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[RickDeckard525]

Do you guys read filler stories? I do! What are your favorites?

I don't think I'm allowed to make one of those big bold posts that stays at the top forever, but if I could I would, because I want this to be an ongoing forum. Well I guess I'll start if off, but no links because I don't know how/don't feel like it.

Well I always thought it was interesting that the Avon title "Strange Worlds" used the filler stories as their cover illustrations and I never understood that, but I think that is a book with some high filler standards and definitely recommend it.

Fox's Blue Beetle actually printed stories about big blue, but I haven't seen anything like that anywhere else. Those stories actually add a lot of depth to his character for me, although it is very subtle like most of the golden age.

The other thing I like about filler stories is that they are often written by the people who worked on the comics, and it is not rare to see one by Roy Thomas or Will Eisner. I wonder if any of you guys have seen any filler stories by comic writers who were also actual novelist like Edmond Hamilton or whatshername from the Black Terror.

[narfstar]

I like the little factoid fillers. Few stories, let alone fillers, identified the writer so it is hard to tell. Of course some were written by the artists who signed their work. Some of the ads were comic stories and as good as the fillers. I, like probably most of you, enjoy the Voltron strips. When I think of fillers in the SA Boltinoff was the master.

[RickDeckard525]

I have been thinking about characters who star in their own fillers and all I have besides blue beetle superman. Most of the golden age dc I have read comes with out fillers though, so I'm not sure. Keep the replies coming...

[jimmm kelly]

I imagine that there are some features that started out as filler but became more importatnt over time.

I think that Scribbly started out as filler--something that assistant editor Sheldon Mayer did to fill space in some comics--before it became an established feature.

[RickDeckard525]

Hey guys, I am talking about text stories they used to have to do to get the stuff mailed out. Usually about racecars and stuff. I'm not sure what you mean about voltron. The text stories are almost always signed.

[darkmark]

There were tons of fillers in the old days featuring super-heroes.  Timely ran them all the time.  The All-Winners Squad started out in text stories before ever appearing in the comics proper.  The origins of the Patriot and Vision were put forth in texts.  Stan Lee's first scripting job was a Captain America filler in CAP #3.  Harvey regularly featured Stories Behind the Cover with Green Hornet and the Speed Comics heroes, the latter of whom appeared in semi-regular text teamups.  Black Cat starred in her own text stories in almost every issue.  Quality regularly featured texts of Doll Man, Plastic Man, and the Spirit.  Novelty regularly did the same, iirc, with heroes from TARGET.  As for famous writers doing them, Mickey Spillane did a number of 'em...and signed some of them!

[RickDeckard525]

*"Besides Blue Beetle IS Superman." I mean to say Superman starred in his fillers.

[Powder Solvang]

I've enjoyed the two page text stories in Fawcett comics. Wartime Wow Comics featured the adventures of Penny Graves, a WAAC who used her wits to overcome Axis spies and other threats to the war effort. In the post-war issues she became a big city detective.
Eando (brothers Earl and Otto) Binder wrote the science fiction adventures of Jon Jarl that appeared in other Fawcett titles.