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Thursday, October 31, 2019

Reviewing Blue Devil v1 (1984 - 1986)

In celebration of Halloween 2019, we've decided to review a comic book series about a guy who becomes a superhero because he got stuck in his costume. Since you've surely read the header of this review (which was most likely the reason you clicked on the link that brought you here), welcome to our look back at Blue Devil v1:



True History of the Blue Devil


Created by Dan Mishkin, Gary Cohn and Paris Cullins, the idea of Blue Devil was first conceived by Mishkin and Cohn when they were contributing stories for the DC horror/mystery/fantasy anthology titles in the early eighties. The comic buying landscape had changed; readers weren't so interested in anthology titles anymore and sales on these books were dwindling. It quickly became apparent that the anthology titles with the highest readership were the ones with recurring characters that kept readers coming back every month (ex: Andrew Bennet in House of Mystery, G.I. Robot and Creature Commandoes in Weird War Tales). Dave Manak (editor of Ghosts, Unexpected and Secrets of Haunted House) asked Mishkin and Cohn to come up with a supernatural story with "lots of room for heroics and broad action, as well".  

From Dan Mishkin: "As for Amethyst and Blue Devil, neither one of those existed even as a vague notion until we were writing professionally and were asked to come up with new series. Each of those grew out an invitation to invent a lead feature for one of DC’s "mystery" titles, as "I…Vampire" was for House of Mystery. But for whatever reason, they caught the attention of higher-ups who wanted to original series in brand-new titles. We were lucky to be around during one of those unusual times when the company was looking to broaden its offerings."

Paris Cullins' version of how he came on board for Blue Devil: "I was doing House of Mystery and I had just joined the DC comics intern program for artists. I just finished a werewolf story with Gary Cohn and Dan Mishkin, and they asked me if I wanted another one. And I said 'of course', and they said 'well, I think we've got this one free, but I think we're giving it to Steve Ditko'. Steve Ditko called me up and said 'I don't want to do it', And they handed it to me - and it was the Blue Devil. I did it and I worked it, they liked it so much and it went from a tiny story and they said 'make it bigger', so I made it bigger. So they asked again, and it took up the whole book. and they looked at it again and said 'this should be a comic book!'. And then from there, we got what we got." 


16-page Preview Story



special Blue Devil insert from Firestorm v2 #24 (1984)
About a month before the first issue of Blue Devil hit the stands, a 16-page Blue Devil sneak peek appeared in The Fury of Firestorm, The Nuclear Man #24 (1984). In this preview, Blue Devil battles the Trickster (one of the Flash's rogues). As far as previews go, this one reads very nicely: we're introduced to film stuntman Dan Cassidy, the 'super-stunt suit' he's designed, his 'sidekick' (Gopher), his boss (Marla), his love interest (Sharon), his frenemy (Wayne) and we get to see Blue Devil in action as he battles an established super-villain for 4 pages.

To the reader who knew nothing about the Blue Devil going into this preview, it appears to be a 'regular joe wears an enhanced cybernetic suit to fight crime'-type of story. Mishkin and Cohn would save the 'hook' (aka: what makes the Blue Devil unique among other heroes) for the first issue.

Comic readers who also read Amazing Heroes would've first heard of Blue Devil in Amazing Heroes #39 -- the "1984 Preview Issue". It was published and distributed roughly 3 months before Blue Devil's debut in Firestorm #24.

"We've made comics FUN again"


During the same month Blue Devil #1 was being published, the following house ad was appearing in various DC comics titles:


"We've made comics fun again!"... ? That's a pretty bold statement. Aren't comics supposed to be fun? Apparently, in 1984, they weren't. Around this era, the best-selling titles were Tales of the Teen Titans, Legion of Super-Heroes, Uncanny X-Men, New Mutants, Alpha Flight and other team books that played up the interpersonal drama between cast members. Since best-selling comics always inspire other comics to follow suit, there were a whole lot of comics out there trying to emulate that angle -- hence a trend in serious/drama-filled books.

Mishkin explained in Amazing Heroes #39: "We're poking fun at the conventions of being a superhero. Blue Devil is a little like how someone in the real world might react to becoming a superhero, since he finds himself pushed into the situation of having to be a superhero... other people have talked about the idea of doing a reluctant superhero before, but this is a real reluctant hero." Cohn also added: "Blue Devil was created from the feeling that the essence of the superhero book has been lost. Superhero books today are very serious and grim, pretending that everything is real, which is nonsense. Every time you have a character jumping about in his underwear, it is obviously fantasy... we want to have a fun fantasy, a sense of rollicking adventure." An anecdote from editor Alan Gold in Blue Devil issue #2 revealed that Len Wein (editor of New Teen Titans, Fury of Firestorm, Saga of the Swamp Thing, Camelot 3000, Batman and the Outsiders, etc...) suggested to Mishkin and Cohn that Blue Devil be "a fun character -- a long-leaping, optimistic, high IQ slugger who clambered each issue out of the wreckage of heavily armored bad guys he'd taken out of commission."  To this effect, Alan Gold also professed that Blue Devil would be "sunnier and more exuberant than many, and it will be 100 percent non-preachy, non-artsy-shmartsy, and never self-important."

