With this issue, a short-lived fluke of a '70s series called The Sandman bids the spinner racks a fond farewell. Gotta give it credit for goin' out big, with the reunion of two legendary comics artists: Sandman co-creator Jack Kirby's pencils embellished by Wally Wood. Wood is one of my many favorite artists, and he didn't do enough superhero work to suit me. I always wished he'd been given an assignment to draw a Superman strip, but it was not to be; closest we got was his rendition of the Earth Two Man of Steel in a 1976 issue of All-Star Comics, plus Superman's cameo appearance in 1968's Captain Action # 1. (And, of course, Wood's classic "Superduperman!" in Mad back in the '50s.)
The Sandman was a series that should never have been, a goofy one-shot made into an ongoing title because a mistake in sales reports led DC brass to believe that one-shot had sold far better than it really did. The concept has possibilities, largely unrealized, but I retain an odd affection for the series. My favorite use of the character was actually in Justice League Of America Annual # 1 in 1983, and that falls well outside the chosen purview of 100-Page FAKES!
Before we close our eyes and dream of comics, let's expand this final issue into another faux 100-pager. If The Sandman was an also-ran who briefly seemed to make it big, it would seem fitting to supplement his final (for now) 1970s adventure with a bunch of Golden Age second banana heroes: Zatara the Magician! Hourman! The Phantom Eagle and Commando Yank, your two not-quite-favorite heroes in one adventure together! Dr. Mid-Nite! Merry, Girl Of A Thousand Gimmicks! The Red Bee! Wildcat! The Jester! Yeah, maybe the exclamation points aren't warranted, and there's no need for a cover gallery this time, because these generally weren't cover features. But I'm happy to have them. I would have been simply delighted to see something like this in 1975.
The Sandman was a series that should never have been, a goofy one-shot made into an ongoing title because a mistake in sales reports led DC brass to believe that one-shot had sold far better than it really did. The concept has possibilities, largely unrealized, but I retain an odd affection for the series. My favorite use of the character was actually in Justice League Of America Annual # 1 in 1983, and that falls well outside the chosen purview of 100-Page FAKES!
Before we close our eyes and dream of comics, let's expand this final issue into another faux 100-pager. If The Sandman was an also-ran who briefly seemed to make it big, it would seem fitting to supplement his final (for now) 1970s adventure with a bunch of Golden Age second banana heroes: Zatara the Magician! Hourman! The Phantom Eagle and Commando Yank, your two not-quite-favorite heroes in one adventure together! Dr. Mid-Nite! Merry, Girl Of A Thousand Gimmicks! The Red Bee! Wildcat! The Jester! Yeah, maybe the exclamation points aren't warranted, and there's no need for a cover gallery this time, because these generally weren't cover features. But I'm happy to have them. I would have been simply delighted to see something like this in 1975.
The Sandman in "The Plot To Destroy Washington D.C.!," The Sandman # 6 (December-January 1975/1976)
Zatara the Master Magician in "The Case Of The Coconut Crimes!," Action Comics # 51 (August 1942)
Hourman in "The Case Of The Sponsored Crooks!," Adventure Comics # 80 (November 1942)
"The Phantom Eagle and Commando Yank "Against The Iron Gate," Wow Comics # 33 (February 1945)
Dr. Mid-Nite (untitled), All-American Comics # 36 (March 1942)
Merry, The Girl Of A Thousand Gimmicks in "Marauders From Mars!," (Star Spangled Comics # 89 (February 1949)
The Red Bee (untitled), Hit Comics # 21 (April 1942)
Wildcat in "The Apple And The Core!," Sensation Comics # 88 (April 1949)
The Jester (untitled), Smash Comics # 40 (February 1943)
This whole big cast o' characters is copyright DC Comics Inc. The Jester, Red Bee, and Phantom Eagle & Commando Yank stories are public domain, but the rest is not, so we only show sample pages here; my paid subscribers see the whole book. Although the sands of the hourglass have run out for The Sandman, the story for the unpublished seventh issue was completed, and eventually exhumed for a 1982 digest spotlighting Christmas With The Super Heroes. We've included that story's splash page as kind of a coming-attractions pinup. We'll have to wait a little bit--sorry, I'm not doing a Christmas blog in September--but the existence of that story is all the excuse we need to come back with a 100-Page FAKE! edition of that unpublished seventh issue. Keep watching the skies...and sweet dreams.
Hourman in "The Case Of The Sponsored Crooks!," Adventure Comics # 80 (November 1942)
"The Phantom Eagle and Commando Yank "Against The Iron Gate," Wow Comics # 33 (February 1945)
Dr. Mid-Nite (untitled), All-American Comics # 36 (March 1942)
Merry, The Girl Of A Thousand Gimmicks in "Marauders From Mars!," (Star Spangled Comics # 89 (February 1949)
The Red Bee (untitled), Hit Comics # 21 (April 1942)
Wildcat in "The Apple And The Core!," Sensation Comics # 88 (April 1949)
The Jester (untitled), Smash Comics # 40 (February 1943)
This whole big cast o' characters is copyright DC Comics Inc. The Jester, Red Bee, and Phantom Eagle & Commando Yank stories are public domain, but the rest is not, so we only show sample pages here; my paid subscribers see the whole book. Although the sands of the hourglass have run out for The Sandman, the story for the unpublished seventh issue was completed, and eventually exhumed for a 1982 digest spotlighting Christmas With The Super Heroes. We've included that story's splash page as kind of a coming-attractions pinup. We'll have to wait a little bit--sorry, I'm not doing a Christmas blog in September--but the existence of that story is all the excuse we need to come back with a 100-Page FAKE! edition of that unpublished seventh issue. Keep watching the skies...and sweet dreams.
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Fans of pop music will want to check out Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, a new pop compilation benefiting SPARK! Syracuse, the home of This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl. TIR'N'RR Allstars--Steve Stoeckel, Bruce Gordon, Joel Tinnel, Stacy Carson, Eytan Mirsky, Teresa Cowles, Dan Pavelich, Irene Peña, Keith Klingensmith, and Rich Firestone--offer a fantastic new version of The Kinks' classic "Waterloo Sunset." That's supplemented by eleven more tracks (plus a hidden bonus track), including previously-unreleased gems from The Click Beetles, Eytan Mirsky, Pop Co-Op, Irene Peña, Michael Slawter (covering The Posies), and The Anderson Council (covering XTC), a new remix of "Infinite Soul" by The Grip Weeds, and familiar TIRnRR Fave Raves by Vegas With Randolph, Gretchen's Wheel, The Armoires, and Pacific Soul Ltd. Oh, and that mystery bonus track? It's exquisite. You need this. You're buying it from Futureman.
(And you can still get our 2017 compilation This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4, on CD from Kool Kat Musik and as a download from Futureman Records.)
Get MORE Carl! Check out the fourth and latest issue of the mighty Big Stir magazine at bigstirrecords.com/magazine
(And you can still get our 2017 compilation This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4, on CD from Kool Kat Musik and as a download from Futureman Records.)
Get MORE Carl! Check out the fourth and latest issue of the mighty Big Stir magazine at bigstirrecords.com/magazine
Hey, Carl's writin' a book! The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) will contain 100 essays (and then some) about 100 tracks, plus two bonus instrumentals, each one of 'em THE greatest record ever made. An infinite number of records can each be the greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns. Updated initial information can be seen here: THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE! (Volume 1).
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