Actor Kirk Alyn was born on this day in 1910. Although little remembered today Alyn was the big screen’s very first SUPERMAN in two 1940′s serials. He appeared in a number of B westerns, cop films and serials besides, connecting to the comics field yet again as the star of BLACKHAWK. A popular Comic Book Convention guest in later years, Alyn’s cameo in the 1978 Christopher Reeve version of SUPERMAN was cut at the time of its original release but was restored on ABC in the early eighties and appears in the box set version released a few years ago. For years he sold his fun autobiography, A JOB FOR SUPERMAN, at shows and by mail order. Kirk Alyn died in 1999.

Last week, as a part of the annual BANNED BOOKS WEEK celebrations, the site STWALLSKULL set out on a mission to find online as many as possible of the comic books used by Dr. Frederic Wertham in his notorious (to comics fans) book SEDUCTION OF THE INNOCENT. A large number were actually available for download from various sources.

http://www.stwallskull.com/blog/?page_id=2453

Ever wonder how Marvel’s NICK FURY, AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D manages to stay so young even though current continuity still has him teaming with Captain America way back in WWII? Jim Starlin and Howie Chaykin attempted to answer that question in this one-off (and perhaps now non-canonical) 1976 story reprinted today by Pete Doree.

http://bronzeageofblogs.blogspot.com/2009/10/howard-chaykin.html

SILVER AGE COMICS steps forward in time a bit to examine the increasingly complex relationship between Batman and Commissioner Gordon as the comics moved into the Bronze Age. A quest is started in search of the first time the Caped Crusader ditched out on the Commish in mid-sentence.

http://sacomics.blogspot.com/2009/10/little-off-topic.html

Three mildly Halloween-themed LITTLE LULU stories by the great John Stanley are up at STANLEY STORIES with the “Part 1″ of the title promising more to come. If you’re still on eof those who think that Lulu was just for kids, go there now and read. Stanley’s work on the strip was great fun for any age!

http://stanleystories.blogspot.com/2009/10/halloween-spirit-pt-1.html

One of the best things about the nexus of comics and music, as presented here each Tuesday by yours truly D.J. David B., is the wide variety of cartoon-related records. Some are in the “Oh, wow!” category. Others are in the “Pee-yoo!” category. And every once in a while we get one that’s “Huh?” Well, you guessed it. This week’s record will definitely elicit a few huhs and WTF’s from the comics cognoscenti.

Although he had a TV cartoon series as well as a handful of comic books, Deputy Dawg is not one of those characters that’s often discussed or even remembered by fans.

However, he was popular enough at the time to have a song sung about him by no less stellar an act than Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs.

Sam wasn’t really a pharaoh (I guess that’s why he was a sham) but he released a lot of fun, memorable records including the timeless hits “Wooly Bully” and “Little Red Riding Hood.” Yes, that Sam!

Sadly, “Deputy Dog” didn’t score high on the record charts and has faded into obscurity along with Double D himself. Perhaps it was the misspelling of the title that prevented it from becoming a big hit. Fortunately, you lucky ITCHers have an opportunity to savor this rare track right now!

Try clicking the link below and see if it plays:

Deputy Dog - Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs

Tunes in next Tuesday for another rare record from the archives!

Dick Briefer was a cartoonist who did a memorable series of FRANKENSTEIN horror stories back in the Goldn Age of Comics. If that were all he did, however, we might not remember him today. He also, however, did a series of FRANKENSTEIN humor stories that were arguably even better! COMICCRAZYS today shares a cute one in which the monster meets…Boris Karload! (Karloff)

http://comicrazys.com/2009/10/05/frankenstein-meets-boris-karload-frankenstein-11-dick-briefer/

Frank Bolle is one of those comic book artists whose work is not spectacular enough to get noticed by fanboys but who keeps going long after the flavor of the month guys have burnt out. For more than 60 years, Bolle has worked in comic books (DOCTOR SOLAR) and comic strips (APARTMENT 3-G) and he has a nice website where you can learn quite a bit more about him and his art.

http://www.frankbollestudio.com/home.htm

A rare comic book appearance from novelist/historian Ron Goulart (who co-created STAR HAWKS with Gil Kane and later ghosted William Shatner novels) is on display at DIVERSIONS OF THE GROOVY KIND. Originally published by Marvel during the seventies monster boom, as an added treat, DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE is drawn by Golden Age artist Win Mortimer, perhaps best known for his classic DC cover work!

http://diversionsofthegroovykind.blogspot.com/2009/10/weird-random-reads-dr-jekyll-and-mr.html

Yesterday, I linked to a Sheldon Mayer story. Little did I know that just last week, the blog EASILY MUSED offered a Sheldon Mayer story each and every day! Here’s the requisite SUGAR AND SPIKE tale from 1958 but while you’re over there, check out the whole week or even the multi-part archival piece, THE GENIUS OF SHELDON MAYER.

http://johnglenntaylor.blogspot.com/2009/09/sugar-and-spike-in-beatin-eatin.html

A couple of funny animal stories to liven up the start of your working week can be found at Pappy’s. Animator Otto Feur’s long-running DODO AND THE FROG are up first but for me the real treat here is the great Shelly Mayer’s lesser known DIZZY DOG!

http://pappysgoldenage.blogspot.com/2009/10/number-605-tricksters-dcs-funny-animal.html

