In Appreciation of: Space: Above and Beyond

Karen: As a kid, I grew up reading a lot of science fiction. In my tweens and early teens, one of the books I really enjoyed was Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers. Leaving out the politics -which as I got older, became more troubling -it's a great space war story. Later on, I read and re-read Joe Haldeman's Forever War. The backdrop of war is always a rich lode for writers; you can tell so many different types of stories, when your characters are constantly confronted with choices to make, particularly choices of a moral or ethical nature. Add in the element of science fiction, and the number of choices increases.

Karen: In 1995, Fox television broadcast a show that dealt with war between humans and aliens less than a hundred years in the future. It was called Space: Above and Beyond, and sadly, it lasted only one year, 22 episodes. But luckily for people like me, who remember it fondly, the entire season is available on DVD.

Karen: The show focused on a group of Marines, the 58th Squadron or "Wild Cards", caught up in a war between a united earth (although the Marines were definitely USMC) and a group of aliens commonly referred to as the Chigs, for their physical resemblance to a chigger. There were side issues too, such as the troubling involvement of corporate juggernaut Aero Tech in the war, questions over the treatment of artificially gestated humans known as in vitros (or tanks), and the alliance of the aliens and a race of androids (the AIs) that had fought a war with humans just decades earlier.

Karen: Of course each marine had their own story: Nathan West's fiancee had been a member of a colony that was wiped out by the aliens, but she was taken as a prisoner of war, and Nathan was determined to find her; Shane Vansen's marine corps parents had been killed in the AI wars, and she needed to prove herself; Cooper Hawkes was an in vitro trying to figure out his place in not only the marine corps but with humanity as a whole; Paul Wang struggled with feelings of unworthiness; Vanessa Damphousse sought some sense of direction. The characters were well-realized, with both admirable qualities and flaws. For example, Nathan's devotion to his missing fiancee was touching, but it sometimes became an obsession that threatened the safety of his team.

Karen: Space: Above and Beyond never allowed the viewer to get comfortable; like in any war, questionable actions were undertaken at times by our protagonists, and they had to take a hard look at themselves frequently. The aliens were not always displayed in a harsh light either; they even appeared to help the Marines find their way home in the episode "River of Stars". The show also had plenty of action, with the Wild Cards fighting in both space and on land.

Karen: I wish this show had been given a chance to succeed. As Fox often did with many shows, it jerked Space: Above and Beyond around from one time slot to the next, with an erratic schedule. I missed a number of episodes, including the two final shows, which served to conclude the story, more or less. Considering the success of the recent Battlestar Galactica series, which mined a similar vein, I think that the Marines of the 58th squadron could have lasted several seasons, if only they had been given a fighting chance.

FOOM Fridays: FOOM #4

Karen: I'm back with a look at issue 4 of FOOM magazine, originally published in winter of 1973. This issue features the infamous Doctor Doom, with very dramatic Kirby cover -unfortunately mine has lost the bottom corner, AND it has smoke marks from when we had a house fire. Believe me, if you're planning to have a house fire, you want to put all your comics away in bags first! But on to the contents.

This time the bullpen bio is of editor Jim Steranko, and the accompanying photo looks a lot like Elvis in his later Vegas years! He really toots his own horn here, discussing all of his various accomplishments.

There's a follow-up on the Marvel character contest, with a picture of winner Michael Barreiro and some comments from him, including the fact that Barry Smith is his favorite artist. There's also a list of people who entered the contest, and I'm pleased to say my own name is on it. I have no idea what I sent in, but knowing my brain at that age, it probably had something to do with apes. There are 2 pages of pictures of more entries too. There's an amazing variety to them -some serious, some humorous, with varying degrees of talent. You can tell by looking at some of them that their creator had come up with a whole story for the character. Note artist Doug Hazlewood's very slick 'Deathwatch' character -I love that he drew a logo too!

Next up is a funny article, "Quotations from Chairman Doom". It's as if someone from the future were writing a thesis paper on the monarch of Latveria. After explaining that the doctor was not a villain but misunderstood, it goes on to illustrate this with dozens of quotes from Doom himself. I think my favorite is from Fantastic Four 17: "Actually my terms are modest for one as powerful as I! All I insist upon is a post in the President's cabinet!" Obviously this was a very different Doom.

