The celebrated Mr. K goes comic-book channel surfing… — UPDATED 3/4/26: Time to dig into the cavernous 13th Dimension vaults! Every once in a while I reprint a piece just for the fun of it. This one’s from March 2021. Dig it! — Dan — By PAUL KUPPERBERG Despite my irrational childhood love for Jerry Lewis, I somehow missed out on the DC Comics-published Adventures of Jerry Lewis comic book (#41-#124 between 1957 and 1971; the first 40 issues were the Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, but Jerry got the comic book in the divorce) until the last few issues in 1971. I suppose it was a matter of distribution or something, because I certainly didn’t shy away from comic book movie and television adaptations. In fact, the 1960s was a kind of Golden Age of comic book movie and television adaptations, with Dell and Gold Key especially licensing just about anything and everything based on the latest TV shows; dramas, sitcoms and animation. I’m guessing licenses were cheap in those days; there was also an explosion of TV show novelizations of many of the same properties appearing in comics (many using the same publicity stills for covers). And, like the shows they were based on, most of these comics didn’t last very long, some only a couple or three issues. Again, maybe it was a distribution thing or maybe it was that they licensed more of the shows I liked, or maybe it was all those amazing George Wilson covers (they later went over to photographic covers) but my strongest memories are of the Gold Key comics. Here are MY 13 FAVORITE 1960s GOLD KEY COMICS TV ADAPTATIONS, in no specific order: — The Man From U.N.C.L.E. #13 (July 1967). In 1965 there was nothing cooler on TV than The Man from U.N.C.L.E., starring Robert Vaughn and David McCallum as partners in espionage for the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement, but only because Batman wouldn’t hit the airwaves until 1966. But even after the advent of the live-action adventures of the Dynamic Duo, Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin were still dynamic enough to hold their own. Because of the cool factor, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was probably one of the earliest TV adaptations I ever picked up from the newsstand. But while I came for the coolness,...
Wednesday’s BATMAN #7 gives a new perspective on the Joker’s history, so here’s a look back… — Matt Fraction and Jorge Jimenez’s Batman #7 is out Wednesday, March 4, and it features a four-page, fold-out, center-spread that approaches the Joker’s history from his mad point of view. So, here’s a fresh look back at his oh-so-many origins from over the decades. — Dan — By JIM BEARD Opinions will vary, but when it comes to a definitive origin to Bat-Villain #1, the Joker, I prefer what the Mirthful Mountebank prefers — multiple choice. A legendary criminal such as the Joker is far more fun when his origins, nay, his very existence will continue to be embroidered, enhanced, and explained for many, many years to come. As it should be, says I. I mean, it took a whopping 10 years after his 1940 debut for the Joker to welcome a new wrinkle into his already crazy-quilt career, namely an origin, so the guy’s never really been in any hurry to ’splain himself. That said, that final, single page of “The Man Behind the Red Hood!” in 195o’s Detective Comics #168 did sort of set something indelibly in cement that still exists today, so maybe the Hateful Harlequin can sometimes own up to something and stick to it. Here are 13 more examples of moments in Bat-history when DC has added a little more to the Clown Prince of Crime’s background to ponder over and wonder about. There are more, but like the Joker might say, “I could tickle your funny bone all day!” — Batman: The Killing Joke (1988) – Alan Moore, Brian Bolland. This one remains pretty significant in its embroidering of that Detective #168 origin. The story’s intact—Red Hood, escape from a crime, the chemicals—but some pathos was added in the form of the failed stand-up career, the wife, and the reluctance to commit the crime. Say what you will about Barbara Gordon’s treatment here, you can’t deny what this book did to shape the Joker’s backstory. — Batman #450 (1990) – Marv Wolfman, Jim Aparo. The Killing Joke might’ve come across as out-of-continuity two years earlier, but this story seemed to confirm the origin from the graphic novel, kicking off the idea that DC was serious about cementing it as the Joker’s true beginnings. And from here,...
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Heritage Auctions has another big one going on right now…
A BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE to the late special-effects magician, who was born 105 years ago…
