1980’s | Magazines and Monsters!

Marvel’s Unsung Heroes! -Don Perlin!

Posted on April 13, 2014 by billyd75

This is one post I’ve been looking forward to for a while now, and it’s about time I got around to spotlighting one of the creators that has always had me glued to the panels of comic books! His name is ‘Dandy’ Don Perlin, and I’ve never met him in person, but I have had contact with him on social media, and he’s nothing short of a gentleman! He has some of the most unique pencils I’ve ever seen (I can easily spot his Werewolf by Night!), and some very eerie stuff as well from early in his career (as you’ll see in the first set of images below). This artist has been a contributor in the comic book industry for over forty years! His place in the comic book community cannot be denied, and co-creating Moon Knight, is certainly proof of that fact!

Oh, and just a quick side note -Don Perlin is responsible for the best comic page in history, just to set the record straight (5th image down from the top). Whether it was Joe Sinnott, Pablo Marcos, or Vince Colletta inking, the consistency of his artwork is on a solid level! So, here’s to you, Don Perlin, thanks for your tireless efforts to the comic book industry over the decades!

Marvel’s Unsung Heroes! -Sal Buscema!

Posted on April 7, 2014 by billyd75

When people hear the name ‘Buscema’, they just about always gravitate to John. Sometimes just at first, and sometimes only, but I’m here to tell you that the other Buscema brother has chops too! Sal Buscema is a gifted artist that never seems to get his due. Well, he’s going to get it today, as I spotlight some of his work right here and now! It doesn’t matter if it was The Avengers, The Defenders, Rom, or even Spider-Man, Sal Buscema put his heart and soul into his work, and that cannot be denied! He and J. M. Dematteis crafted one of the most emotional death scenes in the history of comic books. So, here’s to you, Sal Buscema, as we go forth and spread the word of your awesome work!

Marvel’s Unsung Heroes! -Ron Wilson!

Posted on April 4, 2014 by billyd75

Of course everyone knows names like Kirby, Buscema, Romita, and Colan, but there is a plethora of other guys (and girls), that need to be given a great deal of credit for the success of Marvel Comics. These others helped forge a new pathway, and their number needs to be counted. So, for the month of April, I’ll be spotlighting some of the work that these unsung heroes gave us all to enjoy over the years!

I’ll be presenting these in no specific order, but rest assured, we’ll get a peek at a few names that you should recognize! First up is Ron Wilson, because his pencils have always been a favorite of mine, and I think he deserves more respect than he’s gotten over the years. From his great run on titles like Marvel Two-in-One, to more obscure titles like Chamber of Chills, you’ll see it all in this post! Enjoy!

John Romita Sr. Tribute Finale!

Posted on March 15, 2014 by billyd75

Well, here it is, time for the John Romita Sr. finale! You know, Jazzy John is most notably known for his romance work, and of course, Spider-Man. He did do a fantastic job though on everything he touched, as evidence showed in my first post. As we move further into his career, lets look at some of his other work for Marvel. His runs on Daredevil, The Fantastic Four, and Captain America, are also most excellent! Three cheers for Jazzy John Romita! Enjoy!

‘Big’ John Buscema -Finale!

Posted on March 8, 2014 by billyd75

To finish off my week-long tribute to ‘Big’ John Buscema, I’m going to go with three great covers, and then some more crazy good interiors by the legend himself! So, sit back, relax, grab a cold one, and get ready to be dazzled by a man who will always be on my Mount Rushmore of artists (Colan, Kirby, Buscema, Romita)! This first cover, is one that’s been on my want list for a while, and I recently acquired it and absolutely love this one! Enjoy!

