True or False: Joe Sinnott's Addition to the FF Staff Was the Best Creator Change of the Silver Age

Who's the Best...Dr. Who??

Karen: I know absolutely nothing about the topic, but I suspect there must be some Dr. Who fans out there among BAB-dom, especially in our British brethren. So state your case for your favorite Doctor!

Workin' for a Livin'

Doug:  Busboy, bartender, ladies of the night.  Grease monkey, ex-junky, winner of the fight.  Today we're talking to those of you who don't happen to be independently wealthy.

Doug:  I got fired from the first "real" job that I had back as a junior in high school.  I was working at a Brown's Chicken as one of the stiffs in the back.  Breading, frying, and general clean-up to close the joint.  The latter, however, would be my downfall.  Apparently I lazed my way through a closing, with the regional manager showing up the next morning for a visit.  Yeah, not so good.  As I'd not set the chicken-frying world on fire in my previous three weeks, it was suggested that maybe I take my act elsewhere.  Looking back, they were exactly right.  I did not care for the duties, had a foul attitude, and was probably just generally immature.  I recovered and had another job, at a smorgasbord in town, very shortly.  That time, with lessons learned, things went really well.  I ended up working there through the rest of high school and then off and on through college, and really believe that it could have been a full-time fall back had I needed it after graduation.  Plus, I met the girl who would become my wife.  Fringe benefit.  So, live and learn, prosper, etc.

Doug:  It's of course well-documented in these parts that I now teach at a public high school and do contract work for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum when my schedule allows.  I'm hesitant to say that I still love my teaching job -- my personal jury is out on all of the changes coming to public education.  But I will still say that I do like it.  Time will tell, as will my natural resistance to change (I always need a feeling-out period before I fully embrace something new).

Doug:  So the Forum is Open for you to discuss all-things employment related:  best job, worst job, dream job, what you thought you'd be when you were a kid, left turns on the career path, all of it.  Looking forward to some good stories!

Rider on the Storm: Marvel Spotlight 5

Marvel Spotlight #5 (August 1972)
"Ghost Rider"
Written and conceived by: Gary Friedrich
Drawn by:  Mike Ploog
Aid and Abetment: Roy Thomas

So, most of you know the BAB staff tries to work about two weeks ahead on our comic reviews.  As we were in the middle of today's write-up, what should cross the newswires but the following statement (as per Comic Book Resources):
 
Marvel Comics and writer Gary Friedrich have agreed to a settlement to their long-standing legal dispute over ownership of Ghost Rider, as reported Monday by Reuters. If finalized, the settlement will mark the end more than six years of litigation between the two parties.

Terms of the settlement have not been disclosed, but according to Reuters, Friedrich's lawyer, Charles Kramer, said the writer and Marvel "have amicably agreed to resolve all claims between, among, and against all parties."

Here is how we began the post prior to this information, and you'll see us tackle issues related to this news as we move through today's book and our thoughts on such.

Karen: We're moving on to the "Anti-Hero" part of our "Invaders and Anti-Heroes'" month. So much to talk about before we even get to the story here. First off, those credits. They become significant when you consider all of the legal issues surrounding Friedrich and Marvel in the last decade or so over who can take credit for creating the Ghost Rider character and who is entitled to what exactly financially from the films and other licensing of the character. All three parties involved in crafting this story -Friedrich, Ploog, and Thomas - have different takes on how the character was created and who came up with what. It's doubtful we'll ever really know exactly what happened. But I find those credits intriguing to say the least. 'Conceived' sure seems to indicate that Friedrich came up with the initial idea; but what does "aid and abetment" mean? Is it the addition of ideas to an existing one? And was Ploog solely responsible for the Ghost Rider's fantastic look, or did Friedrich and/or Thomas contribute to that as well? I don't want to get mired down in what seems to have become an endless argument, but I think those credits do need to be looked at when considering the situation.

Doug:  Funny thing about the ownership of the character, isn't it?  While visually striking, his origin linked to Satan and Satanism would seem to be a barrier to any sort of financial windfall.  However, as the horror genre built and built in film through the 1990s, characters like Johnny Blaze became en vogue.  Let me plead my ignorance here -- Friedrich did not file any lawsuits concerning the character in the 1970s and '80s, did he?  To the best of my knowledge, the lawsuit that was recently settled was brought only after the success (that's a relative term) of the two Ghost Rider films.

