The Viking Prince!

The Viking Prince is a creation by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert. The majority of the stories in this terrific little run were written though by Bob Haney and Bill Finger. Kubert is the artist throughout, though Irv Novick supplies many of the covers featuring the character. The feature debuted in the pages of The Brave and the Bold as part of a trio of features starring heroes from sundry historical eras. We have the Golden Gladiator from Rome, the Shining Knight from Medieval times and the Prince likewise from Medieval era but a bit further north.

The premise of the Viking Prince stories is pretty straightforward and originally quite formulaic, at least at first. Prince Jon is found by a village of Vikings and is suffering from amnesia. (They named him "Jon" but it turns out that was his real name anyway.) He stays with them and helps them out of one terrific jam after another and battles against an old rogue named Thorvald who apparently knows the secret of his birth but seems threatened by it. This goes on for a while with a lovely damsel named Gunnda. The early stories are adventurous but largely magic free with seemingly supernatural threats like a giant ice dragon having more prosaic explanations. I almost got the sense that Jon was rather like Adam Strange, a visitor from a distant land who arrived and helped the locals with his wits and skills to deal with threats which bewildered them.

Then the abruptly the story changes and we have Prince Jon and a mute companion named Bard traveling around while Jon performs the "Twelve Tasks of Thor". The stories pick up some length and some verve as real magic abounds. Jon goes to lands below the waves, beneath the Earth and even ends up shrunken in a Lilliput Viking kingdom. Always he reunites with Bard and they travel on. These are my favorites of the series, and it's a shame more of them weren't created. These stories fully qualify the series as a legit sword and sorcery series as there is no doubt that magical lands abound and that all sorts of demons and gods are out and about.

Then the premise changes again as we get the "origin" of Prince Jon and meet his dad King Rikk. There's another love named Asa, a blonde beauty who is betrothed to Jon for future benefit of two kingdoms. He though is obliged to rescue her and his father a few times while he battles all sort of threats to the kingdom. He is the loyal son now and must fight more than a few times to keep his rank as heir to the throne. Once again magic seems a bit more real as he gets a strange dragon-shaped mark in the final story which appears to have been a means to give him a specific weakness by deadening his arm in specific moonlight, not unlike Kryptonite or a Green Lantern's deficiency around yellow.

If the characters were clearly all the same "Viking Prince" these reboots would be clearly set ups for different series, but in the wacked out world of DC at the time, they were just all about the same character, continuity be damned.

Eventually Prince Jon ends up in the pages of a Kubert war book and battles alongside the World War II icon Sgt.Rock and his Easy Company. Here he gets silver hair not the blonde he's sported since the beginning and we find him trapped in ice in a cave. (Steve Rogers ring a bell?) He gets out and we learn he has been imprisoned by Odin himself and cast down from Valhalla because he was putting the moves on a Valkyrie. Lost in the WWII setting, he join Rock on a suicide mission, Jon himself eager to die fighting so that he can return to Valhalla. There is intrigue but eventually he gets his wish and yet a fourth premise is established for the series, but one which is never followed through upon. Stranger and stranger.

This post is dedicated to the late Joe Kubert. 

This Post is a Revised Dojo Classic. 

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Amazing World Of Superman!

It's Superman's birthday. And the Dojo wraps up a week-long celebration of the Man of Steel with a look a real bit of offbeat memorabilia, a tome titled Amazing World of Superman. Originally published in 1973 to celebrate Superman Day in the little city of Metropolis, Illinois, this oversized tabloid-size tome is a wonderful collection of all sorts of Superman stories, images, and whatnots. 

The volume opens with "Superman in Superman Land", a story by writer Bill Finger and artists Wayne Boring and Stan Kaye. Originally appearing in Action Comics #210 from 1955 this yarn imagines a theme park dedicated to the "Man of the Tomorrow". We get lots of offbeat glimpses of this imaginary park before we are introduced to a mysterious character who turns out to be Lex Luthor (no surprise). He's concocted a scheme to incapacitate the "Man of Steel" with the ubiquitous Kryptonite and trap him inside a mock-up of Krypton, one meant to be exploded. It will surprise no one that the scheme fails. 

This if followed by a "How to Draw Superman" page by Curt Swan as well as page introducing us to the extended Superman family. Then there is a wonderful ten-page article detailing how comic books are conceived and manufactured. It's a nifty item because it's loaded with photos of the staff of DC at the time. 

Then we are treated to a brand new (then) "The Origin of Superman" written by E. Nelson Bridwell, and drawn by Carmine Infantino, Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson. This is a delightful fifteen-page black and white presentation which hits all the highlights right through Clark leaving his foster parents in Smallville and taking up his career in Metropolis. There is a particularly touching scene with Clark and his dying foster father. 

Then a special detached fold-out poster showcases a "Map of Krypton" in amazing colorful detail. This map was rendered by E. Nelson Bridwell and artist Sal Amendola. Then we get a page showing how Superman made it big in syndicated comic strips. 

