The Johnny Quick Shave

Now here's a guy we haven't checked in with for quite awhile; Johnny Quick.
If this is your first time around, I guess I should explain to you that Johnny Quick was a kind of mash-up of several other characters. Like Captain Marvel, he had to recite a magic incantation to transform [3X2 (9Y7) 4A]. Like Superman, his secret identity was that of a newspaper reporter. Like The Flash, he could move at super speeds and not be caught on camera. And like any typical Fletcher Hanks or Otto Binder character, his stories will break your mind into insanity if you try to make any sense out of them.
But don't let any of that scare you off. I never even heard of this guy until about a year ago, and he's grown to be one of my favorite characters of all time. Alien invaders? aw, Superman can handle it, mad scientists? aw, Batman can catch that one, a rigged barber shop contest? THIS LOOKS LIKE A JOB FOR JOHNNY QUICK!!!!!.

by Joe Samachson and Charles Sultan
from ADVENTURE COMICS #138, March 1949









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Sunday Funnies: SUPERMAN

Originally intended by his creators to be a newspaper action and adventure strip, it was only fitting that they'd eventually succeed. Ironically, they invented a whole new genre of comic book characters that continue to this day, all as an unintended side effect of wanting to be in the newspapers like Lee Falk's Phantom.
Quite strange and utterly coincidental, ain't it?
Several things to take note of here; Superman couldn't actually fly at first (only 'leap tall buildings in a single bound'), and he was not against letting people die occassionally. As you'll see in this early outing (which is sequence #4 of the Sunday series if you're a trivia hound).

by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster
from SUPERMAN: SUNDAY CLASSICS 1939 to 1943 (ISBN: 1-4027-3786-6) 1999






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St. Patrick's Day

Another year, another green beer.
I warned y'all last year about drinking too many of 'em, yet some of ya still didn't listen. C'mon folks, let's try a little harder this time around.
Anyway, another trip to Ireland and a visit to our little friends, this time with (of all people) Katy Keene.
☘HAPPY HOLIDAYS☘


from KATY KEENE #31, August 1989











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Five Far Out Fantasies

Gothic Blimp Works, a tabloid companion to NYC's East Village Other newspaper was one of the first of the "underground wave" of comix. For a lot of people it was their first experience with counterculture cartooning.
If you've never read to many of them, or even if you have, the best thing about underground comix is the fact that you can never expect just what kind of surreal or experimental type of stories you'll get. It's more of a surprise when you find a more traditionally constructed sequence.
Here's just five samples of the kind of things that they were groovin' on way back when.

by Lynch, Deitch, Lovenstein, Kaluta, and Wilson
from GOTHIC BLIMP WORKS #2, 1969






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WHAT IF...WEDNESDAY WITH THE WATCHING WATCHERS

Going way, way back to the original run of Lee & Kirby's Fantastic Four, this story seems like it came about a few decades late. But it's still interesting.
Not only is it the very first What If? tale done by Stan The Man himself, it also has a twist ending similar to the old horror and sci-fi shorts that Lee did for the old Atlas Comics line.
Good stuff. EXCELSIOR! (whatever that means)

by Stan Lee and Dale Eaglesham
from WHAT IF? #200, February 2011










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JOHNNY PERIL: Death Has Five Guesses

Johnny Peril, mystery man and thrill-seeker. Never heard of him? Well allow me to introduce you to one of the lost golden age adventurers.
This appearance is a reprint of a much older story, and I think that DC at the time was trying to revive the character since he had as many appearances in the 70s as he did in his original run (though they were mostly reprints). With DC trying to update and upgrade their line of comics, we may yet see him again.
Read on.

by Robert Kanigher and Frank Giacoia
from SECRETS OF SINISTER HOUSE #17, April 1974











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More Johnny Peril can be found HERE

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