Karen: Before I can dive into the story, I have to comment on the art. Ploog!! I love Mike Ploog and I cannot lie. He was the perfect artist for the monster and horror titles. He does a terrific job on this book, and to be honest, I think it's the best thing about this book. I've always felt that the Ghost Rider has a great look, but never had great stories to go with it. His origin is really no exception. Thankfully, we have some beautiful Ploog artwork to look at to get us through it. Not sure if my partner will feel the same way, but for me, it was pretty much what kept me going through a fairly mediocre story.

Doug:  I'm not as big a Ploog fan as you, but I have to agree that he's perfect for the weird or macabre.  His work is sort of illustrative, sort of cartoony, sort of channels the younger Barry Smith, and...  I don't at all dislike it.  It's a different cup of tea that I do find pleasing.  I don't know if I'd like him, however, on a traditional superhero book.  Here -- he's certainly getting the job done!  As to the Ghost Rider's look, I have long felt that his bike was as big a part of him as Cap's shield or Thor's hammer.  We see a "regular" looking motorcycle in this story, rather than the "skull cycle" he'd use later and that might be more familiar to fans of The Champions.  I didn't ever really care when the bike turned to fire, but it fit the demonic motif of the character.

Karen: The story opens on a rainy night. We see a motorcycle approaching through the rain in a sequence of three panels, which then open up on the splash page to show the Ghost Rider. GR rides past a couple of thugs in the act of shooting a man. While he tries to ignore them, they fear he will go to the police (they can't see him clearly and think his flaming head is a glowing helmet), so they jump in their car and pursue him. GR tries to throw them but it's no use. He ducks in an alley -a dead end - and the two men come in, guns drawn. GR pulls his spook routine, telling them he is the servant of Satan, and casts hellfire at their feet. The men now get a good look at him -"He ain't got no face -just a blazin' skull!" - and they are starting to freak out. GR uses this opportunity to race up a conveniently placed board and jump over them and their car and escape. Soon, he reverts back to his human form of cyclist Johnny Blaze.

Doug:  Mike Ploog really varies his camera angles in the sequence with the goons.  It gives the reader a sense of speed in the chase.  I loved the Kirby Krackle in the hellfire, and regarding the "conveniently placed board", did you notice that Ploog drew in two panels prior to the big jump?  I thought that was nice, rather than some silly deus ex machina that just popped up.  Marvel was all over pop culture trends in the early 70s, weren't they?  Martial arts, Evel Knieval-inspired daredevils, etc. were everywhere.  Ah, the legacy of Martin Goodman.

Karen: Before we get too far, I want to mention how Ploog's version of Ghost Rider is actually much cooler and scarier than the later version we're used to. For one thing, the eye sockets are empty -just black holes, and I thought this was really effective. I suppose it removes some of the characters' ability to emote, but it made him a lot creepier. Also the skull is a lot more, well, skull-like; again, it's less like a face and more like a real skull, which I'm sure made it harder to convey emotion. But the whole thing makes for a more frightening character.

Doug:  I think this iteration of Ghost Rider really gives the reader a sense that this guy is a skeleton under that biker suit.  And you're right, some characters just shouldn't have eyeballs, whether in their skull or as seen through a mask (I'm thinking of Batman with the latter comment).  I suppose that the depiction of emotion was not unlike the challenges that drawing Iron Man's faceplate presented.

Karen: Blaze puts on a jacket and goes over to Madison Square Garden, where he is performing his stunt cycle show. He sits back in his dressing room, and it's flashback time. We learn that Johnny's father, Barton, had been a stunt cyclist too, and had died performing. He was then taken in by another rider, Crash Simpson, and his family. Johnny grew especially close to Crash's daughter, Roxanne, and he hoped to join their show. But one day while they were practicing, a bike the two of them were on caught fire. Rocky (Roxanne) jumped off, but Johnny had to get the bike out of the show tent and away from people before it exploded. He managed to do this, and jumped clear of the bike, but Mrs. Simpson came running out of the tent to find him and was caught in the blast when the bike blew. At the hospital, as Mrs. Simpson took her final breaths, she made Johnny promise not to ride in the stunt show. Johnny promised, even though it was his fondest dream. Now for some reason, he kept his promise for the next five years, but didn't tell Rocky nor her father about it -he just refused to ride in the show, and the two of them, being such  kind, wonderful people, decided he was a coward and began treating him like dirt. He hangs around and works as a mechanic while Rocky and her dad continue their show. Then Johnny realizes he can still ride-just not in the show. So he starts riding late at night, and doing goofy stuff, such as riding on his head facing backwards (don't ask me - I didn't draw it). Rocky catches him and realizing that he isn't a coward after all, she's thrilled (what a girl). Johnny finally fesses up about the deathbed promise he made her mom, and Rocky jumps into his arms and kisses him.Oh, how nice.

