Ok, how about this for an idea. We take it in turns to post a favourite (British spelling) comic cover every day. This went really well on the comic fan website that I used to frequent. What we tried to do was find a theme or subject and follow that, until we all got bored with that theme. I'd like to propose a theme of letters of the alphabet. So, for the remainder of October (only 5 days) and all of November, we post comic cover pictures associated with the letter "A". Then in December, we post covers pertaining to the letter "B". The association to the letter can be as tenuous as you want it to be. For example I could post a cover from "Adventure Comics" or "Amazing Spider Man". However Spider Man covers can also be posted when we're on the letter "S". Adventure Comic covers could also be posted when we're on the letter "L" if they depict the Legion of Super Heroes. So, no real hard, fast rules - in fact the cleverer the interpretation of the letter, the better, as far as I'm concerned.
And it's not written in stone that we have to post a cover every day. There may be some days when no cover gets posted. There's nothing wrong with this, it just demonstrates that we all have lives to lead.
If everyone's in agreement I'd like to kick this off with one of my favourite Action Comic covers, from January 1967. Curt Swan really excelled himself here.
Fairgrounds/Carnivals
Date | Page/Reply | Theme (and clickable link) | Pages | Replies | |||
Oct 2016 | 1/1 | Letter A | 19 | 228 | |||
Dec 2016 | 20/1 | Letter B | 17 | 207 | |||
Jan 2017 | 37/4 | Letter C | 18 | 214 | |||
Feb 2017 | 55/2 | Letter D | 17 | 208 | |||
Mar 2017 | 72/6 | Letter E | 15 | 178 | |||
Apr 2017 | 87/4 | Letter F | 15 | 184 | |||
May 2017 | 102/8 | Letter G | 13 | 157 | |||
Jun 2017 | 115/9 | Letter H | 16 | 195 | |||
Jul 2017 | 131/12 | Letter I | 12 | 133 | |||
Aug 2017 | 143/1 | Letter J | 16 | 194 | |||
Sep 2017 | 159/3 | Letter K | 19 | 237 | |||
Oct 2017 | 178/12 | Letter L | 24 | 285 | |||
Nov 2017 | 202/9 | Letter M | 24 | 280 | |||
Dec 2017 | 226/1 | Letter N | 19 | 236 | |||
Jan 2018 | 245/9 | Letter O | 21 | 245 | |||
Feb 2018 | 266/7 | Letter P | 25 | 295 | |||
Mar 2018 | 291/2 | Letters Q & R | 20 | 243 | |||
Apr 2018 | 311/5 | Letter S | 22 | 270 | |||
May 2018 | 333/11 | Superman’s 80th anniversary | 21 | 250 | |||
Jun 2018 | 354/9 | Letter T | 21 | 250 | |||
Jul 2018 | 375/7 | Letter U | 17 | 207 | |||
Aug 2018 | 392/10 | Letter V | 19 | 228 | |||
Sep 2018 | 411/10 | Letter W | 20 | 233 | |||
Oct 2018 | 431/3 | Letter X | 15 | 180 | |||
Nov 2018 | 446/3 | Letter Y | 13 | 156 | |||
Dec 2018 | 459/3 | Letter Z | 13 | 156 | |||
Jan 2019 | 472/3 | Person being carried | 16 | 190 | |||
Feb 2019 | 488/1 | Real people | 17 | 214 | |||
Mar 2019 | 505/11 | Homages/parodies | 19 | 224 | |||
Apr 2019 | 524/7 | Green-skinned people | 17 | 207 | |||
May 2019 | 541/10 | Wanted posters | 17 | 201 | |||
Jun 2019 | 558/7 | Boxing rings | 15 | 180 | |||
Jul 2019 | 573/7 | Empty uniforms | 15 | 177 | |||
Aug 2019 | 588/4 | Beaches | 25 | 297 | |||
Sep 2019 | 613/1 | Apes | 28 | 340 | |||
Oct 2019 | 641/5 | Haunted houses/graves | 21 | 250 | |||
Nov 2019 | 662/3 | Motor bikes | 21 | 254 | |||
Dec 2019 | 683/5 | Foreign language covers | 17 | 209 | |||
Jan 2020 | 700/10 | Playing cards/tabletop games | 23 | 275 | |||
Feb 2020 | 723/9 | Valentines and Cupids | 22 | 259 | |||
Mar 2020 | 745/4 | Statues | 21 | 256 | |||
Apr 2020 | 766/8 | Elephants | 22 | 263 | |||
May 2020 | 788/7 | Heroes & villains cooperating | 17 | 198 | |||
Jun 2020 | 805/1 | The Moon | 26 | 322 | |||
Jul 2020 | 831/11 | Flags & patriotic symbols | 18 | 215 | |||
Aug 2020 | 849/10 | Foreign locations (non-US) | 20 | 233 | |||
Sep 2020 | 869/3 | MST3K (with commentary) | 24 | 292 | |||
Oct 2020 | 893/7 | Vampires and Werewolves | 20 | 245 | |||
Nov 2020 | 913/12 | Giants | 24 | 286 | |||
Dec 2020 | 937/10 | Snow & winter scenes | 24 | 289 | |||
Jan 2021 | 961/11 | Doppelgängers | 32 | 377 | |||
