A Fistful of Toys

  

Conceived and used with the permission of Matthew Constantine and Brad Gullickson, the original dorks http://www.inthemouthofdorkness.com/ 

Everyone has a “Top 5.”  But Brad and Matt, along with fellow dorks, Darren, Lisa, and Bryan, choose to walk a different path, and amended that to “A Fistful…” with their blog and podcast, In the Mouth of Dorkness.  Topics range from “Heroic Kids” to “Spies” to “Summer Movies” to “Punches” to all things in between.  Always fun, often insightful, and something I have regularly pilfered for Warrior27.  As they say:  If you’re going to steal, steal from those you know relatively well, who will not sue you.

In the Dorks’ latest fistful they offered up their top 5 toys.  Being a film-centric podcast, the choices leaned heavily toward toys utilized in movies, though there were also toys from their childhoods interspersed among the various fistfuls.  It was, no surprise, a great episode, with all dorks on point—great choices, great one-liners, great off-color jokes that kept a smile on my face throughout the whole thing.  Check it out here:  http://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-4nggg-6791e4   

For my own fistful of toys, though, it’s all about the toys I had as a kid.  This list could easily—like so many reminiscences of my childhood—end up being filled with Star Wars toys, but that wouldn’t be all that fun (maybe I’ll save that for a later Fistful).  Variety is the spice of life (1 point for hoary cliché), and I try, if nothing else, to make these lists interesting.  But, enough preamble, let’s get to it. 

5. Matchbox cars

Matchbox cars hold a special place in my memories.  My first collection (followed by Star Wars, comic books, Tolkien books, Sandman by Gaiman, etc. etc.), it all began when Granddad would take me downtown to Newberry’s or across the river to Hyslop’s (in Canada) to buy me a Matchbox car.  The collection quickly grew, and once he passed away, I didn’t stop, amassing dozens of these little metal cars and trucks, most of which I still have today. 

One of the favorite things to do with my Matchboxes was to play smash-up derby.  My friends would come over, and each of us would choose 20 cars for our respective teams.  The point was to take one car each and, from across the room, whip them toward the center where they would hopefully smash into each other, toppling one or both—the streamlined race cars with front ends low to the ground were good for getting under the other vehicles, but some of the dump trucks were more stable, making them difficult to topple; there was a lot of strategy involved in the choosing of one’s cars.  Whichever vehicle ended up on its side or top, as long as the other car remained on its wheels, went to the other player.  Working through our teams, a winner was declared when the other person lost all their Matchbox cars.  It was a blast!

4. Wild West Fort

This thing was low-tech, and I loved it.  You had to put it all together, clipping the fence pieces in place without busting off the points where they attached, then set out the soldiers and the American Indians—some of which were bow-legged with little nubs on the insides of their ankles so they could sit atop the horses that came with it—and then… attack!  Hours of fun ensued—months’ worth of hours, and it was always magical.  Unless you had one of these (and are old enough not to have so many electronics at your disposal), you are probably looking at this picture and wondering what is wrong with me.  Ah, well, that’s your loss.  Sorry. 

3. Evel Knievel

I was born in ’72.  Evel Knievel was huge in the 70s, and early 80s, a real-life superhero who challenged death and lived to tell about it—launching his rocket cycle across the Snake River Canyon, jumping 13 buses at Wembley Stadium, going fast enough to reach escape velocity of the Earth (that last one…not real, but it was probably something that crossed children’s minds).  I expect I saw Knievel on ABC’s Wide World of Sports (another nostalgic throwback to my youth, which includes features on Muhammad Ali and the Harlem Globetrotters), and like many children, I was enamored.  So, with the advent of the Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle, I had to have that.  Spinning the big white wheel would rev up the engine, then you’d hit the switch and release Knievel, to race across the floor, or stumble through your backyard.  I’m sure it did not live up to the commercials, but that didn’t matter.  It was still a blast.

