ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: EVANGELINE & JOURNEY! a Febru
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THE AMERICAN
MEGATON MAN
A Z TEC ACE
TREKKER
DYNAMO JOE
ZOT!
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The American © Mark Verheiden. Aztec Ace © Doug Moench and Michael Hernandez. Megaton Man © Donald Simpson. Trekker © Ron Randall. Whisper © Steven Grant and Rich Larson. Zot! © Silver Linings. All Rights Reserved.
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’80s INDIE HEROES ISSUE FEATURING featuring Chuck Dixon • Steven Grant • Rich Larson • Scott McCloud • William Messner-Loebs • Doug Moench • Ron Randall • Doug Rice • Don Simpson • Mark Verheiden • Chris Warner & more
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PACIFIC COMICS COMPANION
WORKING WITH DITKO
JACK KIRBY’S DINGBAT LOVE
BEST OF SIMON & KIRBY’S
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CHRISTOPHER IRVING explores the superhero serials (1941-1952) of Superman, Captain America, Spy Smasher, Captain Marvel, and others, and the comic creators and film-makers who brought them to life! (160-page COLOR HARDCOVER) $39.95 (Digital Edition) $15.99 ISBN: 978-1-60549-119-6
STEPHAN FRIEDT & JON B. COOKE examine the independent that published KIRBY, ARAGONÉS, DITKO, ADAMS, GRELL, plus DAVE STEVENS’ Rocketeer!
JACK C. HARRIS recalls collaborating with STEVE DITKO on The Creeper, Shade, Demon, Wonder Woman, The Fly, & more, plus Ditko’s unused Batman design!
The final complete, unpublished Jack Kirby stories in existence: Two unused 1970s DC DINGBATS OF DANGER STREET tales, plus TRUE-LIFE DIVORCE & SOUL LOVE mags!
Collects JOE SIMON & JACK KIRBY’s 1954-56 series BULLSEYE (the complete run), plus all the Kirby FOXHOLE, POLICE TRAP, and IN LOVE stories, fully restored!
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IT CREPT FROM THE TOMB
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Digs up the best of FROM THE TOMB (the UK’s preeminent horror comics history magazine), with early RICHARD CORBEN art, HP LOVECRAFT, and more!
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REED CRANDALL
KIRBY & LEE: STUF’ SAID
TWO-FISTED COMIC ARTIST
JOHN SEVERIN
ALTER EGO COLLECTORS' ITEM CLASSICS
Master of the Comics
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MAC RABOY
History of Crandall’s life and career, from Golden Age Quality Comics, to Warren war and horror, Flash Gordon, and beyond!
Presents JACK KIRBY and STAN LEE’s own words to examine the complicated relationship of the creators of the Marvel Universe!
Biography of the EC, MARVEL and MAD mainstay, co-creator of American Eagle, and 40+ year CRACKED magazine contributor.
Compiles the sold-out DITKO, KIRBY, and LEE issues, plus new material on each!
Documents the life and career of the master Golden Age artist of Captain Marvel Jr. and other classic characters!
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Volume 1, Number 149 February 2024 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Eury PUBLISHER John Morrow
Comics’ Bronze Age and Beyond!
DESIGNER Rich J. Fowlks COVER ARTIST Norm Breyfogle (Originally produced as the cover of First Comics’ Whisper #4, Dec. 1986. Art scan courtesy of Heritage Auctions.) COVER COLORIST Glenn Whitmore COVER DESIGNER Michael Kronenberg PROOFREADER Kevin Sharp SPECIAL THANKS Heidi MacDonald G. K. Abraham Don Markstein’s Chuck Austen Toonapedia Dell Barras Scott McCloud Kurt Busiek William MessnerJarrod Buttery Loebs Ed Catto Doug Moench Comic Connect Luigi Novi Dan Day Cecil Disharoon Amanda Powers Tom Powers Chuck Dixon Ron Randall Ben Dunn Reading Is Fun. Matt Feazell Not Mental Phil Foglio Doug Rice Stephan Friedt Don Simpson Alex Grand Jim Thompson Steven Grant Mark Verheiden Bob Harrison Heritage Auctions Chris Warner Marv Wolfman Dan Johnson Thomas Yeates Mike Jones Catherine Yronwode Todd Klein Rich Larson
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IN MEMORIAM: John Romita, Sr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 INTERVIEW: Megaton Man’s Don Simpson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 The writer-artist discusses his durable, influential megahero BACKSTAGE PASS: Whisper, Revisited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Artists Rich Larson and Dell Barras recall Steven Grant’s lady ninja INTERVIEW: Journey’s William Messner-Loebs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Explore the American Frontier with the talented visionary BEYOND CAPES: Dynamo Joe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Big bots, the way you like ’em, courtesy of Doug Rice and friends FLASHBACK: Evangeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Say your prayers, ’cause here comes comics’ nun with a gun! BEYOND CAPES: Aztec Ace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 The indies’ ace time-traveler, with Moench, Day, and Yeates PRO2PRO: The American’s Mark Verheiden and Chris Warner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Creating a fresh take on the patriotic superhero trope INTERVIEW: Trekker’s Ron Randall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 The futuristic bounty hunter’s story, through the eyes of her creator BACKSTAGE PASS: The Zot! Interviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Scott McCloud and his collaborators look back at this crowd-pleasing comic BACK TALK: Reader Reactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 BACK ISSUE™ issue 149, February 2024 (ISSN 1932-6904) is published monthly (except Jan., March, May, and Oct.) by TwoMorrows Publishing, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614, USA. Phone: (919) 449-0344. Periodicals postage paid at Raleigh, NC. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Back Issue, c/o TwoMorrows, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614. Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief. John Morrow, Publisher. Editorial Office: BACK ISSUE, c/o Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief, 112 Fairmount Way, New Bern, NC 28562. Email: euryman@gmail.com. Eight-issue subscriptions: $97 Economy US, $147 International, $39 Digital. Please send subscription orders and funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial office. Cover artwork by Norm Breyfogle. The American © Mark Verheiden. Aztec Ace © Doug Moench and Michael Hernandez. Dynamo Joe © Dour Rice. Megaton Man © Donald E. Simpson. Trekker © Ron Randall. Whisper © Steven Grant and Rich Larson. Zot! © Silver Linings. All Rights Reserved. All editorial matter © 2024 TwoMorrows and Michael Eury. Printed in China. FIRST PRINTING
’80s Indie Heroes Issue • BACK ISSUE • 1
Illustrator. Inker. Innovator. Icon.
2 • BACK ISSUE • ’80s Indie Heroes Issue
Art atop page is from the cover of the 1993 Marvel Super Hero Calendar. Pencils by John Romita, Sr., inks by Joe Sinnott. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions. All comic books and characters shown TM & © Marvel, except Conan the Barbarian, TM & © Conan Properties International, LLC.
IN MEMORIAM
JOHN ROMITA, Sr. (1930–2023)
interview by
To m P o w e r s
Megaton Man is one of those characters that everyone always remembers once he or she has encountered his wildly brilliant metaadventures that offer Don Simpson’s incisive commentary on the monolithic universes of DC and Marvel Comics. But the saga of Megaton Man— which began in 1984 with Kitchen Sink Press, continued through Don’s self-publishing efforts via Bizarre Heroes, and is rising stronger than ever through his recent work with the character in X-Amount of Comics: 1963 (WhenElse?!) Annual— is one that serves as a great inspiration to any aspiring creator who wishes to forge an original path in an often corporate-dominated comic-book industry. It is thereby my distinct pleasure to share with BACK ISSUE the following conversation I had with Don concerning the four-decade story of the indomitable Man of Molecules. – Tom Powers TOM POWERS: When you were creating Megaton Man #1 (Nov. 1984), you were in your early 20s. Could you please talk about what went into making this historic comic? (On your blog, you discuss having to wash dishes in order to support yourself while putting this issue together.) DON SIMPSON: I’d been drawing since I was five; I was just one of those kids who never stopped. At the age of ten, the summer of 1972, I discovered comics and fell in love with them. I’d gotten some free DC and other comics in second grade, but when I began buying them myself, I gravitated toward Marvel. There were older kids in the neighborhood who had stacks of stuff dating back to the mid-’60s, so I could get my hands on that. MAD magazine was an influence, Dr. Seuss before that. Doonesbury and Funky Winkerbean and Peanuts were in the newspaper. Nick Meglin and
Shouldering the Burden Don Simpson’s Megaton Man #1 (Nov. 1984), published by Kitchen Sink Press. TM & © Donald E. Simpson.
