Doctor Weird Day!

Jim Starlin was born on this date in 1949. He made his mark at Marvel with stellar runs on Captain Marvel and Warlock. His creation of Thanos has given the MU a villain worthy of the entire universe itself. Starlin's The Death of Captain Marvel is one of Marvel's finest productions and that death has never been undone to my knowledge. But before all that, there was Doctor
Weird. 

Created by Howard Keltner, a fan-talent and part of the "Texas Trio", Dr. Weird has gotten a life in comics outside his fanboy beginnings. Keltner is not timid about saying that Mr. Justice, the old MLJ hero was Weird's inspiration.

I first chanced on the good Doctor in a Caliber Comics reprint of vintage Dr. Weird stories by now-famous writer George R.R. Martin and now-famous comics artist Jim Starlin. They kindle with the robust energy of youth and have a vigor and life missing from most modern comics, overcome by ironic commentary. Starlin's artwork is very like the stuff he first showed up at Marvel with on Iron Man and Captain Marvel, a fusion of Kirby and Kane and others, a synthesis of what was good in comics art at the time. The special reprints the contents of the two Dr. Weird issues published by Keltner along with a few other short tales.

The stories are a blend of science and sorcery. The Doctor is a lost time traveler who dies before he was born creating a paradox that gives him a weird unlife in which he's given the mission to use vast powers to help mankind in the 20th century. The threats are cults and demons and whatnot, vaguely Lovecraftian with a comics twist.

Dr. Weird got a few issues from Caliber of new adventures but these don't have the same magic somehow. Then he was folded into the Big Bang universe and had some fun things happen there. I've seen a few other issues advertised but I don't have those.

He's also shown up at Hamster Press in some classic reprints from the 60's with artwork Landon Chesney and others, really fine stuff. Howard Keltner his creator apparently sold the rights to the Big Bang guys, but I don't know where they reside now since Keltner passed away. Dr. Weird is good reading for fans of vintage comic book heroes and fans of Jim Starlin. 

When Jim Starlin broke into Marvel, he brought with him a new character named Drax the Destroyer. Drax was introduced in the pages of Iron Man, but soon became a central part of the battle against Thanos, the Mad Titan. 

Here we see Jim Starlin's Drax the Destroyer in full on destroyin' mode as he attacks the Mad God Thanos with Death looking on. Since Drax is risen from the dead and Thanos worships death, it's a most appropriate image. This is the classic Drax, the original design which I have to believe was based in part on Dr.Weird, a fanzine hero Starlin had worked on previously.

Here's that double page spread from Captain Marvel #32 in all its original black and white glory. Beautiful!

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