All properties shown TM & © the respective copyright holders
AMERICAN TV by
from the small screen... Peter Bosch
American TV Comic Books (1940s-1980s) From the Small Screen to the Printed Page ISBN 978-1-60549-107-3 First printing, January 2022 • Printed in China
Written by Peter Bosch Publisher: John Morrow Cover design: John Morrow, with inspiration from Michael Kronenberg Interior design: Richard J. Fowlks Proofreader: Kevin Sharp Editorial package © 2022 Peter Bosch and TwoMorrows Publishing, a division of TwoMorrows Inc. All rights reserved under international copyright conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. The viewpoints expressed in the text are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TwoMorrows Publishing. All quotes and image reproductions are © the respective owners, and are used here for journalistic commentary, criticism, and historical scholarly analysis. Every effort has been made to verify the ownership or source of all illustrated material. We regret any errors of attribution, and will make the appropriate corrections in future editions.
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Drive Raleigh, North Carolina 27614 www.twomorrows.com email: store@twomorrows.com 2
AMERICAN TV COMIC BOOKS (1940s-1980s)
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION................................................................................ 5 CHAPTER 1: The 1940s & 1950s...................................................... 7 Artist Profile: Gil Kane.............................................................................12 Artist Profile: Wallace Wood....................................................................15 Artist Profile: Bob Oksner........................................................................19 Artist Profile: George Evans....................................................................24 Artist Profile: Everett Raymond Kinstler...............................................46 Artist Profile: Dan Spiegle........................................................................49 Artist Profile: Alex Toth............................................................................66 Artist Profile: Russ Manning...................................................................73
CHAPTER 2: The 1960s................................................................... 83 Artist Profile: John Buscema....................................................................88 Artist Profile: Mike Sekowsky.................................................................90 Artist Profile: Russ Heath........................................................................95 Artist Profile: Reed Crandall...................................................................98 Artist Profile: Bernie Krigstein..............................................................109 Artist Profile: Doug Wildey................................................................... 111 Artist Profile: Gene Colan......................................................................126 Artist Profile: Alden McWilliams..........................................................141 Artist Profile: Warren Tufts....................................................................158
CHAPTER 3: The 1970s................................................................. 163 Artist Profile: José Delbo........................................................................166 Artist Profile: Neal Adams.....................................................................175 Artist Profile: Jack Sparling....................................................................178
CHAPTER 4: The 1980s................................................................. 183 EPILOGUE: The 1990s & ONWARD............................................. 189
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3
We Interrupt This Program For A Special Announcement... In this book, each entry discusses the TV program and the comic created from it. This book’s timeline is based on the comic book’s first tie-in to the TV series. Dates are from the comic’s cover or indicia, or if none were available, it was estimated. Where FC is seen listed for a number of Dell comics up to 1962, this is an abbreviation of Four Color, an anthology series that Dell used as a testing ground for possible new standalone titles (or as a final resting place for a comic series whose time had come and gone). It must also be mentioned that, though “Dell” appeared on the cover and throughout their comic books in the period up to 1962, Western Printing & Lithographing Company (aka Western Publishing) was actually producing the comics for Dell, including writing, drawing, and printing them. Western also held the comic book licensing rights for the majority of the TV shows, movies, and other characters. Dell paid the bills and did the
6
AMERICAN TV COMIC BOOKS (1940s-1980s)
distribution. The importance of this will be discussed in Chapter 2. While some lead characters in the TV comic books are perfect resemblances of the actors who portrayed them, others may not even come close. This may occur because a problem many artists experienced was a Hollywood star’s insistence on seeing the artwork and approving how they looked in the comic. On the other extreme, some actors refused to allow their appearance to be in comic books. Two final items: First, animated series are not included. I thought about doing this, but a little preliminary research made me realize that would likely fill two books the size of this one. Second, a few comics based on radio shows, including Captain Midnight; Casey, Crime Photographer; and Meet Corliss Archer, were hesitantly left out because the transition to TV for the program occurred after the comic title had stopped publishing.