Doug:  I'm telling you, I could have cued up Kenny Rogers' "Coward of the County" while reading this and it would have been an apt soundtrack.  The middle quarter of this story played a bit more like Young Love than a horror/action book.  I didn't find much depth to any of the characters in this origin story.  Maybe it's no wonder Friedrich didn't want a slice of the pie until after the films!  Have we mentioned yet that the narrative form, with Blaze being addressed directly during the flashback sequence, was annoying?

Karen: Johnny, Crash, and Rocky are together when they get a call from their agent -they've hit the big time, Madison Square Garden. Johnny and Rocky are over the moon, but Crash is despondent. He tells them his doctor said he has maybe a month to live. "I've got the disease...and it's going to get me!" Good grief -this goes beyond soap opera! What's the deal with this unnamed disease? I can only assume Friedrich was thinking of cancer, but why the hesitation in naming it? Or was that in bad taste? It's just so melodramatic. In any case, Johnny and Rocky are crushed. Crash says he wishes he had a son to take over the show, so of course Rocky, even though she knows about Johnny's promise to her mother, turns to Johnny and asks him to do it. He says no, and that she knows why. Rocky then storms out proclaiming Johnny a coward. Oh come on! Crash tells Johnny to get out. These are just wonderful people. Really, why should Johnny even care about these cretins? If I were him, I'd get on my bike and leave them in my dust. But I'm not, so instead, he makes a deal with Satan.

Doug:  I have no further comment, your honor.

Karen: One might reasonably ask how a grease monkey in a traveling cycle show would have a wealth of knowledge about the occult. This is never explained. We just see Johnny surrounded by piles of books (and a couple of skulls), and are told that he has heard "since childhood" that Satan can perform miracles. Uh, I thought it was God who performed miracles, but OK. Johnny burns some sort of gunk on top of an ox (?) skull and draws a pentagram on his chest in blood and then beckons the Prince of Darkness to appear. A shadowy Satan-like figure shows up and says he'll assist if Johnny will serve him. Now we all know how any deal with the Devil goes down -you always get the short end of the stick. But Johnny makes the deal anyway, asking that Crash be spared from the disease that is killing him. The Devil agrees and then tells him he'll be back soon to collect his fee. Now at this time, this really was supposed to be Satan, THE Devil, which blows my mind, because it just seems like Marvel would be risking the ire of so many religious groups. But things were different in 1972. You had Rosemary's Baby in 1968, The Exorcist would come out in 1973, and nuts like Anton LaVey running around San Francisco...there was definitely a pop culture edge to the subject matter. I know later on GR's origin was retconned and I believe Mephisto substituted for Satan, probably for all the reasons one might imagine. But having Satan in comic books still seems both weird and ballsy to me. I know as a kid things about Satan or demonic possession disturbed me so I tended to avoid them.

Doug:  My mind boggled during this whole satanism scene.  It's personally detestable to me, that A) anyone would know about his "miracles" one's whole life, and B) feel that turning to the dark side (literally, no Force intended) would be the answer to any of life's travails.  That being said, this is of course the pivotal scene in the character's origin and it's really well-drawn by Ploog.  As we both said at the top of today's review, stuff like this is right in ol' Mike's wheelhouse.  So if we had to do this in order to get Johnny Blaze to become the Ghost Rider, I can accept the inclusion of these elements in the story.  However, as you allude to above, it's beyond clunky and just makes Blaze seem so shallow and really makes me question his upbringing.  As you mention Mephisto, when we originally set up the post Mephisto was included in the labels you find at the bottom of each of our posts.  We did that because he was named as a character in the story as per the Comic Book Database.  However, when I read the story I thought that although Satan was drawn and colored as looking like Mephisto, I didn't think we had enough to make that conclusion -- consequently we deleted the name from the labels.