After some puzzles and limericks, we reach my favorite part: Far-Out Fanfare and Infoomation! So what was going on with Marvel at the end of 1973, you might ask? For one thing, Savage Tales is back. Turns out the sales figures have been good, so the mag has been given another chance. Marvel will also be launching a new mag, Deadly Hands of Kung Fu, in 1974.

The biggest news however, might be the impending price increase. Yep, unfortunately the regular books will be going from 20c to 25c. Outrageous!

Marvel will also put out some 35c titles, but these will be books with more pages. Each will be called "Giant Size". Remember when Doug and I reviewed some of the giant size titles some time back?(If you missed it, you can find it here.) As we said back then, the plan was to have a couple of giant sized titles coming out, with Giant-Size Superstars first, then Giant-Size Chillers. Each title would have a rotating cast of characters spotlighted. Of course, after those first issues, they gave up that idea, and we had Giant-Size Fantastic Four, Giant-Size Spider-Man, Giant-Size Conan, etc.

One little sentence declares that the Unknown Worlds title will soon feature the debut of a character from Doug Moench and Rick Buckler called Cyborg. Obviously that underwent some changes, as we eventually got Deathlok, not Cyborg, in Astonishing Tales.

Unfortunately for all of us readers, we're informed that Jim Starlin had penciled a complete Conan adventure, only to have it stolen when he left it in the hallway of his apartment building for a few minutes! I wonder what ever became of that original art? Sure would love to see it.

The master of the mystic arts, Dr. Strange, will once again receive his own title. Poor Doc. Seems like he's never been able to keep a title of his own for long. Another character like that would be the Sub-Mariner. Anyone care to speculate why?

There's an interesting one page article on a Spider-Man movie made by NYU student Bruce Cardozo. He and his classmates were in the process of making a half-hour, live action Spidey film, based primarily on Amazing Spider-Man 15, with Kraven the Hunter as the villain. There's some photos of Spidey, Peter, and J. Jonah Jameson that look pretty good. Apparently they did finish it, because I've read that it was to be shown at the Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention in Los Angeles in 2005. But another site says Cardozo refuses to put the film online. Has anyone out there seen it?

This issue, like the others, also includes a lot of puzzles and quizzes. I haven't spent much time on these, partly because it's difficult to really present them well, and partly because I filled in the blanks on most of them! But I like this crazy quiz, featuring a villain who is an odd amalgam of about 11 of Marvel's bad guys! It's up to you to figure out what article of clothing belongs to which villain -although the clues down in the bottom left corner give a lot away!

The last thing I'll discuss is the FOOM Forum. Here, faithful FOOM-ites write in and cut loose on any subject they please. There's a short letter by future comics writer Ralph Macchio, who is dismayed about the spotty distribution of comics. Of course, this was years before the age of the direct market. But I can understand where he's coming from. There were times where I might go to 4 or 5 different stores -mostly convenience stores and mom and pop groceries - to find a particular issue. Sometimes I never found it. You had to work hard back then to be a fan!

There's also a very long letter from a Paul Wishinsky, where he dissects what's right and wrong with every Marvel title. He says he buys sixteen titles but considers only two of them to be original concepts. He has harsh words for many titles but particularly for Ghost Rider ("the most ridiculous mag Marvel has ever come up with") and Tomb of Dracula. He feels that many books are ruined by having to appeal to youngsters. The one title he feels overcomes this problem is Hero For Hire. He feels the title breaks Marvel traditions, which he finds refreshing. He sums up his feelings by saying that, "...for the most part they (Marvel) are still in that sixties age, while I have moved on to the seventies." Hey Paul, how you like 'em now?

No back cover this time friends -it got torn off!

Face-Off: The 1970's Marvel Cover Art of Jack Kirby and Gil Kane

NOTE: This post was updated on June 5 2020. Some of the images chosen in the remastering may not jibe with comments made regarding the original images. My apologies... -Doug

Doug: OK, so go ahead and accuse me of being an Avengers-zombie. I don't mind. One look at the art samples in this post, and you'll say "here we go again". But there's a method to my madness -- today I want to look at some of the cover work of Gil Kane and Jack Kirby in the mid-1970's, and I thought the best way to do it was to look at their work in a relatively close period of time and on the same characters. What better place to do that than on the covers of the Avengers?

