Davy Jones' "Life Story!" Back on CBS THIS MORNING in 1993! Monkees!

Continuing "Davy Jones week" with a riotous raft of rare pics and bits! Click below to enlarge these Monkees-charged images (and video!) from the past!

Above: Davy's "life story," from a 1967 issue of RAVE magazine!

Above: Yup! It's Davy's 1965 California driver's license! David was enjoying some
mild solo success then (in the play OLIVER and with his own LP), but by the time
 that license expired in '67, thing would be very different for him!

Davy on stage, live, with the Monkees, in 1967, flanked by Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith!

Above: Davy in more recent days, reminiscing over his 1965 solo LP, the 1967
 Monkees concert program, and the Monkees' second TV Guide cover issue!

BONUS! Just mere days ago, you saw the dynamite and diminutive Davy Jones in a rare 1988 clip, featuring DJ yakking it up on the unsavory show, CBS THIS MORNING! Well, here he is on a return visit, in 1993! The Monkees reunion tours of the late 80s are over, and Davy is his own man again! Hear about his plans and doings of the time, as he tells all to the eager and ever-mawkish Mark McEwen! ! Click below to play and enjoy!

Davy Jones! In The 60s! Making Music with Jay Leno in The 90s! TONIGHT SHOW Monkee Business!

Back with more rare Monkees and Davy Jones images and artifacts! Click below to enlarge these fun pics from back in the (Hey Hey) day!

Above: A candid fan shot of Davy with actor Pedro Gonzalez, on
location for the NICE PLACE TO VISIT episode...

Above: The guys in the studio, recording audio portions of the HEAD soundtrack in 1968!

Above: Davy on the set of the second season episode, NICE PLACE TO VISIT...

Above: Davy on the "Monkees' Pad" set...

Above: A super-rare 1971 "where are they now?" clipping from LOOK magazine!
Dig Micky's final statement above! And you thought it was Michael who
predicted the 80s video boom...Big thanks to Terry Collins for this one!

BONUS! Another rare clip from my archives! Here is delightful Davy Jones, the Monkees' main man, going solo in 1995 on THE TONIGHT SHOW, with jocular Jay Leno! Davy demonstrates he's a great sport, as he and Jay plow thru some now-dated comical references! Davy had a real talent for playing the "straight man," providing a funny deadpan delivery that's very much on display here! Click below to enlarge! Click here for yesterday's Davy clip!

Davy Jones on CBS THIS MORNING in 1988! "I've Always Been Short!" Monkees!

Observing one year since the passing of Monkees front man Davy Jones, I'm posting some rare Davy and/or Monkees items on the blog this week! First up: a rare interview (taped, off-air, by me) from the glib and ghastly gab-fest show, CBS THIS MORNING! Davy was still riding high with the mega-successful Monkees 20th anniversary reunion tour (started in 1986), and was out on the road, making the rounds to hype his then-new (and very entertaining) book, "They Made a Monkee Out of Me!" Click below to watch and remember! Be sure to check back every day this week for a new Davy rarity, leading up to a very special video treat on Friday! 

The Vulture! Custom Mego Action Figure! John Romita Art! Marvel!

Here is my attempt at creating a custom "Mego" action figure of the great Spider-Man foe, the Vulture! The Mego gang only provided frantic fans with Spidey enemies The Lizard and Green Goblin in the mid-70s, but what if they had shot out more Spidey baddies? Click each image below to enlarge!

Above: Believe it or not, I started with a bald “Thor” head, added
putty for larger nose, ears, brow, and facial details, made 
a plaster cast of that modified head, then painted!

Above: A custom green suit (from "Dr. Mego") got some ink and pastel treatments to
create a gradated “feathered” effect, then, I added some white tufts for
the crest! I eliminated the neck, in order to attach the head low
on the  white crest, to create a hunched effect for the figure!

Above: I used green felt to carefully cut the wing shapes, affixing 
them to the back of the figure...I also used some custom 
"open" hands from “Doctor Mego,” in an effort to craft 
the proper body language for this super-villain! 

Above: I also created a custom package for displaying the
figure, using Silver Age art by John Romita, Sr.!

Above: A close-up of the custom card art by itself!

