The Partridge Family #16 (2026 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Inspired by the real life family singing group, the Cowsills, ABC's The Partridge Family rocked airwaves for 4 seasons, from 1970-1974. In fact, the child members of the Cowsills were originally considered for the sitcom. Officially, their lack of acting experience rules them out of contention. Unofficially, the prima donna antics of the Cowsills' manager, their father, William, might have doomed the children's chances at television stardom.

Once the Cowsills were ruled out of contention, singer and actress Shirley Jones was cast in the mom role. Oldest son Keith would be played by her stepson David Cassidy. There might have been even more of the Cassidy family, as David's father, Jack Cassidy was cast to play Mrs. Partridge's boyfriend who happened to be the Partridge Family's manager. The actor even co-starred in an un-aired pilot, but ABC executives decided to forgo the romance angle between the adults. Jack Cassidy's character was cut while David's role as eldest son Keith was beefed up to make him the romantic heavy as he tested extremely well with young viewers. 

David Cassidy's near Beatles level stardom made him the main focus of the series. By the time this issue hit newsstands, Cassidy was attempting to break out of the wholesome image of Keith Partridge. Maybe that explains why in the cover feature Keith puts his music career on hold and goes out for his high school basketball team. Unfortunately for the rest of the family, Keith is really good at basketball and that means everything else takes a backseat to his current passion- including the band!

Rounding out the rest of the family was Susan Dey as oldest daughter Laurie. Red headed Danny Bonaduce as the smart aleck Danny. Suzanne Crough as youngest daughter Tracy and on drums, Jeremy Gelbwaks as Chris. Not quite fitting in with the rest of the cast and reputedly the target of Danny Bonaduce's incessant bullying, Gelbwaks was replaced after season 1 with actor Brian Foster. 

Actor Dave Madden completed the cast as the band's manager, the long-suffering Reuben Kincaid. Instead of being Mrs. Partridge's love interest, young Danny Partridge would do everything in his power to set up his Reuben with a future Mrs. Kincaid. 

Reuben's role with the family has a lot to do with the plots of the 2 backup stories. First Keith falls head over heels for Reuben's visiting niece. So much that the lad wants to make her a part of the band. Only the girl cannot carry a tune! Then in the last story, it appears that Danny has finally succeeded at playing matchmaker, introducing Reuben to an old friend of Mrs. Partridge.

In the early 1970s, Charlton Comics was still relying on prose stories to help their comics maintain their affordable 2nd Class postage rates. In a clever spin on the requirement, this issue features a 2-page spread of lyrics to several songs that appear on the series. The spread doubled as advertising for a magazine called Song Hits, which reprinted the full lyrics of both crock classics and pop hits of the time. 

If you're a collector who enjoys reading the classic ads in back issues, you'll enjoy this one. But don't expect much of a variety. With the exception of the 3 pages devoted to Song Hits Magazine, all of the rest of the ads are about products pertaining to The Partridge Family and its cast. There's an ad for a beauty and lifestyle book written by Susan Dey, several ads for posters and photo books featuring David Cassidy and on the back cover, information about joining the official Partridge Family Fan Club. 

I was pretty lucky to find an issue that wasn't full of holes from a rabid fan clipping out dozens of requests for Partridge Family merchandise. When I inherited some of my mom's old horror and TV comics, I noticed that her issue of The Partridge Family was all cut up. I couldn't understand why she had left that book in such poor condition especially since she claimed to be a huge fan of the show. After reading through this issue, I now understand as almost every ad had a small order form included.

Featuring art stories by Don Sherwood, there's amazing likenesses of all of the Partridge Family. But I think Sherwood copied the images from publicity stills because many panels are of extreme close-ups and the poses are stilted. As for the stories themselves, they all start out very well in terms of plot and pace. But I think Sherwood was the type of comic book creator who just couldn't stop himself because all 3 stories end abruptly with no real sitcom style conclusion in which the dilemmas are adequately wrapped up. 

Add all these factors together and this issue reads less like an officially licensed comic book adaptation and more like the material for a fanzine.

Completing this review completes Task #22 (Live Action Comic Adaptation from the 1970s) of the 2026 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Not Worth Consuming!

Rating: 4 out of 10 stars.

Gunmaster (Gwandanaland Comics #684)

This collection of Charlton Comics Westerns comes from Gwandanaland Comics. It collects the 10 issues of the solo titled Gunmaster series. Published in stunning full color, there's also another collection of the character's adventures from the pages of the anthology series Six-Gun Heroes. I don't have that book, which is perfectly fine. Almost every story in this book is a standalone tale that doesn't require any prior knowledge about Gunmaster or his teen sidekick Bullet Boy. The only thing that seems to be missing here is any sort of an origin story about the main character and/or how he met Bullet Boy. But for all I know, there might not even be a origin story. Though that does seem unlikely.

Our hero is a talented gun smith, Clay Boone He's a man that abhors violence. To many, he's a yellow bellied coward. But secretly, he's a vigilante masked man who uses a stunning array of handmade weapons and gadgets to bring in outlaws with no fear of the men who wear the badge. 

Gunmaster's sidekick has got to have the most transparent secret identity in all of comicdom. If you thought Clark Kent just wearing glasses was see through, you haven't read anything yet. Bullet Boy's real name is Bob Tellub. That's Bullet Bob backwards! The kid is basically 1 letter away from a super villain with a mirror figuring out who these armed vigilantes really are. And if you ask me, I am pretty sure that the local authorities know that Clay and Bob are Gunmaster and his ward and the law men are just playing along because the masked heroes are the ones sticking their necks out in pursuit of justice.

This series reads like the Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly classic Western High Noon, only with hi-tech and gadgets. Gunmaster might have invented a lot of weapons. But he surely had nothing to do with Chekov's gun which is essentially a literary rule that states that if a gun appears in act one, it must be used in act 2. We witness Cooper creating a lot of gadgets to use in his war on crime at the beginning of every story that never gets used nor mentioned ever again by story's end.

One aspect that I did think that this series was rather superior at was it's villains. There's some varmints with gimmicks that rival those of Jonah Hex. There's the snake oil salesman with the hypnotic eyes. A fat guy who's the brains behind some impossible hold ups. Not to mention a Native American with supernatural connections to the predatory hawk and a tough guy who's charisma intimidates the heck out of Gunmaster. Having several of them return for a showdown against this Western pair of do-gooders was an exciting way to end the series.

