Chew the Fat: Weaknesses, Temptations and Vulnerabilities; Ours and Theirs...

 

Redartz:  This afternoon I was wrapping some Christmas presents. So what does that have to do with our topic? Well, for an artist / professional picture framer, my gift wrapping skills leave much to be desired. I can execute a painting or drawing with some success, but I can't fold gift wrap neatly around a box to save my life. Which got me to thinking, just what are my various weaknesses and vulnerabilities? 

 Everyone knows about Superman and Kryptonite, or Green Lantern and the color yellow (which always seemed a bit too convenient for his foes). 

 

Marvel heroes also have their failings and vulnerabilities, perhaps  less obvious but still extant. Where would Peter Parker be without crippling guilt? So there are some obvious examples. You can guess where this is headed.

What other vulnerabilities can you think of in the comics world? They might be physical, or mental, or magical (again, Superman- if someone came up with magic Kryptonite he'd be truly sunk). After all, its' those chinks in the armor that make a hero heroic, after all- without risk, there's not really any sacrifice.

Ah, but what about us? As this is the Holiday Season, we all are surrounded by temptations, distractions, and challenges even more than we normally face during the year. So as we consider our four color friends' weaknesses, let's consider ours as well. 

As for me, I mentioned my wrapping difficulties. Certainly not a crippling affliction, but it provides annual amusement and frustration for my wife ("How can you not wrap a present neatly?!?" ). By the way, I tried to use just about every available form of punctuation in that last sentence...

You just saw another of my weaknesses- a tendency to wander off point mentally. Which seems to be getting worse as the years go by. Focus, Red, focus. So what else 'gets' to me? I'm notoriously tempted by sweets, chocolate will draw me like the moth to a bug light. Which, returning to the Holiday theme, becomes very challenging indeed. And all those Christmas cookies; Santa is lucky if I leave him any at all. 

Aaaand, I always seem  to cram too much of everything into too little time, usually to the detriment of all of it.. Bet some of you can say the same there.  And so as to avoid cramming too much verbiage here, I'll turn the platform over to you now. What is your 'kryptonite', as it were? While thinking of comic heroes and their chinks, try to consider your own. What about you brings a knowing smile and eye roll from your 'significant other'? We're all breathlessly waiting to hear...

Oh, and at the risk of appearing self-indulgent, here is an example of one of my paintings, ink and watercolor.. My thanks for your indulgence...

 

Riding the Retro Metro: Saturday October 3, 1970!

Redartz:  Greetings; welcome once again to that ever friendly ferry to the past- the Retro Metro. Today we go all the way back to the beginnings of the Bronze age, to the year 1970 (and yes, I know we're off by a day, but such distinctions matter little in time travel, eh?). Most of us were pretty young then, or even only potential humans. Nonetheless, there was much to be enjoyed back then. Being kids, those of us around then were perhaps less caught up in the social turmoils of the time. I was certainly aware of the Big Issues of the day, but my personal world was more centered on entertainment (and dinosaurs, but that's another story).

So, as we begin our excursion, we note the mammoth hit song on top on the US Billboard Pop Chart: Diana Ross, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"

Number one for three weeks now, it is Diana's first chart topper since leaving the Supremes. And it proves the Motown hit machine just keeps on rolling.

Rounding out the top five:

2,  Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Lookin' Out My Back Door"
3.  Dawn, "Candida"
4.  Neil Diamond, "Cracklin' Rosie"
5.  Bobby Sherman, "Julie, Do Ya Love Me"

Neil Diamond, "Cracklin' Rosie"

All these songs are common accompaniment to the daily school bus rides. In particular, I like CCR's hit , with the line "...dinosaur patrolling, listening to Buck Owens...". What a mental picture. And that Neil Diamond song is very catchy.

Others of note:  Jackson Five, "I'll Be There", I know that song primarily due to watching their cartoon show.  The Carpenters, "We've Only Just Begun", a big hit for this breakout brother and sister act. The Spinners, "It's a Shame", some great soul sounds. Eric Burdon and War, "Spill the Wine", some very odd sounds. Ernie (Jim Henson), "Rubber Duckie"- my parents bought my brother, sister and me the Sesame Street LP. This song is on it, and here it is; actually on the radio too!