2. Six Million Dollar Man

The Six Million Dollar Man was a favorite TV show, and the best Lee Majors television role, period (and, yes, I’m including Fall Guy and Big Valley in the discussion [insert smile emoji]).  So, of course, I wanted to have the doll (*ahem*, I mean action figure).  With bionic limbs and a bionic eye—which you could look through by putting your own eye to the hole in the back of Steve Austin’s skull—this toy was…amazingly simple.  Like all the other toys on this list, it was very low-tech, which meant your imagination had to do the heavy lifting when you were playing.  No problem.  “We have the technology” was the prime directive when running around the back yard with the Six Million Dollar Man. 

1. Death Star

It all comes back to Star Wars.  And the Death Star playset was the pinnacle of all Star Wars toys (one could argue that the U.S.S. Flagg from G.I. Joe may be the mother of all playsets, but I was in that limbo between being a kid buying toys and being an adult buying toys—the point, as a teenager, where one is “too cool” for toys—during the Yo Joe craze and missed out…though I did have a handful of the figures).  With four levels, an elevator that could take you to each floor, a trash compactor (accessed through a trap door in the floor) with “trash” and a dianoga (now we knew what it sort of looked like), the cannon at the top (which popped out of its housing when the rebels stuffed a proton torpedo down the nearest exhaust port), a precipice where Obi-Wan could deactivate the tractor beam, and a retractable bridge that revealed a chasm over which Luke and Leia had to swing, this set had it all.  Simply add action figures, preferably Star Wars but any roughly 4-inch figures would suffice, and you had a wealth of fun possibilities before you.  The Death Star—the best Star Wars toy they made. 

And, for bonus points, if you lived in Canada—or right on the border, as my best friend and I did—you could get the Canadian version of the Death Star, a completely different setup that offered just as much fun.  Check it out below. 

So, the top 5 toys of my youth.  There are plenty of others deserving of honorable mentions.  But I think I’ll share that in a different post, soonish.  Now, what are yours?  Drop them into the comments and tell me why I might be wrong, or maybe not as right as I believed.  And thanks for reading. 

-chris

2016 Advent Calendar --- day 23

Another collection of classic comic book covers.  This time I chose covers of comic collections.

My favorite superhero story, with the most beautiful superhero art of any comic, by David Mazzucchelli.  And this cover just epitomized the simple beauty of his linework. 

THE classic X-Men story, with a cover from Bill Sienkiewicz.  Come on.

A painted George Perez cover. I love the design of this cover, as well as Perez's sharp linework. Great

Dave McKean's covers for Sandman are breathtaking.  And each of the collections has its own distinct feel.  I went with "The Wake" because I love the metaphorical image the centers it all.  

Scott Morse is one of my all-time favorite comic creators.  Soulwind is his magnum opus.  As with Watchmen, I really loved the design of the covers for the five books of Soulwind--simple but elegant.

2016 Advent Calendar --- day 16

Another Friday, with another fistful of comic book covers for this Advent Calendar.

An all-time favorite comic series, from my childhood of the 80s, with an iconic Luke McDonnell image of Deadshot, who became a huge hit thanks to Suicide Squad.  

One of the comic series that announced to the world that "comics weren't just for kids, anymore."  The simplicity of this cover is what makes it so amazing. Art by Miller, color by Varley.

Walt Simonson on Thor.  'nuff said.

Don Lomax's Vietnam Journal is a touchstone comic book series, for me.  I've written about it recently.  Search on Vietnam Journal, then seek out the collected editions for these. Amazing.

Not just an iconic image, but an iconic cover design (the title goes up the side?!?).  I spent a year analyzing Moore & Gibbons's Watchmen.  If you've read it, you might give that a try.  If not, this needs to be the next thing on your to-read list.  A defining work from two legends.

2016 Advent Calendar --- day 9

It's another Fistful Friday, with another selection of favorite and/or iconic comic book covers from my collection.  Enjoy.

The series that got me started collecting comics, and the story that revealed some of the origin of my favorite character, Snake-Eyes.  Love, love, love this comic!

Peter David.  Todd McFarlane. Hulk.  Wolverine.  One of my top 5 superhero comics.  

The greatest long-form comic series of all time?  Possibly.  Los Bros Hernandez have created a fully-realized world in L&R, with characters who grow old and evolve. Brilliant!