That's not to say that they were all Professor Moriartys. The guy who thought he was the new king of a region of Mexico was a major wuss. And several outlaws were drawn so goofy-looking like they were the ancestors of some of the gangsters that Dick Tracy will one day face.

Various artists worked on this series that ran from 1965-67. There were varying degrees of success. But the real masterpieces were the covers dynamically illustrated off and on by Dick Giordano and Rocke Mastroserio. I never could figure out who wrote the stories with the exception of Joe Gill. For some reason, only they were given a writing credit in the last issue.

An interesting read with some strange and rather bizarre storylines. It wasn't always pretty. Far from it. .But I can see where this book might have influenced DC's Weird Western Tales.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Emergency! #2

The classic TV series Emergency! is my wife's favorite show all-time. Though I really think it's Little House on the Prairie as I'll notice her watching that all the time. True, the Michael Landon production is on TV literally 12 hours a day on Hallmark and other related networks while Emergency! is in rerun maybe 1 or 2 hours daily. 

Emergency! was first a TV movie then a fill-in mid-season replacement that ran on NBC until 1977. It then ran as a series of TV movies of the week before officially being cancelled by 1979. So having Charlton Comics produce a comic book right as the show had peaked in 1976, might not have been the smartest of franchise opportunities. But then again, Charlton wasn't really known for it's brilliant business decisions, struggling to survive behind DC, Marvel and Dell/Gold Key who dominated the market at this time.

This issue sees Fireman-paramedics Roy DeSoto and Johnny Gage being sued by a neighbor of Roy's. During an off-shift cookout, the man choked on a mouthful of steak from admittedly eating too fast. Only he's filed a lawsuit claiming disability paralysis in one of his legs thanks to Johnny's lifesaving technology using the Heimlich Maneuver! 

This plot might seem a little implausible. Mind you that the Good Samaritan laws which protect citizens from being sued for well-intentioned acts during an emergency, weren't even a thing until the late 1990s. Plus the whole idea behind a paramedic rescue squad was still in its infancy in 1976. Though California led the way with the program, people were still finding ways to manipulate the system and any lawyer who chased ambulances was eager to help their clients earn a litigious payday. (Sadly, this doesn't seemed to have really abated in nearly 50 years of progress.)

This issue also has a 2-page prose story. It sees Dr. Early and nurse McCall protecting a shooting victim from the thugs who've arrived at Rampart Hospital looking to finish the job. 

Once again, Dr. Early, portrayed by jazz legend Bobby Troup, is nowhere to be found in the comic story; but he pops up in the prose backup. I suspect that Charlton didn't want to pay another licensing fee to put essentially the 5th lead actor's likeness in the book. Charlton was notoriously cheap and I'm pretty sure someone high up said that they could make an Emergency! comic book without Dr. Early, when anyone who is a fan of the show knows that in reality you can't!

I consider this book to be my wife's. And it really is. Though I have bought now 3 of the 4 comics based on the NBC classic series (there was also a 4 issue magazine that had comics stories inside), my wife has possession of these issues. Where in the heck she puts them (and whether she's actually read them or not) is beyond me. 

It was like finding a missing episode of the show! With a cover by Joe Staton and early art by John Byrne in the backup, it's a classic read that my wife and I cherish. But if I ever get the chance to craft a holiday special based on this groundbreaking series, you can be sure it's going have Bobby Troup/Dr. Early in it!

Worth Consuming!

Rating 9 out of 10 stars.

Hee Haw #1(2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

It's a common misconception that the variety TV series Hee Haw was created as a 60-minute commercial for The Grand Ole Opry based in Nashville, TN. While the series, which ran for 26 seasons from 1969-1993, did incorporate a large number of cast and crew that performed at the Opry, the series was originally developed to complete against Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, which was dominating the ratings over at NBC. Canadian TV producers Frank Peppiatt and John Aylesworth were tasked by CBS to present a variety series that catered to rural audiences with backwoods comedy sketches and country music. 

The series debuted as a summer replacement series after CBS executives tired with feuding with the Smothers Brothers over their controversial topical humor and choice of guest stars, cancelled The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Quickly picked up for the 1969-70 television season, Hee Haw was a top 20 hit. However, as part of CBS's rural purge of popular small-town set series such as Green Acres, the thriving country variety series was terminated in the Summer of 1971.

All was not lost for Hee Haw. Thanks to the new Prime Time Access Rule (PTAR), the FCC declared that the major networks had too much control of their affiliates programming time. This opened up more free hours in need of programming, in particularly, on the weekends. PTAR resulted in a golden opportunity for Hee Haw to go into syndication.

While still airing on CBS, a number of licensed products were produced bearing the logo for Hee Haw nailed together as wooden planks as well as the show's animated mascot, an overalls wearing donkey, including T-shirts, patches and shot glasses. Images of Hee Haw's breakout stars, hosts Roy Clark and Buck Owens soon graced products such as lunch boxes and of course country music albums. 

In 1970, Charlton Comics signed a licensing deal with CBS entertainment to produce a comic book series based on popular characters from the show. Along with Owens and Clark, performers Grandpa Jones, Lulu Roman, Gordie Tapp and Junior Samples were featured. They were joined by the show's second most popular mascot, the sad-eyed hound dog, Kingfish. 

All 7 issues of the series were written and drawn by Frank Roberge. His facial likenesses of the stars were spot on. However, their bodies as well as the full image of the supporting characters who were not based on real persons were cartoony to the likes of Mort Walker's Beetle Bailey, a comic strip Roberge assisted on in the 1950s.

With exception of a 2-page spread at the center of the comic, based on the Cornfield segment where cast members told jokes and one-liners, none of the stories followed the format of the show. Adventures in the first issue include Roy and Kingfish starting a music group together, Gordie trying to learn the secret of Grandpa's success at fishing and Junior entering Kingfish in a dog show. There's a couple of one-page gags, along with an article about the career of Buck Owens as well as a coloring page of the co-host. 

While the comic book didn't last a full year, Charlton also produced a quarterly magazine devoted to the series. It featured full color photos, interviews, a joke page and sheet music to popular songs performed on the air. The magazine ran from 1970-74 for 14 issues.

