Review- LEONARD STARR'S MARY PERKINS ON STAGE VOL. 9

LEONARD STARR'S MARY PERKINS ON STAGE VOL. 9 (Classic Comics Press, First Printing, 2012; Softcover)

Collects Mary Perkins On Stage newspaper strips originally published from November 20, 1967- May 10, 1969

Writer and Artist: Leonard Starr

Everyone, this is what you should be reading. This series has some of the best writing in the history of the medium. Leonard Starr is no slouch in the artwork department, either. Top shelf stuff that belongs in everyone's library. There are only 15 volumes to buy. Child's play!

The OCD zone- This is the part where I go into tactile sensations and materials used in physical media. Those with heart conditions, high blood pressure, or women who are pregnant should exit my blog at their earliest convenience, as their safety cannot be guaranteed beyond this point.

Linework restoration: I do not have source material to compare, but I do know that Charles Pelto spends a ton of time making these books look terrific. The only drawback to this book is that the Sundays are in black and white rather than full color as they were originally published.

Paper stock: Uncoated matte stock, great for late night reading by incandescent light.

Binding: Perfect bound.

Cardstock cover notes: Cover has a matte finish to it which feels a little “frosty”. I am not sure how to describe it but it feels dry, like frosted glass bottles.

Review- ACG COLLECTED WORKS: ADVENTURES INTO THE UNKNOWN VOL. 5

ACG COLLECTED WORKS: ADVENTURES INTO THE UNKNOWN VOL. 5 (PS Artbooks, First Printing, 2013; Hardcover)

Collects Adventures Into The Unknown #21-25 (cover dates July- November, 1951)

Writers: Alan Hartwood, Charles Spain Verral and other, unidentified writers

Artists: Ken Bald, Paul Gattuso, Lin Streeter, Edvard Moritz, Charlie Sultan, Pete Riss, King Ward, Richard Brice, Art Gates, Jerry Grandenetti, Carl Kiefer, George Wilhelms, Leonard Starr, Al Camy, and Ogden Whitney

My rule of thumb when it comes to 1950s Pre-Code Horror comics is the closer that you get to the 1954 implementation of the Comics Code Authority, the better the material is. Every publisher was in direct competition with EC Comics, trying to outdo or even match what they were doing. Despite many valiant efforts no one really made it, but it's woefully ignorant to dismiss the contemporaries of EC.

Ghosts, werewolves, witches, and vampires become the focus of the series as the Horror elements are ramped up from one month to the next. This is easily the best volume in the line thus far, and I half expect Volume 6 to be even better.

#23's Shadow Of The Wolf features artwork by future newspaper strip legend Leonard Starr, who also did some work for DC around this time on Tales Of The Unexpected. ACG used the best hired guns around. The artwork as a whole really shines. The writing is decent but it's the artwork that saves the day here. I have become a big fan of Ogden Whitney due to this series.

Most of these stories tend to run into one another, as writers “borrowed” liberally from one another as well as from movies, books, and television. If something seems derivative or repetitive it is difficult to ascertain exactly where the idea originated from. Horror comics of the day were incestuous in this regard.

I read these books at a leisurely pace, as there is no sense of urgency when reading 60+ year old anthology series comic books. I get around to reading them when I get around to reading them, and it doesn't matter whether I read it in 2013 when this book was published or in late 2016 when I finally got around to it in my backlog rotation.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.25 out of 5.

The OCD zone- I enjoy huffing these Chinese made books. PS Artbooks smell the best. Whenever I crack one open I sit there and snort it...Oh yeah, that's the stuff.

Linework and Color restoration: Raw scans with minimal tinkering. They remove all color from the word balloons, leaving them as bright white as the paper stock. The original printed comics had shoddy printing, and that is presented here warts and all. Off register printing and line bleed are all present, just like they were back then.

Paper stock: Uncoated bright white stock.

Binding: Sewn binding. Lies mostly flat.

Hardback cover notes: No dustjacket. Image printed on casewrap with matte finish and spot varnish. 

