Random Reads: "Invasion of the Frog Men!" by Fleisher and Kirby

Hey, hey, hey, Groove-ophiles! One of the wackiest, most far-out features of the Groovy Age was Joe Simon and Jack Kirby's Sandman. The Golden Age team-supreme did one ish and parted ways. DC revived it months later with writer Michael Fleisher and Ernie Chan. Chan did one more ish, then co-creator Jack Kirby returned to draw Fleisher's scripts. "Invasion of the Frog Men!" from Sandman #5 (July 1975) is an example of the wild wonder Fleisher and Kirby (along with inker Mike Royer) imparted on us back in the Groovy Age. Check it out!

Groove's Faves: "Panic in the Dream Stream" by Fleisher and Kirby

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Man, they don't make comics like this anymore--but I wish they would! Silly, fun, outrageous, imaginative, whimsical, original, and not one iota of self-consciousness or pretentiousness.  Writer Michael Fleisher (notice the misspelling on page one? Sheesh!) set out to make Sandman the polar opposite of his better known assignments, the moody and violent Spectre and the anti-social Jonah Hex. In fact, in the letters page of this particular ish, Fleisher describes Sandman as showing is "friendly, loving side" and calls the characters "zany" and "loveable". That attitude, plus the artistic return of Sandman's co-creator, Jack "King" Kirby truly makes "Panic in the Dream Stream" from Sandman #4 (May 1975) a fave!

Groove's Faves: "The Plot to Destroy Washington D.C.!" by Fleisher, Kirby, and Wood

Hey, hey, hey, Groove-ophiles! I'm gonna give it to ya straight: I'm writing this post before the election returns start rolling in, so the fact that I'm running "The Plot to Destroy Washington D.C.!" from Sandman #6 (September 1975) ain't Ol' Groove goin' political on ya, okay? It's just a wacky-cool story by a first class team of creators, namely writer Michael Fleisher and artists Jack Kirby and Wally Wood, and I truly think yer gonna dig it! Dig?