For a long time, my favorite long-form comic series.  The story of the Dream Lord, from Neil Gaiman and his talented cohort of artists, is amazing.  And the covers, by Dave McKean, are just flat-out gorgeous and elevate the entire thing to a whole new level.  

Love the book, and the cover design by Owen, with that "marbled" background.

2016 Advent Calendar --- day 2

Anyone who has read this blog knows I'm a huge fan of comic books.  As part of this Advent Calendar, and inspired by the In the Mouth of Dorkness podcast, I want to share 5 (A Fistful Of...) comic book covers that are either iconic, in general, or special to me, personally.  So, here's the first collection.  Enjoy.

Charles Vess doing "black costume" Spider-Man...come on.

This cover, by Mike Zeck, is so iconic.  Got me to pick up this issue and I stayed with the book for a few years.  

My favorite superhero artist, George Pérez, drawing my favorite superhero, in what many would define as the Flash's finest moment.  This was the book---when I read the description of its contents in the Mile High catalog [Flash dies?!?]---that introduced me to Pérez.  I never looked back.  

The first comic book I remember, specifically, buying because of the cover art.  John Byrne was "The Man" in the 80s, my golden age of comics, and this was the book that reintroduced the Flash.  I had no idea who Darkseid was, but this image was so compelling, I had to find out what was going on.

Bill Sienkiewicz.  'Nuff said.

A Fistful of Alan Moore’s lesser-known works

Conceived and used with the permission of Matthew Constantine and Brad Gullickson, the original dorks.

Everyone has a “Top 5.”  But Brad and Matt, along with fellow dorks, Darren, Lisa, and Bryan, choose to walk a different path, and amended that to “A Fistful…” with their blog and podcast, In the Mouth of Dorkness.  Topics range from “Heroic Kids” to “Spies” to “Summer Movies” to “Punches” to all things in between.  Always fun, often insightful, and something I have regularly pilfered for Warrior27.  As they say:  If you’re going to steal, steal from those you know relatively well, who will not sue you.

Alan Moore is lauded as the greatest writer ever to work in the comic book medium.  Known for his use of literary techniques, such as foreshadowing and symbolism, meticulous plotting, and a facility of language rarely matched by other writers, regardless of medium, Moore is best-known as the author—in collaboration with a host of phenomenal artistic talents—of such books as V for Vendetta, Watchmen, Saga of the Swamp Thing, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Halo Jones, Tom Strong, Promethea, Lost Girls, and From Hell.  But he’s also crafted many stories that have not received as much attention as these hallmarks.  Here, for your consideration, are a fistful of lesser-known Alan Moore comics that you may wish to check out, in no particular order.  Because, generally speaking, if Moore is involved, they’re going to be good, and most likely will end up being great…but I may be biased.

SECRET ORIGINS #10 [DC Comics, 1986]

“Footsteps,” a Phantom Stranger Origin, with artist Joe Orlando—

In “Footsteps,” Moore, along with artist Joe Orlando, share one of four origin stories of the Phantom Stranger.  In 10 pages, Moore and Orlando relate the story of an angel who was called to join the rebellion of Lucifer.  But this unnamed angel found it difficult to decide upon which side he should ally himself, uncertain of the righteousness of Lucifer, while also wavering as to the great Yahweh’s leadership.  But deep down, it is his fear of choosing wrongly that drives this angel.  And, in the end, he fails to choose either side, leading to exile from both the worlds of Heaven and of Hell.  Owing to this, he must walk alone, traveling the Earth, doing what he can to right wrongs and succor the oppressed—a Phantom Stranger, there for those in need. 

Moore & Orlando interweave this narrative with a complementary tale of a present-day gang member being courted by one among their ranks who wishes to overthrow their leader.  In the end, this young man (or, boy, really) fails to choose sides.  When he tries to find allies with the rebels—who were handily thrown out of the gang by the leader and his loyalists—he is greeted with scorn, subjected to pain.  Thankfully, the Phantom Stranger is there, at the end, offering his hand, as well as his very personal understanding for what this young man now faces. 