CHAPTER 1: THE 1940 S & 1950 S
The evening schedule in the early days of television was filled with laughter as many popular comedians of the day had their own TV programs, including Milton Berle, Jackie Gleason, Sid Caesar, Red Skelton, Bud Abbott & Lou Costello, Bob Hope, Ernie Kovacs, Eddie Cantor, and Jack Benny. And then, of course, there was the actress who performed funny like no one else, Lucille Ball. They, as much as anyone, were responsible for the sales of TV sets soaring from 6,000 sets in 1946 to almost four million in 1950… and over 30 million by 1955. Drama, likewise, was no stranger to early television. TV’s best anthology programs existed within the medium’s first decade, with series such as Studio One, Hallmark Hall of Fame, and Lux Video Theatre featuring Humphrey Bogart, Claudette Colbert, Henry Fonda, and other megastars of Hollywood. It was also the training ground for young newcomers like Grace Kelly, James Dean, Sidney Poitier, and Paul Newman. And the productions were broadcast live! Anthology series were swept away in favor of crime shows and Westerns, the latter of which became the big ratings success of the late Fifties, with 30 to 50 different Western programs scheduled every week, including Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, and Have Gun— Will Travel. (this page and following) A highly-detailed, behind-thescenes look at early TV production drawn by George Roussos for a promotional comic released by General Electric, Adventures in Electricity #7 (1950). © General Electric Co.
CHAPTER 1: The 1940s-1950s
7
ing… and all the time over the top in love with money. The program also featured an excellent group of comedy actors in supporting roles: Harvey Lembeck, Allan Melvin, Paul Ford, Joe E. Ross, Billy Sands, and as the most out-of-shape Army slob ever (and one of the show’s most popular characters), Maurice Gosfield as Pvt. Duane Doberman. The writing for the program was tops in its field. (Neil Simon co-wrote 20 of the later episodes.) A Sgt. Bilko episode was like watching an entire comedy movie squeezed into a halfhour TV sitcom. The CBS series aired from September 20, 1955 to September 11, 1959. SGT. BILKO: Like the television show, the early issues of DC’s Sgt. Bilko comic depended enormously on dialogue. Some pages had so many lengthy word balloons that Bob Oksner’s art was practically squeezed out of the panels. The 18-issue series (May–June 1957 to Mar.–Apr. 1960) had many delights, including the occasional Oksner-drawn bevy of beautiful women. SGT. BILKO’S PRIVATE DOBERMAN: Oksner did double duty with the Bilko TV series by also illustrating a spinoff comic book title, Sgt. Bilko’s Pvt. Doberman. The second title still had Bilko-heavy tales, just with a little more favoritism featuring the rotund private. The DC comic ran for 11 issues (June–July 1958 to Feb.–Mar. 1960).
Lee Aaker and a descendant of the famous canine of the movies starred in the ABC- television series, The Adventures of Rin-Tin-Tin. Rin Tin Tin #19 (June–July 1957). TM & © the respective holders.
(Apr.–May 1957) in order to capitalize on the TV series and the covers started picturing Rin-Tin-Tin with Aaker and included the TV setting in the stories. Dell put out only two more issues under the Rin Tin Tin indicia title (ending with #20, Aug.–Sept. 1957), and then it officially became Rin Tin Tin and Rusty from #21 through #38 (Oct.–Nov. 1957 through May–July 1961). Dell also published new “Rin Tin Tin” stories in Western Roundup #22 (Apr.–June 1968) through #25 (Jan.–Mar. 1959) . Gold Key also published one issue in 1963, a reprint of #27. Artwork for most, if not all, of the series was by Sparky Moore. YOU’LL NEVER GET RICH / THE PHIL SILVERS SHOW / SGT. BILKO: One of the most enjoyable TV comedies of all time was The Phil Silvers Show (in its first year, it was called You’ll Never Get Rich), though to most viewers it was Sgt. Bilko. Phil Silvers played Master Sergeant Ernie Bilko, a con man extraordinaire and head of the motor pool on a fictional Army base in 1950s Kansas, and Silvers was perfect in the role. He played it alternatively brassy, bullying, and charm-
56
AMERICAN TV COMIC BOOKS (1940s-1980s)
THE BUCCANEERS: Robert Shaw starred in The Buccaneers, a 1956-1957 British TV series that aired on CBS in America. Set in New Providence in the Bahamas in the early 1700s, Shaw played Captain Dan Tempest, brash head of a group of ex-pirates like himself, now helping England. The stories were lighthearted adventure and the TV series lasted 39 episodes. Dell’s only issue (FC #800, May 1957) recapped the first and third episodes of the TV series. The artist, who may have been Tom Gill, did excellent swashbuckling work for the issue, although none of the characters resembled the actors of the TV program.
