SILVER AGE COMICS takes a look at DC’s long-running Revolutionary War-era series, TOMAHAWK, or rather a random early issue of its two decade plus run.

http://sacomics.blogspot.com/2010/01/tomahawk-51.html

From a 1987 issue of the “edgy” funny animal comic, CRITTERS, here’s my friend Jim Engel with a delightful old-fashioned tale of LEGGO LAMB and GROVER CLEVELAND GOOSE accompanied by exclusive new behind-the-scenes comments from Engel himself!

http://www.bigblogcomics.com/2010/01/leggo-lamb-in-what-are-friends-for.html

Here’s a selection of bizarre and sometimes slightly risque single panel cartoons from the 1972 book HOW GROSS by cartoonist S (for Sam) Gross.

http://hairygreeneyeball2.blogspot.com/2010/01/grossed-out.html

Finally today, two stories from EC’s late period, code-approved ACES HIGH, one drawn by the great Jack Davis and the other by the amazing Bernie Krigstein.

http://www.comicbookwar.com/2010/01/aces-high-revenge-and-footnote.html

I always figured this bizarre team-up between SPIDER-MAN and the original Not Ready For Prime-Time Players was a ploy to get Stan Lee a spot hosting SNL but that never happened. A fun, one-off story though, written by Chris Claremont with art by Bob Hall and Marie Severin (who utilized her marvelous caricaturist skills !).

http://diversionsofthegroovykind.blogspot.com/2010/01/grooves-faves-spidey-meets-not-ready.html

Here’s another brand spanking new comics blog, this one devoted entirely to the phenomenal international superstar hero of nearly 75 years who has never quite caught on as well here in his country of origin: THE PHANTOM.

http://falkonthewildside.blogspot.com/

Starting out as a traditional comic book illustrator in the 1940′s, Carmine Infantino’s art became increasingly stylized over the years. Here’s some late period Infantino from EERIE in a Bruce Jones story and with Al Milgrom inks.

http://blacknwhiteandredallover.blogspot.com/2010/01/post-26-sams-son-and-delilah.html

In an earlier era, John Pound might well have drawn for Disney but instead he drew his NSFW RONALD RABBIT for the underground market in 1972. In later years, he would become better known for his work on GARBAGE PAIL KIDS.

http://johnglenntaylor.blogspot.com/2010/01/john-pounds-ronald-rabbit.html

Pat Boyette was one of THE most underrated artists of the sixties on in my opinion. Here are a couple of seventies SORCERY stories from this unique comics stylist.

http://tencentdreams.blogspot.com/2010/01/pat-boyette-flash-forward-sorcery.html

The first issue of Gold Key’s DOCTOR SOLAR from 1962 is on display this morning at HAIRY GREEN EYEBALL II. With art by Bob Fujitani, this is a well-done sci-fi tale instead of the costumed superhero series it would become later.

http://hairygreeneyeball2.blogspot.com/2010/01/doctor-solar-1.html

Some of my favorite Gil Kane art of the 1960′s was on view in DC’s licensed toy title, CAPTAIN ACTION. The Captain is in the midst of a comeback these days but here’s the last issue of his original title as drawn by Kane and inked by Wally Wood!

http://diversionsofthegroovykind.blogspot.com/2010/01/praising-kane-captain-action-faces-mind.html

Finally today, here’s the also recently revived (again) BLACK TERROR in a well drawn Jerry Robinson/Mort Meskin tale from 1948!

http://atomic-surgery.blogspot.com/2010/01/black-terror-in-serpent-lady-returns-by.html

Wacky Wonder Woman, doggy style!