Going back to the opening statement about Hee Haw not being affiliated originally with The Grand Ole Opry. In 1981, Gaylord Entertainment, the production company of The Opry, acquired Yongestreet Productions, officially absorbing Hee Haw into The Grand Ole Opry family. Gaylord Entertainment quickly created a Hee Haw themed variety show that ran in Branson, Missouri and eventually moved taping of Hee Haw to the home of The Opry, Ryman Auditorium. In 1992, Hee Haw stopped production of new episodes. For the 25th anniversary of the show, classic clips were repackaged with segments hosted by Clark as Hee Haw Silver. Despite a slight uptick in ratings with the clip shows, popularity in variety series were at an all-time low and Hee Haw was eventually cancelled altogether in June 1993. 

Completing this review completes Task #5 (A Comic Book Based on a Live Action TV Show) of the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Valley of the Dinosaurs #11 (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Debuting on the very same day in September 1974 as Sid and Marty Krofft's Land of the Lost, Hanna-Barbera's animated series Valley of the Dinosaurs is the missing link when it comes to TV series about people being sent back in time to the age of the caveman. 

The same date of premier isn't the only similarities between the forgotten cartoon series and the live action classic. Valley of the Dinosaurs starred the Butler family who are sent through a vortex back in time to prehistoric ages while on a rafting trip. Father John Butler is a scientist who uses his knowledge to educate both his children, daughter Katie and son Greg, along with viewers on how to survive the many forms of thunder lizard that roam the valley. Unlike the Marshall's on Land of the Lost, the Butler consists also of mom Kim and family dog Digger. 

The Butlers are met by a Neanderthal family who befriend the displaced family. While Land of the Lost had a heavy sci-fi influence, Valley of the Dinosaurs was more like Gilligan's Island with the Butler's introducing modern technology like pulleys and the wheel to their primitive allies. Together, the two families fight for survival against dinosaurs and warring tribes while looking for a way to return the Butlers back to the present.

Like the Marshall's, the Butler's are never shown to return to the 1970s. However, the Marshall's have had the longer staying power, with Land of the Lost airing on NBC for 3 times as many episodes over a trio of seasons. Land of the Lost has also spawned a 1990s reboot series as well as a comedic live action film starring Will Ferrell. 

One thing that Valley of the Dinosaurs surpassed the Krofft Brothers creation in was a comic book adaptation. As part of Charlton's Hanna-Barbera line of comics, Valley of the Dinosaurs ran for an impressive 11 issues. Okay, compared to the number of issues Charlton produced of sister series such as Yogi Bear and the Flintstones, 11 issues may not seem like much. That is until you realize that the entire run of the Valley of the Dinosaurs comic occurred 1-2 years AFTER the animated series had been cancelled! 

In this issue, John Butler races to reinforce a dam before a looming maelstrom threatens the safety of his Neanderthal neighbors' village. As repairs are made, daughter Katie goes foraging for food. Unfortunately the girl unknowingly enters the territory of a tribe of ape-like warriors who kidnap Katie and force her to become a slave worker for them. With the storm looming, teenage primitive Lok races to save Katie from not just the ape creatures but a rampaging Tyrannosaurus! 

The one page prose story included in this issue sees Katie and Lok once again facing that fierce T-Rex. Only this time the two teenagers are stuck in between a battle with the king of the dinosaurs and an equally hungry Allosaurus. 

Issue #11 concludes with a one-page factual strip about sea otters.

Valley of the Dinosaurs featured an impressive vocal cast. Frank Welker voiced several characters including Lok and Digger. Child actor Jackie Earle Hailey was Greg. Sharon Farnon, Alan Oppenheimer and Don Messick were other notable voice talent on the series developed by Hanna-Barbera's Australian based studio. 

As for acknowledging the talent that worked on the comic book, there's not a lot of resources to cull from. We do know that the cover of this issue was by TV advertising director turned illustrator Fred Himes. Himes was a Charlton Comics work horse, drawing covers and interiors for many of the Connecticut based publisher's horror and war titles. According to Comicvine, Himes was also the writer for this issue with additional art provided by Don Perlin. However, no credits other than Himes' signature on the cover are attributed to other creators anywhere else in this issue.

Issue #11 was the last issue of the series.

Completing this review completes Task #23 (Something Bought From a Dollar Bin) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

The Flintstones Starring Dino #2 (Dino #2)

I should have read this book months ago. Yet somehow it wound up in my pile of books that I had already read and needed to review. Imagine my surprise when I started to write a review and I didn't have any clue about the contents. Last night, I rectified this and gave it a read that was a delight.

The comic is from 1973. The Flintstones have already been a TV staple for 13 years. And yet you'd think that the artists behind this book would have gotten Wilma's costume right! She wore a white furry thing with black stripes. Not a jet black cave woman evening gown!

Earlier this year I did a review of an Easter comic starring various Hanna-Barbera characters including Fred and Barney. I had pointed out in that review thanks to writer Mark Evanier that Charlton's books weren't well received by the animation studio. Mostly because of the likenesses. And I think Wilma's appearance is proof of that statement. But other than that, I didn't think this was that bad of a comic book.

The focus of the stories and one-page gags is the Flintstones' prehistoric pet, Dino. Unlike on the show, we get to see just what's on Dino's mind. Mostly it's food. Though he does at one point bring up a very good point: in the days of the caveman 'what's a dog?'

Fred calls Dino, in one story, a 'very poor excuse for a watch dog!' It's after a burglar distracts Dino with a steak. With Fred's insult, poor Dino wonders just what his master wants of him. I very much thought Dino was a dinosaur. Yet Fred and Wilma seem to think of their pet as a dog. The Flintstones have a sabertooth tiger, named Baby Puss, that is their house cat. Thus it's assumed that kitties evolved from those fierce predators. Since I have no recollection of wolves nor dogs ever appearing on the show, are we to assume that whatever breed of thunder lizard Dino is will eventually morph into the pooches of the 20th century?

I laughed at least once every story. Each gag made me chuckle. Sure, one of these tales got me thinking. But I really don't see what Hanna-Barbera didn't like about the Charlton books. The biggest error seems to be a coloring misstep that might have to do with the printing process as a whole. Maybe pure white didn't show well on newsprint? Maybe this just isn't the best example of Charlton Comics at its worst. Personally, I thought that this was a great dollar bin rescue.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars. 