Blue Devil ongoing series


When the first issue of Blue Devil v1 was released, Mishkin was still about half-a-year away from finishing his run on Wonder Woman and Cohn was writing the Barren Earth back-up stories in The Warlord. Both writers had just finished up the Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld v1 maxi-series.


Like every good comic series should, Blue Devil kicks off with the all-important origin issue: while on a film shoot, stuntman Dan Cassidy saves his film crew from a demon (thanks to his Blue Devil stunt costume). Throughout the course of the battle, he gets blasted by the demon's energies and Dan somehow becomes permanently bonded to his costume. The good news: his costume grants him augmented endurance, strength, speed, hearing, vision and the ability to breathe underwater (and a few other things I'm forgetting). The bad news: he's trapped in the body of a 7" tall blue-skinned devil. This is pretty much everything you need to know in order to enjoy future issues of Blue Devil v1.

The 'man trapped in a monster's body' isn't exactly a new concept (Marvel's Ben Grimm/The Thing of the Fantastic Four immediately comes to mind), and I can see the temptation of wanting to dwell on that idea of being trapped in a monstrous body that isn't your own (the story pretty much writes itself) -- nevertheless, Mishkin and Cohn keep a relatively upbeat and action-packed story rolling and Blue Devil never really finds himself feeling sorry for himself.

Fun fact: Many readers commented that Paris Cullins' art had improved between the 16-page preview and the first issue. This was, in fact, because the preview pages had been illustrated by Paris one year prior to issue #1 being released.

Paris Cullins pencils and Gary Martin inks -- Blue Devil v1 #3

This series is enjoyable to look at. Paris' art is clean, there's lots of action in his stories and his characters are expressive. After the first four issues, it's pretty much confirmed that he and inker Gary Martin are THE Blue Devil penciller/inker team. Unfortunately, due to unknown reasons, Paris had to suddenly leave the title after issue #6. (Paris would continue illustrating the covers for this series.) This lead to a scramble to find a regular penciller/inker team for Blue Devil v1 -- what we got in the interim were a few issues pencilled by an assortment of big name talent: Gil Kane, Keith Giffen, Ernie Colon, Mike Chen and Tod Smith. It was finally settled that Alan Kupperberg (brother of writer Paul Kupperberg) would become the regular penciller starting with issue #12. Despite Alan's great pencilling work, Blue Devil fans never forgot Paris' work and would keep requesting Paris' return to the title until the very last issue of the series.

Alan Kupperberg pencils and Bill Collins inks - from Blue Devil v1 #24

Fun Fact: Mike Chen was slated to be the regular penciller on Blue Devil v1 after Paris Cullins left, but things fell through and Chen was assigned elsewhere.

Fun Fact: Readers noticed that some of the covers didn't match the story inside -- the first five issues of Blue Devil v1 were illustrated by Paris before the issue was written (they had the general plot/concept down, so Paris knew which characters would be appearing). Some fans picked up on the appearance of Blue Devil's trident on the covers of issues 2 and 3.

Together, Dan Mishkin and Gary Cohn wrote twenty-eight issues of this thirty-two issue series (I'm including DC Comics Presents #96 in here). One fill-in issue was written by Todd Klein, another issue was written by editor Alan Gold (with Mishkin as story editor), and a few issues were written by Mishkin on his own.

As someone who sat down and read Blue Devil v1 from the preview issue all the way to issue #31, I can attest that Mishkin and Cohn (and editor Alan Gold) held true to their word -- this was a fun, entertaining series that didn't take itself seriously. Nobody dies, and there's no tense subplots of unrequited love or stories examining both sides of the social issue du jour. (Late in the series I thought a story was going to delve into the intricacies of the Northern Irish Conflict -- but no, it was just a set up for a FLF [Faerie Liberation Front] gag). Lots of visual gags give the observant reader something to enjoy, and most stories don't last for more than one issue.

Sometimes you've just got to stop in where everybody know your name...
From Blue Devil v1 #2. Pencils by Paris Cullins, inks by Gary Martin.

An astute reader will notice a change in direction from the first six issues of the series onwards. The issues illustrated by Paris had way more action/fight scenes and more of Blue Devil trying to figure this new situation out, whereas everything following issue #5 starts to turn into one big wacky adventure. Readers picked up on this and called editor Alan Gold out on it. Gold's reply?"Few artists can make basically mindless fighting a pleasure to look out month after month. Even if Paris had stayed on the job, I think BLUE DEVIL as the fight-of-the-month would have become a predictable bore by the end of the first year. BLUE DEVIL is hardly a cerebral experience first and foremost, but it's more than just a free-for-all. It couldn't remain a free-for-all forever."

In another issue's letter column, series editor Alan Gold would admit that he'd been encouraging Mishkin and Cohn to reach for 'ever-absurder premises' since issue #6. This was starting to backfire as readers were starting to complain about Blue Devil's 'cornball humour' from issue #7 onwards (as opposed to the tongue-in-cheek humour found in the first six issues):

Mad scientists create a giant-sized reproduction of Trickster's shoe in Blue Devil v1 #9
Okay, I found this funny, but some readers got annoyed and thought this was too absurd. 
Ernie Colon pencils, Gary Martin inks.