BONUS! Click here to see more mighty Marvel Mego customs!

Super Sunday SPIDER-MAN 70s Strips! A Bullet for Robbie! 1978 Marvel Mayhem!

Last time, we sat in a stunned stupor, as Spidey zeroed in on a murderous band of roving thugs, trapping them in their own customized "battle van!" Now, the tension rises, as good citizen Joe "Robbie" Robertson makes the scene, trying to save Jim (his errant nephew) from a life of crime! But, we soon see that spider-powers do not a happy ending make! Will Jim survive? Has Spidey only experienced another ambiguous "triumph?" More mile-high majesty by Stan Lee and John Romita, Sr.! Click below to enlarge and enjoy this rare 1978 strip, web-heads!

Again, a few of these strips look to be drawn (or inked) by Frank Giacoia!

1967 SPIDER-MAN Cartoon Series on DVD! An In-Depth Look! Marvel!

Another great article from those loons at VIDEO WATCHDOG magazine! This time, they take a loving look at the famous 1967 SPIDER-MAN ("Does whatever a spider can...") ABC-TV cartoon series! This riotous retrospect was published in conjunction with the 2005 release of the series on DVD (at long last!), and spotlights the highs and (too many) lows of the well-remembered show! The terrific voice actors (most of whom also provided vocals to the Rankin/Bass holiday TV specials), the great direct-from-the-comics super foes, and the jerky jaw-dropping last seasons produced by reckless Ralph Bakshi! It's all here! Click below to enlarge each!

Say what ya want about those later seasons, that "Origin of Spider-Man" episode is a great one!

As a kid watching these unspool as reruns in the early 70s, I wasn't bothered by the odd
mis-matched (to the Spider-Man character and tone) foes and plots, and was
 even largely unaware of the recycled episodes, until I was able to view
them all in consecutive order in 2005, thanks to the DVD release!

SPIDEY SUPER STORIES! Original 1976 John Romita Art! Marvel!

Been awhile since I threw a sizzlin' spotlight on SPIDEY SUPER STORIES, and what's better than the slew of colossal covers that John Romita, Sr. drew for this kiddie-set mag? Here is one of his best (thanks to a dynamic cover design by Jack Kirby), featuring Spidey rubbing up against two of the Fantastic Four, the Human Torch and Invisible Girl! Once again, it's crystal clear why JRSR was (and is) the Spider-Man artist! This cover has action, tension, and drama (plus just plain terrific drawing) on display! Click below to enlarge! Click here to see a not-so-great version of this same captivatin' cover!

BONUS! Thanks to those creative cut-ups at the JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR, here is Jack's original pencilled cover design!

It's Supergirl! As Portrayed by--CAROL BURNETT?! 1962 Live-Action TV Clip!

Take a look at this rare 1962 clip, from the popular GARRY MOORE SHOW! It's one of Carol Burnett's first TV appearances, and who else would she portray in this silly celluloid sketch? That's right--Supergirl! In this parody of the 50s ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN TV series, Carol and company run thru all the old standard superhero stereotypes: super powers, secret identities, and unrequited loves! This is also said to be the TV debut of Carol's famous "Tarzan yell" on TV, too! Click below to watch and enjoy this true rarity!

Frank Gorshin as The Riddler! Fan-Made Resin Model Kit! 1966 BATMAN TV Show!

POW! It's the great Frank Gorshin as The RIDDLER, from the far-famed BATMAN 1966 TV series! Here's the classic Batman foe, as portrayed by the wonderfully manic actor, boldly embodied in this well-scultped, fan-made "garage kit!" This resin kit was painted up in acrylics and enamels! Click images below to enlarge!

Above: I painted the figure's costume using flat greens, with added glosses for the shoes and belt..

I purposely attached the lower arms to appear slightly
flexed outward, adding to the maniacal look of the pose!

I also added gloss touches to the hair, teeth, mouth, and eyes!
I detailed some smaller areas with marker....

All the question marks? Done with paint marker, including the tiny ones
along the sides of the costume! The mask was made
with bristol board! I loved the look of
it draped around the neck..

BONUS! Click below to enlarge this pic of the unassembled kit! Note the original pose, with arms reaching for the neck and mask!

