back issue - #85

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CHRISTMAS IN THE BRONZE AGE!

UNWRAPPING YOURFAVORITE HOLIDAY

COMICS FROM THE ’70s,’80s, AND EARLY ’90s!

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BACK ISSUE™ is published 8 times a year by TwoMorrows Publishing, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive,Raleigh, NC 27614. Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief. John Morrow, Publisher. Editorial Office: BACK ISSUE,c/o Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief, 118 Edgewood Avenue NE, Concord, NC 28025. Email:[email protected]. Six-issue subscriptions: $60 Standard US, $85 Canada, $107 SurfaceInternational. Please send subscription orders and funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial office.Cover art by Marie Severin and Mike Esposito. Spider-Man and Kingpin TM & © Marvel Characters,Inc. All Rights Reserved. All characters are © their respective companies. All material © their creatorsunless otherwise noted. All editorial matter © 2015 Michael Eury and TwoMorrows Publishing,except Prince Street News TM & © Karl Heitmueller, Jr. BACK ISSUE is a TM of TwoMorrows Publishing.ISSN 1932-6904. Printed in China. FIRST PRINTING.

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Volume 1,Number 85December 2015

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFMichael Eury

PUBLISHERJohn Morrow

DESIGNERRich Fowlks

COVER ARTISTSMarie Severin and MikeEsposito (from thecollection of John Bamber)

COVER COLORISTGlenn Whitmore

COVER DESIGNERMichael Kronenberg

PROOFREADERRob Smentek

SPECIAL THANKSArthur AdamsMark ArnoldJohn BamberMike W. BarrEliot R. BrownJonathan R. BrownJohn CiminoChris ClaremontMark CleggTom DeFalcoJ. M. DeMatteisLeonardo De SàChris FranklinMike FriedrichStephan FriedtDave GibbonsKeith GIffenGrand Comics

Database Jason HarrisKarl Heitmueller, Jr.Heritage Comics

AuctionsSid JacobsonRob KellyBarbara KeselKris KringlePaul KupperbergChristopher Larochelle

Chris MarshallMarvel ComicsSteve MitchellAnn NocentiLuigi NoviDennis O’NeilJerry OrdwayTom PalmerTom PowersJoe Pruett Steve PurcellShannon E. RileyBob RozakisBob SchreckDiana SchutzMitchell SenftEric ShanowerRobin SnyderRoger SternRomeo TanghalRoy ThomasSteven ThompsonRick VeitchMark WaidGreg WeismanDoug WheelerMarv WolfmanDoug WheelerCraig Yoe

Comics’ Bronze Ageand Beyond!

In the background: From the 1975

Might

y M

arve

l Calen

dar. Art by Sal Buscema. TM & © M

arvel C

haracters, Inc.

C h r i s t m a s i n t h e B r o n z e A g e I s s u e • B A C K I S S U E • 1

FLASHBACK: Merry Christmas from Gotham City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2It’s the most wonderful time of the year for Batman

FLASHBACK: Christmas with the Superheroes…………..………………….. . . . . . . . . . . . . .13A creator-crammed cascade of comments about DC Christmas classics

PRO2PRO: A Christmas Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28DC writers and artists share holiday recollections

PRINCE STREET NEWS: Four-Color Traditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Yuletide nostalgia courtesy of Karl Heitmueller, Jr.

BACK IN PRINT: Christmas Re-Presents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32Faithful tales that are dear to us gather near to us once more—in treasuries and other formats

FLASHBACK: Marvel Holiday Grab-Bag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39Sweet Christmas! From Luke Cage to She-Hulk, Season’s Greetings from Marvel

FLASHBACK: Merry Christmas, X-Men . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47X-mas stories featuring Marvel’s mutants

FLASHBACK: The Superhero Merchandise Catalogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51The comic promos that drove fans wild

THE TOY BOX: It’s a Power Records Christmas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55Superheroes take a vinyl spin to the North Pole

BEYOND CAPES: Archie Christmas Love-In and Harvey Holidays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57Season’s greetings from Riverdale and the Harvey toons

FLASHBACK: Santa Claus: The Movie Adaptation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62You’ll believe a jolly fat man can fly!

BEYOND CAPES: Have Yourself a Comico Little Christmas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65Looking back at 1988’s Comico Christmas Special and Gumby’s Winter Fun Special

FLASHBACK: The Giffen Who Stole Christmas! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71How Keith Giffen’s Ambush Bug and Lobo sabotaged the 25th of December

BACK TALK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75Reader reactions

2 • B A C K I S S U E • C h r i s t m a s i n t h e B r o n z e A g e I s s u e

“The day before Christmas, and a smooth, white sheet ofsnow blankets the rooftops and streets of Gotham City.”

Under the pen of his uncredited co-creator, Bill Finger,so begins Batman’s first Christmas tale in Batman #9,cover-dated Feb.–Mar. 1942, and released around December10th, 1941. This simple but evocative paragraph couldbe the opening for any Batman holiday story, and despitethe character’s notoriously solemn nature, there have beenmany. They have spanned his storied career, appearing innot only comics, but in the other mediums he hasconquered. Not surprisingly, they have also provided snap-shots of the character’s evolution over his 76-year history.

HAPPY GOLDEN DAYS OF YOREThe first Batman Christmastales were of a kind … mostlythe Dickensian variety. In thatvery first tale mentionedearlier, Batman and Robinreunite little Timmy Cratchitwith his father Bob, who waswrongly framed for murder.Batman coerces a confessionfrom the real killer by posing asthe Ghost of Christmas Past,or, more correctly, the murdervictim in question. In Batman#27 (Feb.–Mar. 1945), theDynamic Duo teaches afamiliar lesson concerninggoodwill toward man to ayoung miser named Scrantonin “A Christmas Peril.”

These special stories were a nearly annual tradition,running in the Batman title (but surprisingly, not DetectiveComics) through February–March 1948, only missing the1944-dated issue. By the time these seasonal adventuresbegan, Batman had, of course, acquired a crimefightingpartner in Robin and had softened from the ruthlessavenger of his earliest stories, even becoming an ally ofthe police. When the cycle finished, the status quo wasrelatively the same, although Batman stepped further andfurther from the shadows as those years progressed.