’80s Indie Heroes Issue • BACK ISSUE • 3
Thirty Years Ago Megaton Man creator Donald Simpson working on Image Comics’ Splitting Image #2 (Apr. 1993), with the house ad for 1963 and pages from the Savage Dragon team-up nearby. Special thanks to Dandy Don for kindly providing the images accompanying this interview.
Jack Davis did a paperback called Superfan, a sports-superhero parody [see BI #142—ed.]. I probably haven’t spoken adequately about that as an influence on my work. Davis was on every cover of Time magazine when I was a kid, and our family subscribed. There were lots of influences, lots of great how-to books at the library. Dave Breger wrote books on being a gag cartoonist; there were other books on newspaper strips, collections of editorial cartoons, Charles Addams and Peter Arno books. How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way came out before I was a junior in high school. I spent all that summer of 1978 copying drawings from Burne Hogarth’s Dynamic Anatomy. To say nothing of the influence of comedy—TV, films, Monty Python, Saturday Night Live, Mort Sahl comedy records, Bill Cosby comedy records. Science-fiction films were beginning to have convincing special effects: Star Wars, Close Encounters, Alien. Of course, Adam West’s Batman and the George Reeves Superman, cartoons, Planet of the Apes, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, The Six Million Dollar Man, the classic monster movies, The Wizard of Oz—all that and more. POWERS: How did you successfully pitch this book to Kitchen Sink Press? SIMPSON: The first issue of Megaton Man took 13 months; I had dropped out of art school. I was living in midtown Detroit, near the University-Cultural Center—Wayne State University, the library main branch, the Detroit Institute of Arts. There were art-supply stores, used bookstores, porn shops—all the wonders of urban bohemia. I was washing dishes at Union Street on Woodward, as you mention, and inking pages at night. I went to the photocopy place in the basement of one of the Wayne State buildings—it’s a Barnes and Noble now. I mailed copies to Fantagraphics, Aardvark-Vanaheim, Heavy Metal, Epic Illustrated, First, Eclipse, Pacific Comics—I have rejection letters from a number of defunct publishers. Fantagraphics turned me down twice—long, haranguing letters from Gary Groth: “You’re wasting your time on this superhero parody crap!” But I was trying to get all that out of my system, all the Burne Hogarth, Jack Kirby, hyper-masculine exaggeration. Kitchen Sink, of all places, picked it up. I had sent Denis [Kitchen, publisher] something while I was still in high school, something I thought was “underground.” He had kind words but advised me not to run away from home to join the circus. A few years later, I think what he saw in Megaton Man, honestly, was a plausible color title to join The Spirit in color and, later, a revived Death Rattle in color. I don’t think he wanted to be in color comics, but he kind of had to, to keep Will Eisner. Cat Yronwode at Eclipse had published John Law: Detective in color not long before, and sold something like 80,000 copies. [Editor’s note: See BI #141 for more about John Law.] It was the 4 • BACK ISSUE • ’80s Indie Heroes Issue
original version of a story Eisner had later converted into a Spirit story, “Bring in Sand Serif.” He just drew a mask on the character and made it a Spirit story. But he kept stats of the original in his files, and since it fell outside his contract with Kitchen Sink, Cat offered to publish it in color. Denis didn’t want to risk it, so Cat made a bundle. After that, it didn’t take much to realize The Spirit would have to be in color if Denis wanted to hang onto Eisner. It never sold like that John Law issue, but it had to be done. As a superhero parody, Megaton Man was a natural for color, although I had used a lot of Zip-a-Tone in the first issue. It got to the point that Megaton Man was the only profitable book in color; The Spirit and Death Rattle both ended up losing money, the former because of Will’s royalty arrangement, and the latter because, to attract name pros, Denis had to offer a higher page rate. After the color line ended, I did Border Worlds in black and white. POWERS: Since Megaton Man is filled with many great characters that serve as homages to Silver Age characters, how did the comics that you read when you were growing up influence these clever choices? SIMPSON: One of the first comics I over possessed was a coverless copy of Not Brand Echh #12 (Feb. 1969), which was an odd way to start. Marvel was making fun of itself, and I didn’t know who half the characters were. Later, when I started reading “straight” Marvel comics, there were lots of reprints of the origin stories in treasuries and Origins of Marvel Comics, so I could grasp the mythology pretty quickly. I was really parodying the stuff I liked as a reader from those days. When Megaton Man appeared, people thought I was making fun of the current industry, but all they were doing was repeating the old tropes. I threw in a few references to mutants and Secret Wars, and people thought I was commenting on current events. I really wasn’t; I wasn’t really following the new stuff. But you didn’t have to. You read one, you’ve read ’em all. But it seemed natural to have a sense of humor about superheroes. Before very long (after becoming a reader), Howard the Duck came along; it was hip to be satirical. By the early ’80s, superheroes had lost all sense of humor. I suppose that made it seem so radical to make fun of them. But I don’t think I could have matched the humorlessness of straight superheroes of the time. Things have gotten sillier recently, with Batman ’66, but at the time, the industry was ashamed of Adam West and any connotation of humor. I don’t think I would approach straight superheroes much differently; that much is probably apparent in Bizarre Heroes, so humor was just my way to approach the mythology while having fun. POWERS: Both the cover and page 29 of Megaton Man #4 (June 1985) present Megaton Man on a crimefighting date with Stella Starlight (a.k.a. the See-Thru Girl). In particular, they are featured against black-and-yellow crossword-puzzle buildings that are similar to the ones that later form a backdrop for Dr. Manhattan and Silk Spectre’s romantic storyline in Watchmen #4 (Dec. 1986). Could you please comment on these similarities (which you have brought up on your blog and Facebook page)?