Review- LEONARD STARR'S MARY PERKINS ON STAGE VOL. 8

LEONARD STARR'S MARY PERKINS ON STAGE VOL. 8 (Classic Comics Press, First Printing, 2011; Softcover)

Collects Mary Perkins On Stage strips originally published on May 5, 1966- November 19, 1967

Writer and Artist: Leonard Starr

It was 1966, and the times they were a-changin'. Topics like the Cold War, divorce and drugs crept into the strip. There was still plenty of lighthearted fun, as evidenced by the wafer thin metaphor for the 1966 Batman television series by the way of Captain Virtue, but the world was a rapidly changing place that bled into all forms of art and entertainment.

We see the return of beloved characters like Major Grisha Volkov, who is unwittingly caught in a plot to retrieve a defected actor Valerian Stepanovsky to Russia. Sabakin and Katerina Verna are trying to bring the famed Stepanovsky back because they believe that he is a cultural treasure who belongs to the Soviet Union. Things go horribly wrong for them, with it escalating to kidnapping and a hostage situation. This arc has one of the most intense sequences in the strip so far.

The Beauchamp family storyline is another example of the strip reacting to the changing times. Much like today, the old guard back then was so clearly out of step with the way things were going that they do things which are bizarre and even downright harmful in order to keep up appearances. The Vanna Croy arc shows how ruthless ambitious people are. People today seem to believe that folks have never been as self-centered or self-serving as they are today. I think that some people have always been out for themselves, but either they were better at hiding it or maybe it was because they didn't broadcast it on Facebook.

The Vanna Croy arc flows into the return of Johnny Q, where Eddie the assistant stage director is caught up with Johnny Q's friend Hickey, who manages his dischoteque. While the “white powder” is referred to as “dope” it is apparent that growing drug use among the youth was a cause of concern for everyone. The arc ends with Johnny Q telling Mary goodbye for good. We have heard that before, but will it really be goodbye this time? Time will tell.

This is some of Starr's finest artwork yet. I am always blown away by strip artists who put so much effort into their work when it was intended to be read once and then thrown away. It makes me wonder why they didn't cut corners or omit details. It almost feels like art for the sake of art at times. Starr plays with shades and solids a lot during this era to great effect. His scripts are becoming increasingly complex, with more moving parts in each story arc. Starr keeps thing moving fast while not bogging the proceedings down with endless recaps. Many strips lose a full panel every day bringing in new or lapsed readers up to speed. Starr doesn't waste any time.

I give this strip my highest recommendation. It really doesn't get any better than this.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- Like most strip books, this is presented in landscape format.

The Sundays are presented here in black and white. They were originally printed in color.

Linework restoration: Excellent throughout.

Paper stock: Uncoated stock paper.

Binding: Perfect bound trade paperback.

Cardstock cover notes: Cardstock coating has a matte coating that is resistant to scuffing.

Review- SHOWCASE PRESENTS TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED VOL. 1

I forgot to take a picture of the spine and I don't feel like digging this back out to take one. Sorry OCD folks! 

SHOWCASE PRESENTS TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED VOL. 1 (DC, First Printing, 2012; Softcover)

Collects Tales of the Unexpected #1-20 (cover dates February/March, 1956- December, 1957)

Writers: Jack Miller, France E. Herron, and other, unidentified writers

Artists: Bill Ely, John Prentice, Howard Purcell, Charles Paris, Leonard Starr, Ruben Morera, Bill Draut, Mort Meskin, Sheldon Moldoff, George Papp, Nick Cardy, Bernard Baily, George Roussos, Jim Mooney, Jack Kirby, and Bob Brown

Tales of the Unexpected is one of those Cold War-tinged, watered down for the Comics Code Authority Twilight Zone-esque light fare anthology series. Alien invasions, ghosts, magical objects (lamps), timestream slips (i.e. broadcasts from the future), living paintings, and other concepts used here were also used so many times in other stories that it is almost impossible to ascertain where they originated.