SILVER AND BRONZE, SILVER AND BRONZEChristmas snow finally fell once again in Gotham, whenBatman #219 (Feb. 1970) hit the stands in late 1969.The Batman titles were in a state of flux, struggling in thefallout from the phenomenal (if short-lived) success ofthe 1966–1968 Batman television series. In one episode ofthat series, Adam West and Burt Ward’s Batman and Robinran into Santa Claus himself (played by cowboy comedianAndy Devine) during one of their routine “Bat-Climb”segments, providing their only holiday encounter in decades.

As he had done in 1964 when he inherited the titles,editor Julius Schwartz was once again shaking up theBatman comics to insure their survival. Just two issuesearlier, Batman had sent Robin off to college and sealedup the Batcave, moving into downtown Gotham tokeep his finger on the pulse of the city‘s crime.

Batman #219’s hidden Christmas gift, “The SilentNight of the Batman,” was penciled in his revolutionaryillustrative style by comics’ newest renaissance man,Neal Adams. Dick Giordano, who had earlier arrived at DCfrom Charlton, provided the inks. The story was conceivedand written by young comic writer Mike Friedrich.

Caroling Caped CrusaderOur hero and Gotham’s finest sing the night away in Batman #219(Feb. 1970). (inset) 1945’s Batman #27, cover-featuring one of thehero’s Golden Age holiday tales.TM & © DC Comics.

by Ch r i s F r a n k l i n

“In the late ’60s I had a near-complete collection ofthe Golden Age Batman comics and was a big fan ofthe early-’40s version of the character,” says Friedrich.“The roughness of the early stories had been filled in andfleshed out and the creative teams really hit their stride.It didn’t last long, maybe just a couple of years, before thewar took its toll. So, I was totally aware of the Golden AgeChristmas stories and considered them some of myfavorites from that period. At that time, the Batman comicwas big enough (64 pages) that each issue containedfour rather packed stories (each story easily as dense asa single issue today). One of them would be a costume-villain story (Joker, Penguin, Scarecrow, etc.) with anoutlandish fantastic crime scenario and one of themwould be a ‘small,’ human-interest story. The Christmasstories fit into this latter category.”

Friedrich continues, “When I got a chance to writefor DC editor Julie Schwartz, a Batman Christmas storywas one of the early ideas I pitched. He didn’t agreeuntil I’d gotten a couple of years’ experience. We spenta full summer month going back and forth on the story.Financially, writing this story was a disaster (back then,as now, eight pages of script money does not pay therent), but the final quality of the story has over timemade up for it. I think it’s been reprinted more than anyother story I’ve done.”

In the tale, it’s Christmas Eve, and the Batman isever-vigilant. He answers the Bat-Signal summons, butfinds Commissioner Gordon has no crime or emergencyfor him to solve. Despite the Darknight Detective’sprotests, Gordon is sure there will be no need forBatman this night. He even convinces the MaskedManhunter to join the boys in blue for a round ofChristmas carols. A slightly embarrassed Batman agrees,but only until trouble rears its ugly head.

As the police and their special guest sing the songsof the season, we see vignettes of life in Gotham City:lives all touched in some way by the Batman. A younggroup of thieves return a stolen package to a shopperwhen they unwrap a Batman action figure inside; acrosstown a gunman throws away his pistol when he bumpsinto a blind man dressed in Santa beard and Batmancostume, collecting money for charity; and a distraughtwoman sees the shadow of a bridge becomethe visage of a bat reflected on the watersbelow, as she throws a rose and a lettershe received into the harbor. That lettertold her that her solider husband wasmissing in action, or perhaps presumeddeceased. As she turns around, herreturning husband leaps from apersonnel truck.

After finishing up “Silent Night,”Batman realizes he has been singingall night long, and it is now 6 a.m.,Christmas morning. Amazingly,Gordon was right, and no calls forhim have come in. As he wonders ifthe Christmas Spirit really took hold ofthe city, he seems to see that spirit, in a shimmering formof Commissioner Gordon, who asks, “But what is theChristmas Spirit, Batman—might it not be you … or I?”

After he comes back to his senses, the CapedCrusader swings off into the sunrise, pondering theconnections between himself and that elusiveChristmas Spirit.

Friedrich’s tale is a tour de force of good cheer.While Batman takes the night off, his image influencesthe people of Gotham in positive ways, helping to preventcrime and heartache. The notion of a superhero as asymbol, something more than just a man (or in the real

world, a fictional character) is a givennow, but it was new territory in 1969,one that for Friedrich was importantto explore. “As part of the first waveof comics fans hired to write and drawcomics, I was aware of how importanta symbol my favorite characters wereto developing my ethical and morallife,” Friedrich explains. “For me,Batman was a great symbol for how

light/goodness can exist (and actually thrive) in a worldof shadow and gray. I was really glad to be able to showthis in ‘Silent Night of the Batman.’ ”

Friedrich reveals that artist Adams contributed morethan just his deft pencils: “Neal Adams was also involvedin how that story evolved. He fed me scene ideas as Isubmitted drafts to Julie and once the script was writtenand approved, his interpretation took it to another level.”

Amongst fans and scholars, the scene with thesoldier’s wife has been interpreted in various ways.Friedrich reveals, “The script as written has the soldier’swife contemplating suicide. Today I think this a horrible

C h r i s t m a s i n t h e B r o n z e A g e I s s u e • B A C K I S S U E • 3

mike friedrich

Silent Night,Dark NightTitle page to Batman#219’s holidayclassic. Story byMike Friedrich, artby Neal Adams andDick Giordano.TM & © DC Comics.

Gaudy colors. Outlandish costumes and regalia. Joyful andinspiring adventures. Christmas and superheroes havealways been a natural fit for each other. At this specialtime of year, let’s take a moment to look at tales ofChristmases Past from the hallowed halls of DC Comics.

UNITED FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE“The Year Without a Christmas!” from Shazam #11(Mar. 1974) kicks off our survey of superhero holidaytales, as the Marvel Family (Billy, Freddy, and Mary)attempts to stop the Sivanas from trying to shortenChristmas Day so it would be only ten minutes long.The breezy seven-page story, written by Elliot S! Magginand illustrated by Kurt Schaffenberger, would laterbe reprinted in the squarebound Showcase Presents:Shazam! (2006) collection.

