Next week, I'm devoting the whole week's posts to the best thing to happen to comics since Superman... Gorillas!! There's a rumor that it was a common belief during the Silver Age that there was a direct correlation between single issue sales and the presence of a gorilla on the cover. Judging soley by the number of gorilla-related covers, I would say that seems likely.
Now, I know this is short notice, but I invite my fellow comics bloggers to join me in celebrating our primate brothers and sisters. That's right, I invite all of you to also post about gorilla comics all week next week. We could make this the best Gorilla week EVER! Discovery Channel has "Shark Week" we could have "Ape Week"!
Mykal- time to dust off those Magilla Gorilla and Grape Ape comics for the BBOKC, Maybe even that Weird War Tales with the gorilla sargent?. Apocolyte- Surely you have a nice REH or ERB B&W comic with scary apes. Groovy Agent- Maybe some Angel and the Ape or Marvel's Planet of the Apes? Pat- I'd love to see some Monsieur Mallah action or even the Mod Gorilla Boss! Jacque-.... well... Somebody is bound to have a story about apes in love??
I already have 5 stories ready to go and I'm writing them now, so I won't fall short like time travel week- So Help Me Grodd!!
Aaron
Aaron what an orangutan, sorry, strike that, I mean ORIGINAL idea!!! I like it. My own collection is now quite limited but I'll see if I can dig up a story or two that is simian-splashed, and post it on my blog: Nov Shmoz Ka Pop.
ReplyDeletebest,
r/e
p.s. Every time I read your side-bar "Why the Silver Age?" I smile and feel good. Nice comments.
My favorite comic book ape: Grant Morrison's Dmitri-9 (from wikipedia b/c I/m too lazy to write my own description):
ReplyDelete"Dmitri-9, a character vaguely resembling Detective Chimp, appearing in [the] controversial Graphic Novel The Filth; a Russian Ape who became part of the Space Programme, and came back Superintelligent, with a natural talent for killing and an advanced hatred for humans and American Space Chimps. Killed by an enraged English Mob and a speeding train."
R/E: Thanks for participating! I have added you to my blogroll. I hope others will join in as well. And thank you for your kind words regarding my "mission statement".
ReplyDeleteLoneWolf: I just ran across that entry yesterday while preparing for Ape Week. Sounds great. There's no ape like an angry, man-hating ape, I always say.
Schwartz mentions the Gorilla cover sales bump in his (terrific) autobiography, Man of Two Worlds. He also notes some other features that led to increased sales, including having an image of the hero battling himself (which explains all of the doppelgangers in the Silver Age).
ReplyDeleteWasn't the use of purple on the cover supposed to be a big seller also?
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