boyajian@akov68.DEC (Jerry Boyajian) (05/31/84)
Lots of news this time!
From: THE COMICS BUYER'S GUIDE, 25 May 1984
(1) MS. TREE is definitely going to Aardvark-Vanaheim, starting with #10, but
not in color. The first four issues will be b&w with tinted shadings (I guess
this is like the first couple of issues of Marvel's b&w horror magazines of the
early '70s). If this is a success, it will continue like this; if not, it'll go
to straight b&w (note that Collins and Beatty prefer b&w to color). Also, A-V
will publish a reprint book, THE FILES OF MS. TREE (much like the SWORDS OF CER-
EBUS), which will contain the entire "novels" from ECLIPSE MAGAZINE #1-6 and MS.
TREE #1-3.
(2) The character of Zorro [one of my childhood favorites] will return to print.
Bantam Books will do four paperbacks reprinting the original serials and short
stories by Johnston McCulley that appeared in the pulps. Eclipse may also be do-
ing a comic book with the character. Yeah!
(3) The JLA/Avengers book is still in limbo. Marvel has approved the story; DC
is now looking for an artist (Perez is apparently too busy these days). I'd
still like to know if this is what's been holding up the second X-Men/NTT book.
(4) Hal Jordan is going to quit as Green Lantern, his place being taken by John
Stewart. Wein is really going to be shaking things up in this title.
Speaking of shaking things up:
(5) DC UNIVERSE: CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS by Wolfman/Wein/Perez debutes in Jan.
1985. It provides, as part of a complex story, a timeline for the DC Universe
from the dawn of time till the far future, as well as origins and explanations
of powers of most of the major DC heroes and villains. "...Dick Giordano said
that DC CRISIS will herald unnparalleled changes in the structure of the DC Uni-
verse and will affect major characters in unusual and unexpected ways."
Sound familiar?
(6) The final Rocketeer chapter is finally in the hands of the Pacific people;
it (PACIFIC PRESENTS #5) should be released in June. In addition to the wrap-up
of the story, there will be a portfolio of drawings of the Rocketeer by George
Freeman, Mike Kaluta [yeah!], Gray morrow, Doug Wildey [yeah!], Al Williamson,
Bruce Jones, William Stout, Murphy Anderson, and Russ Heath. Milt Caniff had
been slated to do a drawing, but he bowed out (unfortunately, he also bowed out
of the line-up for SUPERMAN #400)
(7) Avast, ye scurvy dogs! BOLD ADVENTURE (Pacific) and CRYSTAR (Marvel) have
gone belly up! CRYSTAR's last issue guest stars Alpha Flight (dammit! *Another*
issue I have to pick up!)
(8) A letter from Jim Salicrup is accompanied by an unused sketch for the "Mup-
pets Take Manhattan" cover of MARVEL AGE, by Paul Smith, showing the X-Men meet-
ing the Muppets.
From: THE COMICS BUYER'S GUIDE, 1 June 1984
(1) Bob Clampett (creator of Beany & Cecil and Tweety Pie) died on 2 May of a
heart attack at the age of 70.
(2) Wolfman and Perez have the next 1-1/2 years of Teen Titans already plotted.
NEW TEEN TITANS #2 was delayed a month because Perez has been scrunched for time
what with two NTT books plus the DC UNIVERSE book. Starting with #3, Romeo Tang-
hal takes over the inks again. Thanks also to Stve Berry for supplying this info
(about the delay) for me.
(3) Another letter mentions that, if you wish, you can get copies of all three
TEEN TITANS drug books for free by writing to your senator or congressman and
asking for them, or writing to the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug
abuse Information. One of Giordano's recent "Meanwhile" columns a week or two
back basicly says the same thing.
That's all folks! Rext time -- reviews.
--- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC Maynard, MA)
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