Doctor Weird Day!

Jim Starlin was born on this date in 1949. He made his mark at Marvel with stellar runs on Captain Marvel and Warlock. His creation of Thanos has given the MU a villain worthy of the entire universe itself. Starlin's The Death of Captain Marvel is one of Marvel's finest productions and that death has never been undone to my knowledge. But before all that, there was Doctor
Weird. 

Created by Howard Keltner, a fan-talent and part of the "Texas Trio", Dr. Weird has gotten a life in comics outside his fanboy beginnings. Keltner is not timid about saying that Mr. Justice, the old MLJ hero was Weird's inspiration.

I first chanced on the good Doctor in a Caliber Comics reprint of vintage Dr. Weird stories by now-famous writer George R.R. Martin and now-famous comics artist Jim Starlin. They kindle with the robust energy of youth and have a vigor and life missing from most modern comics, overcome by ironic commentary. Starlin's artwork is very like the stuff he first showed up at Marvel with on Iron Man and Captain Marvel, a fusion of Kirby and Kane and others, a synthesis of what was good in comics art at the time. The special reprints the contents of the two Dr. Weird issues published by Keltner along with a few other short tales.

The stories are a blend of science and sorcery. The Doctor is a lost time traveler who dies before he was born creating a paradox that gives him a weird unlife in which he's given the mission to use vast powers to help mankind in the 20th century. The threats are cults and demons and whatnot, vaguely Lovecraftian with a comics twist.

Dr. Weird got a few issues from Caliber of new adventures but these don't have the same magic somehow. Then he was folded into the Big Bang universe and had some fun things happen there. I've seen a few other issues advertised but I don't have those.

He's also shown up at Hamster Press in some classic reprints from the 60's with artwork Landon Chesney and others, really fine stuff. Howard Keltner his creator apparently sold the rights to the Big Bang guys, but I don't know where they reside now since Keltner passed away. Dr. Weird is good reading for fans of vintage comic book heroes and fans of Jim Starlin. 

When Jim Starlin broke into Marvel, he brought with him a new character named Drax the Destroyer. Drax was introduced in the pages of Iron Man, but soon became a central part of the battle against Thanos, the Mad Titan. 

Here we see Jim Starlin's Drax the Destroyer in full on destroyin' mode as he attacks the Mad God Thanos with Death looking on. Since Drax is risen from the dead and Thanos worships death, it's a most appropriate image. This is the classic Drax, the original design which I have to believe was based in part on Dr.Weird, a fanzine hero Starlin had worked on previously.

Here's that double page spread from Captain Marvel #32 in all its original black and white glory. Beautiful!

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Fafhrd And The Gray Mouser Omnibus!

Despite the sales domination of Conan the Barbarian for many years from Marvel, other sword and sorcery properties discovered limited or little success in the market. They tried Thongor of Lemuria, Gullivar of Mars, and Elric of Melnibone. But never had they attempted Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, a series which had been adapted to comics once before by DC in the early 70's. Then in their Epic Comics brand they tried it out and brought back a much more experience and seasoned comic talent Howard Chaykin to do the writing. He'd been the artist on the early DC effort with uneven success and this time he was joined by the up and coming artist Mike Mignola and the respected veteran Al Williamson. And finally we see these two heroes as they should be in the four issue limited run titled Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and The Gray Mouser.

The first issue adapts "Ill Met in Lankmar" and we see the duo pair up for the first time to carry out raids on the Thieves Guild of Lankhmar. Spurred on by their loves Vlana and Ivrian and no small amount of drink they invade the thieves sanctuary and confront the leader and his resident sorcerer. But they fail to realize that for an earlier attack they were already being targeted for sorcerous destruction, a destruction which tragically claimed the lives of their lady loves. Filled with vengeful rage they attack the Guild again and blood is shed in abundance. Overcome by grief and regret the freshly minted team vow to leave Lankhmar never to return.

The next issue gives us "The Circle Curse" in which we meet Sheelba of the Eyeless Face and Ningauble of the Seven Eyes and we find that despite their best efforts our heroes eventually return to Lankhmar after a long time wandering across the varied and dangerous landscapes of Newhon looking for some measure of solace.

"The Howling Tower" is a properly scary tale which starts with the duo led by native guide encountering ghosts on the plains of Newhon. A mysterious disappearance leads the two of them and later just the Mouser (when Fafhrd too disappears) to an ancient tower in which a weird menace presents itself. Mouser must become a wraith himself to help Fahrd put down the threat but they escape just barely and justice served to some extent.

"The Price of Pain Ease" is adapted for a second time by Chaykin and this time with the proper back story of loss which gives it the emotional depth to the tale that it requires. The duo are in a contest to claim the mask of Death itself for their magical mentors and must compete with the depraved Duke Danius for the prize.

