MONSTER-MONTH: COUNTDOWN TO HALLOWEEN (Day 9)

Today, we venture into the strange world of Hanna-Barbera Animation to visit with a robot who carries the burden of the name... Frankenstein!

FRANKENSTEIN, JR. AND THE IMPOSSIBLES were a pair of Hanna-Barbera cartoons packed into a half hour of television programming for the CBS television network.  It premiered September 10, 1966.

Similar to many of the animation company’s efforts, this series was shortlived--ending after an 18 episode run.  Frankenstein Jr. is actually the name of the gigantic robot created by Professor Conroy for his  boy genius son Buzz Conroy--apparently he didn’t grasp that Frankenstein was the creator not the creation.

Set in Civic City, the adventures of young Buzz and Frankenstein, Jr. as they fight supervillains in the name of justice.  Buzz would activate his pal, “Frankie”, via an energy ring.  Frankenstein, Jr. is very similar in appearance to the very popular animated character GIGANTOR, who had a hit show at the time.

Frankie was voiced by Ted Cassidy (Lurch of THE ADDAMS FAMILY).  Buzz was voiced by Dick Beals, also famous for the voice of Chuck Jones’ Ralph Phillips for Warner Bros. and Davey of DAVEY & GOLIATH.

The target of complaints about violence in children’s television, the show was cancelled in 1968.

FIVE FRANKENSTEIN FUN FACTS:

1. Gold Key Comics released a single issue of FRANKENSTEIN JR. AND THE  IMPOSSIBLES in 1966 as a tie-in to the TV show.  The contents of it were reprinted in “The Impossibles Annual” by Atlas Publishing & Distributing Co. Ltd., in 1968 in the United Kingdom.
2. In 1976, Space Ghost and Frankenstein Jr. were repackaged and combined together into a single cartoon series entitled SPACE GHOST/ FRANKENSTEIN JR. SHOW for NBC.
3. Ted Cassidy also voiced the role of Ben Grimm aka The Thing in the 1978 FANTASTIC FOUR animated series and went on  to voice and announce for animated shows like GODZILLA, THE HULK, SUPER FRIENDS and voicing the opening narration of the 1970s THE INCREDIBLE HULK.
4. FRANKENSTEIN JR. and THE IMPOSSIBLES is available via Warner Bros. and print  on demand.
5. Frankenstein Jr. or “Frankie” as he is referred to by Buzz, stands 30 feet tall.

And now, some merchandise featuring Frankie Jr...

(Click to Frankensize)

(Click to Frankensize)

(Click to Frankensize)

(Click to Frankensize)

(Click to Frankensize)

And now, some art featuring FRANKENSTEIN JR.

(Click any to Frankensize)

Links to follow Frankie Jr. with:

http://comicsworthreading.com/2011/05/08/frankenstein-jr-and-the-impossibles/

http://www.the-other-view.com/frankenstein-impossibles.htmlfrankensteinjr

http://stendek.tumblr.com/post/6130885677/cement-mixer-mystery-frankenstein-jr-tale

http://danielsfunny.com/2012/01/09/thank-you-hanna-barbera-frankenstein-jr-and-the-impossibles/

And now, because THAT GUY demanded it:

THE AGELESS GIANT: JOE KUBERT

Joe Kubert was one of those comic book artists whose legend matched their talent.

I say this because so many of the artists out there who are considered great by the average fan just don't measure up.  Artists who have been at it for decades who are really good tend to fade away.  Artists who are "hot" for a year or two usually burn out.  Artists with the popular style have their style go out of style and they fade into obscurity.

Mr. Kubert did it for 7 decades.

He was probably never the really hot artist, or had the style that said "now!" and he was consistently great for all of his time as a comic book artist--he didn't fade away.  Putting in the work on a regular basis, knocking out covers by the dozen, drawing sequential art page after page.  He got the job done and as well as anyone ever has.

