COMIC BOOKS I FONDLY REMEMBER

Comic books have played a big part in my life for the last 30+ years and I am rekindling my interest for them as of late. Maybe this is due in part to the recent releases of many comic book based TV shows of my childhood finally coming to DVD. Whatever the reason, I started thinking of my pleasant comic book memories and listing them. However, as I was making this list I realized that I didn’t actually own any of these books anymore, so I went ahead and ordered every single one of them online…seriously, they should be arriving any day now. I’ve always considered myself a “nerd” due in part to my love for comic books, but whether you’re 7 or 57 you should be proud of your love for any literature. My favorite has always been DC Comics and this list definitely reflects that. I do really enjoy Marvel’s main cast such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, et al. but I prefer the blend of cool obscure characters and eternal icons like Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman that DC has always had. Regardless, as comic book fans we don’t have to turn this into a fight. Whether you love DC, Marvel, Charlton or Dark Horse, us comic book fans all share a kinship and everyone of you could make a goofy list based on your childhood memories just like the one below. I encourage you to do so...we'll compare notes.

Honorable Mentions That Almost Made The List:                                  
Joker #3 (1978) DC Comics
Dr. Strange #3 (1974) Marvel Comics
Showcase #66 (1967) DC Comics
Vigilante #8 (1984) DC Comics
OMAC #2 (1974) DC Comics

"This is why man invented the electric blanket"

5. Power Man And Iron Fist #116 (1985) Marvel Comics
The power of yoga and mind control vs. the power of muscles. The boys are in Alaska freezing to death in a vault. Danny peacefully meditates to ignore imminent death while Luke struggles becoming delusional. Eventually Iron Fist has to knock Luke’s lights out and the book ends with a nice twist to the ending. This was actually part 2 of the storyline, but as a kid I never cared or noticed. It’s a great comic that shows corporate evil can’t triumph over human spirit.

"Usually Superman & Batman pump iron"

4. World’s Finest #169 (1967) DC Comics
There was a lonely old lady in my Illinois neighborhood who had us kids over her house whenever we wanted. I actually spotted this comic in her extra bedroom and she let me keep it. At the time, it was the oldest comic book I had ever laid my hands on. Yes the story was goofy. The scene on the front cover actually DOES happen inside the book for God’s sake and whenever Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite are involved there will be some hijinks. Batman and Superman lose their identity and power respectively, but I loved when the heroes had to struggle through tough situations. This one is certainly more for the kids, but I’ll still read it once a year because the memories associated with it.

"This is why Blue Beetle needs a Robin"

3. Blue Beetle #3 (1967) Charlton Comics
The time 2:30pm, the place an alley in Hub City. One of the most gorgeous comic book covers ever, I actually discovered this one in some superhero encyclopedia in my local library and started seeking it out. The Blue Beetle story is relatively short, but it is non-stop action. Blue Beetle really gets acrobatic while battling this crazy group of thieves and there’s fights on almost every page. There is also a great story featuring one of my favorite Charlton characters the Question in this issue. All these early Blue Beetle comics are worth getting.

"Pork is not welcome in this salad!"

2. Peter Porker The Spectacular Spider-Ham #6 (1986) Star Comics
In my early teen years I started falling in love with stuff like Captain Carrot and Peter Porker. The humor was much more high brow than previous funny books and these comics created a whole universe of fun characters. I was actually so obsessed with this one for awhile that I pitched a toy line based on this issue to a few companies! This story actually changes Peter’s origin. Initially he was a spider bit by a pig, but in this issue they claim he was always a pig which made more sense to me. The only thing that may have been smarter than Peter Porker was Ambush Bug…

"If only old comics were more colorful"

1. Detective Comics #241 (1957) DC Comics
For my money the greatest comic book cover ever drawn! I used to eyeball this one and wish I could afford it. The issue was 30 years old when I first saw it and I always wondered why the Hell Batman would need to wear different costumes. Turns out the reason is kind of stupid, but the idea is still very original and you gotta love the rainbow and the bulls eye costumes! If you look at it from a serious angle, it shows how much Batman cares for Robin and the lengths he will go through to protect their identities. There’s also a good Martian Manhunter story presented here. Overall, all the stories are simplistic, but that would certainly make them iconic for the times. The Brave And The Bold cartoon actually animated this brief Batman adventure.

