Muppet Babies #7 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Jim Henson's Muppet Babies was an animated Saturday morning TV show that aired on CBS from 1984-1991. The series marked the first time that Henson's trademarked puppets appeared in animated form. Whereas Sesame Street focused on education and the more adult The Muppet Show was a tribute to vaudeville and variety shows, Muppet Babies was all about wonder!

Baby versions of Kermit, Fozzie, Gonzo and Miss Piggy used their imaginations to make-believe their way through a nursery full of fun. Adventures included a trip to the zoo, adventures through their favorite story books and visits with their future selves as Hollywood stars! Just as with the other Muppet shows, music was a big part of the show with at least 1 big musical number per episode. Over the span of 8 seasons, 107 episodes aired.

One thing that made the Muppet Babies different from other cartoons was how it integrated live-action material. For example, on at least 3 occasions, Gonzo or one of the other characters would open the closet door to their nursery to reveal a roaring TIE fighter from the Star Wars franchise. Clips of Darth Vader, Slimer from Ghostbusters and famous celebrities of the day would appear in unusual places in the nursery, interacting with the ingenious tykes. 

Many of the characters from the Muppet Show would appear as younger animated versions of themselves. Curmudgeons Statler and Waldorf would visit as the uncles of the babies' unrevealed Nanny, voiced by TV's Mrs. Cleaver, Barbara Billingsley. Other voice talents included Howie Mandel (St. Elsewhere), Dave Coulier (Full House) and Frank Welker (Scooby-Doo) A pre-teen Janice from Doctor Teeth and the Electric Mayhem Band would babysit when Nanny needed a night off. Kermit's nephew Robin would stop by as a tadpole nestled within a tiny glass bowl. And play dates, such as the one that occurs in this issue, would be scheduled with youngsters such as Bunsen and Beaker.

The single story of this issue starts off with Fozzie running some of his jokes by the rest of the Muppet Babies when Bunsen and Beaker arrive for another day of fun. Bunsen notices that everyone knows Fozzie's stand-up routine by heart. So the aspiring junior scientist offers Fozzie an experimental hat that will help the comedic bear think up some more jokes. Unfortunately, Bunsen gave Fozzie his experimental time travel hat. 

Flying backwards through time, Fozzie keeps running into his ancestors and ruining their punchlines! Join Fozzie and his Muppet buddies as they learn about comedy from the time of Napoleon to Hannibal's crossing of the Alp and ultimately; the prehistoric era!

The Muppet Babies comic book was part of Marvel's Star Comics imprint for young readers. The comic book ran bi-monthly from 1985-89 for 26 issues. The last 9 issues were Marvel releases as Star Comics was shuttered by May of 1988. In 2018, Disney rebooted Muppet Babies as an all-new computer generated series. The new version aired on Disney Junior until 2022 with a total of 71 episodes. 

Muppet Babies #7 was written by Stan Kay (Planet Terry). This issue was penciled, inked and colored by Marie Severin (Spoof).

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #17 (A Star Comic: Marvel Imprint) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Peter Porker: The Spectacular Spider-Ham- The Complete Collection, Vol. 1 (Family Comic Friday)

I gave up. Instead of trying to buy the complete 17 issue run of Marvel's Star Comics imprint devoted to the funny animals of the Marble Universe, I gave it and purchased this massive collection. 

I was missing about a dozen issues of Spectacular Spider-Ham and each one was running about $5-7 per issue. In fact, there was 1 issue that I couldn't find selling for less than $125. So I gave in and bought this book for less than $30, used. (It also helped that I had Amazon gift cards.)

Resting in May Porker's basement is a tiny spider named Peter. While working on an atomic hairdryer, May receives a large dose of radiation. This turns her temporarily rabid and May bites Peter as a result! 

The bite turns Peter the Spider into Peter Porker, a bi-pedaled swine with an eye for photography. While working as the main photographer for the Daily Beagle, Peter Porker makes a living selling photos of himself as the Spectacular Spider-Ham. These antics as a costumed hero brings Spider-Ham face-to-face with a myriad of super villains including Duktor Doom, The King-Pig and the mysterious Bee-Yonder. 

Don't feel too bad for Spider-Ham. Helping him out against these villains are allies such as Captain Americat, Nick Furry, Agent of SHEEP and heroic psychiatrist Doc Clamson. When the heroes of the Marble Universe aren't able to give Spider-Ham a hand, our friendly Neighborhood Spider-Ham can rely on his non-super-powered friends like girlfriend Mary Jane Water-Buffalo and the junior newspaper reporters of the Daily Beagle!

The stories are extremely fun. They can also be funny. However, this is a work of parody and some of the gags just don't cut the mustard. But the creativity of co-creator Tom DeFalco (Archie Christmas Spectacular 2022) and assists by writers such as Fred Hembeck and Mike Carlin (Star Trek) are unmatched. 

The artwork is all quite good. But the work of Steve Mellor and brother Mike in the debut story is perhaps the most striking. There's a hint of art deco to the first issue that was originally published as Marvel Tails. Everyone looks like they are drawn with italics. In fact, Captain Americat looks like he's walking on a ramp throughout the whole thing! But I love it!

I've shared works starring Spider-Ham in several Family Comic Friday postings before. But the reason I share this book in particular is mainly because of the rating Marvel gave this work and it's dead wrong. Marvel has this book rated for readers aged teen (and higher). Yet, with exception of that first story, which was released as a Marvel title, issues #1-17 of Peter Porker, The Spectacular Spider-Ham were originally released as part of Star Comics, an imprint for readers aged 10 and under! 

