Versus -- the Illinois Bands

Cheap Trick -- Rockford
Chicago -- Chicago
REO Speedwagon -- Champaign
Styx -- Chicago


Doug: Not a bad list, if you're looking for bands that charted throughout the 1970's and into the 1980's, huh? From Surrender to 25 or 6 to 4, from Roll With the Changes to Lorelei, these guys have you covered on just about anything between hard rock, pop, and ballads.

Doug: I guess I became "aware" of popular music when I was about 6-years old. That's when I got my beloved transistor radio (complete with earpiece) -- AM only, baby. From that day, I fell in love with the likes of Elton John (Rocket Man, Someone Saved My Life Tonight), Paul McCartney (Live and Let Die, Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey), and the one-hit wonders of the early 1970's -- Paper Lace (The Night Chicago Died), Johnny Wakelin (Black Superman), etc. But it wasn't until I got into junior high school in 1977 that I really began to latch onto some bands and actually follow what they produced. The bands listed above fall into that category.

Doug: I can recall standing in line to get out of PE one day and seeing an older kid wearing a Cheap Trick concert t-shirt. Never heard of 'em. But, it wasn't too long after that when the live album (yeah, dude -- a record) Cheap Trick at Budokan was released. I didn't know it at the time, but Cheap Trick had been huge in Japan, while struggling early on to get anything on the radio in the States. The year 1979 saw their frustration come to an end when I Want You to Want Me was constantly played on Top 40 stations around the country. After that album came the studio follow-up Dream Police, with its title track and Voices being the big hits. Dream Police really rocked, and Zander's vocals were powerful throughout the album -- at times power-charged, at others a little pouty. I loved the contrast in looks among the band members, as lead singer Robin Zander and bassist Tom Petersson looked like refugees from Tiger Beat magazine, while guitarist Rick Nielsen and drummer Bun E. Carlos were almost caricatures; they were certainly characters. In particular, Nielsen's multi-colored (and certainly odd-looking) guitars were a visual high point. At the point of Dream Police, I'd become a fan and eagerly anticipated new output from the band. Of all their hits, I guess I'd rank The Flame and Tonight It's You as two I regularly turn to. I like the studio and live versions of The Flame about equally.

Doug: Chicago. Wow -- when did I become aware of them? When you look at their early discography and think of AM radio, I guess from the time I got that radio I've been aware of Chicago's music. It would be hard to name a hit that I don't care for, although most of what they turned out after Peter Cetera left to make his sappy-ballad-duet fortune pale in comparison to what the band created in its first decade-plus. While not a big purchaser of their albums, their greatest hits compilations (as well as iTunes today) have me pretty well-stocked in regard to their music. The horns are always great, and the contrast in vocal styles create a nice sound. Frequently-played songs lately for me include Dialogue (Part I & II) and I'm a Man. I just love the percussion section, especially on I'm a Man, as well as the end of Beginnings. Going old style!

Doug: You Can Tune a Piano But You Can't Tuna Fish. Best. Album. Name. Ever. And the singles off of it -- Roll With the Changes and Time For Me to Fly plus the foot-tapping Say You Love Me or Say Goodnight make this an all-time great. This came out about the same time as the retrospective A Decade of Rock and Roll, which got me turned on to some of their older tunes, like 157 Riverside Avenue. After hearing that, I bought Live: You Get What You Play For and really got into some of the band's older tracks -- a bit more hard-edged than the pop path they would head down in the 1980's. Of the Illinois bands I've listed, this was by far the band for which I owned the most albums. Hi Infidelity, Nine Lives... each album had a sound of its own as the band experimented with different sounds that oscilated between rock and pop. Having purchased The Essential REO Speedwagon on CD a couple of years ago, my iTouch is pretty well outfitted with REO tunes. Hey, and why do they refer to the '80's rockers as "hair bands"? Check out these fellows!