Dick Giordano: Changing Comics, One Day at a Time by Michael Eury (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Back Issue's Michael Eury chronicles the life of comics great Dick Giordano. Giordano was a soft-spoken man who let his proteges speak for themselves. Imagine if there was a chart that depicted Stan Lee as the pinnacle of self-promotion in the world of comic books, then Dick Giordano would be on the other end of the spectrum. Yet that doesn't mean that the predominantly DC Comics writer, illustrator, inker and editor was any less influential to the medium than Stan Lee was.

Throughout this biography, Dick Giordano is referred to as an amazing teacher and mentor who always fought for his employees. Neal Adams might get all the credit for ensuring Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster received over-due compensation for their body of work. But it was Giordano who was working behind the scenes with both DC and Marvel executives to provide not just royalties but work and recognition to countless talent who worked for peanuts in anonymity in the early days of comics.

If you were a DC Comics fan who grew up during the late 70s and early 80s, then you owe your awesome childhood to Dick Giordano. Along with working on the comics themselves, the Italian New Yorker had a hand at any and all promotional and commercial items featuring the likes of Superman, Batman and friends. Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez gets almost all of the credit for the design of the beloved Super Powers toy line from Kenner. But it was Giordano who inked every little bit of packaging that made these 1984-86 action figures and accessories so eye-catching.

Without Dick Giordano, Charlton Comics would have folded in the 1960s. Having penciled most of Charlton's Western and War lineup as a freelancer, Giordano became the fledgling publisher's editor in 1965 introducing the company's Action Heroes line, who would later join the ranks of the DC Universe a couple of years before Charlton gave up the ghost in 1986. 

Dick Giordano was such a soft-spoken kind of fellow, that I long gave Crisis on Infinite Earths creators Marv Wolfman and George Perez grief over the death of one of my all-time favorite characters, Supergirl. Yet I learned in this book that the driving force behind the demise of the Maid of Might was Giordano! However, fans should delight in knowing that Dick was instrumental in keeping Hawkman off the Crisis chopping block!

Changing Comics, One Day at a Time was published in 2003. As of the Charlotte HeroesCon of 2007, Giordano was still signing copies of the book which is now no longer in print. Only digital copies of this biography remain for sale by publisher TwoMorrows. Giordano was said to have retired from the con circuit in 2008, spending his remaining time with his children and grandchildren. Richard Joseph Giordano passed away at the age of 77 at his Ormond Beach, Fl. home on March 27, 2010.

Completing this review completes Task #50 (Prose non-fiction about comic book history) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

The Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves #34

The first comic book I remember getting to pick out and buy for myself was a horror comic produced by Charlton Comics. I loved it. As a result, any time I find a Charlton comic book that is all about the frights, I will buy it. 

In this issue, there are 3 stories. The first story has a couple running afoul of a trio of hooligans. Tragedy befalls the couple during their mugging. But for the murdering thieves, their damnation in close at hand...

Story number two involves an heiress who is currently on husband #3. I think... She's got plans to do away with her new beau and inherit the cash. Ah, true love.

The last story is the cover story. An eccentric inventor crafts the perfect haunted house for an amusement park. But his most brilliant haunt may be the one he executes in death!

The opening story was the best of the three. It had a twist ending (okay to be fair, don't they all?), that made me feel ill at ease. That second story wasn't scary at all. It was more appropriate for a crime comic than a horror title. The last story was a Steve Ditko classic. Unfortunately, the plot was so telegraphed that I knew how everything was going to end by the time I had completed the second page. 

I realize that I've read more than my fair share of horror comic books to be able to guess the twist ending of a story from time to time. Plus, this book is nearly 50 years old. I'm thinking Ditko either borrowed or reused the plot ending or somebody else used it in a later story. So, I won't take points off for the predictability of the cover story. But that middle story was such a stinker, I can't believe that Ditko had anything to do with it. That 'love story' was just unforgivable.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Emergency! #4

Issue #4 was the final issue of this series. While poor sales of the series wouldn't surprise me considering how much Charlton Comics was floundering by the mid-70s, I think the fact that Emergency! was in it's last season had more to do with it.

Based on the first issue, which I reviewed earlier this week, the story here followed the show's formula a lot more closely. Gage rescues a movie star from a car crash during a rescue call. When photographers capture the actress planting a smooch on Johnny as they exit the ambulance, it sets up a whirlwind romance. Sure, the staff of Rampart Emergency and the crew at Station 51 give the paramedic his fair share of ribbing. That he can deal with. But when the actress starts showing up at all of Squad 51's calls, Johnny finds that he may have to call things off.

At least 2 episodes of the live action version of Emergency! actually involved the paramedics and their rescues being impacted by 'fans.' A third episode had Roy dealing with a former patient who develops a crush on him after he rescues her from an action. But that paramour is never seen on screen. 

A big scene of this issue takes place at the mansion of the starlet. While it wasn't common to have the action take place during Roy and John's free time; it did happen occasionally. One episode that comes to mind is when the guys get invited to a Hollywood actor's house party after they rescued him from an angry bear. 

What was unusual for that scene is that it features in only the second time in franchise history Roy's often mentioned wife Joanne. Until this issue, her only appearance was in the pilot 2 hour TV-movie, 'The Wentworth-Townsend Act.' For a limited one-time brief role with maybe only 2 lines in her only scene, the artist of this issue actually did a reasonable job of capturing the likeness of the actress who played Joanne DeSoto, Kathryn Kelly Wiget. As for who is the illustrator of this issue, once again it's a young John Byrne (Sensational She-Hulk).

As for the likenesses of actors Kevin Tighe and Randolph Mantooth, once more they are spot on. My favorite character, Dr. Early, played by jazz legend Bobby Troup, pops up in the story this time. And Dr. Brackett is in the background in one or two panels. Both good likenesses. But no nurse Dixie! Also missing are the regular crew of Engine 51. No Chet, Mike or Marco. We see someone named Capt. But it's not Captain Stanley nor the actor who portrayed him on TV, Michael Norell. I know that because the character didn't have a thick mustache!

I wonder why none of the minor characters are used in either issue I read. Was it all because of the licensing of likenesses? Seems like such a minor thing. But with Charlton known for being a notoriously penny-pinching publisher, it wouldn't surprise me one bit. 

