After recently obtaining the last appearance that I needed of this character from the Bronze Age, I felt compelled to spotlight this crazy character. He’s definitely right up there with my other oddball favorites (The Tatterdemalion, The Orb, etc.). After a few years in dormancy, the character’s name was changed to avoid confusion with another Scarecrow, so he was then called The Straw Man in the late 1980s. No matter what you call him, he’s a ridiculous character that makes absolutely no sense, and that’s probably why I love him so much.
His first in a comic was in Dead of Night 11, 1975. A year later, he was in two more, but then took some time off for a while. He reappeared in Doctor Strange Sorcerer Supreme where he was relabeled. He wasn’t given much panel time in that series but by then the other Scarecrow was in full swing in the Marvel Universe. It seems there was only room for one. Ah well, we still have the few Bronze Age books to look back on with nostalgia.
Magazines and Monsters! 
Interesting stuff. Marvel has a boatload of obscure and semi-obscure characters, and you never know when someone is going to dust one of them off and revamp them. Just look at most of the line-up of the Guardians of the Galaxy. I’m sure sooner or later someone will bring back the Straw Man.
Do you have writer & artist credits for that “Dead of Night” splash page?
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Rico Rival splash page, cover by Gil Kane and Bernie Wrightson!
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Marvel needs to do a completely separate line of horror comics similar to their old MAX line, but titled MARVEL HORROR. Straw Man should be a straightforward Fright Mag
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Absolutely! I’d love to see all of their horror characters make a huge comeback.
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