(opposite page) The success of the DC comic series based on The Phil Silvers Show (aka Sgt. Bilko) warranted a second comic title focused on the popular supporting character, Pvt. Duane Doberman. (top left) Maurice Gosfield and Phil Silvers, Sergeant Bilko #12 (Mar.–Apr. 1959), and (right) Gosfield again, Sgt. Bilko’s Pvt. Doberman #9 (Oct.–Nov. 1959). Bob Oskner created these head-turning covers to (bottom left) Sergeant Bilko #13 (May–June 1959), and (bottom right) 14 (July–Aug. 1959). TM & © Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc.
CHAPTER 1: The 1940s-1950s
57
Artist ProfILe: ALEX TOTH Alex Toth was born June 27, 1928 in New York and studied at the School of Industrial Art. He sold his first work to Eastern Color when he was in his teens and continued freelancing for them for several years. Toth was hired by Sheldon Mayer at DC in the late Forties, where he drew Green Lantern and the Flash, as well as Western strips. Toth found drawing to the DC “house brand” of resembling Sy Barry’s art too constrictive and freelanced at EC Comics and Standard. Toth was drafted into the Army in 1954 and, while stationed in Tokyo, he drew an adventure strip, Jon Fury, for the base newspaper. Following his service, Toth settled in Los Angeles and was hired by Western Publishing to work on several of Dell’s TV titles including Roy Rogers and Trigger, Sugarfoot, 77 Sunset Strip, and Walt Disney’s Zorro, which became his masterwork. During the Sixties, Toth went to work in the animation industry as art director on Space Angel, and he was hired by Hanna-Barbera, where he created Space Ghost. Shortly after this, Toth freelanced for DC again and also branched out to Marvel and Warren. It was at Warren that Toth got his last great accomplishment, creating and drawing “Bravo for Adventure,” a story about Jesse Bravo, a daredevil pilot in the 1930s. The feature appeared in second and third issues of The Rook magazine and would be collected later by IDW with previously unseen stories. Alex Toth was an artist highly admired by so very many in the industry and influenced other artists. In recognition, he was inducted into the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1990. Alex Toth died on May 27, 2006.
Zorro and Alex Toth… a perfect combination. Four Color #882 (Feb. 1958). © Disney Enterprises, Inc.
66
AMERICAN TV COMIC BOOKS (1940s-1980s)
The Dell Four Color “Walt Disney’s Zorro” issues ran from February 1958 through September–November 1959 (#882, 920, 933, 960, 976, 1003, and 1037) with Toth in all but the last issue. Warren Tufts was the illustrator of that issue, as well as the next two when it moved into its own title, #8 (Dec. 1959Feb. 1960) and #9 (Mar.–May 1960). Mel Keefer took his turn at #10 (June–Aug. 1960) and then #11 (Sept.–Nov. 1960). Alex Toth returned for one more issue, #12 (Dec. 1960-Feb. 1961), and Warren Tufts was back for #13 (Mar.–May 1961). The final two issues (#14, June–Aug. 1961, and #15, Sept.–Nov. 1961) had weaker art by John Ushler.
THE ADVENTURES OF CLINT AND MAC: Airing during the third season of The Mickey Mouse Club, the serialized story of “The Adventures of Clint and Mac” had two young friends in London—one American (Neil Wolfe), one British (Jonathan Bailey)—trying to earn extra money by delivering a package from a bookseller, only for it to get pinched from them. They went on a desperate hunt to retrieve the package, not knowing it contained the original manuscript of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, which had been stolen from the British Museum. The 15-episode TV serial aired from December 30, 1957 to January 17, 1958.