Tops in the UK:  Freda Payne, "Band of Gold"


But hey, this is Saturday, and you just know where all of us kids will be found this morning; parked in front of the television with a bowl of Cap'n Crunch. Here's some Saturday morning highlights:

ABC:  Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp; Here Come the Double Deckers, Hot Wheels, The Hardy Boys, American Bandstand

I've watched all these shows. Lancelot Link- how can you not like chimps as spies? And the Hardy Boys show features familiar characters from the book series ; my library of those Hardy Boys mysteries is growing. Then there's Hot Wheels: the toy cars are the best; they're all over my room. So naturally watching the show would follow. I made it a point to pick up two of the featured cars from the cartoon- the Demon and the Jackrabbit Special...

Hot Wheels Opening

CBS:  Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour, Sabrina and the Groovie Goolies, Josie and the Pussycats, Archie's Funhouse, The Harlem Globetrotters, Scooby Doo, Where Are You?

There's no better way to start a Saturday morning than with Bugs Bunny and friends! Classic Warner Bros. toons; and an hour of them. Then there's the Groovie Goolies; fun, music, monsters and merriment. It becomes tough to pick  a channel; you want to watch everything. Josie and  the Pussycats are great, too; I actually prefer them to Scooby Doo. Plus two more winners in Archie and the Harlem Globetrotters; CBS has a potent lineup.

The Harlem Globetrotters

Groovie Goolies intro

NBC:  Heckle and Jeckle, The Bugaloos, The Pink Panther, H.R. Pufnstuf, Hot Dog

Ah, then you have NBC. As I don't care for the live-action shows (give me animation every time), the only thing I ever watch here is, occasionally, the Pink Panther. 

Speaking of watching, here's what awaits on the evening tv schedule:



ABC:  Let's Make a Deal, The Newlywed Game, The Lawrence Welk Show, The Most Deadly Game



My parents, grandmother, aunts and uncles all gather around the set for Lawrence Welk each week. It seems to define Saturday nights. But to be honest, it doesn't really excite me much. 









CBS:  Mission: Impossible, My Three Sons, Arnie, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Mannix

Now Mission: Impossible, that's cool viewing. On those occasions when I'm allowed to watch it,  I make sure to catch it from the start- don't want to miss the great opening sequence. And what a cast; Peter Graves, Martin Landau, Barbara Bain and Greg Morris make quite a team. 
Much attention is being given to the new show featuring Mary Tyler Moore; no longer teamed with Dick van Dyke. I'd bet this show will be around awhile. Oh, and my Dad still loves to watch Mannix...

NBC:  The Andy Williams Show, Adam-12, NBC Saturday Night at the Movies

 


Another family favorite is the Andy Williams variety show. That's one program I enjoy along with  Mom and Dad, especially the Cookie Bear. Then , Adam-12 carries on the tradition of grounded cop shows, in the tradition of (and by the creator of) Dragnet. 












BBC1:  Here's Lucy, Show of the North, High Adventure Prince Valiant, The Harry Secombe Show, Ben Travers Farces: Turkey Time, Match of the Day

BBC2:  Disco 2, Rugby Special, We Were Caesars, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In


And now, we take our weekly trip to the spinner racks for some comic goodness. My spinner rack of choice is at a nearby drug store, and they actually have two racks full!  Here's some of what we find today...

From the viewpoint of later years, there is loads to pick from. O'neil and Adams's Green Lantern/Green Arrow jumps off the rack. That Hulk has a great cover, and Kang! The Avengers face off against the women, and what a lineup!Then there's Marvel's new title, Conan the Barbarian- sporting great artwork and a whole new direction in comic adventure. And a late issue of Sugar and Spike, to boot! Of course ten-year old redartz was, at this point, buying Archies, and probably the Hardy Boys and Hot Wheels comics too. Amazing what a variety awaits on the comics stand in 1970. 

Alas, the 1970's are history now, and so is this trip aboard the Retro Metro. Thanks for riding along!

Rank and File: The Year's Best Comic Stories, 1972!

Redartz:  Good day, and welcome everyone! For this episode of  "Rank and File" we cast our eyes upon the earlier Bronze age, to 1972. Our goal: to select some of the finest examples of comic book storytelling available in that fine, vintage year. I've chosen my favorites, using my admittedly subjective criteria (have I actually read it, and did I like it) along with considerations of historical significance, creativity and just plain coolness. Therefore, let us dally no longer with explanations; on with the show...


 

1. Avengers 100- "Whatever Gods There Be", by Roy Thomas, Barry Windsor-Smith, Joe Sinnott and Syd Shores. Great classic tale with a plethora of Avengers.