BONUS BONUS! Click here to see other completed 1966 Bat-kits in the line!

CAPTAIN AMERICA! 1975 Albert Bigley Comic Art! Marvel Comics?!

Just unearthed! Here is my version of that legend of World War Two, Captain America! Here is Cap, coming at ya in a dramatic action pose, complete with logo, and (very odd) background! Not bad for a 10 year old me, even tho it looks like I lost interest about half way thru the coloring process! Does this image look kinda familiar to ya? Well, it should! Click here to see just how influential this drawing has been to me, and many others! Click image below to enlarge!

Sky-High 70s SPIDER-MAN Sunday Strips! The Pivotal and Powerful Pot-Hole! 1978 Marvel Madness!

Last time, we sat stupefied, as Spidey whipped across New York City, trying to desperately stop a speeding van, chock-a-block full of vengeful villains! After the cops proved ineffectual against the felons-on-wheels, it's now up to the worried Wall-Crawler to bring their reign of spreading terror to a definitive halt! Has he done it? What about their cache of ready weapons? And-whose idea was it to put a TV set in Aunt May's hospital room? More amazing daily strips from 1978, brought to us by Stan Lee and John Romita, Sr.! Click below to enlarge, then web-sling over to here for the next full-color Sunday strip installment, arachnid-aficionados!

Once again, it looks as if Romita had some artistic help on
these strips, possibly from Frank Giacoia!

 BONUS! Click below to stare at pics of the stalwart strip creators, Stan Lee and John Romita, Sr.!

Above: Stan Lee entertains a young fan, in this pic from around 1979!
Note the fan's Spidey T-shirt, sporting art by (who else?) John Romita!

Above: Artist Romita, working in the "Marvel Bullpen," around the summer of 1979!
John appears to be re-working the cover of 1976's SPIDER-MAN #157, possibly 
for its reprinting in MARVEL TALES (see copies at John's left elbow)!

AVENGERS #162! Original 1977 George Perez Marvel Comic Art! Iron Man!

When it came to attractive late-70s comic art, nobody did it better than George Perez! Below is yet another one of his amazing covers for Marvel, this one fronting 1977's AVENGERS #162, inked by Pablo Marcos! You can see that George brought an exciting sense of composition, drama, and action to his work, along with a sleek new (but not too new and off-putting) take on the Marvel superhero favorites! Can you spot the subtle differences between the original art and the published version? Click image below to enlarge! Click here to see more pulse-pounding Perez pencilling! 

I had a mail subscription to AVENGERS during this time period, and can clearly recall
unveiling each newly-delivered copy, being so excited upon taking that
first look at each new powerful Perez cover!

BONUS! Click below to enlarge this rare pic of George Perez, confabbing with a drowsy devotee at a convention in Virginia, circa 1992!

Marvel Comics Salutes SUPERMAN-THE MOVIE?! 1978 Madness!

You read right, frantic one! So popular was SUPERMAN-THE MOVIE, that the cinematic sensation was featured in many attention-seeking magazines of the day, including Marvel Comics' own entry into the kid/teen publishing arena, PIZZAZZ magazine! Click below to enlarge this great and kicky 1978 article about the film, its stars, and its lasting impact! Keep an eye open for another Marvel/DC connection, too!

Note how Marvel humorously handled the delicate situation of highlighting
the competitor's (DC Comics) top character on their cover!

I never saw this article back in the day, feeling I was far too old (at age 13!) for these kinda mags! Plus, I had given up reading DC comics that year, jumping ship full-time for the more mature Marvel mags, a decision that would stay in effect for another five years! That self-imposed exile extended to DC's characters, too, hence my never seeing SUPERMAN-THE MOVIE until it ran on ABC-TV years later!

And to think the above stunt was cut from the finished print of the film!
That's show-biz for ya! Read more about the late-70s SPIDER-MAN TV show here!

BONUS! Click below to view some rare promo photos taken in association with SUPERMAN-THE MOVIE!

Thanks to the terrific site, Capedwonder.com, for the above pic!

BONUS BONUS! Click below to view this rare 1987 clip from ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT, spotlighting Chris Reeve and SUPERMAN 4! You can also glom a look at the famed "Superman Museum" in Metropolis, Illinois!