tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post1968256453539411479..comments2024-03-19T10:41:35.976-05:00Comments on Bronze Age Babies: Ain't Nothin' Like Halloween in Rutland, Vermont! Part 2011Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04248324005584963229noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-69764920409714312552011-10-31T16:55:01.273-05:002011-10-31T16:55:01.273-05:00Man, that is some bad comic book art. The coloring...Man, that is some bad comic book art. The coloring is so muddy. Who's responsible for that mess? Yuck!<br /><br />Where's Dick Sprang when you need him?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-24026325121718796542011-10-29T09:00:32.325-05:002011-10-29T09:00:32.325-05:00Eyes? Hmmm...Well, Batman is supposed to be a mys...Eyes? Hmmm...Well, Batman is supposed to be a mysterious, foreboding, intimidating figure, so I guess no eyes adds to that mystique. I've always thought of Robin as a more human and accessible version of Batman, so drawing him with eyes is OK, I think, though I'm more used to seeing him without eyes.dbutler16https://www.blogger.com/profile/00046066729353639991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-37812915423936195902011-10-29T06:56:07.846-05:002011-10-29T06:56:07.846-05:00This is the crossover reprint collection I'm m...This is the crossover reprint collection I'm most eager to see. I doubt it will ever happen, but it would be exceedingly cool if DC and Marvel could give ups these classic tales in a volume or two. <br /><br />Rip OffRip Jaggerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09936426877024852134noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-51828850952329974922011-10-29T01:41:42.130-05:002011-10-29T01:41:42.130-05:00One of the my favorite aspects of this story has a...One of the my favorite aspects of this story has always been the guy dressed like Thor with a claw-hammer tucked into his belt. Meanwhile, the image of Denny O'Neill always reminds me of Hunter S. Thompson...Edo Bosnarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-60535108742991366132011-10-28T22:16:08.791-05:002011-10-28T22:16:08.791-05:00Doug.. Sal drew Cap without eyes numerous times.. ...Doug.. Sal drew Cap without eyes numerous times.. Actually an even split of eyes vs. white slits, but I haven't counted it out. Typically more mid-distance shots, not close-ups, if that's what you mean.david_bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00218727673816200051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-8049822082085009782011-10-28T15:37:57.365-05:002011-10-28T15:37:57.365-05:00The re-coloring is fantastic.The re-coloring is fantastic.starfoxxxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12408060307155903293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-26784240400947493742011-10-28T14:39:42.712-05:002011-10-28T14:39:42.712-05:00Question -- what do you think of Adams drawing Rob...Question -- what do you think of Adams drawing Robin with eyes, rather than as having just white slits for eyes? I know I always think Batman looks funny when drawn with eyes; yet Captain America would look strange without eyes...<br /><br />DougDoughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04248324005584963229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-1185359014325680922011-10-28T13:53:59.729-05:002011-10-28T13:53:59.729-05:00All these years, and I never realised Tom Fagan wa...All these years, and I never realised Tom Fagan was a real person.Steve Does Comicshttp://stevedoescomics.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-12354511224634571462011-10-28T12:53:41.557-05:002011-10-28T12:53:41.557-05:00Nope, just call me Bronze-ignorant.., I had no ink...Nope, just call me Bronze-ignorant.., I had no inkling that DC used Rutland as an on-going storyline as well. I only knew it cropping up a few times in the Avengers book (the Liberators and the Collector stories), and heard about that Defenders story. <br /><br />Simply Amazing...<br /><br />Much like other missed opportunities we've mentioned during our Bronze Age studies, it was a primo idea which wasn't used to it's full potential.david_bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00218727673816200051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-76553708635507361932011-10-28T12:33:41.271-05:002011-10-28T12:33:41.271-05:00It doesn't get much better than Adams/O'Ne...It doesn't get much better than Adams/O'Neil/Giordano Batman! The art here is, of course, amazing, and from what I see, I like the re-coloring. I love the fact that Batman actually does some detective work here, too. The good ol' days, I guess. I'd really love to add some O'Neil/Adams Batmans & Green Lanterns to my collection, but I don't think I can justify the cost to my wife.