Doug: The last band on the list, Styx, has a little local history (for me) tied in. Urban legends in these parts had them playing on the tennis courts of the local YMCA and even at the homecoming dance of the high school I would attend. Both of these events allegedly occurred in the early 1970's, well before the band hit it big. I've not been able to verify either incident, but it is the stuff of local chest-swelling. Or so I'm told... Anyway, Styx was getting big when I was in junior high and got even bigger as I got into high school. Early songs like Lorelei and Lady led to hits off The Grand Illusion like the title track, Foolin' Yourself, and the mega-hit Come Sail Away. The dueling vocals of Dennis DeYoung and Tommy Shaw gave each song a little bit of a different feel, but the keyboards and vocal harmonies held everything neatly together. Later, the albums Cornerstone and Paradise Theater cemented the band's albums as treasured spaces in my collection. Rockin' the Paradise, Borrowed Time, and Too Much Time on My Hands were all great memories as they played from my table-top stereo system. I wasn't much into politics as a kid, but the negativity of the Carter administration shines through on several of the band's songs.

Doug: So, give a vote on the poll to the left, and leave a comment below to share a memory.

A Look at Wonder Con

Karen: Howdy folks. I spent a good portion of last week in the San Francisco Bay Area - a place I called home for 17 years. I got to see a lot of old friends and check out some favorite places - if you're in the Bay Area, grab a comic at Dr. Comics and Mr. Games in Oakland, see a movie at the beautifully restored Alameda Theater , and sip a cool tropical drink at the Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge. But if you're planning a Bay Area trip in the spring time, you should really try to go to Wonder Con.

Put on by the same folks who orchestrate the enormous mega-event known as Comic-Con, Wonder Con is like a younger sibling. It's not as big (and I consider that a good thing) but it's still jam-packed with panels, dealers,and genre stars. I know all the comics news-sites have covered the big events, so I'll focus on my own experiences. Unfortunately we were only able to go on Friday and Saturday. There were actually more panels on Sunday that I really would have liked to have gone to, like the Max Brooks one. But que sera, sera.
I had planned for Friday to be my primary shopping day, for two reasons: the crowds are usually lighter than Saturday, and there were only a couple of panels scheduled that day that I was interested in. The first thing I did was make a bee-line for the autograph area. I've wanted to get Peter Mayhew's- aka Chewbacca - autograph for awhile now. The last con I attended where he was present, I stopped by his booth while he was out for lunch, and never got back to see him again. So I decided to make it a priority this time. You see, I already have autographed photos from Mark Hamill, David Prowse (Darth Vader), and Carrie Fisher. So Mayhew would sort of complete my Star Wars set. I got to his booth right after the con opened and appeared to be the first person to ask him for an autograph. I don't collect a lot of autographs, and I never buy pre-autographed items. For me, it's all about the chance to engage that person and come away with a memory. So while Mayhew was signing, I asked him about the differences between his original Chewbacca suit and the one used in the new trilogy. He became quite animated and described how the new one had a vest he wore underneath that circulated cold water around his torso to keep him cool. He said he really wished they'd thought of that the first time. I then asked him about the Minoton costume from Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (yes, I am a huge geek). He explained how it was constructed (from fiberglass) and that it was very rigid. The chest actually came up to the middle of his face, and when he was on break, it was difficult to get food or drink through that neckhole. But he said he didn't mind, it was great fun and gave him a chance to work with Ray Harryhausen. Mr. Mayhew was delightful and I'm glad I got to have a conversation with him.

I bought about a dozen comics while at the con. For the most part, prices seemed about right, based on both guide and other resources. There were a couple of dealers (one whom I've seen many times before) who appeared to have jacked up their prices beyond guide, but they were the exception. I got some very good bargains on a lot of 70s books, including Master of Kung Fu, which was a title I never read as a kid. So expect to see some Two In Ones with me covering that title soon.

I was disappointed with the DC Editorial panel. The last couple of cons I've attended, I've noticed that DC has decided not to make an actual presentation - the staff just shows up and takes questions. Personally, I'd much rather see them do what they used to: bring a slide show where they talk about what's going to be coming up in the titles soon, and then throw it open to questions. It feels like they are making a minimal effort, and it really isn't informative. Most of the questions people ask are not all that interesting - I don't care to hear some guy whine for 5 minutes about how much he'd like to see a Phantom Stranger book!

Marvel had very little presence at the con; I think they had one panel, an X-Men one which I didn't attend.

