"Happy Independents Day"

Redartz:  Happy Fourth of July, everyone! Today, in honor of our (for those of us in the ol' USA; of course all our international friends are enthusiastically welcomed- the day is all about freedom, after all) Independence Day, we shall honor our 'independents'! In other words, we shall declare our independence from the Big Two, and look at some of the revolutionary, upstart, pioneering comics published by such companies as First, Comico, Pacific, Aardvark-Vanaheim, etc. And for such a momentous occasion, our good friend Martinex1 is here as well! We both will start things off with a few of our favorites, and then the rest is up to you...

Ms. Mystic #1, 1982

Martinex1:  And a happy Fourth of July to all BABsters!   I had limited access to Local Comic Shops back in the day, so the first independent company to catch my attention was Pacific Comics.  PC has
a long and storied history in the comic industry as it was started by a couple of teenage brothers. Steve and Bill Schanes, as a mail order company and then a series of comic shops; they followed up by making PC a significant distributor and finally evolved into publishing.  They managed to convince Jack Kirby to create Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers for PC late in his career.   But the comic that caught my eye was Ms. Mystic by Neal Adams.  The story involved a witch from the Salem trials, who returned in modern times as a protector of Earth and its resources.  With her magical sword and powers, she was a super-environmentalist.   Some of those ideas and concerns were about twenty years ahead of the mainstream. The art was of course fantastic, as Adams was still creating wonderful covers and intricate panels.   He moved the title after the second issue to his own label Continuity Comics when PC imploded.   Nine issues appeared throughout the 80s; it was a missed opportunity for an interesting concept.

American Flagg! #1, 1983

Redartz:  Howard Chaykin is a name familiar to any Bronze age comics fan. In 1983 he introduced us to "American Flagg!", from First Comics.  Reuben Flagg is our protagonist: a former actor who now finds himself serving as a "Plexus Ranger", a kind of police officer/soldier. In this series, we watch Flagg tackle the entrenched corruption and depravity of society in Chicago, after most of that society has collapsed (the government moved to Mars following the multiple crises of 1996).  The artwork and writing mesh quite effectively, and there's enough socio-cultural commentary to last until the Tricentennial. Part of the fun of reading it now is noticing how familiar some of the story elements seem, in our digitally obsessed age. Very entertaining, very thought provoking, and very controversial. Oh, and Flagg also has a talking cat...

Flaming Carrot #9, 1985

Martinex1: Bob Burden created perhaps one of my favorite “comic” comic characters of all time.   I was introduced to the Flaming Carrot just after college and the sense of humor, sarcasm, and satire seemed to fit the zeitgeist of the mid to late 80s.   Appearing in a series of books from Aardvark-Vanaheim to Renegade Press to Dark Horse Comics, the title character is a goof who read too many comic books on a dare and emerged from the experience as a carrot masked adventurer.   He seems to make his way through his challenges with the advantage of sheer luck or utter stupidity.   With a simple catch phrase of “Ut!” the flame headed root faces off against the likes of Hitler’s cloned boots and the man in the moon.   With a super pogo stick, flippers on his feet, and a utility belt loaded with rubber bands, the character made me laugh more times than I could count. 

Journey #1, 1983

Redartz:  Another fine book from an artist/writer, in this case William Messner-Loebs, was "Journey", from Aardvark-Vanaheim.   Beginning in 1983 (a very good year for comics, btw) this series tells the story of frontiersman Joshua "Wolverine" Macalistaire (and no adamantium claws here). "Old Joss", as the title character is known, is remarkably skilled in all the requisite woodsman tasks. As he travels across the Michigan frontier of the early 19th. Century, he faces all manner of challenges; from wild bears to tornadoes, from mad poets to  British agents preparing for the War of 1812. Messner-Loebs brings in a wide, charming, and well-defined cast of fascinating characters (including historical figures such as Tecumseh and his brother, the Prophet). This book is unique for its' historical detail, humor, and Messner-Loeb's frequent insertion of authentic frontier lore.







Martinex1: The Maze Agency, was a mystery series that started under the Comico banner and was later picked up by Innovation.  It was the brainchild of writer Mike W. Barr, and although Alan Davis

The Maze Agency #1, 1988

penciled an early version Adam Hughes was the main artist through much of the series (the art chores did rotate through many including Joe Staton and Greg Shoemaker).  The book follows the adventures of Jennifer Mays, a private detective and proprietor of the title agency, and Gabriel Webb, a crime novelist and sleuth.   Each issue stands alone as they solve various crimes and murders, interact with the local constabulary, and compete with other gumshoes.   For the most part, the books play fair with the clues of the crimes although they can be elaborate and far-fetched.  A favorite of mine was an issue where the detectives teamed with Ellery Queen.  The real fun in this book is the balance of the mystery and the romantic interplay between the lead characters.  Great characterization and humor and art throughout.