SIMPSON: That’s what I’m talking about. I was doing Watchmen before Watchmen. Keep in mind I was making all this stuff up as I went along; I never had a master plan. Because I was being published by a legacy underground publisher, and because I was doing comedy, ostensibly—and because Megaton Man was $2.00 when Marvel and DC comics were 60 cents—I felt I could push things a little more over the PG line. We weren’t subject to the Comics Code. So, I had nudity—the See-Thru Girl, for starters. She could turn naked with but a thought! And Megaton Man—basically a Superman parody visiting the Marvel Universe—he has this fling with the eye candy of the Fantastic Four—my Megatropolis Quartet. Superman meeting the FF was a Not Brand Echh trope. And the way I write stories… I should back up for a moment. I made them up as I went along. I was just trying to think, “What would be funny?” So, at the end of issue #1, the See-Thru Girl and Pammy—the hero’s two love interests—leave town. They split. I had nothing planned after that. And I mailed off my photocopies, and I have a publisher in Wisconsin asking me, “Can you do this bimonthly?” Sure! But I had not built a world. So, what happens next? Well, the girls are off to Ann Arbor, and Megaton Man joins the Megatropolis Quartet—but there’s this friction, because Rex Rigid, the scientist-husband of the See-Thru Girl, knows there’s been some hanky-panky, and he’s a malevolent sort. So, Megaton Man thinks Rex is trying to kill him when he’s being turned into Captain Megaton Man. My point is that I was always coming up with something funny, then taking it seriously, and asking, “What happens next?” In this case, wouldn’t it be funny if the See-Thru Girl goes off to college, trying to forget her failed marriage to a mad scientist three times her age and trying to forget her fling with the Man of Molecules—but then she realizes she’s pregnant? So, I’m just making up stuff that I think is funny, but subconsciously, it’s going to a very f***ed-up place. And of course, Alan Moore is going to rip that off and go to town [laughter]. When I met him, I had just completed Megaton Man #6 (Oct. 1985), which did a spoof of Swamp Thing. I have this character—not even a character, really—a sawdust dummy that gets soaked in Megasoldier serum. Megaton Man, when he needs to ditch his day job as Trent Phloog, cub reporter at The Manhattan Project, puts this sawdust dummy in his chair at his desk, and he runs off and does his Megaton Man thing. And one day, the evildoers who want to kill Megaton Man assassinate the sawdust dummy instead. The dummy ends up in the swamp, and I try to ink like John Totleben, and the captions read, “But he isn’t Trent Phloog. He never will be Trent Phloog. He never was Trent Phloog.” So, I’m carrying these photocopies in my portfolio, and I’m walking through the dealers’ room in San Diego [Comic-Con], 1985, to and from Artists’ Alley, and I run into Alan Moore. And I show him this page. He reads it out loud and says, “Brilliant writing!” That evening, DC hosted a party down by the bay, and I’m at a table with Alan and Maggie Thompson, and Alan says to me, “By the way, I’m ripping off Megaton Man—not really.” And he explains that Dr. Manhattan is his take on a nuclearpowered character. And sure enough, a year later, Watchmen #4 has my “on patrol” scene with Megaton Man and the See-Thru Girl going on patrol—really, just an excuse to hook up, and Dave Gibbons has the crossword-puzzle skyline and everything. Now, I was very flattered. But of course, it’s the curse of the clown to not be taken seriously, whereas the Shakespearean
dramatist is creating High Art. But, whatever. I thought it was all friendly back-and-forth plagiarism—I mean, discourse! But I ran across the fifth issue of Megaton Man recently— very dark for a superhero parody, because in a flashback, Rex is slapping around Stella, the See-Thru Girl, because he knows she’s been cheating on him. And he’s very menacing. And she beats him up right back. And I thought, “Wow—people are always talking about Alan Moore’s influence, but I think he may have picked up a thing or two from me!” POWERS: With Megaton Man #5 (Aug. 1985), you begin an interesting subplot of sending journalist Pamela Jointly and Stella back to college in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Likewise, Trent eventually becomes their roommate, but they run the household.) How do these storylines provide commentary upon their DC and Marvel counterparts, Lois Lane and Susan Storm Richards (or the traditional role of the female sidekick in general), in regard to their agency—or lack thereof? SIMPSON: Again, I was just following the logic of the last joke I made. So, Megaton Man loses his power at the end of issue #10 (June 1986), the end of the series, and he’s just a civilian again, wearing this baggy costume that no longer fits him, because he had huge muscles before. But they’re gone. And he realizes the loves of his life—if he could make up his mind—are also gone, and one of them is going to have his kid. So, he’s off to Ann Arbor. Now, I did seven issues of Border Worlds and started freelancing for DC on Wasteland. But eventually I started to wonder, “Whatever became of Trent and Stella and Pammy?” The influences were really Doonesbury and The Big Chill more than Marvel and DC, as well as my own life living with roommates in Detroit and knowing lots of creative types in bohemia. I was an art-school dropout by this point, but I knew a lot of college students my age, musicians, actors, and so on. We
We’re Sure it Won’t Bomb Original presentation cover for the Megaton Man #1 pitch, from 1983. TM & © Donald E. Simpson.
’80s Indie Heroes Issue • BACK ISSUE • 5
Writer Steven Grant’s ninja character Whisper first saw the light of day in a two-issue run from Capital Comics (Dec. 1983–Mar. 1984). In a “Pro2Pro” interview with Grant and Whisper artist Norm Breyfogle that appeared in BACK ISSUE #49 (Feb. 2017), Grant told me: “I was living in New York and taking a train home to Madison, Wisconsin, where I grew up. I read a cheap paperback, supposedly factual, about ninjas to pass the time. At the time ninjas were just beginning to work their way into the American psyche. I knew that while ‘ninjas’ did exist in feudal Japan—they were essentially messengers for nobles—what we think of a ‘the ninja,’ the black-garbed, shuriken-throwing, virtually unstoppable magical assassins, were the product of nationalistic interwar Japanese pulp fiction. In other words, complete BS. I mean, really, if ninjas as we think of them ever existed, do you really think Japan could’ve lost WWII?” Rich Larson was the artist of Capital’s two issues of Whisper. With the demise of Capital Comics, Whisper moved to First Comics, continuing her story in Whisper Special (Nov. 1985), also illustrated by Larson. From there, she became a part of First’s anthology series First Adventure (Dec. 1985–Apr. steven grant 1986), also with art by Rich Larson for all five issues of its run. [Editor’s note: Joining the “Whisper” feature in all five issues of the First Adventures anthology was “Dynamo Joe,” another of this issue’s indie heroes. Issues #1–4 also included an adventure starring “Blaze Barlow and the Eternity Command.”]
by S t e p h a n
Friedt
RICH LARSON, THE ORIGINAL ARTIST
Rich Larson is probably best known for his collaborations with his art partner Steve Fastner. From the Fastner/Larson bio page on their DeviantArt page: “We’re Steve Fastner (airbrush artist) and Rich Larson (penciler), and we’ve worked together on fantasy and comics-related art since 1976. … Most of our larger paintings are airbrushed by Steve onto art board over Rich’s pencils. More of our work, including some comics, can be seen at fastnerandlarson.com.” [Editor’s note: See BACK ISSUE #83, our “International Heroes” issue, for its Fastner/Larson X-Men vs. Alpha Fight cover and an interview with the artists about their collaboration.] I spoke with Rich Larson via email about the experience of working with Steven Grant as the original Whisper illustrator: STEPHAN FRIEDT: How did you and Steven Grant come together as a team? RICH LARSON: I’m dredging this up from the synaptic depths, so some of the details might not be entirely accurate. In the mid to late ’70s, I was doing stories and covers for Charlton’s ghost comics and had done a few stories for undergrounds like Denis Kitchen’s Bizarre Sex and for “ground level” comics like Sal Q’s Hot Stuf’. I believe Sal put Steven Grant in touch with me, and we did a couple of stories together—the profoundly impenetrable (at least to me) “Nimrod Fusion” for Mike Friedrich’s Imagine and a neat little eco-disaster fable called “The Walls of the City” for Hot Stuf’. 16 • BACK ISSUE • ’80s Indie Heroes Issue
Making Noise for ‘Whisper’ Duck! Whisper’s got you in her sights! Original art for an early promotional poster for Capital Comics’ Whisper series, and the printed poster. Art by and courtesy of Rich Larson. Whisper © Steven Grant and Rich Larson.
Grand Larson-y (insets) Covers to the two Capital issues, Whisper #1 (Dec. 1983) and #2 (Mar. 1984). Issue #1’s cover by Michael Golden, #2’s by Larson. (main) Capital Comics’ demise kept this dynamite Rich Larson cover art from appearing as the cover of issue #4, which was not published by the company. Instead, this piece surfaced on the intro page of the 1985 Whisper Special. Scan courtesy of the artist. Whisper © Steven Grant and Rich Larson.