"Metropolis, Illinois - Story of an American City" presents copious features and images from the celebration for the inaugural "Superman Day". We get a lot of backstory about how this event came to be with photos of a guy named Charles Chandler dressed as Superman making appearances in sundry places like the TV show To Tell the Truth. 

"The Superman Legend - Rogues' Gallery" has more art by Murphy Anderson and writing by Bridwell as we meet some of the best villains such as the aforementioned Lex Luthor, Brainiac, Parasite, Toyman, and others such as the Phantom Zone villains. "The Secrets of Superman's Fortress" takes us inside the Fortress of Solitude as drawn by "Swanderson". 

(Al Hirschfield)

"It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman" is all about the Broadway show which debuted in 1966. We get some nifty photos from that singular show. "Superman Salutes Nasa" is about Superman's connection to the OAO -2 (Orbital Astronomical Observatory). "Important Dates in Superman's Life" is a one-page item which hits the highlights from Superman's publishing history in comics, novels and appearances in other media. Sadly, and frankly strangely, I found no references to either the utterly wonderful Fleischer cartoons of the 40's nor to the pretty darn good Filmation cartoons of the 60's here or any other place it the book. 

We get two pages from "Superman's Mission for President Kennedy" which was marred when it first appeared by the tragic assassination of the thirty-fifth president of the United States. The story was published at the request of both President Johnson and the Kennedy clan. 

"The Superman Legend" returns with a look at Superboy's hideout beneath the Kent home and info on his costume written by Bridwell with art by Bob Brown, Wally Wood and Mike Exposito. (This was presented in black and white.)

The book closes with a photo album of sorts which features George Reeves, Kirk Allyn, and others from Superman's film and TV adventures. The final image is a full-page poster shot of Superman by Curt Swan and George Klein (in black and white).

This wonderful time capsule was reprinted by DC in a hand hardcover format in 2021. At a mere twenty bucks it was a bargain then and now. Happy Birthday to the Man of Steel. Now it's time to enjoy some of that vintage George Reeves taking on those little creepy Mole Men on my TV. 

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Batmania Classics - The TV Stories!

Picked up this collection on a lark a few weeks back. Batman - The TV Stories is just what it purports to be, a small and highly readable collection of vintage Batman stories, those stories in particular which debuted significant villains who appeared on the famous 60's TV show or stories which inspired episodes of the show or both. This time as I watch Season One, I stopped to read the comic which might have inspired the episode to see how closely they matched. Based on what I found in a few instances, the writing credits on the show need to be amended as the likes of Bill Finger, Dave Wood, John Broome and Gardner Fox have been cheated of credit for their significant contributions to the earliest days of the show.

The Riddler as portrayed by Frank Gorshin is my favorite of the Bat-TV villains, his antic behavior and cackling laugh are downright demonic. Apparently The Riddler wasn't much of a Batman staple until his TV notoriety. He debuted in this comic from 1948. John Astin who did a turn as Riddler when Gorshin was in a contract dispute was much less impressive alas. A far as I can tell this story was not adapted beyond the use of the Riddler's character. 

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The Joker as played by Cesar Romero is the villain many folks first think of. Joker was almost always a part of the Bat-mythology, but has had many tones much like the Dark Knight himself. His more whimsical side is seen in these stories from the late 40's.  I often found myself staring a bit at Romero's mustache. There are two Joker stories adapted for the TV show, the one cover featured above and another titled "A Hairpin, a Hoe, a Hacksaw, a Hole in the Ground". Both are changed of course but the essence is clearly there. 

The Mad Hatter appeared a few times during the Bat-TV show, and was delightfully and skillfully played by David Wayne. This comic from 1956 has him featured. His mania for hats is on display but his desire for revenge on a jury is not in this story. "The Green Derby" which shows up in this tale does pop up in a second season episode. 

Perhaps the most curious Bat-villain of the the TV show was Mr.Freeze who went on to be a big part of the comics, but who himself based on a villain named Mr. Zero who debuted in 1959. Three actors played Freeze, and none of them repeated in the role - George Sanders, Otto Preminger, and Eli Wallach. Freeze was a different kind of personality each time he showed up on TV. The TV folks adapted this story very closely in almost all respects. It remains a strong entry in the first season. 

The Penguin performed by Burgess Meredith has become one of my favorites. I used to take his performance for granted, but seeing them again recently has made me appreciate what great shenanigans he was getting away with in the role. The Penguin was a part of Batman's Golden Age, but is seen in this 1965 Silver Age story. This was adapted pretty closely on the show. 

And this is the comic which purportedly started it all when according to legend producer Dozier read it on a plane flight. This one is adapted quite closely for TV and in fact is the first episode and has some real darkness to it that fades as the show continues. 

This is an odd one in that the story in this issue is adapted but the Joker is weirdly replaced by the Riddler. I love Frank Gorshin's portrayal, but this subject is ideal for the Joker though to be honest I don't think Caesar Romero would have done as fine a job. Perhaps that the reason the changed, to allow Gorshin to showcase his mimicry. 