Issue 9's The Day Nobody Died is the closest thing to a Pre-Code macabre style story. George Roussos was an excellent artist in the 1950s, employing endless solids which are stunning in black and white. His work here is so close to Alex Toth that I had to do a double take and go back to the table of contents to be sure. Roussos would have a decades long career in the industry, although he has no defining run on any title for fans to remember him by. I call guys like him comic book journeyman, as they turned it solid work year after year but never made it “big”. Jim Mooney is another artist who did great work here and, like Roussos, was a journeyman. Mooney is better remembered, though, as he inked Spider-Man on and off over the years.

If you've read one of these '50s titles then you have read them all, although this one boasts a better than average roster of artists. Take a gander at that list above. A lot of Golden Age greats were still doing solid work, such as Sheldon Moldoff (creator of Hawkman), Bernard Baily (co-creator of The Spectre), and of course Jack Kirby (co-creator of every great 1960's Marvel hero except for Spider-Man and Doctor Strange).

Kirby's artwork is in a transition phase here between the rawness and energy of his 1940s work and the refinement of his Silver Age work. Of note is #16's The Magic Hammer, where Kirby tells the story of a man who finds the magic hammer of Thor and uses it for evil. This was five years before he created the character for Marvel's Journey Into Mystery #83. While it is hip and trendy to downplay Stan Lee's contributions to Kirby's co-creations, I have to side with the Kirby Kult about Thor. You can't dispute that Kirby had the idea cooked up. Lee may have added supporting casts to the series, but the rest of Thor is pure Kirby. Look at this panel from the story. It is the exact same pose that he would draw Thor in on the cover of his first appearance!

Leonard Starr is one of the all-time greatest comic book or strip artists. This was toward the end of his career as a comic book artist, as he was about to graduate to the big time with his nationally syndicated strip Mary Perkins On Stage. If you have never read that series you should check it out, as it is brilliant.

I enjoy reading stuff like this before I go to bed, when the house is quiet and the kids are sleeping. I would be all over a Volume 2 of this, although four years have passed and this line of books is pretty much dead in the water. This would make a great line of Archives, although the market has shown that the audience for material like this is small. Oh well.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4 out of 5.

The OCD zone- These 500+ page black and white phonebooks are a bargain. Condescending fans call them coloring books, whereas I prefer to refer to them as poor man's Artist Editions.

Linework restoration: There is no way that DC is going to do restoration on 510 pages of story at a $19.99 MSRP. That means that the film for this stuff is in perfect shape, as there are no line dropouts, no murkiness from scanned printed comics or any other imperfections.

#12's The Indestructible Man was altered when it was reprinted in House Of Secrets #96, and the altered header with series host Abel giving the introduction is present here.

Paper stock: Good weight pulp paper.

Binding: Perfect bound trade paperback. There are reports of these falling apart, although I haven't had any of my Showcase Presents books fall apart.

Cardstock cover notes: Laminated cardstock cover. I find it interesting that DC leaves the interior covers blank, as they are normally printed with advertisements for other books available from the publisher. 

Review- LEONARD STARR'S MARY PERKINS ON STAGE VOL. 7

LEONARD STARR'S MARY PERKINS ON STAGE VOL. 7 (Classic Comics Press, 2010; Softcover)

Collects Mary Perkins On Stage strips originally published on October 12, 1964- May 4, 1966

Writer and Artist: Leonard Starr

I am under Leonard Starr's spell. While there are definite start and stopping points for arcs this book was difficult to put down. I will be intentionally vague with this, as I don't want to reveal anything. I am all about the joy of discovery. The book starts out with a twisting turning journey behind the Iron Curtain, as Mary and Pete fall victim to subterfuge at the hands of Major Grigori Volkov and Morgana D'Alexius, who isn't ready to let Pete Fletcher go quite yet. She isn't one to let something silly like, say, marriage stand in her way, either.

The next arc deals with Constance Heath, Mary's old drama coach. She is getting on in years and has never managed to settle down. While she would be called a cougar in today's vernacular, back then her cavorting with a younger man was a taboo. After that Mary whisks away to Bermuda to film The Tempest. We see the return of Maximus, The Man With The Plastic Face, and we find out the origin of his face at last.