Walt Kelly time again! Here in a couple of posts from Thom Buchanan including the self-referential and blatantly promotional “Donald Duck Meets the Seven Dwarfs” from 1944!

http://whirledofkelly.blogspot.com/2010/01/donald-duck-famous-actor.html

http://whirledofkelly.blogspot.com/2010/01/1st-snow-white-re-release.html

Skywald was a second string version of Warren with its 1970′s black and white horror mags such as NIGHTMARE and PSYCHO. The difference is that they also published regular color comics including one starring a modernized version of a Golden Age monster hero called THE HEAP. Here, though, the b&w debut of that character with art by the ever-popular team of Andru and Esposito.

http://diversionsofthegroovykind.blogspot.com/2010/01/black-and-white-wednesday-man-who.html

Speaking of Warren, STAR STUDDED WAR COMICS shows us not one but two stories from Warren’s BLAZING COMBAT from the mid-sixties. The first is a well-done Archie Goodwin/Gene Colan collaboration and the second is teh classic Wally Wood aerial tour-de-force, “The Battle of Britain.”

http://www.comicbookwar.com/2010/01/blazing-combat-u-boat-and-battle-of.html

Finally today, AGAIN WITH THE COMICS makes merciless but seemingly well-deserved fun of a horribly obscure superhero from 1940 called DYNAMITE THOR.

http://www.againwiththecomics.com/2010/01/asgardian-dynamite.html

From Archie’s RED CIRCLE SORCERY in the 1970′s comes a nice small helping of features drawn by the unique and amazing artist Gray Morrow, here at a design peak in his long career of illustration and comics.

http://tencentdreams.blogspot.com/2010/01/gray-morrow-flash-forward-sorcery-week.html

The problem with Jim Steranko’s mid-sixties success on Marvel’s NICK FURY, AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D. is that the artist couldn’t keep up. Thus when the character was spun off into his own title, a number of fill-in artists took their turn at Steranko-style artwork. From 1969, here’s the very young Barry (Windsor-) Smith with some crude but energetic art wrapped in some amazing layouts.

http://diversionsofthegroovykind.blogspot.com/2010/01/grooves-faves-hell-hath-no-fury-like.html

Stan Lee is on record as saying that the ill-fated artist Joe Maneely was always his favorite. The brand new blog, APOCOLYTE’S WORLD OF COMICS, presents a creepy Lee/Maneely collaboration from a 1952 issue of SUSPENSE that gives some idea as to why Lee praised his work so much.

http://apocolytesworldofcomics.blogspot.com/2010/01/ugly-man-joe-maneely-and-stan-lee.html

Finally, I’m told that the NYT Crossword Puzzle this past weekend was themed around the MAD Fold-Ins and yet somehow managed to avoid mentioning their originator Al Jaffee. We, on the other hand, not only mention him but share a handful of his 1959 Sunday strip, TALL TALES, from Ger Apeldoorn.

http://allthingsger.blogspot.com/2010/01/silent-wonders-monday-cartoon-day.html

When it comes to obscure comics characters, Mr. Monster leads the pack. I’m talking about the original Golden Age character Jim “Doc” Stearne, a.k.a. Mr. Monster, who appeared in just one issue of a Canadian comic book and promptly disappeared, and not the Tin Foil Age comics written and/or drawn by Michael T. Gilbert which are terrific and hardly obscure.

We must assume, then, that the following song was written about Gilbert’s revival/re-imagining of Mr. Monster which happened in 1984, and not the absurdly rare comic from the Great White North dated 1947.

I, D.J. David B., have always been a big fan of Michael T’s Mr. Monster. Not just because of his super heroics and his excellent adventures but because of his attitude. Mr. Monster really, really, really hates monsters!

In honor of Mr. Monster I present a song by The Makers, a dandy band of music-makers on the Estrus label, who know comics as well as they know their way around drums and guitars. In fact, way back on March 18, 2026 I presented their tune “The Red-Headed Beatle of 1000 BC.” Now that’s an obscure comics reference!