Doug: Using my childhood first impressions (so we're talking 1972-75, give or take; I would have been 6-9 years old then), I'll say now that both men's art has been an acquired taste. In my youth Kane was the guy with the weird body contortions and nose upshots, and Kirby was the guy who drew blocky fingers. It was only much later that I became privy to such issues as pacing, story lay-out, camera angles, etc. After my epiphany, I've become an admirer of each man (although I'll continue to maintain that there were many draftsmen in the Bronze Age era who were better).

Doug: I think if you look at the composition of each of our six samples you'll see the frenetic energy for which both artists were renowned. On the first three covers (above), all of Kirby's trademarks are there -- the power and energy, and all-out action.

Doug: On the Kane examples (below), the samples all seem to evoke more fluidity.There are the odd (shoot -- uncomfortable!) twisting of the bodies, the illusion that movement has just/is about to happen, and accurate anatomy (although stylized).

Doug: So what do you think? What are your memories of these guys' work, especially when the interior art was by someone else? Do you have a fave or least-fave cover from this era? If you comment, include a link for us!

5 Songs to (or For!) Love

Doug: Hey, kids -- it's been a looonngggg time since we've done one of our "5 X to Love" posts. Over the weekend I paid a visit to my son, who is away at college. During the 6-hour roundtrip I had my iPod set on shuffle (you can hear 96 songs in that timeframe, in case you were wondering). The songs I heard were quite varied, and covered around 40 years of popular music. I heard upbeat pop tunes, hard rockers, deep cuts, ballads on various topics, etc. But what stuck with me were five really great love songs that, well... really encouraged that "physical" expression of one's love. Let's have a look, in chronological order:

1. Let's Get It On by Marvin Gaye (reached #1 in the United States in 1973). Is there a more aggressively sensual love song than this one? Maybe, and for that you'll have to see below. This is funky, sexy, and truly leaves no doubt to the imagination as to what's being requested. Good stuff.

2. Tonight's the Night by Rod Stewart (#1 in the USA in 1976). "Kick off your shoes and sit right down". Yeah. Then what? "Loosen up that pretty French gown" and "Let me pour you a good long drink". Uh huh. The website Songfacts reports that this tune was never released in the UK due to the quite suggestive lyric, "Spread your wings and let me come inside." However, a commenter later down the page suggests that the song charted at #5 in Britain.

So far any of you having flashbacks to going parking with one of your first loves?

3. We're All Alone by Rita Coolidge (reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1977). My lasting memory of this one is my first slow dance at a junior high sock hop. I was not an attractive 7th grader, but was most grateful to one of my longtime friends (we are actually co-workers now, and have known each other for 35 years - egad!) for taking the Sadie Hawkins route and actually asking me to dance! Yep, I was a pudgy little wallflower. Enjoy the karaoke video below!

Outside the rain begins and it may never end
So cry no more on the shore
A dream will take us out to sea
Forever more forever more
Close your eyes and dream
And and you can be with me
'Neath the waves through the caves of hours
Long forgotten now
We're all alone
We're all alone

Close the window
Calm the light
And it will be alright
No need to bother now
Let it out
Let it all begin
Learn how to pretend

4. We've Got Tonite by Bob Seger (reached #13 in the USA in 1978). I love this song. It's a departure from Seger's usual rock-tinged output, and a great ballad. Here is the second verse:

Deep in my soul, I've been so lonely
All of my hopes, fading away
I've longed for love, like everyone else does
I know I'll keep searching, even after today
So there it is girl, I've said it all now
And here we are babe, what do you say?
We've got tonight, who needs tomorrow?
We've got tonight babe
Why don't you stay?

Very tender -- a quite honest love song.

5. Sexual Healing by Marvin Gaye (reached #3 on the US Pop Singles chart in 1982). So I asked above, is there a more sensual love song than Let's Get It On? How about this gem?

Hey, to close this out, do any of you recall when Marvin Gaye set our National Anthem to this beat and performed it at the 1983 NBA All-Star game? I couldn't believe he did it, but it worked. One of my favorite "creative license" jobs on the Star-Spangled Banner.

Who has the coolest HQ?

Karen: The super-hero headquarters - one of the staples of comic books. It's the place where our heroes congregate, to plan their next mission, to reorganize, to train, or to simply relax. Every team has one -which is your favorite?

