The Deep #1; A Marvel Movie Special (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Fresh off the success of Stephen Spielberg's Jaws, studios rushed to secure the movie rights to more works by Peter Benchley. There was just one problem. Benchley didn't have anything else in his repertoire yet. Jaws was the author's first and only book. 

The author did have an idea floating around in his head for a new book. Based on the wrecking of the American naval ship, the USS Constellation sinking atop a Civil War vessel, Benchley crafted a story that combined elements of illegal drug smuggling with treasure hunting. Benchley soon began working on The Deep after the success of Jaws. Immediately afterwards, Columbia Pictures secured the rights to the book, despite not being published yet. 

Benchley worked with screenwriter Tracy Keenan Wynn, fleshing out the screenplay while working on the finished manuscript. The Deep is about a couple who stumble upon a shipwreck off the coast of Bermuda that is not listed on any maps. Because of explosives aboard the USS Goliath that was sunk during a squaw in the 1940s, the wreck has been declared off limits. As the divers also find an 18th Century medallion, it appears that a legendary shipwreck containing a fabled assortment of jewels and gold has been uncovered due to a recent storm surge.

Treasure hunter Romer Treece, hopes to go back to the wreckage to uncover more Spanish treasure in which the provenance would be worth the price of the booty times 10! Island gangster Cloche, wants the countless ampules of morphine said to rest in the hold of the Goliath. With a street value of over $3 million dollars, Cloche hopes to become a wealthy man and forces the trio of divers to recover the drugs from the wreckage in 3 days or else! Now Treece must secretly recover the Spanish treasure while recovering the morphine or else Cloche will end up with everything in his greedy grasp.

 In 1976, The Deep debuted in bookstores, a minor success, not quite on par with Jaws. A year later, the film debuted in theaters. It earned over $100 worldwide and would have been the 7th highest grossing movie of 1977 if not for a little film called Star Wars taking the world by storm.

The Deep starred Robert Shaw, fresh from playing the expert shark hunter Quint in Jaws, Nick Nolte and Jacqueline Bisset. Shaw's character of Treece was based on renowned deep sea explorer, Teddy Tucker who gave Peter Benchley the inspiration about the overlapping shipwrecks. Tucker has a small cameo role as the Harbor Master. Benchley also cameos in a scene set during the Goliath's floundering but was ultimately cut from the final print. Young, handsome Nick Nolte adds some rugged gravitas to the film. An assortment of underwater monsters and action never before seen on screen added to the excitement behind the film. But it was a marketing campaign featuring Jacqueline Bisset that was perhaps the film's biggest draw.

During a key underwater scene, Bisset wears only a white T-shirt and black g-string. Someone on the production team snagged a photo of Bisset in her underwater and the image was used in gentlemen's magazines to advertise The Deep. Plans were in the works were produce a poster of the image. It perhaps would have rivaled the red bikini shot of Farrah Fawcett, but Bisset was successful in preventing the sale of the unauthorized image.

With the ban of the poster, Marvel's 48-page comic adaptation is one of the few authorized officially licensed tie-ins to the film. In fact, with exception of a tie-in print of the novel complete with full color photos from the movie and a LP album featuring music by compose John Barry, this is the only licensed product that can be found that was released the year of the film's debut.

The comic tie-in, printed under the 'Marvel Movie Special' banner was penned by Doug Moench. Carmine Infantino provided the pencils with inks by Sonny Trinidad.

Completing this review completes Task #8 (Published the Year You Were Born) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Ripley's Believe It or Not! #73 (True Ghost Stories)

When Gold Key (later Whitman) started producing comics based on the long-running Ripley's Belieive It or Not! newspaper strip, the publisher had issues devoted to singular subjects. There was an issue devoted to 'True War Stories'. One about 'Weird Stories' in general. A couple of issues about real life demons and monsters. But the subject matter in which Gold Key struck gold was in books devoted to real ghost stories. 

By issue #30, every issue of Ripley's was devoted to the ghost tales. The public must have really eaten these spooky yarns up as another 64 issues of just 'True Ghost Stories' were published before giving up the ghost with issue #94 (February, 1980).

This October, 1977 issue tells 4 ghostly tales. A couple on the verge of divorce are given marriage counseling by a colonial specter. A pair of greedy men are haunted by the man whose untimely death has just made them very rich or has it? A widower and his son are swept away at sea only to be saved by the ghost of their deceased loved one. Finally, a family moves into a coastal cottage only to be visited by 'The Spectral Schooner.'

Yes, folks, it appears that even ships have ghosts.

Honestly, for late 1970s horror comics, this one is rather tame. DC loved to have its gruesome monsters. Marvel played a little too close to the gates of Hell. Charlton had it's horror hosts and femme fatales. Apparently, Gold Key/Whitman had ghosts and they were really tame. I've read early 1960s Comics Code horror scarier than these tales.