Again as with issue #1, there's a short prose story. It involved Squad 51 getting called to a domestic disturbance and being held hostage by a gunman. It was a clever story. But like the main illustrated feature, it had an abrupt ending. Let me tell you, that feature ending actually had me scared. The word 'end 'was so tiny that I overlooked it completely. Thus when I turned a page and saw ads, I was afraid that my wife's issue was missing pages. Coming across such a print error has happened to me before. It's infuriating. But thankfully that wasn't the case here.

A much better issue than felt more like an Emergency! comic than just a random story about first responders. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Emergency! #1

Inspired by having just finished an old issue of Dr. Kildare and a back issue surprise that I'll be getting to tomorrow, I raided my wife's tiny comic book collection. My bride is a huge fan of the TV show Emergency! Running on NBC for most of the 1970s, the show followed the crew of station house 51. With the newly formed paramedic program, fire fighters John Gage and Roy DeSoto were tasked with saving the people of Los Angeles County while educating Californians about emergency services. 

At the time of the show, there were roughly 2 dozen paramedic crews operating in a county the size of Connecticut with a population of Chicago occupying it. The landscape varies from densely packed urban sprawl to sparse wilderness areas filled with cliffs, coastline and lush forests. Thus, Roy and Johnny were expected to save lives hanging from the sides of buildings as well as in the middle of a raging wild fire while being coached via a primitive form of cellular phone by the doctors at Rampart Emergency!

This premiere issue based on the TV show doesn't really follow the format of the series. The story has Roy and John responding to a warehouse fire. Then about 10 pages are devoted to a pair of police officers that have never once appeared on the show, trying to find the owner of the building. On about page 12, we return to the paramedics who learn that the fire was a case of arson and radioactive material stored inside has been stolen. With their shift over, Roy goes home for his wife's birthday. Johnny decides to play detective and with the help of the LAPD, finds the culprit and the stolen material. 

I don't understand why a third of the story focused on characters not even on the show. Sure, cops appear on the series from time to time. But, they're secondary characters at best and not once has the action ever shifted away from Roy and John over to the other boys in blue. Yes, occasionally, Roy and Johnny play detective to help solve a crime or some sort of injustice. But they've never done it off the books in the kind of Dirty Harry without guns sort of way like in this issue.

The artwork for this issue was by comics legend X-Men's John Byrne. Equally legendary is the cover artist, Joe Staton (Dick Tracy). So, I was kinda puzzled by a goof made by him at the beginning of the story. Roy tells John that they need to put on air masks before entering the warehouse fire. Yet, that never happens. Plus, I thought that the ending in which the doctors of Rampart callously watch a patient die alone from radiation sickness was just so very unlike the characters. But that sort of blame is on the writer of which whose name escapes me.

I've learned over the past couple of years that some TV/Movie comic adaptations were rush jobs. The purpose of these books was advanced advertising, mostly to kids. In some cases, the characters had yet to be cast and nor were the sets built. There weren't even established scripts to cull from! So the authors and illustrators had to use a lot of creative license. The earliest Dell Star Trek comics were guilty of this. But Emergency! #1 debuted in 1976; several years after the show had already been on air. So, I really don't understand why the departure from the established tropes of the live action original.

The prose short story, included in order for the publication to maintain its first class postage status, captures the show's format almost perfectly. It's about an elderly man who lives alone and how the paramedics rallied around the guy to keep him active and social. Not the most perfectly written story as at one point Johnny tells Dr. Early over the bio-phone to give the patient an IV. That should be the other way around.

Issue #1 wasn't the worst TV adaptation I've ever come across. (A 1980s version of Lost in Space has that current distinction). It's just that a majority of the flaws that occur in this book are things you'd expect in early run books. Not something to find in stuff based on properties already established on TV. Nice renderings of the actors who play Roy and Johnny. And a very youthful but amazing capture of songstress Julie London who played head nurse Dixie McCall. 

It's a good overall interpretation of Emergency! Only it doesn't quite feel like an episode of the 70s medical adventure drama.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Blue Beetle #2 (2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Manipulated by his Uncle Jarvis, brilliant inventor Ted Kord unknowingly helps to create a nearly indestructible army of androids. Ted seemingly thinks that his uncle is dead and the project is kaput when an explosion wipes out the laboratory. But a discovery of plans that survived the blast led Kord to the remote Pago Island along with his friend, Dan Garrett. There, Kord learns that his uncle is still alive and with the formula of his androids perfected, Jarvis seeks to rule the world.

Activating his magic scarab, Garrett becomes the Blue Beetle. First freeing Kord, Garrett goes into battles with the mechanoids. Unfortunately, the fracas sends the roof of Jarvis' cavern lair down atop the villain, his creations and Dan Garrett. In his dying breath, Garrett asks Ted Kord to take his place as the Blue Beetle.

Back in his father's lab, Kord utilizes the parts of old experiments to develop a beetle shaped flyer, a high-tech uniform and a dazzling light and air-blast gun to fight evil anywhere it rears its ugly head. 

Thus is the origin of the Ted Kord Blue Beetle. Though the character had debuted about a year earlier as a back-up in the pages of Captain Atom #83 (November, 1966), Kord's back story would not be revealed until issue #2 of his short-lived 1967-68 series. 

One key difference between Ted Kord and Dan Garrett was the use of superpowers. An ancient Egyptian scarab gave Dan Garrett his powers. Kord had to rely on a prowess in martial arts and an array of gadgets. For one thing, Dan Garrett was trapped under heavy boulders and unable to pass on the scarab to Ted. But later on, once Kord obtained it, he never could get the antiquity to work. 

The Ted Kord Blue Beetle was the creation of Steve Ditko (The Amazing Spider-Man). This issue was plotted and illustrated by Ditko with a script by D.C. Glanzman. This creative duo also created the back-up feature starring The Question. In this story, The Question takes on a villain that operates a stolen flying costume powered by compressed helium. Called The Banshee by his victims, this flying fiend commits a number of robberies. But these crimes are small potatoes and the Banshee has his sights on Crown City, the home of the mysterious new crime fighter The Question. Only, the Banshee doesn't realize that he's being targeted also by The Question's alter-ego, newsman Vic Sage who is just as active in bringing the baddie down as The Question is. 