FUN FACT: Issue #11 was a fill-in issue (written by Todd Klein) that received a bit of flak from Blue Devil readers. It was an out-of-continuity 'silly dream' issue that readers either loved or hated, and it would seem like editor Alan Gold was testing the waters on what they could get away with. What's notable here is that Todd Klein (best known for his lettering) was about to become the regular writer on The Omega Men (another book Gold was editing) for the next year. Tod Smith pencilled this issue as he was just leaving The Omega Men after an (almost) 15-issue consecutive run.

Blue Devil v1 ran during the Crisis on Infinite Earths event, hence it had to be involved in some way. Blue Devil v1 #5 gave us a glimpse of Harbinger and the Monitor watching Blue Devil from a satellite, and issues #17 and #18 were the actual tie-in issues. Issue #17 ends with Blue Devil being summoned by John Stewart Green Lantern to assist with a Crisis, and the story continues in Crisis On Infinite Earths #8. Blue Devil v1 #18 is the aftermath of what transpires in Omega Men #31. From Amazing Heroes Summer 1985 Preview Special, Dan Mishkin explained that "the request that DC made of all its writers and editors concerning the Crisis on Infinite Earths was that all books across the line tie in to Crisis." Blue Devil has the distinction of being one of the few books to not have anything really change due to Crisis On Infinite Earths (aka: no deaths, no retcons, no new costumes or powers, etc...). Kudos to Mishkin and Cohn for weathering the storm (of crimson skies).

A Blue Devil Summer Special (aka: Blue Devil Annual #1) was published around the same time as the Crisis tie-ins. What's notable about this annual is that the original Blue Devil art team (Paris Cullins on pencils and Gary Martin on inks) returned to illustrated this one. Many readers felt that Blue Devil v1 found it's stride with this annual. I tend to agree. This issue is jam-packed with mystical guest stars, featured pin-ups of the regular cast and included a board game. As an added bonus, this issue features a schematic of Blue Devil's exo-suit (before it was mystically bonded to his body):
Blue Devil's exo-suit (as seen in Blue Devil Annual v1 #1)

Despite pencilling the Blue Devil Summer Fun Special (and every cover in the series), Paris Cullins would not return as regular penciller for Blue Devil. As a matter of fact, in Blue Devil v1 #24 it was announced that Paris would be the regular penciler on Len Wein's newest project, Blue Beetle. While it was never stated why Paris left Blue Devil, we do know he was slated to work on Len Wein's newest mini-series, Zero-Man. Paris had finished pencilling the first issue before being assigned to Blue Beetle. Zero-Man never saw completion or publication.

Issue #24 had readers complaining that the series was striving too hard for 'lunacy' rather than standard comic book action. Editor Alan Gold once again agreed that they've let Blue Devil become too parodic for its own good.

While most issues read like a plot from a Saturday morning cartoon, a few stories stood out to me: Blue Devil, in typical DC comics fashion, first battles and then teams up with Firestorm to take out some of Firestorm's enemies in a 3-issue story arc that ran in Fury of Firestorm #46, Blue Devil v1 #23 and Fury of Firestorm #47. This gave us an idea of what Blue Devil v1 could've been if they'd had dialed down the silly factor a notch. The most noteworthy panels aren't even in the Blue Devil issue, but in Fury of Firestorm #46:

context: Ronnie Raymond/Firestorm punches out his dad's girlfriend so she won't see him turn into Firestorm. try getting away with that in a modern comic. pencils by Joe J Brozowski, inks by Mike Machlan

Blue Devil v1 #7, guest-pencilled by Gil Kane, brought a super-serious look to the issue (as opposed to the clean, cartoony illustrations Paris had been giving us). Many fans wrote in to complain about it, but I thought it was a pretty interesting-looking issue and would've liked to have seen more. Apparently Gil was not pleased with his final output, but submitted it regardless to meet the deadline:

Gil Kane pencils and inks from Blue Devil v1 #7

The final issue, Blue Devil v1 #31, was another issue that stood out to me. It was a nice two-part story in a giant-sized issue that made me realize how much I was going to miss this series now that it was over. The first part was written by Bob Rozakis and illustrated by Bob Orzechowski/Dave Hunt and had humorous undertones set in an everyday setting. The second part was written by Mishkin & Cohn and illustrated by Dan Jurgens/Gary Martin, was a continuation of the first story but it played up the mystical angle a bit more. This entire issue demonstrated that Blue Devil was a very versatile character who could be played effectively in all sorts of situations with the right creative team.

Mishkin and Cohn made the right call in integrating a mix of new Blue Devil characters as well as bonafide pre-established DCU characters into the series. Blue Devil v1 had guest stars galore... Superman, Elongated Man, Zatanna, Black Orchid, Creeper, John Stewart Green Lantern (to name a few). It's not only superheroes who pop up, but supervillains as well -- during the course of the series Blue Devil battles Metallo, The Trickster, The Fisherman, Toy Man, Captain Boomerang and a bunch more I don't feel like spoiling. I really enjoyed this about the series -- every new issue filled me with anticipation as I was curious to see which DCU character would be popping up next. It was also a great way to keep Blue Devil 'anchored' to the DCU, since he had his own cast of support characters who could arguably have kept him in his own private world.

Fun Fact: Etrigan the Demon made an appearance in a two-part Blue Devil v1 story that compelled a few readers to write in and complain that the creative team was undoing all the good characterization Alan Moore had done for Etrigan in Saga of the Swamp Thing #27 - #29 (published about one year prior).