What sold me this book was the Ripley's name. I was a fan of the strips, the live TV show starring Jack Palance and I am a fan of the various museums and aquariums. When it came to creator Robert Ripley, the reason I kept coming back to his various endeavors was the provenance. Ripley would at least tell you the location of his strange discoveries. Sometimes you get a name and a date. There's none of that here with the comic book. As much as I would like to believe these encounters with the afterlife really happened, without some factoid with some references added, these ghost tales are lacking something; true or not. 

I'm not really feeling motivated to go out and find more copies of this series. Even the artwork is generic. At its best, it looks like illustrations you'd find on the back of a magazine or Sears Catalog. Or it's what you'd expect from a really low-budget grade school textbook at worst. And this issue really was a mix of both types of artwork by uncredited artists.

Look, if I found a bunch of these in a bargain bin, I'd very well consider getting them for my collection. Less than a dollar a piece would be optimal. Otherwise, if I had to pick between these and the lowest of the low horror offerings from Charlton, I'd go with Charlton every time.

Rating: 4 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Classics Comics #23: The Moonstone (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

A staple of the comic book industry went defunct in 1971 when Classics Illustrated ceased publication. Frawley Corporation had purchased the rights to the educational reading tools from Gilberton in 1967. While 1969 was the last year the publisher released new material, Frawley kept issuing reprinted material both at home and abroad before abandoning the comic line for nearly 2 decades.

The void for comics based on works of classic fiction wouldn't be a very lengthy one. In 1973, Pendulum Press began a run of over 70 volumes of black and white adaptations of famous works. Artists and writers such as Otto Binder, Alex Nino, and Gerry Talaoc brought such beloved stories such as The Red Badge of Courage and Gulliver's Travels to life in a line called Pendulum Illustrated Classics. New material was produced under this line through 1980 with Shakespeare's Hamlet as the last original work.  

In 1976, the powers that be at Marvel Comics decided to take advantage of the vacuum brought about from Classics Illustrated's demise. Working with Pendulum Press, Marvel released Marvel Classics Comics, with the first 12 issues of the new series colorized reprints of Pendulum works. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, adapted by Kin Platt and Nestor Redondo and Otto Binder and Alex Niño's The Time Machine were the subjects of the first two issues.  

Each issue was 52 pages long - with no ads! Except for a post on the back cover advertising next month's upcoming releases. Marvel would release 2 new issues every month. The series ended in 1978 with adaptations of Alice in Wonderland and Dickens' A Christmas Carol published as issues #35 and #36.

Issue #23 was an adaptation of The Moonstone. Written by British author Wilkie Collins in 1868, it tells of a cursed gem stone and it's mysterious theft. One part gothic romance, as well as a complex whodunnit, The Moonstone is groundbreaking as it delves into the literal destruction of India's culture by British colonialists.

The story opens with the theft of the Moonstone, a sacred Hindu gem that rests in the forehead of a giant idol. During a skirmish called the 'Siege of Seringapatam', most of the attendants of the temple are killed by British forces. In the attack, a British soldier steals the Moonstone smuggling it back home in England. Thumbing his nose at the curse which follows the Moonstone, along with guardians of the Moonstone who will stop at nothing less than murder to retrieve it, the thief dies of mysterious circumstances; willing the jewel to his estranged niece.

The niece is gifted the heirloom on the night of her birthday. But her ownership of the jewel is short-lived, as the Moonstone is stolen later that night as she sleeps. A detective from a local constabulary is called in and an investigation begins. Fingers are pointed. Relationships are dashed. And the body count piles up as everyone is considered a suspect.

The author of the 'about the author' article on the inside cover of this issue lists Charles Dickens as a direct influence on Wilkie Collins. However true that may be, this story with it's gothic imagery and use of the scientific method to solve the crime, a lot of inspiration needs to be pointed at the works of Edgar Allan Poe. Clearly without works like this, we'd probably have a very different Sherlock Holmes. Who knows. It's quite possible that without the theft of the Moonstone, the world of criminal science might have never evolved to the level of sophistication that it has in today's policing methods.

This issue was adapted by Don McGregor. Art was by Dino Castrillo. Cover by Ernie Chan.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #25 (Set in a Foreign Country) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

DC Special #28

In the penultimate issue of this DC anthology series, there are a total of 3 stories, all about 'earth shattering disasters.' Well, technically 2 stories are actually earth shattering. The other is a disaster but of a different magnitude altogether. 

In the first story, Gotham City is racked by a series of earthquakes. Only these tremors aren't natural but man-made by a technological madman calling himself Quakemaster.

In the final story, the Legion of Super-Heroes discovers that the Metropolis of 2977AD is in peril. For the first time in centuries, the city is without power and engulfed in flames. Someone has sabotaged the power sphere that energizes Metropolis. Being nuclear in origin, the power station is about to reach critical mass, threatening to meltdown in a China Syndrome type catastrophe and destroy the planet once the generator reaches earth's core. 

