Doug: By now most of our avid readers and commenters know the drill -- today is a day when the first respondent is el jefe (the boss)! Yep, you're in charge of whatever it is we're going to discuss. So make it a good one. And the rules remain the same -- no thread hijacking. Whoever set their alarm clock early should be rewarded, so play nice!Everyone have a great day!
I like it when there is a reference to a bronze age tv show, like the "Chico and the Man" mention in the last Fantastic Four vs. the Invaders comic that was recently reviewed by Karen and Doug. I recall an issue of Marvel Team-Up with Spidey and Tigra vs. Kraven, where Spidey says, "Sit on IT, Kraven!" (A "Happy Days" reference.) So maybe todays topic could be "What is your favorite pop culture reference in a bronze age comic?" -Modernmoonman
ReplyDeleteI was always amused by a scene in Marvel Team-Up Annual 4. Under the influence of Killgrave, the Purple Man, Spiderman hangs from a lamppost singing Elvis Costello (another of my favorites at the time).
ReplyDeleteOf course, Marvel Team-Up provided an entire issue of pop culture fun in #74 with Saturday Night Live's cast; but as that was the whole focus of the issue (rather than a reference) it may not fit today's category.
Incidentally, what is it with Team-Up? Anonymous' reference and these from the same title...makes you wonder...
During a Legion of Super-Heroes comic from the early 80's, they are playing Dungeons & Dragons. That's right, Dungeons & Dragons is still going strong in the 30th century!! LOL
ReplyDeleteMy absolute favorite "pop culture" moment in any comic ever is from Amazing Spider-Man #141 (page 16 to be exact). Wherein a guy is coming out of a McDonald's carrying a bag of food, and a hungry Spidey comes along and snags the dude's chow with a webline (drink and all) and basically steals it. (He exclaims that he's going to drop the guy down a couple of bucks, but he is suddenly attacked my Mysterio before he ever gets the chance).
ReplyDeleteI read that book when I was about nine years old and I still remember that scene to this day. I thought it was the coolest thing I ever saw! I mean, Spider-Man was actually eating McDonalds (not MacRonalds or something like that). The bag even had the actual logo on it. Hey! I ate at McDonalds! It really brought it home to me that Spider-Man was actually supposed to be living the "real" New York City. Not some made up place like Gotham or Metropolis. Thus in my "kid brain", I always figured that if I ever went to NYC, I would look up and maybe see Spidey swinging by.
That one page scene is probably a big reason why Spider-Man became my favorite comic book character. It was the cool things like that that also made Marvel... well... Marvel. You never see fun little details like that in Marvel comics these days. But then again, there doesn't seem to be much room for fun in comics at all anymore.
I got a good laugh in the Secret Origins issue for Guy Gardner when it showed him exiting a theater showing 2001: A Space Odyssey, arguing with his girlfriend over the film. Gardner thought it was a "snooze".
ReplyDeleteMost of the ones I'd thought of have already been mentioned (I loved that scene with Spidey snagging the McDonald's takeout as well!). Another one that comes to mind is the Thing dressing like Indiana Jones in an issue of FF during Byrne's run.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I remember one that I would call a pop culture reference fail: in that "Tale of the Teen Titans" mini that highlighted the origins of all the 'new' Titans (Cyborg, Raven, etc.), the issue featuring Changeling has a scene in which Gar suggests to his girlfriend that they go see this "new movie that's supposed to be really good" - Star Wars. Now Star Wars premiered in 1977 and that mini came out in 1982, so how was Gar still a teenager?
I love Avengers #239, when a group of back-ups go on David Letterman. This was when Letterman was still pretty "cutting edge"...if you will. And that show was on at 12:30 am. Now when I think of staying up that late (to watch Jimmy fallon ?, no thanks), it makes me feel pretty old.
ReplyDeleteThat line-up would have been pretty cool, though. Beast, Wonder Man, Black Panther, Black Widow, Hawkeye.
It's a goof issue, but one i read during my very early comic book years, and it's among my favorites.
I like the panel in Incredible Hulk
ReplyDelete344 with Clay Quartermain and Rick
Jones outside a movie theater. Rick
says, " Rom would've loved Robocop
don't'cha think, Clay ?
It's also a nice nod to Rom which ended a little over 2 years prior.
I don't think it sticks out today like most pop culture references do because the comparison between Rom and Robocop doesn't seem forced and it makes for a nice moment of reminiscence.
Bronze Age Pop Culture references: how about Defenders 45 -a Kirby cover and a dedication to Rush- and the later Blue Oyster Cult-inspired Xenogenesis story?
ReplyDeleteI recall our high school music teacher trying to turn us on to Rush one afternoon while I was sneaking glimpses at that Avengers/ Ultron issue (171)!
I remember Avengers#239. That was a fun issue.
ReplyDeleteI'm reading Uncanny X-Men #157 right now, and there is a Shi'ar captain named Captain K'rk.
ReplyDeleteSorry I'm a week late to this party, but I was re-reading the original (1984) Marvel Secret Wars this week and hit upon some good entries to this topic.
ReplyDeleteWhilst punching out Enchantress (in issue #2), She Hulk uses some Valley Girl lingo saying that it was "tubular to the max".
Even worse, a few issues later, while Johnny Storm is being healed by a local villager, he proclaims his love for her with the timeless "I'll tumble 4 ya" line (and, no, the four was not spelled out).