Feb 2021 | 993/4 | Movies | 23 | 275 | |||
Mar 2021 | 1016/3 | Cats/cat-themed adventurers | 22 | 263 | |||
Apr 2021 | 1038/2 | Dogs/dog-themed adventurers | 25 | 305 | |||
May 2021 | 1063/7 | Big guns/Heavy weaponry | 25 | 302 | |||
Jun 2021 | 1088/9 | Dinosaurs/Time Travel | 28 | 338 | |||
Jul 2021 | 1116/11 | Big Questions/Question Marks | 28 | 330 | |||
Aug 2021 | 1144/5 | Highways, Travel etc | 19 | 232 | |||
Sep 2021 | 1163/9 | Favourite Covers/Comics | 28 | 330 | |||
Oct 2021 | 1191/3 | Lineups | 21 | 260 | |||
Nov 2021 | 1212/11 | JSA 80th Anniversary | 23 | 269 | |||
Dec 2021 | 1235/4 | Logos in the action | 26 | 317 | |||
Jan 2022 | 1261/9 | Dynamic Duos | 29 | 348 | |||
Feb 2022 | 1290/9 | Romantic Scenes | 26 | 313 | |||
Mar 2022 | 1316/10 | Bridges | 29 | 339 | |||
Apr 2022 | 1345/1 | Unexpected Green | 23 | 286 | |||
May 2022 | 1368/11 | Neal Adams | 26 | 310 | |||
Jun 2022 |
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George Perez | 19 | 227 | |||
Jul 2022 | 1413/8 |
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Aug 2022 | Fairgrounds/Carnivals | ||||||
Tags:
It was great fun. I'm up for another round someday.
Steve W said:
And btw, as an aside, I've really enjoyed this month. What a grand thing to do - to post covers and have to think about the reason(s) why you're posting it! What a great concept!
Maybe we could do something similar in future months - instead of just posting covers following a theme, post covers with a meaning behind them - and have to explain the meaning!
When Burt Ward began playing Robin he was 20, almost 21 (younger than most actors who've played teenagers). The look of bare legs for Robin, which began in 1940, required Ward to either shave his legs (presuming he had leg hair that the camera would pick up) or wear tights that matched his skin color. The photograph above without tights may have been retouched before it was printed. In 1966 there were few men who would have agreed to shave their legs. They should have anticipated the later decision to give Robin green leggings.
The monster that time forgot? When did these things ever exist? Or does Tales to Astonish take place in a Lovecraftian universe, and is Titano, then, an Elder God? Also, for a creature that size, Titano must move very fast. The car is still plummeting from the bridge it destroyed but the monster has already reached land and crumpled the top of that building. Its wake, however, has not made it to shore, and the people standing there haven't had time to run from something they should have seen coming at least since it destroyed the bridge. Of course, it doesn't help their case that they've decided to stand around, striking poses and spouting expository dialogue.
This cover has the look of someone drawing while on, perhaps, amphetamines. Cocaine? Never mind. Of all of Sad Sack's associates, only the last one in the list at the side would go on to fame in the twenty-first century. Sarge, meanwhile, seems pretty danged amused that both Sack and General Rockjaw will now almost certainly die.
It seems like Sad Sack weighs as much as the Hulk in order to break that wing. Why is Sadie parachuting in high heels?
Your cover post prompted me learn about his creator. George Baker created Sad Sack after he was drafted into the Army half a year before Pearl Harbor. Prior to that he worked as an illustrator for Disney Studios. He created Sad Sack while working for an Army publication during WWII. After the war he took his character and ran with it as his life's work. According to the Wiki article he drew the character until his death in 1975. This cover looks like the covers he drew just before his death.
JD DeLuzio said:
This cover has the look of someone drawing while on, perhaps, amphetamines. Cocaine? Never mind. Of all of Sad Sack's associates, only the last one in the list at the side would go on to fame in the twenty-first century. Sarge, meanwhile, seems pretty danged amused that both Sack and General Rockjaw will now almost certainly die.
