"Mad" Comes to Asheville, NC!

The Southeast Chapter of the National Cartoonists Society hosted three legendary creators of the classic humor magazine, Mad, on Saturday, September 26, 2009 in Asheville, North Carolina. In addition to syndicated newspaper cartoonists, Dwane Powell, Cullum Rogers, Michael Jantze and comic book artist, Andy Smith; fan favorite Mad magazine artists Jack Davis, Duck Edwing and former editor Nick Meglin were in attendance at the event which was held at the Ramada Inn on a day periodically interrupted by torrential rain.

A single day comic convention was also impacted on-site by the foul weather which resulted in fewer attendees than were hoped for, but which allowed the seventy folks who lingered for Mad's "usual gang of idiots" to be suitably charmed by the exceedingly gracious Mr. Davis, Mr. Edwing and Mr. Meglin throughout the afternoon.

I've gotta tell you how funny, warm and cool these three guys were telling wonderful stories about working with industry greats like Bill Gaines, Will Elder, John Severin, Wally Wood and Harvey Kurtzman while putting together many classic humor strips that became the very model of "antidisestablishmentarianism" for multiple generations of comic book fans.

In addition to the comic book dealers who hawked golden age to present comics, trading cards and toys, a silent auction to benefit the Mimi Paige Foundation and the Milt Gross Fund was held simultaneously to the day's programming. Items of note included original Dennis the Menace and Snuffy Smith dailies, plus a light box that had once been the property of Thomas Nast. Other comic book creators present as members of the Chapter were James Lyle, Tom Lyle and Steve Haynie, plus many other freelance illustrators.

It was an eventful day, and it's always wonderful to meet these classic artists who entertained so many of us over the years, and then also discover that they are just down to earth folks that are humble about their contributions to the medium.

Mad artist Jack Davis is pictured in the photo [above;right] alongside my brother David, who had his original Davis page from EC Comics 1950's-era series, Incredible Science Fiction, autographed. David also had a nice stack of hardback EC archives and/or Mad compendiums signed by both Mr. Davis (84 years old and still knocking artwork out of the park) and Mr. Meglin. [Sorry for the smaller size, but I had inadvertently reset the resolution and screwed the thing up.]

"Gal" Friday! Julie Benz

As Rita Bennett on Dexter, Julie Benz won the 2006 Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television. She is also well known for her role of Darla on Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Her other genre credits include Supernatural, Saw V, Punisher: War Zone and Rambo.

If you haven't seen her or met her in person, what you won't know is that she is an absolute living doll (and I mean that in the best possible way). Julie was one of the celebrity guests at this year's Dragoncon in Atlanta, GA, and I can only say that she knocked me out. She is easygoing and fun to talk to and the fans who also wisely took the time to have their photograph taken with her really lucked out.

I don't really follow the Dexter series, but she was lots of awesome, wicked fun as the tormented vampire, Darla in Joss Whedon's Buffy/Angel-verse and now, she scores a spot as this week's "Gal" Friday.

Yummy!

DVD Quest: Spectre / The Questor Tapes

Well, since I've already been offered a line on my first request, let's give this another go. Two other Roddenberry-related 1970's-era efforts are also on my want list. I think I may have found a source for the first, but here is the info anyhow:

Spectre was a 1977 telefilm produced and co-written by Gene Roddenberry as the pilot for a proposed weekly television series, but it was rejected.

William Sebastian (played by Robert Culp) was a criminologist who had taken to studying the occult to explain the problem of human evil. He had apparently been cursed on one of his adventures, leaving him in constant need of medical attention. Sebastian's colleague, Dr. Hamilton (played by Gig Young; who sadly committed suicide shortly after filming ended) was called to his home to help him and the two were soon summoned to England to investigate strange happenings involving a mysterious Satanic cult and the demon Asmodeus.

The relationship between Sebastian and "Ham" was deliberately reminiscent of that of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, although there are also aspects that recall the relationship between Roddenberry's earlier Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy (Roddenberry previously revisited this relationship in another failed pilot, The Questor Tapes). The movie also featured Roddenberry's wife Majel Barrett in a supporting role as Sebastian's housekeeper Lilith, a practicing witch (she brewed a remedy that "cured" Ham's alcoholism through aversion therapy).

Spectre was one of many unsuccessful television pilots during the 1970s that were set within the occult detective sub-genre. An extended version of Spectre was released in the United Kingdom as a theatrical film with additional footage that included explicit nudity in the black mass finale.