Then we find a doppelganger for Jim Nabors (who played Gomer Pyle) by way of Claude Harper (as Gopher in Corncob Corners). Harper takes a role on Broadway to fulfill a promise he made to the girl he loves. Trouble starts when Mary's co-star, playboy Rod Damian, enters the picture. I'll say no more.

The final arc this time out is one that was ripped right out of the headlines: The Viet Nam War. Pete Fletcher is sent on a photo assignment to Viet Nam, although things get a bit sticky once he gets there. Like most of the arcs in this book, subterfuge is a recurring theme. I wonder what caused Starr to recycle the themes of deception and betrayal during this era.

Brilliantly written and beautifully drawn, Leonard Starr's Mary Perkins On Stage is a fine example of the potential of the medium of comic books and comic strips. I am dead serious folks, drop those endless crossover Marvel and DC Comics that do nothing but annoy you and bleed your wallet dry and do yourselves a favor and pick up this title. You can thank me later.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- Like most strip books, this is presented in landscape format.

The Sundays are presented here in black and white. They were originally printed in color.

Linework restoration: Excellent throughout with only one or two iffy looking strips.

Paper stock: Uncoated stock paper.

Binding: Perfect bound trade paperback.

Cardstock cover notes: Cardstock coating has a matte coating that is resistant to scuffing.

Review- LEONARD STARR'S MARY PERKINS ON STAGE VOL. 6

LEONARD STARR'S MARY PERKINS ON STAGE VOL. 6 (Classic Comics Press, First Printing, 2009; Softcover)

Collects Mary Perkins On Stage strips originally published on March 10, 1963- October 11, 1964

Writer and Artist: Leonard Starr

Leonard Starr recently passed away, and the comic world barely seemed to notice. This saddens me, because that means that folks are oblivious to his genius. Luckily Classic Comics Press has rescued this strip from oblivion, collecting it in a series of affordable trade paperbacks. The entire series will be covered by fifteen books, with Volume 14 due soon and volume 15 due in early 2016.

This relationship between Mary Perkins and her husband, Pete Fletcher, is less of the focus than it has been in previous volumes. The characters and scenarios and their impact on the regular cast of characters was at the forefront this time out.

The first arc deals with Mary doing a movie with actor Joe Kulak, and there are actually two stories going on at once here. One is about Kulak and the temperamental car which is “the star” of the film. The car handles poorly for him and sometimes won't even start, while it behaves well for Mary's scenes. It's almost as if the car were alive, and while Starr doesn't tip his hand there are winks in that direction, such as the car grill and headlights almost looking like a face that seems to be smiling at times. To Starr's credit it is left up to the reader to decide. I grew up on Herbie the Love Bug, so you know which way I am leaning.

The other half of this arc is the affair between Kulak and Anya Bauer. Anya puts lubricant onto the breaks of the car, which makes Mary crash, horribly disfiguring her face. The ironic twist comes from the revelation of Anya's husband, Carlos, who turns out to be Mary's plastic surgeon. I won't go any farther into this, as the rest is all reveal. This all sounds like a soap opera, and while it sort of is, there is so much depth to the writing and artwork that it would be a disservice to paint it with that brush.

Others arcs include the return of reclusive actress Kristin Kara, Adam Budd reluctantly getting the keys to the throne from late actor Chappy, and the return of Johnny Q. Johnny Q's return is actually two arcs, the second one being among the weirdest yet in this series. Mary's purse gets stolen backstage and she gets captured by the unnamed “creature of the prop room”. Johnny Q ends up rescuing her, and the “creature” (really a weird old man) escapes into the subway.

The next arc in this book involves Mary returning to her hometown of Holmesfield to visit her old friend Christy Chalmers, a fellow actress who didn't pursue her dreams as Mary did. Unlike Mary, Christy has let herself go and is content to play bit parts in local theater. Her life is idyllic if routine, and it is this routine that has Mary pull a few favors to get her into the business. This almost ruins her marriage, but since Mary almost destroys her marriage Mary also sets things right.

