Happy 91st Birthday, Stan Lee!

It's that time of the year again--yep, it's HIS birthday.   Happy Birthday to the Man!

Stan Lee over the years

More Medusa and Reed!

Some Reed-Medusa interaction from the good old Frightful Four days. And for even more Medusa and Reed and Frightful Four, check out my Panelocity blog!

Medusa snags Stretcho in Fantastic Four #38


The full Kirby panel:

Nick Cardy 1920-2013

The great artist and gentleman Nick Cardy has passed away at the age of 93. His work in the fields of advertising, illustration, and comics was always singular; you could never mistake a drawing by Cardy as being by another artist.

In addition to Cardy's superlative work on superhero comics--his Silver Age Aquaman and Teen Titans are the stuff of legends--he was a master of many other comic book genres, including romance and western titles. Cardy was also one of the earliest and most design oriented artists in comics; take a look at a few of his innovative Aquaman covers (1968-1970) below.

Rest in peace, Mr. Cardy.

Aquaman by Cardy

Sue or Medusa? The Battle Continues!

The public has spoken! It's Medusa by a landslide. Are you paying attention, Marvel?! Send Sue off to Atlantis so Reed can ensconce himself in Medusa's matchless "invincible scarlet tresses."

Fantastic Four #42 (1965) Sue vs. Medusa!

Let's face it, Reed and Medusa have always naturally gravitated to one another. Look at this classic cover in all its versions. Everyone else is charging straight ahead, but notice how Medusa and Reed "lean" into one another. Body language doesn't lie.

Fantastic Four #82 and descendants

Reed and Medusa's chemistry is so blindingly obvious that everyone--Ben, Johnny, Crystal, random citizens of Attilan--can't help but notice it. Well, everyone except for Black Bolt, who as usual is oblivious to what's going on right under his nose. And for even more Medusa, Inhuman and FF goodness, check out my Panelocity site!

Fantastic Four #83

Jack Kirby's 96th Birthday

Taking a break from our Medusa marathon to post a belated commemoration of Jack Kirby's birthday. As I'm sure most of you already know, on this past August 28th he would have been 96.
Here, a few of my favorite faces by the King:

Captain America #109

Thor #175

As many have noted, here Reed seems to be a Kirby self-portrait.

Fantastic Four #79

More Marvelous Medusa

Very pressed for time...but as I did promise to post some pretty pictures, here are a few featuring--yep, you guessed it--the marvelous, mysterious Madame M.  Enjoy the pulchritude, and have a great Labor Day, everyone! Hard to believe the summer is almost over.

The Pre-Raphaelites would have adored Medusa; but really, she would have been the perfect artistic subject for any era.

Fantastic Four #41 (1965) The glorious Medusa by Kirby and Colletta

From Marvel Collectors' Item Classics #21 (1969), the work of the young Barry Windsor-Smith.

Medusa Pin-Up in Marvel Collectors' Item Classics #21

This is a gorgeous pin-up from Fantastic Four Annual #5 (1967), courtesy of Messrs. Kirby (who else??) and Giacoia.

Medusa Pin-Up in Fantastic Four Annual #5

Madame Medusa and the Men of the Fantastic Four!

More marvelous Medusa musings! We've recently ruminated on a missed opportunity: Medusa hooking up with Reed during the time he and Sue were separated in the mid-1970s. Looking at Medusa's history, it seems she's always had her eye on Reed...even back in the Frightful Four days when she was joining the Sandman for a spot of tea. 

When Medusa officially joined the Fantastic Four in 1973, the lady with the living locks was right there to help out Reed whenever he became distraught about Sue. Sure, when helping Reed Medusa had a tendency to "play rough"  (to use the Sandman's phrase)...but she sometimes followed that up with a dinner invitation, so all was forgiven.

Medusa and Reed in Fantastic Four #140

Fantastic Four #142

And although nothing ever happened romance-wise, maybe just maybe deep-down Reed felt the same way--he sure didn't seem to like the sight of Medusa cozying up with Johnny, did he?

Fantastic Four #145: Reed interrupts

Well, I suppose Mr. Richards was a wee too distracted to properly appreciate Medusa's abundant charms. Perhaps Ben, with his down-to-earth manner and gruff charm would have been a better match for her, but he was dating Alicia; plus Thundra had the hots for him, so his dance card was full...

...but in Giant-Size Fantastic Four #2, away from the heat of the battle, Ben and Medusa seem to have some chemistry going. Love this panel!

Ben and Medusa  in Giant-Size Fantastic Four #2

Now onto Johnny. In the FF lettercols, Marvel queried the readers about the possibility of a Medusa-Johnny romance (never mind that in every other issue all Johnny did was bend Medusa's ear about her sister, Crystal).  In response some readers said yes;  others vetoed the idea. Then Marvel said that they'd leave it up to the next creative team to decide, and then--poof!--Medusa finished her tour of duty with the FF and hightailed it back to the Inhumans and her ever-lovin' Black Bolt.