 

2. Fantastic Four 121- "The Mysterious Mind Blowing Secret of Gabriel", by Stan Lee, John Buscema and Joe Sinnott. One of Stan's last stories, but an interesting way to bring Galactus back...












 


3. Green Lantern/Green Arrow 89- "And Through Him Save a World", by Dennis O'Neal and Neal Adams. A bit heavy-handed, but a dramatic finish to the O'Neal/Adams run.












 



4. Marvel Premiere 4- "The Spawn of Sligguth", by Archie Goodwin, Barry Windsor-Smith and Frank Brunner. A tale smacking of horror; a bit different for Dr. STrange, but a good read. And unusual, but nice, artistic pairing of Smith and Brunner.










 


5. Marvel Team-Up 4- "And Then-The X-Men", by Gerry Conway, Gil Kane and Steve Mitchell. A Solid team-up, solid art, solid stories, just a solid issue. 












 


6. Amazing Spider-Man 113- "They Call the Doctor...Octopus"; by Gerry Conway, John Romita Sr. and Jim Starlin. A great start to the Ock /Hammerhead war. And interesting to see Jim Starlin over Romita, as well. 











 


7. Captain America 155- "The Incredible Origin of the Other Captain America", by Steve Englehart, Sal Buscema and Frank McLaughlin. Englehart's phenomenal run on the book is just starting, and already he tackles a biggie: the '50's' Cap!











 



8. Conan the Barbarian 20- "The Black Hound of Vengeance", by Roy Thomas, Barry Windsor-Smith and Dan Adkins. A personal favorite among the Thomas/Smith Conan stories. Absolutely great; and what a cover. Incidentally, this must have been a good year for Mr. Windsor-Smith.









 


9. Kamandi 1- "The Last Boy on Earth", by Jack Kirby and Mike Royer. The King starts off his post-apocalyptic epic in fine form. Dialogue may  be a bit clunky, but you can't fault his imagination.











 



10. Swamp Thing 1- "Dark Genesis", by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson. A more detailed origin for the swamp monster, courtesy  of his two initial creators. 






 





There's my picks; take'em or leave'em. Either way, let us all know why you took them or left them, and pass along your own lists for the Best of '72!

Rank and File: Justice League of America, Roll Call!

Redartz:  Hi gang! Most of the time here at BitBA we seem to discuss Marvel Comics and their phenomenal cast of characters. So this time around, we'll give a chance to DC. Specifically, the Justice League. 

 The JLA has had as many lineup changes as the Avengers, and perhaps more. Of course, the League had a couple years head start. A wide range of characters have filled the membership logs of the JLA, including DC's biggest stars, and many of their lesser lights. From Superman to Blue Beetle, from Wonder Woman to Gypsy, much of DC's lineup have occupied the pages of DC's premier team book. 

There was the classic original lineup, with the likes of Green Lantern, Flash, Martian Manhunter and Wonder Woman (and frequently Superman and Batman). In the 70's there was the "Satellite Era", with a grand array of members, adding such names as Firestorm, Black Lightning, Elongated Man, Red Tornado, Black Canary and Green Arrow. In the 80's, a new era for the JLA gave us the lineup with Gypsy, Vibe, Steel, Vixen and John J'onzz. A few years later, after the Crisis on Infinite Earths, the "Bwa Ha Ha" league, with Batman, Black Canary, Captain Marvel, Dr. Fate, Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Mr. Miracle, John J'onzz and Guy Gardner kept us entertained. 

Which lineup was the best? Which heroes had the biggest impact? What characters did you enjoy seeing in the book, and which ones could have stayed home? Give us your opinions, and I won't tell Batman about how you missed the membership meeting...

 

The Quarter Bin: The "Down in Front" Challenge!

Martinex1: Today it is time for another exploration of a comic cover trope - the fallen character! This theme I found particularly enjoyable as I was able to find quite an array of covers that fit the style remarkably well.  You have undoubtedly seen this particular theme over and over again, but it may not have registered with you just how common it is.

In most examples, a hero has been battered and knocked unconscious as another character lords over the prone protagonist.  Many of the examples are eerily similar; the positions are noticeably consistent.  However, as you scroll through you will see that I added some variation on the theme with different positioning with the same impact, intention, and effect.

The challenge to you is to pick your four favorites from this imaginary spinner rack (four for the non-existent dollar) and share why you chose those comics.  Also, please comment on the layouts highlighted below; I am curious why you think the position was so frequently used back in the Bronze Age.   Cheers all!