Someone tell that Demon to keep his shirt on!
(a coloring error had Etrigan appear shirtless). 
From Blue Devil v1 #13. Pencils by Alan Kupperberg, inks by Gary Martin.

Legacy


A few characters created for Blue Devil v1 did see life outside of the series. Shockwave, introduced in Blue Devil v1 #2, may not have seen much action after Blue Devil v1 ended -- but he was short-listed to become a Super Powers Collection action figure (along with Blue Devil) in Kenner's 4th wave of figures (circa 1986). Unfortunately, Kenner cancelled the toy line before this could materialize.

Blue Devil's first original super-villain: Shockwave! (from Blue Devil v1 #2)
Paris Cullins pencils and Gary Martin inks

The sixth issue of Blue Devil saw the first appearance of a super-villain I was vaguely familiar with, but never realized to be a Blue Devil villain. Ladies and gentlemen, introducing The Bolt:

The Bolt debuts in Blue Devil v1 #6
Pencils by Paris Cullins, inks by Ernie Colon

The Bolt would go on to sporadically appear as a villain for whatever title needed him (ex: Hawkman, Starman, Captain Atom, etc) and would continue to confuse Marvel readers when they kept mistaking him for Blackout (heyo!). The Bolt's big 'breakthrough moment' was when he became a member of John Ostrander/Kim Yale's Suicide Squad for three issues in the early nineties.

As previously mentioned, the Trickster guest stars quite a bit in this series, and not always as the villain. Mishkin and Cohn did a great job of bringing much-needed characterization to this Flash rogue -- as a matter of fact, Mishkin and Cohn even had a Trickster mini-series in the works, but nothing ever came of it.

Blue Devil and Trickster from Blue Devil v1 #8. Pencils by Keith Giffen, inks by Gary Martin.
  

It wouldn't be a 'fun' comic without a sidekick, so issue #14 introduced us to Kid Devil (aka: 'Gopher' in his own kid-sized Blue Devil costume). According to editor Alan Gold, fans loved the 'costumed sidekick' idea.

Introducing... Kid Devil! (cover of Blue Devil v2 #14 - illustrated by Paris Cullins)
It's a homage to the cover of Detective Comics #38. Don't believe me?... look it up.

Kid Devil would stick around and assist Blue Devil in battling series antagonist Jock Verner and his Vanquisher for the next two issues. After the Crisis on Infinite Earth tie-in issues, Kid Devil got an entire issue to himself with Blue Devil on the sidelines. Coincidentally, Kid Devil gets 'retired from the spotlight' from Blue Devil v1 after this, for about "a year's worth of stories". Kid Devil, later renamed to 'Red Devil', would later join the Teen Titans sometime in 2007.

Fun Fact: Any OMAC fans out there? The Verner family and the Vanquisher first appeared in Mishkin and Cohn's OMAC back-up feature from 1981's The Warlord #42 - #43. Hey, DC continuity hounds: OMAC is set in the far, far future -- so this is an Easter egg of sorts.

Fan Reaction


Blue Devil v1 was infamous for having such an immensely dedicated fan base; the first several issues of Blue Devil received piles and piles of letters praising the series. "T.M. Maple" and Beau Smith (he named Blue Devil 'the best new comic of the first quarter of 1984' via Comicast-FM) wrote in frequently.

Most popular reader requests:
-Will there be a comic book adaptation of the (fictional) Blue Devil movie?
-How about a Blue Devil graphic novel? How about a Blue Devil poster?
-How about a team-up with Blue Devil and Ambush Bug?
-When is Paris Cullins coming back to draw the series?

Editor Alan Gold kept a pretty lively letter column, and even launched a contest in issue #20: "Why I Ought to Appear in Blue Devil". Readers were asked to submit short essays and photos of themselves explaining why they should be in a Blue Devil v1 story. The winner appeared in a story for Blue Devil v1 #28.

Amazing Heroes #63 saw comics reviewer R.A. Jones rank Blue Devil as one of the 10 Best books of 1984. Also in the Top 10? Power Pack, Atari Force and Jon Sable, Freelance.




The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men Often Go Awry


Alan Gold's last issue as editor was Blue Devil v1 #28. Actually, Gold completely left the comic book industry to go work for the Cambridge Book Co. after this issue. A fill-in issue written by Gold (and edited by Dan Mishkin) would appear in issue #29.

Barbara Randall took over as editor starting with issue Blue Devil v1 #29. Barbara would announce that Blue Devil v1 would be facing cancellation one issue later. "The cancellation came mostly from poor sales, and having to weed some books out of the schedule to make way for new ones (like the QUESTION, CAPTAIN ATOM, THE NEW FLASH...). I'm sorry this book was one of the casualties, and maybe we'll be able to bring BD back for a Special or two, but for now, his story is drawing to a close."

The Summer of 1986 Amazing Heroes Preview Special (which I'm presuming saw publication sometime April or May 1986) had already announced that Blue Devil would be cancelled as of issue #31. As a matter of fact, due to the announced cancellation, plans for a second Blue Devil Summer Special/Annual #2 were dropped and the contents were instead printed in the double-sized Blue Devil v1 #30 (which I'm glad they did -- it was one of my favorite issues that I forgot to mention).