Unless Star Comics readers in 1984-1989 were much more mature than the Gen Z readers of today, I don't see a reason this book should have been rated for Teens. In fact, Amazon grades this book as suitable for those in preschool and higher. Now, I think that's a bit young as there are some decent sized words in these books and the scripts are a tad wordy. But at least that recommended age range is closer to whom these comics were originally geared towards.

Over 400 pages with tons of inside jokes and Easter eggs. This is definitely a work that the parents and grandparents who grew up with Spider-Ham will enjoy perusing with the young readers in their lives!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Get Along Gang #5 (2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

THIS IS IT! MY LAST ENTRY IN THE CHALLENGE!

The Get Along Gang was a group of anthropomorphic animals whose wholesome adventures would have nauseated Pat Boone and Ned Flanders. They were created in 1983 by a group of designers employed by American Greetings known as 'Those Characters From Cleveland' who also created Strawberry Shortcake, The Care Bears and Madballs. The characters which included characters named Montgomery Moose, Woolma Lamb and Bingo Beaver graced everything from greeting cards to coloring books. A popular line of ceramic figures was then introduced before American Greetings decided to take the Get Along Gang to the next level- broadcast TV.

In the spring of 1984, The Get Along Gang debuted on CBS. A total of 13 episodes made of 26 11-minute segments were produced. For a very brief time, The Get Along Gang kids were riding high as licensing darlings, gracing lunch boxes, Trapper Keeper's and a host of other school supplies just in time for the 1984-85 school year. 

As The Get Along Gang was gaining its fad-like momentum, Marvel Comics was in the process of starting up its Star Comics imprint devoted to kid friendly titles. After seeing controversial success with original titles such as Royal Roy that resulted in a lawsuit from rival Harvey Comics for copyright infringement of the likeness of Richie Rich, Marvel decided to stick to licensed characters for Star Comics. 

The Get Along Gang was among one of the first franchises to sign with Star Comics under its new direction. A total of 6 issues were published. House of Mystery's Dave Manak scripted the half dozen issues with art divided by Carlos Garzon (#1-2) and John Constanza (#3-6). Jacqueline Roettcher (Ewoks) inked the entire run.

In this issue, the gang spend the night in a house that is rumored to be haunted by two brothers. The father of the two siblings passed away without telling the pair who was to inherit the house. So, the two brothers who squabbled and fought over ownership of the property when they were alive, continue the battle as spirits. 

It's really the bickering that spooks the members of the Get Along Gang. As the brothers try to evict the other from the home, they knock over boxes and lamps that get the kids scrambling for the door. However, the old house is booby trapped with secret corridors and hidden compartments to the point that members of the gang start disappearing!

The story itself, along with the art was rather charming. I loved that innocence that oozed over every page. Though I thought it was rather odd that the kids had no problem spending the night in a haunted house with the mayor of the town. Maybe such sleepovers were normal for 1985. I dunno. The overall story, which was highly reminiscent of an episode of Scooby-Doo, wasn't bad. But I did dislike that 'it was all just a dream', was the cop out plot device used to wrap things up. 

Reading this issue, I noticed something that was rather sad. There was an ad in this issue for the upcoming line-up of CBS Saturday Morning cartoons and The Get Along Gang isn't listed as one of the shows returning! 

Remember all those school supplies bearing the character's likeness? Unfortunately, those items just didn't sell. Neither did a line of hybrid action-figure dolls dressed in cloth outfits and the series was removed from airwaves just before Christmas of that year. But since Star had already crafted 6 stories and they needed a full line-up of titles to entice merchants and subscribers, The Get Along Gang stayed in print until the winter of 1986, a full year after CBS execs pulled the plug on the cartoon. American Greetings discontinued the line the following year.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #42 (That is a guilty pleasure) of the 2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Star Comics All-Star Collection, Volume 2

Planet Terry. Wally The Wizard. Royal Roy. Top Dog. 

These four titles were the original 4 titles of Marvel's short-lived but very much beloved Star Comics Imprint. In the mid-80s, Marvel Comics had the brilliant idea to start an all-ages line-up of comics. That's were these titles come in. (Also in the original line-up were the titles Misty and Spider-Ham. However, both series were based on already established Marvel characters.)

Instead of going straight for licensed titles, Marvel recruited some talent from Harvey Comics and decided to make original material. The results were rather mixed. 

Royal Roy was a blatant rip-off of Richie Rich and that wasn't just because Rich's creator Warren Kremer was hired to create Roy. Harvey Comics sued for copyright infringement and Royal Roy was gone after only 6 issues.

Planet Terry and Wally The Wizard lasted for 12 issues each. But both books were serials instead of one-and-done stories and they lagged in sales because kids hate books that end with 'To be continued' as they never was a guarantee to find the next issue due to the minimizing of comics carried for sale in grocers, pharmacies and box retailers. 

The subject matter for Wally The Wizard didn't help either. There was a parental panic that all this Dungeons and Dragons led to devil worship during this time. That hysteria harmed sales.

Top Dog had the longest running title. The tale of a super smart fugitive spy dog ran for 14 issues. It was rather popular. But with Star switching over to licensed material, Top Dog was found guilty of it's association with the other 3 titles. He was euthanized by 1986. 

These titles have found a small resurgence. Marvel has started to reissue these books as omnibuses instead of broken up into several volumes of mixed issues such as the one I read. Now if you follow my blog, you will know that I do not like to read a series partway. I prefer as much as possible to start with issue #1 and then read in order as much as I can without a break. 

But it's really hard to find the Star Comics stuff for cheap. And I only paid a penny (plus $3.99) shipping for this on Amazon. Plus, being in need of a pick-me-up (Thanks COVID!) and it was nearby, I took a trip back in time with these family friendly books. 