"Bazarr of the Bizarre" has the Mouser fall victim to an other-dimensional marketing scheme which sells garbage but makes the customer convinced it is of great value. Not only is he being swindled but he is about to die when thanks to Fafhrd and the intervention of their mentors he is saved barely.

"Lean Times in Lankhmar" is a classic tale, perhaps the single finest in the canon and is adapted here with skill. Fafhrd and Mouser have fallen out (over how to spell Fafhrd's name it is suggested) and since have followed separate paths. Fafhrd has become a zealous acolyte of the god Issek of the Jug and Mouser has become the top enforcer for the gangster Pulg. The two come into some conflict when Pulg for his own reasons wants to put the pinch on the priest of the cult of Issek and a bizarre and peculiar set of circumstances lead to one of the better finales in all pulp literature. This adaptation is not as deft as the original Leiber text (a masterpiece) but it does a good job nonetheless.

"When the Sea King's Away" closes out the four-issue run with Fafhrd and Mouser seeking treasure and a bit of romance at the bottom of the sea. They snake their way down through a weird tunnel of air and find strangely attractive women but have to make a dash for their lives when the sea closes in.
We leave our heroes adrift in a small bark seeking as always new adventures. 

And that's a wrap for the team. Dark Horse reprinted these stories in 2007 and that's the collection I read this time out. It's surprising that in all the time that has passed there have been no other attempts to adapt these tales. Over forty years since the first try and twenty-five since the second. Whole generations have come since anyone's tried. But maybe they don't think they can do better. It would be hard. But we're not done yet. 

Not included in the collection but rather in another which put together the last of Wonder Woman's Diana Prince stories is the debut of Fafhrd and his pal the Mouser. The story is bit of windy one and in the first part Diana and her mentor of the day I Ching seek to rescue their sometimes partner Jonny Double from the clutches of I Ching's daughter who has kidnapped him to motivate Diana to steal a certain gem. This gem along with its other-dimensional counterpart opens a portal to the world of Newhon. The Catwoman is involved as any decent jewel their might be. At the close of the first part of the story by Denny O'Neil and Dick Giordano the portal is opened and Diana, I Ching and Catwoman find themselves at the mercy of two distinctive swordsmen.

In the second part of the story Fafhrd and Gray Mouser introduce themselves properly and join forces with with our heroes (of a sort) to confront the menace and find a way back to Earth. The battle is at first between the comrades then shifts to the cavernous lair of a sorcerer and his weird machinery. This tale by Samuel R. Delany is magnificently drawn by Dick Giordano and at its end Fafhrd and Mouser find themselves in New York City (and not its Newhonian counterpart Lankhmar) but reject the noise, smell, and hubbub of modern machinery.

They want to return home and thanks to a jewel they still have they disappear. It's a rouser and sets up the series in a manner of speaking. Note that the series was called "Swords Against Sorcery" in this ad.

Under a lush action-filled cover by Mike Kaluta, the series dubbed Sword of Sorcery begins with an adaptation by Denny O'Neil and near novice artist Howard Chaykin of Leiber's "The Price of Pain Ease". This story is seriously clipped with the removal of the core tragedy which motivates the duo of Fafhrd and Mouser, the murders of their twin loves Vlana and Ivrian as a backstory.We get the raid on the Duke Danius and we get the mission by Sheelba of the Eyeless Face and Nignguable of the Seven Eyes for the mask of Death itself but without the underlying regret of those tragic deaths our heroes seem to lack a bit of motivation and sense they need to ease pain is all but lost. A young Howie Chaykin's artwork is merely adequate. and the storytelling is often clumsy with some truly peculiar character designs.

Things look a little bit better in the second issue under a Chaykin cover, this one inked by Berni Wrightson. The story O'Neil adapts this time is "Thieves House" and simplified though it is for comic book purposes most of the misadventure makes it to the page. The horror of the encounter with the bones of ancient thieves is largely lost but the action is ever present. Fafhrd and Mouser trade barbs and quips and they come across with the proper blend of adventure and satire which informs the stories themselves, but again missing the underlying gravity of lives suffering loss.

In the third issue we get an original story by Denny O'Neil and a new cover by Chaykin who is getting a wee bit better at the storytelling. We have our heroes waylaid by pirates who steal a girl. After some effort they find the one they thought did them dirt and discover it's more complicated. A beautiful and silent girl with magenta wings and feathers leads to the lout who killed their shipmates and they rescue the girl but find a surprise. With the aid of a dandy deck of cards they wind the day. At long last a death seems to impact the duo, but truth told this story seems to be missing a page or two in its finale. Not that reprint messed up, but I suspect the original dropped at least one page and it makes the end a tad clumsy.