In the final issue's letter column, Barbara Randall would mention that plans had been drafted to take a more 'serious look' at Blue Devil/Dan Cassidy, but that they unfortunately started this planning just a little too late (aka: too late to save the book from cancellation). Denys Cowan is name-dropped as the new Blue Devil penciller had the series continued. Shucks. The Summer of 1986 Amazing Heroes Preview Special pretty much confirms it: "Starting with issue #31, Blue Devil would have been, as Dan Mishkin described it, going through a Big Revival." It's teased (in the same article) that Blue Devil would appear in a future Booster Gold issue -- which he does, in Booster Gold #10 -- but he does not turn into a recurring guest star on the title.

No Blue Devil specials or one-shots ever saw publication after this, however, Blue Devil DID make appearances in all of the major DCU events (ex: Invasion!, Armageddon 2001, War of the Gods, Eclipso: The Darkness Within).

It wouldn't be until 1993 before Mishkin and Cohn would get another crack at making Blue Devil a household name. The duo wrote a Blue Devil feature that ran in Showcase '93 for six issues. In truth, I never got around to reading this series, so I couldn't tell you anything about it. Maybe this series will end up being a future review.

cover of Showcase '93 #5 -- Jose Luis Garcia Lopez cover art



The fate of Blue Devil, from co-creator Gary Cohn:

"The book was cancelled for what was then considered low sales when it dropped below 40,000. Consider how successful a book with almost 40,000 monthly sales would be considered now."

"Dan [Mishkin] was doing other work. MY star was descending. I'm not sure, over 30 years later, of the exact machinations...but he was getting ready to move on and I was going to take it on again. Editor Alan Gold asked if I could take it in a less jokey direction. I said sure, if I had an artist who could do exciting action... and we asked Dennis [Cowan]. I was very happy about that. Dennis and I went to lunch one afternoon, brainstormed a whole bunch of great stuff, none of which I remember...and then the book was cancelled."

"BD came back in Showcase because Neal Posner was a wonderful person and editor, liked us and our work, and wanted to give BD another shot. That didn't spark any fires, and that was the end of my/our chances with him. Since then... lots of people have done lots of crazy things with the character, none of which I'd have done."

---

And there you have it -- the most thorough review of Blue Devil v1 that you're probably going to read all day today. Final verdict: do I recommend it? If you like your comic books a little wacky with lots of action and lots of guest stars, then yeah, you will probably enjoy this one. It's an escapist series that often feels like it was meant to be a Saturday morning cartoon. If you're someone who requires heavy thought-provoking material with suspense and continuity and heavy drama -- well, I'd probably skip this series. Happy Halloween.

-Justin

-I want to thank Gary Cohn for the last-minute assist in providing a quote for this article.
-I want to thank Dan Mishkin for answering that extensive list of questions I sent him almost a year ago.
-I want to direct you to Once Upon a Geek's exclusive interview with Dan Mishkin and Gary Cohn (in podcast form) if you want to hear more about Blue Devil. Great work Shaggy and Ravenface!

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Jim Rugg's DC In The 80s Shoot Interview about Lobo.

In recent weeks, Jim Rugg - Eisner award winning co-creator of the critically acclaimed Street Angel comic and co-host of YouTube channel Cartoonist Kayfabe -  has had Lobo on his mind. On a panel at Heroes Con, Rugg - in response to an audience member’s question about dream projects - expressed his desire to do a Lobo vs. Shazam! story, citing the characters’ disparate tones as a recipe for conflict and excitement. 



In part, it’s because of Cartoonist Kayfabe longest-running project has been to dissect Wizard magazine, issue by issue and page by page, in an effort to document the era of comics that preceded the one we’re in now, in which comics are big business and what was once known as geek culture is part and parcel of the pop culture mainstream. In the process of this unpacking, Rugg, who also counts visual storytelling, illustration, and design work in his professional toolkit, has showcased his scholarly knowledge of comics history and his practical knowledge of comic book production and design along with co-host Ed Piskor (Hip-Hop Family Tree, X-Men: Grand Design). Interspersed with the Wizard coverage, Piskor and Rugg have conducted how-to’s, deep dives, and insightful interviews with creators and industry figures both obscure and well-known. The duo’s well of knowledge runs deep and their enthusiasm is infectious.

Given the nature of the now defunct magazine’s contents, Piskor and Rugg’s Wizard coverage has, thus far, amounted to a blow-by-blow chronicle of the speculator boom and bust of the comics industry in the 90s. This week’s episode of Cartoonist Kayfabe featured a close look at Wizard issue 31, which featured an interview with Simon Bisley, a creator closely associated with some of the best-known Lobo stories from the 90s. In the interview that follows, conducted by email with contributor Ian Thomas, Rugg talks about what worked and what didn’t work for him, regarding Lobo in the 90s.

IAN THOMAS: When I reached out about this, you mentioned that Lobo: the Last Czarnian was something of a revelation when you discovered it. What was it that grabbed you?



JIM RUGG: I bought issue one at a newsstand. This was before I had access to a comic shop and before the internet. There was a store that sold magazines, newspapers, and lottery tickets in my town. In the back, they had two spinner racks of comics. I would count down the days between new comic book day. I never knew exactly what was coming out, but I would end up buying between four and six comics, usually, with money I had from a paper route and from cutting lawns. I used to cut grass, then go straight to this little store, sweaty and dirty, but with my meager money in hand. 