Richard Willis said:
George Baker created Sad Sack after he was drafted into the Army half a year before Pearl Harbor. Prior to that he worked as an illustrator for Disney Studios. He created Sad Sack while working for an Army publication during WWII. After the war he took his character and ran with it as his life's work. According to the Wiki article he drew the character until his death in 1975. This cover looks like the covers he drew just before his death.
And during the war, the Sack had an encounter with another soldier of note:
However, October's topic is vampires and werewolves but not as the titular character, so let's continue to turn to Jimmy Olsen, whose encounter with a vampire and a werewolf led him to a pocket world in a tomb:
Here's an updated version of the spreadsheet and index of monthly themes.
Date | Page/Reply | Theme (and clickable link) | Pages | Replies |
Oct 2016 | 1/1 | Letter A | 19 | 228 |
Dec 2016 | 20/1 | Letter B | 17 | 207 |
Jan 2017 | 37/4 | Letter C | 18 | 214 |
Feb 2017 | 55/2 | Letter D | 17 | 208 |
Mar 2017 | 72/6 | Letter E | 15 | 178 |
Apr 2017 | 87/4 | Letter F | 15 | 184 |
May 2017 | 102/8 | Letter G | 13 | 157 |
Jun 2017 | 115/9 | Letter H | 16 | 195 |
Jul 2017 | 131/12 | Letter I | 12 | 133 |
Aug 2017 | 143/1 | Letter J | 16 | 194 |
Sep 2017 | 159/3 | Letter K | 19 | 237 |
Oct 2017 | 178/12 | Letter L | 24 | 285 |
Nov 2017 | 202/9 | Letter M | 24 | 280 |
Dec 2017 | 226/1 | Letter N | 19 | 236 |
Jan 2018 | 245/9 | Letter O | 21 | 245 |
Feb 2018 | 266/7 | Letter P | 25 | 295 |
Mar 2018 | 291/2 | Letters Q & R | 20 | 243 |
Apr 2018 | 311/5 | Letter S | 22 | 270 |
May 2018 | 333/11 | Superman’s 80th anniversary | 21 | 250 |
Jun 2018 | 354/9 | Letter T | 21 | 250 |
Jul 2018 | 375/7 | Letter U | 17 | 207 |
Aug 2018 | 392/10 | Letter V | 19 | 228 |
Sep 2018 | 411/10 | Letter W | 20 | 233 |
Oct 2018 | 431/3 | Letter X | 15 | 180 |
Nov 2018 | 446/3 | Letter Y | 13 | 156 |
Dec 2018 | 459/3 | Letter Z | 13 | 156 |
Jan 2019 | 472/3 | Person being carried | 16 | 190 |
Feb 2019 | 488/1 | Real people | 17 | 214 |
Mar 2019 | 505/11 | Homages/parodies | 19 | 224 |
Apr 2019 | 524/7 | Green-skinned people | 17 | 207 |
May 2019 | 541/10 | Wanted posters | 17 | 201 |
Jun 2019 | 558/7 | Boxing rings | 15 | 180 |
Jul 2019 | 573/7 | Empty uniforms | 15 | 177 |
Aug 2019 | 588/4 | Beaches | 25 | 297 |
Sep 2019 | 613/1 | Apes | 28 | 340 |
Oct 2019 | 641/5 | Haunted houses/graves | 21 | 250 |
Nov 2019 | 662/3 | Motor bikes | 21 | 254 |
Dec 2019 | 683/5 | Foreign language covers | 17 | 209 |
Jan 2020 | 700/10 | Playing cards/tabletop games | 23 | 275 |
Feb 2020 | 723/9 | Valentines and Cupids | 22 | 259 |
Mar 2020 | 745/4 | Statues | 21 | 256 |
Apr 2020 | 766/8 | Elephants | 22 | 263 |
May 2020 | 788/7 | Heroes & villains cooperating | 17 | 198 |
Jun 2020 | 805/1 | The Moon | 25 | 310 |
Jul 2020 | 830/11 | Flags & patriotic symbols | 19 | 226 |
Aug 2020 | 849/9 | Foreign locations (non-US) | 20 | 234 |
Sep 2020 | 869/3 | MST3K (with commentary) | 13 | 160 |
Oct 2020 | 882/7 | Vampires and Werewolves | ||
Nov 2020 | Giants |
After that, is everyone okay with the theme of snow & winter scenes for December (but excluding Christmas scenes, and cold-powered characters like Iceman and Captain Cold)? And Doppelgangers for January (in honour of Janus, for whom the month is named)?
Looking at the index, September's MST3K theme has produced the smallest number of postings for a looong time. However, that's not a criticism of the theme - I think it produced a particularly high quality of responses. There were a lot of extremely funny and insightful postings, and I enjoyed it a lot. Congratulations to JD, whose idea it was!