I think Steven suggested me as a possible artist when he brought Whisper to Capital Comics, and to this day, I’m not sure why Capital went along with that. I was doing freelance advertising art at the time and had only done short comic stories previously. I ended up wildly underestimating the amount of time it would take to do a full book, and I had to ask Dennis Wolf, on zero notice, if he would be willing to drop whatever he was working on to do the inking and lettering. He was a terrific artist (see Eclipse’s Overload magazine) and he absolutely saved the first issue. Grant was either in Wisconsin or New York City, and I was in Minnesota, so the way we worked together was by full script via mail. I was chronically behind schedule, so I don’t remember much in the way of back-and-forth; luckily Steven put everything necessary to visualize the story into his scripts, so there wasn’t the need for a lot of discussion. FRIEDT: What was the inspiration for your work on Whisper? LARSON: I hate to say it, but Whisper was probably close to the least-inspired published work I’ve ever done. Part of that was because, as primarily a fantasy/horror guy, I just wasn’t a good fit for the material. I was always trying to figure out a look for the art that would complement the story and that I could pull off. The other part was that when I started working on the art for the first issue, I was already in the middle of other things— ad work, mostly. I was trying to do several things at once, and constantly falling behind. Until about the third and fourth issues (which First Comics packaged together as the Whisper Special), when I decided to concentrate on what I FRIEDT: What was your goal in developing the was doing, it was all I could do to just move the character? plot along from A to B. There was no room for LARSON: Although we were credited as coinspiration. But by the third and fourth issues, rich larson creators, the character and story were always what inspired me was the desire to finally bring entirely Steven’s. I had an idea of how he felt a uniform look and a base level of competence to the visuals. (See near the end of the interview for how well about heroes and heroics, and so I tried to keep the overall look as far away as possible from the way those things had traditionally that worked out.) been handled in comics. As far as Alex’s physical appearance was concerned, since her FRIEDT: What influenced you when you worked on the character? early ninjutsu training was to help her recover from childhood Movies? TV? LARSON: Honestly, I was influenced by the desire not to do polio, I wanted to keep her slender and (by comic-book standards) another martial-arts character. The genre has never much reso- almost a bit frail looking—just in case things started going too nated with me, and I don’t think Steven ever mentioned wanting well in her life to suit Steven, and he decided to have her to to pay homage either. My sense was that the rolling dumpster relapse into paralysis. I suppose the costume was a concession fire that Alex’s personal life [Whisper’s real name is Alex Devin— to the superhero genre. The standard issue ninja suit wasn’t ed.] was going to be as a result of becoming a pawn in the battle something I wanted to be drawing Alex in over and over, but between the feds and the Japanese underworld was the main I was also concerned with not ending up with something like attraction and that the ninja aspect was going to be subservient another Elektra. Since Whisper wasn’t going to be doing to that. I think Steven was telegraphing this when, early on, superhero stuff, and Alex wasn’t configured to be eye candy, a major bad guy confides in Alex that there’s no such thing the costume itself had to provide a significant portion of the as a ninja; their existence is just a myth the underworld elites visual interest without being overly “costume-y.” I tried to keep continued to propagate to gain and keep power in the Yakuza. it simple, dramatic, and moderately plausible. And I wanted (Although the character could have been lying through his teeth Alex’s vulnerability to show through. It was nice to see future to throw Alex and the reader off. With Grant, you never know.) Whisper artists continue to go with it. ’80s Indie Heroes Issue • BACK ISSUE • 17
The Other Whisper Artists (top left) Whisper #13 (June 1988) cover by Spyder (Neil Hanson). (top right) Whisper #29 (Oct. 1989) cover by Steve Epting. (bottom) Whisper #37 (June 1990)—the final issue in this volume’s run— cover by Vince Giarrano. Whisper © Steven Grant and Rich Larson.
Haunting the wilds of Oregon, now semi-retired so he can devote even more time to uncovering the gems of comic-book history and empty-nesting with his wife, STEPHAN FRIEDT helps with entries at comics.org and comicspriceguide.com, and provides editorial consultation and an occasional writing assist for Defective Comix Studio at defectivecomix.com.
A NEW NORM FOR ‘WHISPER’
Norm Breyfogle (1960–2018) was the next Whisper artist. My bio for Breyfogle, from my interview in BACK ISSUE #94 (Feb. 2017): “‘Discovered’ by Mike Friedrich at the 1984 San Diego Comic-Con Art Show, Norm was soon working for Marvel, DC, and First. Though perhaps best known for his stellar work on Batman through multiple titles, Norm also worked on The Spectre and other DC titles. Norm continued in a variety of venues including working for Speakeasy, Markosia, and Malibu, where he created the character Prime. Norm has also illustrated children’s books, and novels, and worked in illustration for the advertising world. In 2008, Norm made his mark in Archie Comics, and in 2012 he returned to illustrating Batman for Batman Beyond at DC. In 2014, Norm suffered a stroke and was coping with the limitations that resulted, but passed away on September 24, 2018.” Breyfogle would handle the art chores for Whisper #3 (Oct. 1986) through 11 (Feb. 1988). This relatively short two-year run is fondly remembered by many of the fans as a high point in the series. “Basically, the main thing I enjoyed about working on Whisper was that it was my first full-time comics gig,” Norm told me during our BI interview. “However, I also enjoyed the themes and characters in the story; Steven Grant and I seemed and still do seem to share an awful lot of viewpoints on political and social issues.” When asked if there were any challenges for the newbie artist when drawing Whisper, Breyfogle laughed, “Don’t get me started! I was working on this before I owned a computer and before there really existed much of the Internet at all, so I had to find all my visual references in magazines and books at the local library. It was very difficult. It was a gigantic challenge for me to meet the deadlines while penciling, inking, lettering, and painting the covers for the series. I remember thinking how difficult my career path had turned out to be; I have a large Dionysian stripe in me, and that stripe was even more pronounced back in my 20s. But after meeting the deadlines for a year or so, I began feeling good about it all.” Whisper #12 (Apr. 1988) saw the return of Rich Larson on art. Issues #13–24 featured art by Neil Hanson, using the nom de plume of “Spyder.” A North Canadian artist, Hansen has illustrated comics for Marvel (The Punisher and Conan) and Valiant (Turok). For First Comics, again using the pen name “Spyder,” he also worked on Badger and Nexus. Hansen did his own t series called Untamed for Marvel, as well as covers and some scriptwriting work. A revolving door of artists cycled through Whisper for the series’ remaining issues. Rich Larson returned for another single issue, #25. Issues #26–28 featured the artistic talents of Vincent (Vince) Giarrano, an American contemporary realist painter and former comic-book artist. In comics, he’s best remembered for Batman, but has also drawn Dr. Fate, Doom Patrol, The Terminator, and other series. Artist Steve Epting drew Whisper #29–31. Wikipedia notes: “In 1989, Epting read of a contest being conducted by independent comicbook publisher First Comics, with the winner’s story to be published by the company. Although the contest did not actually exist, First declared Epting one of the ‘winners’ and he began drawing for the company. His assignments for First included backup stories for Nexus, guest-artist duties on Dreadstar and Whisper, and two miniseries starring Nexus supporting character Judah Maccabee: Hammer of God and Hammer of God: Sword of Justice.” Issues #32–37, the final issues of the series, would see the return of Vince Giarrano as Whisper artist. Steven Grant provided the scripts for the entire run. In 2006, Grant returned to the character to script a Whisper one-shot, loosely related to the Whisper series published by Capital and First Comics. Published by Boom! Studios, Whisper #1 was illustrated by Jean Dzialowski.