<br /><br />Also, I love the Rutland Halloween stories. It's one of those bits of Bronze Age fun that's gone forever...except in reprints and back issues, of course. Next year you should do a JLA Rutland story. I seem to recall they had at least one (with the Phantom Stranger?).dbutler16https://www.blogger.com/profile/00046066729353639991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-40560780702051770162011-10-28T12:00:00.608-05:002011-10-28T12:00:00.608-05:00The thing you’re thinking of is a continuous story...The thing you’re thinking of is a continuous story which pops between Thor 206 & 207, Am Adv 16, and JLA 103. It’s Len & Glynis Wein, Steve Englehart and Gerry Conway. Then when Loki is blasted off a cliff to his cetain doom at the end, he is plucked out of the sky by Dormammu who offers him the partnership that starts the Avengers Defenders War. <br /><br /> “ I was pals with Gerry Conway, who wrote THOR, and Len Wein, who wrote JUSTICE LEAGUE, and somehow we decided to plot a story that ran through all three books - even though JLA wasn't from Marvel, and even though their books were much bigger than mine. Gerry, Len, Len's then-wife Glynis, and I appear in all three plotlines, each of which stands on its own but also fits into one larger story. (They came out at the same time but Marvel's cover dates were a month ahead of DC's.)” Steve Englehart. <br /><br />RichardAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-80579508056681763052011-10-28T11:17:20.443-05:002011-10-28T11:17:20.443-05:00That's definately Denny, but I'd say the g...That's definately Denny, but I'd say the guy in the foreground is Marv Wolfman. Make more sense if it's Neal tho'. Hey, It's the game anyone can play!pete doreehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17004574271734256770noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-71427564682874343242011-10-28T10:44:40.256-05:002011-10-28T10:44:40.256-05:00Pete --
I've heard that. As you mention, the...Pete --<br /><br />I've heard that. As you mention, the character to Dick's left in the first panel sample does indeed strongly resemble Wrightson. In the Thor panel, the guy in the middle with the hat is Denny O'Neil, and I'll assume the fella in the foreground is Adams -- he resembles photos of Neal from this era.<br /><br />Anyone out there have further confirmation, or want to undertake some detective work? "Your assignment, should you choose to accept it..."<br /><br />DougDoughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04248324005584963229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-18829528556173852682011-10-28T10:39:37.997-05:002011-10-28T10:39:37.997-05:00Did I imagine it, but I thought I read somewhere t...Did I imagine it, but I thought I read somewhere that there was a whole crossover thing between Marvel & DC with real creators appearing in the Rutland stories, as they went every year for real. Rascally Roy turned up in that Avengers one for sure.<br />I'm sure I heard that Dick's friends are Steve Englehart, Berni Wrightson & Alan Weiss ( the stoned one )<br />Is that right?pete doreehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17004574271734256770noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-2606340772266867532011-10-28T09:39:33.702-05:002011-10-28T09:39:33.702-05:00I believe it was in an interview in TwoMorrows'...I believe it was in an interview in TwoMorrows' <i>Comic Book Artist</i> magazine where I first discovered Neal's theories on the Earth changing in size. I read it, read it again, and then (use your imagination here) just got an expression on my face like Patrick Star: Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh........<br /><br />DougDoughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04248324005584963229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-44570106401678923092011-10-28T09:14:18.412-05:002011-10-28T09:14:18.412-05:00I've been critical of Adams in recent comment ...I've been critical of Adams in recent comment sdections. I don't think that highly of his Marvel work and I'm not a fan of his Green Lantern/Green Arrow work either. (Give me Mike Grell any day.) <br /><br />To me, his photorealism just seemed to emphasize how odd a person would really look wearing superhero tights. You never had that problem with the Brothers Buscema ...<br /><br />But his Batman was damn good. Like Gene Colan, he seemed better suited to moody, noir-ish tales. Even his habit of oddly laid out panels works in these stories because it gives them a tense, unpredictable feeling. <br /><br />Per Richard, I understand that Adams has some pretty ... eccentric, let's say, scientific theories. Well, so what? He's an artist, not a policymaker.Inkstained Wretchnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-15761743983227440252011-10-28T09:09:23.106-05:002011-10-28T09:09:23.106-05:00I was a ten-year-old child growing up in Scotland ...I was a ten-year-old child growing up in Scotland when this comic came out. In those days it wasn't always easy to get my hands on American comics, but luckily for me I somehow managed to collect almost all of the Batman/Detective/B&B comics from the late-60's through to the mid-70's. It was only later that I realised how fortunate it was that my time spent collecting Batman comics coincided almost exactly with the time Neal Adams spent drawing them, whether it was interior art or just covers.