Other than Marvel Comics, was there a comic book publisher that was creatively killing it during the mid-60s like Charlton Comics? The answer is no, there wasn't. At this time, Charlton boasted a line-up of Ditko, Dick Giordano, Dennis O'Neil, Pat Boyette Jim Aparo and others. Yet, because of the insane popularity of Marvel and the boost is sales given off by the Batman '66 TV series, Charlton Comics was fighting for crumbs. Sadly, the quantity of sales could not outpace the quality of the books. Blue Beetle's rebooted run was canceled after only 5 issues. The Ted Kord Blue Beetle would not return to print in new adventures until 1985 with the Crisis on Infinite Earths establishing the Charlton characters as part of the DC Universe.

One last fun fact of note. Both stories in this issue were lettered by 'A. Machine'. This wasn't a human employee with a cool name but a fun pun for Charlton's Vari-Typer office composing machine. A cost cutting decision, in 1957, the Vari-Typer was used by the publisher to letter the captions and word bubbles of all of Charlton's titles until the company folded in 1985-86, the same time period in which Ted Kord, The Question and friends were welcomed into the DC Comics throng.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #8 (With an Animal in the Title) of the 2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Charlton Triple Threat: The Peacemaker, Sarge Steel & Judomaster (Gwandanaland Comics #2881-A)

I love Gwandanaland Comics. They find lost and forgotten properties that are in the public domain. Then they publish collections that a collector might never have a chance to complete otherwise. I know that if I tried to buy all of the issues that Charlton's Peacemaker, Sarge Steel and Judomaster starred in, I'd probably have to pay a couple thousand dollars in order to do it. Especially since James Gunn has made Peacemaker such a hot property with the latest Suicide Squad movie and recent HBO/Max series.

Let's start with Peacemaker. Billed as a man who is willing to fight for peace; by day, the Peacemaker is a United Nations peace envoy named Christopher Smith. But when talks break down, the ambassador utilizes his vast arsenal and makes peace happen by force as the Peacekeeper!

Peacemaker has to be one of the wildest creations in all of comics. This guy has more gadgets than Batman. But how can this guy afford it? Surely, the UN doesn't pay that good!

I really thought this book wasn't going to get any better than with Peacemaker. But then I got into the Sarge Steel stories and I was proved wrong. 

With Sarge Steel, he's a former member of Army intelligence who served in Vietnam. Thanks to a run-in with a communist warlord, Steel lost his hand. Armed with a solid steel left hand, Sarge Steel now operates as a private investigator. Eventually, Sarge Steel becomes a member of the CIA. With stories full of fast cars and even faster women, this was a series that was very much in the vein of James Bond, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., and the James Coburn Derek Flint movies. There was also some very heavy sprinkles of Dashiell Hammett with how Sarge Steel narrates all of his cases.

While I didn't quite understand why Sarge Steel would continuously let the dangerous dames he knew were villains stay so close to him, I was convinced that this book couldn't get any better than Sarge Steel. But then I got into the Judomaster stories and I was proved wrong again.

American GI Rip Jagger is stationed in the Pacific Campaign during World War II. On a small island off the coast of Japan, Jagger is injured. But instead of being captured by the Imperial Japanese, Jagger is rescued by island guerrillas. 

These freedom fighters are masters of martial arts. And while Jagger recoups, they teach him the art of Judo, to which Rip becomes a black belt. With a color yellow and red costume, Jagger becomes the Judomaster, the US Army's secret weapon against the Axis powers. 

A modernist comic book reader would probably hate these stories. They'd call Peacemaker a hypocrite or a shill for American imperialism. They'd call Sarge Steel a sexist. They'd probably flip with that one instance when Sarge backhanded a female assault victim. And with Judomaster- there would be some sort of clamor about 'white savior syndrome' or whatever it is that 21st intellectuals would deem it...

I read comic books as fan AND a historian. I know that some of the concepts are outdated. But I'm not going to chuck this book out of my collection. I very mush so did enjoy the stories. They might not have been perfect. But they entertained. 

I too loved the artwork. Dick Giordano is a personal favorite. And the art of Frank McLaughlin and Pat Boyette was amazing. Some of those judo practice fight scenes from the first Judomaster story belong in a museum. They're that good!

One main reason I asked for this book for Christmas was that I wanted to see where all of these characters got their start. John Cena's portrayal of Peacemaker really piqued my interest. And I've heard rumblings that Sarge and Judomaster might be popping up in some future DC live-action projects in the near future. So I wanted to get in on their origin stories ASAP. 

Yes, the Charlton Triple Threat of the late 1960s have some flaws. But so does a lot of the stuff being published in comics in the 2020s. I wanted to read these characters origin stories and that's what I got with this volume. And I loved it- warts and all!

(Gwandanaland Comics #2881-A was the economic B&W edition)

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Classic Comics Library: Santa's Tinker Tots

A Christmas gift from my bride. This book reprints the 1958 Charlton Comics issue of the same name.

In this comic, Santa's helpers are little tykes dressed in red called Tinker Tots. Not Elves! The youngest of the group is a blonde munchkin named Punch. When a last minute letter to Santa arrives, Punch works hard on the rush order. Sadly, he breaks the toys as he slips on ice while loading the gifts into Santa's sleigh. 

It's too late for Santa to wait any further. So one family is going without presents. That just wont do for Punch for anyone to go without presents from St. Nick. Thus the Tinker Tot goes to his room and sacrifices his favorite gift from his boss and takes a trio of baby reindeer on an emergency delivery run!

This was a very sweet issue. The art was very clean. The story had a definite Christmas feel with carols and religious imagery that isn't gratuitous. 

While I do not think that the Tinker Tots have ever popped back up in another comic, the artwork looks very similar to several stories taken from Dell's numerous Santa Claus Funnies that were published as part of the Dell Four Color Comics series. 

This cover looks similar to the Gwandanaland Comics reprints of which I am a fan of. I've talks with other fans and this book isn't from them. There was another publisher called Classic Comics Library that released this. A quick Amazon search reveals that their last publication was 5 years ago. So I think CCL is now defunct. Regardless, I loved this book. It was a great Boxing Day treat!