Karen: After his deal with Satan, three weeks pass. Johnny heads to Madison Square Garden the night of the big show, and Rocky finds him. She pleads with him to stop her father from attempting the world record jump. It seems Crash has decided if he's going to die, he'd rather do it on a bike than in a hospital bed. Johnny tries to talk Crash out of it but he just calls Johnny gutless and Johnny basically walks away. He figures Crash will be fine, due to his deal with Satan. Hey - wait a minute dummy! You asked the Dark Lord to spare him from the disease, not from jumping over 22 cars! Sure enough, Crash rides out and comes up short on the jump. He crashes and is killed.Rocky is in tears. Johnny feels betrayed by Satan (duh), and then for some reason, he figures it's a good idea to attempt the jump himself! With Rocky screaming at him not to try it, he races off and succeeds, becoming the new world record holder. But now Rocky is furious with him. After the show, Johnny goes back to the dressing room and sits, distraught. Who should appear but Satan. Johnny is ticked off, saying the Devil betrayed him. Satan, like any good lawyer, points out the details of the contract and that he upheld his part. Now he's there to collect his due: Johnny's soul! He tells him that from now on, he will be his servant and begins the transformation into the Ghost Rider. Suddenly Rocky enters the room and says that she suspected this! What?? She then commands Satan to return to Hell, as he is in the presence of someone "pure in heart"...oh boy. Satan books it, but says he'll be back for his. Johnny begins to recover and is confused over how Rocky saved him (as are we). She explains that she had read his books on Satan when he wasn't around and therefore knew how to order him away. The two then declare their love for each other. Cue the violins...

Doug:  Johnny Blaze isn't too long on the brains, is he?  After reading this story (for the first time for this review), I'm wondering what is the quality of this character that would make me care for him?  He's not a sympathetic character, and I certainly do not empathize with his decision-making prowess.  So at the beginning when you commented (and I agreed) on the great look of the character -- along with the popularity of motorcycle daredevils in the early 1970s -- that's really all I'm left with.  Unless I would have been a completist as a 6-year old, I'm not sure I'd have gone out of my way to find the next issue.

Doug:  Ploog again does a fantastic job during the Madison Square Garden scene -- I particularly like the panel when Crash elevates over the 22 cars.  How about Blaze telling the stage manager to have the crowd held?  After a man just died on the scene?  And then they allow him to make the exact same jump??  My suspension of disbelief was tried as much in those six panels as it was when Blaze went after the devil so seemingly quickly.  And Rocky's knowledge of the occult?  Ugh.  Just dumb.  I'd also argue her purity of heart, as she was pretty cruel to Johnny at times earlier in the story.  I'm all for the merits of tough love, but she was nasty at times.

Karen: We then see how Johnny first turned into the Ghost Rider later the next night, which lead into the beginning of our story. With our flashback over, we're back to square one, with Johnny still wondering what he can do, trapped in this cycle of man by day, monster by night. What will happen if someone finds out? He picks up the paper and on the front page is a story about the two thugs and the mysterious "Ghost Rider". Johnny decides he needs to leave New York, find a place where he can hide, and think about what to do. But then the change comes over him, and once again, he is -the Ghost Rider.

Doug:  This feature followed the Werewolf By Night strip, and I have to wonder if fans back in the day felt like they'd gotten the same deal, different look?  We previously reviewed the Werewolf's debut, and this tale doesn't really separate itself from the traditional day-OK, night-monster motif.  It also evokes a Hulk-vibe, with the protagonist as a wandering fugitive, trying to exempt himself from situations where he might cause harm to others or be found out.

Karen: As I said at the top, I thought this origin was pretty crappy. I love the Ploog art though, and it's all that kept me going. But the characters are such awful people, and the fact that Johnny Blaze turns to Satanism as casually as a person might try Weight Watchers is pretty bizarre. Still, I'd recommend reading it just to see Ploog's work -he does interesting things with panel layouts, his light and shadow effects are terrific, and overall it's just fun to look at.

Saturday Morning Memories: The Fantastic Four (Hanna Barbera-Style)

Karen: Last time around I said my Dad only watched the Warner Brothers cartoons with me and my brother. I soon realized I was wrong. My Dad, now 81 years old, has taken to Facebook, which is nice since we are separated by quite a distance. I had posted a picture of the Avengers from the film, and my Dad made a comment about "Where's the one that always said, 'It's clobberin' time!'?" I had to explain that the Thing was with the Fantastic Four -and then I realized, Dad had watched the old Hanna-Barbera Fantastic Four cartoons occasionally with us, and at least the Thing had made an impression upon him!