In fact, it's probable that Mr. Kubert's gravitas is, even now, undervalued.  Even with tributes and acknowledgements and praise being heaped upon the man from all corners of the industry,
it just may not be high enough.

And that says nothing of the man's work as an editor for DC Comics for over ten years or the founding of his unique art school or even providing two sons who have taken to their father's trade with gusto.

This is a man with a legacy that befits his work ethic and skill level.
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Some examples of Mr. Kubert's greatness...

The following clip from a French television program features three of the all-time greats (Neal Adams, Moebius & Joe Kubert), it's a shame two of them have now shuffled off this mortal coil:

This is Joe Kubert's take on Moebius' character...

Below, Joe portrays the All-Star Squadron in heated battle...

One of the many covers by Joe depicting the horrors of war and more...

A very moody cover featuring The Hammer of Hell...

The fifth cover of the Comic Book Price Guide portraying one of Joe's favorites--Tarzan.

Hawkman... 

The Sarge...

Tor tussles with a triceratops...

I'll end this with something John Byrne,
the favorite comics artist of my youth,
had to say about Mr. Kubert...

"A friend once described Batman by saying he was "second best -- at everything!"
In other words, if you took any one of Batman's skills, you would find there was one person in the world who was better than him at that particular skill.

But Batman had ALL the skills, and they added up to the World's Greatest Detective.

In many ways, this also described Joe Kubert.

There were others who had individual parts of the puzzle down a bit better than Joe,
but he brought all the pieces together.

And thats why, when people as me who's the best overall comicbook artist,
I don't say Kirby, or Neal Adams, or Alex Toth,
or anyone but JOE KUBERT."

SIX SECRET SKETCHES MIXED, FOLDED AND FIXED

Above is Jasmine AKA Bounce of JOHN BYRNE'S NEXT MEN.



Not Chewbacca, but another Wookie who happens to be a Jedi--never saw one of those in Star Wars.



This here is a homemade character who is one of an order of mystics who call themselves, collectively, The Travelers.



Walt Kelly was a genius cartoonist who was responsible for some of Disney's best stuff and he went on to create POGO, the comic strip featured above.


Got around to sketching another Benjamin J. Grimm face for my own pleasure using Sketchbook Copic Edition. Was kind of fun.


In honor of the late, great Sheldon "Shelly" Moldoff, I wanted to portray one of his nifty additions to the Batman Family and so we see the Bat-Mite above.

JOHN BYRNE'S NEXT MEN SKETCH VARIANT

I work in a comic book store (plugplugplug:::THE NOSTALGIA NEWSSTAND:::plugplugplug) and so when it was noted that IDW was offering an incentive cover of the first issue of the return of JBNM, I knew I had to have one. In order to get these kinds of "incentive" covers, a store has to order a certain amount of the comic in order to earn it.

Usually incentives are just black and white printings or totally different covers, but the rarer ones are those that have actual sketches by the artist of the book on a blank cover. The amount of issues a store orders to receive them can be gratuitous which is understandable as what artist wants to, in effect, draw 5,000 sketches on a book that they've already completed. So in order to get them, it can be a real draw on the profit margin to order far more than you can reasonably assume to be able to sell.

Also, with sketch covers, you never know the quality of the work you'll be getting (I don't really own any others, but of the ones I've seen, it can vary greatly). It could be some goofy doodle, could be something too small to see--you never know. I was pleased to see this when it arrived last week. Fills up the cover, inked and perhaps not even pencilled headshot of my favorite character from the series.



One of the many incentives of working in a comic book store...

Black Canary and the John Byrne Art Challenge

Every great once in a while, John Byrne will propose a challenge to those of us who frequent his forum and I try to participate. This time out we had the challenge of coming up with a situation for a character drawing he did as a commission. We were to put in at least two other characters and a background based on the pose he had chosen for the Black Canary. So, while this is a drawing by me, the Black Canary part is pretty much me "tracing" Byrne's Canary with my eye. The rest is all me, poor perspective and all...



Black Canary copyright DC Comics, of course.