The final arc in the book involves the ruthless Maynard King, his hired thug Kagle, and Kagle's daughter. Arcs like this show the emotional depth of Starr's writing. This entire book was a page turner. There were nights where I wouldn't pick it up because I usually lose time and sleep when I dive into this title. Starr was a genius as a writer and as an artist, and you owe it to yourself to check this stuff out. Step outside of your comic book comfort zone and check this out. You can thank me later.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- Like most strip books, this is presented in landscape format. It takes some getting used to reading a book this wide, but the material more than makes up for it. Plus the artwork is much larger than it would be if they released it in a standard format book.

Linework restoration: Compiled from many sources such as original art, proofs, etc. The nipple line is removed and many of these strips are more complete than they were at the time of original publication. There are a handful of strips that don't look as sharp as others but by and large everything is crisp and clean.

The Sundays are presented here in black and white. They were originally printed in color.

Paper stock: Uncoated stock paper.

Binding: Perfect bound trade paperback.

Cardstock cover notes: Cardstock coating has a matte coating that is resistant to scuffing.

Review- LEONARD STARR'S MARY PERKINS ON STAGE VOL. 5

LEONARD STARR'S MARY PERKINS ON STAGE VOL. 5 (Classic Comics Press, 2008; Softcover)

Collects Mary Perkins On Stage strips originally published on September 18, 1961- March 9, 1963

Writer and Artist: Leonard Starr

Little did I imagine that this strip was just picking up steam during the first four volumes. Holy crow this is some great stuff. The trials and tribulations of Mary Perkins' marriage with Pete Fletcher is the focus of this book. They are both busy career folks with jobs that take them away from one another often, something very uncommon during the time that this strip was making the rounds.

Starr's artwork is absolutely breathtaking, photo realism on steroids. Every panel seems so natural and lifelike, and therein lies the deception. He didn't stage shots, he knew how to draw things that looked natural. Even drapes and sofas look interesting when he draws them. He draws beautiful people as well. His panels are all “camera angles”, and his layout is his “direction”. This would have made a good television series.

The first arc in the book deals with an eccentric millionaire named Walter T. Boniface, who approached Mike O'Hare about financing one of his plays. There is a catch, though. O'Hare must play a game of Rhymie-Stymie in order to get money in dribbles of ten grand. I am not going into too many plots points, as I am of the mind that reviewers who dole out blow by blows are A) essentially doing book reports and not reviews, as there is little critical analysis being done when one does that and B) are robbing readers of the joy of discovery. One of my goals in this blog, aside from amassing obscene wealth and total world domination, is to turn others on to good books that they may have overlooked amidst the glut of collections rolled out every week.

In the second arc Mary attends a press conference where we see the return of famed make-up artist Maximus, “The Man With The Plastic Face”. This time we also meet Ivor Brand, “The Master Of Horror”, Maximus' main competitor for all of the roles in these Horror movies. This is of course a wafer-thin metaphor for the real life competition that Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff had filling in the void that Lon Chaney's passing left. Brand is insanely jealous of Maximus' unbelievably realistic make up and special effects, and his jealousy drives him to desperate acts. Again, I will say no more, as I don't want to blow it for you.

I really, really enjoyed the Crispin Fly/ John Parrish/ Morgana D'Alexius/ Gerald Philip Jason/ Cassandra Bliss arc which brought Mary Perkins to Detroit. That was one of the longest arcs in this series thus far, weaving and ducking and growing. I couldn't put the book down that night, forgoing sleep to get some resolution. I was blown away by Starr's attention to detail, accurately depicting so much of Detroit. The performance was held at the then-newly renovated Fisher Theatre, as it was converted from a movie theater into a playhouse in 1961, as it remains to this day. There are many street shots of Detroit from when Detroit was still an economic powerhouse. The neighborhood that the Fisher is in has undergone something of a rebirth over the past few years, as the hipsters paved the way for the ballsier yuppies to return to it in numbers. We also see the State Theatre (now The Fillmore), the Fort Shelby Hotel (a Hilton hotel today), and The Willow Run Terminal, which hasn't been a commercial flight hub for decades.

