Well they've finally doing it! They're collecting the classic 1968 Captain Action series from DC Comics. It won't be out until late in the Spring of 2022 but if things hold up, I hope to be holding a copy of his lovely tome in my mitts early in the summer if not sooner. Captain Action as everyone here well knows was a clever attempt to market a doll to boys who had been convinced since birth that dolls were for girls. G.I. Joe landed on the beach and Major Matt Mason took it to the depths of space, but it was Captain Action who bonded the comic strips and comic books with "action figures" once and for all. He could be anyone -- Batman, Superman, Captain America, The Phantom, Flash Gordon -- anyone. But of course that wouldn't work for a series handled exclusively by DC Comics.
The debut was written by boy scribe Jim Shooter and drawn by veteran Wally Wood with Irv Novick knocking out a dynamic cover that put Captain Action squarely in the universe that Superman made.
By the second issue Gil Kane had joined the team as penciler of both the cover and the comic with Woody handling the inks and Shooter still the wordsmith.
But under this dynamic cover by Kane and Dick Giordano changes were underway. Gil Kane took over the writing chores and he was still knocking out the art with the capable assist of Wally Wood on inks. This comic book looked luscious!
Then Woody moved on and Captain Action became a one-man show with Kane handling all the creative chores aside from the very handsome lettering.
Woody was back for the fifth and final issue to add luster to Kane's pencils which illustrated his own script. Julie Schwartz as the editorial force on this one really packed in the talent but apparently the marketplace was not ready for so much goodness and Captain Action left the newsstands for several decades until Moonstone got the rights over a decade ago. All that time I've wondered why we didn't see these great comics collected and just assumed it was like TV's Green Horner, just overcome with too much red tape and possessed by too many diverse hands to make a release profitable. But like the Green Hornet I dreamed we'd see this and now maybe we will early next year. Now how about the Hornet!
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I've got all five original issues, plus a couple of reissue Captain Action figures by Playing Mantis - and the book by TwoMorrows, but I think I'll be grabbing this collection when it's available as well. Storywise, it never really went anywhere, but it's a nice reminder of the times.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure I left a comment earlier, RJ, did you receive it?
ReplyDeleteThis is the only one I've gotten for this post.
DeleteMy earlier comment mentioned that I have all 5 of the original issues, and that I've got a couple of Playing Mantis reissues of Captain Action from around 2000. I've also got the TwoMorrows book about the character and costumes. I don't think the 5 issue run quite achieved its potential as far as the stories went, but I may well pick up the collected edition just to have all the issues to hand in one convenient package.
ReplyDeleteI have all of the originals too and it's the Gil Kane art that makes the series sing for me. I was much attracted by the Praying Mantis kits when I'd see them and I wish I had the Twomorrows book.
DeleteMight yet be available from them direct, RJ - worth checking.
DeleteMeant to say, the face on one of my Captain Action figures looks just like the original, then they released one with the same face painted in more detail. I've also got Dr. Evil and Kid Action, who was a renamed Action Boy to avoid any copyright hassles with Hasbro, who had acquired the rights to the Action Man brand. Ironic, as the UK's Action Man was simply a renamed G.I. Joe.
DeleteI learned about Action Man on that toy show that James May had on several years ago when they tried to put Action Man up into the stratosphere on a rocket.
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