Cinema Sunday: Clash of The Titans (1981)

Posted on February 9, 2014 by billyd75

Title: Clash of The Titans

Distributor: MGM

Writer: Beverley Cross

Director: Desmond Davis

Producer: Ray Harryhausen & Charles H. Schneer

Starring: Harry Hamlin, Lawrence Olivier, Judie Bowker, Maggie Smith, Burgess Meredith

Released: June 12th, 1981

MPAA: PG

In this edition of Cinema Sunday, I’ll be spotlighting a movie that means more to me than any other. Why, you ask? Well, simply put, this is the first movie that I saw in the theater, that left me feeling anything was possible. It was the first movie that made me seek out the creators (later in life), and discover a man named Ray Harryhausen. This one man, has revolutionized film making, and especially, special effects. At this point in my life, I’d seen Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and a number of other films that were considered to be a big deal. But, this film, Clash of The Titans, is the one the resounds in my mind, and always will. A strong hero, a damsel in distress, the evil Calibos, the vengeful goddess Thetis, and who can forget, The Kraken! In this swan song for Ray Harryhausen, there was magic, might, and creatures that we will never forget!

The film opens with a young woman, as she and her newborn son, Perseus are being punished, by her own father, King Acrisius of Argos. He orders his soldiers to place them in a casket, and toss them into the sea. He does this, to appease the gods, but doesn’t realize that he’s actually doomed his city, because the child of his daughter, is the son of Zeus (Lawrence Olivier). The next scene shows the gods, Zeus, Thetis (Maggie Smith), Poseidon, Aphrodite, Athena, and Hera, as they converse about these happenings. Zeus then commands Poseidon to raise the winds and rains, and to release the most terrifying of all the Titans, the Kraken, to destroy Argos. The city is decimated by the beast, and weather, but Perseus (image below) and his mother Danaë, are brought safely to the shores of Seriphos.

We watch, as Perseus (Harry Hamlin) grows to be a young man, and the gods watch him, especially Zeus and Thetis. Thetis also has a son, Calibos, and he was spoiled by her, and was prince of the city of Joppa. Zeus was angry about this, as Calibos used his advantages to seek out and kill Zeus’s winged horses, and only one, Pegasus, remains. Zeus then uses his godly powers to deform Calibos, and banish him to the swamps. Thetis grows jealous of Zeus’ treatment of Perseus, so she punishes all of Joppa, with a plague of flies, and a curse on the Princess Andromeda (Judi Bowker). The princess must not marry until a suitor can solve a riddle, and if he doesn’t, he’s burned alive at the stake.

As Perseus slumbers on the shores one evening, Thetis, places him in the amphitheater of Joppa, and defies Zeus. Perseus awakens, and is greeted by Ammon (Burgess Meredith). They surmise that the gods have done this, and the next day, Zeus commands that his fellow gods endow his son with weapons to protect himself. He’s given a sword (that can slice through anything), a shield, and a helmet (which renders the wearer invisible). He journeys to Joppa, and learns of the beautiful princess, and the curse on her and the city. He visits her one night, and she’s having a nightmare. He witnesses a giant vulture, as it brings a cage, and her spirit rises, and enters the cage. The vulture picks it up, and takes Andromeda to the swamps of Calibos. There, he gives her another riddle to torment her, and Joppa. The next scene brings another trip to the swamps, but this time, Perseus follows riding a recently acquired Pegasus! In the swamps, Calibos gives Andromeda another riddle, but notices footprints being pressed into the sand. He follows the steps back into the depths of the swamp, and attacks Perseus. The two struggle, but Perseus escapes.

The following day, the Queen is holding court, and asking if any man has the courage to ask for her daughter’s hand in marriage. The doors burst open, and Perseus steps through. He accepts the challenge, and Andromeda asks her riddle. Perseus solves it easily, and shows the people of Joppa that he has defeated Calibos, and cut off his hand. As the two prepare to wed, Calibos (image below) appears to the statue of his mother, Thetis, and begs for her to help him get revenge. She appears to the people during the wedding ceremony, and tells them that in thirty days, Andromeda must be sacrificed to the Kraken, or the beast will kill everyone in the city. So, it’s up to Perseus, and the elite guard of Joppa, to find a way to stop the Kraken, and save the life of Andromeda!