I was pretty young when these originally came on (1967) but I believe they were shown repeatedly  in the late 60s. They were actually pretty good, with many stories lifted from the comics. The animation certainly wasn't as limited as the Grantray-Lawrence Marvel toons. Getting a Hanna-Barbera show was like hitting the big time for Marvel. I also thought the theme song was pretty catchy.

Big John's Barbarian: Conan 25

Conan the Barbarian #25 (April 1973)
"The Mirrors of Kharam-Akkad!"
Roy Thomas-John Buscema/Sal Buscema/John Severin (cover by Gil Kane)

Doug:  We've reviewed several issues of Conan the Barbarian here on the BAB, ably chronicling the brawler's adventures under the pencil of Barry Smith.  Amazingly, we've yet to showcase a story drawn by perhaps his most renowned artist (certainly if we speak in terms of longevity), John Buscema.  We'll take care of that today with Big John's very first Conan story.  So buckle in, and be sure to leave us some comments at the end in the Barry vs. John discussion.  Oh, and that's a pretty nifty cover by Gil Kane, huh?  Thanks in advance.  And away we go...

Doug:  It had been awhile since I'd read our last Conan review, "The Song of Red Sonja".  Consequently, I couldn't figure out why this story seemed to pick up right in the middle of an adventure.  Well, a little page flipping later and I recalled that ol' Kharam-Akkad had appeared in the two previous issues.  So yes, we are sort of dropped into the middle here -- but we'll get through it together!

Doug:  We open with Kharam-Akkad gazing into a crystal at Conan of Cimmeria, just at the conclusion of the previous issue's adventure with Red Sonja.  The wizard attests that he almost had the barbarian dead, but has failed.  He then references the mirror, the more-than-thrice-accursed mirror that taunts him.  As he strides toward a gigantic draped mirror, his nervous musing is interrupted by Chumballa Bey, the captain-of-guards.  Kharam-Akkad tells him of the presence of Conan, and bids him to capture the intruder.  As Bey leaves, the wizard seats himself and fidgets in his sulking.  He is suddenly joined by the Tarim Incarnate -- a god-man, a Hyrkanian deity.  Kharam-Akkad offers him to sit, and then relates for him a story of the mirrors of Tuzun Thune.

Doug:  Our creators then give us a two page illustrated text featuring King Kull.  I got caught wondering about where Kull fit into Marvel's licensing of Robert E. Howard's characters.  A quick database search showed me that Kull actually appeared in Conan the Barbarian #1 and went solo very shortly after.  So my initial reaction here that this story might be some sort of springboard for a Kull series was erroneous from the start.  Anyway, here's the gist of the mirrors tale:  Kull had become sullen, rejecting all adventure.  A maid of the court came to him and suggested he journey to seek out Tuzun Thune, a wizard who could speak to the dead.  Kull seemed oblivious to the girl's true intentions, and so rode off alone.  Arriving at the House of a Thousand Mirrors, he indeed had an audience with the old man.  The wizard recommended that to cure his spirit, Kull should gaze into all of his mirrors.  The king did so, and saw visions of the past and of the future.  As Kull gazed at himself, he began to feel enveloped by the mirror, as if he was somehow merging with it.  At that moment the glass shattered and there stood Kull's friend Brule the Spearslayer, the wizard Tuzun Thune dead at his feet.  King Kull had failed earlier to notice that the maid who spoke to him had evil intentions on her mind -- in collaboration with this now-dead wizard.  Brule had rescued his liege from the power of the mirrors...

Doug:  Kharam-Akkad continued to address the Tarim Incarnate, noting that after many civilizations had perished as foretold by the mirrors, those glass fortunetellers had passed into his own hands.  But he also confided as to his true fears -- ripping the green drape away, Kharam-Akkad unleashed the image of his fears.  There on the mirror was frozen an image of Conan, blood-soaked cutlass in hand and straddling the dead body of Kharam-Akkad.  Above Conan's head were iconic images of a lion, an eagle, and a serpent.  The wizard cried out for meaning, but got no immediate answer.  The wizard falls away in a pile, but rights himself to see a statue of a serpent coiled about a griffin.  He thinks that it must be that sculpture that somehow is perverted in the reflection of the mirror.  He turns, thinking he hears the workmen he's commissioned to remove the carving.  Sensing he's right, he encourages the living Tarim to leave the chambers.  I thought this whole thing with the fleshy god was weird...