By far the most interesting panel to me was the one held by Steve Englehart. Englehart opened up by discussing his new book, The Long Man, and its predecessor, The Point Man. They both sound pretty intriguing and I just purchased The Point Man, which I'll read after I finish my current book. After describing the intricacies of the publishing world, he threw it open to questions. Someone asked why he was no longer interested in writing comics (something he had said at the beginning). Englehart said that he still liked comics but that the way comics are produced now is unappealing to him. There are too many editors involved, and the creative process is essentially quashed. He said if he pitched a mini-series, he would have to lay out everything that would happen in each issue in advance. But if he came up with an idea he wanted to incorporate while writing issue 7 say, he couldn't do it , because it hadn't been part of the initial plan. This is too constricting for him. He described the way things worked at Marvel in the early 70s - essentially, do what you like as long as it works - and said that his method for writing back then was much more seat of his pants. I thought his system for juggling 4 books at once was surprisingly simple: he just focused on a different book each week. One week, he'd plot Captain America; next week, The Avengers; and so on. Another surprising moment: hearing that the powers-that-were at DC thought that Marshall Rogers' and Terry Austin's artwork on their collaboration with Englehart for Detective Comics was terrible! The mind boggles.

I wasn't able to get into the Pixar/Disney presentation, which included clips from Prince of Persia, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, and Toy Story 3. The crowds for this were huge. I got in later and saw some clips from Warner Brothers, including one for a film based on a Vertigo comic, The Losers, which looks like it might be mildly entertaining. Otherwise the previews I saw were forgettable. I didn't stick around for the big Kick Ass panel. I just don't have any interest in this film. I guess it's not surprising, considering I'd rather read comics from the 70s than the current stuff.

All in all, I had a good time. The crowds got a little difficult to navigate on Saturday, which lessened my enthusiasm for shopping. But that's just a tribute to the success of the show. It's also still much more affordable than Comic-Con, which frankly, I feel has gotten too damn big, and the near-by hotels have started just gouging attendees. Wonder Con offers a nice alternative.

Bronze Age Babies Bulletins

Doug: We're going to take another day off in the midst of our 4-parter on Marvel Team-Up. Karen is working up her report on her trip to Wonder Con in San Francisco this past weekend (as well as recovering, I'm sure), so I'll fly solo with a few tidbits that have caught my eye in the past week or so.


Doug: Big Alex Ross fan, here. Somehow this slipped by me in pre-release publicity, but I'm glad I know it's available now. I'm talking about the new Alex Ross hardcover, Rough Justice: The DC Comics Sketches of Alex Ross. You can see the description of it here. Chip Kidd is the book's editor, so you know it will be top shelf. I just love everything Ross does, and can't believe he has his detractors. I've met him on a number of occasions, and have always found him to be very cordial. I'd love in the future to see a similar volume dedicated to Marvel Comics' heroes and villains!

Doug: So how does everyone feel about the casting of Chris Evans as Captain America? While I liked him a lot as Johnny Storm in the two Fantastic Four movies, I find a couple of things curious about his role in the upcoming Captain America and Avengers films. First, while I could get past his brown hair in the role of the Human Torch, I'm having a more difficult time in dealing with that in regard to Cap/Steve Rogers. I think, too, that we've all felt that the tone of all future Marvel films will mirror the Ultimate Universe as opposed to the more familiar Marvel 616 Universe. I guess grim and gritty lives on, huh? In that regard, Evans may fare well -- Cap in the modern era of that universe is somewhat of a smart alleck, and that seems to be a strength of Evans. My fear is, though, that the World War II scenes may not play as well. We shall see.

But do check out the fan art I found while surfing -- it does look pretty cool...

Oh, and one last thing (maybe the biggest of all) -- should we assume that there won't be an FF/Avengers crossover coming our way anytime soon?

Doug: I just saw this today on http://www.comicscontinuum.com/ -- Neal Adams is returning to Batman! Here is the text from their feature:

NEAL ADAMS' BATMAN: ODYSSEY

DC Comics has announced that Neal Adams will be returning to Batman in Batman: Odyssey, a 12-part mini-series that launches in July.