My thoughts on the movie:

As I said earlier, this movie has left more of an impression on me than any other in my lifetime. It made me seek out the special effects creator, Ray Harryhausen, and become a life long fan of his tremendous work. Most don’t consider this film to be his finest, but I disagree. This was Ray’s swan song, and I believe it’s one of his best works. The Kraken was incredible even if it did borrow some features from one of his earlier works (20 Million Miles to Earth). Medusa, the Gorgon, was absolutely terrifying, especially to a young child as I was when I saw this film (6 years old). The mythical two-headed dog, Dioskilos, giant scorpions, and the winged horse, Pegasus, were also quite magnificent. You’ll not find a finer film of this time in history that had as many cool creatures.

An ages old story of love, adventure, and everything else you can imagine from a fantasy aspect, are in this movie. Burgess Meredith does a good job at being a mentor to Perseus, and Sir Lawrence Olivier is without a doubt, the best Zeus I’ve ever seen! Click on this link (Clash of the Titans), which is the official website for the movie. It’s now out on Blu-ray, so get out there and grab this movie, you wont be disappointed. Thank you, Mr. Ray Harryhausen (promo pic below with Ray and the head of Medusa)!

The Mighty Thor Annual #13, 1985 “And Evil Shall Inherit”

Posted on January 28, 2014 by billyd75

It would be extremely difficult for me to find a better comic in my collection than this one. Some might argue it isn’t the greatest story ever told, and I’d probably agree, but when you get a cover by Walt Simonson, and interior pencils by “Big” John Buscema you must agree it’s a top-tier issue! So, basically, that’s enough for me to call it one of the best issues I own. This tale involves the dark lord, Mephisto, as he attempts to use Ulik, the troll, to fight Thor. The first few pages show Mephisto plotting in his fiery realm. He tortures some of the tenants (stepping on them as he walks around), and the visuals are just dynamite!

Mephisto tricks Ulik into his service, and then he and Thor do battle. You see, Mephisto thinks he can get to Thor’s soul, now that he’s a bit sorrowful over his father’s death (recently, Odin died fighting the fire demon Surtur). Thor defeats Ulik after some back and forth, but this is only the beginning for Thor. Before he can even take another breath, he’s transported to Mephisto’s realm, and must match wits and brawn against this seemingly unbeatable foe.

The two spar verbally, and then physically, but Thor is no match for Mephisto in the demon’s home. The evil demon soon realizes though, that Thor has more resolve than he thought. Even after being tempted with the ghost of his dead father, and even his beloved Lady Sif, Thor will not be broken. Mephisto does show him that during his battle with Ulik, that a few bystanders were killed. Of course, Thor doesn’t believe him, as Mephisto is the father of lies. Mephisto releases Thor, but when he returns to Asgard, he realizes that Mephisto was telling the truth about the villagers. Thor then vows to use everything in his power to fight him forever. Mephisto laughs, as he basks in the hatred that flows from Thor this day.

Alan Zelenetz does tell a good story, and his contributions should not be understated. Honestly though, it’s tough to outshine masters like Simonson and Buscema, no matter who you are! See you in three days!

Cinema Sunday: The Fog (1980)

Posted on January 26, 2014 by billyd75

Title: The Fog

Distributor: AVCO Embassy Pictures

Writer: John Carpenter & Debra Hill

Director: John Carpenter

Producer: Debra Hill

Starring: Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Atkins, Janet Leigh, Hal Holbrook

Released: February 1st, 1980

MPAA: R

It’s confession time, ladies and gents. When I was a kid, I used to wait until my Mom (or Grandmother) would go to bed, then go watch movies that I wasn’t allowed to under normal circumstances. One of the earliest horror movies I can remember watching and being completely frightened of, is the John Carpenter classic, The Fog. Lets be honest for a second, shall we. What boy wouldn’t want to watch a scary movie with Adrienne Barbeau (her big screen debut) and Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween) in it? Exactly my point. I was always fascinated by being scared, and movies by guys like Carpenter were just perfect. The film received mixed reviews, but did quite good at the box office. On a budget of around one million dollars, it brought in over twenty million. You’ll notice some familiar faces in this film from earlier Carpenter movies, and the mother of Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh, as well!