THE BRONZE AGE OF BLOGS actually goes back a little further today to wax nostalgic about Harvey’s little devil kid, HOT STUFF, he of the “asbestos nappy.” Pete Doree reflects on why some characters are more memorable than any of the stories you ever read with them in it and shares a vintage outing of the character he refers to as “the Wolverine of Harvey Comics.”

http://bronzeageofblogs.blogspot.com/2009/10/hot-stuff-little-devil.html

John Severin can do the most detailed and beautiful serious comics art you’ve ever seen and then he can turn right around and apply that same approach to caricature, parody and satire as he did for years as the best thing about CRACKED, the longest-running MAD imitation. HAIRY GREEN EYEBALL II shares some of the latter work today including a STAR TREK PARODY.

http://hairygreeneyeball2.blogspot.com/2009/10/talking-blob-again.html

THE FIRST SUPER VILLAIN is a site that examines Adolf Hitler’s appearances as just that in early comics from various companies. Broken down into various chapters related to various superheroes, the whole piece is heavily illustrated with cover and interior art examples. Interesting and educational!

http://comicism4.tripod.com/index.html

Two controversial cartoonists who’ve left their mark on the industry were born on this date-the late Bob Thaves was born in 1924 and Bil Keane was born in 1922. In both cases the reason they’re controversial stems from the alleged bland repetitiveness of their work.

Joe Bloke shares a reprint of a reprint of a vintage Gardner Fox/Howard Sherman DR. FATE story from MORE FUN COMICS! DR. FATE started as a weird sorcerous figure with that cool helmet and ended up as a punch-em-first superhero with a dorky yellow half-helmet. This story is from the “cool” first period.

http://grantbridgestreet.blogspot.com/2009/10/dr-fate-and-fire-murders-by-gardner-fox.html

SEDUCTION OF THE INDIFFERENT summarizes a particularly unusual issue of DC’s sixties title SEA DEVILS, a title not exactly noted for its particularly unusual issues.

http://seductionoftheindifferent.blogspot.com/2009/10/hidden-gems-sea-devils-13.html

The relaxation of the Comics Code and the SPIDER-MAN issues that Stan Lee didn’t even bother to submit because of their drug themes are all discussed by the team at BRONZE AGE BABIES as the lastest in a series on the dreaded Comics Code Authority!

http://bronzeagebabies.blogspot.com/2009/10/comics-code-authority-revised-to-relax.html

A nice historical look back at Marvel’s 1960′s fan club, THE MERRY MARVEL MARCHING SOCIETY, complete with lots of the associated bling!

http://www.teako170.com/mmms.html

No time for makin’ links this morning as I’m in a rush to rent a car to get to MID-OHIO CON! (That’s me-Booksteve-not Craig). If you’re in the area and you’re reading this you owe it to yourself to check it out! A lot of comic book history in one room including Berni Wrightson, Michael Golden, Dick Ayers, Tony Isabella, Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Keth Pollard, Mike Grell, Herb Trimpe, Gary Friedrich, Mark Evanier and Fred Hembeck! Whew! Oh, a whole buncha them “new” guys, too, but none that I’ve heard of.

http://midohiocon.blogspot.com/

As Autumn leaves begin to blow, the sights and sounds of Halloween begin to fill the blogosphere. DIVERSIONS OF THE GROOVY KIND, for example, offers up the first issue of DC’s THE WITCHING HOUR from 1969, a title that REALLY scared me back in the day!

http://diversionsofthegroovykind.blogspot.com/2009/10/famous-first-fridays-witching-hour.html

It’s Golden Age superhero goodness at its best from Mr. Door Tree today with multiple stories of THE RAY by Lou Fine, Reed Crandall and Bob Fujitani. They didn’t call the company Quality Comics for nothin’!

http://goldenagecomicbookstories.blogspot.com/2009/10/ray-appeared-in-smash-comics-14.html

Not a dream! Not a hoax! STUPID COMICS reminds us of the time in a real 1972 story where Archie Andrews finds himself alone with Betty Cooper in a motel room…naked…pretending to be married!!! NOT KIDDING!

http://www.misterkitty.org/extras/stupidcovers/stupidcomics196.html

Over at my dayblog, BOOKSTEVE’S LIBRARY, I publish a lot of old comics ads. Well here’s a site that specializes in them! From Charles Atlas and Volto to Captain Tootsie and Old Nick, they’re all here…sometimes left alone and others MST3K’d!

http://www.seanbaby.com/stupcom.htm

One of the coolest things for collectors about the 1960′s BATMANIA craze was the plethora of great tie-in merchandise. One of the best of the tie-ins was this trading card set.There were several but this first was best. Here’s a site that presents front and back of all 55 cards , most if not all painted by Norm Saunders.

http://www.bubblegum-cards.com/Batman-1/index.html

Dr. Michael J. Vassallo presents an updated version of an article he wrote for THE COMICS BUYER’S GUIDE some time back on PEANUTS in comic books complete with proof that Schulz’s oft-heard claim to be the only artist on the strip referred simply to the newspaper version.

http://www.comicartville.com/peanutscomics.htm

Pioneering color comics artist Richard Corben is showcase at the BRONZE AGE OF BLOGS today with two stories (one NSFW), one surprisingly in black and white!

http://bronzeageofblogs.blogspot.com/2009/09/richard-corben.html

Although little more than a press release page for the new Sunday Press book, THE UPSIDE-DOWN WORLD OF GUSTAV VERBEEK is an impressive, heavily illustarted introduction to the man who created the novelty of upside down/right-side up cartooning in the early part of the 20th century.

http://www.sundaypressbooks.com/updownbook.php