Karen: There's Avengers Mansion, with its outward facade of elegant New York home, but inside, it's got everything from a hangar for the quinjets to a submarine dock! How about the Baxter Building, with a rocket silo, and a gateway to the Negative Zone? The JLA have had several truly impressive headquarters. I like the satellite the best. The X-Men wouldn't be the same without Xavier's School and the grounds. The Titans had Titans Tower -which seemed kind of funky -a building shaped like a T? -but it worked. Who could forget the Legion's original rocket shaped HQ? The JSA also favor a mansion, just like the Avengers, and they have a big groovy table in it.
Karen: So, what's it going to be? Any of these? One I've forgotten? Let's hear it!

Avengers: The Serpent Crown Affair, part 4

Avengers #144 (February 1976)
"Claws!"
Steve Englehart-George Perez/Mike Esposito

Doug: Did we say action-packed? Yeah, I think we did. Well, this one isn't exactly that, but I'll say that during my re-read I couldn't wait to turn each page. Steve Englehart really did a great job on this particular story, and it's no wonder that this title was my favorite as a kid. This is just good stuff! Three-dimensional characters, a desperate situation, some Marvel history... and how about that George Perez art? The arrival of veteran inker Mike Esposito is welcome; it's a shame that this will be his only credit in this seven-issue arc. I believe the next time we visit our Assemblers, Vinnie Colletta will be behind the India inks (or felt-tip pen, depending on his mood!).

Karen: I wouldn't say Esposito is an ideal inker for Perez, but he's certainly preferable to Colletta.
Doug: With our tour of Tombstone, AZ (c. 1873) over, it's time to turn our full attention to the main team of Avengers. Last ish we saw them bust out of the Dr. Spectrum engineered prison, largely through the ingenuity of Captain America and the powers of the Vision. Now free, our heroes seek a way out of the labyrinthine Brand Corporation.

Doug: As we get under way, Patsy Walker is again the focus. And as she takes center stage, it's actually the Vision who upstages her in this reader's mind! Englehart gives us a recap of the previous three issues, but it's told from Vizh's perspective, and is actually quite humorous! For a surly guy, he has a few zingers flying around in his computer brain! I really liked this scene.

Karen: It was a nice way of handling the recap. Vision certainly shows a sense of irony.
Doug: Then we get the all-out action we've come to love with this cast. As our Assemblers plot their next move, the wall opens up -- guided missiles! Wanda is the first line of defense, dropping the platform on which the team stands as the first missile sails overhead. As another missile takes aim, Iron Man calls it as his. Landing on it like a horse, IM rips open a control panel and quickly disables the pre-programming function. Trouble is, he's thrown backwards off the bird and straight at his teammates! Landing with a tremendous impact, the team is scattered. The Beast manages to halt his own drop and snag Wanda shortly after; Cap grabs Patsy and pulls off a somewhat unbelievable maneuver that spares them from becoming paste.

Karen: These pages amply demonstrate Perez' ability to tell a story and maintain tempo. His artwork was still rough, but you could tell the guy had true talent.
Doug: In the excitement, the team is split in two, with Patsy, IM, and Cap making a break for a hallway. Entering a warehouse/storage area, Cap is on the verge of re-upping for full-time membership when suddenly a surprise greets them -- the costume of Greer Nelson: the Cat! All three reminisce about the Cat's short-lived exploits, with Iron Man narrating what he knew of her. As he finishes, Cap coyly looks his way, holding the Cat's mask and wonders aloud if Patsy would...

Doug: Of course she says "YES!" But as we feel that tension build within her, we also get a view into her mind. Englehart does a fantastic job of recapping the life of Patsy Walker. As I'd said earlier, when I first read this story arc, I had no idea who Patsy Walker was. I came to this after the Silver Age, sure, but let's face it -- even if I was 10 years older, I don't think I'd have been buying Patsy Walker comics! So the "origin", if you will, was welcome, and quite well done. I especially liked the parts with the Beast's backstory as a furry guy, because I'd not seen any of the Amazing Adventures where he'd gone solo in recent years. By the way, the lettercol is positioned in the midst of this part of the book -- future pros Peter B. Gillis and Jo Duffy were heard from this month!