The movie begins with an old sailor, as he tells a ghost story to a bunch of kids while camping on the beach (Boy Scouts?). He tells them of a ship that crashed on the shores of this very coastline, one-hundred years ago. He tells how they were killed because on an unearthly fog, that confused them on their location. Across town, Father Malone (Hal Holbrook), is startled when a stone from the wall pops out, crashing to the floor. Inside the wall he finds a journal, and begins to read. Over at the lighthouse, DJ Stevie Wayne (Adrienne Barbeau), is doing her nightly show, and settling in just before midnight. At that exact moment, the entire town goes absolutely bonkers. A small tremor hits the town, pay phones ring, car horns begin honking, dogs bark wildly, etc.

Next, we see Nick Castle, as he’s driving home. He sees a hitchhiker (Jamie Lee Curtis), so he picks her up. There’s also a small ship out at sea, and after getting drunk, the crew decide to head back home. Before they can though, they hear Stevie Wayne’s weather report, and she reports a fog bank coming this way. They see it, and before they know it, a ship is right next to them. As they proceed to the upper deck, two of them meet some ghastly figures in the dark. As they stand in fear, unable to move, both men are cut down by the zombie-like men. Below decks, the one man left is skewered by another of the ghostly figures. Over at Nick’s place, he’s already talked Elizabeth (Jamie Lee Curtis) into jumping in the sack with him. As they’re having some pillow talk, a knock at the door interrupts them. Nick gets up to answer it, but the clock face shatters, and strikes 1AM. As he answers the door, no one is there, just fog.

The next day, Nick and Elizabeth charter a boat to go out and find his buddies that never came back the night before. They find the ship, but it seems that nobody is left aboard. As they go to the lower decks, they find that the ship was freezing cold, and also it’s taken on water. Nick knows this can’t be possible, but the evidence tells him otherwise. Back in town, Father Malone gets a visit from Kathy (Janet Leigh) and Sandy (Nancy Loomis), about the celebration tonight for the town anniversary. Father Malone, has basically had a breakdown over the journal from his grandfather. It told a story of how his grandfather, and five other founders of the town betrayed a ship full of lepers that wanted to buy land near Antonio Bay. The settlers built a fire near some huge rocks near the shoreline, and lured the ship full of lepers there, where they crashed and died, one hundred years ago.

As night falls, Stevie heads to the radio station, and the fog slowly rolls in to town. Her son is at home with his geriatric babysitter, Mrs. Kobritz, who gets put out of her misery, but that leaves Stevie’s son alone against the horror in the fog. The power goes out in the town, the phone lines are down, and the fog begins to envelop Antonio Bay. It’s up to Stevie, Nick, Elizabeth, and a small group of townspeople, to find a way to stop the sinister beings in the fog!

Alright, here we go with my thoughts:

Initially, people might dismiss this film for a myriad of reasons, but I choose to look at the positives. Adrienne Barbeau actually does a great job in this flick. She’s very convincing, especially at the part where her son is in jeopardy. She only speaks in person once on the film, and that’s with her son. Other than that, she talks on the radio and with the weatherman on the phone. Still, a great performance on her part, especially when you consider it was her first movie. Tom Atkins is a good “man of action” type, and even the small parts Janet Leigh, and Hal Holbrook played are done well. The real stars of the movie though are John Carpenter & Debra Hill. If you look at not only this film, but all of their collaborations, you really get a sense that they were made to work together. This film certainly exemplifies that statement. Some very intense scenes, and the music score (Carpenter as well), really added to the mood, and will give you shivers up your spine! It’s now also available on Blu-ray, so if you wan to go that route, you have that option.

The Avengers #197 & 198, 1980.

Posted on January 10, 2014 by billyd75

After listening to a podcast (Comic Geek Speak), I was inspired to use The Avengers, for today’s post! Just not any story though, but one that I recently acquired online, and it’s a great one! We have issue #197, which is basically, a day in the life of The Avengers. This book shows the team getting stuck in their own elevator, Beast and Wonder Man on a blind date, and then Jarvis with a really bad dilemma…the percolator is broken! Seriously though, we also see Wanda, as she’s left the team, and her husband (Vision), because she needs some time to process the life they are going to have together, and the possibility of raising a family. She’s walking on the beach, and then, suddenly, Ms. Marvel pops up for a visit. Wanda and Ms. Marvel have a nice chat, but then Ms. Marvel faints right on the beach! Wanda takes her to the nearest hospital, and the both get some alarming news. Ms. Marvel is three months pregnant!