Long before he became a fan-favorite in the animatedJustice League series, Green Lantern John Stewart madehis first appearance with the team in Justice League ofAmerica #110 (Mar.–Apr. 1974). Written by Len Wein andillustrated by Dick Dillin and Dick Giordano, “The ManWho Murdered Santa Claus!” saw the heroes face off withthe Key after the murder of a department store Santa.A few years later, Gerry Conway’s “2,000 Light-Yearsto Christmas!” in JLA #152 (Mar. 1978) introduced RedTornado’s adopted daughter Traya in a holiday taleabout three galactic travelers (the Three Kings, anyone?).The next holiday season brought an injured Hal Jordanstruggling to prevent a volcano from wiping out fellowJustice Leaguers Black Canary and Green Arrow, as wellas a young woman about to give birth on Christmas Evein Green Lantern #113 (Feb. 1979). [Author’s note: For anin-depth look at the JLA’s “Satellite Years,” check out myarticle in BACK ISSUE #58.]

Uncle Sam and team face off against the evil villainElf and his deadly toys, as well as miniature replicas of theJustice League, in Freedom Fighters #7 (Apr. 1977). Speakingof replicas, “The Emperor of the North Pole” also intro-duces the Crusaders—Barracuda, Americommando,Rusty, Fireball, and Sparky—all obvious homages toMarvel’s Invaders. Writer Bob Rozakis recalls, “We’d hadsome readers asking why the FFers didn’t battle the JLA,so this story, with the JLA ‘action figures,’ was a fun wayto deal with it. The appearance of the Crusaders wasan inside joke that Roy Thomas and I shared; at thesame time, he had pastiches of the Freedom Fighters—also named the Crusaders—in The Invaders. I came upwith the idea and either Tony Isabella or Jack Harrisbroached it to Roy.” The book was ably penciled by DickAyers, of whom Rozakis notes, “No matter how manycharacters I put into the stories—and there were plenty—he did a great job.”

While outside of regular DC continuity, Super Friends#42 (Mar. 1981) features a six-page Wonder Twinsbackup story entitled “A Christmas with Everything.”In the Romeo Tanghal-penciled tale, the alien siblingslearn the true meaning of Christmas as they witness aman performing multiple good deeds for those in need,with no expectation of receiving anything in return.

C h r i s t m a s i n t h e B r o n z e A g e I s s u e • B A C K I S S U E • 1 3

Stars of WonderThe star-studded DC Special Series #21(Apr. 1980). Cover by José Luis García-López.TM & © DC Comics.

by S h a n n o n E . R i l e y

Sometime-Justice Leaguer and former Charlton heroCaptain Atom has his own Christmas-themed storyline inCaptain Atom #13 (Mar. 1988). Written by Cary Bates andGreg Weisman, “We Three Kings…” sees Captain Atomlamenting his troubles, feeling completely alone anddisconnected. However, at tale’s end Nathaniel Adamrediscovers his inner strength and passion for helpingothers (much in the same way that George Bailey does inIt’s a Wonderful Life). There’s also a great subplot involvingWade Eiling, which introduces his father Harris andsupporting character Chester King, the introduction ofEve Eden (Nightshade), and a cameo by Enemy Ace.While many holiday tales tend to be self-contained, one-and-done stories, “We Three Kings…” is essential to theseries and really moves things forward. Weisman and Iconnected via email, and he offers his take on the tale’sobjective: “The point was to contrast Cap’s story withGeneral Wade Eiling’s and with the story of Chester King, anormal, average guy. All three were men with compromisedmorals, but the holidays can be a time of self-reflection andreevaluation. Cap reevaluates and likes what he sees, so hewalks off happy. Chester reevaluates and doesn’t like whathe sees, so he walks off quite unhappy but on a better path.Wade refuses to reevaluate and thus can’t even see what

he’s missing.” Of the story’s various players, Weismanrecalls, “[Nightshade] and Captain Atom had been partnersin the old Charlton days, so she was a good fit, particularlysince—like Cap—she had a government affiliation in herDC incarnation, thanks to the Suicide Squad. But I believeusing Enemy Ace was Cary’s idea. Initially, I wasn’t thatfamiliar with the character, but I quickly did my research.It’s odd, I know, throwing a World War I story into themiddle of a modern-day Christmas story, but it allowedus to introduce Harris Eiling (a character I liked so muchI put a version of him as a cameo in my first novel, Rain ofthe Ghosts) with a pretty dynamic story of his own—onethat set an example for Wade that Wade rejects.”

ANOTHER LONELY CHRISTMASThe Man of Steel has had a long history with Christmas,going all the way back to Superman’s Christmas Adventurein 1940 and “The Man Who Hated Christmas” from1946’s Action Comics #105. In the Bronze Age, we’d seeDC’s first costumed hero travel to “A World WithoutChristmas” in The New Adventures of Superboy #39(Mar. 1983) and then team up with Santa Claus to battlethe Toyman in DC Comics Presents #67 (Mar. 1984).


Super-Team Family Christmas(right) St. Nick no more. Splash page to JusticeLeague of America #110’s lead story, which alsoincludes Green Lantern John Stewart’s first JLAappearance. (left) DC’s FF vs. action figures on

the Rich Buckler/Jack Abel cover of FreedomFighters #7 (Mar.–Apr. 1977).

TM & © DC Comics.

Gift of theMagi(c Word)(opposite page)Original art page byKurt Schaffenbergerfrom Shazam!#11 (Mar. 1974).Courtesy of HeritageComics Auctions(www.ha.com). TM & © DC Comics.

ROMEO TANGHAL, artist“My first Batman assignment was ‘TheMystery of Christmas Lost’ by David V. Reed.Joe Orlando wanted me to try doing superheroesand he suggested to Julie Schwartz [that he] give methat Christmas issue. Julie was so hesitant because Iwas doing Super Friends, which was a little cartoony (notlike this Batman). But Joe persuaded him and that’show I got my first break on Batman—and very timelyfor Christmas.”

CARY BATES, writer

“One of them would have to be Christmas

break during my freshman year of college. When I

went home my parents gave me a letter and a check

from Mort Weisinger, who informed me he was buying

a World’s Finest script I had sent in on spec s

everal weeks

before. This marked the beginning of my comic-book

writing career.”

ERIC SHANOWER, writer/a

rtist

“In 1990, I was living

on the East Coast.

I visited my family in the San Francisco

Bay Area

during Christmastime, and whil

e there I

got together with Ed Bru

baker, who at

that time lived in Oakland.

Although Ed and I had d

iscussed

the idea previously, d

uring

that visit we came up with

the concrete plan to d

o

the comics story ‘An

Accidental Death,’

which remains one

of my favorite

projects.”

