I’ve been away from these pages for awhile, and I won’t bore any of you with why.

I’m back today, because I just last week traded roughly half of my San Francisco Illustrated Wasp issues to Richard Samuel West (who wrote the definitive book on The Wasp, which you can find and purchase by clicking here. I highly recommend it.) Before I traded those issues away, I snapped lots of pictures of them, which I’d like to do something useful with. Such as sharing them here.

San Francisco’s Wasp was the West Coast equivalent to New York City’s Puck, both beginning publication within months of each other. The latter 1870′s was the period of the western Indian Wars, during which the U.S. Government conquered and locked onto reservations, the final free Native American tribes. I previously showed a sampling of cartoons on this subject, published by East Coast publications (click here to see those). November being Native American Heritage Month, I present here a few pictures on the subject, as seen by California residents, via The Wasp.

Keep in mind, that these are pictures drawn by whites, for a white audience. They are historically accurate only so far as being a record of how whites back then viewed the topic. All images are by the Wasp’s primary cartoonist & founder, George Frederick Keller. Let’s get to it.

At top, from the front cover of the July 28th, 1877 issue (number 52), we have “A New Method of Fighting the Indians”, making fun of U.S. General Oliver Howard.

The prime target of Howard’s western campaign, was the Nez Perces. Beneath, the left center page from issue 57, September 1st, 1877, “The Nez Perces Campaign Idaho”.

Above, the right center page from July 28th, 1877; below, whites’ ultimate goal for natives (from the rear cover of issue 49, July 7th, 1877).

Doug Wheeler

WaspMag NativeAmericanHistory

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As a long-time record collector I know all too well that not all songs are created equal. There are songs and there are songs, if you know what I mean. And this is one of them. It’s a real GFR (Great Fantastic Record). And it ties in nicely with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the TV show that has me mystified. But more on that later.

As you listen to this record notice the neat S.H.I.E.L.D. reference, as well as a Mopar mention, plus nifty nod to Chuck Berry at the end. This song has it all!

T. Rex, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Back to S.H.I.E.L.D. I’ve seen something about how the show is better than ever. I’m not sure about that. But it sure has changed. It seems whenever I like something they either change it or stop making it all together. It doesn’t matter if it’s a kind of cookies I like or my favorite toothpaste. Once the word gets out, somebody at the top gets a memo, “D.J. David B. likes our product. Do something fast!” And then it’s yanked off the shelves quicker than you can say “Pure and Natural bath soap.”

It seems like a couple of my favorite shows came back different this season, including Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Not necessarily improved, but there’s been a change in tone and in theme. We don’t see super-powered beings on the show anymore and there’s a greater focus on spies, double agents and triple agents. Eh. It kind of leaves me cold. I liked it better the way it was. Next time I like something I’m going to keep my mouth shut!

Now let’s listen and enjoy this early S.H.I.E.L.D. song and forget our troubles.

Click the link below and dance!

One of my favorite features from both Crackajack and Popular Comics was Pete and Pudgie by Win Smith. He was an animator and cartoonist who worked on comic strips featuring such animated stars as Flip the Frog, Bosco and even Mickey Mouse himself and as you can see for yourself, he was tremendously talented. It’s a lively, lovely feature with appealing characters but for me the attraction is largely in part to the extremely odd premise. That being the adventures of an at liberty boy scout and his penguin pal, the only talking animal in an otherwise human filled bigfoot cartoon world, was just so odd. I’m also a huge fan of the 1939 World’s Fair so naturally seeing Pete and Pudgie wandering around it aimlessly and getting into scrapes is endlessly appealing to me.

Due diligence compels me to reveal these strips were gathered and compiled into a Public Domain Comics Archie by Boutje Fedankt. If you love old comic books and strips (which given that you’re reading these words is pretty much a gimme) you should go to the Comics From the Golden Age website (http://publicdomaincomics.wordpress.com). It specializes in these kinds of compilations and believe me, this won’t be the last time I’ll be using them as a “resource” (i.e.; usurping their hard work).

It’s been busy lately, here at I.T.C.H. H.Q. What with all the comics-oriented TV shows like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Gotham and The Flash (not to mention Arrow, which I haven’t even mentioned yet) we’re not lacking for comics tunes to write about. We’re living in a new Golden Age, the likes of which we haven’t seen since the Sixties – when Batman, Green Hornet, The Addams Family, and Dennis the Menace could all be seen on television. Comics are back to being pop culture!

So, apropos of nothing, I’d like to present a song that dates back to an earlier time. Recorded by one of the Fab Four (that’s The Beatles to you youngsters) it has no less than three comics characters in it. At the moment, there’s no Titanium Man TV show and he hasn’t been in the Iron Man films. Neither has the Crimson Dynamo, for that matter, although we’ve seen plenty of Magneto. By now you’ve figured out which song it is so let’s jump to the appropriate cover gallery, shall we?

Click the link below and listen to a classic song about metals and magnets.

As previously established I know precious little about Australian comic books but the more I learn the more I want to learn about them. Case in point, courtesy of the Comic Book Plus website Silver Starr, a full color (!) Australian comic book written by Frank Ashley and illustrated by the great Stanley Pitt.

More than once on this blog we have discussed Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Gotham, but there’s another comic book TV series that we haven’t even mentioned! That changes right now: The Flash! Yes, The Flash, the fastest man alive who once again has a weekly television show. Did you ever think you’d see the day when super-heroes were the source material for so many movies and TV shows? I’m so busy watching TV I scarcely have time to read comics.

The Flash ran on treadmills before they were popular.

The Flash is particularly interesting in the context of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Gotham in that it isn’t dark, gritty or, ugh, realistic. In fact, it’s refreshingly comic-booky in its approach. It’s the kind of show where the villain stands there spouting dialogue like “It’s the end of the line, Scarlet Speedster, you’ve met your match in Captain Cold” with a straight face. Kudos to the actors who do a wonderful job of not cracking up (although I dare them to not burst out laughing when Captain Boomerang arrives on the scene.)

Barry Allen trying hard not to laugh

The show takes place in an alternate universe where police chemists are about 16 years old and all the actors look like they belong on Dawson’s Creek. Boys have crushes on girls and girls have crushes on boys, and nobody gets stabbed in the eye. (See Gotham.)

The cast of The Flash

To celebrate the Scarlet Speedster’s return to the small screen, let’s enjoy this vintage opening theme.

Man alive, look how fast he’s running!

Click the link below and listen.