Planet Terry was very creative and fun. A couple of characters were clearly sci-fi versions of characters from ABC's Richie Rich cartoon from the early. RATING: 8 out of 10 stars.

Royal Roy was a royal bore. These stories are pretty insipid. Richie Rich and Uncle Scrooge are better stinking rich characters. RATING: 3 out of 10 stars.

Top Dog was as always, the cream of the crop. A little silly at times. But how often did you see a kid friendly comic book with a character sticking a gun to the lead pooch's head or the star canine being tortured on the cover? RATING: 9 out of 10 stars.

Wally The Wizard was a title I hated as a kid. Wizards and dragons weren't really my thing, so I did not enjoy it. But as a re-read, this was actually really good. Smartly written and the artwork in the second published issue was very, very good. RATING: 10 out of 10 stars.

Worth Consuming!

Overall rating: 7.5 out of 10 stars.

Classic Toys from a Madman's Youth: Advent 2019 Day 19

For Today's Advent I'm focusing on another toy that some might consider a flop- but I was a big fan! 

Silverhawks!

For some, this follow-up to Thundercats was a one-hit wonder. It was about a group of bionic police officers who operate in outer space. Led by Commander Stargazer, the Silverhawks were a rag-tag bunch recruited to bring down the intergalactic mob boss, Mon*Star. Characters included Bluegrass, a singing cowboy pilot and the copper plated Kidd; a robotics whiz who only spoke in beeps and whistles. (As you could probably tell, those two were both my favorites!)

Many considered Silverhawks to be Thundercats in space. Yet that's just not true. While I liked Thundercats visually, the stories were pretty complicated and hinged on ancient prophecies. Plus, it was done as a serial in that if you missed and episode, you were sunk!

Unlike Thundercats, which lasted from 1985-1989, Silverhawks ran for only 65 episodes in 1986. For many, Silverhawks was lame. But I was a huge fan of that show to the point that in the Christmas of '86 I wanted any and everything Silverhawks while all of my friends wanted Thundercats!

The Silverhawks figures were embossed with this shiny metallic paint, which were very pleasing to the eye. Each good guy came with a weapon-bird: an android bird that doubled as a tool for offense or defense. Made by Kenner, the sculpts were far superior to those of the first wave of Star Wars figures. But unlike those action figures, the Silverhawks were at all not durable.

The Silverhawks figures were designed for one to squeeze either the arms or legs in order to make their wings detract or perform some some sort of kick or karate chop. However, I think the type of plastic used for metal painted action figures was different from other forms of molded plastic because these guys broke all the time. It must have been a design flaw by the Kenner design team because the metallic Brainiac figure from the Super Powers line was also very fragile. Stoopid android arm snapped clean off!!!

Anyways, it wasn't just the metallic figures that broke. Mon*Star had a feature in which when you squeezed his legs, his chest would open and an uglier version of the baddies' head would flip out. The chest plate kept snapping off. But unlike the metallic finish figures, the hinges would snap off. However, if you didn't have a collector's case, you'd have to hunt for Mon*Star's chest plate each time you wanted to play with him.

One aspect of the Silverhawks that was of high quality was the comic book series from the Marvel imprint, Star Comics. The series lasted 7 issues, which doesn't seem like alot. But when you take into  account that some Star Comics titles were cancelled after only an issue or two due to poor toy sales- seven issues of Silverhawks was the equivalent of a James Michener epic! And yes- I am constantly on the hunt to add these books to my collection! The Silverhawks comics- not the collected works of Michener.

I'd love to share with you an episode for an Advent. But Youtube makes you pay for those. So, as my Advent present for you today, here's the opening theme song. Enjoy!

Some weeks, there is just so much great all-ages stuff that we've got to do a second post. Due to popular demand, Marvel's Star Comics are coming back into print once more! For this Family Comic Friday Extra we take a look at the return of that pint-sized space-farer Planet Terry!

Star Comics: Planet Terry- The Complete Collection

Written by Lennie Herman, Stan Kay
Art by Warren Kremer
Published by Marvel Comics
Retail: $39.99

In the mid 1980s, Marvel Comics had the brilliant idea to create an all-ages imprint. The House of Ideas had a number of hits publishing the exploits of such beloved kids properties like G.I. Joe and Transformers. But those books were aimed for a more older crowd much to the dismay of parents. Thus, editor Jim Shooter decided to go after some new properties and maintain the youthful spirit of those franchises. After the course of 4 years, Star Comics covered the adventures of classics like Thundercats and Masters of the Universe. But at the very beginning of the imprint, Star decided to craft some original content.

The original 4 titles were a Richie Rich rip-off called Royal Roy (to which Harvey Comics sued Marvel for plagiarism),  the magically infused Wally the Wizard, the slightly too thrilling for kiddies Top Dog and lastly, our featured series: Planet Terry.

Planet Terry was a sci-fi inspired epic. The lead character was Terry; a platinum haired youth who spent the entire 12-issue run searching for his parents. Over the course of the series, Terry would participate in intergalactic video games, battle giant monsters and rescue princesses from danger with the help of his two friends, Omnus and Robota. Omnus was a burly lizard man with great strength. Robota was a silver plated female android.

If Robota looked and acted an awful lot like the mechanical maid of Richie Rich, you weren't far off. The artwork of these issues were penciled by the legendary Warren Kremer. For those of you born after 1990, Kremer was the artistic mastermind behind the creation such characters as Casper the Friendly Ghost, Little Audrey and even that poor little rich boy, Richie Rich! With assists from Vince Coletta (Fantastic Four) on inks, expect the art of most of this book to be super clean!

