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[OtherEric]

I just picked up an inexpensive copy of the Marvel Super Action one-shot magazine from the 70's.  The thing is, I really don't care that it's an early Punisher appearance; I wanted the Dominic Fortune story.  I was wondering if anybody else had books  they looked for for the "wrong" reason.  The fact that I'm more excited about Scribbly than Green Lantern in the few All-American issues I have is another example; and I might almost include the fact that I collect Looney Tunes for the Mary Jane and Sniffles stories might almost count.  (The catch there is that Looney Tunes is not that popular a title; the few people I know who do generally call the MJ & S stories their favorite.  But it certainly isn't what you would expect to be the popular feature if you're talking about the cartoons, not the comics!)

Just thought this might be an interesting subject for discussion; it's hardly profound.

[phabox]

I would always pick up Chartons E-Man for some of its wild and wacky back ups sometimes featuring Ditko artwork on things like Killjoy and Liberty Belle.

Not to say that the main feature was not also worth a look 


-Nigel

[darkmark]

Myself, I picked up the MARVEL SUPER ACTION mag for the Weirdworld feature in the back, and the HULK! magazine for those great Dominic Fortune stories by Denny O'Neil and Howard Chaykin.  And those few folks who picked up CHEYENNE KID in the late Sixties probably did so because of the O'Neil / Aparo sf/Western/humor strip, Wander.

[John C]

I can't recall which specific issues, but I'm fairly sure I picked up several DC Comics Presents issues over the years for the "Whatever Happened to..." backup strip instead of the team-up with Superman.  I also overcame embarrassment a couple years back to buy the full Wonder Woman run (with some atrocious objectifying covers) that carried the Huntress stories.

Heh.  The worst is probably the summer that all DC's annuals carried "Who's Who" pages in the back.  I don't remember if I bought all of them, but I know I bought a lot of books I couldn't honestly care less about because I enjoyed the one-page character updates.

[Yoc]

Hey, I've been a fan of Fortune from when he was still a 'wee Scorpion' in the Atlas-Seaboard books! 
And from there I followed his American Flagg in all it's good girl art glory.

I'm also a Robot-Man and Vigilante fan more than the lead features of both their books.

-Yoc

[JonTheScanner]

I got several of the DC Comics Presents for the "Whatever Happened To" stories.  I bought the Somerset Holmes series to get teh Al Williamson drawn Cliff Hanger back-up.  Back in the late 50s I enjoyed the J'Onn J'onzz stories (when his presence wasn't known) more than many of the Batman stories in Detective, though I won't say I bought the comics just for those.

[bchat]

John C -

The worst is probably the summer that all DC's annuals carried "Who's Who" pages in the back.  I don't remember if I bought all of them, but I know I bought a lot of books I couldn't honestly care less about because I enjoyed the one-page character updates.

You don't happen to know off the top of your head which year that was, do you?  I love the "Who's Who" series and didn't know DC had done that with the annuals.

Along those lines, and tying-in with the topic at hand, I get DC's "Secret Files & Origins" for the profiles, hardly ever reading the actual stories the books contain.

[John C]

You don't happen to know off the top of your head which year that was, do you?  I love the "Who's Who" series and didn't know DC had done that with the annuals.

Offhand, no, but I'm thinking '88 or '89 from vague memory.  The JLI book introduced the embassy staffs (staves?) and there was a crossover among the "mature" titles like Green Arrow and the Question.

I want to say that it was also the end of the "Superman in Space" run, but those may have just been design notes I'm remembering.  Still, whatever year that was would probably be worth a look--it's the striking Action annual with the half-naked (wearing his cape as a sash), bearded Superman on the Perez cover.

I wish I could be more specific, but boxes are in storage, and my hard drives are inaccessible until the new computer shows up--I'm using the "XO Laptop" at the moment, which won't do external drives.

[Yoc]

Have checked the GCD cover galleries John?

[bchat]

Have checked the GCD cover galleries John?

Looks like it was the 1989 Annuals.  Thanks guys for the help.  Now I've got something new to look for!

[John C]

Have checked the GCD cover galleries John?

I eventually did, and yeah, it's the '89 batch.  I just wanted to take care of the messages, and it's tricky to check multiple websites on this machine.  That's fine for normal use, but I'll be glad when the new laptop shows up (hopefully) today.