One week, Lobo issue one was on the rack. It was only 99 cents. Most comics were a dollar or a dollar fifty. This one was priced like it was on sale. A dollar is an easy price to try, plus it was a number one - a good starting point. I had never heard of Lobo and something about that cover made me give it a chance. 

IT: What were your reactions to the book as a whole? Given your recent commentary on your Cartoonist Kayfabe channel, what was your reaction to artist Simon Bisley’s contribution to the book, specifically?

JR: The covers were painted by Simon Bisley and the interiors were pen and ink over Keith Giffen layouts. I note the cover/interior relationship because a lot of comics, especially DC/Vertigo of that era would have different cover artists. This always pissed me off. Because if I loved the covers, I was disappointed when the interior was different. And if I didn't like the covers, I might not even look inside the book. Also seemed like a weird move. 

My immediate reaction was “WTF?!” It didn't look like what I was used to seeing. I was so new to comics, this is even before Wizard magazine, so I was seeing a very narrow slice of comics and Simon Bisley's Lobo was radically different than what I was familiar with. I bought it and read it immediately. Reading just ratcheted up the weirdness. The unusual art and the strange story combined for a very memorable experience. Shocking - not because of the violence per se, but the overall tone of the book was unlike any comic I had encountered up to that point. It was disturbing but also funny. Unique and weird and looked amazing. It represents what I like in a comic book and nailing story/art is very rare.  


When I read it - it blew my mind. Simon Bisley's art was a revelation. This was 1990. I was reading Mark Bagley's New Warriors, Todd McFarlane’s Spider-Man, Rob Liefeld’s New Mutants, Jim Lee’s Uncanny X-Men. This was an era of dark, violent superheroes but I had never seen anything that looked like Lobo or read like Lobo. I wanted more. It was so different and wild. It felt like anything could happen. Lobo was a maniac. I liked the Punisher and Wolverine but Lobo was a whole other level of madness. 

IT: Simon Bisley’s work is certainly distinctive and nothing like any of those artists. His proportions remind me of Sam Kieth, but the heavy inks remind of Javier Saltares and Mark Texeira in Ghost Rider. Could you have likened it to anyone at the time? How about now, with the benefits of years of experience?

JR: There are a lot of Bisley imitators - like Chris Halls (aka Chris Cunningham) and Alex Horley. In interviews, Bisley has poked fun at Glenn Fabry's similarities. Some of the inking reminds me of Sienkiewicz - specifically some of the scratchy pen lines. Sam Kieth and Mark Texeira are both good comparisons. Different, but some similar qualities. Jae Lee is another artist I would describe as similar, but also not that close. There's a certain attitude that I see in these guys' art. It's scratchy/rough line, heavy shadows and texture

I would have loved if Dale Keown's Pitt veered in this direction, rather than the Top Cow /Wildstorm smoother hatching direction it took. It's not super close, but I sense a kinship with the violence and anarchy of Tim Vigil's Faust. Maybe a touch of Richard Corben with the muscles and violence and colorful character designs, too. 

IT: You frequently mention Tim Vigil as an influence and his signature creation Faust as a prime example of what you refer to as “Outlaw” comics, which, by my understanding are comics from the 80s black and white boom that exhibit excessive or gratuitous sex and violence, characterized by the artists’ stylistic obsessiveness and/or their limitations - production or otherwise - in realizing their visions. Does this sound right?  Can you draw any lines between the Lobo stuff and the outlaw stuff that you've been into? They're both violent, but Lobo's violence feels less illicit and less transgressive. Reading it now, it seems like the stuff of a certain kind of Facebook dad.

JR: I would call the original Lobo series Outlaw. Same with Hard Boiled (Frank Miller and Geof Darrow). The content is part of that but the drawing itself is equally a part of it. Simon Bisley's art is saturated with violence and the threat of violence - hooks, knives, chains, fights, blood, teeth, seedy bars...I call it Outlaw. The biggest argument against Outlaw status is DC's logo on the cover. But Lobo is hardly typical of a DC Comic. 

That Facebook dad comment is hard for me to parse. I've been rereading Wizard magazine and the editorial staff seem to disdain Lobo. I know several people that are a generation older than me and they HATE Lobo. Despite his political incorrectness, I can't imagine Lobo being embraced by MAGA. I don't know where I'd put Lobo. A lot of the Lobo comics over the year have rounded him into more of a DCU type of character and that's disappointing. But those original Lobo comics...they might be even more weird now than the day they were published. That's kinda cool. I think most Facebook dads would hate the Last Czarnian if they read it!



IT: Would these comics fly today? From DC, I would say no.

JR: I doubt DC would publish something like the early 90s Lobo. The humor of that book was built around bad taste, black comedy, and irony. Those things tend to attract controversy and backlash on social media. I don't think DC wants that. 

IT: Can you speak a little to your favorite Lobo stories from the 90s?

JR: Lobo: the Last Czarnian (Keith Giffen, Alan Grant, and Simon Bisley) is a favorite. The creative team seems to hit the ground in stride with this first series. It looks great. The story gives us some insight on Lobo. The humor's there from the beginning. Great stuff. 

Lobo’s Paramilitary Christmas Special (Keith Giffen, Alan Grant, and Simon Bisley) is awesome. One shot. Lobo vs. Santa. What more could you ask for? Genius. 