PAUL KUPPERBERG,writer/editor

“My favorite Christmas-relatedmemories go back a ways, to theearly 1960s and DC’s Rudolph theRed Nosed Reindeer Annuals andthe giant-sized Dennis the MenaceChristmas and Holiday Specials fromFawcett. And I have a bit of sentimentalattachment to one of my own very fewChristmas stories, ‘The Stranger’—it’s kind of a‘Christmas on Krypton’ tale—which appeared inSuperman Family #182 in 1975. It’s not that it’svery good or very notable, other than that it

was an early pencil job by Marshall Rogers… and the first story I sold to DC as

a newbie writer.”

BOB ROZAKIS, writer/editor/

production director

“My favorite comics-related Christmas memory

involves the DC staff rather than the bo

oks. When I was

production director, a number of the ven

dors we dealt with

would send candy, wine, baskets of goodi

es, and other things

as holiday gifts. I would gather them all,

bring together all the

folks who worked in my departments, and h

ave a giant giveaway.

One year, I was one gift short so I took th

e bottle of wine out of

this really fancy box and replaced it wit

h a couple of cans of

soda, giving me two different gifts. One

of the women on the

staff figured that the fancy box had the

best gift and actually

negotiated a trade up the list in the or

der of picks so she

could get it. The look on her face whe

n she opened it

and discovered she’d gotten two cans of

Diet Coke was

priceless. I did the same thing the followi

ng year, but

this time everyone avoided the fancy bo

x. When

it was finally taken by someone way down

the list, he was thrilled to find there

was a $25 gift certificate in it!”

2 8 • B A C K I S S U E • C h r i s t m a s i n t h e B r o n z e A g e I s s u e

While interviewing writers and artists for the preceding article, Ihad the chance to ask, “What is your favorite comics-related holidaymemory?” From stories of a $4 Charlie Brown Christmas tree to officepranks and first published scripts, their responses truly capture the funand magic of the holiday season.

by S h a n n o n E . R i l e y

DC Comics got into the treasury-sized comics businessduring the Christmas season of 1972 with its publicationof its first Limited Collectors’ Edition, #C-20, starringRudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. That now-raresuper-sized comic and its follow-ups were exploredin BACK ISSUE #61, our “Tabloids and Treasuries”edition, so we invite you to unstuff that stocking tolearn more about the Red-Nosed Reindeer (as wellas the other great tabloids of the 1970s, 1980s,and beyond).

Two years after Rudolph #C-20, the tabloid formatwas proving popular for superhero reprints, and bothDC and Marvel celebrated the yuletide seasonwith Christmas collections featuring some oftheir most colorful costumed crimefighters.

THE FIRST CHRISTMAS TABLOIDSDC’s Limited Collectors’ Edition #C-34(Feb.–Mar. 1975), Christmas with the Super-Heroes,was first to slide down the chimney, arriving onNovember 7, 1974. Following shortly thereafter,going on sale November 26, 1974, was the House of Ideas’Marvel Treasury Special (cover-dated simply “1974”),Giant Superhero Holiday Grab-Bag (#nn).

These may seem like compatible volumes, but they’revery different in editorial tone, as evidenced by theirtitles. DC’s Christmas with the Super-Heroes is just that:a collection of Christmas-themed stories starring thesuperheroic Batman, Captain Marvel, Teen Titans,and Superman (with the curious, but appreciated,inclusion of Angel and the Ape, appearing in a previouslyunpublished story). Marvel’s Giant Superhero HolidayGrab-Bag also delivers what its title promises: a randomselection of superhero stories, from holiday-themedadventures (a Spider-Man/Human Torch team-up and aBlack Widow solo tale) to superhero conflicts headlinedby Daredevil and the Fantastic Four. For those wishingto curl up by a warm fire with a cup of eggnog and the

Deck the Hall of JusticeNick Cardy’s charming cover to Limited

Collectors’ Edition #C-34 (Feb.–Mar. 1975),better known as Christmas with the Super-Heroes.Notice how three of these characters are wearingshorts at the North Pole? (opposite page) Put

on a happy face! (top left) John Buscema’sGiant Superhero Holiday Grab-Bag cover

featured a mostly scowling cast. (top right)John Romita cheered ’em up with minor art

alterations. (bottom left) The Grab-Bags’ backcovers viewed their cover scenes from behind,like this one by Buscema from 1974. (bottomright) Inside back cover to the first Grab-Bag.

TM & © DC Comics. TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.


by Mi c h a e l E u r y

joyful refrains of Nat King Cole, tales like DC’s Teen Titans in “A Swingin’Christmas Carol!” in Christmas with the Super-Heroes feel moreappropriate to the spirit of the season than non-yuletide classics likeGiant Superhero Holiday Grab-Bag’s Daredevil reprint, “In Mortal Combatwith … Sub-Mariner!” Yet this in itself offers a subtle lesson incomic-book history: DC’s catalog of characters was at thetime larger than Marvel’s, by this point also includingcharacters acquired from other companies, such asFawcett’s Captain Marvel (packaged for DC readersas Shazam!). Also, a handful of DC stalwartsremained in continuous publication during thebleak transitional years between the Golden andSilver Ages of Comics, giving DC a deeper inventoryof Christmas stories from which selections could bemade. Another difference between these volumes isDC’s inclusion of activity pages (see index).

One thing these volumes do share in common,however, is artistic alterations. Christmas with theSuper-Heroes’ “Christmastown, U.S.A.!”, a GoldenAge Superman story written by Alvin Schwartzand drawn by Win Mortimer, featured VinceColletta’s heavy alterations to some of the figures, particularlySuperman, to contemporize its look. While this was characteristicof early- to mid-1970s DC, where Superman art by artists from JackKirby to Alex Toth was altered to adhere to the house style, theresult here is uneven. Across town at Marvel, some surmised that

the Grinch assisted Big John Buscema when he drew the coverart for Giant Superhero Holiday Grab-Bag—its characters’ facialexpressions mirrored their personalities, particularly the snarlingIncredible Hulk. Conversely, DC’s Christmas with the Super-Heroes

cover by Nick Cardy featured its stars smiling ear to ear(even the Darknight Detective himself, Batman),flanking an unusually elfin Santa Claus. Jazzy JohnnyRomita softened Buscema’s meaner depictions byredrawing the faces of most of the Marvel heroeson the Grab-Bag cover, turning their frownsupside-down and allowing them to expressthe expected holiday cheer … even the ever-grinnin’ Hulk.

THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OFTHE YEARThe following year, both DC and Marvel releasedanother pair of yuletide specials. Once again DC’sChristmas with the Super-Heroes was released first,on November 6, 1975, in the form of LimitedCollectors’ Edition #C-43. Santa Claus returned on

its cover—and returned to his normal height—with a Curt Swan/BobOksner-drawn illo of Superman hoisting a sleigh packed with theissue’s stars (including another non-superhero, Cain, caretaker of TheHouse of Mystery, representing the HOM reprint included therein).This edition was edited by DC’s “walking encyclopedia” E. Nelson

Swingin’ Season(top) DC house ad for its second

Christmas with the Super-Heroes tabloid,as well as another Rudolph edition.

(bottom right) The second Holiday Grab-Bag, as promoted in a Marvel UK advert.

(bottom left) The back cover to the1975 Holiday Grab-Bag.

DC ad TM & © DC Comics. Marvel ad and art TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.


e. nelson bridwell© DC Comics.

Christmas came to the Marvel Universe in the BronzeAge, and with it came thoughtful commentary on themeaning of the season. In these works we saw villainsregain their humanity, heroes lost and alone, imageryfrom famous Christmas stories, and so much more.In this article we will look at how the Marvel Universecelebrated the holidays in the Bronze Age. We willalso check in with a few creators to see how theycrafted these holiday tales.

SPIDEY AND TORCH TEAM UPThe holidays roared into the Marvel Universe during theBronze Age with the first issue of the legendary seriesMarvel Team-Up. Issue #1 (Mar. 1972) starred Spider-Manteaming up with Fantastic Four’s Human Torch in“Have Yourself a Sandman Little Christmas,” written byRoy Thomas, penciled by Ross Andru, and inkedby Mike Esposito. Our tale opens with Peter Parkersnapping photos of the Polar Bear Clan’s plunge intofrosty waters off the Jersey boardwalk. All of sudden oneof the swimmers is frightened by something brushingher leg. It is revealed to be the Sandman, making hisreturn! After a scuffle with Spider-Man and the authorities,the Sandman escapes, noting that it is Christmas Eve,and he has somewhere he needs to be.

After Sandman’s escape, Peter decides his date withGwen Stacy is what is really important, and that theSandman is more of a Fantastic Four problem anyway.He decides to alert them before he heads out for hisevening with his beloved. It is here we find Johnny Storm,saddened by a breakup, deciding to spend the holidaysin misery and let the other FF members go about theirmerry way. Web-Head and Flame-Head debate whoseproblem the Sandman really is before they realize theyeach have a piece of the puzzle and reluctantly team up.After assisting with some good deeds, they find theSandman. A battle occurs, and Sandman wins, lockingthem up and tying them in a water tower, but notwithout giving them a clue for their escape. After makingit out of the water tower, they catch up to the Sandmanbreaking into a house and switching into civilian garb.He makes a deal to come along with them peacefully if theywill let him see his elderly mother, who doesn’t know heis a supervillain. They agree, and Spider-Man even handsover the present he got for Gwen Stacy so Sandy can givehis mom a gift. However, after giving the Sandman timewith his mother, the duo return to find that Sandman hasleft them high and dry by escaping down a drain. It ishere we share a holiday spoiler: Spider-Man and HumanTorch decide to let him go. It is Christmas, after all. Theepisode has brightened the spirits of both, and they partas friends. The Human Torch lights the sky with flameletters that read, “Peace on Earth, Goodwill to men.”

Roy Thomas tells BACK ISSUE about this first issue andabout how he came to be involved with the series: “I hadalways liked Christmas stories in comics, including Batmanand the like. So when Stan [Lee] ‘asked’ me to write at least

Sweet Christmas!Trouble for Luke Cage—and the MarvelUniverse—on the Billy Graham-drawn coverof Hero for Hire #7 (Mar. 1973).TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.


by J o n a t h a n R i k a r d B r own


the first issue of Marvel Team-Up to get it started, and I realized theissue would be out around December, I used that as an excuse tohumanize Sandman, one of my favorite Spidey villains. And sinceRoss Andru was the penciler, I think it came off fairly well.”

MY FAVORITE THINGSThe Human Torch was not the only Fantastic Four member tocelebrate the holidays with a team-up. In the Bronze Age, theThing’s series Marvel Two-in-One hosted two holiday-themedstories. The first of these paired the Thing with a differentflame-head, Ghost Rider, in a story entitled “Silent Night …Deadly Night,” appearing in MTIO #8 (Mar. 1975). It was writtenby Steve Gerber, with artistic duties handled by Sal Buscemaand Mike Esposito. The cover boasted that it was “Easily themost off-beat holiday extravaganza of all!”

The story begins with Ghost Rider cruising down a longstretch of highway and encountering three travelers atopcamels, eerily reminding the dark hero of a certain yuletidetale. He meets with the travelers, who seem to be only a little

alarmed by the individual with a flaming skull head.They tell him they are following yonder star, bringing

gifts for a newborn baby. Meanwhile, ReedRichards and the Thing are arguing about howproper it is to work during a Christmas party.Reed is amazed by a new star appearing inthe sky and is convinced he must study it nomatter the cost. The Thing thinks it would befantastic for Reed to be with his family, whoare downstairs, during the holidays. This backand forth leads to Mr. Fantastic going to theparty and the Thing jetting off to the KonohotiIndian Reservation where the star appeared.There is a theme here of European religiousheritage trampling Native-American culture.(We will see this theme progress even furtherwhen we discuss Captain America #292.)

In the meantime, Ghost Rider has arrivedin what appears to be an ancient near-east city where he hasfound a local inn with a grumpy innkeeper and a family with anewborn baby lying in a manager. His investigation is cut shortby a mysterious figure throwing him out of the town in a tornado.After he has recovered from the fall he meets the Thing,who has just landed. They decide to team up to learn more.They learn that the town is a part of a plot by the villainousMiracle Man, seeking to take his revenge on the Native-Americanspiritual elders who trained him but later imprisoned him afterhe turned to misdeeds. He has converted the town in a newBethlehem, and created a child through immaculate means.This was done so that he will be heralded as a new god, and hisspiritual captors’ ways would be destroyed. It is interesting tonote that this story is the only comic surveyed that engages thereligious story of Christmas.