<br /><br />Of course, there were several other artists drawing Batman at the same time - Nick Cardy and Irv Novick were both very good, and, of course, Jim Aparo was about to start his run on Brave & Bold - but young as I was I could see that there was something special about Adams' portrayal of the character.<br /><br />There were a lot of highlights through the years - the Man-Bat stories, the Ra's Al Ghul stories (to name a few), as well as all those great covers (Batman #241 is my all-time favourite) - but it was in Night of the Reaper! that everything came together best, I think. The cover is outstanding - Death looks magnificent - and the interior art is Adams (and Giordano, to give him his due) at his moody best. It's a shame you weren't able to show us the opening splash page of Batman propped up against a tree, as it's one of the very best. As is the two-page spread following it of Dick and his friends in front of the float. The story itself was interesting and ambitious, although not altogether successful.<br /><br />As for the new colours: I can see what Adams was trying to do and in some instances it works quite well, but overall it just seems a bit garish for my taste. I think I'll just stick with the original comic version.cuvannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-69875039545844590332011-10-28T09:06:13.305-05:002011-10-28T09:06:13.305-05:00Richard, you see Adam's rendition of Marvel...Richard, you see Adam's rendition of Marvel's FF in Avengers 93 for a few panels. It just makes me wince every time, being for me the worst part of ish 93. Looks rushed as well. I totally understand drawing Ben Grimm has always been one of the largest challenges for any artist: This was a huge example. Perhaps it's the inking, not sure.<br /><br />IMHO, you never really believe the House of Ideas has a 'certain style' or branding about its product, even with a bullpen of wide-ranging artists (the Buscemas, Steranko, Tuska..), until you have another superb, yet different artist come in (like Adams) to have everything suddenly appear 'different'.david_bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00218727673816200051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-17124240013224443422011-10-28T08:27:38.310-05:002011-10-28T08:27:38.310-05:00I do tend to feel that Adams didn’t necessarily do...I do tend to feel that Adams didn’t necessarily do the most suited Marvel heroes. You mention the FF which I really do not remember him ever doing, but certainly Thor, the Avengers and a lot of Conan were not necessarily suited to his lithe style. <br /><br />Imagine 70’s Daredevil scripted by Gerber or Englehart and drawn by Adams/Palmer. I’m touching myself inappropriately at the mere thought. <br /><br />I never collected DC, but these Giordano inks on Adams are fantastic. Even give Palmer a run for his money. I also had no idea that Tom Fagan featured in the DC universe. How cool is that?<br /><br />Adams is a fascinating guy. He has a lot of oft-ridiculed ideas about crust displacement, Pangaea and modern theories of geology which are very interesting. What is cool is that rather than simply ranting about what he disbelieves, he has come up with a completely alternate theory of continental drift, asteroids, planet formation and everything else. He actually believes the Earth is growing and that our inability to accept that the science is all wrong is going to have dire consequences in terms of what is wrongly called crust displacement. <br /><br />Personally, I think it’s just a scam and as soon as his version of events is accepted he’ll make a fortune selling......(wait for it).....Neil Adams’ Crusty Bunkers. <br /><br />You thought I wasn’t going there, didn’t you?<br /><br />RichardAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-25386663763998208042011-10-28T07:24:08.742-05:002011-10-28T07:24:08.742-05:00Gawd, I've drooled over this cover for years, ...Gawd, I've drooled over this cover for years, wondering what the inside art is like. Beautiful recoloring.., I'll have to pickup the Adams Batman volumes.<br /><br />Adam's DC art has always been the Gold Standard of Art, quite simply. His renderings of DC heroes remains unmatched, like the heroics and action scenes are oozing off the page. It begged for deluxe-formatting, decades before anyone ever invented it. This issue looks like no exception. I was always a big Robin and Batgirl fan, more so than Bats himself, so it was hard to find really good stories of those two (AND good art) in the Bronze years, even as backup stories. Batman Family was a cool idea, but I couldn't handle the Heck art there after a while..<br /><br />Simply one of Bronze's best gems..! Great column, Doug!david_bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00218727673816200051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-91594704320791128362011-10-28T06:58:27.237-05:002011-10-28T06:58:27.237-05:00I grew up in Rutland. I now have EVERY Halloween P...I grew up in Rutland. I now have EVERY Halloween Parade issue. This is one of the best!!MOCK!https://www.blogger.com/profile/02854497329647596811noreply@blogger.com