In 1963, Gold Key’s Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories #275 to 278 contained new five-page “Zorro” stories drawn by Nat Edson. Three years later, Gold Key restarted the Walt Disney’s Zorro comic series, with all nine issues being reprints of Dell stories.
The Dell adaptation (FC #889, Mar. 1958), which shortened the title to Clint and Mac, was another powerhouse of incredible illustration by Alex Toth. Even when he drew a panel with nothing in it but the two boys walking off in the background, and silhouettes of the bookseller and a thief in the immediate foreground, Toth was able to stun.
THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS: The Last of the Mohicans TV series (syndicated later as Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans) took up where the James Fenimore Cooper novel of the same name left off. Hawkeye, the frontier scout, and Chingachgook, his Mohican friend, ventured across the lands, helping others they met along the way and stopped bad men from preying on settlers and Indians alike. The TV program treated Indians with intelligence and humanity, though it still starred a white man (horror film star Lon Chaney Jr.) as Chingachgook. John Hart played Hawkeye. The syndicated series aired in 1957 for only 39 episodes. The Dell single-issue adaptation (FC #884, Mar. 1958) was drawn by Bob Jenney, whose work here was plain and uninteresting.
(left) Dell’s one issue based on the 1957 TV series Last of the Mohicans featured a cover photo of John Hart and Lon Chaney, Jr. Pictured: Four Color #884 (Mar. 1958). (right) “The Adventures of Clint and Mac,” another serial on The Mickey Mouse Club, starred (L-R) Jonathan Bailey and Neil Wolfe. Four Color #889 (Mar. 1958).
A fine example of Alex Toth’s adaptation of The Mickey Mouse Club serial “The Adventures of Clint and Mac,” from Four Color #889 (Mar. 1958). © Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Last of the Mohicans TM & © the respective holders. Clint and Mac © Disney Enterprises, Inc.
CHAPTER 1: The 1940s-1950s
67
Westward Ho-ley Moley! Seven of Warner Bros.’ top TV gunslingers got together for a 1959 photo: (L-R) Will Hutchins (Sugarfoot), Peter Brown (Lawman), Jack Kelly (Maverick), Ty Hardin (Bronco), James Garner (Maverick), Wayde Preston (Colt .45), and John Russell (Lawman). © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
is largely forgotten today that Eric Fleming was the star of the TV series as trail boss Gil Favor, with Eastwood supporting him as ramrod Rowdy Yates. A variety of master craftsman handled the art for the Rawhide comic book, including Warren Tufts whose experience in drawing Western comic stories dated back to his own comic strip, Casey Ruggles. The first of the Dell Rawhide issues (FC #1028, Sept.–Nov. 1959) showed Tufts loved the genre. Russ Manning’s handling of the second issue (FC #1097, May–July 1960) was very clean and pleasant to the eye. Dan Spiegle drew the rest of the Dell Four Color issues between 1961 and 1962 (#1160, 1202, 1261, and 1269), plus the title’s stand-alone issue (#01-684-208) and Gold Key’s #1 (July 1963) and #2 (Jan. 1964) of the title. STEVE CANYON: The TV adventures of Milton Caniff’s comic strip Steve Canyon was one of the most expensive shows ever created for the small screen in the 1950s. Dean Fredericks starred as Canyon, but he was bland-looking, not the hero as drawn by Caniff. The program’s stories took Steve Canyon everywhere people needed help, and plenty of footage of U.S. aircraft was used throughout the series. The NBC series lasted only one season, airing from 1958-1959. Dell’s comic book adventures of Steve Canyon had been within its Four Color series since 1953, but it was only the last of these that had a tie-in to the television program. Four Color #1033 (Sept.–Nov. 1959) featured a cover photo of Fredericks, with other pictures of the actor appearing on the inside cover and the back cover. Ray Bailey, in his best Caniff-like style, drew several of the previous non-TV tie-in issues of Steve Canyon and he did likewise in this issue.
