Friday, September 30, 2011

"Gal" Friday! Jenny Poussin

I'm having one of those days where a headache has been my constant companion from the moment when my eyes first opened this morning. No amount of coffee, Advil or prayer has alleviated the throbbing ache, so this weeks "gal" Friday selection is being culled from my floating pool of backlogged beauties. Gotta love those save files.
Somebody over in my links section, probably Joe Bloke's Grantbridge Street, featured this chick a while back too, and I've been meaning to do the same. So, here she be!

Jenny Poussin is a Canadian fitness, bikini and glamor model whose work in lingerie and exotic wear catalogs eventually led to her regularly doing even more revealing & hardcore work. She is quite nice to look at, but I would really liked to have seen this young lady's figure before she added the fake boobs. I'll just have to imagine how nice her fabulously fit frame would have been with the natural stuff that she started out with. Sigh!

Still, she's certainly welcome here in the Catacombs, and really; why quibble?

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Wambi, The Jungle Boy in "Strange Guardians" (Fiction House;1942)

Wambi the Jungle Boy stars in an untitled story from Jungle Comics #25 (Jan.1942); originally published by Fiction House and with artwork by Henry Kiefer. Wambi and his jungle pals, Ogg the ape and Tawn the elephant team up to defend a lost fortress in a tale I'm calling "Strange Guardians". The Catacombs is grateful to Don "Zu-Gogo" Falkos for providing the scans for this story. 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!

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

DC Comics #1's [9/28/2011]

As a reminder for the mythical "new" readers out there who might have been sampling funny books for the first time, my weekly breakdown of how I personally viewed these "nu" 52 books as a longtime reader, consisted of me assorting new arrivals three ways (based solely on how I viewed them as I window shopped in the store). Stuff that I liked was categorized as BEST OF THE BATCH (with a single favorite choice highlighted in *bold each week). Titles worthy of trying out, but that didn't prompt me to purchase, were categorized as "EASTER EGGS", and relaunched books that weren't worth the money, were poorly thought out to begin with, or that sucked out loud, well, these were considered "GOOSE EGGS". Honestly, this was the week that I dreaded the most, since most of the last grouping of titles, characters or creators had zero appeal to me before they even arrived.


Crow all you want about your short-term sales success, DC, but please see me in a year (or six months) and tell me how you feel about it then. The "Nu-DCU' thankfully peters out this week with the last of the reboots as follows: 

BEST OF THE BATCH
Aquaman #1 (barely ...)

EASTER EGGS
All-Star Western #1 (as a curiosity only)
Fury of Firestorm, The Nuclear Men #1 (barely ...)
Justice League Dark #1 (feeling generous here)

GOOSE EGGS
Batman: The Dark Knight #1
Blackhawks #1
Flash #1
Green Lantern: New Guardians #1
I, Vampire #1
Savage Hawkman #1
Superman #1
Teen Titans #1
Voodoo #1

Alas, George Perez work was ruined by his co-artist on Superman; I love the classic Blackhawks, but this was THE shittiest version I've ever seen (made their late 1960's goofy superhero period look inspired by comparison); 99% of the rest of this stuff was artsy-fartsy bullshit. ROFLMAO!

Some destinies are chosen!!

X-Men: Destiny is a video game that was developed by Silicon Knights and released by Activision in North America on September 27, 2011 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and Nintendo DS consoles. Mike Carey, the writer of the X-Men: Legacy comic book series, also wrote the storyline for this game.

Players select one of three new mutants who will ultimately join either Cyclops and the X-Men or Magneto and the Brotherhood of Mutants; through choices made by their character. X-Men: Destiny places an emphasis on "choice", as opposed to a more traditional linear type of gameplay. Throughout the game, players collect power enhancements called "X-Genes." Every X-Gene can unlock three types of abilities: offensive, defensive, and utility. X-Genes can be mixed and matched as the player sees fit for a unique experience. Some retailers packaged the game with exclusive pre-order bonuses. I pre-purchased mine through Game Stop and received Havok's suit and X-Genes.