The middle story stars Aquaman. While he is ridding the seven seas of a band of hi-tech pirates, the King of Atlantis stumbles upon an ecological disaster. A giant oil spill. Only this mass of petroleum is alive and growing, feasting on ships and sea life that crosses its path. Teaming with the Navy, Aquaman tries to stop this menace. But as the blob gets closer to a major coastal city, the Navy proposes using A-bombs to destroy it. Seeing another ecological disaster on his hands, it's up to Aquaman to find a solution before the bombs go flying!

I think it's interesting that Gotham City had trouble with earthquakes about 30 years prior to the disastrous events of 'No Man's Land'. This story forms a bit of a continuity error as one of the characters makes a comment that the bedrock underneath Gotham isn't ideal for quakes. Apparently in the 3 decades leading up to the massive tremors that will render Batman's hometown a disaster area, nearly a billion years of geology occurred below to make the topography below more suitable for aftershocks!

I found the Aquaman story hitting a little too close to home. Currently in the South Atlantic, a 5,000 mile long swath of seaweed is making its way towards Florida. The level of destruction isn't as catastrophic as what the growing massive of oil in the story was predicted to do. But the amount of damage to that area's sea life and the proposed level of breathing problems the decaying algae is predicted to do before this ecological disaster is through is rather terrifying. 

As for the Legion of Super-Heroes story, I was non-plussed. The story was written by Paul Levitz, who many consider to be the best Legion writer ever. Yet with all the flash forwards and a baddie who I really thought was a Legionnaire, I didn't feel like I was in the presence of a master. As publisher of DC, Levitz was great. But that was in the 90s and 00s. Maybe 1977 Paul Levitz still had a lot of practice ahead of him to get great. 

I don't know why I do this. I seem to spend money on really exciting looking DC anthologies from the 1970s and wind up being disappointed. The artwork of all 3 tales was amazing and it's definitely the appeal of the covers, along with childhood nostalgia that got me to purchase this. I'm probably going to fall into the trap again sometime in the future. But at least I didn't pay more than a dollar for this book.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

DC Special #27

In a story that takes place simultaneously in the prehistoric past, modern day 1977 and the year 2056, a series of events are conspiring to destroy the very fabric of space and time. The time travel villain Chronos is releasing dinosaurs into the 20th Century in hopes of keeping a pair of intergalactic time cops busy while the fiend goes back in time to steal a comet from a race of dino-people!

Oh my god was this story a jumbled mess...

I've not really been a fan of the character of Captain Comet. In my opinion, DC needs to stay away from mutants. That's Marvel territory. To me, he seems like a second rate Man of Tomorrow.

Now the presence of Silver Age fixture Tommy Tomorrow in this story with the added mix of time travel- that's DC's bread and butter! And that part of the story comes along fine. Having Captain Comet and Hawkman tackle some time displaced thunder lizards was a lot of fun. Having a Jurassic age race of dinosaurs who worship a giant comet is really stupid. The addition of Chronos was fun and his diversion was rather smart. But there's a ton of stuff going on here and 34 pages just isn't enough room to get it all in. 

DC's answer man, Bob Rozakis, penned this story. I think if he was allowed to have a 2-parter, this would have been a much better story. But 1977, when this story was published, was during the dawn of the DC Implosion of titles. So the publisher was doing everything it could to get works published during a time when sales were at a near all-time low without sacrificing titles. Hawkman and Superman as members of the Justice League are in this story. And the JLA satellite is a setting that bookends this book. Why couldn't they have added a couple of more Leaguers and made this a two-part Justice League of America story? It would have worked, I tell ya!

It's not for me to question why DC did what it did. This was a dire financial time for the company that only a 1978 live-action feature of the Man of Steel would solve. But the possibilities of what if are just mind boggling. Oh, wait- What If... that's Marvel territory. Oops...

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Richie Rich: Vaults of Mystery #14 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Richie Rich: Vaults of Mystery ran from 1974-1982 for 47 issues that were published on a semi-regular basis. The first 5 issues were known as Richie Rich: Vault of Mystery. But in an effort to remain consistent with the pluralization of the rest of the Richie Rich supplemental line, publisher Harvey Comics changed the title at issue #6. 

In this series, Richie Rich and his friends would solve mysteries that occurred in the community. Being one of the wealthiest families in the world, criminals would often try to steal something from Rich Manor. As a result, the Poor Little Rich Boy would be the one to play Sherlock Holmes and solve the mystery. In this series, Richie and his father would sometimes fund expeditions to mysterious and exotic locales. Mr. Rich would also fund the dynamic research of genius inventors and crackpots alike. These grants would sometimes bring nefarious elements out of the woodwork as it this case with this issue.

In this issue, a scientist develops a disappearing ray that would bring about the end of nuclear weapons. The scientist wants to give the very dangerous device to the United States government. But before he can do that, the researcher is killed by an unknown assailant.

To fulfill the inventor's dying wish, Mr. Rich promises to deliver the weapon to the authorities. However, the unseen criminals have no intention of letting the Pentagon receive such a destructive weapon. With bullets flying, Mr. Rich arms his staff including faithful butler Cadbury. Even the cook has a piece! The FBI brings their top man to assist in the delivery of the invention to the military. And Richie ends up a hostage in the hands of the gangsters!