HATE! #30 [Fantagraphics Books, 1998]

“The Hasty Smear of my Smile,” featuring Kool-Aid Man, with artist Peter Bagge—

Moore, along with Peter Bagge, tell the life story of the Kool-Aid Man, who was just a little different than the rest of his family.  Thank goodness his father finally drew a face on his glass-jar head, otherwise who knows what might have been. 

Over the course of just 4 pages, Moore & Bagge reveal how being misunderstood by his family leads to the Kool-Aid Man’s life as a struggling writer and his experiments with the counter-culture scene, where he met the likes of Ken Kesey, Tom Wolfe, and Hunter S. Thompson.  His off-color activities lead to a breach of contract suit put forth by the soft drink company employing him, which only makes things worse for the Kool-Aid Man. 

Bagge’s overly cartoonish style works perfectly for this satire.  His characters all look as if they walked out of a distorted funhouse mirror, and within this milieu—which is all Bagge—Kool-Aid Man fits in perfectly.  It’s a tragicomedy, full of the trademark wit and sly humor expected from the likes of Moore and Bagge, which feels like a far longer tale than the four pages given over to it.  Another surprising treat for any Moore aficionados. 

ANYTHINGS GOES! #2 [Fantagraphics Books, 1986]

“In Pictopia,” with artist Don Simpson—

When Fantagraphics was in the middle of a costly litigation, in the mid-1980s, they produced a benefit comic book, titled Anything Goes!, which they sold to offset legal costs.  A who’s who of comic talent contributed to this series, and in issue #2, Moore teamed with Don Simpson for “In Pictopia.”  Originally an 8-page script, Simpson expanded it to 13 pages and it’s one of the best things Moore has ever collaborated on. 

Through this baker’s dozen of pages we follow Nocturno the Necromancer as he makes his way through the city of Pictopia, home to all the comic characters (both comic book and comic strip characters) you’ve ever known (even if they go unnamed, due to copyright).  We see the slums, where “funny animals” live and allow people to beat them for fun (since they regenerate afterwards), in order to make money.  In the bars are the superheroic types, including characters like the Phantom and Popeye.  And an analogue of Dagwood’s bride, Blondie, is seen, very early, taking an old sailor up to her apartment, forced to prostitute herself out for money, now that the popularity of her classic comic strip is no longer in vogue.  In the end, Nocturno’s old friend, Flexible Flynn (a Plastic Man analogue), is rejuvenated (or rebooted) into a muscular, testosterone-laden caricature of the character he once was, sending Nocturno into the streets, in search of some kind of solace, only to find that the funny animal slums have been bulldozed. 

This short story benefits, tremendously, from Simpson’s art.  Known mainly—or, mainly to me, at least—as a comedy cartoonist, from his work on Megaton Man.  “In Pictopia” reveals his versatility.  Adept in multiple styles, Simpson not only delineates the funny animals in a manner reminiscent of those classic comic strips, particularly Disney comics, but he also masterfully creates superheroes in the mode of Marvel and DC Comics of the 1980s, with muscle-laden supermen and lithe, curvaceous superwomen.  His ability to skillfully work within these varied styles is what sells this story, and makes it as lasting and important a comic as it is. 

For Moore’s part—this is as smartly written a critique of the comic medium as you will find, and it’s all told through the very same medium it critiques.  As with any Moore-penned tale, the dialogue and descriptions roll smoothly across your tongue, while both entertaining and enlightening readers—in this instance, providing a visual metaphor of how the “grim & gritty” approach, fostered by simplistic, surface readings of the comic work of Moore (particularly Watchmen) and Frank Miller, led to a more violent and more “relevant” storytelling approach in comics, which lacked the characterization and depth of narrative these two creators and their collaborators were aspiring to.  Certainly, one might see some of the metaphor as lacking in nuance, but maybe that was what was called for, because nobody (or very few) artists and writers seemed to get the message. 

