The Boys from Derby: "The Frame" by Cuti and Staton

What it is, Groove-ophiles! Today we're gonna hit those mean streets with Nick Cuti and Joe Staton's Michael Mauser! From Vengeance Squad #5 (December 1975), prepare yourself for..."The Frame"!

Bring on the Back-ups: "The Hit" by Cuti and Staton

Hey, hey, hey, Groove-ophiles! I canNOT believe I haven't run more of E-Man's pal Michael Mauser's back-ups from Charlton's Vengeance Squad mag. However, though Ol' Groove might be kinda forgetful, he does get around to making amends, so... Here's "The Hit" by creators Nick Cuti and Joe Staton from Vengeance Squad #2 (July 1975). Enjoy!

The Boys from Derby: "The Frame" by Cuti and Staton

Hey, hey, hey, Groove-ophiles! Have you seen this week's Dick Tracy strip? Our fave  Groovy Age Charlton artist Joe (E-Man) Staton has taken over the art chores on that long-running and legendary strip, and is it ever bee-yoo-tee-full! To celebrate Joe's continued greatness and good-fortune, Ol' Groove thought he'd share a titanic tale starring the diminutive detective Joe co-created with his fellow Boy from Derby, Nick Cuti. Yep, it's time for another solo-story featuring E-Man's pal Michael Mauser! From Vengeance Squad #5 (December 1975), here comes..."The Frame"!

The Boys from Derby: "The Energy Crisis!" by Cuti and Staton

Just imagine, Groove-ophiles! Turmoil in the Middle East! Soaring gasoline prices! Economy on the ropes! Is Ol' Groove turning Groove City over to the Associated Press? Nope! I'm taking ya back to 1974, baby! The same jive we put up with now, we put up with then--the big difference is how we handle it. Comics don't spend much time tackling the really heavy issues now'days, but during the Groovy Age it was hip to be relevant. Even a fun comic like E-Man would find a way to work in a message ish, like #3's (March 1974) "The Energy Crisis!"

Not only did creators Nick Cuti and Joe Staton use this ish to turn us on to the importance of taking care of our environment (or as the young'uns today would call it, "going green"), but they introduced us to some new supporting characters who would play important roles in upcoming issues. Nova Kane's co-worker and pal Rosie, our fave P.I. Mike Mauser, and the villain of our piece, Samuel Boar. Ol' Groove's already rapped about Mauser, and you'll be seeing the importance of Rosie and Boar in future Boys from Derby posts. Until then, enjoy the show!

Bring On the Back-Ups: Mike Mauser in "The Hit"

Dig this, Groove-ophiles! A few weeks ago (2/9/10, to be precise), some fella by the name'a Nicola Cuti stopped by the Diversions and had this to say:

"Wow! I didn't know our (Joe and me) creation had such a devoted following. I always liked him and would love to be given an opportunity to do more Mike Mauser stories. All I need is a venue. You caught on to all the puns I used to get his name, not quite a Nova Kane, which Joe tells me I'll never be able to top, but I keep trying."

So today Ol' Groove's mission is two-fold: first, I wanna let Mr. Cuti know that in no uncertain terms that he, Joe Staton, and Mike Mauser have a hardcore and devoted following here in Groove City (you guys know what to do about that, right?); second I am presenting Mike Mauser's second solo outing from Vengeance Squad #2 (July 1975), "The Hit" in order to remind everyone what a great strip/character Cuti and Staton's Mauser is in hopes that some enterprising publisher might heed Mr. Cuti's words and provide the venue for some brand new Mike Mauser adventures. How 'bout it?

Cheap Detectives Week: Nick Cuti and Joe Staton's Mike Mauser

Mike (don't ever call him "Mickey") Mauser was introduced to the world as a supporting character in Charlton's E-Man #3 (March, 1974). E-Man was busy doing work for the police and his girlfriend Nova Kane needed help finding a friend who had mysteriously disappeared. Nova didn't know where to turn, but fate (or somebody working for Mauser) handed her a handbill with contact information for a certain P.I. Ms. Kane headed straight for Mauser's office...

While crude, scruffy, and deeply cynical, Mauser also had street smarts, skill, and the courage of a true hero...Don't worry, Nova got to the phone and contacted E-Man who saved the day. And what did Mauser get by way of a "thank you" from Nova?Nova might not have appreciated him, but fandom did! Writer Nick Cuti and artist Joe Staton had another cult hit on their hands with Mauser. I suppose we were hungry for unlikely heroes at the time, and boy did we ever get one! Mike Hammer played by Moe Howard with a large dose of Columbo tossed in for good measure. Even the name was a masterful pun combining the traditional Spillane-style "Mike" with our new hero's weapon of choice into a play on Walt Disney's most iconic character. Cuti and Staton had to know they were on to something special to go to those lengths just to name the guy!

Mauser stayed on as a recurring character in E-Man issues 7-9, then graduated to his own solo back-up strip in the awesome Vengeance Squad mag beginning with the first issue (April, 1975) and lasting for the mag's entire run (through issue #6, March, 1976). And just 'cause I love ya, baby, here's Mauser's premiere strip from Vengeance Squad #1, "The Inheritance" by (who else? Cuti and Staton!