Vaults of Mystery is unlike any Richie Rich title out there. Car Chases, kidnappings and theft are not unexplored territory for the Rich family. But to see Mr. Rich carrying AND shooting back as baddies! Cadbury too! If family dog Dollar was in this book, he'd probably be packing as well!

Fans note that this series was a bit more mature compared to the other Harvey Comics titles on the market. To have a character not just shot but to die at the hands of a sniper is something many readers of Richie Rich or many similar Harvey Comics publications just weren't used to encountering. Vaults of Mystery was an Comics Code approved title and regulations under the CCA were loosening when this book was published. Yet, the Harvey books are looked at as the stuff of the youngest of comics readers. It's all a bit unsettling and exciting at the same time. 

As for those vaults, this story does utilize them as a plot device. The device is placed in one of the Rich family vaults, under armed guard, until the G-Man arrives. Then when Richie is kidnapped, he's taken hostage in either the same strongroom or another similar locale on the estate. Nice to see that for at least 1 issue, the inside material matches the title of this book perfectly.

If all Vaults of Mystery issues are this much more mature in tone and action, then I want to read more of these!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #43 (Something Bought From a Dollar Bin/Bargain Bin) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Marvel Premiere #35 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Having just escaped Communist spies, test pilot Chuck Chandler thinks it will be smooth sailing from now on. Jumping into an experimental rocket plane, Chandler is hoping to break some world records. Unfortunately, lady luck is not on Chuck's side. His plane is captured by a Skrull scout skip. 

The story of Chuck Chandler is set during the 1950s. With mankind on the verge of space flight, the Skrulls are interested in determining if the planet Earth is a threat to their empire. Chuck is to be interrogated before being returned to terra firma with his mind wiped. However, the pilot finds a way to escape in his test plane while sabotaging the UFO. 

On his way back home, the energy waves of the exploding Skrull saucer flood Chandler's plane. Upon his crash landing, Chandler emerges from the wreckage unscaved. Everything looks like it's going right for a young man who's had a very eventful 24-hours. And then Chuck Chandler disappeared.

The only person to witness Chuck Chandler's disappearance is his brother Hal. After the funeral, Hal discovers that an image of Chuck is embedded in his eyeglasses. In one lens, Chuck is green. The other, red. Hal's eyewear has turned into a macabre sort of 3-D glasses!

One night, Hal falls into a trance. During his slumber, Chuck emerges from Hal's glasses with new and fantastic powers. Now with the power of 3 men, Chuck can leap great heights, perform amazing feats of strength and outrun the fastest cars 1950s Detroit has to offer. Only there's a catch- Chuck Chandler can only exist outside of his brothers eyeglasses for only 3 hours at a time!

Created in 1977 by Roy Thomas (Aargh!) and Jim Craig (What If...), the 3-D Man was created as a tribute to Jack Kirby and Joe Simon's niche superhero Captain 3-D. Thomas wanted to create an entire series based on 3-D Man in a 3-D format. However, production costs just weren't feasible. So a 3-issue try-out in the pages of Marvel Premiere was the best Roy Thomas had to settle for. 

Ultimately, only the most ardent of comic book fans remember the 3-D Man. After appearing in Marvel Premiere #35-37, the character only popped up in a scattered number of books. A pair of Incredible Hulk issues, a brief appearance in Contest of Champions and a spot on Jimmy Woo's 50s era Avengers in What If... #9 would be 3-D Man's sole contributions to the Marvel Universe until a return almost 2 decades later as black man named Delroy Garrett (first known as Triathlon.)

Unfortunately for the Chuck Chandler 3-D Man, when Marvel made the events of that What If... issue a part of mainstream continuity in the 2006 miniseries, Agents of Atlas, the character was left off of the roster. Agents of Atlas writer Jeff Parker claimed it was because he only wanted to use characters from 1950s Atlas lineup. Since 3-D Man was created in the 70s as a retcon, Parker didn't make the nearly-forgotten character a part of that team. However, it may also have something to do with the fact that Kurt Busiek along with George Perez who created the Delroy Garrett 3-D Man, wanted to leave the character alone for other projects. As the contemporary 3-D Man did join a modern version of the Agents of Atlas, that theory holds a bit more water.

Since it's been over a decade since the original 3-D Man's last official appearance in a book, the Roy Thomas creation sadly looks to become nothing more than a small entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe. Though who knows? Maybe the time will come for minor 70s characters to make a return to Marvel Comics for a nostalgic mini-series much like 2007's The Twelve. But until then, it's a safe bet that we won't be seeing Chuck Chandler any time soon.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #12 (Published the Year You Were Born) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Superman #307 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

A hot tip leads Clark Kent as Superman to investigate a chemical plant. It appears that a large number of employees are succumbing to cancer. Alarmingly, the execs of the company don't seem to deny this medical mystery. Nor do they seem to care! As a result, Superman takes it upon himself to shut the manufacturing plant down. But before the Man of Steel can succeed, he is opposed by a brand new foe! 

