Calvin's Canadian Cave of Coolness: Comic Covers Of The Week

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Comic Covers Of The Week

3 comments:

Jordan said...: I have that "Logan's Run" issue!

"Logan's Run," like "Star Wars" a couple years later, was a Marvel tie-in put together by the movie studio. They each covered the movie plot in a few issues and then moved on.

It's interesting, though: "Logan's Run" isn't nearly as good a movie, but the "Logan's Run" comic book was very well done (Klaus Janson was the inker; it was my first introduction to his brilliant style, which would reach fruition in 1979 when he started working with Frank Miller on his legendary "Daredevil" run). The "Star Wars" comic, by contrast, was pretty much crap...it was obviously written and drawn by people who hadn't seen the movie (which hadn't come out yet) and were working from promo pictures and an early draft of the script (all that Biggs stuff is in there, for example, as is the human Jabba the Hutt talking to Han in Docking Bay 94).

However, the "Logan's Run" comic didn't make it. They covered the movie in five issues, and then moved on with a sequel plot that was really interesting...and had cliffhangers...but the title was cancelled for low sales and I'm never going to learn what happened to Logan and Jessica. "Star Wars," on the other hand, went on for dozens and dozens of issues, coming up with ridiculous new plotting about Han, Chewie, Luke, Leia and the robots that was all rendered moot by "The Empire Strikes Back." Lucas had no problem letting people extend his plot (as did Alan Dean Foster in Splinter of the Mind's Eye at the same time); he just ignored whatever they wrote.; February 7, 2013 at 4:58 PM
Kal said...: I remember reading Splinter in the Mind's Eye. We were starving for any new Star Wars at the time so we went for anything, including these comics. At least they didn't spoil the sequels by revealing the plot of them years early.; February 7, 2013 at 5:23 PM
Jordan said...: Yeah, I agree!

I remember the first time I saw Empire...the first time we see Leia, I was like, "Oh..so she doesn't have her hair in that earmuff configuration all the time?" (The Marvel comics and the Ralph McQuarrie painting on Splinter showed her that way.)

Also, Empire pretty much made a mockery of Splinter's silly Luke/Leia romantic tension.

Alan Dean Foster's a decent writer, though. I loved all his novelizations.; February 7, 2013 at 7:10 PM

Calvin's Canadian Cave Of Cool Manifesto

I forever stand vigilant to protect this planet from the myriad of forces that are always against us. Be it the octopus, zombies, aliens or the robots my team of human agents, and our feline allies, circle the globe in a never ending struggle for human freedom.

I learn all I can on every subject that interests me. I especially enjoy ancient history because in the past there are valuable lessons to be found. Also, if I ever get my time machine to work properly, it would be good to know a bit about possible destinations and what to expect when I get there.

I greatly appreciate beautiful design. Be it manufactured or found naturally I am fascinated by the process of invention. I am attracted to the unique, the strange, the haunted. I like to share what I find on this blog.

And not let us forget the 'Cephalopod Menace' who, if allowed to, would wrap their tentacles around all that is good and pure in this life and crush it until it remained no more. They are creatures of pure spite. Hate is all they know. Death is all they do. They are our most ruthless and determined enemy.

So we fight. Selena has the celebrity contacts, the cat is ruthless and without pity, Roosevelt's ghost has the experience and I do the wetwork.

Fighting for the future of the planet doesn't have to be a chore, however. We can take the time to appreciate all that is cool in this world even as we cut the octopus into bite sized chunks.

This is the reason there has always been and must forever be, a Cave of Cool. Be sure to wipe your feet before you enter.