I like Martin Emond's Lobo, so Lobo in the Chair (Alan Grant and Martin Emond) is nice but my favorite is Lobocop (Alan Grant and Martin Emond)! Absurd. Completely absurd.

Batman/Lobo (Alan Grant, Simon Bisley, and Nathan Eyring) is pretty good.

Lobo: Infanticide (Keith Giffen and Alan Grant) is good. Keith Giffen's art looks cool. The first issue is like a bridge in style between Simon Bisley and Giffen's Trencher-line look. It's a very interesting series.




IT: The Keith Giffen/Alan Grant iterations of Lobo strike me as distinctly of the 90s. In many ways, Lobo is written like Wolverine, a grumpy, principled loner. But his principles are entirely self-serving and because of that one difference Lobo stories become humor stories. There are other elements that keep it light - the colors, the pacing, the fourth-wall-breaking meta flourishes - but, despite the violence, these stories ultimately feel out of step with the grim seriousness that ruled the day. Lobo stories remind me of Bugs Bunny cartoons in that they feel both very smart and very stupid. What resonated about these stories for you?

JR: You nailed it. There was humor in these books. Wolverine, Frank Castle, Bruce Wayne...these guys aren't funny at all. Lobo was funny. Parts of it were parody, parts of it were satire. I agree with you about the color, too. It uses a lot of bright, secondary colors - purples, greens, magentas. Simon Bisley working over Keith Giffen's layouts paces the art really well and Bisley is able to shine with the details he includes in the backgrounds. Bugs Bunny is a great comparison. If you revisit the old Looney Toons, it's remarkable how violent, edgy, and funny those cartoons are. They are chaotic and that chaos adds so much energy and life to the characters and stories. It's right in line with the early Lobo comics. Smart and stupid. Violent and funny. Surprising and irreverent. They pack a lot into a comic book - a lot more than the average Marvel or DC Comic that I was reading at the time. 

IT: Lobo stories all felt very deliberately self contained, unburdened by continuity and  mostly untethered from the wider DC U,  do you agree? I also think much of what works comes from the chemistry between artist and writer.

JR: I completely agree with both of these statements. That lack of DCU continuity allowed Lobo to be free and succeed or fail on its own weird merit. It felt different. I think the ongoing series hedges much closer to the DCU continuity and it lacks the verve of the best Lobo comics. It feels like the edges have been rounded and its not dangerous or scary or special. 

The art chemistry is worth considering. I'd be curious how it comes about because so many different artists work on those Lobo minis and specials but for the most part, I find the choices at least interesting. Were the writers hand-picking these people? Was it all the editorial vision? I don't know the answer to that, but I think it the artists are well-suited to Lobo and atypical for most DCU titles at that time. 

IT: Is Simon Bisley's take on Lobo your definitive Lobo?

JR: Yes. Absolutely. DC did a great job with the Lobo artists they published. I like a lot of the artists and I think many of them fit Lobo well - Martin Emond, Denys Cowan, Jim Balent, Christian Alamy, Kevin O'Neill, Alex Horley, Carlos Ezquerra, Keith Giffen. But Bisley defined the main man's look and no one's surpassed that version yet. It's wild, intense, over-the-top, and a little bit scary. It's hard to top Bisley in those categories. 

IT: Do the Lobo stories from his big run in the 90s hit you as uniquely British in any way?

JR: I must admit that British comics are a bit of a blind spot for me. I've read some stuff from 2000 AD to Deadline and a little bit of the more alternative stuff like Eddie Campbell, Dave McKean, and Paul Grist, but I don't have a strong sense of what defines "British" comics. Maybe they are aimed at a slightly older audience than Marvel/DC comics of the 80s and 90s. With that opinion, I think the humor is more sophisticated than a lot of the Marvel/DC stuff of that era. Lobo strikes me as having that kind of humor. It's almost punk in that it's designed to scare/offend our parents. 

IT: Lobo was released intermittently - a special here, a limited series there - rather than as an ongoing. I alway felt that made them more accessible to new readers by implying some level of standalone story unburdened of continuity. Your Street Angel stories have been released intermittently over the years. Can you talk about how much that method of releasing your stuff has served and/or hindered your development of the character?



JR: I never thought about it compared to Lobo! What an influence! 

The reason I make Street Angel standalone is because I know it can be hard to find indie comics. If someone hears Street Angel is good and they want to try it, I want them to pick up any Street Angel book and get a full story. So if the cover says, Street Angel, it's a complete adventure. I don't think it's hindered my development of the character. If you read more Street Angel, I think the character will become more clear. Although she is a mysterious character - so maybe that kind of format has served her mysterious nature well.

IT: Cartoonist Kayfabe just passed the 10,000 subscriber mark? What have been some highlights of the channel’s life so far?



JR: In the Comics Journal episode, Evan Dorkin stated that he has more respect for Sting the wrestler than the singer. 

Interviewing Tim Vigil was great. He’s an artist whose work I’ve admired and there aren’t a lot of Vigil interviews out there. Doing it on video was great to see and hear him talk about his comics and art. 
The Kayfabe community has been incredible. When we have questions about artists, books, or other comics-related stuff - the Kayfabers always have answers. 