“Shadowplay: The Secret Team” in Brought to Light, with artist Bill Sienkiewicz

[Eclipse Books, 1989]—

Alan Moore & Bill Sienkiewicz—two legends of the comic book industry.  With Shadowplay, Moore & Sienkiewicz relate the thirty year war the CIA has perpetrated upon the United States Constitution, through its machinations across the globe.  Utilizing a lawsuit brought by the Christic Institute, along with other primary sources, these two artists distill into 32 pages the drug smuggling, assassinations, coups, double dealings, and myriad other illegal activities the CIA have condoned and enacted, from the 1950s to then-present 1988, in order to steer international sociopolitical actions, while expanding their power across the globe.  It is a terrifying and overwhelming narrative, one that feels ripped from a bad spy thriller.  And yet, for all that, it also feels far too real. 

Moore & Sienkiewicz choose to tell their narrative through the eyes of America (the real America, the strong America, not the whiny, liberal, Commie-loving pansies who would constrict our nation’s influence abroad), in the embodiment of a bald eagle who enjoys Cuban cigars, hard liquor, and loose women.  The narrative is told as if you, the reader, just stumbled into a bar and found the Eagle already going on to the barman, as he enjoys his whiskey.  Seeing you, the Eagle starts to spill his guts, going on about all the CIA has done to achieve its foothold on the international scene, much of it done behind a curtain of secrecy.  We learn of people such as Oliver North and Richard Secord, and of the CIA involvement in the Vietnam War and the Iran-Contra affair.  It’s chilling, thanks in no small part to the subject matter, a feeling that is heightened by the artistry of Sienkiewicz, whose mastery of staging, cartooning, and symbolism wonderfully complement Moore’s writing. 

This is a must-read, especially now.   And, if you prefer something less visual and can find it, Moore produced a spoken word CD, with musician Gary Lloyd, of this same story, and his thick, melancholic voice only accentuates the horror revealed within this narrative. 

A Small Killing, with artist Oscar Zarate

[VG Graphics, 1991; reprinted by Avatar Press, 2003]—

It’s 1989, and Timothy Hole (pronounced “holly”) is on the cusp of a career-changing, and possibly career-defining, enterprise.  He is to create the advertising campaign for Flite, an American soda, as they introduce their product to a newly opened Russia.  But Hole is awash with anxiety, unsure of how to approach this new challenge, unsure if he really wants this assignment, unsure of how his life has brought him to this place, so far away from what his aspirations once were.  And, even as his mind races with questions, Hole spies a young boy in the crowded streets of New York City who unnerves him. 

The next morning Hole embarks on a jet for England, a layover to visit his parents before continuing to Russia.  He spends a short time in London before moving on to Sheffield, where his parents live, which leads him to visiting the “Old Buildings” where he grew up.  All the while, the strange boy follows Hole, flitting among crowds and down alleys while the older man pursues him—a futile enterprise.  As Hole moves backward through his life—through the places he’s lived—he revisits, in his mind, the most important aspects of his life in those places:  his marriage, the subsequent divorce, a contentious break-up with the woman who followed, and a childhood memory of burying insects alive, the guilt of that act having trailed him ever since.  In the end, Hole is forced to come to grips with the life he has lived, how far short he fell of his youthful ideals, and how culpable he is for all the failings and faults that have overshadowed this life.  In the end, Hole must make a decision, come to grips with his life, and find a way to move forward. 

Zarate’s artwork in this book is just beautiful.  He has a loose style that borders on caricature without falling too heavily into that mode, with a sense of color and shading that highlights pertinent aspects of a panel while imbuing the whole narrative with a lushness found in too few comics.  The coloring seems to be achieved through watercolors, allowing for a wider range of hues.  I’m unsure if it’s actually paint on the boards or a different technique, but the results are masterful.  Most of all, though, I love how distinct Zarate’s art style is.  It could not be mistaken for anyone else’s, and that makes all the difference in this, one of Moore’s most literary collaborations. 

 

There are plenty more lesser-known works from the Wizard of Northampton, including stories about Batman’s rogue, Clayface, DC characters Vigilante and Omega Men, Marvel’s Captain Britain, Image titles WildC.A.T.S and Spawn, as well as work with Dame Darcy and his collaboration with Ian Gibson, Halo Jones.  Any of these would sit well on this list.  What ones would you include?

-chris

A Fistful of Happy Places

Conceived and used with the permission of Matthew Constantine and Brad Gullickson, the original dorks.