[narfstar]

When LSH moved from Adventure to Action I had to buy Action Comics not for that little Superman guy but for the magnificent LSH

[rez]

When LSH moved from Adventure to Action I had to buy Action Comics not for that little Superman guy but for the magnificent LSH

Legion Comrad,
I only wish I had not removed myself from comicdom in rebellion to the price increase to 15cents back then.

Then I would not have had to chase down all those Action and Suberboy issues later in life when my wits returned. Of course to some that might be a point of debate.



me thinks I had issues back then.

[narfstar]

Well bchat, now known as the witless wonder, I remember buying my dollars worth of comics and having to put one back because the darn price had gone up.

[bchat]

Well bchat, now known as the witless wonder ...

  Huh?!?!?

[Yoc]

Narf was referring to himself bchat, not you. 

[narfstar]

No I was actually refering to Rez's previous message where he questioned the return of his wits. I must have read an earlier reply from bchat and did not scoll up to make sure who I was referring to. Sorry bchat I was just poking fun at Rez's poking fun at himself.

[rez]

NEWS FLASH!!!

The Legion of Substitute Heroes inducts The WitLess Wonder into membership!
Hey, let's get everybody in on the act! 

[kozmo]

I would agree that Tomahawk and Robotman are reasons to look for Star-Spangled, not the Robin cover feature. 

I usually like the Mr. Terrific and Wildcat stories better than the Wonder Woman story in any issue of Sensation.

The Vision stories were usually the best part of the issues of Marvel Mystery

Any DC war book that had an Enemy Ace backup got purchased, period.

I'd say Tales of Asgard, except that the Thor feature was just as good!

I definitely also bought DC Comics Presents for the "Whatever Happened to..." feature, but I also bought Brave and the Bold for Nemesis.

I never really cared for the Scalphunter feature that took over Weird Western after Jonah Hex got his own title, but the backups were characters like Cinnamon and Bat Lash that I did like (and bought the book to read).

On a similar note, Warlord got same-old, same-old after a while, but I usually liked the backups, including the Omac one that seems to get forgotten when people discuss the character.

I also tended to buy the Dollar Comics like Batman Family and World's Finest more for the Creeper and Man-bat and Hawkman stories than the cover features.

[Yoc]

Ah yes, you hit on some good ones kozmo.
Wildcat, Man-Bat and I didn't mind Rag-Man at the time.

Hey Rez, I must have done that adventure while I was hungover.  Have you seen my space car?

[OtherEric]

Myself, I picked up the MARVEL SUPER ACTION mag for the Weirdworld feature in the back, and the HULK! magazine for those great Dominic Fortune stories by Denny O'Neil and Howard Chaykin.  And those few folks who picked up CHEYENNE KID in the late Sixties probably did so because of the O'Neil / Aparo sf/Western/humor strip, Wander.

Chaykin has run hot and cold for me the past several years but I'm really looking forward to him doing a new Dominic Fortune series.  I think I now have all of the earlier appearances that Chaykin did; from everything I've seen the character goes to hell when anybody else tries to work on him.

[darkmark]

Yeah, I burned out on American Flagg after the first brace of issues and Chaykin himself turns me off, but I still like his Dom Fortune.  Don't go NEAR his Blackhawk or Shadow.

[OtherEric]

I can't disagree with your assessment of his Shadow book.  I will say that the follow-up Helfer/Baker series is one of the all time great cases of taking lemons and making lemonade.  They may not be good Shadow stories but they're utterly insane fun.

The first year, at least,  of American Flagg was good.  After that it may stand unique in the history of comicdom as the book that went to hell when Alan Moore started writing it. 

[darkmark]

I've heard even Chaykin thought Alan wasn't "on" when he wrote that one.  Mostly, it's just Moore dredging up a lot of old dirty jokes.  His Mr. Monster story wasn't that special, either.  Mainly, Moore is at his best spiffing up corporate characters, though I did like a lot of his ABC stuff.

[jfglade]

"Poof Poof Piffles,
make me just as small as Sniffles."

I know of what you speak, (Other) Eric. I don't remember exactly what other feature appeared in the 'Looney Toons' title, but I certainly remember the Mary Jane and Sniffles feature, and even when I was five years old I actively sought out those stories, which I remember vividely, but I have almost no recollection of the the other features.

I feel no guilt for having bought anthology titles like 'Detective Comics' not for the Batman stories but to follow the 'Manhunter from Mars' series. I really find it hard to grasp that there could be a "wrong" reason for buying and reading any comic.