Tuesday, March 24, 2015

TIME WARP WEEK "Return to the Stars"

Welcome to Time Warp Week...
...as we take a week-long look at DC's short-lived 1979-1980 sci-fi anthology, one issue per day.
Using both established pros and talented newcomers, this oversized anthology (68 pages for $1 when the standard comic was 36 pages for 40¢) presented all-new material, almost all of which (including this story) has never been reprinted!
While Howard Chaykin certainly is an "established pro", writer Wyatt Gwyon, who might qualify as a newcomer, is a mystery.
With less than two dozen stories to his credit, Gwyon came onto the comics scene in 1977 scripting horror and sci-fi stories for various DC anthology titles until he disappeared in 1983.
There was no sign of him in comics...or anywhere else...until he popped-up again...with a one-page Wolverine story in Marvel's What If...? #34 (1992)!
Was "Wyatt Gwyon" a pseudonym?
Wyatt Gwyon was the protagonist of William Gaddis' acclaimed novel The Recognitions.
He's a frustrated fine artist with a gift for imitating the styles of Old Masters.
Unscrupulous art dealers and critics use him to create phony "undiscovered Old Masters" they sell for huge prices!
Was Wyatt a novelist/poet/movie-TV scripter who decided to try his hand at comics?
Or was he a DC or Marvel staffer who wanted to make some extra cash?
We'll probably never know...
...or will we?
According to Martin O'Hern, comics creator detective, the Who's Who created by mega-fan Jerry Bails (aka the Father of Comic Book Fandom) identifies "Gwyon" as long-time DC scripter Martin Pasko...but with a "?" by his name, probably because it's never been fully-confirmed.
Mike Kaluta, definitive artist for the comic version of The Shadow, provided pulp-style covers for the entire run.
While they had no relation to any of the stories in the book, they were spectacular!
Be here tomorrow as we sample issue #3!

Monday, March 23, 2015

TIME WARP WEEK "Man Who Could See Yesterday"

Welcome to Time Warp Week...
...as we take a week-long look at DC's short-lived 1979-1980 sci-fi anthology, one issue per day.
Using both established pros and talented newcomers, this oversized anthology (68 pages for $1 when the standard comic was 36 pages for 40¢) presented all-new material, almost all of which (including this story) has never been reprinted!
Mike Kaluta, definitive artist for the comic version of The Shadow, provided pulp-style covers for the entire run.
While they had no relation to any of the stories in the book, they were spectacular!
Be here tomorrow as we sample issue #2!

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Design of the Week: EASTER SURPRISE!

Each week, we post a limited-edition design, to be sold for exactly 7 days, then replaced with another!

Since Easter is coming, we thought we'd present an absolutely adorable piece by the legendary Walt (Pogo) Kelly featuring a kid, bunny, mouse, and chick as the Easter Egg in their basket hatches, producing yet another cutie...a baby duck!

You just don't see stuff like this anymore!
So, why not order some kidswear, or even holiday greeting cards with this one-week-only graphic?
Everyone who sees it will go "Awwww."

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Reading Room BLAST-OFF "Little Earth"

A classic example of an unheralded gem by two graphic-story masters...
...that has been reprinted only once, and in a limited-edition trade paperback, so most of you have never seen it!
Oddly, the GCD lists it as penciled by Reed Crandall and inked by Al Williamson, but Teddy I at pencilink.blogspot reverses the credits!
The writer is unknown.
According to the Kirby Museum, it was intended for the never-published Race for the Moon #5 in 1958, but remained unused until 1965, when it was published in the one-shot Blast-Off!

Friday, March 20, 2015

Reading Room DO YOU BELIEVE IN NIGHTMARES? "Man Who Crashed into Another Era"

Let's wind up the week with a rarely-seen short story...
...featuring dinosaurs, and illustrated by Steve Ditko before his stint on Gorgo!
Ok, so it was the old "It's only a dream" scenario.
You got to admit, it's well-done!
From St John's Do You Believe in Nightmares? #1 (1957), a short-lived anthology produced just before St John went out of business.