Doug:  Cut now to Makkalet, where a weary Conan has returned "home" to sleep for the night.  However, he's ambushed by the agents of Kharam-Akkad, led by Chumballa Bey.  Conan is offered the opportunity to come peacefully, and surprisingly takes it.  As the party walks away, Conan mutters something about the size of this guard come to capture a simple horse thief.  Bey scoffs at him, telling him that it is the wizard who has requested Conan's arrest, and that they are on their way to the temple.  Conan suddenly goes crazy, swearing to never enter the temple again.  He bashes some skulls, appropriates a sword, and makes a quick getaway.  His route, though, leads him back toward the palace grounds.  As the sun has now risen, the king and queen are out on the grounds.  Conan crashes through the brush, knocking the king away and coming face-to-face with the queen.  Thinking of his options, there's no time to act as a large stone suddenly bounces off his Cimmerian cranium and drops him.

Doug:  We scene-shift to a hill outside the city of Makkalet, where the Prince of Turan, Yezdigerd, prepares for a raid on the city (groundwork for this portion of the plot had been laid over the two previous issues).  His vizier asks that he consult the mages to foretell their fortunes.  Yezdigerd puts no stock in their "mumbo jumbo" but nevertheless obliges.  He is told that "the griffin shall bite the serpent in twain -- when the horse spawns walking swords!"  What the...?!  The vizier explains that with this news -- of Turan as the griffin and Makkalet as the serpent -- the men will be ready as ever to take the city.  There is no time but now.  Yezdigerd rallies his men.

Doug:  Later, and now bound, Conan lay at the feet of Kharam-Akkad.  Waking, the barbarian is chided by Kharam-Akkad to tell the secret of the three animal heads above the image of Conan slaying the wizard.  Conan knows not of what he speaks, so Kharam-Akkad turns Conan toward another mirror -- one that shows a death image of the barbarian himself.  Conan feels terror, and even moreso as the images in the mirror begin to shift until a giant octopus begins to manifest itself, its tentacles actually reaching out to envelope the Cimmerian.  Conan bursts his bonds, but is further sucked into the psychic drama.  But without warning, Chumballa Bey lashes out with his voice and his sword, snapping Conan out of the trance.  Kharam-Akkad will not hear of this opportunity potentially lost, and so strikes down Bey.  As Bey falls, he pushes his sword toward Conan.  Conan takes it and begins to slice away at the tentacles that now seek to choke the life from his body.  All this time, Kharam-Akkad has moved toward two swords hanging on a nearby wall.  As Conan's monstrous nemesis falls dead, he turns to face the wizard.

Doug:  Kharam-Akkad is armed with sword and shield, and tells Conan there will be no prophecy fulfilled this evening.  Outside, the Turanian army has massed on the border of Makkalet; on the ramparts of the castle, the king and queen discuss their fate and that they will meet it together.  Back in the temple the clash continues.  Kharam-Akkad is able to knock Conan backward, but as he moves in he sees the hilt of the barbarian's sword -- with the head of an eagle as an adornment!  Staggering backwards, the wizard does everything he can to parry Conan's charge.  But the Cimmerian is strong, and as he strikes and strikes again, Kharam-Akkad's shield is battered to the point that the straps break -- straps made of a serpent's skin!  Kharam-Akkad is now thoroughly terrorized, and as a last gasp grabs one of his mirrors and attempts to draw on the power of the living Tarim.  Holding it aloft, he bids Conan to look deeply into it.  Conan rebukes his enemy, and with one hard thrust of his blade runs the wizard through.  Felled, Kharam-Akkad staggers over to the large mirror with green drape and pulls it away.  Conan now stands full in front of the vision that has plagued the high priest of Makkalet -- an image of himself over the dead man, a lion, an eagle, and a serpent.  And Roy Thomas leaves us with this foreshadowing:  one day, years in the future, Conan will sail the western seas and his men shall call him Amra... the lion.  To be continued.

Doug:  This issue was pretty dense plotwise, and as I said it was actually the third chapter in a much longer story.  I wonder if for readers who came to this at the newsstand there was a big lack of continuity.  In the first chapter, Barry Smith was embellished by Sal Buscema, Dan Adkins, and Chic Stone.  In the aforementioned "Song of Red Sonja", he stood alone on the art chores.  As you see above, John Buscema now took over with the services of two famed inkers.  And with the next issue Ernie Chan began his long collaboration with Big John.  So while Roy Thomas attempted to weave a seamless story, it had to be jarring visually.  But seriously... who would complain about all of these hall-of-famers jammed into such a short period?  Not this guy!