The writing duties were split between Lennie Herman and Stan Kay (Muppet Babies).

This is another Marvel reissue in which the publisher is rating way too high! It's not a book for Teens or older. (I've seen varying age ratings for this book from as high as Teen to no rating at all.) This was originally punished unrated. But in 1985, they didn't have ratings yet! The series was approved by the Comics Code Authority, but there was such a broad interpretation of what ages were covered under that stamp that a decade later, the Code was all but defunct. Take it from me, readers of all ages will enjoy this blast from the past!

One big spoiler-

Planet Terry ran for 12 issues. Unfortunately, Terry's quest to find his parents was never fulfilled. The character has in the past few years shown up in a few of Marvel's cosmic titles. Planet Terry is all grown-up now. However, there's no indication in these more modern appearances of whether Terry was reunited with mom and dad at a later date.

I usually don't post big spoilers such as this. However, I know first hand what it's like to devote yourself to a series or franchise that for one reason or another gets cancelled before being able to reach it's intended conclusion. I hope that parents and grandparents who grew up with this series with share it with the young reader it their lives. I really do. Planet Terry was one of the better Star Comics original titles. But I also want you to be aware that once the kiddies finish this book, they're going to ask you what happened next. So, you have best be able to come up with an imaginative answer on your own.

Planet Terry is a cult hit that didn't get much of a chance. But it's not because of poor production values. It's because retailers were hesitant to add unproven new comics to their already overcrowded shelves. Unless you had a local comic book store nearby or could afford to subscribe to Star Comics by mail, it was nearly impossible to find these titles at your local 7-11 or general book seller.

Granted, fans of the original Star Comics line-up are going to want the individual issues. But, since kids were who owned them, original copies in deceit shape are very difficult to find and some cases very expensive! But these complete collection is perfect to share with the next generation of comic book fans!

Due to conflicting accounts on several websites, I cannot be certain when Star Comics: Planet Terry- The Complete Collection will debut in stores. Amazon has the book coming out the first week in June. Previewsworld.com, the trusted comic book website for collectors and retailers claims the the book dropped on Wednesday, May 22nd. That website also claims that a readers will get a bonus of the complete six-issue miniseries Misty; about an aspiring young model, along with all 12-issues of Planet Terry. For those who enjoy their comics digital, Marvel.com has the complete Terry run for sale at the price of $19.99.

Regardless of which format or date in time you buy this collection, rest assured that your read is going to be out of the world!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

True Believers Star Wars Ewoks #1

Before the Porgs, the benchmark of cuteness in the Star Wars universe were the Ewoks. But since the late 1980s, those distant cousins have been anything but forgotten. Well, that's all changed this week as Marvel brings the little fur-balls back in a True Believers re-release for this Family Comic Friday Extra.

True Believers Star Wars Ewoks #1

Written by David Manak
Art by Warren Kremer
Inks by Marie Severin
Published by Marvel Comics
Retail: $1.00
Reprints Ewoks #1 (1986)

1985-1990 is generally known as the Star Wars dark ages. The original trilogy was completed. Star Wars: Droids, an animated series starring C-3PO and R2-D2 was a brief candle in the wind on the ABC Saturday morning line-up. Anything Star Wars being sold in stores was on the clearance shelves. If not for the break-out stars of Return of the Jedi, the Ewoks, Star Wars might not have encountered the resurgence it did in the 1990s and beyond.

As controversial as the Ewoks have been among Star Wars fans, there's no doubt that without them, we probably would never have gotten Episodes I-III or VII-IX. Along with a couple of TV movies from Disney, the Ewoks had a Saturday morning cartoon which spanned a couple of seasons. As a result, Wicket, his friends Teebo and Princess Kneesha were marketed out the wazoo as stuffed animals, t-shirts, pencils and comic books!

In the mid-80s, Marvel Comics operated a kid-friendly imprint called Star Comics. This legendary line contained a number of licensed titles such as Masters of the Universe, Spider-Ham and Madballs, which have become highly sought after collectibles. Both Star Wars: Droids and Ewoks were given the comic book treatment. Just as with the cartoons they were based on, Droids didn't last very long. But the Ewoks enjoyed a decent run of 14 issues over the course of 3 years.

True Believers Star Wars Ewoks #1 reprints the first issue of that 1980s adaptation. In it, Chief Chirpa's daughter, Princess Kneesha, has come down with a mysterious illness. The Ewoks' medicine man recalls a miraculous liquid that had amazing healing powers. But in order to obtain it, one must traverse a deadly gorge of fire.

After sneaking away a special jewel, Wicket and Teebo embark on journey to find more of the liquid. On their adventure, they'll encounter talking rocks, fierce trolls and other perils. The little heroes might even come across the miracle elixir. But will they be able to save their ailing friend in time?

There's two big time names in the creation of this book. The first is EIC, Jim Shooter. The wunderkind was responsible for the 1980s Marvel Renaissance and the big time crossovers Contest of Champions and Secret Wars. The other is inker, Marie Severin. A member of the original usual gang of idiots behind E.C. Comics and MAD Magazine, Severin was the co-creator of Spider-Woman and several memorable Howard the Duck characters.

Some astute older fans might recognize the name of illustrator Warren Kremer. A Harvey Comics staple, Kremer created Richie Rich and Hot Stuff the Little Devil.

In 2019, the Ewoks are a nearly forgotten part of Star Wars lore. Other than featuring in a chapter of last year's Tales From Vader's Castle, the Ewoks haven't been seen in any of the prequel or third trilogy films. With a hint that The Rise of Skywalker might return to Endor, that may all change.