The following issue shows Wanda and Ms. Marvel at the hospital, trying to cope with this untimely news. Back in New York City, the team is throwing everything it can at the super robot, Red Ronin. The giant mechanical samurai is terrorizing the city, but really, wants to head out to Russia, to start world war three! But why? Well, you see, the person responsible for its reconstruction (Dr. Cowan), has gone off the deep end, and is hell-bent on stopping world fear, but simply killing the “enemy”. Finally, after hours of fighting, The Avengers and SHIELD finally figure out a way to stop the giant robot, or so they think!

This story concludes in the next issue (Red Ronin), but the terrible fate of Ms. Marvel isn’t revealed until issue two hundred. I wont even try to explain that debacle, but believe me, it’s insane. These two issues are great though, as you get George Perez on covers, and the interiors (below is a good splash page of Beast and Wonder Man, half in the bag) of the second issue. David Michelinie does a great job with the different plot lines going at the same time as well. Ms. Marvel actually revels her secret identity to Wanda, we find out what Hawkeye has been up to, and all of this leads into the crazy anniversary issue. If you don’t know about it, just do a quick Google search, you can find it easily.

That’s all for now, but be ready for another post on Monday, and hopefully another movie review on Cinema Sunday! The idea is for me to post every three days with a comic book spotlight, and once a week (Sunday) for a movie review. Honestly, I can’t say it’ll happen every week like clockwork, but I’m going to do my best! I’m already brainstorming about February, as I think I’ll be going with a weekly theme for my posts, so be ready! Sayonara!

Fantastic Four #224, 1982. “When Calls Galactus”

Posted on January 7, 2014 by billyd75

Just look at that cover! You know, John Byrne did some incredible work on this title, personally though, I think his X-Men work is his best stuff! In this fantastic issue, we get to see a few different things, (seen in flashback) one of which being Galactus, at the mercy of the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and Dr. Strange. You see, he had just traveled to Earth, and dealt with his herald, Terrax, which left him starving. At this point, he was defeated by those above mentioned forces, but they felt compelled to help him live.

Reed, along with Iron Man, and Thor, builds a contraption to feed Galactus enough power to leave Earth. Richards also uses his intellect to find suitable sustenance for Galactus as well. As Galactus awakens, he is puzzled by his enemies helping him, but tells them that if their calculations are off about the planets nearby, he’ll have to come back, and feed on Earth. At that point, the heroes will have to either let him feed (destroy Earth), or kill him.

Meanwhile, Johnny’s girlfriend, Frankie Ray, A.K.A. Nova, has been watching and listening. She then makes a sacrifice, and volunteers to become the new herald of Galactus! Johnny is incensed at the thought of losing her, but she tells him that it’s what she wants. Galactus then pushes the Fantastic Four aside, encasing them in a bubble, and uses his cosmic power to enhance Nova, making her capable of things she never dreamed. She immediately takes off for the cosmos, as Johnny attempts to follow her. He falls short though, as he reaches Earth’s upper atmosphere, and flames out, due to the lack of oxygen. Galactus then ponders why he agreed to Reed and Frankie’s terms, but pauses, and as he teleports to his ship, he remarks that he might actually call these Earthlings, friends.

Back in the “now”, Johnny is grief-stricken, and is comforted by Juliette D’Angelo. After hearing all this, she’s absolutely floored. In the last few pages, we see a bit of a prologue, as little Franklin Richards is playing with Ben and H.E.R.B.I.E. We see him pick up a Rubik’s Cube, and his eyes begin to glow with power. H.E.R.B.I.E., then senses an immense power within him, but is blown to pieces by the surge within the child!

The artwork by Byrne is obviously great, but the story is pretty good too, especially when you consider this book was under the watchful eyes of people like Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Marv Wolfman, Roy Thomas, and other greats over the years. I hope you enjoyed this post, and be ready for another good one in a few days!

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