Alan Kupperberg | Magazines and Monsters!

Bizarre Adventures 34, 1982 “Special Hate-The-Holidays Issue!”

Posted on December 25, 2019 by billyd75

In this, the final holiday post of 2019, I give to you one of the weirdest books ever! These strange stories all revolve around the holidays, but each one with a different cast of characters. The awesome cover is by Joe Jusko!

In the first odd tale (“Son of Santa“), we see a little person who convinces a total stranger to come with him on a flight to Tokyo. He agrees, but half way through the flight, the little guy hijacks the plane, and then forces the kid to jump out of the plane with him (using parachutes). They descend, and find an unusual building. It’s the HQ of none other than Santa Claus himself! The jolly old guy has been killed, frozen solid by someone called…the Anti-Claus! Written by Mark Gruenwald and art by Alan Kupperberg.

The second story is a bit of a parody of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” starring Howard the Duck (“Howard the Duck’s Christmas“)! As usual, it’s a crazy story, but not the best of the book for sure. Written by Steven Grant, art by Paul Smith.

Next is “Dr. Deth, Not to Mention Kip and Morty.” This one is by Larry Hama (script and layouts) and Bob Camp (pencils and inks). This one is very weird, and really not about Christmas except in a very ancillary way.

In “Slay Bells,” we see what looks like a deranged, small man, acting like a boy to get close to Santa Claus’s around town so he can kill them! This one is super crazy, and violent. Story and art by Mike Carlin.

The next to last story is called “Santa Bites the Big Apple!” Santa arrives to give out presents in Manhattan, but finds out it isn’t easy doing anything in NYC! He gets thrown in the slammer, then must improvise on how to distribute his presents. Writing and art by Al Milgrom.

Lastly, we get a chapter in the life of Bucky Bizarre! An alien character that appeared in previous issues. He’s a humorous character that stumbles upon a girl selling matches on a street corner. The story takes place in the times of Charles Dickens, but this girl is not what you’d think! Written by Steve Skeates, art by Steve Smallwood.

Marvel Two-in-One 95, 1982 “The Power to Live, The Power to Die!”

Posted on November 10, 2015 by billyd75

After searching far and wide (OK, not really), I’ve finally purchased a book I’ve been wanting to buy for years! Why this book? Because I love N’Kantu, The Living Mummy, that’s why! With a backstory along the same lines as Imhotep, this former warrior prince of an African tribe was put down by politics. They embalmed him alive and with a special fluid that has kept him alive for centuries! In this story, we see Ben Grimm and Alicia Masters get caught up in an Egyptian-style caper with magic and mayhem!

This issue was scripted by the very capable David Anthony Kraft. He was one of those guys that was ready for anything, and even though he didn’t have many extended runs on any specific title, the work was there and on point. The recent passing of Alan Kupperberg (pencils) was quite a shock for me. Having been friends with him on social media for a couple for years, I found him to be very friendly, and always positive. The inker, Jon D’Agostino, is someone I know nothing about, but his work with Kupperberg looks very nice to my eyes. The cover was brought to us by the awesome Bronze Age duo of Ron Wilson and Chic Stone! Veterans Diana Albers (letters), George Roussos (colors), and Tom Defalco (editor), round out the team!

Dazzler #3, 1981″Enter…Doom!”

Posted on January 11, 2015 by billyd75

OK, besides the fact that Dr. Doom couldn’t care less about what Dazzler would be doing, or the fact that the story is called “The Jewels of Doom (one must assume that jewels was referenced as a man’s cajonies by this time in history),” just sit back, relax, and enjoy the beautiful woman on roller skates that can kick butt! In the beginning, Alison Blaire was just a supporting character, but in the pages of the Uncanny X-Men, she became a Marvel staple. And honestly, does Doom really need a bonafide reason to attack anyone? Throw in a little fantastic Four action, and you have a winner!

This issue was brought to us by some real pros, and at that time, up-and-comers! Written by Tom Defalco, pencils by John Romita Jr. and Alan Kupperberg, inks by Armando Gil and Danny Bulanadi, colors by Bob Sharen, and letters by Sam Rosen! And let us not forget the great cover by the team of Brent Anderson and ‘Joltin’ Joe Sinnott!

Marvel’s Unsung Heroes! -Alan Kupperberg!

Posted on June 9, 2014 by billyd75

The name Alan Kupperberg wasn’t familiar to me until a while after I started reading comics. Maybe he doesn’t get the recognition he deserves because he didn’t have an extended run on any one title, or possibly because he was busy with other work (different divisions of Marvel and commercial work). Whatever the reason, if you take a look at his body of work, you can see the pencils of a true craftsman that is under-appreciated, to say the least.

His work on The Invaders, is especially nice, but I also own some of his work on Thor, and a couple other gems you’ll find interesting. The man wasn’t limited in his work either, doing some writing, inking, coloring, lettering, and everything else you can think of in the industry. So, here’s to you, Alan Kupperberg, thanks for all of your contributions to the greatest form of entertainment on the planet!