|
Post by codystarbuck on Sept 17, 2021 21:33:45 GMT -5
I liked Colan's stuff, but I really enjoyed the look Frank Brunner gave things. Val Mayerik's early stuff was great, too.
|
|
|
Post by berkley on Sept 17, 2021 23:20:03 GMT -5
It's funny how Brunner was followed by Colan on two such different series, Doctor Strange and Howard the Duck -and that they have such different styles and yet each has a claim to being one of the definitive artists for the books in question.
I thnk Brunner was perfect for the more fantasy-based first issue, but seemed a bit less comfortable with the superhero parody of the HtD #2 (and IIRC needed some help finishing or laying out that issue) - though personally I love his style so much that I would enjoy seeing him draw aything at all, including superheroes.
Colan was perfect for the more realistic, street-level settings of the later issues, especially when inked by Steve Leialoha - one of the most sympathetic inkers he ever had, to my mind. When Klaus Janson took over I find it a complete mis-match of styles and Janson's inks really detracted from Colan's pencils, for me. But I'm getting ahead of the thread.
Mayerik I really liked when he inked himself and when he had time to produce his best work. When inked by others his stuff often looks very ordinary to my eyes, though never less than competent.
|
|
|
Post by brutalis on Sept 18, 2021 14:05:06 GMT -5
Brunner was a great start for Howard as he is a contemporary funny anthropomorphic animal character. But Colan truly defined the more realistic comic book style which was suitable to Gerber's cynicism and humor stylings. Gene's version of Howie is the most definitive version for me. A perfect mix of realism versus cartoony.
|
|
|
Post by Graphic Autist on Sept 18, 2021 17:49:14 GMT -5
I had several issues of Howard the Duck when I was a kid. I had no idea what was really going on, even though I thought I did when I was 10.
|
|
|
Post by Roquefort Raider on Sept 18, 2021 18:35:05 GMT -5
I discovered Howard as back-up feature in the French version of Master of Kung-Fu, and it was love at first sight! I even enjoyed the Mantlo magazines.
I'm sorry to see that despite Disney buying Marvel, Howard's original look (which is admittedly a bit Donald-ish) hasn't returned. The "real" Howard, to me, will always be the Brunner -Colan one and not the modern version that we saw in a few comics and the MCU.
Wauuugh!
|
|
|
Post by Slam_Bradley on Sept 18, 2021 19:02:11 GMT -5
I never bought Howard when it was coming out. I honestly don't remember seeing any issues, but if I did they didn't resonate with me. I read the Gerber issues when the Essential volume came out and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'll revisit at some point.
|
|
|
Post by commond on Sept 18, 2021 20:35:48 GMT -5
HTD came out when I was a kid and I remember writing it off as "funny animal" stuff I wasn't interested in. It's just as well, I wouldn't have understood the satire at that age anyway. But something made me pick up the omnibus a few years back, I think it was my newfound love of Gene Colan's art, and I loved it. Unlike most readers I think the book remains consistent through Bill Mantlo's portion. In fact, I don't think I even noticed the switch at first as I was reading through the book. Only the last couple issues (not by Mantlo), which were published years later, are inferior. I'll have to seek out those magazine stories. The magazine features some pretty good art by Colan, Michael Golden and John Buscema.
|
|
|
Post by brutalis on Sept 18, 2021 20:44:18 GMT -5
Had only a few issues of Howard back in the day. Quack Fu, part 2 of Star Wars homage, 1st appearance of Dr. Bong, Kiss issue and Space Turnip issue. But I was hooked and wanted to read the stuff I missed. Howie's issues became outrageously overpriced once Gerber sued Marvel and turned HtD into an even more infamous cult character comic so that never occurred until decades later.
