Comments on: Comic Book Legends Revealed #224

By: Christopher Stansfield

Christopher Stansfield — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:30:27 +0000

(Slightly) off topic, this, but I did get a chuckle out of reading that Jim Salicrup was the writer of the Cheap Trick comic. I have had the luck on a few occasions to chat with Mr. Salicrup at (and after) various MoCCA New York events, and he’s a hell of a nice guy with a pretty good sense of humor about his own work. I look forward to bringing up this comic (and the fact that it opens with what appears to be a dick joke) the next time I run into him to get his take on the whys and wherefores.

By: Iggy Pop's Brother Steve Pop

Iggy Pop's Brother Steve Pop — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:04:07 +0000

Oops, I mean you can tell Hardy Boys was a Filmation series.

By: Iggy Pop's Brother Steve Pop

Iggy Pop's Brother Steve Pop — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:02:57 +0000

Man, you can tell JatP was a Filmation series just from that last screencap. That’s a classic Filmation character blocking if ever there was one.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:21:19 +0000

Holloway’s backing vocals on the “Josie” theme was the coolest part of the whole series. Did she ever get a lead on one of the songs?

That’s what always bugged me about “Sugar, Sugar.” Even as a 10 year-old boy in North Dakota, I noticed that the second shoutout of “I’m gonna make your life so sweet!” was sung with a lot more Soul Power than the whitebread Betty and Veronica voices could have mustered.

By: ilana

ilana — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:35:05 +0000

i love you superman! kiss me superman!

By: Generalissimo Fernando

Generalissimo Fernando — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 04:23:25 +0000

Back to the Revolutionary Comics comments: it was a ongoing series of unauthorized biographies about various bands, almost all hard rock groups. The back issues did go for quite a bit in the day. I sprung for the Aerosmith one, being a pretty big fan, and never got another because the facts were so incredibly wrong it defied belief. (Among other things, it claimed that the lead singer’s real last name was Pearcy, not Tallarico, and it wasn’t an error since it was brought up a few more times.) I’m not sure if others were more accurate, but, even as a kid, I knew a cheap cash-in when I saw it… or, rather, after I wasted $15 on it and read it.

By: LW

LW — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 08:18:00 +0000

One thing that I always think of when I think of Filmation (seriously,) was that Scheimer had a social conscience. They weren’t doing anything really heavy, of course, but they were definitely progressive and socially responsible. Sadly, there aren’t many guys like that in children’s entertainment anymore. Actually, there are probably a ton of them and they’re just not as successful.

By: John Asperger

John Asperger — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:15:17 +0000

…If you’ll check Mile High , the Archies are billed on the cover of Life With Archie #61 , 1967 , and start appearing on the cover at #62 , and a few pages of the story I was remembering , in #64 , can be read .
The Archies are 3-man , don’t have the logo and dress in more ” prep band “-ish matching outfits .
There was an Italian progressive rock band called Krazy Kat , I don’t really know if the ever had any official American releases .

By: Squashua

Squashua — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 21:02:00 +0000

I’ll never understand why Power Pack’s writers had to make Whoopie Goldberg into a Galactus.

By: Dave

Dave — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 16:46:15 +0000

Whoa…I remeber Chet (the fat kid in the Hardy Boys books) having lots of hobbies in the books, but I don’t think any of them were musical in nature.

And I need to find that Cheap Trick comic! I never knew it existed!

By: Daedsiluaplifornia

Daedsiluaplifornia — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 13:58:52 +0000

Speaking of Power Pack… (well, two people did….) have you looked into whether Michael Higgins (I believe that was his name), the writer who put the nails in Power Pack’s original series’ coffin, intended to bring back Toro in his last issues? I remember a wino catching fire in Central Park when Galactus came to town in the late 50′s of the series, but the wino was able to absorb the flame. And was there a plan to turn all of the Powers into Kymelians? Really, was there a plan at all at that point? That last special done after the series wrapped stands in my mind as the best, most necessary retcon ever.

And while I’m at it, I’ve often wondered if the Power Pack parents were modeled after Walt and Louise Simonson. The character designs and their idiosyncrasies (the dad’s famous Lentil Bean Soup, the mom’s nickname, the poster in the apartment that said “I’m a man who likes talking to a man who likes to talk”, etc.) seem to be more detailed than those of most ancillary comic characters.

Knowing you were a fan makes me hopeful I’ll get some closure on these concerns left over from my first days of comic collecting. It all began with Power Pack #4 for me, bought in a convenience store at a camp ground.

By: Jorge Cantu

Jorge Cantu — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 12:44:08 +0000

I second the comment that Rock N’ Roll comics first two issues Guns ‘N’ Roses and Metallica successes was the driver for this copycat attempt by Marvel. These issues had 6 or 7 reprints with First prints going for $10-30 in my area at the time. GNR was huge, but Metallica was still a largely underground phenomenon – a dedicated thrash metal band with a devoted following but no radio airplay – when their issue came out in mid 1990. It wasn’t until 1991 that the “Black Album” came out and ushered in their polished short hair commercial er which most people only know them for. So don’t discount the idea of a record label hoping to sieze on the comic book / rock n’ roll crossover zeitgeist in an admittedly shameless attempt to push an album.

Cheers

By: wwk5d

wwk5d — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 10:19:21 +0000

The Cheap Trick comic look worth picking up for the June Brigman art.

Dan Decarlo was prob my favorite Archie arist. Loved his style.

By: kevinj

kevinj — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 10:05:20 +0000

Talking of rock star comics did i imagine it or did DC once put out a Prince comic where he revealed the real reason he renamed himself Symbol.

By: Michael Howey

Michael Howey — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 06:35:21 +0000

Slightly off the point but the June Brigman/Louise Simonson (first 25?) issues of Power Pack were outstanding.
You are not alone Brian.

By: Thadd

Thadd — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 04:51:56 +0000

What I find amazing is that Sugar Sugar was too childish for the Monkees to perform. This has been noted (by Penn Jellet) as the reason that the Archies were formed. This would make the recording first.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 04:25:12 +0000

“Printed in real KISS blood”

As a kid, I wasn’t sure if that was cool or creepy.

I would have said gimmicky.

By: Digital Gonzo

Digital Gonzo — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 03:18:10 +0000

Just as a PS to the Pogo myth, interestingly there actually is an album released by Walt Kelly that contains songs from Pogo, w/music written and recorded by, I believe, Walt Kelly himself (and it’s still available today!): http://www.amazon.com/Songs-Pogo-Kelly-Norman-Monath/dp/B00008OM8O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1252725585&sr=8-1. I have to wonder if maybe this had something to do with him not wanting an album out there by “Pogo” when, ostensibly, you could consider that album (released in 1956) as a “Pogo” album? Thought it was an interesting enough point that I’d raise it!

By: Sijo

Sijo — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 01:56:53 +0000

Doesn’t anybody else think that Archie naming his band after himself was hugely egotistical? Can’t believe Reggie went along with that (of course HE would have called it “The Reggies..” )

Btw, the Boomerang network did an animated tribute to The Pussycats where they appear playing in different styles from across the decades, even as KISS!! The animation style changed for each sequence, as well. Pretty impressive!

By: Mary Warner

Mary Warner — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 01:02:22 +0000

It’s funny that Andy Mangels mentions Filmation being known for racial diversity in their casts. Whenever I think of Filmation, one of the first things to come to mind was their Tarzan show in the ’70s. It ran for several seasons and took place entirely in Africa, but I don’t remember ever seeing a single Black person on that show..EVER.
That really bothered me when I was a kid.