Here's how DC describes the series:

"Odyssey finds Batman facing a series of seemingly unrelated challenges, villains and allies, old and new, that push him to his limits as never before. The battles get more intense and, in turn, more deadly, The Dark Knight Detective discovers that there might be an over-arching force behind his troubles. And if this is so, if there is a dark and mysterious matrix being super-imposed over Batman's life.... what sort of life-changing voyage must he go on to free himself from this powerful and insidious direction?

"Worse... where can he go that he has never gone before for his desperately needed Odyssey?"

"I have been collecting bits and pieces of Batman's life and time over the years since I was doing Batman regularly," Adams said. "With even this massive series, I haven't been able to shove them all in. but the juiciest and richest morsels are there. Have comic books always been this much fun?"

The feature also displayed the accompanying artwork. You might notice that Batman is carrying a gun, so this is perhaps from very early in his career. But at any rate, would you agree that Neal Adams still has it at 69 years of age? Wow. Just awesome. I no longer buy new comics, but this is one series that has me pretty excited.

Doug: However, another series that I am questioning is Marvel's soon-to-released Avengers: The Origin. If I'm not mistaken, Stan and Jack did a pretty good job with this 47 years ago. While I thought Joe Casey did a decent job with his two Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes mini-series, there were certainly places I could find faults. I'm just not a fan of all of the revisionism.

Updating for a modern audience? Perhaps. But I have to scratch my head (over the past two decades of comics, really) and ask: What is canon anymore?

The Passing of Dick Giordano

 
News is hitting the comics web of the passing of a giant in the industry. Known mainly as an inker at DC Comics, Giordano had tenures at several other companies. You can read a biography of him here. He will be missed.

And In This Corner... 1972

Doug: If you're like us, part of the charm of Marvel Comics in the Bronze Age was the wonderful corner box that adorned all of their titles.

When I first started getting/buying my own comics (which would be closer to the end of 1973/beginning of 1974) I used to make my own comic books. As part of those books, I'd often glue in the corner boxes I'd snipped from my comics. It didn't take long until some friends of mine, who had older brothers, recommended that I desist in that habit. I had been educated!
A fun pasttime with any sort of stock art is to try to determine who the artist was. If you know, or have some solid guesses, why not post them in a comment below?
In our first row, you'll see cover art from Tomb of Dracula, Mighty Thor, Uncanny X-Men (during the reprint era), and Werewolf By Night. I've always liked the regality of this Thor image.

This row contains corner boxes from Claws of the Cat, Namor the Sub-Mariner, Amazing Spider-Man, Shanna the She-Devil, and Power of Warlock. You'll see the same Warlock picture below.

Who can forget (or more likely, can anyone remember??) Night Nurse? Also, you'll find Marvel Team-Up, Marvel Triple Action, and Marvel Spotlight featuring Ghost Rider! That Ghost Rider image is pretty cool, as he bursts right out of the magazine and into your lap!

Up next are two images from Marvel's Greatest Comics, Marvel Premiere featuring Adam Warlock, Marvel Premiere featuring Dr. Strange, and Luke Cage, Hero for Hire. The Torch and the Thing are obviously rendered by Jack Kirby.

Of course here we find some heavy hitters: The Incredible Hulk, the Invincible Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, Doc Savage, Man of Bronze, and the Defenders. I never liked that Iron Man pose (there's a similar Doc Doom pose -- it was on the cover of Marvel Team-Up #43). The Thing and the Hulk look like are about to square off!

In this row you see art from Daredevil (with the Black Widow, looking quite curvaceous!), Conan during the Barry Smith era, and Captain Marvel.

Here are Captain America and the Falcon (pre-wings!), the Avengers, Astonishing Tales featuring Ka-Zar and Zabu, and Amazing Adventures starring Black Bolt and the Inhumans. Four of these dudes are pretty stoic, and isn't it interesting that the Vision and Black Bolt strike virtually the same pose?

And last but certainly not least, we have the Beast (in his very early gray fur), also from Amazing Adventures!

I didn't get any artwork from the corner boxes of Marvel's westerns. If we do this again, perhaps fast-forwarding a few years, we'll check out some of those.