20 • BACK ISSUE • ’80s Indie Heroes Issue
conducted by
G.K. Abraham
Comics’ Other Wolverine Forget DC’s Tomahawk—William Messner-Loebs’ Journey: The Adventures of Wolverine MacAlistaire is your comic-book pathway to the American Frontier. Original artwork from Journey #1 (Mar. 1983), courtesy of Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com). © William Messner-Loebs.
It is only in retrospect that we realize the ’70s and particularly ’80s books that many of us grew up with, that BACK ISSUE magazine is devoted to, are further away and more distant and distinct from kids and young adults today than the World War II comics of the ’40s, the Golden Age of Comics, were to our generation. Most of the books of the ’40s were published during the nascent years of the medium, and that is reflected in the art and storytelling. As much as we may thrill to a Mac Raboy–drawn Captain Marvel, Jr. or Matt Baker Phantom Lady or Simon & Kirby Captain America or Alex Schomburg covers, most Golden Age stories themselves are not going to be confused with great storytelling… whereas the books of the ’80s, spearheaded by creators like Miller and Moore and Moench and Giffen and DeMatteis, showed that the medium had arrived and grown up. These were young men telling personal, sophisticated stories in the medium of the comic book— atypical stories that resonated with them, and therefore resonated with the disaffected youth and young adults who were picking up these books at the time. And the more that storytelling holds up, the books of the ’80s are to some extent the standard by which even modern audiences judge great storytelling. There is a reason Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen and Swamp Thing remain perennial bestsellers, and works we revisit over and over again in various mediums. Because the ode of the Hopeful Young Man does not die. It is something we can relate to, especially as our culture gets more unreasoning and arguably barbaric, the visions of these challenging storytellers are ever more unusual and sophisticated. And arguably nothing represents that as well as writer/ artist William Francis Messner-Loebs’ (Bill Loebs, to friends and colleagues; Messner is the family name of his wife and collaborator, Nadine) body of work, specifically his Journey: The Adventures of Wolverine MacAlistaire (henceforth Journey). First seen in 1983 in a backup story in Cerebus #48, Journey is a black-&-white feature chronicling the wistful treks of Joshua “Wolverine” MacAlistaire in the American Frontier of the 19th century. Titled “Search,” this first Journey story, which concludes in Cerebus #49, is an adept and assured introduction to the series’ time and place. Loebs’ deft penciling, inking, and panel compositions, and his use of shading, blacks, and negative space, combined with a rich, gripping, and immediately addictive narrative, makes for a smashing conclusion to the first story and a mesmerizing introduction to an immediately iconic character. Soon spinning off into its own title, Journey was originally to be a sixissue miniseries from publisher Aardvark-Vanaheim. Journey ultimately ran 27 issues, through 1986, switching to publisher Fantagraphics Books with its 15th issue. You can find two IDW collections collecting the whole Journey series. Unfortunately, the printing isn’t great on those collections, and you lose much of Bill’s light, detailed linework and subtle shading and shadowing, plus much of his storytelling. The original issues remain the best way to sample this under-championed bit of Americana, this Mark Twain of the comics medium. Journey is a body of work that deserves a remastered hardcover edition, to make accessible to a new generation this important, whimsical, and fun series that is arguably the best comic book ever done about the spirit of the American frontier, tall tales and all. In early 2023 I had the good fortune of interviewing Mr. Loebs about Journey. Hopefully this interview will serve as a primer for the uninitiated and a small impetus toward a remastered, deluxe reprinting of his epic work. – G. K. Abraham
’80s Indie Heroes Issue • BACK ISSUE • 21
G. K. ABRAHAM: We’ll start with a question you have been asked before, but one I think we do not get tired of hearing the answer to: How did you get into comics? WILLIAM MESSNER-LOEBS: A friend of mine suggested we should go to an art fair. It was one of these art fairs in the late 1960s. It was mostly just for show, not a big thing, not a fair with judges and that kinda thing. My friends were all saying you should be doing things that are more commercial like everybody else is doing, and I was [drawing] small children riding on rhinoceroses, a bunch of floating skulls. And I made a $100, so sadly I wasn’t able to take the message my friends were willing to give me. I had been to one comic-book convention at downtown Detroit, at the old Shelby [Hotel]. So I decided to take my cardboard carton full of drawings and lay them out. And various things happened at that convention. I was able to convince one of the bossy guys trying to get us thrown out of the convention, saying there wasn’t a place for us, to back down, which was the only time I was able to do that with some sort of authority figure. [At the convention,] a friend of mine who was coming in from out of town was showing me original Segar artwork. ABRAHAM: E. C. Segar. The creator of Popeye. LOEBS: Yes, And then he also had a collection of Wallace Wood historical posters. Suddenly, all these things I never heard of before. And then a fellow came up and asked me if I wanted to draw a comic book for him. ABRAHAM: And that was Dave Sim? LOEBS: Actually, no, that was many years later. No, this was a really horrible guy. And it turned out that I did do the comic book for him, which was semi-pornographic. But he had a flood in his basement and all that artwork was lost. He eventually did have a comic-book company, Power Comics. All this happened after I homesteaded along the Canadian border for a year. So that was how I broke in. When I first graduated from college, a friend of mine wanted to put together a new magazine about the arts. So that kinda started me thinking about comics again. I picked up the first four issues of Fantastic Four, and the first issues of Amazing Spider-Man and Daredevil—years later, my friends and I were following slavishly the Byrne and Claremont X-Men. I was collecting the old Spirit magazine—my art kinda resembled that. And I was working at an art supply store. And one of the things, I was doing all my drawing with a technical fountain pen. And so the guy who ran that store said, “Do you like using that dead line, or would you like to use something else?” So he talked me into using a Series 7 Sable Windsor Newton. And when I sat down and
Then and Now A 2001 selfcaricature of Messner-Loebs, from the Heritage archives, and (inset) a recent photo of our spotlighted creator.
22 • BACK ISSUE • ’80s Indie Heroes Issue
started playing with it, I realized that’s how they get that comic-book line. So I was doing that, and I had all these sort of odd comicbook connections. And my friend, Tim Donaho, came back into my life, and he and a couple other friends were there. So I packed up all my art supplies and for three-quarters of a year I got to do a real comic book, which was Night Witch and Blu Bird and a whole bunch of other stories we thought would make us famous. And I met [Justice Machine creator] Mike Gustovich at a convention [up there] and I went back two or three times, trying to break in. And eventually I did. ABRAHAM: So, how did you meet Dave Sim? LOEBS: We went to a convention in Canada. And that’s where I met Dave and Demi [Loubert] Sim. A year after that, they contacted me and wanted me to do unique stories in the back of Cerebus. Which is how I came to do “Welcome to Heaven, Dr. Franklin,” which was really my first professional job, where I was actually paid something, and employed by someone intentionally. [Editor’s note: Messner-Loebs’ “Welcome to Heaven, Dr. Franklin” originally appeared as the backup in 1982’s Cerebus #34–38. About Comics reprinted the stories in a little-seen one-shot released in 2005.] ABRAHAM: What did you think of Dave and Deni Sim when you first met them? [Editor’s note: Cerebus the Aardvark creator Dave Sim and then-wife Deni Sim, now Deni Loubert, were behind the independent comics company Aardvark-Vanaheim in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, the first home of Loebs’ Journey series.] LOEBS: We worshiped them. Unfortunately, we were right there when their breakup came. It was sort of a hard fall to take.
Cover Story (top) Loebs’ Journey often featured wraparound covers, some of a single, expanded scene, and others—like the front and back covers to issue #1, shown here—of two different images. (bottom) MacAlistaire makes a grisly discovery on the cover of Journey #2. Original cover art courtesy of Heritage. © William Messner-Loebs.