So why not re-introduce the newest generation of Star Wars fans to the Ewoks?  With a cover price of only $1.00, this is book is quite friendly on the pocket book. And as Star Comics was approved for all-ages, there's nothing objectionable for Star Wars fans of any age! Then if the young reader in your life becomes a fan, check out Star Wars: Ewoks- Flight to Danger, which reprints the first 10 issues of the original Star Comics run.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

True Believers Star Wars Ewoks #1 debuted in print on May 1st, 2019.

Defenders of the Earth #4

Mandrake the Magician is the focus of this, the final issue of Defenders of the Earth. 

When Mandrake attempts to train his apprentice Kshin, the mage accidentally frees a forgotten adversary. Meanwhile, Rick Gordon and Jedda go on a date, only to run afoul of Ming the Merciless' newest band of ice warriors. 

Everything is set-up for a climatic battle in issue #5. There's even a blurb for a 'To Be Continued' in the very last panel. Yet, a fifth issue was never to be. 

The reason for the sudden cancellation is both very clear and also a bit of a mystery. The quality of the stories had slumped after a nearly flawless first issue written by Stan Lee. The cartoon in which this comic was based was sporadically scheduled on TV at best! Plus, some of the major characters were mostly forgotten. 

Yet, like I said, this issue promised an issue #5. Plus, on the back cover, there's an ad for fans to subscribe to this series. It just doesn't add up. Unfortunately it was a trend for Star Comics titles to just up and disappear. 

No matter how successful the titles might have been, Marvel never really could get retailers to commit to ordering titles from the all-ages imprint. Plus, somebody at Marvel never could manage to snag long-lasting licenses. (Other examples of this issue were then flops/ now cult hits Animax, Silverhawks and Chuck Norris Karate Kommandos. 

A good story that for one reason or another will never be resolved. I am so glad I got to find these issues for cheap at a Con. A great blast from my past. It was fun while it lasted.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Defenders of the Earth #3

The Phantom and his daughter Jedda return to Africa to follow-up on reports of massive snow storms in and around his kingdom. There he is greeted by his estranged brother. Angered by being passed up as the next Phantom, the brother has discovered a helmet of demonic power that gives him mastery over the elements. Will the Phantom renounce his title of the 'Ghost Who Walks' in order to save his people?

Finally, The Phantom gets a chance to shine in this issue that delves somewhat into his origin and history. But the writers have given the Phantom so many powers that he never had in the comics, including a brother. So, is this really the Phantom from the Sunday Comics?

I liked that Ming the Merciless wasn't the main villain in this issue. I think, had it been given a longer chance in publication, if Ming was the only baddie, it would have got boring quick. Obviously, as Ming seems to be only villain mentioned in a lot of the research I have done on this franchise, boring plots was just another factor that caused this series to not have a very long shelf life. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Defenders of the Earth #2

This second issue of Defenders of the Earth has the newly formed team creating a secret base. Meanwhile, Ming the Merciless has the same idea, choosing the North Pole as the locale of his operations on earth. 

Power Pack's Michael Higgins takes over storytelling from Stan Lee. It's like selecting a bench-warming roller blade enthusiast to replace Wayne Gretzky. There's just some mighty shoes to get filled here. 

One issue I have with Higgins isn't so much his talent, but his writing style. I think he must have been from the U.K. because the Defenders of the Earth are now starting to spout little bits of slang every once in a while and it's rather odd British bits of dialogue that's being thrown about. Last issue, Stan Lee had everybody sounding like a 1980s New Yorker. Now everyone sounds like they're from London's East End. It's rather an disjointed transition. 

Once again, the Phantom is grossly underused. He appears in the first act. But it's not until the third and final part of this story does he finally talk as well as spring into action. This issue is more about Mandrake and his bodyguard Lothar than anyone else. It's not so much a bad thing as poor use of all of your available characters. 

I think I am starting to see some cracks in this franchise's foundation leading to why both the comic book and TV series were quickly cancelled.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Defenders of the Earth #1

Defenders of the Earth- it was the crossover I never thought possible. I had grown up reading the adventures of Flash Gordon, The Phantom and Mandrake the Magician. But I wasn't aware that those heroes knew each other.  

Then in 1985, Marvel Comics teamed with King Features Syndicate to create a 65-episode cartoon that teamed these legends together again for the first time as the Defenders of the Earth. The cartoon wasn't easy to find in my area of the country. But the occasional Saturday or Sunday that I was able to watch it, I was hooked. 

I never did purchase the action figures, mostly because Galoob's bulky sculpts just didn't appeal to me. But I really loved the comic book! Published by Marvel's Star Comics imprint, the series was a continuation of the series. 

This first issue was written by Stan the Man. It's entirely based on the pilot episode. In it, Ming the Merciless has kidnapped Flash Gordon's wife Dale and son Rick. Ming sends some of his robot sentries to capture Flash, who has sought refuge in the mansion home of renowned magician Mandrake. Along with his bodyguard Lothar and his son LJ and young apprentice Kshin, Mandrake agrees to help Flash recover his family. 

To do this, the heroes need a master tracker. So, they go to deepest, darkest Africa where they recruit the Phantom and his daughter Jedda to assist them in locating Ming's base on the planet Mongo. 

Needless to say, the heroes find Ming and manage to destroy his fortress. But the rescue of Dale and Rick takes a dark turn that I wasn't expecting, especially for kids' cartoons in the mid-80s. But the ending sets everything up for Flash, Mandrake, Lothar, the Phantom and their progeny to form the Defenders of the Earth as Ming now has his eyes set on conquering our planet for his newest throne world.