And this is my last holiday comic read of 2021. I've still got a bunch of stuff I haven't reviewed in the past couple of years, so more stuff will pop up until New Years. So stay tuned for more- maybe.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Complete Gorgo Readers Collection: Volume 1 & 2

Gorgo was a 1961 British film produced by MGM. The film itself was a European rip-off of Godzilla with offshore atomic testing awakening the prehistoric beast and being worshiped as an ancient deity by a Gaelic seaside town. But the real change to this kaiju was that Gorgo was a baby. You did not want to get on the bad side of mama!

This deluxe volume from Gwandanaland Comics reprints the all of the Gorgo books published by Charlton Comics. First is the adaptation of the film. Then a comic based on the never made proposed sequel. Those two books was enough to warrant a 23-issue series based on further exploits of Gorgo and his kin. Then there was 2 one-shots that sought to revitalize the adventures of Gorgo, but to little avail. 

The main series that ran from 1961-65 was a product of it's time. As with all giant monster franchises, the threat of nuclear destruction is ever looming. But what's even more interesting about Gorgo is how he was such a vital cog in the war against Communism. 

One issue ties the events of the Cuba Missile Crisis to the classified inclusion of a very po'd Gorgo. Several other issues has Gorgo and his mom running afoul of hidden commie bases and wrecking the plans of global domination from Communist China. But when it comes to the good guys, Gorgo is there to help; almost like a giant reptile version of Lassie. 

This book has one big superstar tied-in. The legendary Steve Ditko (Doctor Strange) pencils the first 5 issues and then returns from time-to-time. I just wish that the storytelling and editing was given as much care as Ditko gave the art.

There are dozens upon dozens typos through this book. Apparently spellcheck was something never explored by the editors at Charlton Comics. Yeah, yeah. I know I am one to talk. But then again, I'm not a professional either.

I loved this book. It was as massive as Gorgo himself. Full of awesomely wild stories about a classic but forgotten movie monster.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The Phantom #72

Lee Falk's Phantom is on paper, supposed to be something I would be all over. Yet, of the three main Defenders of the Earth characters, he's my least favorite. I have nothing against The African 'Batman'. His origin story is really cool. He's got a great costume, an awesome wolf sidekick and a bevy of lovely ladies. It's just that his stories are sooooo boring!

It seems that every Phantom story goes around in 3s. Either The Phantom will fight the baddie 3 times, get injured 3, or get captured 3 times. In this issue in which the Phantom takes on a mad scientist, he gets captured 3 times! 4 is you count him in a cage on the front cover. 

Speaking of the cover- the mad pooch on the front isn't the Phantom's beloved wolf, Devil. This canine is the pet of our book's bad guy. 

I love the old comics of the Big Three Defuncts: Gold Key, Dell, and Charlton (Four if you count Whitman, but it's history is so tied in with Gold Key, I consider them one and the same.) Charlton may not have had the best stories or the best art or the best sales (more often than not, it was the sales), but it's a beloved part of comics history. And despite this not being my favorite story or favorite character, it is still a beloved part of my collection.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Steve Ditko

Normally at Madman with a Book, I review books, comics, and movies. But today I felt that I needed to pay tribute to a man who greatly influenced my decision to start collecting.

The news broke yesterday of the death of a comic book legend- Steve Ditko. Ditko was 90 and actually had died on June 29th. Why it took a week for news to get around is anybody's guess. But it hit a lot of people very hard- myself being one of those people.

I'm not going to be one of those people who claim that the loss of Steve Ditko is so devastating and yet have zero connection to the man. True, when I list my 5 favorite artists of all-time, I admit, that the co-creator of Spider-Man is not in it. When I list my top 5 favorite writers in the medium, again I admit that the co-creator of Doctor Strange is not among the group. But my nearly life-long love of comic books might not even exist at all it not for Steve Ditko. 

Around 1981 my parents took me to a used book store called Tales Resold in Raleigh, NC for the very first time. I was about 4 or 5 and my parents showed me this room filled with kids books and more importantly- comics. There was a box of books for .25 cents a piece and I was allowed to choose one book from it. That day, I choose Charlton Comics' Ghostly Tales #152.

Looking back, I have to question my parents decision to allow a young child to buy a horror comic book. But for the moment, the image of the ghoulish I.M. Dedd holding a skull and looking resplendent in his flowing blue cape just appealed to me visually. The interiors were just as intriguing, though a little dated. 

While the book was only a year or two old, all of the stories inside were reprints from the 60s and 70s. But most importantly about those ghost tales was that one of them was drawn and possibly written by Steve Ditko. Even at 5, I could tell talent when I saw it. 

I probably read that comic book a hundred times. Though sadly I no longer own that original copy, having lost that book as well as my original collection decades ago due to theft. But Ditko's contribution to Ghostly Tales #152 opened my life up to a hundred-hundred times that many more comics over the span of another 35 years. And as my current collection nears 10,000 books, I now have a replacement as a keystone issue to reflect my first purchase. 

Steve Ditko will never know how much his art meant to my life and my hobby. That's okay, as I am sure he knows now. But without him, who knows what I would be doing now instead of typing a tribute to a sequential art legend. I'd probably would had been quite popular in high school, a former jock, now selling vinyl siding or used cars. Ugh... That thought is more terrifying than anything found in the pages of my first comic book purchase.

Thank you, Steve Ditko... and Rest In Peace.

This tribute was published concurrently on Outrightgeekery.com. 

Scary Tales #11

When is a scary book not scary? Apparently when it's Scary Tales #11.

The book features 3 tales about creatures that according to the issue's themem, are ones that people would consider as pets. The first piece is about a couple on a trek to capture a unicorn. The cover basically gives away that story's twist ending. While I guess you could consider a unicorn a pet, there's really nothing terrifying about this story so much as it's fanciful. Illustrated by the great Steve Ditko (Amazing Spider-Man), it's really not one of the master's best works.

I really enjoyed the second adventure. It's about a circus owner who tracks down a kind of Bigfoot creature. I almost from the beginning knew how this one was going to end. But the shear shock and terror of the owner was great! The whole concept of a pet was stretched quite a bit and I did not find this story scary in the least. But the narrative was of EC Comics' level quality, it's that well done.

