Black and White Wednesday: A Sampling of Eerie Fanfare

Dig it, Groove-ophiles! From 1968-1973, Warren's Eerie magazine ran a cool feature called Eerie Fanfare. In it, as you might guess, the mags fans could get stories and art published (and Warren could hype a few things a la Marvel's Bullpen Bulletins, as well). Just a random run from Eerie issues 31-34 gives us fan work by future professional-folks like Pat Broderick, Steve Leialoha, Rick Bryant, and the team of Greg Theakston and Arvell Jones. We also get a bio of then-newcomer Dave Cockrum and a rare art sample from Jeff Jones. Plus some cool stories by fans who don't ring a bell to Ol' Groove but might to some of you out there? Check 'em out!

The Grooviest Covers of All Time: That Groovy Wonder Woman!

Dig it, Groove-ophiles! While Lynda Carter may always hold the hearts of those of us who grew up in the Groovy Age, Gal Gadot is donning the tiara of Wonder Woman today on the big screen! Ol' Groove has heard good things about this new version of WW, and as always, I'm going in with an open mind and hopes for a great flick! While we wait for the projector to start (yeah, I know, that's not how it's done these days, but Ol' Groove IS stuck in the Groovy Age, y'know), let's travel through the Groovy Age to plant our peepers on some of Ol' Groove's favorite Wonder Woman covers. Covers with art by giants like Mike Sekowsky, Dick Giordano, Jeff Jones, Ross Andru, Rich Buckler, Mike Grell,,  Jose Delbo, and more!

Black and White Wednesday: "Dragon Slayer" by Jones and Jones

Dig it, Groove-ophiles! We're going waaaaaaay back to 1967 to some early Jeffrey Jones work from Larry Ivie's legendary pro-zine Heroes and Monsters #2. According to Ivie's editorial in that ish, Jones' "Dragon Slayer" led the fledgling (and immensely talented) artist to gain work at Warren, King Comics, and even Ace Books (covers). Not only that, but the story was scripted by Jones' then-wife Louise (yep, the same "Weezie" who edited X-Men during the late 70s, co-created Power Pack in the 80s, and is married to Walter Simonson).

Yep, that was a long time ago, huh? Okay, are you ready for adventure? Then let's gooooooooo...!

Black and White Wednesday: "All the Ways and Means to Die" by Jones and Niven

Hey, hey, hey, Groove-ophiles! Waaay back in November of 2011, we planted our peepers on Howard Chaykin's adaptation of Larry Niven's "All the Myriad Ways" from Marvel's Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction (you can check it out here). Well, a few Groove-ophiles with great memories (and taste) reminded me that the late Jeffrey Catherine Jones adapted Niven's prose tale first! Jones' version of "All the Myriad Ways", "All the Ways and Means to Die", was intended for the never-published Science Fiction Odyssey #1, but eventually saw print in Skywald's Psycho #9 (cover-dated November 1972). And now, Ol' Groove's gonna lay it on ya right now (sans one page I'm missing. Sorry, completists!)!

Groove's Faves: "Harry" by Jeff Jones

Poetic. Haunting. Sad. Ironic. Gorgeous. "Harry" from Comix International #5 (1975) by Jeff Jones. Colors by Rich Corben.

Black and White Wednesday: Jeff Jones' "Sleep"

Greetings from the "future," Groove-ophiles! This is Ol' Groove from 15 years after this post! I was recently contacted by writer Steve Stern about a problem with the credits for "Sleep" in Psycho #21--specifically, somone  in editorial had dropped Mr. Stern's name from the credits from Psycho #6 which DID credit Mr. Stern as the story writer for whatever reason. I am here (from the future) to present the splash page from the original printing from Psycho #6 which properly credits Mr. Stern as the writer of "Sleep." Mebbe someone else out there can fill us in on why the credits were changed when the story was reprinted? 

Hey, hey, hey! Here's another winner from the wonder that is Psycho #21, aka The 1974 Nightmare Summer Special. This time the spotlight falls on "Sleep" (originally published in Nightmare #6) by the incredible Jeffrey Jones. With a plethora of out-of-this-world comics and cover paintings, Jones (along with Studio mates Barry Windsor-Smith, Mike Kaluta, and Bernie Wrightson) helped elevate the public perception of our humble medium into a bona fide art form during the Groovy Age. Jones' mastery of shape and shadow is just as mind-blowing today as it was back in then.

See?

Black and White Wednesday: Web of Horror Wrap-Up

Okay, Groove-ophiles! Here's the big Web of Horror blow-out I promised ya last Wednesday! First up, how about a cover round-up, with Jeff Jones' ish #1 cover, followed by Bernie Wrightson's stunner for WoH #3?
Gassers, huh? Now, dig the Bernie Wrightson art on "The Game That Plays You" from WoH #1!

Now, I don't know about you, but Ol' Groove really, I mean REALLY digs the art of Ralph Reese. His art puts me in mind of a younger, hipper, trippier Wally Wood in a lot of ways. And why shouldn't it? Reese started working for Woody when he was about sixteen years old! The strips you are about to read were illustrated by one of the most talented teens to pick up pen and pencil, baby! Yeah, Reese went on to bigger and better venues (National Lampoon, Esquire), and his art got even better (he spent time honing his craft in the Underground Comics as well as at Neal Adams' Continuity Studios), but dang, man! First up, from WoH #1, here's "The Skin Eaters" written by Terry Bisson!

The next two strips are written by the immortal Otto Binder. "Man-Plant from the Tomb" (from WoH #2) and "Curse of the Yeti" (from WoH #3). Captain Marvel was never like this...


Speaking of Woody-disciples, here's an early strip by Wayne Howard. This is one of his earliest professional art jobs. Howard, by the by, started in comics working for Will Eisner, then worked for and got good enough to actually ghost for Wally Wood. A couple years after this strip, Howard started a long, fruitful relationship with Charlton Comics, where he was awarded his own mag, the great Midnight Tales. Oh, yeah, Ol' Groove'll be covering Midnight Tales and Wayne Howard in the near future, bet on it! Meantime, from WoH #1, here's Howard's "Growth" written by another Charlton super-star/Wally Wood alumnus, Nick Cuti!

Here's a treat I should'a tricked ya with at Christmas--the comicbook debut of far-out Frank Brunner! Check out "Santa's Claws"...

And finally, just for fun, here's a spine-tingler from Underground Comics legend Roger Brand called "Ashes to Ashes"...