Many established characters from the X-Men universe such as Caliban, Colossus, Cyclops, Emma Frost, Forge, Gambit, Iceman, Juggernaut, Magneto, Mystique, Nightcrawler, Northstar, Pixie, Pyro, Quicksilver, Surge, Toad and Wolverine make an appearance in the game. At the beginning of the game, players are prompted to choose one of the following core powers for their new mutant character: Density Control: Manipulates a mutant’s body mass, often manifesting as a rocky outer coating. It can be focused on a fist for a devastating punch, or evenly distributed to render the mutant indestructible. The super human durability granted by Density Control is perfect for enduring attacks from large groups of enemies at once. Energy Projection: This mutation allows a variety of energy-based attacks. Rapid-fire bursts take out crowds of weak opponents, while focused beams cut through the toughest armored foes. Energy can be contained and detonated far from the body, enemies can be stunned with disabling blasts to the nervous system, and the wielder can protect themselves with an envelope of raw, crackling power. Shadow Matter: Masters of Shadow Matter can craft indestructible blades out of thin air or use matter displacement to move faster than the eye can see. The Shadow Matter mutation also heightens one’s reflexes, making it easy to take on multiple opponents or deal severe damage to a single target.
This "boss" villain actually gets a hell of alot bigger!
The basic gameplay seems fairly straight forward, and as a huge fan of better games like the Mass Effect and Dragon Age series, thus far the simpler look and feel in X-Men: Destiny is okay with me. I'm not looking for anything complicated or revolutionary, and based on the reviews that I've read, this is generally how the game is being received. Hard corps gamers seem to be passing on this one, while diehard X-Men fans may be much more receptive to what this game has to offer. Just like the games morality engine, flip a quarter and make your call!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Dorothy Lamour in "The Realm of the Pharaoh's Daughter" (Fox;1950)







Actress Dorothy Lamour is best remembered for appearing in the Road to... movies, a series of successful comedies starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope that were enormously popular during the 1940s, regularly placing among the top moneymaking films each year. They included Road to Singapore (1940), Road to Zanzibar (1941), Road to Morocco (1942), Road to Utopia (1946), Road to Rio (1947), Road to Bali (1952) and The Road to Hong Kong (1962; cameo only).

The role that originally made her a star was “Ulah” (a sort of female Tarzan) in The Jungle Princess (1936), where she first wore the sarong which would become so associated with her. While she achieved major stardom as a sex symbol, Lamour also showed talent as both a comic and dramatic actress. She was among the most popular actresses in motion pictures from 1936 to 1952. During World War II, Lamour was also a popular pinup girl among American servicemen, and she was largely responsible for starting up the war bond tours in which movie stars would travel across the country selling U.S. government bonds to the public. Lamour alone promoted the sale of over $21 million dollars worth of war bonds. She also had a brief print run of 2-3 issues during the 1950s in "Dorothy Lamour, Jungle Princess Comics" dedicated to her movie Jungle Princess persona (featuring screen shots from past movies for the covers). Today’s story “The Realm of the Pharaoh’s Daughter” is her very last comic book appearance from Dorothy Lamour, Jungle Princess #3 (Aug.1950); originally published by Fox and with artwork credited to Wally Wood. Wood appears to have hidden his initials in some inscriptions in the first panel on the last page of the story. It reads "WAWTTSMEP" and the "W"s are very much like his later signature. It is possible that the inker's signature is hidden within the rest of the letters. The Catacombs is grateful to Don "Zu-Gogo" Falkos for providing the scans for this story. 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!

Monday, September 26, 2011

Tony Trent in "Footsteps of the Hunted" (Columbia;​1949)

In the days following the closing of World War II and the onset of the Cold War, Tony Trent gave up his long-running masked role as "The Face" and returned to his duties as a foreign correspondent. This untitled story from Big Shot #97 (Mar.1949); originally published by Columbia, is illustrated by Mart Bailey. I'm christening this well drawn tale "Footsteps of the Hunted", in which Tony must aid General Zayushin, who's in a real fix.





You guys deserved a bonus today and I've had this story floating around for too long, so hope you like it. Enjoy!

Saturday, September 24, 2011

The Art of Reading: "Judy and the Leopard Men" (Standard; 1949)

The Art of Reading: Golden age comics typically included short text stories, usually accompanied by a panel or two of artwork in order to qualify for magazine mailing rates. These 2-3 page filler tales served their purpose well enough, but in the absence of any eye-appealing art (as was often the case), I doubt that many kids gave them the time of day. Today’s entry starring Judy of the Jungle is from Exciting Comics #67 (May 1949); originally published by the house of many names: Better/Standard/Nedor/Pines. The script for “Judy and the Leopard Men” is credited to "Charles S. Strong" and there are three wonderful art panels to ogle by Art Saaf. The Catacombs is grateful to Don "Zu-Gogo" Falkos for providing the scans for this story. 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!

Friday, September 23, 2011

"Gal(s)" Friday! Jamie Edmondson & Lauren Anderson

I usually scan the news each morning online, the only time of the day that I actually make an effort to see what's going on in the world. Sometimes that habit pays real dividends!
WGN Weatherman Jim Ramsey picked a great day to fill-in on Chicago's WGN Morning News....thanks to two Playboy Bunnies who showed up on air to surprise him. Miss January 2010 Jamie Edmondson (above; left) and Miss July 2002 Lauren Anderson (above; right) brightened everyone’s day at the WGN Studios, and since they also brought a smile to my face, I bumped my planned selection for today and am awarding these luscious ladies "joint" status as this weeks official “Gal(s)” Friday twosome. Together, they were the best breakfast buffet that I've seen lately. Didn't trust myself to post additional photos of them, but go surf the web and enjoy.

I'm feeling slightly uplifted, how about you?

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Ka'a'nga in "The He-Lion's Lair" (Fiction House; 1954)

According to the Grand Comics Database, this tale starring Ka'a'nga re-uses pages 3-14 of an original story from Jungle Comics #125 (May 1950), with completely re-written text and dialogue. This story is taken from the last issue of Ka'a'nga Comics #20 (Summer 1954), which was also published by Fiction House. "The He-Lion's Lair" illustrated by Maurice Whitman, was later reprinted by Blackthorne Publishing in 1988. The Catacombs is grateful to Don "Zu-Gogo" Falkos for providing the scans for this story. Note: The copyright for this issue, its contents and artwork belong to the original publisher and/or creators and is reproduced here solely for entertainment purposes.













Enjoy!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

DC Comics #1's [9/21/2011]

As a reminder for the mythical "new" readers out there who might be sampling funny books for the first time, my weekly breakdown of how I personally view these "nu" 52 books as a longtime reader, consists of me assorting the new arrivals three ways (based solely on how I viewed them as I window shopped in the store). Stuff that I liked is categorized as BEST OF THE BATCH (with a single favorite choice highlighted in *bold each week). Titles worthy of trying out, but that didn't prompt me to purchase, are categorized as "EASTER EGGS", and relaunched books that aren't worth the money, were poorly thought out to begin with, or that sucked out loud, well, these are unfortunately considered "GOOSE EGGS". This week I'm continuing to add a fourth categorization, since another title was lost in the shuffle and I missed seeing a copy on the shelves; with a hundred other titles jockeying for space this can be common; so I have no opinion to offer on stuff that I'm labeling "M.I.A." (missing in action; nuff said).

The "Nu-DCU' roll out continued this week with the following relaunched titles making the scene.

BEST OF THE BATCH
* Green Lantern Corps #1 (Awesome work by Peter Tomasi, Fernando Pasarin and Scott Hanna)Nightwing #1

EASTER EGGS
Captain Atom #1
Catwoman #1
DC Universe Presents #1
Supergirl #1
Wonder Woman #1

GOOSE EGGS
Batman #1
Birds of Prey #1
Legion of Super Heroes #1
Red Hood and The Outlaws #1

M.I.A.
Blue Beetle #1

Plus one ultra-groovy, super-cool, bonafide three decades in the making surprise that has blown me away. This legendary unfinished project was originally intended for publication in 1986, but creative burnout tail-gunned "Games" after artist Perez had completed approximately 60 pages of an expected 120 page standalone graphic novel starring the then hugely popular New Teen Titans. Whatever cosmic convergence prompted all parties to settle down and complete this long-gestating book that Titans enthusiasts have been clamoring for for almost thirty years, it is more than welcome. In an odd way this phenomenal book casts a massive damning spotlight on some of the premiere material that the relaunched DCU has cast aside in deference to latter day creators and publishing mindsets, but BUY this book and you'll see why the 1980's New Teen Titans was all the rage and scratch your head over why this lineup of heroes no longer exists. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

New Teen Titans: Games (Wolfman & Perez reunited)!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Jo-Jo, Congo King in "Mistress of the Apes" (Fox Feature Syndicate; 1948)








Here is a quick golden age history lesson: Fox Feature Syndicate's "Jo-Jo" first got his name from the original title of the comic series in which he starred, Jo-Jo Comics. The publishers decided to change the format of the title, but kept the name for their new adventure hero. Even Jo-Jo's love interest was called Gwenna in her first appearance, and that name was soon replaced with "Tanee" (Gwenna was never mentioned again). The last issue of Jo-Jo, Congo King was #29 (July 1949) and the title was then changed to "My Desire" (a romance comic). Jo-Jo reappeared in 1950, but he was renamed Jungle Jo. That version ran for four issues. Fox Feature Syndicate also declared bankruptcy in 1950, selling off many of its creative assets. Versions of Jo-Jo appeared in comics produced by various publishers. Star Comics reprinted several Jo-Jo stories under the name "Bombo", and Ajax Comics reprinted a single story in 1954 with the character renamed "Kaza." Today's classic tale from Jo-Jo, Congo King #12 (July 1948), is titled "Mistress of the Apes". Ignore the credit for "Stan Ford" (that's a company pseudonym). The artwork is by the great Jack Kamen. The Catacombs is grateful to Don "Zu-Gogo" Falkos for providing the scans for this story. Note: The copyright for this issue, its contents and artwork belong to the original publishers and/or the creators and is reproduced here solely for entertainment purposes. Enjoy!