The last piece is about a vampiress with an enchanted whip. She's so alluring, a talent scout brings her to New York City to put on a captivating show. I couldn't tell if the main character was supposed to be the hostess of this title. They were both dressed alike and looked similar. But I am not really that familiar with this Charlton horror comic as much as I am with some of their other books like Ghostly Tales or The Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves. So I am not really sure. But I don't categorize a female vampire as a pet and this yarn was too avant garde to really understand, much less be scared by. 

I wasn't too impressed with this issue. From the really corny cover, I shouldn't be surprised. I really have a hard time finding a bad silver age horror comic. I did today and I was really stunned by it. Especially for something containing works of a legend like Ditko.

Not Worth Consuming!

Rating: 3 out of 10 stars.

E-Man #1

   This issue of E-Man just also happened to be a book I was recommended last week to read when I was bored. Thanks again to my love of comic book grab bags, I happened to have an issue on hand and what an issue to have. This book, published by Modern Comics in 1977, reprints the very first issue by Charlton Comics in 1973 and is the brainchild of Nicola Cuti and Joe Staton.

    E-Man is an energy being that survived a supernova. In his quest for intelligent life, he comes across a space ship filled with a hostile entity. When the energy being discovers this hostile has intentions to destroy our planet, he assumes the form of a human. With help from a stripper with a heart of gold and ice in her veins, our hero becomes E-Man, with the power to convert matter into energy and vice versa.

    E-Man was quite good for a short-lived book from the 70s. Charlton was the publishing company that could but sadly it just never managed to overtake the big two publishers and eventually was swallowed up by DC by the 1980s. This book is proof of the talent and quality that Charlton was able to get their hands on- if only they could have had the bankroll of a Marvel Comics. A very good feature with great art but a very abrupt ending as if parts of the finale were edited for time or space. 

    The backup feature is called 'The Knight', a superspy for the international espionage agency C.H.E.S.S. The Knight is a rogue who gets in fights and follows the beat of his own drum. If he wasn't such a damn fine agent, the agency's high-ups, codenamed King and Queen, would have had him arrested or kicked out years ago.

   In this tale, the Knight, along with agents codenamed Rook and Bishop, infiltrate a company that makes rocket boosters in hopes of seeking out a mole. But to their chagrin, the entire organization is filled with double-agents! Now, the trio must destroy the plant, saving humanity and hopefully themselves in the process. 

    If the story of the Knight sounds familiar to a DC title called Checkmate- I don't think you are that far off the mark. Checkmate has operatives codenamed White Knight, Black King, Black Rook, White Queen, etc... It's also a super secret intelligence community, only they employ super heroes. Also, Checkmate was co-created by Paul Kuppenberg, a longtime contributor to Charlton who went to DC shortly after the company bought out the Charlton catalog. I really don't think this is a coincidence. But that's okay. This issue was like reading a rough draft of Checkmate, a series which I really like and am on the hunt for both complete series.

    If you can get your hands on a Charlton E-Man, expect to shell out some big bucks. But Modern Reprints dot bargain bins and are peppered throughout grab bags nationwide. (I have a total of 3 E-Man books thanks to grab bags.) A welcome addition to my collection, I cannot wait to read more and find more E-Man. You can also find E-Man series published by Comico and First Comics in the dollar bins and I hear they are very good titles as well.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Peacemaker #1 (Modern Comics reprint)

This issue reprints the first appearance of the Peacemaker from Charlton Comics. A few months ago, I finished the DC’s The L.A.W. (Living Assault Weapons.) It was a tribute to the Charlton Comics characters that DC had purchased the rights to in 1984 or 85. I was interested to learn more so when I found this reprint for cheap, I got ultra-excited. Man was that a bust.

The Peacemaker is a ‘man who loves peace so much that he is willing to fight for it.’ Though he carries a gun, it’s not his first means of offense. By day, the Peacemaker is an American ambassador of some sort. He’s always traveling to the next peace conference or  trying to diffuse a trade dispute. No, really, the first story is about the Peacemaker trying to negotiate fishing rights. But when a pirate with a sub threatens to hold the world’s seas hostage, our politician turns secret agent and saves the day.

Let’s just say that nuclear explosions occur and that Peacemaker survives them in a way that makes Indiana Jones outliving an exploding nuke in a lead lined frig a heck of a lot more plausible.

There’s also a back-up feature called The Fightin’ Five. It was awful from the first panel. The story ending on a cliff-hanger to which I say “let ‘em hangs there for all I care.”

I am so glad I didn’t pay more than a buck for this. It’s lame. Why DC decided they wanted the property is beyond me. I thought Peacemaker was the weakest character in the L.A.W. mini-series. But because I read it, I decided to give this a try. I don’t just want my dollar back on this book. I want the 20 minutes or so I wasted reading this drivel back as well.

Not Worth Consuming.

Rating: 2 out of 10 stars.

 

 

Sarge Snorkel #13 (Family Comic Friday)

I’m not really sure how I got this comic. The only thing I can think of is that I bought it in order to add it to the stock of the reading program I started at my wife’s work. Still, I am not 100% sure. I wouldn’t consider myself a fan of the Beetle Bailey comic strip on which this comic is based.  I was a Hi and Lois fan, truth be told. (Fun Fact: Beetle Bailey is Lois’ brother and that series was a spin-off.)

Anyway, I found this cleaning out from under our bed so I must have misplaced it separating things I wanted from things I purchased for the reading program. But I decided before I got rid of it, I would read it. Couldn’t hurt.

The book is filled mostly with 1-2 page comics. I’m assuming they were rejected from the Sunday paper. They weren’t awful- they just weren’t my cup of tea. There was a short story in this book that was fairly decent. It was about a war-game held at the army base in which Beetle and Sarge is stationed. I usually skip prose tales in comics until I recently learned that comics had to include such a piece in their issue in order to qualify for first class postage. So, now I read them for the historical value.

At just about any convention, you can find little dollar gems such as these for kids and parents alike to enjoy. Most aren’t in the best of shape, due to the fact that kids owned these once and aren’t the best at keeping things pristine. Also, most of these books were massed produced and don’t have very much ‘collectability.’ It doesn’t mean that they’re awful it’s just not what collectors are clamoring for.

This is definitely going into my reading program’s inventory. I didn’t hate it, but it’s just not for me. It was fun to read, look at the old advertisements and get taken back to the comics of my youth. But a book like this could spark interest in the next generation of comics readers and thus, I will pass it on for them.

Worth Consuming

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars