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Reviews and commentary by Tony Isabella
"America's Most Beloved Comic-Book Writer & Columnist"
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TONY'S ONLINE TIPS
for Sunday, May 15, 2005
Horror comics were selling, so, per his usual modus operandi, Marvel publisher Martin Goodman started publishing horror comics. Lots of them...which brings us to today's "Alpha/Omega" covers, the first and last issues of a long-running title.
STRANGE TALES #1 [June, 1951] was edited by Stan Lee and had a cover tentatively identified as having been drawn by Carl Burgos, the creator of the original Human Torch. I always thought STRANGE TALES was a strong name for a comics series, but, to make certain no reader missed the point, the blurb "Strange Tales of Startling Suspense" appeared above the logo.
The first issue boasted a busy cover. The main image informed prospective customers that "no living creature knew the secret of 'The Room!'" The full title of the story was "The Room That Didn't Exist" and the artist who drew it has yet to be identified, though comics detectives are doing an amazing job identifying many of the anonymous artists who filled the comics of their era.
Writers are an even bigger challenge. Stan Lee may or may not have written some of the stories in this issue, but it's also just as likely he didn't write any of them.
Not counting the text story - and who does? - there are three other tales in this issue. "The Strange Man" was pencilled by Paul Reinman and possibly inked by Don Rico. Manny Stallman pencilled and inked "The Beast" while George Tuska also did the complete art on "A Call in the Night."
STRANGE TALES was published steadily throughout its run with the longest gap between issues being four months in 1957. The book would change with the times. When the Comics Code put the brakes to horror comics, the content was toned down considerably. In the large footsteps of GODZILLA, THEM!, and other giant monsters of the movies, the title cover-featured a goodly number of creatures with names like Grottu, Gorgolla, Grogg, and, of course, the legendary Fin Fang Foom. And when the new breed of Marvel super-heroes - the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man, to name five - started scoring big sales on the newsstands, a new Human Torch, the youngest member of the FF, pushed the monsters out of STRANGE TALES to make the title his very own.
Within months, the Torch would be joined by Doctor Strange, a modern-day master of the mystic arts, co-created by Lee and artist Steve Ditko. Then, in his own strip, he would share billing with another member of the FF, the Thing. With FF co-creator Jack Kirby and others, Lee continued to come up with new ideas. An arguably illegal distribution deal limited how many comic books Marvel could publish per month, so, when Lee wanted to cash in on the success of movie/TV super-spies like James Bond and the men from U.N.C.L.E., Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D took the lead spot from the Torch and the Thing.
That was the line-up for STRANGE TALES #168 [May, 1968], the final issue of the series. Doctor Strange got the cover, drawn by Dan Adkins, who also draw the mystic master's tale inside the book. The writer was Dennis O'Neil, who would go on to become one of the most influential writers and editors in comics...at both Marvel and DC Comics. Though retired, O'Neil continues to write the odd comic book or novel and has his own World Famous Comics Community message board:
www.comicscommunity.com/boards/dennyoneil
Backing up Strange one last time was Nick Fury in "Today Earth Died!" by writer/artist Jim Steranko, as close to a "rock star" as you were likely to find in comics at the time. Steranko's stories and sense of design were bigger than life, a psychedelic mix of pop art and raw power. In a mere 11 pages, "Today Earth Died!" stands as a terrific example of the excitement Steranko brought to comics as the 1960s were drawing to a close.
STRANGE TALES was canceled because Marvel Comics had found new distribution and could publish as many comics as it liked. DOCTOR STRANGE took over the numbering of the title while Steranko's NICK FURY, AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D. got his own book.
Amazingly, this wasn't the end of STRANGE TALES.
DOCTOR STRANGE ran fifteen issues before it was canceled. He has had three other series since then.
When Marvel began expanding in the early 1970s, STRANGE TALES was brought back for another run, this time starring future punch-line Brother Voodoo. The numbering was continued from issue #168, ignoring the issues published as DOCTOR STRANGE. Even though I was working at Marvel then, I don't know why we did this.