The fourth issue gives us two stories. The first is The Cloud of Hate, an early Fafhrd and Mouser story about a cult which uses a potent fog to enthuse pliable villains to turn to violence in the streets of Lankhmar. The story is simplified a bit but the core remains and our heroes find a solution.

The second story is a tale from the teenage years of Fafhrd himself and tells of his early romance with a blonde beauty and how a Snow Serpent seeks to steal her away. Fafhrd saves her by chance though a prophecy might've shown him the way had he been more attentive. Denny O'Neil's script this time was illustrated wonderfully by Walt Simonson and immediately it's obvious that he should have been at the helm the whole time.

Simonson takes over the lead story in the next issue when the classic Leiber story "The Sunken Land" is adapted by O'Neil. Fafhrd finds a magical ring when fishing and soon enough he and Mouser both run afoul of a no account who is seeking treasure when the hidden land of Simorgya rises from the sea. They get out with their skins barely when dark magic takes over as it usually does in these affairs.

A second story written by George Alec Effinger and drawn by Jim Starlin gives us a peek at the apprenticeship of Mouse (not yet grown to Mouser) and his training in subtlety by a knife artist named Shendai the Deft. This is dandy little tale and features a few cameos, one by a certain Cimmerian is appears. Nice exchange for the appearance of Blackrat and Fafnir in an early Conan story.

(Is that a certain Cimmerian in your background?)

This series was not a success in terms of sales. Five issues seem hardly a worthy outing but it was for a very long time the only adaptation of these heroes to comics until Marvel took a tumble in the early 90's. As for DC, they dived deep into the barbarian craze. More on that next month. 

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Of Once And Future Kings!

Conan the Barbarian is firmly established and as such has prompted several spin-offs such as Kull the Conqueror (later Kull the Destroyer) and Red Sonja. These stalwarts are poised to play a big part in Conan's life which has itself gotten somewhat more complicated since he hooked up with the dazzling pirate-goddess Belit. Tarzan will also encounter another world-famous hero, if only by proxy. 

As I read the Conan stories this time, I consulted the recent book by Roy Thomas where he once again illuminates from his perspective how those stories came to be shaped and how they fitted into the larger Marvel publishing scheme. It was a hectic time for comics in the early 70's and the eventual success of Conan the Barbarian helped shape it to no small degree. 

Roy, John and Steve (Gan) begin the three-year odyssey with Belit by establishing just how things seem to work aboard the pirate ship The Tigress. Belit is the captain and Conan is at once her lover and her loyal second-in-command. This of course creates a bit of tension among the exclusively Kushite (black) crew. Conan must establish his authority and takes steps to do so by suggesting greater teamwork among the crew as well as some new weapons strategies. Belit is not amused but comes to see the wisdom in her well-traveled lover's opinions. The Tigress sails south to seek tribute from the black tribes along the river and it is here that Belit ends up getting kidnapped by Riders of the River Dragons and later attacked by a "Killer Moth".

Roy thought it would be a nifty idea for the famous Conan to meet the even-more-famous Tarzan of the Apes. But he couldn't do that for real and didn't want to. What he did want to do was dream up a solid explanation why the crew of The Tigress called Conan "Amra" which supposedly meant "Lion" or somethng like that. 

And so Belit is kidnapped by the original Amra, Lord of the Lions. This is pretty much Lord Greystoke, but cast in Hyborian terms. A young boy is raised by lions and comes to be their master. But Amra unlike Tarzan is a pretty nasty guy and is more than capable of keeping women against their will and has so created a harem for himself in a remote hidden city. The red-haired chap very much wants Belit to take over as head of the harem which makes the current holder of the title upset when she's summarily cast out into the jungle. She finds Conan who is looking for Belit and that sets the stage for a ferocious battle only one her will win. Throw in some truly creepy underground dwellers and this a hopping advetnure yarn. 

Underneath the new cover for the next issue is a classic Savage Tales reprint with art by Jim Starlin. This was prompted by Steve Gan who so loved the Buscema pencils for the story he was tracing them before inking, which was a much slower process. This is a really strange anecdote, and I cannot remember any similar tale. I rather like this story as I'm a Jim Starlin fan generally, though his Conan doesn't really gel with the overall look the title had established. The story was one which Roy wrote from a John Jakes plot and it's a dandy, pointing out some of Conan's more human characteristics. 

The belated Buscema pages were liberated and turn up in the next issue with "The Tribe" having replaced Steve Gan. Under an indifferent Gil Kane cover we get a story developed from a non-Conan REH tale which falls under the James Allison group about a guy who relives experiences form past lives when he was a lusty barbaric type. "The Valley of the Worm" was one such story. This one has Belit and Conan and the crew find a remote island on which they find a legendary dead pirate and a wizard who masters pygmies and a deadly feathered serpent. 