ABRAHAM: Because she was actually the publisher of AardvarkVanaheim’s comics? LOEBS: She was the publisher, and he was the editor-in-chief. As their marriage fell apart and other things happened because of that, they changed positions in the company considerably. But that was a long time ago, and Dave and Deni have been extremely helpful as I get things done, and get published and all of that. I think we’ve all sort of kissed and made up at this point. ABRAHAM: I remember reading Deni’s articles in Journey, where she would discuss you and [Messner-Loebs’ wife] Nadine and the glowing praise she had for you both. LOEBS: She was extremely generous. ABRAHAM: You stayed on Journey for three years, I believe, 27 issues. Did you expect to stay on that long or just four issues and done? LOEBS: Six issues. Originally we were thinking it would be a six-issue miniseries, but Deni came to me and wanted it to continue, so that’s what we did. ’80s Indie Heroes Issue • BACK ISSUE • 23
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by D
The mid-1980s were a great time for animated fare for a lifelong science-fiction fan like me. My local UHF television stations were hitting me where I lived with shows like Voltron, Tranzor Z, and The Transformers. These shows had what I liked: robots. Big, honking robots. I didn’t know it at the time, but the first two shows were also laying the seeds for my love of anime. As these shows were taking over syndicated television, a comicbook series at First Comics was beginning to find an audience that had a hankering for giant robots, too. But where the robots were all the rage on television, there was very little at the local comics shops like Dynamo Joe. Set in the future, Dynamo Joe concerns the adventures of the two-man crew manning a Dynamo Class Robosoldier, a giant robot that was part of a fleet of robots engaged in an intergalactic war against the invading race known as the Mellenares. Dynamo Joe’s crew included pilot Sgt. Elanian Daro, a former captain of the Imperium Officers Corp, and mechanic Pomru Purrwakkawakka, a member of the feline alien race, the Tavitan. The series was high adventure with some humor and a lot of heart, and it stands as one of the best science-fiction comics of the 1980s. The series was inspired by its creator’s love of anime. These days, anime is a worldwide phenomenon, but at the time Dynamo Joe came out, young fans like me were just getting a small taste of the animated magic arriving here from Japan. Doug Rice, though, had been ahead of the curve.
an Johnson
doug rice
COLLEGE DAYS
To get the full story behind Dynamo Joe, we have to discuss the friendship that made the series possible in the first place. Doug Rice and the man who wrote the majority of the Dynamo Joe stories, Phil Foglio, first met through their mutual love of science fiction. “Phil and I go back to college,” recalls Rice. “He was in the DePaul University Society of Science Fiction Freaks and Armchair Speculators and I was with the University of Illinois Circle Campus Science Fiction Group, and each group came to one another’s meetings and we got a chance to socialize, This was when the Chicago science-fiction conventions started up again.” “All of us at the DePaul University Science Fiction Society, all four us, went over to Circle Campus because that group had a real clubhouse and everything,” adds Foglio. “They put out a fanzine, so they obviously knew what the hell they were doing. [We became friends because] Doug was an artist and I was an artist, and from ’74 to ’76, we actually shared an apartment.” Rice and Foglio began attending sci-fi conventions together and entering art shows at these events. It was through these shows they first began to get noticed in the fandom circles and then later began to gain work as professionals. But it was one convention road trip in particular that was the genesis for Dynamo Joe. Thing was, it wasn’t anything that happened at the con that launched destiny into motion. It was a visit to Foglio’s hometown and a chance encounter at a local shop that set things off.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Go, Go, Joe! Get ready for some giant robot action! First Comics’ Dynamo Joe #1 (May 1986). Cover by Doug Rice. Dynamo Joe © Doug Rice.
“I have been a fan of giant robots since 1976 when I was at a Star Trek convention in New York City,” recalls Rice. “It was the big one when they were to announce Star Trek: The Motion Picture, before the NYC fire marshal shut the overcrowded event down before [Gene] Roddenberry even arrived. Phil was going to take me to meet his family.” ’80s Indie Heroes Issue • BACK ISSUE • 29
Although popular in movies and books for many years, nuns were seldom depicted in comics outside of Treasure Chest and Catholic Comics. These wholesome series routinely offered stories where nuns were important characters and sometimes even featured on the covers. One other exception was Dell’s four-issue series The Flying Nun. This was adapted from a 1960s TV show about an order of nuns in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Sister Bertrille, played by Sally Field, was an idealistic nun who could tilt her cornette (headpiece) into the winds in such a way that she could fly. What do The Flying Nun, Bewitched, and I Dream of Jeannie have in common? In each of these, the female protagonist had a power or ability that needed to be kept secret from the world at large. The theme of secrecy continued in 1984 with the story of a nun with a secret life. Imagine how jarring it was in when Comico Primer #6 introduced the world to a nun with a gun! Set in a near-future world, readers met a nun who was secretly an assassin for the Catholic Church. Her name was Sister Evangeline.
by E
d Catto
PRIMING THE PUMP
Today it might be called “a soft launch,” but a chuck dixon short feature in Comico Primer #6 (Feb. 1984) Michael Pate. introduced fans to Evangeline and to her creators, Charles Dixon and Judith Hunt. The cover featured Evangeline and summed up the series’ premise with the juxtaposition of a nun praying, complete with stained glass in the background, contrasted with a full-figure illustration of the character in a ready-for-action style jumpsuit, pistol in hand. Editors Matt Wagner [yes—that Matt Wagner!—ed.] and Reggie Byers proudly trumpeted the series in the text page: The big news for this issue is, of course, Evangeline. The exciting tale of how the church handles its future is the brain-child of Charles Dixon and Judith Hunt, a husband and wife team that will be expanding their legend to premier in its own color title in February. This series is sure to be a winner, so watch out for it. This initial short story, evocative of a Spaghetti Western movie, takes place on “The fifth and smallest planet in the Rigel system, a barren dustball, worth only a small profit to the food co-op that owns it.” Cruel men take charge and the situation is dire. The scene shifts to Rome, and specifically, the Vatican. After being informed of the circumstances, the Pope advises his subordinate to “Send Evangeline.” (Foreshadowing future ownership disputes, the bottom of the first page of this story has a hand-lettered note: © Charles Dixon, Judith Hunt + Comico.) Evangeline arrives on the planet in full nun regalia and is initially subservient and docile, as is often the case for comicbook heroes when they maintain in their “secret identity.” The tension soon ratchets up, and she is in full action-movie mode! At the climax of this short story, Evangeline, with rifle in hand, confronts the cruel antagonist. He looks on in horror and stammers, “You were disguised as a nun!” Evenhandedly, Evangeline replies: “No disguise. I am a nun.” The criminal laughs at the absurdity of the situation even as Evangeline shoots him. The last panel of the page shows her praying over his corpse. 34 • BACK ISSUE • ’80s Indie Heroes Issue
Heeding the Call Evangeline’s first appearance, Primer (a.k.a. Comico Primer) #6 (Feb. 1984). Cover by Judith Hunt. Evangeline © Chuck Dixon and Judith Hunt.
PERSONAE DRAMATIS From the outset, Evangeline employed a small cast of recurring characters:
Sister Act Publishers were in the habit of producing comics with nuns long before Evangeline, including (left) Charlton’s Catholic Comics (shown is issue #6, from 1946) and (right) Dell’s TV tie-in The Flying Nun (issue #1, from late 1967). Flying Nun © Sony Pictures Television.