This was an enjoyable blast from the past. Having Stan Lee as writer for the first issue was a pleasant surprise. The artwork by Alex Suviuk was beautiful and the story itself was very good. 

The Phantom seems a bit of an afterthought though. He's not really needed in the story. I'm wondering if King Features demanded that the Phantom be added to the team as by 1985, his comic strip was the only one of the three characters in high rotation nationwide. Compared to Mandrake and Lothar, you must admit that the Phantom has better name recognition. Still, the purple clad hero feels more like an bit player in this book instead of star player that he really was.

Worth Consuming! 

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Droids and Ewoks (Family Comic Friday)

 With The Last Jedi debuting in theaters this weekend, I thought it would be ideal to cover something Star Wars for this week’s Family Comic Friday. While many Star Wars comics are able to be enjoyed by readers of all ages, there was only two series that I felt that really deserved my attention today. Ladies and Gentlemen, as well as kids of all-ages, I present to you Droids and Ewoks!

Both series were published beginning in 1985 by Marvel Comics. Droids and Ewoks were released as tie-ins to the ABC animated series of the same name under the Star Comics imprint. Both series were published bi-monthly. Unfortunately, neither series, just like their animated predecessors, lasted very long.

Droids- written by Dave Manak. Art by John Romita Sr, Mary Wilshire, & Ernie Colon

This comic starred C-3PO and R2-D2. Billed as a prequel to A New Hope, the Droids drift around the galaxy looking for new masters. Every issue had the duo meeting new owners, getting into some sort of trouble, and then saving the day. Space Pirates, corrupt government officials, and dreadful alien smugglers were the usual assortment of baddies.

Like the cartoon it was based on, Droids did not run as long as Ewoks did. With only eight issues published, Droids is one of the hardest Star Wars comics to find. The first three issues were illustrated by Spider-Man legend John Romita Sr. The final trio of issues featured the adventures of Episode IV as told in Threepio’s point of view. They are the most sought after of the Star Comics releases.

Ewoks- Written by Dave Manak. Art by Warren Kremer

The Ewoks comic book was an odd duck just like the cartoon series it was based on. The cartoon ran for two seasons. The first season was considered to be a lot like the Ewoks live-action TV films as that there was a much more serious tone. Issues 1-4 of Ewoks featured some really fierce looking monsters and baddies that often got in the way of Wicket trying to prove that he’s ready to come of age in the tribe.

By issues 7, the second season of Ewoks had begun to debut on TV. ABC television wanted a more kid friendly look and feel to the show. As in the comic book as well as the cartoon, the monsters started to look less scary, the color palette was less serene, and some of the plots were just plain silly. Another thing that hurt the Ewoks comic was that the show’s main villains, the Duloks, a fierce rival species that looked a lot like the Grinch, were only featured in two issues. They were pretty good foils to the Ewoks but grossly underused in the comics.

The series was written by Archie Comics scribe Dave Manak. You could tell that Archie and the gang were a big influence as Wicket and fellow Ewok, Teebo, would have silly competitions for the affections of Chief Chirpa’s daughter Princess Kneesaa.

All 14 issues were illustrated by Warren Kremer, formally of Harvey Comics. Marvel in it’s attempt to rival Harvey with it’s Star Comics imprint, had lured away several big names from the rival publisher .You can really see Kremer’s style was deeply impacted by drawing Harvey Comics for so many years especially in Ewoks #9. There the children of the Undersea Kingdom look a lot like Casper the Friendly Ghost if he was a mer-creature.

A Galaxy Spanning Crossover

Fans of both Droids and Ewoks never got to see their favorite animated characters crossover on Saturday Morning TV. But in October to November, 1986, those fans got their wish in print form. In Droids #4 and Ewoks #10, C-3PO and R2-D2 made an unexpected visit to Endor.

The droids were hired as nannies for an royal alien tot named the Star Child. One of the Star Child’s relatives wants the kid out of the way and jettisons the lad along with Threepio and Artoo into space and then tries to vaporize them. Instead, the escape pod hits a wormhole and are sent to Endor where they crash land.

Artoo thinks he can get the escape vessel mobile again. But it will take some time. That’s a good thing, because those evil Duloks just kidnapped the Star Child.

A Legacy Remembered

There were a number of reasons that Droids and Ewoks got the boot from TV and comics so quickly. It’s hard to believe but by 1986, Star Wars had started to run its course. With no new theatrical movies being produced, kids were interested in other things like Thundercats and Transformers. The action figure line was virtually non-existent and the toys based on these two properties were exceptionally hard to find. The main Star Wars comic was lagging in sales and Marvel had no interest in renewing the license when it came due in 1987. Ultimately, by the summer of 1988, there were no more Star Wars comics of any kind being released.

For several years, there was nothing new Star Wars until in 1991 when an author by the name of Timothy Zahn wrote a little book called Heir to the Empire. Almost immediately interest in Star Wars sky-rocketed again and Dark Horse quickly snagged up the rights to the Star Wars franchise. They would published hundreds of comics based on the George Lucas for over 20 years until 2014 when Disney bought Lucasfilm and the license when back to Marvel.

Near the tale end of Dark Horse’s run on Star Wars, they began issuing collections of Marvel’s run of Star Wars comics. In 2012, they released the Star Wars Omnibus: Droids and Ewoks. This massive volume has over 500 pages and collects all 22 issues plus a bonus coloring book story set during Return of the Jedi.

Last year Marvel reissued all of the Star Comics titles under its Star Wars Legends line of reprinted comics. That volume retails for $75. However, Amazon still has a couple of dozen of the Dark Horse Omnibuses for only $15. So if you are looking to read the entire run of both series without shelling out some big bucks, this is the way to go.

