CSBG Archive
Comic Book Easter Eggs – Zoidberg in Action and Joker in Spider-Man’s Web!
Every Tuesday, I will be sharing with you three comic book “easter eggs.” An easter egg is a joke/visual gag/in-joke that a comic book creator (typically the artist) has hidden in the pages of the comic for readers to find (just like an easter egg). They range from the not-so-obscure to the really obscure. So come check ‘em all out and enjoy! Also, click here for an archive of all the easter eggs featured so far! If you want to suggest an easter egg for a future column, e-mail me at bcronin@comicbookresources.com (do not post your suggestion in the comments section!).
Reader Chase G. suggested this one…
In Action Comics #863, Superman is in the future with the Legion of Super-Heroes as aliens are being rounded up on Earth.
One of the aliens might look familiar to viewers of Futurama…
Yep, Gary Frank drew Dr. Zoidberg!
Reader John B. suggested this one…
Web of Spider-Man #50 came out in early 1989.
In 1988, Batman: The Killing Joke came out and here is how it ended…
In Web of Spider-Man #50, this panel appeared…
In the most recent issue of Incredible Hulk, Doctor Banner (who is not exactly in his right mind since his split from the Incredible Hulk) and his gamma creatures attack a military base with a name familiar to longtime Hulk fans…
That’s it for this week!
Again, if you can think of an easter egg/in-joke that you would like to see me feature, drop me a line at bcronin@comicbookresources.com! DON’T make suggestions in the comments section, so as to not spoil the surprise for when I end up actually featuring your suggestion.
24 Comments
Paul
January 24, 2012 at 2:10 pm
Zoidberg was probably eating somebody else’s garbage, as usual.
Mr. M
January 24, 2012 at 2:10 pm
The Web of Spider-Man panel is funny.
Also looking at it reminds that colors and letters of that era had this big ol’ bleed problem.
Mark
January 24, 2012 at 3:08 pm
I think that’s when Zoidberg ate Earth’s flag and sparked an invasion from his home world. The combined power of the Legion and Zap Brannegan didn’t stand a chance.
Ian
January 24, 2012 at 3:48 pm
Using the recolored version of The Killing Joke makes it look like DC’s production values were light years ahead of Marvel’s.
Cass
January 24, 2012 at 6:33 pm
Then imagine how bad Marvel would look if Brian featured the original coloring, which was far superior.
Travis Pelkie
January 24, 2012 at 8:18 pm
Well, it’s apples and oranges either way, because Web was a newsstand comic and Killing Joke was prestige format or something like that. Better production values on a book that was printed to HAVE better production values vs a newsstand book isn’t a fair comparison.
Clever title to this piece. Sort of a double meaning to it.
Mary Warner
January 24, 2012 at 9:02 pm
A possible second Easter Egg in Web– That might be Bull from Night Court following a few feet behind the Joker. My brother and I debated whether it was him or not back when this issue came out.
Travis Pelkie
January 24, 2012 at 9:38 pm
It probably went something like this, right, Mary?
“That’s Bull!”
“No it’s not! That’s bull if you think that!”
“That’s what I’m saying, that’s Bull!”
“No it’s bull!”
“I know it’s Bull!”
THIRD BASE!!
Wah wah wahhhhhh….
At least I amuse MYSELF. sometimes….
Steven E. McDonald
January 25, 2012 at 2:18 am
In the Action Comics panel, that might not be just Zoidberg, but also the hapless Kif from Futurama.
Mr. Bleh
January 25, 2012 at 2:22 am
Who did that awful layout and art on Incredible Hulk? Is that supposed to be Silvestri? Wow.
Tom Fitzpatrick
January 25, 2012 at 5:27 am
“At least I amuse MYSELF. sometimes….”
@ Travis Pelkie: ….. and you amuse us ALL, completely and totally at your expense!
Which is your purpose in life? Thank you SOOOO much!
chad
January 25, 2012 at 6:54 am
was hoping the joker cameo in spider man showed up espically the smile on the jokers face telling the cops the same joke from dkr. plus love the zoiberg cameo
Allen
January 25, 2012 at 9:32 am
Could that also be Commissioner Gordon right behind (and with his hand on) the Joker?
And the Joker seems to be done in the Dick Sprang style of the 1950s.
cool arrow
January 25, 2012 at 9:54 am
I just want to know why the black guy in the foreground of the Spider-Man panel has those weird zombie eyes.
John B
January 25, 2012 at 12:21 pm
Hey thanks for using my Web of Spidey/Joker suggestion.
TJCoolguy
January 25, 2012 at 1:28 pm
“I just want to know why the black guy in the foreground of the Spider-Man panel has those weird zombie eyes.”
Because that’s an easter egg of Ken Foree’s character, Peter, from the end of “Dawn of the Dead”. (Wakka-wakka!)
Rollo Tomassi
January 25, 2012 at 6:53 pm
Along the lines of the Trimpe Easter Egg, Dan Slott had Andru Air Force Base in the first couple issues of his ASM run.
Ethan Shuster
January 25, 2012 at 7:47 pm
Wait! I can’t believe it took me this long to think of this but, both Futurama and the Legion of Super-Heroes take place in the 30th century, right?
Travis Pelkie
January 25, 2012 at 9:09 pm
I think you’re right, Ethan. It’s ok, I didn’t think about it either.
Anyone read Interlac? What’s the graffiti in the background?
Chase G.
January 25, 2012 at 10:05 pm
The Interlac says Long Live Legion- I’m guessing the the got cut off.
Thanks for featuring my Zoidberg, Brian!
Toby
January 30, 2012 at 12:03 pm
I love ramen noodles
Rheul
January 30, 2012 at 1:04 pm
Funny. I spoke to Trimpe at NYCC this summer and he told me he didn’t like the way Hulks been written in years. Said he spends too much time angry and you don’t get to see his gentle side. I tend to agree.
frythedeliveryguy
April 21, 2012 at 8:46 pm
Isn’t that Kif getting in with Zoidberg?
Dreadjaws
August 25, 2012 at 10:46 am
A little late for the discussion, but aren’t those gamma creatures maybe a reference to Changeling/Beast Boy?