The Questor Tapes was a 1974 TV movie about an android (portrayed by Robert Foxworth) with incomplete memory tapes who was searching for his creator and his purpose. It is believed that this project inspired the character, Data in Star Trek: The Next Generation and from all indications it is not currently available in any format.

Any help in locating "watchable" versions of these forgotten movies would be much appreciated.

DVD Quest: Genesis II / Planet Earth / Strange New World

During the 1970's, Gene Roddenberry made three separate attempts to launch a sci-fi television series around a concept set in a post-apocalyptic world. Planet Earth was the second effort, following a previous failed pilot, Genesis II (made in 1973 and starring Alex Cord). This one aired on the ABC Network on April 23, 1974. Planet Earth starred John Saxon as Dylan Hunt, a 20th century man revived from suspended animation by an organization called PAX. It was intended as another pilot for a proposed weekly television series and it featured many of the concepts, characters, sets and props from Genesis II.

A third and final movie, Strange New World, aired in 1975; also starring John Saxon (but in a new role, as Captain Anthony Vico). In this version, a trio of astronauts returns to Earth after 180 years in suspended animation to locate the underground headquarters of PAX and free the people placed there in suspended animation.

None of these three pilots was developed into an ongoing series; however, some of the characters served as prototypes for the later syndicated TV series, Andromeda (based on Roddenberry's original ideas).

I've seen all of these films, and they are occasionally aired on TV, but I wouldn't mind picking them up on DVD. Does anyone have information on whether these telefilms are available? Even bootlegged copies would be appreciated.

The Skin-Eaters (Web of Horror #1; Dec. 1969)

Web of Horror #1 was published by Major Publications in December 1969. They also published the humor series, Cracked and a host of men's adventure magazines. Web of Horror attempted to compete with the Warren line of black & white magazines, Creepy, Eerie and Vampirella, with limited success.

This tale of 'The Skin Eaters' is written by editor Terry Bisson and illustrated by Ralph Reese. The Catacombs is very grateful to Don "Zu-Gogo" Falkos for providing the scans for this story (and many, many more that will be coming your way in the months ahead). Yippee! Note: The copyright for this issue, its contents and artwork belong to the original publisher and/or the creators and is reproduced here solely for entertainment purposes.

Enjoy!

The Wisdom of Alan Moore [Updated 9/24/2009]

Trolling around the net for some interesting quotes today, I came across this one by Alan Moore, author of acclaimed comic books such as Swamp Thing, V For Vendetta, From Hell, Watchmen, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and the entire ABC imprint from Wildstorm.

This comment was made by Mr. Moore when comparing big budget films to comics, “If I write a crappy comic book, it doesn't cost the budget of an emergent Third World nation. When you've got these kinds of sums involved in creating another two hours of entertainment for Western teenagers, I feel it crosses the line from being merely distasteful to being wrong.”

Now that makes sense considering his well known stance on accepting royalties from works of his that are often adapted into motion pictures.

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I just read a fascinating interview with Moore that I believe that other comic book fans should read. It is both insightful and surprisingly wistful in tone, considering the types of things that Mr. Moore is credited with within the industry. Click [here] and don't forget to read the comments this discussion has started earning.

That stuff is revelatory as well!

Shuffling the Superheroes

You can't convince me that the big two publishers haven't lost their way .... yet again. With the recent media brouhaha over corporate realignments at DC Comics and Disney's purchase of Marvel Comics, its easy to miss the goings on in the four-color world.

The November solicitations revealed the upcoming lineup of James Robinson's and Mark Bagley's Justice League of America to be comprised of CONGORILLA, DONNA TROY, MON-EL, BATMAN (Dick Grayson), DR. LIGHT, GREEN ARROW (Oliver Queen), GREEN LANTERN (Hal Jordan), THE ATOM (Ray Palmer), CYBORG, STARFIRE and THE GUARDIAN. The fact that an attribution has to be made in order to identify a third of the incoming team members actually nicely demonstrates part of the problem. There are just too many versions of some of these characters running around the DCU to start with. It also doesn't bode well to see another portion comprised of former New Teen Titans members, however several were present in the Justice League: Cry for Justice mini-series that was written by Robinson, but that seems to be somewhat beside the point here.

It's almost like the writer, editor and whom-the-hell-ever-else at DC sat around one boring day and said, "Let's just see what we can toss in here for shits and giggles".