This continuation of STRANGE TALES had more personalities than Sybil. Brother Voodoo lasted five issues. He was replaced by the Golem in three of the next four issues.
The Golem series got off to a rocky start. Editor Roy Thomas wanted a Jewish writer for the book and, at the time, Madonna was too young. Len Wein wrote the Golem story in STRANGE TALES #174, but the next issue ran a reprint of "Torr," a giant monster story drawn by Kirby and Dick Ayers. Mike Friedrich wrote the remaining two Golem stories.
The Warlock series by Jim Starlin made its debut in STRANGE TALES #178 [February, 1975] and ran four issues before graduating into its own title.
Reprints of Doctor Strange by Lee and Ditko took over the book and continued through #188, the final issue. Editing the reprints was just about *the* worst job a lowly assistant editor could have. To make the stories fit the page count, those hapless minions would have to cut a page from almost every one of them. I'd gotten stuck with the job a year or so earlier and got myself unstuck from it in a matter of months. Bad juju.
You would think Marvel was done with STRANGE TALES after that largely disastrous run, but a new STRANGE TALES #1 came out in 1987 and ran for nineteen issues. It was a double-feature book starring Doctor Strange and the team of Cloak and Dagger. Each strip came from its own recently-canceled title and then returned to their own new titles when this book got the axe. Strangely enough, Cloak and Dagger did not appear in STRANGE TALES #19. Their strip featured supporting character Mayhem battling the Thing.
Confused? You ain't seen nothing yet.
A third STRANGE TALES #1 appeared in 1994. A prestige format one-shot, it starred Doc Strange, the Human Torch, and the Thing, was written by Kurt Busiek, and fully painted by Ricardo Villagran. There was also an appearance by Nick Fury.
STRANGE TALES returned in 1998 for yet another brief run. The double-sized title ran but two issues, burning off leftover stories from the contemporaneously canceled MAN-THING and WEREWOLF BY NIGHT series. This was followed by the STRANGE TALES: DARK CORNERS one-shot featuring three stories: Cloak and Dagger, Morbius the Living Vampire, and the Gargoyle.
Amazingly, Marvel has *not* done a new STRANGE TALES series in almost seven years. Maybe I should get back to work on my revival of "It, the Living Colossus!"
One more thing. Just to blow your mind.
You're not seeing things.
Four years after the first STRANGE TALES #1, Marvel published STRANGE TALES OF THE UNUSUAL #1 [December, 1955]. It ran 11 issues and concluded its run in the summer of 1957.
There's no telling how far you can go with a good title. If Marvel does go for my "It" revival, maybe I'll hold out for JOURNEY INTO STRANGE TALES OF SUSPENSE TO ASTONISH. With a logo like that, we could save a fortune on cover art.
Thanks for spending a part of your day with me. I'll be back tomorrow with more stuff.
Tony Isabella
<< 05/14/2005 | 05/15/2005 | 05/16/2005 >>
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THE "TONY" SCALE
ZERO: Burn your money before buying any comic receiving this rating. It doesn't *necessarily* mean there's absolutely nothing of value here - though it *could* - but whatever value it might possess shrinks into insignificance before its overall awfulness.
ONE: Buy something else. Maybe I found something which wasn't completely dreadful in the item, but not enough for me to recommend it when there are better comics available. I only want what's best for you, my children.
TWO: Basic judgment call. I found some value, but not enough to recommend it. My review should give you enough info to decide if you want to take a chance on it. Are you feeling lucky today, punk? Well, are you?
THREE: This denotes something I find perfectly respectable. There are better books out there, but I wouldn't regret buying this item. Based on my review, you should be able to determine if it's of interest to you. Let the Force guide you.
FOUR: I recommend anything earning this rating. Unless you don't like the genre, subject matter, or past work of the creators, I believe you'll enjoy this item. Isn't it uncanny how I can look right into your soul that way?
FIVE: Anything getting this rating is among the best comicdom has to offer. You should buy/read this, even if the genre/subject matter doesn't appeal to you. It's for your own good. Me, I live for comics and books this good...but not in a pathetic "Comic-Book Guy" sort of way.
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