Decked in a pure white costume, this villain calls himself The Protector. Only, he's not here to save the Earth but to make sure that corrupt businesses have the right to continue producing materials that will pollute the planet. The Protector's powers include flight, super strength and the ability to change form. That last power allows the Protector to escape Superman who now seems rather troubled.

Having visions of the destruction of his home planet of Krypton, Superman is now determined to save his adopted planet. Vowing to stop polluters and businesses from killing mother Earth, Superman declares war. His next target is a giant oil tanker that has a history of leaking fossil fuels into the ocean. 

As Superman begins to attack the ship, the Protector returns and leads Superman away. Once again, the foe eventually disappears. Only this time, Supergirl appears on scene with a shocking revelation: There is no Krypton! There never has been! And both Superman and Supergirl are mutant humans!

This mind-bending statement causes Superman to reflect on the past few days. He's not been acting like himself. To prove her point, Supergirl takes her cousin to the Fortress of Solitude and shows that the bottle city of Kandor is nothing more than a model kit. Has Superman's past as the Last Son of Krypton been nothing more than a delusion?

Issue #307 ends with Superman's reality crumbling down around him. Written by Gerry Conway (1st Issue Special) with art by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (DC Comics Presents), this issue was the first chapter of a 3-part story. The dramatic cover of the destruction of Kandor at the hands of the Maid of Might was by Neal Adams (First X-Men). 

This issue also marks the last issue of Superman to carry the DC bullet to proclaim 'DC The Line of Super-Stars' in the top left corner. 

An interesting tale that feels familiar. Superman's one-man war on pollution has similar parallels to the Man of Steel's mission to end the nuclear arms race in 1987's Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. With newcomer baddie The Protector taking the side of the polluters, his motives are reminiscent of that film's antagonist, Nuclear Man. These coincidences make one wonder if Superman #307-308 were indirect influences of Superman IV screenwriters Christopher Reeve, Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars. 

Completing this review completes Task #3 (Comic from the Bronze Age (1971-1985)) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

The 25 Baubles of Pop Culture! Advent 2022 Day 7

Today's post is all up to fate. If it wasn't for the random pop culture generator I used to help with a large chunk of this Advent, I really don't think in a million years I would have decided to take a look at the world of musicals. Since it wasn't specified, I'm looking at musicals from both the stage and silver screen.

First up is a piece from Phantom of the Opera. For a couple of years, my wife purchased several ornaments based on the Andrew Lloyd Webber production. The ornaments look like a stage, complete with curtains and lime to represent key scenes of the play. My favorite of the ones my wife has is the one for the song 'Masquerade' with the Phantom dressed as a devil hoping to steal a dance with the fair Christine. Produced by American Greeting cards, this battery operated decoration would light up and play about 15 seconds of the song when a button in the back was pressed. A pretty heavy ornament, unless you had a really sturdy tree, this decoration was better suited for your bookcase.

If you want to make your Christmas tree the hottest thing on 4-wheels, might I suggest this replica of Greased Lightning from the musical Grease? Produced by Hallmark, this is a snazzy little piece. Though I think it would have been an awesome touch if they had put the scratch on the side of the car like when Danny races in the culvert and the rival gang's car slices into the convertible. 

To represent my favorite musical, here's one from Stromboli's Wagon. It's a resin TV set with a picture representation of the cast from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Here's a fun fact: the book the musical is based on was titled Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. However, they changed the name to Willy Wonka because producers did not think audiences would go see a film named after soldiers of the North Vietnamese army. 

To represent my wife's favorite musical, I'm sharing this dated ornament available on Cafe Press. I choose this one because on having seen Les Miserables many times, I have seen this very ornament for sale at the souvenir stands at the venues. It's got the iconic Les Mis girl, Cosette, I think along with a red ribbon strand and 2022 date attached.

For those of you who like the DIY approach, I've seen what's being done on Etsy and it's pretty cool. Fans of musicals can actually submit their favorite Playbills and have them turned into ornaments. Proud parents can have the programs to their kids' musicals and plays turned into a lovely memento for years to cherish.

Plastic Man #19 (2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Plastic Man was created by Jack Cole, first appearing in Police Comics #1 (August, 1941). As small time hood Eel O'Brian, a burglary went wrong. The cops crowded in and Eel's fellow gang members abandoned him. O'Brian gets shot in the shoulder and falls into a vat of undisclosed chemicals. Instead of dying, O'Brian escaped, only to pass out on the grounds of a monastery. 

O'Brian awakens on a bed, taken in by the monks. He also discovers that he's got incredible powers. O'Brian's body has taken on the properties of rubber. He can stretch, change shapes and bounce! 

Inspired by the kindness of the monks, Eel O'Brian forsakes his criminal past and becomes a crime fighter. With his sidekick, the paunchy Woozy Winks, Eel defends his city as the superhero Plastic Man. By day, he remains Eel O'Brian in order to infiltrate the criminal underground. At night, he changes the composition of his face, dons white goggles and fights for right. And if he collects some reward money, well, a hero's gotta eat don't they?