In issue #74 (Apr. 1981), Christmas returned to Marvel Two-in-One. This time the Thing was paired with the villain the PuppetMaster in a story entitled “A Christmas Peril,” written by MarkGruenwald, penciled by Frank Springer, and inked by Chic Stone.In a nod to the holiday theme, Jim Shooter is credited as “Santa.”In Marvel Team-Up #6 we had learned that the Thing’s love interest,Alicia Masters, was the stepdaughter of the Puppet Master.MTIO #74 opens with Ben Grimm complaining about last-minuteChristmas shopping and the addressing of Christmas cards. Aliciaconvinces him to send a card to her stepfather as a nicety due tothe season. We flash forward to find out the Puppet Master is beingreleased from prison. He returns to his lair to realize he no longerhas any of his special radioactive clay that he uses to control people’sminds. His timely receipt of the Thing’s Christmas card spurs himto come up with a plan to use the Fantastic Four to obtain new clayfrom the mountains in a corner of the Balkans. Puppet Mastershows up at the Fantastic Four’s Christmas party and uses youngFranklin Richards as a patsy to persuade the Thing and Alicia tofly him to what he claims to be the land of his birth. The next

Sandman isComing to Town

(top) Spidey andthe Torch pair off inthe Christmas-set

Marvel Team-Up #1(Mar. 1972). Cover

by Gil Kane and FrankGiacoia. (bottom)

Courtesy of HeritageComics Auctions(www.ha.com),original RossAndru/Mike

Esposito art topage 9 of MTU #1. TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

Luigi Novi /Wikimedia Commons.

roy thomas

When Professor Charles Xavier put together the first team of X-Men,he forged a group of teenagers into something much greater than merelythe latest squad of superheroes. The X-Men were, from the beginning,a family of young people with extraordinary powers striving to make abetter world not only for mutants like themselves but oftentimes thehumans who hated and feared them. It should come as no surprise thatthe X-Men have had quite a few adventures framed around the “mostwonderful time of the year,” when people around the world celebratethe company of family and friends.

“MERRY CHRISTMAS, X-MEN…”The first of these adventures takes place in X-Men #98 (Apr. 1976),before the famous “Uncanny” descriptor was attached to the seriestitle. This comic features a group of X-Men who are still just barelygetting to know each other. Everyone begins the snowy evening atRockefeller Center in New York City, but it is not long before differentgroups of mutants split off to have their own fun.

“For the first time in years, New York’s got itself a real honest-to-goodness white Christmas!” says Jean Grey. “Isn’t the snow beautiful, Ororo?”

Ororo (better known as Storm), who has only recently relocatedto New York from her home country of Kenya, is unimpressed by whatshe sees: “In its way, Jean … but I can’t help remembering that on theslopes of Kilimanjaro, the snow is … white.” Nightcrawler and Colossustry to get the attention of a couple of women while Banshee and MoiraMacTaggert head out to see the sights of the city. Cyclops and JeanGrey get ready for a quiet date at a restaurant, and one mutant in thebunch just doesn’t fit into any of the plans.

“What about you, Wolverine?” asks Jean Grey.“What about me, Miss Grey—? I got no use for Christmas,” replies

the loner.As Cyclops and Jean Grey walk down the streets of New York,

they pass a couple of strangers who should look quite familiar to fansof Marvel history: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby themselves get the chance tobrush shoulders with their creations in this story. Writer Chris Claremonttook the chance to include this moment in the holiday happiness ofX-Men #98’s beginning section. Speaking of the importance of Leeand Kirby, Claremont tells BACK ISSUE that “without them, neither theX-Men—or me writing them—would be here. If anyone deserved tohave a scene in our first Christmas issue, it’s the ‘Man’ and the ‘King.’ ”

The peaceful moments only last so long before Sentinels show upand the “All-New, All-Different” X-Men are launched into their firstadventure in space. By the end of this tale readers would be introducedto a key part of the X-Men mythos in the Phoenix. Chris Claremont hasthe following to say about this timeframe in the development of theX-Men saga and his collaboration with artist Dave Cockrum: “At thatpoint, the series had been around for all of four issues. We were comingout every other month, remember; we had to let the readers know rightfrom the start that big things were coming. Otherwise, they mightwander away to a more enticing title. As well, we had our hundredthlooming three issues down the road. That had to be a really big deal,which meant Dave and I had to come up with a seminal story whilewe were still getting to know our cast. The result was Phoenix—which isstill resonating throughout the X-universe today, some 40 years later.That story would have meant nothing if the readers didn’t care about thecharacters—which meant the issues leading up to it had to use everyopportunity to introduce the readers to our characters in terms theycould readily relate to and which would help set up a bond between thecharacters and their audience. Fortunately, with an artist as gifted asDave Cockrum—both in his ability to tell a superb visual story and


Home AloneIt’s a scary Christmas for Kitty Pryde in X-Men #143(Mar. 1981). Cover by Terry Austin.TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

by Ch r i s t o p h e r L a r o c h e l l e

TM

A CATALOG THAT CAME STRAIGHT OUT OFCOMIC-BOOK HEAVENAlthough I was a “freak” for comics and cartoons backin the mid-’70s when I was a wee young lad, nothing hadcaptured my imagination with as much power-cosmic-fueled intensity as The Superhero Merchandise Catalogs.While comics stimulated my dreams with superheroictales starring my favorite caped crimefighters, thesecatalogs (if I was lucky enough to find one) made itpossible for me to put those dreams into the palm of myhand in the form of a toy. Yup, these catalogs show-cased the perfect Christmas wish list for not only me,but for every comic-reading boy and girl across the USA.And with enough begging, maybe Mom could evenorder a few Hulk toys for me before Christmas and I’dreceive them in the mail. Could anything in life be greaterthan that??? It seemed to me that Santa’s real workshopwas a place where all these catalogs originated, whereall those beloved toys, games, and puzzles that Idrooled over were stored … a place not located inthe North Pole, but in New Jersey—and from thereyou took a yellow brick road to a magical store calledHeroes World.

Anyone who was a superhero fan growing up duringthis time can understand what I’m rambling on about.Today, it’s fairly common for kids to easily accessupcoming toys and games that would be coming outby simply clicking onto the Internet and searching theWeb. Back in the ’60s and early ’70s, superhero fansonly had their random comic-book ads, occasional TVcommercials, and trips to the toy aisle with Mom andDad to know what were the “hip” new superhero toyson the market (it was a horrible feeling when you wouldfind a toy at your friend’s house that you never kneweven existed). Yeah, so you could say compared totoday, things were pretty primitive. But that all cameto a screeching halt in 1975 when the SuperheroMerchandise Catalog debuted on the scene and becameour personal 24-hour infomercial for marvelouslymagnificent “Supa Dupa” merchandise anytime wepulled it out from under our pillows.