82
AMERICAN TV COMIC BOOKS (1940s-1980s)
Dean Fredericks as TV’s version of Steve Canyon on the (left) front and (above) back cover of Four Color #1033 (Sept.–Nov. 1959). TM & © the Milton Caniff Estate.
CHAPTER 2:
It was an era that started with John F. Kennedy beating Richard Nixon in the 1960 Presidential election. Space exploration was the order of the day, but Americans were worried about other missiles—Russian missiles brought to the island of Cuba for the sole purpose of being in range of America. Nuclear war was at hand, but Kennedy’s strong hand made Khrushchev blink and remove the weapons of mass destruction. It was an era when, on November 22, 1963, CBS interrupted their programming and Walter Cronkite told the country that President Kennedy had been shot in Dallas. The death of the young president put the country into shock. Two days later, Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin, was murdered by Jack Ruby inside a police station—and it was captured live on television. The following day, the Kennedy funeral was broadcast on all three networks. If that pain had not been enough, in 1968, his brother Robert was killed by an assassin a few moments after he had won the California primary, and television cameras were just a few feet away. Adding horror on top of that, Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered that same year. The country was also mired in Vietnam and America’s youth did not want to be there. “Make love, not war” was the slogan of the new generation. It was a country ripped apart and the division between hawks and doves was never more apparent. Television, while documenting the tragedies, still managed to entertain with Batman, Perry Mason, Star Trek,
The 1960s
The Man from U.N.C.L.E., I Dream of Jeannie, The Beverly Hillbillies, Honey West, The Green Hornet, and many, many others. Dr. Richard Kimble proved his innocence in the final episode of The Fugitive, garnering the highest viewership of any program to that date. And the decade ended with President Kennedy’s dream realized as the world watched a man walk on the Moon. The comic books in the 1960s were also an amazing time with the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, the Avengers, and the X-Men added to the newsstand racks alongside Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the Justice League of America. The 1960s was not only a Silver Age for superheroes, it was that for TV comics, too—starting in 1962 when kids saw their favorite Dell titles bearing a new imprint, “Gold Key.” As mentioned in the Introduction, Western Printing & Lithographing Company had been producing the comics for Dell, including writing, drawing, and printing. They also held the comic book licensing rights for the majority of the TV shows, movies, and other characters, but Dell paid the bills and did the distribution. A clash between the two companies about money ended with Western keeping the comic book titles (and the artists and writers) and printing them under the new Gold Key insignia. Dell’s remaining and subsequent new titles (including Ben Casey, Dr. Kildare, and Car 54, Where Are You?) looked weaker than Gold Key’s polished cover design and printing. However, Dell continued on through the rest of the decade, giving competition to Western.
CHAPTER 2: The 1960s
83
1962 THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW: The Andy Griffith Show remains one of America’s most beloved TV shows, even after almost six decades since it first debuted on CBS. The close relationships between Sheriff Andy Taylor (Griffith), his son Opie (Ron Howard), Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier), Deputy Barney Fife (Don Knotts), and the rest of the cast in Mayberry may well be the idealized image of Middle America in the 1960s. Mayberry was a peaceable town so small there was only one barber, one bank, one gas station, and one town drunk (who let himself into a jail cell to sleep it off). The Andy Griffith Show ran from 1960 through 1968, at which time Griffith left the series. With a change of name to Mayberry R.F.D., and a new lead of Ken Berry, the program continued for another three years.