Take another look above at that Ed Benes image from the first issue of this volume of JLA. A few of these characters were present in that large assemblage of potential league members, but I doubt that too many of the readers thought that all of them were actually viable candidates for a roster that should be composed of "The Worlds Greatest Super Heroes".

Given that the Justice Society of America, which has remained a popular fan favorite for quite some time now in its own title (and which has already included a relaunched volume or two), gets split into twin titles soon; one has to admit that the era of change for changes sake is comfortably steamrolling along.

Superman gets banished from his family titles for a year, while second and third stringers take over the spotlight in those books, Batman is dead [nudge-nudge, wink-wink] and so his rampantly growing "family" of peers takes over the Gotham beat in an equally ludicrous move and apparently Wonder Woman receives new powers in her title, and well; you get the picture. Distinguished Competition = Dwindling readership, dwindling expectations, and ring around the rosy.

Marvel is no better. Pick any of the crossovers from the last few years and in all likelihood there remains a tie-in series, one-shot or special that has either just been released or is due in. What the?

Then there is the whole "Dark" thing that has gripped the MU, on that one I'm a bit vague, or gloomy and I can't really see through the murk. I do know that things are a bit shady over at the former House of Ideas.

At least Captain America is back, rather the "real" Cap (Steve Rogers). Whether he or Bucky Barnes gets to keep the name will still have to be decided, but fortunately these guys won't have to get disrespected as badly as poor Donna Troy. After three attempts to give her another code name, and after losing her own to a trendier version, she just has to make do with her no longer secret identity.

If we are all mostly aging fan boys, who among you has the mental energy to even try to keep this stuff straight enough to enjoy it?

"Gal" Friday! Tracy Scoggins

A luscious, and talented babe that I was fortunate to meet at this years Dragoncon earns a spot in the Catacombs as this weeks "Gal" Friday.

Tracy Scoggins began her acting career with guest roles on TV shows like The Dukes of Hazzard, T.J. Hooker, Remington Steele and The A-Team, before securing more stable work on 1980's prime time soaps, The Colby's and Dynasty.

The tall, sexy Texan (who almost qualified for the 1980 Olympic Diving team) went on to make memorable appearances on genre shows like Highlander: The Series, The Adventures of Jules Verne, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Dante's Cove and what has become her signature role, Captain Elizabeth Lochley on Babylon 5 (and two B5 spin-off projects, Crusade and Babylon 5: The Lost Tales).

I've got to tell you that Ms. Scoggins is extremely vivacious in person and she also has a great sense of humor. Add in her stunning figure and, well, she just has all of the "requirements."

Believe me!

Fringe (2nd season opener)

J.J. Abrams, Akiva Goldsman & Roberto Orci sort of yanked their audiences chain last night on an admittedly good second season opener of Fringe, that was nevertheless a screw job.

When we last left Fringe, Olivia Dunham was transported into an alternate universe where, in the season finale’s most striking image, the Twin Towers were still standing. In last night’s second-season premiere, Olivia came hurtling back into our universe with only vague memories and a feeling of urgency from her missing interaction with William Bell (Leonard Nimoy). Now folks, the Fringe creative team spent half of last season building the fans up to that pivotal moment, only to start off the new year by playing around with our expectations of seeing their interaction and deleting it. I for one don't appreciate it.

I was slow to warm to Fringe, initially writing it off as just another X-Files retread. After I gave it another chance later in the first season, I was quite taken by the chemistry between the leads, particularly Joshua Jackson and John Noble as Peter & Walter Bishop. Don't get me wrong, Anna Torv is fine as Olivia Dunham, but Abrams and company missed a great chance to break from current genre stereotypes; by casting Dunham as an employee of series macguffin Massive Dynamic, and instead wrote her role as just another gun-toting chick-in-a-suit. Given what was established in the first season, Torv could have been of better - far more effective use - in a different capacity within the shows mythological paradigm; but what the hell do I know?

Last night, we were also introduced to another gun-toting chick-in-a-suit with Agent Jessup, and if this characters sudden appearance didn't leave fans wondering what was up, then you really shouldn't be watching this type of series. Needless to say by episodes end, Kirk Acevedo's Charlie pretty much joined former castmate Mark Valley's Agent Scott, in the almost-but-not-quite-gone department; therefore setting up a convenient space for the Jessup character to occupy.