These catalogs were really a big deal back thenbecause they were perfectly designed to capture all ourchildhood delusions of grandeur. Each item on everyfun-filled page was drawn with comic goodness thatmade us wonder what they looked like in reality (whichmade me beg my mom more feverishly for them). Thesecatalogs were my personal love letters from Heaven, so Iwas always on the hunt for more. Sadly, I could neverlocate them anywhere. Who made them? How manywere made? And most importantly, how could I getmore? Well, after all the crazed praising and nostalgicbanter I’m spewing out stops, we can all gather aroundand thank a guy by the name of Ivan Snyder. That namemight not ring a bell to most, but he’ll go down in comic-book history as a true pioneer of the direct market.

“Does Whatever a Snyder Can”Snyderman and two happy kids hog the coverof 1977’s The Superhero Book of Goodies.Main figures by Joe Kubert.Marvel characters TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.DC characters TM & © DC Comics.

by J o h n “ TH E MEGOSTR E TCH HU L K ” C im i n o


Superman stopping a power-mad scientist from launching the UnitedStates’ nuclear weapons at the rest of the world. Batman, the targetof a Gotham underworld conspiracy to rub him out. Wonder Womanteaming up with Santa Claus to defeat a rogue Nazi with plans to rulethe planet. This sounds like a super-fun issue of World’s Finest, or per-haps a 100-Page Super Spectacular. Where can I get this comic?

Actually, these stories cannot be found in any DC Comic—theywere audio adventures courtesy of the late, great Power Records,released on an LP in time for the 1977 Christmas season. Sporting a—let’s just say it—jolly front cover by Neal Adams of the Big Three fullyembracing the Christmas spirit, Exciting Christmas Stories withSuperman/Wonder Woman/Batman (the closest we come to an officialtitle) has our heroes each facing separate holiday-themed threats.

In Light Up the Tree, Mr. President, Superman discovers an evil planhatched by a disgraced, bloodthirsty scientist Thurston Kilgore. Uponlighting the White House Christmas tree, a peace-loving President ofthe United States will unwittingly blow himself up as well as launchfive nuclear missiles. These missiles are aimed at the rest of the world,

which will leave America standing amid the rubble. Kilgore’s plannearly comes off thanks to Superman being lured into a kryptonitetrap via a kidnapped Jimmy Olsen, who was covering the event forGBS-TV. But the Man of Steel prevails by turning on the super-speed,stopping the missiles, and apprehending Kilgore, ensuring thatAmerica—and the world—has a Merry Christmas. (Superman laterrealized Kilgore’s plan wasn’t all bad, and repurposed it in the 1987anti-nuke documentary Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.)

In Christmas Carol Caper, Batman gets a singing telegram, exceptit’s not filled with holiday cheer—in fact, it comes from local thug RudySnow, a.k.a. “Rudy, the Red-Nosed Hitman,” who threatens to killBatman and Robin in time for Christmas! While on their way to aChristmas party at the Gotham South Side Mission, Rudy tries to rubout the Dynamic Duo, but instead is handed off to the police thanksto a well-aimed Batarang. It turns out that Rudy is just a small part of alarger plot—hatched in secret by crooks who frequent the Mission—to kill Batman once and for all. Luckily, the conspiracy is foiled in timeand Batman, Robin, and the South Side Mission have a Merry Christmas.

Santa’s SuperHelpersYep, that’s NealAdams art on thealbum cover forPower (Peter Pan)Records’ ExcitingChristmas Storieswith Superman/Wonder Woman/Batman LP (that’s“Long-Playing”record, whipper-snapper!). Characters TM & © DC Comics.

by R o b K e l l y

TM


The subject of Christmas has been a strong one in the world ofcomic books, despite the fact that many of comics’ foundingfathers had a Jewish background. Archie Comics andHarvey Comics had a lengthy history of devoting storiesor issues to the holiday. In fact, the first Archie Christmasstory, “Archie Andrews’ Christmas Story” with art by BobMontana, appeared as early as 1942, in Jackpot Comics #7.

ARCHIE COMICS CHRISTMASArchie, in particular, made it a regular habit of devotingan entire issue to Christmas with the debut of Archie’sChristmas Stocking in 1954, a title that eventually developedinto the long-running Archie Giant Series Magazine.From 1954–1959, Archie’s Christmas Stocking was the onlytitle in the series with its annual appearance. After that,a variety of titles appeared in the format until its demisewith #632 in 1992. By that point, the title was a “Giant” inname only as the series featured standard 32-page issues.

By the time period covered in this article(1970–1989), Archie had three rotating books appearingannually in the Giant Series roster: Archie’s ChristmasStocking, Archie’s Christmas Love-In, and Betty andVeronica’s Christmas Spectacular. The three were joinedby a fourth and fifth title debuting for Christmas 1971:Li’l Jinx Christmas Bag and Sabrina’s Christmas Magic.

The Li’l Jinx Christmas Bag lasted until 1973 andthe four other Christmas titles continued annually untilChristmas 1981. The term “Love-In” was somewhatdated and Sabrina had lost a lot of her popularity bythat point (Sabrina’s popularity was reignited laterthanks to the Sabrina TV show starring Melissa Joan Hartand a new animated series; but in 1981, Sabrina wason the verge of comic-book cancellation and was endedin 1983 after 77 issues). After that, Archie’s ChristmasStocking and Betty and Veronica’s Christmas Spectacularcontinued annually, even beyond 1989.

Some of the regular series at Archie also hadChristmas covers during this time period. This didn’talways translate into Christmas stories on the interiorsas the Giant Series titles had, but Archie Comics DigestMagazine, Little Archie, and the revived version of KatyKeene were the most consistent titles to sport a Christmascover during this period. Of those, Little Archie was themost likely to have Christmas-themed stories inside.

Two unique and very different Christmas-themedissues came out during this period. The first wasChristmas with Archie in 1974. It was yet another in anongoing series by Al Hartley published by Spire ChristianComics. A unique feature of this issue besides the themewas the fact that issue was a 52-page Giant. This makes itone of the more difficult Spire Christian Comics to attain.