If you really hate monsters, you’ll love this record. Click the link below to listen:

Death of Mr. Monster - The Makers

Readers of my own blog, BOOKSTEVE’S LIBRARY, know that I’ve been on a real ALLEY OOP kick lately so of course I’m going to link to this reprinting of a 1964 newspaper sequence in which the time travelling caveman ends up sparring with the Olympian Gods!

http://hairygreeneyeball2.blogspot.com/2010/01/oop-and-gods-of-mount-olympus.html

Eighties 3-D guru Ray Zone put out BATTLE FOR A THREE DIMENSIONAL WORLD, the first 3-D “cosmic book” and got Jack Kirby, who had drawn CAPTAIN 3-D three decades earlier to draw it! Here it is. Bring your own glasses.

http://tencentdreams.blogspot.com/2010/01/battle-for-3d-sunday.html

Been a lot of talk in the news lately about THE HUMAN TARGET. Some new TV series or something. Here, however, is a vintage two part adventure of Christopher Chance as written by Len Wein and illustrated by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano.

http://diversionsofthegroovykind.blogspot.com/2010/01/bring-on-back-ups-human-target-takes-on.html

Finally today some more Lee/Kirby MAD-ness with their chicken fat-filled mid-sixties parody of their own THOR in NOT BRAND ECHH’s “The Origin of Sore, Son of Shmodin.”

http://themagicwhistle.blogspot.com/2010/01/not-brand-ecch-10-4-of-5.html

I’ve never personally been in the NANCY cult but for those of you who are (and apparently there are millions of you!) here’s Mr. Bushmiller’s little cutie and her tough guy boyfriend, Sluggo, from a 1949 issue of SPARKLE, one of those all Sunday strip reprint comics.

http://www.bigblogcomics.com/2010/01/sparkle-comics-nancy-by-ernie.html

Ger Apeldoorn offers some research and learned speculation as to the contibutions made to 1950′s DC comics by MAD legend Mort Drucker before he became one of the all-time great caricaturists.

http://allthingsger.blogspot.com/2010/01/this-blog-has-been-mortified-sunday.html

COLE’S COMICS captures its ongoing subject “at a peak moment” in a short piece on PLASTIC MAN’s creator’s transistion from comic books to PLAYBOY cartoons and even a little reflection on the tragic artist’s ultimate demise.

http://colescomics.blogspot.com/2010/01/moment-frozen-in-time-jack-cole-begins.html

The ever-enjoyable STUPID COMICS shows us scenes from an Al Hartley drawn 1972 ARCHIE story in which the Riverdale gang finds themselves back in the 1890′s with hilarity, of course, ensuing.

http://www.misterkitty.org/extras/stupidcovers/stupidcomics210.html

I feel very close to Marvel’s obscure men’s mag heroine, PUSSYCAT as my very first article was a history of PUSSYCAT in AMAZING HEROES back in 1988. Thus, I link to my girl once again over at Pappy’s today in yet another Bill Ward story with the added bonus of a Ward TORCHY story, also!

http://pappysgoldenage.blogspot.com/2010/01/number-671-pussycat-damsel-in-disguise.html

Arguably Jack Kirby’s last gasp at sixties Marvel, here’s THE INHUMANS story (guest starring the FF) from 1970′s AMAZING ADVENTURES # 1, both written and drawn by the King and inked by one of his better inkers, the misspelled in the credits Chic Stone.

http://grantbridgestreet.blogspot.com/2010/01/inhumans.html

Here’s a nice little examination of an early and atypical Steve Ditko DR STRANGE story. Did I say “Ditko?” Stay tuned to ITCH!

http://aquamanrules.blogspot.com/2010/01/this-doctor-still-makes-house-calls.html

I am learning so much about the comics artists who toiled in the no-mans land of romance comics back in the day from SEQUENTIAL CRUSH. Here’s a look at a Charlton story drawn by Charles Nicholas (credited with creating the Blue Beetle) and his long time inker Vince Alascia (a Golden Age Captain America artist!).

http://sequentialcrush.blogspot.com/2010/01/i-was-teenage-skag.html