EVANGELINE’S NOVITIATE
Charles Dixon soon became known as Chuck Dixon. As one of the most prolific comic-book writers, Dixon is well known for his work on a wide variety of characters including Batman, the Punisher, and Conan. At this writing, Dixon writes the Levon Cade series of action thrillers and recently published a new novel featuring Conan. At the time of Evangeline’s creation, Dixon was married to the character’s co-creator, artist Judith Hunt. She enjoyed a relatively brief career in comics, and also worked on licensed series like DC’s Robotech Defenders [see BI #137—ed.] and Marvel’s Conan the King. Hunt and Dixon would split up during the Evangeline series. She left the Evangeline series, although Dixon continued scripting. She would soon leave comics altogether for children’s illustration, most notably Highlight’s “Timbertoes” comic strip. In a July 2020 interview on the Comic Book Historians podcast, hosted by Alex Grand and Jim Thompson, Chuck Dixon recalled how Evangeline was created. “I don’t remember the year, sometime in the ’70s, late ’70s,” said Dixon. “It was something that had been kicking around in my mind for a while, and we presented it at a couple of companies. And then this company, Comico, popped up in Norristown, Pennsylvania, which wasn’t that far from where I was living at the time.” Dixon described the premise. “Well, it’s a futuristic story, a science-fiction story, you know, space opera, a planet-hopping thing. It features Evangeline, who is a nun with the church and she’s sort of a spy for the Vatican.” Evangeline had her own literary precedent. “I read a series of paperbacks called The Inquisitor,” continued Dixon. “They were written under a pseudonym by Martin Kruse Smith. And they were about basically a James Bond who works for the Vatican. And he has a sort of dispensation to kill, as long as he does penance afterwards. I mean, it was a great series. It’s a great series. It’s in that men’s-adventure paperback genre. But to me, it’s like literature. Each novel was really terrific, if anyone
Evangeline – a stoic beauty, focused on the job at hand. She’s almost a mix of Star Trek’s Mr. Spock and The Terminator’s Sarah Connor. Tough as nails with an intense, purpose-driven push to move forward. Fans first met Evangeline in full nun habit in Comico Primer #6. During a crisis, she quickly sheds her habit and begins firing her rifle. Seeing this, one incredulous villain assumes she was just pretending to be a nun. She shoots him, emotionlessly, as she explains she is a nun. And after she has killed him, she prays a Latin blessing for his soul. We learned a little bit of her background in two interlude/flashback tales, and there were teases that there were more youthful adventures to be revealed. Cardinal Syn – Like Bond’s M or Batman’s Police Commissioner Gordon, Cardinal Syn is Evangeline’s boss in the Catholic hierarchy. Dixon and Hunt don’t present him as a despicable scheming boss. He is sympathetically presented as a flawed man in a flawed system. He’s passionate about the Church, and will go to any lengths to protect the organization and its members. Of course, the absurdity of having to kill for love or use guns for peace is lost on the characters. Like Charlton’s/DC’s the Peacemaker, Cardinal Syn is too much “in the moment” to ever question his tactics or motives. Johnny Six – We first meet Johnny Six as he reluctantly teams up with the Contessa (one of Evangeline’s frequent disguises) in Comico’s Evangeline #2 aboard about “The Hate Boat.” Johnny Six serves as the audience POV character. He’s enthralled by Evangeline’s beauty but perplexed by her devotion to God and her commitment to abstinence. Evangeline isn’t oblivious to his affections, and she is often kind but firm. It is clear that Johnny Six isn’t the first lovesick man with whom Evangeline must contend. ’80s Indie Heroes Issue • BACK ISSUE • 35
THE ‘FIRST’ EVANGELINE IN PRINT Long before Chuck Dixon and Judith Hunt created the Evangeline comic series, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie, a story of two “Cajun” lovers, although they were referred to as Acadians at that time. Longfellow had never even visited Louisiana, but nonetheless this story took on strange life of its own. Subsequent authors wrote more about these young lovers, eventually morphing Evangeline’s name into Emmeline and claiming it was all true.
God,” he explains as a way of solidifying his alliance with Evangeline, although he mangles the word “Catholic.” Bhuto eventually sacrifices himself in order to save Evangeline from a sniper’s bullet. In his dying breath, she cradles him as he seeks validation. “Bhuto good Catrick? Damn right… Bhuto good Catrick.” “Yes, Bhuto… a good Catholic,” whispers Evangeline as he dies in her arms. “A brave Catholic.” The series’ letters column, “The Confessional,” would also engage in discussions of Catholicism, printing several lengthy and thoughtful letters.
THE END TIMES
Issue #12 (Mar. 1989) wraps it all up with Evangeline and Johnny triumphing over the bad guys. Similar to ending of so many Westerns, most notably The Magnificent Seven, they are celebrated by the local townspeople. Johnny reaffirms Evangeline’s purpose with their last dialogue exchange: Courtesy of Heritage.
Johnny Six: That little speech about God’s Law—you really are a nun. Evangeline: Yes, I really am. Johnny Six: Sister Evangeline—pretty name. Evangeline: God’s law and God’s love. They’re everywhere. Johnny Six: But sometimes they need a little help. Evangeline: Exactly. Evangeline, wearing a flower crown, stares dreamily into the sky, as Johnny Six throws away his beer bottle. “Just your luck, Johnny,” he grumbles to himself. “Falling for a woman who’s married… to God, no less.” Evangeline’s story would end there, although it didn’t seem like it needed to. She would be followed by others. Warrior Nun Areala would spawn a franchise that eventually earned a Netflix show. DC’s Huntress would be rebooted as a devout Catholic whose beliefs were often at odds with her superheroic mission. Peacock’s Mrs. Davis showcases a nun, Sister Simone, fighting against A.I. while searching for the Holy Grail. Dixon and Hunt’s Evangeline has not been forgotten. In Gemstone Publishing’s Lost Universe series, J. C. Vaughn and his team explore various universes in comic books. Lost Universe #2 reports thusly on Evangeline: “The world Dixon and Hunt (and later Dixon and other artists) painted was rich, nuanced, and wide open for exploration, a veritable universe of possibilities.” But for the time being, fans (like Johnny Six) of the beautiful blonde nun-assassin will have to moon over their Evangeline comic books and simply wonder, “What if…?”
A Convent of Creators Evangeline’s artist in residence changed at times during the First Comics run, including Jim Balent, who penciled #12 (Mar. 1989), the series’ final issue. Evangeline © Chuck Dixon and Judith Hunt.
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ED CATTO is a marketing and startup strategist, with a specialty in pop culture. As founder of Agendae, Ed is dedicated to helping brands and companies innovate and grow. As part of the faculty at Ithaca College’s School of Business, Ed teaches entrepreneurial courses and one unique class focusing on comic conventions and Geek Culture. Ed’s also an illustrator, having won the 2019 and 2021 Pulp Factory Awards, and a retropreneur, rejuvenating brands like Captain Action.
Aztec Ace is a series about time travel and paradoxes. We could very easily take up the rest of this magazine to fully describe the series, but— hopefully—readers might be encouraged to seek out the issues—or the collected edition—and discover it for themselves.
PENNSYLVANIA, 1984
by J a r r o d
Buttery
Writer/creator Doug Moench was interviewed by Bob Greenberger in David Anthony Kraft’s Comics Interview #10 (Apr. 1984). Moench stated, “Aztec Ace comes from an unwillingness on my part— after what happened with Moon Knight and Weirdworld at Marvel—to give away another creation. Anyway, I’ve had the idea for Aztec Ace for a long time now, stored away until the time—ahem—was right.” Moench kindly spoke with BACK ISSUE: “Aztec Ace? That was the most self-indulgent thing I ever wrote [laughs]! When I quit Marvel and went over to DC, my phone didn’t stop ringing. I don’t know how these people knew about it, but they did. One of the calls was from Dean Mullaney and Cat Yronwode at Eclipse. They wanted to do something with me and wanted to know what ideas I had. I told them about four or five ideas, including my vague concept about time travel. They liked it but I told them, ‘But that’s the most non-commercial idea. That will be the hardest to sell. It’s really just my excuse to write about all of my interests.’ ‘We’ll do it,’ said Dean, and they offered me more money than DC! “Did you know that Steranko named the series? He rang me up. I told him what I was working on and I told him about my time travel book. ‘Sounds great,’ he said, ‘What’s it called?’ I read him some of my potential titles and when I got to ‘Aztec Ace’ he said, ‘Stop! That’s the one!’ And I told him, ‘But that’s the one which least describes what the book’s about! The title has nothing to do with the book!’ ‘Doesn’t matter,’ he replied, ‘it’s catchy.’”