Mister X #4, 1985

Redartz: Creators Dean Motter and Paul Rivoche gave us "Mister X", from Vortex Comics. This mysterious, visually-striking series tells of an architect with numerous identities, but who calls himself "Mister X". Mr. X is obsessed with trying to save Radiant City, which he helped create. His psychologically-inspired designs were distorted, driving many in the city to madness; and he seeks to restore his original vision. The storyline features many twists and turns, and the artwork is unique and integral to the book. As an art student at the time, this book positively gripped me with its accent on fine graphics. There were four beautiful promo posters offered at the time, they still hang on my studio wall. The first four issues are a special treat- drawn by Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez, of "Love and Rockets" fame. Later issues featured art by Seth, Klaus Shonefeld, and others

 Ok, you've seen our picks. Now it's your turn. Exercise your rights, nominate your favorites, stand up for the underdogs, let your voice be heard, and let your indie spirit soar!

Discuss: That Band You Hated in High School... and Still Can't Stand Now

Karen: Regular readers here know mine (sorry Doug):

Karen: What's yours?

Face-Off: Bands With Two Lead Vocalists - Who Ya Got?

Doug: Today's question doesn't require much background, so I'll cut right to the chase. This is a multiple subject Face-Off, by the way. Can you think of bands that had two lead singers in the group at the same time, or in some cases two singers who were perfectly capable of carrying the band? Got one or two in mind? OK -- simply tell us which singer you preferred/enjoyed more on a given bands discography, and why.

Some nominees for consideration:

• The Beatles: John Lennon and Paul McCartney

• The Who: Roger Daltry (who sang far and away most of the band's mainstream hits) and Pete Townshend


• The Eagles: Don Henley and Glenn Frey
  


• Chicago: Peter Cetera and Terry Kath


• Journey: Gregg Rolie and (of course) Steve Perry


• The Cars: Benjamin Orr and Ric Ocasek


• The Monkees: Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz


• Three Dog Night: Cory Wells and Chuck Negron


• Earth, Wind, & Fire: Maurice White and Philip Bailey


• The Beach Boys: Brian Wilson and Mike Love


• KISS: Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley (duh... can't believe I left them off! I'll have to surrender my KISS Army card! Thanks, Erick!)

Have fun, and be sure to throw out some other favorite groups!

5 Turn-it-Up! Songs to Love

Today we discuss five songs that, when they come on the radio or my iTouch, I turn 'em up loud enough that no one can tell I can't carry a tune. But when you're at the heart of your rock-star-wannabe glory, who cares?

Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin

What's better here? The head banging intro., Robert Plant's vocals (gotta love that Tarzan-like yell), or just the general gutteral growl of Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones? How about all of the above? Shoot, I don't even know the words here -- I just move, man. People must think I'm an idiot...

Roll With the Changes by REO Speedwagon

One of the best bridges ever. Ever. Neal Doughty's organ followed by Gary Richrath's guitar. And don't forget Doughty on piano, either. I loved this one the first time I ever heard it, as the lead track on the album at right, You Can Tune a Piano but You Can't Tuna Fish. And if that isn't one of the best names for an album, ever, I don't know what is.

So if you're tired of the same old story,Turn some pages.

Yeah!

Just the Same Way by Journey

Ah, yes, back in the days before Steve Perry had completely taken over lead vocals -- and don't get me wrong -- he has a phenomenal voice and to me embodies Journey. But Gregg Rolie is featured here, as he was on two of the band's other hits, Feelin' That Way and Anytime. What works for me here is the mixture of their vocals -- different pitch, style, but sounding great together. Sort of like the Reese's of '70's rock!

I like Jonathan Cain on keyboards, but Rolie's vocals gave Journey an additional resource.

Shoot to Thrill by AC/DC

Just when you think it's about over, it gets better. Fast, then slow, then fast again. A rocker worthy of stadium play, and in fact, I do play it when doing the PA at my sons' high school baseball games. Hey, I'm not interested in their music; folks on the fence have to listen to my music! Brian Johnson's vocals are great on this track.

Rosalita by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

Doesn't the Boss just paint you a picture with a lot of his songs? None more so than here. The scenery, the characters, the situations... Clarence Clemons is great on that sax as usual, and the rest of the band meshes well, also as usual. Another tune that reaches a stopping point, but heads right into a crescendo that takes it home the rest of the way. Fun, fun, fun!

BONUS track --

Never Been Any Reason by Head East

The first time I heard this song I thought it was Emerson, Lake, and Palmer -- the synthesizer is reminiscent of ELP's Lucky Man. Head East hails from my native Illinois, originally forming at the University of Illinois. They never really had another hit, but this one's lasting -- sounds great everytime I turn it up!