I avidly devoured the Essential black and white collection. Reading that from front to back over a weekend turning my mind completely inside out! A long wait but well worth it.
|
|
|
Post by Rob Allen on Sept 18, 2021 22:45:01 GMT -5
I was pretty much the exact target audience when Howard showed up - a college student, ready for something more than the usual superhero fare. I think I bought every appearance of the character from the beginning to mid-1978. Back then I used to let friends borrow my comics from my dorm room. The only comic that didn't come back to me was Howard the Duck #1. About 25 years later, when I re-connected with fandom online, I encountered one of my comics-borrowing friends. He said he hoped he didn't have any books overdue from my library and I told him that Howard #1 was gone. He mailed me a copy! My Howard collection is complete again, thanks to the Internet!
|
|
|
Post by chaykinstevens on Sept 19, 2021 4:54:41 GMT -5
If someone was going to post a Pretenders video in a HTD thread, I would have expected this one:
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Sept 19, 2021 11:36:53 GMT -5
The first I saw was the Marvel Treasury Edition, with the new Defenders story and reprints of the Man-Thing appearances, as well as Howard #1. I flipped through a few issues on the stands; but I didn't have a ton of spending money, in that period. Howard was pretty well done, when I had started regularly earning money to spend on comics.
|
|
|
Post by Batflunkie on Sept 25, 2021 19:57:15 GMT -5
And Now His Grand Smashing Debut: Howard The Duck #1General Plot: The scene? a murky river at the outskirts of town. The place? Cleve-land, Ohio. After failing to appease the cops and fall into their good graces with a job, Howard contemplates his own demise having no purpose or self-worth in this strange new world. But then he thinks he might just like a "dip" in the river to calm his thoughts only to find that the river is polluted to high-heaven. Looking into the distance, he sees a large tower, considers leaping off it to his doom, and goes over to it on a makeshift raft. The tower, however, is not what it seems; it's composed entirely of credit cards and other pieces of makeshift plastic that vouch as acceptable forms of currency. He climbs mid-way to the top and sits on the window ledge, taking a breather. It's there that he catches the attention of a beautiful damsel who's chained up and a ravenous dog that seeks to end them both. Armed with a nearby axe, Howard seeks to defend himself and the lady, but fate has other plans. The Axe causes a Calandra to fall on the dog, ending it's life. But suddenly, the dog turns into a man. Howard's heart sinks, fearing imprisonment, but a shadowy figure behind him has other plans and knocks Howard out cold. Meanwhile in New York, J. Jonah Jameson catches Peter Parker just as he's about to leave telling him that he's got a one-way ticket to an exclusive about a "duck that talks like a man" in the armpit of America, Cleveland Ohio. Elsewhere, Howard awakes to some new duds and a mission by the shadowy figure, Pro-Rata The Mad Financial Wizard, to retrieve a jeweled key from a far off land by midnight so that he may collect the cosmic dividend. In this new world, full of danger and excitement, Howard and the girl named Beverly get the key and return, only to bring back a large prehistoric looking bird with them that throws a complete wrench into Pro-Rata's plans. Howard decides that Pro-Rata is too crazy to become ruler of the universe and throws the jeweled key off the credit card tower, but Spidey intervenes, giving Howard just enough time throw Pro-Rata off-guard. A fight ensues with Howard throwing himself and Pro-Rata off the tower, only for Howard to be saved mid-way by Spidey. Spidey parts ways with the Howard and Beverly, closing out the first issue
Thoughts: After reading through this issue so many times in my Essentials volume and Omnibus, it left an interesting impression as a parody of Conan. The first three issues of Howard are not the strongest or my favorites, but they serve as lampoon filled deconstructions of what was currently being published at Marvel, not unlike something that Mel Brooks or Mad Magazine would do. Reading through Man-Thing, it's curious that Steve took such an approach on the book only to swerve it in an entirely new direction that still makes fun of popular goings-on of the 1970's but still follows the beat of it's own drum and delivers an off-beat story that's unconfined to just simple "pointing and laughing" at the expense of something else (geeze, how many times can I try and avoid saying the word "parody" more than once?). To quote a quote that I recall from "The Art Of Charles Schultz", (*in reference to the Peanuts gangs' early years*) it's like looking at baby photos of famous people knowing who they'll grow up to be
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Sept 25, 2021 20:57:48 GMT -5