So, no romance ever blossomed between Medusa and Johnny. But no sooner does Medusa leave the team, then what does Johnny do but fall for another lush-locked redhead--see for yourself, Tiger!

Fantastic Four #164

Sue or Medusa? What a difference a decade makes!

Recently,  commenter Anonymous opined that Reed should have hooked up with Medusa
back when Sue left him, and I agree!  Regrettably, that never came to pass--that would have been one hell of a storyline--but as a consolation, here's a rollickin' Rich Buckler panel from Fantastic Four #157 with Medusa doing her best Sue imitation. 

I'd say the marvelous Madame M. looks pretty good alongside Mr. Fantastic, don't you think? ;)

Fantastic Four #45 - Jack Kirby                                        Fantastic Four #157 - Rich Buckler

Neal Kirby Writes About His Dad Jack

"In 1961, I was the luckiest damn kid on my block — or maybe any block. My father worked at home. Everyone else’s dad had to drive into Queens or Brooklyn or take the train into Manhattan. And it was not some boring, old desk job; my father was Jack Kirby, the King of Comics, and — though his humble personality would have him cringing to hear this — he is regarded as the greatest comic book artist and creator – ever."

These are the opening words of Growing up Kirby: the Marvel memories of Jack Kirby's Son, an LA Times essay by Neal Kirby about his dad Jack "King" Kirby. Now, I don't usually gush but Neal's informative, heartfelt article  is a must-read for any self-respecting comic book and/or popular culture fan.

If for some reason the link doesn't work, just go to the LA Times website and search for "Growing up Kirby" there. You owe it yourself to read Neal's article!

Mike Esposito, 1927-2010 -- of Andru and Esposito Fame and More

Sad news. Mike Esposito--that rose by many other names(Mickey Demeo, Joe Gaudioso, Mickey Dee)--passed away this weekend. Probably best known as the inker half of the fabled Andru-Esposito team, Mike had a long career working for both DC and Marvel. Andru and Esposito's classic Wonder Woman even adorns a US postage stamp!

Thanks for the enjoyment you brought to countless fans over the years, Mike--you'll be missed.




An Andru-Esposito favorite of mine was the Kanigher-scripted series "Rose and the Thorn", the back-up feature in Lois Lane for a while starting in 1970. Esposito has said he and Ross Andru envisioned the Thorn as a cross between Wonder Woman and Black Canary.

The Thorn in Lois Lane #105  - Art by Andru and Esposito

And let's not forget that Esposito was John Buscema's inker on the epochal Avengers #60, the wedding of Janet Van Dyne and Hank Pym.


For more on Mike Esposito's life and career, check out the terrific book "Andru and Esposito: Partners for Life", by Esposito and Dan Best. If your local comic book store doesn't have it, head on over to ever-reliable Amazon.

Alter Ego #95 Spotlights Not Brand Echh!...Plus John Buscema's Mighty Revengers

Silver Age fanatics should check out Alter Ego #95 for some great recollections by Roy Thomas, Marie Severin and others about Marvel's Not Brand Echh, the great parody comic book ("Who says a comic book has to be good??").

A line up of great artists drew for NBE, including Severin, Jack Kirby, and Tom Sutton. And speaking of great artists, take a look at this gorgeous page from NBE #12!

For more on Alter Ego #95, visit the TwoMorrows site at
http://twomorrows.com/

Avengers in Not Brand Echh #12 by dream team John Buscema and George Klein

Fun fact:  The Vision officially joined the team at the end of Avengers #58.  But apart from the very end of Avengers #60, this is the only appearance of the Wasp/Hank Pym Goliath/Hawkeye/Black Panther/Vision (core group) line-up! 

 'Course I'm talking about how it unfolded in comics back then; subsequent retcons and untold tales need not apply ;)

Kirby Covers! Top 5 On Sale in August 1961

Welcome to our Kirby Cover Countdown series!

To kick things off we'll take a look at the top 5 Kirby covers on sale in August 1961. Only the most exacting criteria--artistic skill, ambitiousness of concept, historical context, coolness of creature--was used to determine the final rankings. Here's how the chips fell:

5. Amazing Adventures #6

4. Journey Into Mystery #73

3. Strange Tales #90

2. Tales of Suspense #23

1. Tales to Astonish #25

Yep, you guessed it: our esteemed covers here were on sale around the same time as Fantastic Four #1. So I ask you: on that hot summer day in early August 1961, would you have noticed FF #1 among this panoply of Kirby covers?

Or maybe you would have ignored the FF, SSerpo, and Orrgo altogether...and instead used your hard-earned dime to buy our Honorable Mention in the August 1961 sweepstakes: Kid Colt Outlaw #101! (Hey, that Kirby guy didn't only draw monsters...)