Karen: Did you find it odd that the Cat costume was sitting, laid out, on top of a crate? Maybe they explain this later, but it sure seems weird that everything else is in a box and this costume is sitting in plain sight. In any case, the little flashback of Patsy's life was certainly helpful, as I had no idea who she was! I know Englehart has said he read everything Marvel put out before he became a writer for them, and that he wanted to incorporate Patsy into the Marvel Universe. It still seems rather odd! But ultimately, it worked.
Doug: It was laid out almost as if the Avengers were supposed to find it; otherwise, it was a heckuva screw-up on some janitor's part! Of course Cap thinks better of his idea, reflecting on the deaths of Bucky and Roscoe (recently deceased in Cap's own book). However, you can bet that by this time Patsy wasn't taking "no" for an answer. Snatching the costume (and asking our two gents to turn their backs), she slips into the Cat costume, only to emerge as the Hellcat! And let me throw in another two cents on the art -- great splash page!

Karen: Yes, it's a really nice full-page shot of our new heroine. I find the costume itself rather boring, but the mask is cool, and Perez gives her a nice dramatic pose, so it works. I enjoyed the banter between Cap and Iron Man as they have their backs turned to Patsy. Both with this relationship, and the Iron Man-Thor relationship, Englehart is convincing in making us believe that these men have known each other a long time and are comfortable with each other.

Doug: Englehart does offer to tie up the Wild West loose end, with a quick visit to the departure of Thor, Moondragon, and Hawkeye. But when the Two-Gun Kid requests to tag along, Moondragon tells him that it's not possible -- no man may know his future. Hawkeye protests, says to the Kid that he will mentor him in the 20th Century, and then promptly announces his resignation from the Avengers upon their return. Whoo-boy, that Hawkeye...

Karen: Hawkeye still hasn't quite transitioned over to being that solid responsible Avenger he finally will be! And bringing the Two-Gun Kid to the future -that's got to violate every law of time travel possible! What are they thinking?
Doug: To close this one out, as the remaining half of the Vision, Scarlet Witch, and the Beast hook up with Cap, IM, and Hellcat, the Squadron Supreme is suddenly teleported right into their personal space! As the teams engage, they are just as suddenly flashed away! A quick trip to the control room and we see security chief Buzz Baxter informing Brand honcho Hugh Jones that the cops want to know why missiles were flying out of the Brand Corporation. Jones, not wanting anyone to know what's transpired, raps a button on the panel, and it's off to the next ish -- the DC-swiped title "Crisis on Other-Earth!

Doug: I have to add a little post-script to this one. Several months ago Karen ran a series of posts about Marvel house ads. I just had to laugh when I saw one of them in this issue. I recalled it quite vividly from the time I originally read this story after publication. Problem (or not) was, I was not quite as worldly as a 9 1/2-year old as I am now. In Stan's hype box for what the critics are saying about his Origins of Marvel Comics series, check out the first quote -- it's from the notorious '70's skin magazine Gallery! I'm sort of glad that that went over my head way back when!

Thor Movie Poster and trailer -- first look!

In Appreciation (and Memory) of: Ron Santo

Doug: Late last week I lost one of my earliest "favorite players" and a real character in the game of baseball. Chicago Cubs third baseman and radio broadcaster Ron Santo passed away at the age of 70 at his winter home in Arizona from complications related to bladder cancer. As anyone who follows the Cubs knows, Santo had suffered greatly in recent years from a progressively debilitating battle with diabetes. In the past ten years, he'd lost both legs and had been forced to miss several Cubs road trips due to various sorts of "being under the weather".

Doug: I first heard of Santo when I was a quite wee lad, and recall watching Cubs games on WGN television. Growing up near Chicago, the Cubs were very popular and a favorite team of both of my grandfathers. Entering high school, with Santo long-since retired, the Cubs came to be "my" team as well. The minute they clinched the 1984 division title while playing in Pittsburgh is a memory burned into my mind from my freshman year in college. By then, my hero was Ryne Sandberg, who won the MVP of the National League that season.

Doug: In 1990, Ron Santo joined the WGN Radio booth. Retired just 15 years at the time, Santo would go on to cover the Cubs for the next 20 summers, first alongside Thom Brennaman and then later with his long-time partner Pat Hughes. These last many years were a joy -- Hughes and Santo were the best combination. Hughes was the matter-of-fact guy, coyly baiting Ronnie at times into what could be an innings-long dialogue on who-knows-what; Santo almost always was duped into going along. Favorite broadcast memories include Hughes chiding Santo about his hairpieces, and Ronnie talking about the time his "gamer" caught fire from an overhead heat lamp in New York! I'll also never forget what a homer Santo was, living and dying with every Cub triumph, but most often as we all know, their tragedies (dropped balls, baserunning gaffes, etc. -- hey, they're the Cubs!). Ronnie's familiar groans and cries of "Oh, NOOOOOOOOOO!!" were just hilarious, even if I was cursing those lovable losers at the same moment.