Doug:  I think in this issue we see Buscema somewhat grappling with his version of Conan.  Smith's rendition had become increasingly more muscled as his tenure wore on; of course here we see the Conan that most of us would recognize throughout the latter 1970's and beyond.  But there's just something here that's not quite fully John Buscema, and I can't put my finger on it.  Sure, we see certain poses that we immediately identify, and the dynamic panels, each bursting with motion and action are a JB hallmark.  I don't know -- maybe it's the updated computerized coloring.  I guess at times this just looks a little slicker than I'd like to see, especially immediately following Smith's ultra-detailed renderings.  But what sayest thou?

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EXTRA:  You may have noticed on our reading list on the sidebar that I had the conclusion of this tale scheduled to run two weeks from now.  Yeah, well, I'm just not feeling it.  I read the next issue, and since my main point was to showcase Buscema's pencils under Ernie Chan's influence, I can do that here.  I was having a hard time finding the right mood for re-reading the conclusion and doing a write-up. So instead, I've decided to do something out of the Garcia-Lopez Superman book I purchased in August.  I don't think anyone will mind.  However, since I had the introductory paragraph already written, it was easy enough to scan a couple of pages from Conan #26 and attempt to make my point.

In case you were wondering about the resolution of the plot, the kingdom is invaded and laid waste by Yezdigerd, the king is killed and Conan considers making it with the queen, and the living Tarim is exposed as a madman not even capable of thought.  So in spite of some serious fighting and near-death experiences, all's well that ends well (I guess).

Give your thoughts on Chan's inks as compared to what you've seen above in today's review.  I'll add that the updated coloring is going to be an influence on any art discussion we have, in my opinion.  So, without further ado, here's a sampling of what you won't see in two weeks but will instead get to comment on now --

Conan the Barbarian #26 (May 1973)
"The Hour of the Griffin!"
Roy Thomas-John Buscema/Ernie Chan

Doug:  I'm going to say right from the top that the arrival of Ernie Chan, the inker perhaps most associated with John Buscema's run on the color Conan the Barbarian, is striking.  And I don't necessarily mean in a good way.  After last issue's tag-team of Sal Buscema and John Severin -- two veterans from the Silver Age -- embellished Big John's pencils, Ernie Chan buries them.  For my money, this is all-Ernie, all-the-time.  Now it's not an unfamiliar look -- we've all seen it.  But the 3-issue transition from Barry Smith inked by himself to Buscema/Buscema/Severin to Buscema/Chan is jarring.  Toss in Gil Kane's cover on issue #25, and Conan fans may have been wondering just what the heck was going on in their favorite sword-and-sorcery magazine!

Drive-In Memories

Karen: The drive-in theater, that All-American icon, is sadly nearly extinct. It was a place for the whole family to bundle up in the station wagon (kids, put on your pajamas!) and go see a film -or two. Or, if you were in your teen years, it might have been the spot of many an amorous adventure! Care to share any memories of the Drive-In?

I'll start: I was just a tot but I was terribly excited that we were going to go see Planet of the Apes at our local drive-in. Mom and Dad did the usual -they put blankets and pillows in the back of the station wagon for me and my brother, and off we went. Before the movie started, we cavorted in the little playground behind the snack bar, waiting for it to get dark. Finally the cartoons began and we returned to the car. After watching a few of those, the movie finally came on. I watched enthralled through the astronauts crashing on the mysterious planet, exploring, being chased through the tall grass, and then, inexplicably, I fell asleep. Hey, I was only 4! I awoke as my Dad started the engine. What? It was over? Where were the apes? I had to wait til the film was shown on TV a few years later to actually find out!

Who's the Best... Costume Redesign?

Doug:  I'm sure at some point we've tackled this topic -- the memory fails.  Regardless, let's hear your thoughts on faves (and even not-so-faves) today.

 

Doug:  I think we'd be remiss if we didn't note the 12th anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York City on 9/11/2001.  We're still standing.

Legion of Doom, or Legion of Fools?

Karen: We're talking super-villain teams today. Talk about your favorites, your not-so-favorites, and discuss this question: can a group of selfish, nasty bad guys ever really work effectively towards a common goal?