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scans_dailyCaptain Carrot creators Roy Thomas and Scott Shaw! were so in sync, it was hard to tell who'd thought of what. Earlier, I said Roy the comics historian had been the one to recruit Peter Porkchops out of 1950s back issues and turn him into Pig-Iron the superhero...but actually, it was Scott, who would later focus his love of comics history into an "Oddball Comics" feature at conventions.
So even though Roy had experience writing Conan the Barbarian for Marvel, I won't assume I know whose idea it was to bring in Bow-Zar the Barkbarian. The Conan movie came out the same year as this comic, so it may have just felt inevitable. But the results are a blast.
Stan Goldberg, known best for Archie stories, brings his gift for screwball comedy to this one. He'd have a few more Zoo Crew credits.
The Crew meet Ezra Pound, the novelist who created the lucrative Bow-Zar the Barkbarian series. He's ready to kill Bow-Zar off and go back to poetry, but after beginning the final story, he's had constant nightmares ofliving in poverty and shouting "WHAT WAS I THINKING" Bow-Zar chasing him. Pig-Iron offers a solution:
Like Conan, Bow-Zar has a special hatred for wizards. Though, as you can see, his own narrative has a magic-realist tone very much in line with how the early Conan stories went ("And then Bow-Zar just got SO MAD that he instantly traveled a zillion years in time").
Bow-Zar's way more chivalrous than that other funny-animal barbarian hero being published in the comics in 1982, whose ideas about gender would only get worse in the years ahead.
Ezra reads Pig-Iron some of his writing, and Pig-Iron conks out. Then:
Pig-Iron brings his conclusions to the Zoo Crew as they engage Bow-Zar.
Conan's creator Robert Howard was long dead in 1982, but like Ezra, he did regard poetry as his first love--and he might've had some undiagnosed depression like Ezra seems to (he died of suicide at 30).
The poet Ezra Pound probably only inspired Ezra Hound's name, but he did have E.H.'s discomfort with childish things. Key quote: "There is no reason why the same man should like the same books at eighteen and at forty-eight." (cough cough)
The group finally restrains the barkbarian, and once Bow-Zar and Ezra talk for a while, each makes peace with the other's existence, leading Ezra to a happy ending.
Well, happier than Howard's, at least.
The back-up feature was a set of "facts-files" about the Zoo Crew members, like an early version of WHO'S WHO or MARVEL UNIVERSE. I've spliced a sample to highlight the top-notch logo designs for each member of the team (except the Captain, who just uses his logo from the covers). These were special commissions from Todd Klein, who'd go on to win many awards, especially for Sandman:
Look at that tiny little head Todd included in the Rubberduck design. Did Plastic Man ever get this kind of treatment? Mr. Fantastic? Elongated Man? No, no, and no. Their letterers just didn't love them enough.
Next issue: The Zoo Crew are in a DAYS and feeling WEEK, because HOUR world comes SECOND to the needs of...THE TIME-KEEPER! (None of these puns are in the actual issue, I was just feeling inspired.)
So even though Roy had experience writing Conan the Barbarian for Marvel, I won't assume I know whose idea it was to bring in Bow-Zar the Barkbarian. The Conan movie came out the same year as this comic, so it may have just felt inevitable. But the results are a blast.
Stan Goldberg, known best for Archie stories, brings his gift for screwball comedy to this one. He'd have a few more Zoo Crew credits.
The Crew meet Ezra Pound, the novelist who created the lucrative Bow-Zar the Barkbarian series. He's ready to kill Bow-Zar off and go back to poetry, but after beginning the final story, he's had constant nightmares of
Like Conan, Bow-Zar has a special hatred for wizards. Though, as you can see, his own narrative has a magic-realist tone very much in line with how the early Conan stories went ("And then Bow-Zar just got SO MAD that he instantly traveled a zillion years in time").
Bow-Zar's way more chivalrous than that other funny-animal barbarian hero being published in the comics in 1982, whose ideas about gender would only get worse in the years ahead.
Ezra reads Pig-Iron some of his writing, and Pig-Iron conks out. Then:
Pig-Iron brings his conclusions to the Zoo Crew as they engage Bow-Zar.
Conan's creator Robert Howard was long dead in 1982, but like Ezra, he did regard poetry as his first love--and he might've had some undiagnosed depression like Ezra seems to (he died of suicide at 30).
The poet Ezra Pound probably only inspired Ezra Hound's name, but he did have E.H.'s discomfort with childish things. Key quote: "There is no reason why the same man should like the same books at eighteen and at forty-eight." (cough cough)
The group finally restrains the barkbarian, and once Bow-Zar and Ezra talk for a while, each makes peace with the other's existence, leading Ezra to a happy ending.
Well, happier than Howard's, at least.
The back-up feature was a set of "facts-files" about the Zoo Crew members, like an early version of WHO'S WHO or MARVEL UNIVERSE. I've spliced a sample to highlight the top-notch logo designs for each member of the team (except the Captain, who just uses his logo from the covers). These were special commissions from Todd Klein, who'd go on to win many awards, especially for Sandman:
Look at that tiny little head Todd included in the Rubberduck design. Did Plastic Man ever get this kind of treatment? Mr. Fantastic? Elongated Man? No, no, and no. Their letterers just didn't love them enough.
Next issue: The Zoo Crew are in a DAYS and feeling WEEK, because HOUR world comes SECOND to the needs of...THE TIME-KEEPER! (None of these puns are in the actual issue, I was just feeling inspired.)
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Date: 2024-06-29 02:37 am (UTC)Mod Note!
Date: 2024-06-30 07:17 pm (UTC)Also, videos always go below the cut.
Thanks
Re: Mod Note!
Date: 2024-06-30 08:28 pm (UTC)