Doug: So Ronnie -- enjoy! You are no longer suffering the effects of your health, and maybe, just maybe... you can put in a word with the Big Guy and get those Cubbies to the World Series. Even in spite of themselves.

FOOM Fridays: FOOM #3

Karen: It's time to take a look inside the pages of FOOM #3, published in Fall 1973. This issue features Spider-Man, and the cover is a clever "infinity" design, with Spidey reading the latest issue of FOOM, which has Spidey reading FOOM, ad infinitum.

Karen: There's more Bullpen Bios, this time featuring John Romita Jr., Gil Kane, and Frank Giacoia. It's funny how business-like these men look compared to today's comics pros, who all look like over-grown kids - then again, I could say that about myself and most of my peers! Times have changed.

Karen: The winner of the Marvel character contest was announced: "Humus Sapiens" by Michael A. Barreiro. Check out the picture (and please ignore my scribbling/coloring)-doesn't he look very Kirby-inspired? I wondered what happened with this, as I certainly never recalled seeing him show up in a Marvel comic. So I went to that source of all information, Wikipedia to discover that the character finally appeared, in 2001, in Thunderbolts 54! Sounds like an extreme case of the Dreaded Deadline Doom to me.

Karen: On to Far Out Fanfare and Infoomation, my personal favorite section of FOOM. Right up front we get an announcement that Marvel has become the best-selling comic company in the country. I know that I've read in interviews with Roy Thomas and others that this was huge for Marvel. Finally no longer number 2, I'm sure it was very gratifying for all of them. One might wonder though, if being number one sometimes lead to them taking fewer chances, creatively, later on? I've always felt that when Marvel was under Jim Shooter -when they were well-established as number one -that the creativity of the books went down. Anyone care to discuss?

Karen: The black and white titles still seem to be struggling; we are told that the monster books are going onto a quarterly schedule, and Savage Tales will be on hold until the sales figures from the previous issue are in. Crazy, however, seems to be doing fine.

Karen: Over in Amazing Spider-Man, our hero will be having his first encounters with the Punisher and the Jackal. "The Punisher is patterned after the one-man, vigilante 'Mafia-buster' books that are currently popular." Little did they know what they were creating, or how it would so dramatically affect comics for years to come!

Karen: Ka-Zar and the Man-Thing would soon get their own titles, and the Thing would star in Marvel Two in One just as Spidey headlined Marvel Team-Up. Sub-Mariner is said to be starting a "year long quest" for an antidote for his poisoned people in issue 68, however, the book would fold with issue 72.

Karen: The title previously announced in issue 2 as "Fu Manchu" has now been retooled and will be called...Master of Kung-Fu! Well, it will actually appear in "Special Marvel Edition", formerly a reprint book, for a few issues. But it was the beginning of Shang-Chi's adventures.

Karen: Lots of news for Jim Starlin's Captain Marvel, including "the unmasking of Death, a new concept in God, Captain Marvel's battle against the universe, and an alien invasion"!! Starlin never did think small!

Karen: The Spider-Man features in this issue include a full index to Amazing Spider-Man, Spectacular Spider-Man (the magazine), and Marvel Team-Up. There's a three page retrospective of Spidey's life, by Bob Cosgrove and Martin Greim. It's nicely done, just funny to think it stops around the time of Gwen's death! But then again, Spidey was only ten years old...

Karen: The back cover has a very nice drawing of the Avengers, which looks to me to be the work of Sal Buscema. For some reason, I drew Spider-Man and the Hulk in the background. I'd swear I've seen this art before, as a pin-up in an issue of Avengers, but I looked through the annuals and several issues and couldn't find it. The closest I came was the image next to it, from Avenger 71. Anyone got any ideas?






















NOTE: In the comments section, artist Tom Lyle noted that his entry had been posted in this issue. I thought it might be fun to take a look at it. I can see the Barry Smith influence!