This comic story is adapted quite closely but Anne Baxter is the villainous and replaces the male magician who is one of the culprits in this offbeat Batman tale. I never really like this story in the old days but it warmed up for me on this viewing. 

And the final entry in this collection is Batgirl's "Million Dollar Debut". She wouldn't show up util Season Three alas. What is really missing from this collection is a Catwoman story. Admittedly Julie Newmar only takes one turn in the role in the first season, but she does showcase a new costume which was reflected in the comics soon thereafter. 

All in all a dandy little read and I heartily recommend it if you can find a copy. Amanda Conner's cover is a charmer. 

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The Green Slime -- You Ooze You Lose!

The Green Slime is a movie that entertains me. It's hokey and stupid and filled with cardboard men and women who shuffle through their noble lives as if they were in a movie -- perfect. The Green Slime (an outstanding title by the way) is a Japanese-American production based on an Italian series of TV movies, populated with notable American actors like Robert Horton and Richard Jaeckel (I'm big fan of his). There's also the bombasticly beautiful Luciana Paluzzi who serves up the mote of romance this movie carves out a few seconds for. The movie was written by Bill Finger, the co-creator of Batman and that alone gets my attention. 

The movie takes place in space station Gamma 3 when suddenly a planet is hurtling to destroy the Earth. With hours to go a rugged hero (Horton) is dispatched to take control and lead a mission to blow up the offending planet. He teams with his former partner and rival (Jaeckel) to save the planet but not before Gamma 3 is infested with a green slime. The slime feeds on electricity and grows becoming somewhat ridiculous monsters which are a cross between the Giant Leeches and Dr. Who's Daleks. Much death and mayhem erupts and I'll let you wonder how it all ends. 

I find this one a terrifically entertaining movie, and I'm not quite certain why. Horton and Jaeckel chew scenery relentlessly, Paluzzi looks great but seems dazed much of the time, and the monsters are more laughable than scary -- but somehow the whole brew triggers my pleasure centers in a most satisfying way. I don't suggest your experience will be the same so tread lightly, but I'd recommend it.  

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In The Days Of The Viking Prince!

The Viking Prince is a creation by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert. The majority of the stories in this terrific little run were written though by Bob Haney and Bill Finger. Kubert is the artist throughout, though Irv Novick supplies many of the covers featuring the character. The feature debuted in the pages of The Brave and the Bold as part of a trio of features starring heroes from sundry historical eras. We have the Golden Gladiator from Rome, the Shining Knight from Medieval times and the Prince likewise from Medieval era but a bit further north.

The premise of the Viking Prince stories is pretty straightforward and originally quite formulaic, at least at first. Prince Jon is found by a village of Vikings and is suffering from amnesia. (They named him "Jon" but it turns out that was his real name anyway.) He stays with them and helps them out of one terrific jam after another and battles against an old rogue named Thorvald who apparently knows the secret of his birth but seems threatened by it. This goes on for a while with a lovely damsel named Gunnda. The early stories are adventurous but largely magic free with seemingly supernatural threats like a giant ice dragon having more prosaic explanations. I almost got the sense that Jon was rather like Adam Strange, a visitor from a distant land who arrived and helped the locals with his wits and skills to deal with threats which bewildered them.

Then the abruptly the story changes and we have Prince Jon and a mute companion named Bard traveling around while Jon performs the "Twelve Tasks of Thor". The stories pick up some length and some verve as real magic abounds. Jon goes to lands below the waves, beneath the Earth and even ends up shrunken in a Lilliput Viking kingdom. Always he reunites with Bard and they travel on. These are my favorites of the series, and it's a shame more of them weren't created. These stories fully qualify the series as a legit sword and sorcery series as there is no doubt that magical lands abound and that all sorts of demons and gods are out and about.

Then the premise changes again as we get the "origin" of Prince Jon and meet his dad King Rikk. There's another love named Asa, a blonde beauty who is betrothed to Jon for future benefit of two kingdoms. He though is obliged to rescue her and his father a few times while he battles all sort of threats to the kingdom. He is the loyal son now and must fight more than a few times to keep his rank as heir to the throne. Once again magic seems a bit more real as he gets a strange dragon-shaped mark in the final story which appears to have been a means to give him a specific weakness by deadening his arm in specific moonlight, not unlike Kryptonite or a Green Lantern's deficiency around yellow.

If the characters were clearly all the same "Viking Prince" these reboots would be clearly set ups for different series, but in the wacked out world of DC at the time, they were just all about the same character, continuity be damned.

Eventually Prince Jon ends up in the pages of a Kubert war book and battles alongside the World War II icon Sgt.Rock and his Easy Company. Here he gets silver hair not the blonde he's sported since the beginning and we find him trapped in ice in a cave. (Steve Rogers ring a bell?) He gets out and we learn he has been imprisoned by Odin himself and cast down from Valhalla because he was putting the moves on a Valkyrie. Lost in the WWII setting, he join Rock on a suicide mission, Jon himself eager to die fighting so that he can return to Valhalla. There is intrigue but eventually he gets his wish and yet a fourth premise is established for the series, but one which is never followed through upon. Stranger and stranger.

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