The Red Sonja stories I've pictured in this little section are not included in the Epic volume as Dynamite has the rights to this character, though I guess Marvel could use the Conan issues. It's weird. But I dug out my Red Sonja reprints and added these to my reading as I wandered through this barbarian team-up spectacular. It begins when Sonja is hired by Karanthes (a name from "The God in the Bowl") to find a page looted from the mysterious Book of Skelos. 

Conan and Belit are hired to get that same page of the Book of Skelos by a different party and that of course will lead to conflicts. 

A small in this issue is that Conan runs into his old allies Tara and Yusef and helps them out of a jam. The latter is in prison and Conan gets him out so that he and Tara can leave Messantia at long last to raise the child which is percolating in Tara's tummy. I'm not sure this sidebar story helped the overall saga but it was good to find out more about these two. 

Back in the pages of Marvel Feature, Red Sonja and Conan slash it out with but ultimately decided to work together when a weird priest turns into a bizarre bat-creature and flies away with the desired page. Frank Thorne's art is always a treat. 

The saga comes to a conclusion when Conan, Belit, Red Sonja join up to follow the flying priest and find themselves in a weird territory where they find a city which turns out to be the time-lost capitol of Valusia. They quickly encounter the royal court of King Kull and Kull and Conan face off in a legendary swordfight. It's great fun and especially so since John Buscema inks himself this time. I always loved when he did his inking, though I get the sense Roy was less enthused. This "Battle of the Barbarians" was a load of fun and not without precedent in the stories of REH since he had Kull meet Bran Mak Morn in "Kings of the Night". But it does make this feel more like a Marvel Universe comic than is probably wise. 

Val Mayerik steps in to illustrate a fill-in issue in which Conan tells Belit of an adventure he had long ago when he was just a youth in Cimmeria involving some Vanir who captured him and a strange escapade in which a dead body from the sea turns out to be something quite more dangerous. This is adapted from an obscure REH horror tale. Sadly, it's not all that good. 

Roy and Big John then adapt "Marchers from Vahalla", another Howard tale not about Conan. This one involves a remote island, a strange damsel in a tower who turns out to be a goddess and a repugnant and thoroughly decadent society which deserves the ignoble end it comes to by the conclusion of this two-parter. The bigger news is Ernie Chan returns as inker and to my eye is even better than before his departure. The art looks rock solid. 

That's less the case with the second Conan annual which is drawn adequately by Vincente Alcazar and  Yong Montano, but even then seems less potent than the full-blooded Buscema we've come to expect. The cover by Rich Buckler is one of his worst and I'm sure he was forced to produce it with little time. The story is an important as Roy finally adapts "The Phoenix on the Sword", the very first Conan story which was adapted from "By this Axe I Rule" featuring King Kull. (That story had recently been adapted by Roy and Mike Ploog in Kull's regular comic.) It's a decent tale and has allusions to its Valusian origins, but didn't wow me as I thought it ought. 

In the third annual we get two tales, though only one is in this collection. That's a Conan yarn set after the events of "The People of the Black Circle" and has Conan rescuing a captured prince and dealing with a very deceptive dame. The art by John Buscema and Pablo Marcos is uneven, sometimes fantastic, sometimes just average. 

The lead Conan story in this annual is a reprint of the black and white story from the third issue of The Savage Sword of Conan. A look at the original art in black and white and it works better there than in this second use in color.  

There is a second story in this annual starring King Kull, but it's not in the Epic volume. I had to dig out one of my Dark Horse Kull volumes to read the story "Beast from the Abyss" adapted by Steve Englehart and drawn by Howie Chaykin. Kull finds himself in a castle filled with bizarre libertines who worship a strange enormous slug. But that's not the end of giant slugs. 

Next up in this epic collection with a Neal Adams classic in which Conan must confront not one, but two giant slugs. This comic was produced for a very special reason -- the Power Record operation. These nifty old-time classics blended sound with comics in a most memorable fashion. To experience this particular "Book and Record Set" where the "The Action Comes Alive as you Read!!" just follow this YouTube link to read "The Crawler in the Mists!"

This was not the only recording from Power Records to feature REH's burly barbarian. This volume has all the dope in an essay about the curious cross-promotion and a lot more in the item below. 

And finally, we have a very special issue of Marvel's fan magazine FOOM. The fourteenth issue featured all things Conan. Under a very exotic, blue-colored John Buscema cover we get a summary of how the character came to comics and how that run had been to that time, as well as an insightful interview with Roy Thomas himself. 

Next stop is Asgalun! 

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