Black and White Wednesday: A Sampling of Eerie Fanfare

Dig it, Groove-ophiles! From 1968-1973, Warren's Eerie magazine ran a cool feature called Eerie Fanfare. In it, as you might guess, the mags fans could get stories and art published (and Warren could hype a few things a la Marvel's Bullpen Bulletins, as well). Just a random run from Eerie issues 31-34 gives us fan work by future professional-folks like Pat Broderick, Steve Leialoha, Rick Bryant, and the team of Greg Theakston and Arvell Jones. We also get a bio of then-newcomer Dave Cockrum and a rare art sample from Jeff Jones. Plus some cool stories by fans who don't ring a bell to Ol' Groove but might to some of you out there? Check 'em out!

Black and White Wednesday: Sensational Savage Sword of Conan Frontispieces

Dig it, Groove-ophiles! Today we're gonna plant our peepers on far-out frontispieces from Savage Sword of Conan! Today Ol' Groove's chosen to showcase comicbook artists we don't normally associate with Robert E. Howard's sword-slingin' Cimmerian, but oh, if only they'd had the chance to pencil a few Conan adventures for SSoC...

Mike Zeck

Ron Wilson and Joe Rubinstein

Carl Potts and Neal Adams

Keith Pollard

Don Newton

Pat Broderick

Kerry Gammill

Marvel-ous Mondays: "Carnival of Souls!" by Grant, Broderick, and Patterson

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Ah, summertime! Amusement parks! Cotton candy! Roller coasters, baby! Who'da thunk all those things plus Spider-Man and the Ghost Rider would come together for an ish of Marvel Team-Up (#91, December 1979, to be exact)? Well, Steven Grant, Pat Broderick, and Bruce Patterson did! Toss in a baddie who sounds way cooler than what he is (Moondark!), pack it full of cool character bits, funny dialogue (from Spidey, natch), and tons of action (lookit all those panels Broderick got on some'a those pages!), wrap it up under an exciting Rich Buckler/Al Milgrom cover, and you definitely got your forty cents-worth, baby!

Making a Splash: Iron Fist Before He Was Byrne-d

HiiiiiiiiYA, Groove-ophiles! Ol' Groove has Iron Fist on his mind today. Well, I've had Danny Rand and company on my mind for a while now 'cause I've been reading the totally far out Iron Fist Epic Collection recently (and looking forward to the Power Man/IF EC* in time for m'birthday next week--woot!). As I read the stories, I was reminded of how much I dig IF. The mystical, kung-fu origin (inspired by Bill Everett's Golden Age Amazing Man**). The Ninja. Colleen Wing and her dad. Misty Knight and the revelation of her bionic arm. The reveal of who The August Personage In Jade truly was. I could go on and on, but you get the idea. Yeah, it was one of those strips that had a virtual merry-go-round of creators (five writers, four pencilers, five inkers, two editors and a K'un-Lun partridge in a pear tree), but it all hangs together, almost like there was a master plan was in place to keep things moving forward until the ultimate IF team of Chris Claremont and John Byrne took over. Rand transformed from a vengeance-seeking near-madman to a mis-understood victim to a super-hero over the course of these issues. Kudos to writers Roy Thomas, Len Wein, Doug Moench, Tony Isabella, and Claremont for keeping things moving so steadily for our hero! The other heroes, co-creator (with Thomas) Gil Kane, Larry Hama, Arvell Jones, and Pat Broderick (usually inked by Dick Giordano or Vinnie Colletta) get to strut their stuff right now with the mind-bending splash pages from Marvel Premiere issues 15 through 24 (February 1974-June 1975)!

(*Yeah, Ol' Groove has the original MP, IF, and PM/IF mags, but I'm splurgin' a little and these tpbs are really well made!)

(**Gallant Comics is publishing, as we speak, a fantastic new AM comic, John Aman, Amazing Man ,written by Barry Gregory with gorgeous art by Steven Butler. You can read the first four issues online so get thee to gallantcomics.com and enjoy!)

Making a Splash: Marvel Comics, 35 Years Ago This Month

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Welcome back to September 1979! Marvel Comics was under the leadership of Jim Shooter, and what a line-up of talent they had on display! John (busy-bee) Byrne, George Perez, Michael Golden, Pat Broderick, Jerry Bingham, Mike Zeck, Arvell Jones, Paul Kupperberg, Gene Day (did he ever have a busy September!), the Brothers Buscema (man, was Sal all over the place this month?), Gene Colan, Marie Severin, Jim Mooney, Herb Trimpe, Tom Sutton, Don Perlin, Frank Springer--and even Carmine Infantino and Steve Ditko! Spin that 70s spinner-rack, baby!!

Bill Mantlo: Writer/Michael Golden & Al Milgrom/Artists