The other Christmas-themed issue was mentionedbefore in BACK ISSUE #61, as it was the first Archie treasury-sized edition, called Christmas and Archie. It was also theonly one until IDW published Archie: Best of Dan DeCarloTreasury Edition in 2011. While DC had its Limited Collectors’


Archie’s Christmas Drop-InThis Christmas card appeared in Archie GiantSeries Magazine #203: Archie’s ChristmasStocking (Dec. 1972).TM & © Archie Comic Publications, Inc.

by Ma r k A r n o l d

TM

I had lots to celebrate during Christmas 1988: I waswinding down my first year as a comic-book editor,at Comico (that’s “Ko-mee-ko,” by the way) theComic Company in Norristown, Pennsylvania. It wasthe perfect job for me. The atmosphere was relaxed(well, except during rare deadline crises, when voiceswould elevate and dry walling would crumble). I wasa man-child barely in my 30s who was allowed towear T-shirts and jeans to the office (which was acreaky old house, my work station being on the third,and top, floor, in a former teen’s bedroom plasteredwith polka-dotted wallpaper). Every day was a learningexperience under the tutelage of editor-in-chiefDiana Schutz, one of comics’ best editors—ever. And Iwas collaborating with some heavy-hitters like BillWillingham, Mike Leeke, Mike W. Barr, AdamHughes, Mike Gustovich, Len Wein, Adam Kubert,and Gene Colan. Wow!

But my yuletide was made even brighter by mywork on two fun holiday one-shots that I had the joyof co-editing or editing: Comico Christmas Special andGumby’s Winter Fun Special.

COMICO CHRISTMAS SPECIALThis 40-page one-shot was graced by a Dave Stevenscover. Now, those words have probably conjured animage of a shapely “Santa’s helper” as rendered byone of the medium’s best good-girl artists, but insteadDave’s cover featured a gift exchange between

big-eyed, gray-skinned aliens, a scene from theSpecial’s final tale.

There’s a story behind that cover,according to Legendary Comics editor-in-chief Bob Schreck, who wasComico’s administrative director atthe time. Bob’s relationship withDave predated Stevens’ creation ofthe Rocketeer, which the artist hadrecently brought from Eclipse toComico in the form of The RocketeerAdventure Magazine. “This was at atime when a Dave Stevens coverwould move the sales of a book up10 to 15 percent,” Schreck tellsBACK ISSUE. He was certain aStevens cover would give a boost to

a commercially iffy project like a Christmas anthology.“Dave didn’t agree,” Bob continues. “He felt thatdue to the material in the Special, nothing gave himthe opportunity to draw what he was known for—which was good-girl art. Or bad-girl art.” However,Schreck persisted. “Dave kept saying, ‘No, I’m notgoing to bring any numbers to this,’ ‘You’ve got thewrong guy.’” Bob paraded the laudable list oftalent inside the book (keep reading!) as an incentiveto woo Stevens to draw the cover, and finally theartist consented.


Chill Out, SantaComico house ad from late 1987. Art byBernie Mireault.© 1987 Bernie Mireault.

bob schreck© Luigi Novi /

Wikimedia Commons.

by Mi c h a e l E u r y

With the characters of Ambush Bug and Lobo, bothKeith Giffen creations, the writer-artist respectivelyprovides a postmodern vision of a hapless hero andan unrepentant villain that undermine and challengereaders’ expectations. Appropriately enough, Giffenchose the formerly safe festive theme of Christmasto present double-sized exploits of these characters.In Ambush Bug Stocking Stuffer (Feb. 1986), Giffenand scripter Robert Loren Fleming utilize Ambush Bugto break the fourth wall in offering commentary ontwo juggernauts of capitalism: the DC superhero/comics and the commercialized version of Christmasin general. Several years later, with the LoboParamilitary Christmas Special (Dec. 1991), Giffen,scripter Alan Grant, and artist Simon Bisley commit oneof the most subversive and perhaps underappreciatedacts in comics history: they not only present SantaClaus as a cutthroat, deplorable character but haveLobo carrying out a hit on the iconic figure as well!Consequently, if any Christmas-loving fanboy orfangirl wishes to argue that Keith Giffen represents alatter-day Grinch, these two comics would help thatindividual to successfully plead his or her case.Certainly, Giffen himself, a curmudgeonly unapologeticcritic of Christmas—as this article will show—wouldstrongly support any such comparisons to Dr. Seuss’bitter green villain—before his cloying redemption,of course!

COAL IN DISGUISE?AMBUSH BUG STOCKING STUFFERDebuting in DC Comics Presents #52 (Dec. 1982),Ambush Bug, who is familiar to both longtime and

newer DC readers as a comedic character, actuallystarted out as a villain for the Man of Steel.

Giffen comments, “Ambush was just avillain of the month I came up withwhen we needed a bad guy for aSuperman/Doom Patrol team-up. I just… tossed him out there thenfigured we could have some funwith him. He was never meant togo past one-shot status. Showshow much I know.”

After making another villainousturn in DC Comics Presents #59(July 1983), Ambush Bug becamea hero in Supergirl #16 (Feb. 1984).Then he appeared in several issuesof Action Comics (#560, Oct. 1984;563, Jan. 1985; and 565, Mar. 1985),

and DC Comics Presents #81 (May 1985), beforelanding his first four-issue miniseries titled—ofcourse—Ambush Bug (June–Sept. 1985). Severalmonths later, just in time to wreak comedic havoc forthe 1985 holiday season, Ambush Bug Stocking Stufferdebuted. Edited by the legendary Julius Schwartz, whomGiffen describes as “a real, honest-to-God editor,” thiscomic’s cover features a cheerfully smiling Santa

Yuletide’s New Main ManSimon Bisley’s cover to The Lobo ParamilitaryChristmas Special (Dec. 1991). TM & © DC Comics.


keith giffen© Luigi Novi /

Wikimedia Commons.

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BACK ISSUE #85“Christmas in the Bronze Age!” Go behind the scenes of comics’best holiday tales of the 1970s through the early 1990s! And we re-visit Superhero Merchandise Catalogs of the late ‘70s! Featuringwork by SIMON BISLEY, CHRIS CLAREMONT, JOSÉ LUIS GAR-CÍA-LÓPEZ, KEITH GIFFEN, the KUBERT STUDIO, DENNY O’NEIL,STEVE PURCELL, JOHN ROMITA, JR., and more. Cover by MARIESEVERIN and MIKE ESPOSITO!

(84 FULL-COLOR pages) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

http://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=98_54&products_id=1221

IF YOU ENJOYED THIS PREVIEW,CLICK THE LINK TO ORDER THIS

ISSUE IN PRINT OR DIGITAL FORMAT!



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