MOVIES I'VE SEEN THE MOST

Although this list isn’t a really the perfect example of the obscure films I tend to prefer, these are all excellent movies that have provided me with hours of entertainment. I am typically more into B-movies, Grindhouse or MST3K fodder, but many of these movies were either quite popular or they were shown many times on TV, cable or satellite so of course I had more opportunities to see them than I would the wacky sci-fi and horror flicks I really love.

Honorable Mentions That Almost Made The List:                                  
The Invisible Agent (1942)
Krull (1983)
Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959)
Space Mutiny (1988)
Real Genius (1985)


5. The Dead Pit (1989)

(Some Argento influence in the colors?)

I used to rent this little zombie gem all the time from my local video store. They even had it in the box where the eyes actually glowed green. This film has a very attractive and quite talented lead actress…hard to believe she’s technically just a stunt woman. The zombies look amazing and the film has some genuinely scary parts. Scenes within the abandoned buildings and the pit itself are filmed brilliantly with a real classic horror style to them. Any fan of zombie cinema needs to see this!

4. 2001 A Space Odyssey (1968)

(Dave will go to infinity...and beyond)

My brother tends to always see me watching this film and he asks “don’t you ever get sick of this movie”? The answer is always NO. It’s an absolute masterpiece, just one classic image after another. Despite the constant changes and confusion you keep watching because it’s such a great story and you want to see it to it's conclusion. Literally every time I watch this film I discover something new that I missed in my last viewing. This should be viewed in high school classrooms across the country and honestly that may be where I first saw it. P.S. I’ve also seen 2010 The Year We Make Contact about 40 times.

3. Dead Poets Society (1989)

(I'll bet angels carried Robin through the Pearly Gates like this)

A story about angst and rebellion, but instead of getting in gang fights or putting on leather jackets these teens get together and read poetry. The whole cast is terrific and even the minor characters turn in good performances, but this is the Robin Williams show. This film not only influenced how teachers would be presented in film, television and literature, but it also affected the real world. I remember more than a few of my teachers who suddenly wanted to be John Keating and who can blame them? In light of Robin Williams’ recent death this is going to make this movie an even more emotional rollercoaster for me.

2. Quiz Show (1994)

(The TV show 21 made Jeopardy look like Wheel Of Fortune)

Other than the fact that it was ALWAYS on some cable channel I can’t give a singular reason as to why I’ve seen this one so damn much. Sure there are tons of things I like about it, but I’ve probably watched this film from start to finish 150 times! The film is based on a true story and Quiz Show takes you behind the scenes. John Turturro is great as always, but Rob Morrow and Ralph Fiennes are even better and they turn in performances of a lifetime. Learning the history of this scandal is fascinating, but we also get to see everything from broad national politics to the more intimate family moments. See this masterpiece, just try not to get addicted like I did.

1. Frankenstein (1910)

(Now that's a monster!!!)

How is this possible? How is some rare silent film the one I’ve seen more than any other? Well, one of my biggest loves in life is horror cinema. I’ve made every effort to watch and study the genre with this and the films of Georges Méliès. It excites me when other people are also interested in horror and I want to show this to them. I have also showed it to every friend, every family member because I want people to have a different understanding of this iconic monster. The fact that not only is it public domain, but also only 12 minutes long has allowed me to see it many times from many sources. I now own an actual copy of this on DVD, but I believe the first place I ever saw it was on TCM. Once YouTube came about, I was able to view this classic anytime I wanted…I suggest you do the same.