In 1956, Plastic Man's original publisher, Quality Comics shut down. Sometime shortly after that, DC Comics bought the rights to Plastic Man and other Quality characters. It wasn't until 1966 that the House That Superman Built gave Plas his own series. That series ran for only 10 issues from December 1966-June 1968. Gil Kane (Superman), Jack Sparling (Silver Surfer), Win Mortimer(Night Nurse) were among the talented artists who worked on the title. Doom Patrol's Arnold Drake was the scripter. 

Plastic Man made an unexpected return in 1976. With a March cover date, the revival continued the legacy numbering with #11. This new run had art by Ramona Fradon (Metamorpho) and Ernie Chan (Conan The Barbarian). Steve Skeates (Blue Beetle) and John Albano (Jonah Hex) were the plotters.

For the issue I read for my reading challenge, the creative team was of Albano and Fradon. Detective Comics' Bob Smith was on inks and Ben Oda (Flash Gordon) was the letterer. 

In this issue, a gang of street toughs are terrorizing the citizens of Plastic Man and Woozy's town. With assistance from a mousy grocery delivery man, Plas puts the hurt on the gang leader who swears revenge on the employee. But before they get their hands on Plastic Man's accomplice, the young man has an encounter with a UFO. 

Thinking the meek male is a threat, the aliens shoot him with an energy beam. As he falls off the roof of his apartment building, Plastic Man tries to rescue the guy. But he's too late! Yet instead of having plummeted to his doom, the young gentleman shrugs things off and goes back to his apartment to sleep.

Thus begins the career of the newest hero of the block! With super hearing, the newcomer to crime fighting can get the upper hand on tackling the baddies first. It looks like the city will no longer need Plastic Man! Will he retire? Or is it time to find a new city to patrol?

The Plastic Man revival only lasted another issue. However, that was not the end of Plastic Man. Just 2 years later, Plastic Man would return. This time in animated form. The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show would air on ABC from 1978-81. For all of 1980, he became the one of the cover features for Adventure Comics. A 4 issue miniseries was created post-CRISIS in 1988. In the 90s, Plastic Man was eventually made a member of the JLA thanks to Grant Morrison. The 2000s saw new blood injected into the character in a bi-monthly series by Kyle Baker that also ran for 20 issues. 

Over the years, Plastic Man has been seen as a very goofy character. That's how he was created by Jack Cole. It's also how I remember him on the cartoon series. In the past 30 years or so, Plastic Man has been a constant headache to Batman and isn't allowed within 100 feet of Wonder Woman. Yet with this issue, something was off.

Yes, Plastic Man disguises himself as numerous objects like a fire hydrant and his patented bouncing ball. However, this version of Plastic Man is pretty serious. He's almost has a Batman '66 kinda uber-boy scout kind of vibe him. Even when he thinks that his town doesn't need him any more, Plastic Man is more resolved to find another place to call home rather that have an over-the-top pity party like the character is wont to do in more recent titles and animated series. If anything was cheesy about this issue, it was Jeanette Kahn's 'Stan's Soapbox' style column about the revival of Showcase Presents and the mildly racist artist stoplight about one DC's up and coming talent, Mike Nasser (now known as Michael Netzer).

Despite the very uncharacteristic seriousness of Plastic Man, this issue was pretty decent. Though I thought it was strange for the narrator to say that Eel feel into a vat of acid. I don't think acid would give Plas any powers. I think had he fell into acid, the substance would have torn Eel to shreds. Okay- so the edits needed to work on consistency. It's still a fun read.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #13 (Published the Year You Were Born) of the 2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge. 

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 365- A Spoiler Free Review of Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi

I finished out my year of turning 40 with my oldest of  childhood friends; for today I went to see The Last Jedi. Travel, the holidays, and getting terribly ill got in the way of seeing it sooner. But now that I think of it, this was quite a fitting way to end my look at turning 40.

I had seen for weeks how many fans are disgusted with this film. Lots of fans signed a petition demanding that Episode VIII be removed from canon. Mark Hamill went so far as to say the character he portrayed wasn't his or creator George Lucas' Luke Skywalker but instead a knockoff character named Jake Skywalker. Finally, The Last Jedi now holds the dubious record of the worst one-week box office drop off in film history. 

Now, with Christmas being just the week after The Last Jedi debuted in theaters, I am sure that quite a bit of ticket sales did drop due to that fact.  Needless to say, I went into this film expecting a big huge dud. I was getting deja vu of going to see Justice League last month. But I have never missed a Star Wars in the theatres and I wasn't about to start now. Plus, with this film being actress Carrie Fisher's last, I wasn't about to pass up a chance to pay my last respects.

What I saw was an impressive two and a half hours of film by director Rian Johnson (Looper.) Continuing immediately from the events of Episode VII, the Resistance is desperately attempting to evacuate their secret base. Meanwhile, young heroine Rey has finally located Luke Skywalker and is desperately attempting to lure him back to defeat the First Order. And that's as far as I want to go on the plot. 

