical 60′s Gold Key. Not so polished and definitely ahead of deadline. But hey lots of fun, and this a one-shot that can be had for pretty cheap.

By: RAB

RAB — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 22:15:56 +0000

I had a complete set of the Microbots toy line back in the day — they were very small indeed, but also very well made — and loved that comic. It made a big impression on me despite only getting to read it a couple of times before I lost my copy. (One thing I remember is needing to look up the word “metamorphosis” in a dictionary; to this day I still associate that word with this comic.)

Yes, definitely an odd and dark premise to use for a toy tie-in, but all the more memorable for that oddness…and one also needs to remember just how pervasive pro-ecology and anti-pollution messages were in entertainment back in 1971. Even Sesame Street was full of consciousness-raising warnings about potential eco-catastrophe back then! So it didn’t seem quite as odd at the time as it might from this distance.

Anyway…I thought it was a cracking good job, Len, and I’ve remembered it vividly for all these years! More information would be welcomed. (And if anyone can hook me up, reading it again would be a groovy trip…)

By: Bill Reed

Bill Reed — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 21:26:31 +0000

The cover blurb on Shadow Play is so, so, excellent, in the San-Demasiest way possible.

By: mrclam

mrclam — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:36:24 +0000

You need to devote an entire blog to “Jet Dream and her Stunt-Girl Counter Spies”!

By: Scott

Scott — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:12:15 +0000

Dub – Thanks for the kind words. Jungle Twins was an ongoing – and there was a hiatus of several years before an early 80s issue under the Whitman banner. Maybe that’s the one you’ve got in mind.

Dan, my friend – keep hunting! I’m just hoping you find a Tiger Girl #2 the same day that you find that Brother Power #3.

Len – I’m thrilled you popped by to comments. Sparling makes sense, but his line is a bit different – thinner, perhaps. I read it was Santos somewhere and maybe that’s fogged my mind. I’d be interested in hearing how this project came to pass – what sort of directives were given etc… It’s just seems too high concept for your average toy company. Do you recall why we never saw issue #2? There’s next to no information about these toys on the net.

Paul – I mentioned Dr. Harper as a possible candidate for another entry. Although, I’m tempted to cover Gold Key two-shots. There’s a disprortionately high number of those, too.
The

By: Paul

Paul — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:28:08 +0000

I picked up Shadowplay and Shroud of Mystery off the racks, saw Tigergirl when it was released (didn’t pick it up), but don’t think I’ve ever seen John Steel, nor the Microbots. You mean “Blake Harper, City Surgeon” didn’t make the list?

By: Len Wein

Len Wein — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:54:02 +0000

Actually, the art on the Microbots book was by the always reliable Jack Sparling. As far as my script goes…well, it was early in my career. All I can say is it made sense at the time.

By: Dan Bailey

Dan Bailey — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:48:22 +0000

Good grief. Not only have I never knowingly seen (either in a used bin or on the spinner racks of my youth) any of these, I’m not entirely sure I’ve ever even *heard* of ‘em — no small feat, considering I own more than a short box’s worth of Gold Keys.

Nicely done!

By: DubipR

DubipR — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:44:54 +0000

Another cool article. The cover for the Microbots looks fantastic!
Wasn’t there a single issue of the Jungle Twins from Gold Key or was that an ongoing?