Fun for Star Wars fans of all-ages. Neither of the series were really canon. But in the mid-80s, both Droids and Ewoks were the cartoon and comic fixes we were looking for.

This article was published concurrently at outrightgeekery.com.

My Top 10 All-Ages Comics of All-Time! (Family Comic Friday)

Welcome to another edition of Family Comic Friday. I turn 40 today! So instead of focusing on a single book or title to review, I decided to make this article a countdown of my 10 favorite all-ages comic book series of all-time.

While most of these titles are no longer being produced in monthly form, you can find many of these titles in bargain bins for a dollar or less nationwide. You’ll just have to search through thousands upon thousands of books at comic book shops and conventions. But unless you wanna use an online source, the search is half the fun of collecting comic books.
A couple of these titles are being reprinted in omnibus form or other collected formats and I will do my best to point those out. I used eBay and Amazon primarily for my online shopping needs. But there’s dozens of sites out there waiting to become your next source of comic book relief.

With that being said, let’s explore my pick of the Top 10 All-Ages Comics of All-Time:

10. Hanna Barbera’s Laff-A-Lympics

If you are a fan of crossovers, then you have to start with the granddaddy of them all Hanna Barbera’s Laff-A-Lympics. This comic based on the cartoon of the same name from 1977-79, this series featured no less than 35 different characters from shows like Scooby-Doo, Yogi Bear, and much more.

Each issue had the characters participate in oddball events in an olympics style setting. There were two teams of good guys as well as a group of baddies! One thing that appealed to me about the show was that sometimes the villains won!

The series was published by Marvel. It only ran for 13 issues. Of all the books on my list, this one is probably the hardest ones to track down- and most expensive! To my knowledge, they’ve never been collected. Though Amazon sells these annuals from 1982 and 1983 based on the TV show that might have reprints in them. But the site isn’t really clear on that.

9. Marvel’s Star Comics Imprint

The only selection on my list that isn’t a single comic book. In 1984, Marvel created an all-ages imprint called Star Comics. The first few titles were all original stuff. Top Dog was about a talking dog. Planet Terry was a young space explorer. Perhaps the most infamous of all was Royal Roy, which was a blatant rip-off of Harvey Comics’ Richie Rich. Marvel was actually sued for copyright infringement by Harvey and the title was ended after only 6-issues.

By 1986, all of the original titles were toast. They just weren’t all that great. But what Marvel kick major butt at was getting licensed material from some of the hottest properties of all-time. For two additional glorious years, Star Comics issued forth comic book antics of character like Chuck Norris, Count Dukula, Mad Balls, Masters of the Universe, and even Star Wars!

A couple of years ago, Marvel started releasing collections of the original titles. The Star Wars Droids and Ewoks titles have been released at least twice in a combined omnibus fashion from Dark Horse. In terms of most of the other series, the licenses are probably lost to time or buy-out from one defunct company to another. But I find Star Comics in bargain bins at every convention I go to. However, because they were owned by kids, they’re not in the best shape. For someone wanting to start collecting comics, cheap and low grade isn’t a bad way to start.

 8. Tiny Titans 

This 2008-2012 DC Comics series was the brainchild of Art Baltazar and Franco. Sure, the artwork looks like a 6-year old did it and some of the stories are pretty goofy. But one thing that kept me coming back to it was the subtle Easter eggs that peppered each issue. They were clearly put there for the adults and definitely why it’s on my all-time fav list!

DC published a total of 8 collected volumes. There’s also a sequel miniseries called Return to the Treehouse. It was good, but the magic was missing from it. There’s also a 3-issue crossovers with the Little Archie gang that has not been reprinted ever in the 7 years since its debut.

7. Ducktales

 I loved the original series from the 80s. So much that when I heard that there was going to be a Ducktales comic, I bought a 2-year subscription to it! I was quite disappointed to learn that this book wasn’t of all-new material related to the cartoon but reprints of the numerous Carl Barks stories from the 1940s and 50s in which the show was based on.

As I have gotten older, I have since grown to appreciate these stories for their historical and entertainment values. It’s still a pet peeve of mine that Disney rarely will issue new comic stories in the US- at least in the IDW books that they’ve authorized. But reprints of Ducktales and the endless cache of 80 years of comics based on Disney properties are as common in bargain bins as are issues of the DC Bloodlines annuals from 1993 that fans as a whole just seem to hate.

(Note: The Ducktales books were published by Gladstone/Gemstone. But there are several publishers of Disney comics including Gold Key, Marvel, and Disney’s own publishing company.)

6. Marvel Adventures Avengers

 Issued under the Marvel Adventures imprint, when Wolverine, Storm, and Spider-Man joined the Avengers around 2003, the House of Ideas struck gold. Add in a slightly non-canon Janet Van Dyne in the form of Giant Girl along with the Big Three of Thor, Captain America, and Iron Man- plus the Hulk and this is my favorite Avengers line-up of all-time.

A total of 39 issues were written by Jeff Parker and Paul Tobin with awesome art from numerous artists. Each story was creative, action-packed, and extremely funny. Collected in digest format only, these are not the easiest to find in bookstores but pretty affordable online.

5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures

When the TMNT cartoon debuted in the late 80s, the Turtles went from adult to kid friendly. As a result Archie Comics was awarded the license to published a series of all-ages adventures.

The first series was only 4-issue long and each story was devoted to the first couple of episodes of the show. After the trail run proved successful, Archie issued a monthly series that ran six years. Add in the dozen of so spin-offs and miniseries that Archie put out to cash in on the Turtles popularity, there’s well over 150 issues to collect.