The next arc deals with Mary befriending a nervous actor named Tony Abott and helping him with his self-centered mother, Cristabel Ainsley. The final arc deals with a shell-shocked veteran, Malcom “Nine-Lives” MacNab, who has come to claim a debt he feels is owed to him because he saved Pete's life when his plane crashed in Vietnam while on a photo assignment. His payment? He wants the hand of his high school crush: Mary Perkins. Post-traumatic stress wasn't something on the tip of people's tongues back then, so this is actually a bold storyline. Nowadays there are special snowflakes who claim to have PTSD from online arguments. Those folks do a disservice to those who legitimately have real PTSD.

Then there is a 16-page preview of Stan Drake's The Heart Of Juliet Jones strip, and I have all four volumes aging to perfection in my backlog. I should read them someday, as it seems great. First I am going to finish reading all of Mary Perkins On Stage books, though.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- There is a production error in this book. On page 64, one of the panels is repeated and another is omitted. The corrected page is printed in the back of Volume 6 and will be corrected in future printings, so all is well.

Like most strip books, this is presented in landscape format. It takes some getting used to reading a book this wide, but the material more than makes up for it. Plus the artwork is much larger than it would be if they released it in a standard format book.

Linework restoration: Compiled from many sources such as original art, proofs, etc. The nipple line is removed and many of these strips are more complete than they were at the time of original publication. There are some strips that don't look as good as others but by and large everything is crisp and clean.

The Sundays are presented here in black and white. They were originally printed in color.

Paper stock: Uncoated stock paper.

Binding: Perfect bound trade paperback.

Cardstock cover notes: Cardstock coating has a matte coating that is resistant to scuffing.

Reviews- LEONARD STARR'S MARY PERKINS ON STAGE VOL. 3 and SHADOWS OF SALAMANCA

LEONARD STARR'S MARY PERKINS ON STAGE VOL. 3 (Classic Comics Press, 2007; Softcover)

Collects Mary Perkins On Stage strips originally published on April 20, 1959- June 12, 1960

Writer and Artist: Leonard Starr

So great! How can people not scream their love for this strip from the rooftops? This is some of the best stuff that I have ever read, and if you read it you would say the same. Mary Perkins kinda sorta almost finds happiness this time out, but it is the journey and not the destination that is the charm of this strip. You actually care about every character and every scenario...even the dog. I have volumes 4-13 aging to perfection in my backlog, content in the knowledge that whenever I crack them open that they will be as satisfying as popping the cork on a vintage bottle of wine.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- Like most strip books, this is presented in landscape format. It takes some getting used to reading a book this wide, but the material more than makes up for it. Plus the artwork is much larger than it would be if they released it in a standard format book.

Linework restoration: Excellent work compiled from many sources, such as original art, proofs, etc. The nipple line is removed and many of these strips are more complete than they were at the time of original publication.

Paper stock: Uncoated stock paper.

Binding: Perfect bound trade paperback.

Cardstock cover notes: Cardstock coating has a fair thickness.

SHADOWS OF SALAMANCA (Humanoids, 2014; Hardcover)

Collects Sarah #1-3 (cover dates May- October, 2013)

Writer: Christophe Bec

Artist: Stefano Raffaele

Colorist: Bertrand Denoulet (#1) and Christian Favrelle (#2, 3)

I was on a huge Humanoids kick for a while there and then just stopped. No real reason other than I just stopped buying and reading their stuff. This book caught my eye as it is by the creative team which brought us Pandemonium, which was the book that brought me into the world of Humanoids Publishing to begin with. It all seemed fitting, so here we are again. Ancient Native American superstitions made real and a serial killer from Sarah's past resurfacing equal a disturbing yet beautifully illustrated read. I would be in for anything that this creative team does.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.25 out of 5.

The OCD zone- Humanoids books are top shelf affairs, with high end features like a built-in ribbon bookmark being standard issue.

Paper stock: Thick semi-glossy coated stock.

Binding: Smyth sewn binding, lays perfectly flat.

Hardback cover notes: No dustjacket, image part of the paper on the casewrap. Has sufficiently thick coating to ensure a lifetime of enjoyment.