The creative community around Cartoonist Kayfabe has been awesome too. We hear from a lot of people that they’re making comics while listening to the show. Or they’ve started making comics because of the show. People send us the comics they make or they come up at conventions and that’s been a real positive thing to experience.

IT: What’s next for you? What projects are on the horizon?

JR: Street Angel: Deadliest Girl Alive hits shops on October 30 from Image Comics. It collects all of the Image Comics Street Angel stories + a couple that haven’t been published before. Street Angel is a homeless ninja kid on a skateboard. It’s 240 pages for 20 bucks! I’m excited to get that into people’s hands. I’m very proud of these comics. They’re fun, dynamic, and unlike anything else I’m aware of. This book is the perfect book for new readers - young or old! Ninjas and skateboards! 

The PLAIN Janes comes out in January 2020, which will be here before we know it. It’s a 500 page epic, over a decade in the making! Jane moves to the suburbs and starts a guerilla art gang to liven things up. Of course that turns her quiet town upside down. It’s a Young Adult graphic novel written by Cecil “Batgirl” Castellucci. I think it will appeal to artists of all types as we follow Jane’s efforts to connect with the world through her art. The book features 3 different chapters, each printed with a different ink color. I like to think of it like my shoujo manga. 

After that...well, it’s too early to talk about the other things I’m working on. The best thing for people to do is follow me. 

Cartoonist Kayfabe is my YouTube channel with Ed Piskor. We post several videos a week, including updates on what we’re making and doing. 



You can follow me for more comics and art at: 




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Ian Thomas is a freelance writer residing in Pittsburgh, PA. His published work is collected at ianthomaswriting.tumblr.com.

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Round 4 Interview with Michel Fiffe, about COPRA #1, through Image Comics.

We at DC in the 80s LOVE Michel Fiffe. Why? He blessed us with the cover of the first issue of our fearless zine Baxter Stock. He spoke with us at length in 2016 with a hot 3 part interview (check out part 1, or as we called it, Round 1.). Most of all he has supported our mission as much as we have supported his, and has come out with some of the best comic books of the last decade.

Since he is coming out with a brand spanking new number one issue of his masterpiece COPRA, through Image Comics on October 2nd, 2019 (!!!), we asked him to do a quick interview. Mark Belkin does the honors in Round 4 with Michel Fiffe.


COPRA #1. Image Comics. Go get it now!


MB: Thanks again for talking with DC in the 80s. We make no secret about worshipping your work. You spoke to us at length in 2016 (Round 1), so this would be Round 4 of the interview. And we can't thank you enough for that first Baxter Stock cover. Soooo, what have you been up to since then?

MF: Running a marathon in a world full of sprints, Mark. I took a detour but now I’m back on that COPRA track.



Baxter Stock #1. Still blows us away.



MB: You were a Super Powers fan, and those toys meant a lot to yourself and people who grew up in the 80s. Do you have any plans to make a line of action figures for COPRA?

MF: Plans have been brewing so we’ll see what happens. Now, as much as I love those SP toys — they’re so elegant — I’d probably lean more towards the more detailed model. But hell, I'll take M.U.S.C.L.E.S. any day, too.

MB: Do you ever imagine what the mini comic to any of the figures would be about?

MF: I would love to have some anonymous office staffer draw my characters in the most joyless, mechanical way... that would be really interesting.


Michel's first foray into Super Powers mini comics.


MB: Tell us a bit about what made the Ostrander/McDonnell Suicide Squad run so special.

MF: Jeezus, that’s like asking Flea about the Lakers. That comic was special because it is sharp and grimy and sophisticated, wrapped up in colorful adventure stories. It was expertly done, beyond entertaining, and many times, it was sublime. 


MB: Legends, Invasion, Millennium were something you enjoyed. Do you have any plans of crossover with other Image titles? Something where Image "Will never be the same!"

MF: The grandeur of something like INVASION cannot be duplicated but I am trying my damn best. All within the main series, too. COPRA is a one-stop comic.
  
MB: Do you ever imagine what you would put into a crossover like that? Todd McFarlane drawing aliens invading the COPRA world would be pretty baller.

MF: I just want Todd to give me a pin-up.


Maybe?


MB: We have a time machine, and it's 1989. You get the chance to do a special 5 issue mini series of COPRA, which exists in the 80s. Every issue is drawn by a different artist, a la DC Challenge. Who are the 5 DC related artists you would pick to draw the stories you've written?

MF: Same people I would get today if I could: Walter Simonson, Kevin Nowlan, Laus Janson, Keith Giffen, and Xaime Hernandez.

MB: What would a Michel Fiffe Vic Sage Question comic be about? What would you be excited to put in?

MF: I actually have a barebones idea as to what I would do with Vic. I can’t go into it but I do know it can only work within the DCU. No alternatives. Naturally, everyone would guest star.
(Editor's Note: How do I link Dan Didio to this answer?)

MB: Tell us about your issue of COPRA #1 coming out October 2nd for Image. What can people expect?

MF: I wanted to make a fun, thick, accessible first comic. If you gotta pick one issue to see what COPRA is all about, this new #1 is the one to get. The larger story backdrop is for the heads, but I made it as welcoming as possible for new, curious readers. 




MB: Great speaking with you Michel, and I'm off to buy COPRA #1 right after I publish this. We are excited for you, and good luck man!