FOR THE FUN OF IT:

 

R.I.P. MITCH BYRD

You were a big-time, Green Lantern guy, in particular when it came to that irascible Guy Gardner, and though DC may have been your most associated hub, other publishers were quick to employ your skills, including Chaos!, Crossgem, Aircel, Malibu, Image, Dark Horse and Marvel. 

Your art (your fine penciling) was always intricate and ornate, as your renderings of Batman, Superman and their families demonstrate, and your sensational style even helped shape the shapely Lady Death and Shi, escalating heartbeats and libidos alike.

Many consider your contributions to Generation X and Starman the pinnacles of your success. Others favor Predator, RoboCop and Starship Troopers, which further clinched your pop-cultural veneration. Still others exalt your breakout triumph, Cat and Mouse, which continues to tower over most indie titles. And then there are your cherished, sideline projects, with salutes to The Rocky Horror Picture Show and The Giant Leeches. 

Your legacy is secure, Mr. Byrd, enough that it's become unbreakable. It'll outlast us all, in fact, guaranteeing enchantment for generations to come: the true sign of an indelible artist ... the defining mark of artistic genius. 

FOR THE FUN OF IT:

 

LARRY JOHNSON'S THE COMPLETE LEW BROWN, VOL 3

By gosh! Artist/writer Larry Johnson has outdone himself  again with The Complete Lew Brown, Vol 3: an outstanding compilation featuring his humble but resolute, Tales of Fantasy alter ego. This curation may be my favorite in the trio, and that's saying a ton, considering how much I admire the earlier editions. (See May & July posts for the proof in the pudding.) 

For this (215-pg, black-and-white) edition, Johnson tosses Brown into specific, science-fiction scenarios, including a jaunt where the investigative reporter and his scientist friend, Gabrielle LeGrande, face a Clonus Horror factory run by the diabolical Dr. Derma (who's a clever merging of Shazam!'s Dr. Sivana and Albert Dekker's Dr. Cyclops); a chance encounter with LeGrande's Uncle Joseph, a man who's battled monstrous rodents (with special appearances by the mischievous Madame Boogala and the shrewd Dr. Charles Young, no less); a heartfelt remembrance by Brown and his neighbor, Joe Carbone, regarding a beloved space show and the toys it inspired; Brown re-imagined as super-scientist Lou Braun, on a mission to purge a bioengineered chemical that morphs people into cockroaches; an attack by Tibero, an alien tree-creature (formed in the From Hell It Came vein); Brown and his brother Freddy's far-out, family entanglement with Venusians; the discovery of a This Island Earth-type, camera-obscura tele-screen; and Brown's hearty brush with a tempting, dimensional vixen. 

There are also two literary offerings in this volume: "A Passage In the Darkness," written by Michael Tuz, which is an effective, "House of Usher"-esque piece that unveils a Bostonian cult's subterranean realm, and "The Under People," a quirky fable that places our protagonist among mysterious, maintenance workers. 

The tales invoke The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, Tales of Tomorrow and that ol' George McFly favorite, Science Fiction Theatre, with a smidgeon of Star Trek, if only to inject some cosmic kick.   

Of course, what makes the tales captivating are Brown's credible reactions to his incredible circumstances, which are sometimes amusing and sometimes disconcerting, but no matter the expression, the results are appealing, thanks to Johnson's swift pacing, vibrant artwork and stimulating imagination.

All three Lew Brown volumes are available on Amazon, so why not take the inquisitive leap by tapping the links below?

Vol 3: 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H6NL454N?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

Vol 2:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H4NW6435?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

Vol 1: 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GXTLP6HM?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title   

SO LONG, JOE CALDWELL

You penned an impressive, sixty-three episodes of Dan Curtis' Dark Shadows (including installments for the acclaimed, parallel timeline stretch) and (with Ron Sprout) created one of television's most phenomenal, pop icons, Barnabas Collins, as enacted by the amazing Jonathan Frid. 

You also contributed to Dark Shadows' Canadian counterpart, Strange Paradise, as well as The Secret Storm and the NBC Matinee Theater, allowing your work to enter our homes not only on a daily basis, but the span of years. (Additionally, you composed the captivating memoir, In the Shadow of the Bridge, which gave us an intimate insight into your fascinating life, but then the same can be said of your many novels, so rich in sincerity and unveiled depth.) 

That you helped us escape our tedious realities is commendable, and for that, Mr. Caldwell, we owe you infinite thanks. Now, at Heaven's loving perch, may you partake the joy you gave us a thousandfold. 

TERRIFIC TEAM-UP IMAGE: SPIDEY VS ELECTRO

 

FAREWELL, KAYLEE HOTTLE

You left a big mark for one so small, and your compassion for Kong touched us all. 

May you find contentment beyond this world, Ms. Hottle, with adventures to rival even those in which you starred.👼