Coming at a time when the split from Western was just about to take place, Dell released only two comic issues based on the series. In the first issue (FC #1252, Jan.–Mar. 1962), Henry Scarpelli drew Griffith and Knotts in high-caricature mode, but it was still enjoyable. However, Opie and the other participants, as well as the panel backgrounds, looked more like a tale of Archie Andrews. The second issue (FC #1341, Apr.–June 1962) was weaker in all aspects of the art, this time by Bill Fraccio. DIVER DAN: A syndicated children’s program, Diver Dan mixed human actors and puppets in stories under the sea. Made on a minuscule budget, it resembled something from the early 1950s, instead of 1960 when it aired. However, it still had charm in its humor. The main bad guy was a barracuda who sounded like Bela Lugosi. On the good side was a beautiful mermaid, Miss Minerva (Suzanne Turner) and the hero of the title, Diver Dan (Frank Freda). The first Dell adaptation (FC #1254, Feb.–Apr. 1962) had very nice art, believed to have been by Maurice Whitman, with amusing illustrations of the different fish characters. Diver Dan had one more issue, under its own title, as #2 (June– Aug. 1962). ADVENTURES IN PARADISE: In Adventures in Paradise, Gardner McKay portrayed Adam Troy, the skipper of a schooner that he used to carry cargo from port to port. However, being a good guy, he often got involved in people’s problems, whether they were passengers or people he met on land. It was a popular series, with a number of good guest stars, including Alexis Smith, Lizabeth Scott, Yvonne De Carlo, and Vincent Price, as well as up-and-comers such as
Four Color #1252 (Jan.–Mar. 1962) featured The Andy Griffith Show stars Andy Griffith, Ron Howard, Don Knotts, and Frances Bavier on its photo cover. © Mayberry Enterprises Inc. © Danny Thomas Productions and its successors and assigns. © CBS Studios Productions LLC.
(left) An entertaining children’s program, two issues of Diver Dan were released under the Dell logo. Frank Freda was Diver Dan. Four Color #1254 (Feb.–Apr. 1962). (right) Gardner McKay as Adam Troy in Adventures in Paradise, a three-year ABC-TV adventure series. Four Color #1301 (Feb.–Apr. 1962). TM & © the respective holders.
104
AMERICAN TV COMIC BOOKS (1940s-1980s)
Jack Sparling’s artistic talent was put to the test by a story of complete manic obsession in the single Adventures in Paradise comic (Four Color #1301, Feb.–Apr. 1962). TM & © the respective holders.
CHAPTER 2: The 1960s
105
Well, everyone that is—except Clark Kent in Action Comics #345 (Jan. 1967). As the cover revealed, Clark was caught changing to Superman in a phone booth when Allen Funt opened the door and said, “Smile, Clark Kent… you’re on Candid Camera!”, live in front of 40 million viewers. The inside story played out that way, too, but with Kent turning the tables on Funt. Curt Swan provided the art for the memorable cover and Al Plastino did very well in drawing Allen Funt in the story. THE GREEN HORNET: From January 31, 1936 until December 5, 1952, across several radio networks, the Green Hornet and Kato fought “the biggest of all game, public enemies who try to destroy our America.” The Hornet and Kato also appeared in two movie serials from Universal Studios, The Green Hornet (1940) and The Green Hornet Strikes Again! (1941). The Green Hornet television series made its debut on ABC on September 9, 1966, (top right) The Green Hornet TV program was what the Batman series should have been, played straight. Van Williams and Bruce Lee. The Green Hornet #1 (Feb. 1967). (bottom left and right) The inside covers of The Green Hornet #1 (Feb. 1967) offered a comparison of Van Williams (Britt Reid/the Green Hornet) and Bruce Lee (Kato) to their Dan Spiegle-drawn representations. A photo of Wende Wagner, who portrayed Reid’s secretary, Casey Case, is beneath that of Bruce Lee. TM & © Greenway Productions, Inc., Twentieth Century Fox Television, Inc., and The Green Hornet, Inc.
146
AMERICAN TV COMIC BOOKS (1940s-1980s)
Dan Spiegle captured the nighttime hunting by the Hornet perfectly, as well as the bright daytime business of rounding up facts by Britt Reid. (The Green Hornet #1, Feb. 1967) TM & © Greenway Productions, Inc., Twentieth Century Fox Television, Inc., and The Green Hornet, Inc.