 Thankfully in the past couple of years, IDW, who currently owns the license to the Ninja Turtles has been reissuing the comics in trade form. If you want individual issues, they’re not that very hard to find. It is hit-and-miss as when I do find them, I am able to snag up a dozen of so issues. But it’s the first 40 or so issues that are more common than the later Archie Comics stuff.

4. Peter Porker: Spider-Ham

 A spider by the name of Peter is bitten by a radioactive pig and becomes your friendly neighborhood Spider-Ham! This funny animal series was a parody by Marvel Comics that ran sporadically throughout the 80s. With great characters like Goose Rider and The Hulk Bunny, this was another series I remember subscribing to when I was a kid.

Spider-Ham first debuted in a 1983 one-shot called Marvel Tails. Thanks to popular demand, Spider-Ham joined the Star Comics line-up in 1985. When it was cancelled, that was not to be the end of Peter Porker as various issues of the reprint series Spider-Man Tales would run back-up features on Peter and his friends off-and-off for the next five years. Spider-Ham seems to be unkillable as he keeps popping up in specials and miniseries such as Spider-Verse every couple of years. The Spider-Ham 2099 issue of What The--?!  (#26) is the most sought after of the Spider-Ham related issues by collectors. It usually runs for $4-10, depending on condition and seller.

Currently only Marvel Tails and the first 3 or 4 issues of Peter Porker have ever been reprinted. It’s still available on Amazon. Issues of Peter Porker can be found online but it’s a fan favorite series and not cheap. As for the Spider-Man Tales issues, Wikipedia offers a complete list of the issues that contained Spider-Ham stories on the Spider-Ham page. However, the Spider-Man Tales issues are pretty commonly found in bargain bins.

 3. Pep Comics

There’s countless Archie Comics related books that star Archie and the gang. To me, the cream of the crop was PEP Comics. The series started first as a superhero anthology series starring characters such as the SHIELD. But it wasn’t until issue #22 that the title stuck gold. In that issue, a young redhead lad met a blonde bombshell named Betty and history was made.

There’s no way in the world that I can afford those older issues. But as a kid, I enjoyed current issues of PEP which was a monthly who’s who of the Archie Universe. A typical issue might have appearance by Josie and the Pussycats, Little Archie, Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Add to it jokes, games, and other cool things and a monthly offering of PEP was a solid hour of fun!

Most of the pre-Archie issues have been reprinted in pristine formats. Individual issues can be found littered in bargain bins worldwide. It's not hard to find as there was over 400 issues printed in it's nearly 50 year run.

2. Justice League Unlimited

 The Justice League cartoon from Cartoon Network was awesome. But when the show rebooted in 2004 as Justice League Unlimited, a great cartoon got even better.

Justice League only focused on the team of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, J’onn J’onzz, Hawkgirl, Flash, and Green Lantern. But JLU opened enrollment to almost the entire gambit of DC Universe superheroes. Added to the mix was the Injustice League of super villains lead by Lex Luthor and Gorilla Grodd.

The comic of the same actually outlived the TV series by 2 years. It including dozens of characters that the show not got the chance to explore like the Phantom Stranger, the Metal Men, and Mary Marvel. There were even a couple of holiday themed issues!  While DC did issue 5 volumes of collected stories, only the first 30 issues were reprinted. So if you want the entire series, you will have to find issues 31-46 elsewhere.

1. Scooby-Doo Team-Up

Last but surely not least. I present to you my favorite all-ages comic book series of all-time. What makes Scooby-Doo Team-Up so great. First of all, there was no better Scooby-Doo show than the New Scooby-Doo Movies where the Mystery Inc gang teamed up with the Harlem Globetrotters, the Addams Family, and of course Batman & Robin. Building on that premise, every month Scooby and Shaggy solve mysteries with members of the Hanna-Barbera family or the DC Universe.

In my opinion. The DC team-ups are the best. They’re quite funny while filled with clever inside jokes that only established DC fans will get. Tons of great B and C-list characters have been used like Bat Lash, Deadman, and Jemm: the Son of Saturn. All of it is thanks to the marvelous work of Sholly Fisch and it’s one of only two series I buy new on a monthly basis! For a notorious bargain hunter as myself, that’s high praise.

 Back issues are very hard to find. But DC has been issuing collections of the series in trade paperback. They run for about $15 a piece new. But if you are looking to get into this series based on my recommendation, it’s worth the price.

And there you have my top 10 picks for greatest all ages comics of all-time. And that’s all the time I have. It’s time for presents and cake. If you have a suggestion for this list, let’s hear them in the comments section below.

Until next week, have a great holiday weekend and keep reading!

Article published concurrently at outrightgeekery.com!

"Star Wars Omnibus: Droids and Ewoks"

 WORTH CONSUMING!

What a thrill it was to turn on the telly on a Saturday morning, pour yourself a huge bowl of 3po’s and milk and watch the animated adventures of Droids and Ewoks on ABC.

For the first time ever, the complete 8 issue run of Droids and 14 issue cycle of Ewoks is reprinted and collected in Omnibus form. For $24.99, having a full color account of these adventures isn’t a bad price. (It’s even better when you get it for 50 cents)

Along with a crossover story with the Ewoks, that somehow makes R2 and Threepio over 200 years old, there’s a reprint of a ROTJ color comic starring the Ewoks.

 

It’s a really fun read. The Ewoks stories are more childish (ages 5-8) and Droids is a for a little more older crowd (ages 9-13), but for a Star Wars junkie like myself, this is a trip down memory lane.