A cascading cornucopia of cool comics, crazy cartoons, & classic collectables - plus other completely captivating & occasionally controversial contents. With nostalgic notions, sentimental sighings, wistful wonderings, remorseful ruminations, melancholy musings, rueful reflections, poignant ponderings, & yearnings for yesteryear. (And a few profound perplexities, puzzling paradoxes, & a bevy of big, beautiful, bedazzling, buxom Babes to round it all off.)
JACK KIRBY, at the top of his game, was a superb artist and storyteller, but sometimes even he made a boo-boo. No doubt such slip-ups transpired because of the relentless production schedule he (and others) worked under, but some of the mistakes were so obvious that they should've been caught and corrected well-before publication. As you can see in the above cover, The HUMAN TORCH has two left hands, which can hardly be regarded as any kind of a super-power.
Jack wasn't the only artist who did this sort of thing however. I recall once being given a lettering job for IPC's DICEMAN mag, and a character hanging from a washing line (or cable of some sort) had his left and right hands transposed. I pointed it out to the 2000 A.D. crew (I was in the office at the time), and they all said "No, it's fine - nothing wrong with it!" I imitated the position of the guy in the panel so they could see how the hands should look, and they reluctantly conceded I was right. See? Not just a letterer, nor only someone blessed with devastating good looks.
"Where's TRI-MAN?" you've doubtless all been asking (irony), so in answer to absolutely no requests, here's the latest double instalment of the incredible one's adventures. Y'know, as I gad about the streets of Glasgow, I'm often lost in deep contemplation of how to satisfy the strident demands of all you eager Criv-ites. However, sorry to disappoint anyone, but there's no way I'm tying some bricks to my ankles and jumping into the River Clyde - so you'll just have to come up with a less drastic demand for your usually accommodating host.
Only four more posts to go before Tri-Man reaches the end of the road, frantic ones. Whatever will you do then? (Okay, so which wiseguy said buy some bricks for my ankles?)
I missed the first ish of WONDER WOMAN '77, though I managed to get my grubby hands on #s 2 & 3. However, the softcover collection containing the first two issues has just been released, meaning that I can ogle the great debut cover to my heart's content. If you're a fan of the TV show and/or LYNDA CARTER you'll love these stories, and let's face it - the book's worth having for the cover alone!
And, just for good measure, here are the covers for #s 2 & 3.
All you HULK fans out there will love this new release in MARVEL's EPIC COLLECTION series. It contains not only all six issues of his own mag, but also every one of his guest appearances in other titles before securing a second stab at super-stardom in TALES To ASTONISH. The TOA strips will doubtless appear in their own volume in the future, but for the moment, this is the book on which to shell-out your hard-earned shekels. Get yourself straight 'round to your local purveyor of comics and bookstoday!
Saw this great story in The DAILY EXPRESS by LAURA HOLLAND back in March and thought you might enjoy it.
When an elderly fisherman picked up a stricken penguin he never thought they would be best pals for life.
Now his feathered friend swims 5,000 miles each year to see the Brazilian man who nursed him back to health.
Retired bricklayer and part-time fisherman Joao Pereira de Souza saved the penguin after he found him on rocks in 2011.
The black-and-white bird was starving and covered in oil and Mr. de Souza spent a week cleaning his feathers.
He named the penguin Dindim and rebuilt his strength by feeding him fish before releasing him back into the sea.
But loyal Dindim did not want to leave and spent another 11 months with the fisherman in his village on an island near Rio de Janeiro.
He disappeared after he had grown new feathers - but astonishingly returned the following June.
Dindim has now returned five times, each time spending eight months before setting off again.
Magellanic penguins usually live along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts in the cold waters off the southern tip of South America, but some end up as far north as Rio.
Experts believe that climate change is causing colonies to move farther north to be nearer to fish.
Despite numbering in their millions, the species is listed as near-threatened owing to oil spills which kill more than 40,000 a year off the coast of Argentina alone.
The flightless birds, which live for about 25 years, are known for their loyalty and mate for life.
Experts believe Dindim goes to breed off the coast of Argentina and Chile before making the 5,000 mile round trip back to Mr. de Souza. A recent video has captured the pair's love for one another, showing the penguin just like any other affectionate pet.
Dindim is seen nuzzling up to the 71-year old and playfully pecking his face.
"I love the penguin like it's my own child and I believe the penguin loves me," Mr. de Souza told a Brazilian TV network.
"No one else is allowed to touch him. He pecks them if they do. He lays on my lap, lets me give him showers, allows me to feed him sardines and to pick him up."
He added: "Everyone said he wouldn't return, but he has been coming back to visit me for the last four years.
"He arrives in June and leaves to go home in February and every year becomes more affectionate as he appears even happier to see me.
"I'm flattered Dindim is happy to exchange his home with thousands of other penguins every year to find his way here to spend one-to-one time with me.
"It's a very special relationship."
Biologist Joao Paulo Krajewski, who interviewed Mr. de Souza, said: "I have never seen anything like this before. I think the penguin believes Joao is part of his family and probably a penguin as well.
"When he sees him he wags his tail like a dog and honks with delight."
Mr. Krajewski said professionals who work with animals try to avoid forming bonds in order to reintroduce them into the wild.
But he added: "In this isolated case the authorities allowed Dindim to stay with Joao because of his kindness."
KNOCKOUT lasted two years, WHIZZER & CHIPS lasted 21. This combined ish happened when the former was just over three-and-a-half years old, and the latter was two. If only they were both still with us today.
"Shout - hoo-ray! And let each one of the crowd try and shout it very loud, in honour of a comic strip of which you're justly proud, for it's TRI-MAN's - great - day!" (Thanks to Kenneth Grahame's Mr. Toad for the use of that line, and humble apologies for ruining the meter.) Yup, another four pages of JOHNNY SMALL's superhero alter-ego to thrill and astound you, o panting panelologists! Get reading!