And Now His Grand Smashing Debut: Howard The Duck #1General Plot: The scene? a murky river at the outskirts of town. The place? Cleve-land, Ohio. After failing to appease the cops and fall into their good graces with a job, Howard contemplates his own demise having no purpose or self-worth in this strange new world. But then he thinks he might just like a "dip" in the river to calm his thoughts only to find that the river is polluted to high-heaven. Looking into the distance, he sees a large tower, considers leaping off it to his doom, and goes over to it on a makeshift raft. The tower, however, is not what it seems; it's composed entirely of credit cards and other pieces of makeshift plastic that vouch as acceptable forms of currency. He climbs mid-way to the top and sits on the window ledge, taking a breather. It's there that he catches the attention of a beautiful damsel who's chained up and a ravenous dog that seeks to end them both. Armed with a nearby axe, Howard seeks to defend himself and the lady, but fate has other plans. The Axe causes a Calandra to fall on the dog, ending it's life. But suddenly, the dog turns into a man. Howard's heart sinks, fearing imprisonment, but a shadowy figure behind him has other plans and knocks Howard out cold. Meanwhile in New York, J. Jonah Jameson catches Peter Parker just as he's about to leave telling him that he's got a one-way ticket to an exclusive about a "duck that talks like a man" in the armpit of America, Cleveland Ohio. Elsewhere, Howard awakes to some new duds and a mission by the shadowy figure, Pro-Rata The Mad Financial Wizard, to retrieve a jeweled key from a far off land by midnight so that he may collect the cosmic dividend. In this new world, full of danger and excitement, Howard and the girl named Beverly get the key and return, only to bring back a large prehistoric looking bird with them that throws a complete wrench into Pro-Rata's plans. Howard decides that Pro-Rata is too crazy to become ruler of the universe and throws the jeweled key off the credit card tower, but Spidey intervenes, giving Howard just enough time throw Pro-Rata off-guard. A fight ensues with Howard throwing himself and Pro-Rata off the tower, only for Howard to be saved mid-way by Spidey. Spidey parts ways with the Howard and Beverly, closing out the first issue
Thoughts: After reading through this issue so many times in my Essentials volume and Omnibus, it left an interesting impression as a parody of Conan. The first three issues of Howard are not the strongest or my favorites, but they serve as lampoon filled deconstructions of what was currently being published at Marvel, not unlike something that Mel Brooks or Mad Magazine would do. Reading through Man-Thing, it's curious that Steve took such an approach on the book only to swerve it in an entirely new direction that still makes fun of popular goings-on of the 1970's but still follows the beat of it's own drum and delivers an off-beat story that's unconfined to just simple "pointing and laughing" at the expense of something else (geeze, how many times can I try and avoid saying the word "parody" more than once?). To quote a quote that I recall from "The Art Of Charles Schultz", (*in reference to the Peanuts gangs' early years*) it's like looking at baby photos of famous people knowing who they'll grow up to be When I was younger, and read this in the Treasury Edition, I just latched onto the humor, as the socio-economic commentary went right past me. Years later, I wish I had paid better attention to it and had been more wary of credit cards, in my youth. Some very on the nose points about the smoke-and-mirrors of the financial system and to never trust "easy money." Of course, the following decade was pure propaganda of the opposite message. Still, we had been warned. Wonder of Howard rode the Escalator of Life?
|
|
|
Post by Batflunkie on Sept 25, 2021 21:13:51 GMT -5
When I was younger, and read this in the Treasury Edition, I just latched onto the humor, as the socio-economic commentary went right past me. Years later, I wish I had paid better attention to it and had been more wary of credit cards, in my youth. Some very on the nose points about the smoke-and-mirrors of the financial system and to never trust "easy money." Of course, the following decade was pure propaganda of the opposite message. Still, we had been warned. Never thought of that actually, I thought that it was a parody of Conan and nothing more. But I can see what you're talking about now
I've never trusted credit cards at all and the very idea of owing people money scares me
|
|
|
Post by berkley on Sept 25, 2021 23:36:41 GMT -5
I read it at the age of 13 and rememember trying to look up "pro rata", gathering from the context that it was a joke name and had something to do with accounting or finance but never having heard of the term before. I don't think it was in our dictionary.
|
|