Many fans went so far on social media to decry that this Star Wars film was so unlike other Star Wars films. Empire is considered to be the most unlike the original trilogy. And yes- Last Jedi is very un-Star Wars. I think that's because this film was the Empire Strikes Back of the new trilogy. And there's several reasons why:

• The Super Star Destroyer was introduced in Empire. A new version, the dreadnought, is brought into play here.
• Empire has Hoth, a planet cover in white fluffy snow. Last Jedi has a new planet covered in white fluffy salt. Both planets involve the back guys unleashing a deadly type of AT vehicle.
• Empire and Last Jedi both has a wanna be Jedi begrudgingly trained by an elderly reclusive master.
• and finally both Empire and this movie are the most well acted and least cliched of the bunch and they end with the absence of a happy ending!

If this had been Episode IX instead of VIII, I think I would have been extremely happy. There's quite a bit going here that I could seen this as being the end of the third (and final) trilogy promised to us by George Lucas. And I would have left the theater extremely satisfied to have gotten to see the whole story. 

In fact I have an idea that could make the detractors and the fans happy.  I know how I look at it makes me pleased. See, I'd go so far as to reorder the Episode numbers making Rogue One no longer 'A Star Wars Story' but christen it Episode IV. This would result in shifting everything down a number. Empire is now VI, Return of the Jedi is VII, and Force Awakens becomes VII. It all ends in The Last Jedi as Episode IX. Then the new trilogy of Star Wars films recently proposed by Rian Johnson could continue upon the struggles of this new Resistance in wrestling peace back from the First Order. 

I know that in no way would my idea ever work. Disney would never go for it. And there's too many whiny wanna-be fanboys out there that would complain and threaten boycotts if this idea ever got a green lit. But a lot of the fun of Star Wars is being able to expound on the possibilities. And since I had a lot of fun watching the newest Episode of Star Wars and I have zero idea where the franchise is going from here- it was worth a shot just mentioning.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8.5 out of 10 stars.

My New Rankings...

                1. Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

                2. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

                3. Episode IV: A New Hope

                4. Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
                5. Episode VII: The Last Jedi
                6. Episode VII: The Force Awakens

                7. Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

                8. Episode II: Attack of the Clones

                9. Episode I: The Phantom Menace

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 327

I love Thanksgiving. It's cause I was born on Thanksgiving in 1977. Tomorrow is my official day of birth. But my family has always observed it during Turkey Day.

One year I even got to go to the parade up in New York in which my birthday was on Thanksgiving. I got to see Grover from Sesame Street and my favorite Steeler of all-time, Franco Harris! It was a great day.

Here's a video snippet or two of the parade on the day of my birth 40 years ago...

Well, that's my look at Thanksgiving '77. Until next time... I'll be another year older.

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 304

Yeah, it's been a while since I did one of these. I've been busy with other projects and stuff. But I came across this old commercial from Woolworth's in the year I was born and I thought this would be a neat post. 

So ladies and gentlemen, I present to you a look at what Halloween costumes looked like the year I was born.

Enjoy and Happy Halloween...

Until next time!

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 274

It's been quite a while since I have had a chance or interest in keeping up with my A Madman Turns 40 posts. I'm not feeling my age as much as just all of the crap of the past several weeks just haven't motivated me to reflect on the past while heading towards the future. 

Well, that all changed today. See today marks the debut of a favorite character of mine from when I was a very little kid. The character in question is from the very television show that has inspired the name of my blog- Doctor Who. And that character is...

K-9.

Just who is K-9? K-9 is the Doctor's robot dog. He first appeared on the BBC on October 1st 1977 in the first chapter of the classic Tom Baker episode The Invisible Enemy. Ever since his introduction, the character has been voiced by John Gleeson. Though technically, there have been four K-9s over the past 40 years.

• The Mark I is the one that debuted 40 years ago today. He left the show with Leela when she decided to stay on Gallifrey in the 1978 episode The Invasion of Time.
• The Mark II first appears in The Ribos Operation. This model was more articulated and much more mobile. He was damaged while the Doctor and his Time Lord companion Romana were in E-Space. Upon being repaired, K-9 and Romana stayed there. Depending on if you believe the audio dramas are canon or not K-9 is still in E-Space or he and Romana are not on Gallifrey. 
• The Mark III was a gift from the Doctor to Sarah Jane Smith. The pair had a number of adventures until disrepair caused the unit to break-down. In the David Tenant episode School Reunion, the Doctor fixed K-9 only for the loyal dog sacrifice his life to save the Doctor and Sarah Jane.
• The Mark IV was given to Sarah Jane at the end of School Reunion. This version made a few appearances on the Sarah Jane Adventures. But due to licensing issues, K-9 was shown to be in outer space trying to patch up a black hole.

Well that's my look at 1977 for today. Before I go, I want to present to you a video of some of the trailers for the Invisible Enemy, the first appearance of K-9. Enjoy!

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 228

Today marks a 40th anniversary. It's one of which inspired me to develop A Madman Turns 40.  40 years ago today, the King died. Yes, I'm talking about Elvis.