However, that begs the question: What about Astrid?

Jasika Nicole has been a compatriot character of Walter Bishop and friends from the start and she is an FBI agent as well. Why not upgrade her to this status, but again, what the hell do I know?

At least we were always somewhat in the loop about a prior history between Lance Reddick's Agent Broyles character and Blair Brown's Nina Sharp, but last nights brief kiss suggested that this may have also included a romantic connection [yawn], but why Abrams and company arbitrarily tossed in the all-too tired genre cliche of "they're shutting down the division" at this point is beyond me.

J.J. Abrams other network genre series, Lost (sadly, soon to begin it's final season) took a tumble in its second season, by focusing on "The Others" at the expense of the characters audiences had bonded with in its freshman season. I think it highly likely that Fringe may have found a way to shoot itself in the foot in its new season, in a similar manner, but at least this time around I will only allow them so much leash.

I will keep my fingers crossed, but this kind of thing gets old, even when its perpetrated in such grand fashion by creators who should know better.

How NOT to do a Superhero Movie: The Punisher (x 3)

I could really milk this character for three separate movie posts, but why bother when each film falls a bit too flat to outright enjoy.

The Punisher originally made his comic book debut in Marvel Comics, The Amazing Spider-Man #129 (Feb. 1974), which introduced Frank Castle, a Marine veteran of Vietnam, whose wife and children were murdered by the Mafia after witnessing a gangland execution. Vowing war on the mob, Castle names himself The Punisher and embarks on his new mission.

Now obviously, the motion picture industry would eventually get around to adapting such an action-oriented tale to film, but after three tries - with decidedly mixed results - it seems that the guy just can't catch an audiences attention.

1989's The Punisher starred Dolph Lundgren as Frank Castle. This version changed many details of the characters origin and the Punisher does not wear his trademark "skull" emblem. Instead of wife Maria, son Frank Junior and daughter Lisa; this film called Frank's wife Julie, and the '89 celluloid couple had two daughters, Annie and Felice. In the comic book, Frank Castle was a former U.S. Marine; in this crappy movie, he was changed to a police detective. [Now that's some inspired screenwriting!]

Marvel Studios eventually rebooted the film series with 2004's The Punisher starring Thomas Jane as Frank Castle / The Punisher and John Travolta as Howard Saint, a money launderer who ordered the death of Castle's entire family. The film is NOT a sequel to the 1989 version. This time the story was based on two published comics stories; The Punisher: Year One and Welcome Back, Frank; along with scenes from other stories such as Marvel Preview: Featuring The Punisher #2, The Punisher War Zone and The Punisher War Journal. The 2004 Punisher was rated R for pervasive brutal violence, language and brief nudity, making it one of the few Marvel films to receive an "R" rating, however the success of its DVD sales prompted Marvel Comics and Lionsgate to start development on a sequel titled The Punisher 2, which fell apart after Thomas Jane and the director left the project due to creative differences over how it was being handled.

After a gap of only four years, The Punisher: War Zone was released in 2008 starring Ray Stevenson as Frank Castle. This film is yet another reboot which follows the origin of Frank Castle's war on crime and corruption rather than a sequel to the 2004 version. It is the first film to be produced under the Marvel Studios and Marvel Knights production banner, which will focus on films for mature audiences. In the film, Castle wages a one-man war against a horribly disfigured mob boss known as Jigsaw, played by Dominic West. Punisher: War Zone was paid the rare complement of being the best made crummy film of all time, by a number of critics. It was also the lowest grossing box office film featuring any Marvel Comics character.

Who knows where the guy will appear onscreen next? At least the Punisher can't help but do better than these also-ran efforts.

Defunct Comic Book Publishers: Harvey Comics

Harvey Comics was founded by Alfred Harvey in 1941, after buying out a smaller publisher. Brothers Robert Harvey and Leon Harvey joined soon after and the company quickly got into licensed characters, which by the 1950s became the bulk of their output. Their most prolific artist was Warren Kremer.

Among Harvey’s best-known characters are Casper the Friendly Ghost, Baby Huey, Herman and Katnip, Little Audrey, and related characters such as Spooky the Tuff Little Ghost, The Ghostly Trio, Casper's horse Nightmare, Hot Stuff the Little Devil, and Wendy the Good Little Witch. These characters originated as licensed properties, having been created by Paramount Pictures' animated division, Famous Studios, in the late-1940s. Harvey published many successful comic books based upon the original Famous characters, and they also developed original characters such as Richie Rich, Little Dot, Little Audrey, Little Lotta, Jackie Jokers and Stumbo the Giant.