TENOCHTITLAN, 1518
Aztec Ace #1 (Mar. 1984) was written by Moench, penciled by Michael Hernandez, inked by Nestor Redondo, colored by Philip DeWalt and Denis McFarling, and lettered by Adam Kubert (!). Therein we are introduced to Ace and Bridget, in the city-state of Tenochtitlan (in what is now Mexico City), in the year 1518. We
Time Is on My Side From Eclipse Comics and writer Doug Moench, Aztec Ace #1 (Mar. 1984). Cover pencils by Michael Hernandez (Bair) and inks by Thomas Yeates. The “McFarling” in the signature is cover colorist/logo designer Denis McFarling. Unless otherwise noted, art scans illustrating this article are courtesy of Jarrod Buttery. Aztec Ace © Doug Moench and Michael Hernandez.
’80s Indie Heroes Issue • BACK ISSUE • 43
“He’s the ultimate American hero, an indestructible symbol of hope and courage for an entire nation, a one-man army standing tall for Freedom, Justice, and the American Way—but what about truth? When reporter Dennis Hough is assigned to cover a story about his boyhood hero, he begins to see the cracks in the legend. Does The American have feet of clay? Or is he himself a victim of a larger conspiracy?” That’s how the back cover blurb summed it up on Dark Horse Comics’ 2005 trade volume collecting the original eight-issue run of The American. Here’s how Don Markstein’s Toonpedia explained The American: “Patriotic-style superheroes, all decked out in red, white, and blue, have been part of the U.S. comic-book scene ever since MLJ Comics introduced The Shield in 1939. From Marvel Comics’ Captain America (1941) to DC’s Steel, The Indestructible Man (1978), all had many points in common, among which was the fact that their patriotism was a simple, straightforward type, unequivocal support of the U.S. government in all its endeavors. It wasn’t until the 1980s that more nuanced forms of patriotism came into vogue, and it became possible to do ‘patriotic’ heroes along the lines of American Flagg and this one… writer Mark Verheiden’s succinctly named The American.” Verheiden would reminisce in the introduction to the collected volume: “The American was created out of real love for the comics medium, because I’ve always loved comics. I’m talking completely, unapologetically, and with fierce devotion. I collected them as a kid, debated them endlessly in amateur press associations (APAs) as a young adult, and then, well, gave up on them as a post-graduate film career beckoned. The late ’70s/early ’80s weren’t exactly ‘prime time’ for mainstream comics, and my passion for the form may have petered out entirely if not a happy confluence of events. “To wit, two old Oregon friends, Mike Richardson and Randy Stradley, decided to start a comic-book company [see BACK ISSUE #22—ed.]. They were going to call it Dark Horse, and to the derisive chuckles of many, their mad master plan was to ‘publish good comics’…. I attended the annual San Diego Comic Convention back in 1986. It was a blast to bask in the creative glow of fans and professionals, and it was also a chance to hear out Mike and Randy’s plans for Dark Horse, which ended with the magic words, ‘Would you like to write something for us?’” The result, as you’re about to read, was The American, from Verheiden and artist Chris Warner, premiering with issue #1 (Aug. 1987). The original series concluded with The American #8 (Feb. 1989). Mark Verheiden (born March 26, 1956) is known more for his television and movie work than he is as a comic-book writer. For TV and film, Mark has a long list of involvement including as a writer and co-executive producer on the second incarnation of Battlestar Galactica and the prequel, Caprica, and as a staff writer and consulting producer for Heroes. Mark wrote the movies Timecop and The Mask, and worked on the Timecop TV series, Smallville, Falling Skies, Constantine, Daredevil, Ash vs. the Evil Dead, and Swamp Thing, among others. His first comics work was Dark Horse’s The American, which would lead to extensive work on Dark Horse’s Aliens and Predator series. They ended up naming a character after Mark in the 2004 Alien vs. Predator movie. At DC, Mark wrote Superman stories for Action Comics Weekly, the Smallville TV tie-in series, and the Phantom 12-issue maxiseries. At Marvel, Mark wrote the 12-issue Stalkers for the Epic line. Chris Warner (born 1955) is a triple threat at Dark Horse Comics as a writer, artist, and editor. At Dark Horse he’s worked on Predator, Alien vs. Predator, Comics’ Greatest World, and Barb Wire. At Marvel, he worked on Alien Legion, Moon Knight, Doctor Strange, and Strange Tales. At DC, Chris penciled Batman #408 with writer Max Allan Collins. I had a chance to talk with Mark and Chris via email about The American… – Stephan Friedt 54 • BACK ISSUE • ’80s Indie Heroes Issue
by S t e p h a n
Friedt
A Real American Hero Original artwork by Chris Warner for the cover of the 1988 The American trade paperback, which reprinted issues #1–4 of the Dark Horse Comics series. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com). The American © Mark Verheiden.
Standing Up for America Warner’s covers to The American #1 (Aug. 1987) through 3 (Dec. 1987), also featuring supporting characters Dennis Hough (#2) and Kid America (#3). The American © Mark Verheiden.
STEPHAN FRIEDT: How did you two get together as a team? What was your collaboration like? Full, detailed scripts? Open-ended directions? MARK VERHEIDEN: As I recollect (a caveat that should apply to all of this!), I attended the 1986 San Diego Comic-Con and spent an evening in the Dark Horse suite (not as fancy as it sounds, back then), where I talked with old buddies Randy Stradley (former roommate, later a Dark Horse exec for many years), Chris, publisher Mike Richardson, and others, and I believe Randy and/or Mike invited me to write something for them. On the drive back to Los Angeles with my then-girlfriend/soon-to-be-wife Sonja, I spewed out most of the idea for The American. I don’t recall if I wrote a treatment or pitch document, but mark verheiden fairly quickly I wrote the first issue and delivered it to Dark Horse, and IMDb.com. Mike and Randy decided to publish it. We looked for an artist for a while (I recall seeing samples from a very young Rob Liefeld!), until Chris Warner stepped in and took the job. Of course, he was amazing, Chris is hands down one of the best action comic artists ever. I think he liked the script, but that’s for him to say. And I wrote full, overdetailed scripts, taking my cues from what I’d heard about Alan Moore’s script style. CHRIS WARNER: Around the time The American surfaced at Dark Horse, I was in the process of becoming the main artist on Batman. I had high hopes for that gig, but it rapidly went sour, and I was very demoralized by the situation. I read the first script of The American and saw that it was the kind of book I really wanted to be drawing. The script was so fully realized, a major departure from the loose, plot-style approach I was used to at Marvel. I ended up getting fired from Batman, deservedly, but the American gig was still open, so I got the part I really wanted. Also, I’d known Mark since high school, so it was fun to be working with an old pal. Sometimes things work out for the better. FRIEDT: What was the inspiration for your work on The American? VERHEIDEN: Well, obviously it appeared to be sort of a riff on the Captain America/Fighting American– type comic-book heroes, but it was really inspired by movies like Rambo 2 and the then-popular Chuck Norris Missing in Action films. Movies where the oneman-army hero re-fought old wars and of course “won.” I thought they were silly and ripe for satire. Also, this was the time of the Iran/Contra debacle, and so my general distrust of government and military leaders (not the soldiers) was pretty high. ’80s Indie Heroes Issue • BACK ISSUE • 55