Elvis Presley was a cultural icon. He maybe didn't develop his country-bluesy style. But he was the one who brought 'black music' as his critics called it, to the masses. 

Elvis is one of those people who was in the right place at the right time. His gyrating hips would have been unthinkable if he has hit the music scene earlier than he did. But by the 1950s, a new populace was arising in the US- the teenager. Prior to World War II, teens and kids weren't mass marketed to. But with the baby boom, marketers saw a new untapped resource in which to advertise to. Elvis was the perfect product for kids looking to rebel a little from their ultra-conservative and uptight parents.

Elvis takes his last journey out of Graceland.

My Grandmama loved Elvis. She had seen every one of his movies. Had every one of his albums. So when the news broke of Elvis' death 2 things happened:

1. She cried, and cried, and cried.
2. She packed a bag and drove all night to Memphis to Graceland in order to be among the mourners and well wishers.

Funeral Procession of Elvis. Somewhere in this picture is my Grandmama.

Before she passed in 1990, my Grandmama returned to Graceland to tour it. I remember her showing me pictures and postcards. We'd listen to her Elvis records while she either put together a puzzle or made chocolate Elvis suckers for some community fundraiser or another.

A few years after she died, I asked and got for Christmas a 3-D puzzle of Graceland, which I put together thinking of her and listening to Elvis tunes. 

I think more than anything, on this day, I missed her more than the King.

Scenes from Elvis' funeral August 18, 1977.

I also think this is all I can do today for my look at my favorite year. 

Before I go,  have a listen at the favorite Elvis tune of both my Grandmama and myself.
Ladies and gentleman, I present to you, Suspicious Minds....

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 222

   For today's a Madman Turns 40, it's a biggie. 

   40 years ago today, the Son of Sam killer, David Berkowitz was captured after almost a full year's reign of terror. For almost a year, Berkowitz stalked the boroughs of Queens and the Bronx. The serial killer shot almost dozen people, 6 died. 

    It was a traffic ticket that got Berkowitz caught.  A few days prior, a woman name Cacilia Davis walking her dog said that there was a strange man following her around. When she reported the incident to police, they decided to review the list of cars that were ticketed in the area. Sure enough, they had a hit- David Berkowitz, who also owned a .44 revolver the gun used in the killings. 

    On August 10th, NYPD found Berkowitz's car. In the car was a rifle and that .44! When captured, he was reported to have replied "Well, you got me. How come it took you such a long time?"

     Over the course of several weeks, Berkowitz would undergo psychiatric observations. He would claim that a spirit named Sam would speak through his neighbors dog. In order to silence the pup, Berkowitz had to offer him blood in the form on killings. A year later, Berkowitz would be found guilty of his crimes.

   Currently, Berkowitz is still in prison. In became a Christian in 1987 and now refers to himself as the 'Son of Hope.' He's been eligible for parole since 2002 but has actually asked to not be released as he feels that he must spend the rest of his days behind bars.

    Well, that's my look at 1977 for today. I'll return soon with another look at my favorite year. 
Until next time...

1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 208

  

  How many of you are familiar with the restaurant Bojangles? If you do live in the on the Central East Coast of the US, you probably haven't. Bojangles is a regional chain that specializes in Cajun style chicken and biscuits. It's also turning the big 4-0!

    Just the other day, my wife asked for Bojangles. It's reasonably easy to get to from our house. Prices are really fair. Plus, They've got great iced tea and really good fries. The trick is to dip them in their Cajun sausage gravy!

   Anyways, on my way driving home, I took a sip of tea (the temp was almost 100, folks) and I noticed on the cup that Bojangles got their start the same year I did- 1977! So, of course, I felt it was appropriate to do a write-up about them for the A Madman Turns 40 project.

The founders at the original location, 1977

   Bojangles was started in 1977 by Jack Fulk and Richard Thomas. Their idea to serve chicken, and biscuits, and breakfast all-day with a Cajun flare was a unique idea to my home state of North Carolina. That's right, Bojangles was started in Charlotte, NC! 

  Within a year, Bojangles opened it's first franchise location. By the time I was 4 or 5, I remember going to the Bojangles on Falls of the Neuse Road every Sunday after church with my mom and dad. That locale was the first in Raleigh and the 28th location opened in the franchise overall. I don't remember my regular order but I was in love with the dirty rice- a spicy blend of rice, sausage, peppers, and God knows what else. But man is it good stuff!

The first Bojangles Franchise locale, 1978.

There's now over 600 Bojangles opened as far north as Pennsylvania and south in Florida. The company is even a publicly traded company, opening on the NASDAQ in 2015. The future continues to look bright for Bojangles. You poor souls without a Bojangles, who knows, maybe they'll head to your neck of the woods sometime soon!

Man, don't this look good!

So that's my look at 1977 for today. 2017 seems to be a big year for Bojangles and a certain Madman with a Book. Now if I could only get the owners to give me their 4-piece Supreme Dinner for only $.77 for the rest of the year...