Everyone has a “Top 5.”  But Brad and Matt, along with fellow dorks, Darren, Lisa, and Bryan, choose to walk a different path, and amended that to “A Fistful…” with their blog and podcast, In the Mouth of Dorkness.  Topics range from “Heroic Kids” to “Spies” to “Summer Movies” to “Punches” to all things in between.  Always fun, often insightful, and something I have regularly pilfered for Warrior27.  As they say:  If you’re going to steal, steal from those you know relatively well, who will not sue you.

In the Dorks’ most recent episode—checkit, here—they counted down their top 5 “Happy Places,” and it was a great episode.  Of course, it got me to thinking, what are my favorite happy places, in film or television?  Define it as you will.  In my list, I have things that make me laugh, things that have a comforting atmosphere, and things that take me back to my childhood and that inner happy place we all harbor.  Here’s what I came up with. 

5.  The Flying Circus

I’m not one for comedies, and not one who laughs much.  I enjoy things, even funny things, but (as I say more than is necessary) I have a fairly narrow emotional spectrum—I rarely get too high and rarely get too low.  I prefer drama and action to overt comedy (sure, sprinkle some funny moments into those dramas, it’s vital to highlighting the really tragic things that can happen in a good film or television series). 
But, when I need a good laugh, there are some places that can guarantee me that, even if I’m feeling down.  Monty Python is one of those shows.  Ever since I discovered it on MTV, while in high school, and right up through today, the absurdity and incisive humor never fails to elicit rolling laughter from me.  John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, and Graham Chapman are perfect, if you’re looking for some riotous laughs.  And sometimes, that’s exactly what we (and I) need.

4. Dillon, Texas



I have yet to see the film, but the TV series, Friday Night Lights, is one of the best shows I have watched in recent years.  The acting, the writing, the drama overlaid onto these high school football players and the collection of classmates and family members that surround them was phenomenal (putting aside a bit of that second season).  But, one of the best aspects of this series was the characterization of Coach Eric Taylor and his wife, Tami.  If you were a player in trouble, you could go to Coach.  If you were a student having troubles in school, you could go to Tami, the guidance counselor.  And if you were a young man or woman in need of help outside these professional settings, the Taylors were the family you could, and would, go to if you needed help.  The Taylors—most epitomized in their relationship as husband and wife—were two of the most genuine and complex characters on network TV.  And the idea of being able to go to their house and hang out is a comforting idea, indeed. 

3. That bar where everyone knows your name

In high school and through college, Cheers was my favorite TV show.  We were so lucky in our junior year at the University of Maine, we could watch it five times on Thursdays, thanks to new episodes airing and the reruns on our local NBC affiliate out of Bangor and the Boston channel, from our cable package, which ran episodes in the early evening as well as after the nightly news.  It was a smorgasbord of hilarity, with Carla, Coach, Woody, Diane, Sam, Norm, Cliff, and the rest of the gang.  It’s on Netflix currently, and I’ve been dipping in and out when the mood hits.  It’s a show that always makes me feel good. 

2. Hobbiton

I read The Hobbit in second grade (went on to read it more than a dozen times since).  I read The Lord of the Rings when I was eleven or twelve (and read that a half dozen more times).  J.R.R. Tolkien was my favorite author, and Rings my favorite book, for many years, and Tolkien, along with his literary works, still holds a special place on my metaphorical bookshelf.  When Peter Jackson finally brought the land of Middle Earth to the big screen, I was overjoyed.  He got it so right (in the Rings trilogy, at least), and the opening of that first film, in Hobbiton, was amazing and beautiful.  Ever since that first time I read The Hobbit, I’ve wanted to live in a hole in the ground, with a round, green door and a brass knocker, just like Bilbo Baggins.  And after watching Jackson’s initial trilogy, that feeling became more entrenched in my psyche.  Hobbiton would be a lovely place to live. 