Harvey also adapted popular characters from newspaper comic strips, such as Mutt and Jeff and Sad Sack. Although the company tried to diversify its publications with brief forays into superhero, suspense, horror, and westerns; kiddie comics were the bulk of their output.

Due to a slump in the comic book industry, Harvey limited its output and then finally stopped publishing between 1982-86. The original company was sold in 1990, and became Harvey Entertainment. They initially published comics in the early-1990s as Harvey Classics. In 2001, Harvey Entertainment sold its properties and rights to the Harvey name to Classic Media, which licenses characters from the Harvey library and then changed the company name to Sunland Entertainment. Sad Sack is still owned by the successors of the Harvey family, as is the golden age heroine, The Black Cat.

1980's Flashback: Arak, Son of Thunder

Although Arak, Son of Thunder ran for fifty issues in its own title, the character originally appeared in a preview inserted into Warlord #48 (August 1981), the sword & sorcery series was created by Roy Thomas and Ernie Colon. Art [above;top] is by Tony DeZuniga, who had a long run on the series as penciller or inker (from Michael Rankins, Comic Art Fans Gallery).

Bright-Sky-After-Storm was very much portrayed like a Native American Conan in the early issues of the book. Later, after encountering the Moirae who explain his destiny to him he takes on a more traditional Native American appearance, including fringed leather pants and a Mohawk hairstyle. Arak typically encountered beings and creatures from real-world mythology and legends of Greek, Norse, Judeo-Christian, Muslim and Oriental lore. Arak was refreshing in how culturally sensitive it was for the times when it debuted. Unlike earlier Native American heroes, like Apache Chief, who took a cartoonish view of Native Americans similar to the old western movie Indians; Arak did not feature broken speech patterns or other stereotypical "Indian" traits.

Arak's mother, Star-of-Dawn (of the Quontauka Indian tribe) was seduced by an evil serpent god while wandering alone. She realized at the last moment what was happening, and tried to escape before their coupling could be completed. He-No, the Thunder God responded to her desperate prayers, and rescued her by taking her into his realm. Under his care she recovered from the serpent god's poisonous bite, and she willingly gave herself to him in gratitude. Although she enjoyed her time with him, she did not really love him and missed her people; so He-No returned her to her tribe. Her grandfather, the tribal shaman, recognized the touch of both deities upon her, and determined that she bore He-No's child. Star-of-Dawn named him Bright-Sky-After-Storm, for 'he will follow in his father's footsteps, who is the thunder'. Years later, a tribe that worshiped the serpent deity attacked the Quontauka tribe, even as the serpent deity itself attacked He-No; the Thunder God was winning his battle, but saw that his son about to die. He-No struck down Bright-Sky-After-Storm’s attacker, but He-No suffered severe wounds in the process. While most of his tribesmen were slaughtered, his father arranged for Bright-Sky-After-Storm to escape beyond his enemies' reach in a canoe and float out to sea.

Bright-Sky-After-Storm was discovered at sea by Vikings just before the canoe sank. He was unconscious, but awakened long enough to utter the phrase He-No (a reference to his Native American father) and swing a knife at the Viking leader. Bright-Sky-After-Storm cut off the Viking leaders necklace which had a symbol called a hammer of thunder (related to the god Thor from Norse mythology). The leader wanted to kill the boy, but another Viking stopped him and adopted the boy, renaming him Arak and raised Bright-Sky-After-Storm as a Viking, trained in warfare. Arak was particularly effective with a small axe, similar in proportion to the native American club that he was found with, but he also used a sword, shield, and bow. Arak, Son of Thunder was unusual in that its Vikings were depicted more like real Vikings and were not illustrated wearing stereotypical horned helmets and fur clothing.

Arak joined the Vikings on their raid of a monastery for treasure, including a huge gold bejeweled cross which the captain hung upside down on their mast as a good luck hammer of thunder. At the conclusion of the first issue, a sea serpent sent by the sorceress Angelica attacked both the Vikings and some of the monks. All of the Vikings, including Arak's adoptive father, were killed. Arak then seized the golden cross and threw it at the serpent. Having a sharply-pointed bottom, the cross pierced the roof of its mouth and entered its brain, killing it.