CHAPTER 2: The 1960s
147
BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY: The TV series, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, starred Gil Gerard in an updated take on the original 1928 pulp magazine tale appearing in Amazing Stories and the subsequent 1929 newspaper comic strip of Buck sleeping hundreds of years in a cave, only to wake up and find himself in Earth’s future society. In the TV version, Buck was an astronaut from 1987 who took an accidental trip through a cosmic storm, which caused Buck Rogers #5 his onboard computer to (Feb. 1980). malfunction and froze him TM & © Dille Family Trust. for 504 years. Waking to find the Earth in danger from alien forces, Buck sided with Col. Wilma Deering (Erin Gray), commander of Earth’s defenses. The NBC production came from Glen A. Larson, who also produced Battlestar Galactica. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
182
AMERICAN TV COMIC BOOKS (1940s-1980s)
(top left) The TV series, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, tried a combination of tongue-in-cheek humor and science-fiction adventure… which equaled a mess that never came close to the success of the Star Wars saga. Buck Rogers Giant Movie Edition (1979). (top right) The Buck Rogers Giant Movie Edition (1979) was a Treasury-sized edition that contained three chapters (which also were printed individually in the regular comic-size Buck Rogers issues #2 through 4). Al McWilliams’ art for the second chapter was the standout of the series. TM & © Dille Family Trust. Photographs © Universal City Studios, Inc.
wasn’t well-received and lasted only two seasons, airing from September 1979 through April 1981. Gold Key had published a single-issue Buck Rogers in the 25th Century comic in 1964, and Gold Key/Whitman started the new series at #2 (Aug. 1979). Issues #2 through #4 adapted the TV pilot. The comic book series continued through #16 (May 1982). (Issue #10 was not printed.) There was also a treasury-size edition collecting #2 through #4, and featured photos on the front and back covers (the regular-sized comics had paintings on the covers).
CHAPTER 4:
Ted Turner started the world’s first 24-hour news channel, CNN, on June 1, 1980, and there would be much to cover in its first decade, both uplifting and heartbreaking. People everywhere watched live on television the royal wedding of Charles and Diana, but the world also witnessed the moment the space shuttle Challenger exploded after liftoff. The 1980s was a time when John Lennon was murdered, hundreds of Americans were killed by a bombing in Beirut, and there were individual assassination attempts on President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II. However, it was also a decade of coming together for humanity’s sake as music superstars joined each other for specially-written songs, first in the United Kingdom, and then in the United States and Canada, to raise money for famine relief in Africa. The decade came to a close in celebration with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The Eighties were also a time of incredible entertainment. “Pac-Man” devoured not just dots, but also billions of dollars in people’s quarters. Personal computers were offered for sale, CDs replaced records, and the Walkman debuted. At the movies, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Ghostbusters, Die Hard, Back to the Future, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi provided escapism. On television, new shows included The A-Team, Cheers, Miami Vice, Knight Rider, and Quantum Leap. And a new network debuted… MTV. In the 1980s, while DC and Marvel were predominant in the creation of new TV comics, there were fewer titles published than in previous decades. This was not specific to just TV tie-in comics—the entire comic book industry was going through a downturn. However, the late 1980s saw the rise of independent publishers and things would change for the better.
The 1980s
1980 DOCTOR WHO: The canon of Doctor Who has filled many in-depth appreciations, with a convoluted history as large as that of the world of Star Trek. The story is of a Time Lord who stole a time machine, the TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension In Space), from his home world Gallifrey in order to travel freely throughout the universe and, as revealed in the 2017 Christmas special, learn why evil doesn’t win when The fourth TV “Doctor Who,” so much effort has to go into Tom Baker (Marvel Premiere being good. #57, Dec 1980).
TM & © British Broadcasting Corporation. The first Doctor was played Marvel Premiere TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc. by William Hartnell from 1963 to 1966, but when the actor suffered from a disease that made it mentally difficult for him to perform, the gimmick of “regeneration” came into being, where the Doctor came to the end of a life and was reborn into another body… in other words, replaced by another actor. Since that time, it has become an event by fans that is sometimes sorrowful but oftentimes celebrated as a bridge to something new. Hartnell was replaced by Patrick Troughton, who in turn was replaced by Jon Pertwee, and then Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, and Sylvester McCoy.
CHAPTER 4: The 1980s
183