1.  Tatooine

Since I was five and first saw it in the theater, Star Wars has been a constant in my life.  First with the original trilogy, then the toys and comics, followed by magazines and novels, and even more comics, and more films (most of those ones weren’t good).  Star Wars overwhelmed and enamored the five-year-old me, and its hold hasn’t let up much in the intervening four decades.  Empire may be the “best” film of the series, but Star Wars (NOT episode IV, NOT Star Wars, colon, subheading “A New Hope”) was the first movie, the one that started it all, and it is THE movie of the trilogy that epitomizes everything I love about this series. 
And Tatooine embodies that happy place for me. 
I love the scenes with the Jawas, the first scenes with Luke—him gazing off at the twin sunset…so good—and the attack of the Sand People, leading to the introduction of Obi-Wan Kenobi, and, finally, the wretched hive of scum and villainy that is Mos Eisley spaceport.  Watching Star Wars always takes me back to my childhood, like a shot, and to my time with good friends—Donnie and Tommy, Sean and Jason, and so many others—watching and playing and debating Star Wars and that galaxy far, far away.  Nothing hits my nostalgia button as hard as Star Wars does.  And there is no happier place in the galaxy for me than Tatooine. 

-chris

A Fistful of War Comics (for Veterans’ Day)

Conceived and used with the permission of Matthew Constantine and Brad Gullickson, the original dorks.

Everyone has a “Top 5.”  But Brad and Matt, choose to walk a different path, amended that to “A Fistful…” over at their blog, In the Mouth of Dorkness.  A film-centric blog where they also discuss comics and books and TV, these two regularly share their top 5, ranging from “Heroic Kids” to “Spies” to “Summer Movies” to “Punches” to all things in between.  Always fun, often insightful, and something I hope to regularly pilfer for Warrior27.  As they say:  If you’re going to steal, steal from those you know relatively well, who will not sue you.

In honor of Veteran’s Day, in no particular order, here are five of the best war comics from my collection. 

5. Blazing Combat



Reprinting the legendary four issues of Blazing Combat, this Fantagraphics collection includes all the stories written by Archie Goodwin, with artwork from Wally Wood, John Severin, Frank Frazetta, Gene Colan, and Alex Toth.  In the vein of EC, published by Warren, these stories from the mid-1960s showed the horrors of war, in a manner not seen in comics, or in much of popular culture.  They are rightfully considered some of the best comics ever produced. 

4. Enemy Ace: War Idyll, written & painted by George Pratt

In 1990, George Pratt brought back the classic DC comics character, the Enemy Ace, but as a dying man in 1969.  Interviewed by a reporter, who turns out to have been a tunnel rat in Vietnam.  In the sharing of their stories, they discover an unexpected connection that will lead to a truth both have been avoiding for a long time.  With lush painted artwork from Pratt, this is a beautiful, as well as a touching, story. 

3. Unknown Soldier by James Owsley (Christopher Priest) & Phil Gascoine



Eschewing previous continuity—while also being ignored by later writers—Owsley and Gascoine’s series tells the story of an actual immortal soldier who is far more cynical than the patriotic character created by Robert Kanigher & Joe Kubert.  With solid art from Gascoine and a gripping story from Owsley (known today by the name Christopher Priest), this is a classic war comic that rarely gets mentioned.  But it should be. 

2. Jack Kirby’s The Losers

Kirby created, defined, and redefined more comic book characters and genres than any other artist or writer in the field, and his Losers, written & drawn by “the King,” is possibly his best writing effort, including Kamandi and his Fourth World saga. These comics are full-on Kirby, with his dynamic artistry and storytelling on display, but when I first read these, it was the words that jumped out at me.  Missing are the stilted dialogue and the overreaching hyperbole found in so much of his work.  Not to denigrate Kirby’s other writing efforts, which have a charm and excitement, but the reading of these dozen war stories was so smooth and easy that it stood out.  Kirby was a WWII veteran, and he infused this comic with those experiences, and maybe the reality of those coupled with the weightiness of the subject matter inspired Kirby’s writing in these.  It’s definitely one of his finest runs on a series. 

1. Vietnam Journal by Don Lomax

This is one of my all-time favorite comic series.  The combination of Lomax’s loose, moody artwork with stories culled form his experiences in Vietnam resulted in something special.  Touching, unvarnished, heart wrenching, and mysterious, these comics, especially the first 16 issues, are incredibly gripping.  I cannot recommend this series highly enough.  Check here for more on this amazing comic.