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updated 10 May 06. The latest version of this document can always be found at www.enjolrasworld.com. See last page for legal & © information.
Additions?
Corrections? Contact Richard J. Arndt: rarndt39@hotmail.com.
Try and name the most important comic book of the
1970s. Surely, it would be the New
X-Men. The title had very good,
entertaining stories, with the
Will Eisner’s ‘A Contract With God’ demonstrated that
graphic novels {or albums, as the term graphic novel hadn’t been coined when
the book was published} could both be done, be done well and, most importantly
to comic publishers, sell enough to make a decent profit. But, simply by its nature, it is not a traditional
comic book.
Kirby’s ‘
After that the pickings get slim. Swamp Thing?
No. No matter how good Len Wein
& Berni Wrightson’s run on the comic was, that title became much more
important when Alan Moore started writing it in 1983. Elfquest?
Might have a case there except that most of the original run appeared in
the 1980s. Frank Miller’s
Daredevil? Again, a possibility, but
again the most ground breaking issues came out in the 1980s.
Nope, for my money the most important comic book of
the 1970s was the independent {or ground level, as it was called at the time}
Star*Reach. Everything, everything,
that comics are today can be seen in embryo fashion in that book.
First it was an independent comic, long before anyone
seriously mentioned or had even really conceived of an indy market that could
challenge the major publishers. At its
beginning, Star*Reach sold though the few comic shops around, as well as head
shops, or via subscriptions and mail order.
I myself bought all the issues through the ads in Jim Steranko’s
Mediascene. Mike Friedrich, publisher
& editor, pointed the way to indy success and indy failure by showing the
industry a new way to sell comics, particularly comics that were neither
mainstream {at least, at the time} nor underground. He demonstrated a method of sales and
publication that also gave the artists & writers a chunk of the action to
boot. It would be wrong to say he was
the first to go in that direction but he was the first to truly succeed, even
if only for a limited time.
Second, he published those comics on a regular schedule. This is something I believe was an enormous
factor in his success. Starting with the
fourth issue, Star*Reach was published pretty much every three months like
clockwork until its demise. No
underground, no fanzine, no prozine similar to Star*Reach, such as Hot Stuf’ or
Andromeda, published on a schedule. They
often said they did but it just wasn’t true.
Only the big boys—Marvel, DC, Gold Key, Dell,
Third, they really were cool quality comics. Unlike
much of the highly praised work done in the 1970s, the stories from Star*Reach
and its sister magazines, Quack & Imagine, hardly date at all. Looking at many of the mainstream stories,
even the great stories from that decade, I find myself wincing at the long-winded
dialogue and the--well--often juvenile plots and characterizations. Yet in Star*Reach, except for some
underground-style hippy stories that mostly appeared in the early issues {and
even those aren’t bad stories—just dated}, most Star*Reach stories could easily
be published today with no loss of quality or respect.
Fourth, the type of stories themselves. Star*Reach published mostly science fiction
and fantasy stories, at a time when the conventional wisdom was that those
genres didn’t sell. Plus, they were
intelligent science fiction stories. If
you read Tolkien or Heinlein or Bester or LeGuin, these stories fit right
in. Most science fiction in comics at
that time were still melded with the superhero comics and were pretty much bush
league kid stuff. Fantasy has only one
outlet—the adaptations of the sword & sorcery tales by Robert E. Howard
{Marvel} or Fritz Leiber {DC} or stories that copied the style and look of
those tales. Star*Reach published modern
day, or urban {as it’s called today}, fantasy, as well as the more traditional
forms.
Fifth, exposure for both artists and readers. Michael Gilbert, John Workman, Lee Marrs,
Robert Gould, Dave Sim, Ken Steacy, Dean Motter, Gene Day & Paul Kirchner
got their first major exposure here.
Many of today’s powerhouse writers and artists first showed their real
abilities here. Howard Chaykin’s Cody
Starbuck and Gideon Faust characters both demonstrated what Chaykin was really
capable of, long before the mainstream allowed him the same creative freedom. Frank Brunner did some of his last and best
work for comics here. Mike Vosburg
showed that he was a decent scripter and a fine all around artist. Sim wrote {his art was still on a learning
curve} some great stories for artist Fabio Gasbarri and illustrated at least
one strong one himself. As for the
readers, besides getting consistent, quality stories and artwork, one was
exposed to stories and art that wasn’t in the Marvel/DC mode from folks like
Lee Marrs or Don Marshall, as well as art that didn’t fit at the time but soon
would, such as Gene Day’s material.
Sixth, Friedrich broke ground for any number of
modern day comic foundations. Craig
Russell first published his opera adaptations here. Chaykin sowed the ground for American Flagg
with Cody Starbuck. Friedrich published
the first major color comics by an indy publisher as well as displaying the
first exposure for many readers {although pros had been getting glimpses of it}
of manga. One of the first true graphic
novels, ‘The Sacred And The Profane’ was published in serial form here. Folks can argue all day about Gil Kane’s ‘His
Name Is Savage’ or Will Eisner’s ‘A Contract With God’ but face it—Kane’s book
was such a dubious success that it was ten years before any publisher took a
similar risk on such a book. Jack Katz
had started the epic ‘The
And lastly, just for being there. Between the new talent boom of the late
1960s-early 1970s that brought Barry Windsor-Smith, Berni Wrightson, Michael
Kaluta, Bruce Jones, Frank Brunner, Mike Ploog, Jeff Jones, P. Craig Russell
and many others into the field and the boom that the early 1980s independent
publishers brought about, there really wasn’t much a maturing comic reader
could point to that could justify his or her continuing interest in
comics. By 1975 many of the artists
mentioned above had left or were in the process of leaving comics. The undergrounds were disappearing. The major companies were either going
belly-up or stagnating. Star*Reach,
Imagine, Quack, and, yes, even Pudge, Girl Blimp, plugged the gap and kept the
possibility of mature comics, intended for adults, alive.
So to Mike Friedrich and all the writers and artists
who contributed to Star*Reach, a great big thank you.
The
Star*Reach Checklist
Star*Reach
1. cover: Howard Chaykin/back cover: Jim
Starlin (Apr. 1974)
1)
Editorial [Mike Friedrich/Lee Marrs] 2/3p
[text article, frontis]
2) Observations [Mike Friedrich/Neal Adams] 1/3p [frontis]
3) …The Birth Of Death [Jim Starlin] 8p
4)
5) Fish Myths [Steve Skeates] 2p
6) Suburban Fish [Steve Skeates] 2p
7) A Tale Of Sword & Sorcery [Ed Hicks/Walt
Simonson] 12p
8) Cody Starbuck [Howard Chaykin] 16p
9) The Origin Of God! [Jim Starlin] 1p
Notes: $.75
for 48 pages. Publisher & editor:
Mike Friedrich. Starlin’s cover was
originally intended for the front cover and when the issue was reprinted in
Nov. 1975 the covers were reversed. I
much prefer Starlin’s cover. I mean, who
doesn’t like hot, naked, green alien babes?
The order of the stories were also rearranged in subsequent
printings. The reprintings are dated
Nov. 1975; Apr. 1977 & Mar. 1978.
‘Observations’ is in comic strip format and the art looks like
2. cover: Neal Adams/back cover: Lee Marrs
(Apr. 1975)
1) Creativity Unchained [Mike Friedrich/Lee Marrs]
1p [text article, frontis]
2) Stephanie Starr: In The Light Of Future Days…
[Mike Friedrich/Dick Giordano] 20p
3) Earthprobe: All A World Of Dreamers [Mal Warwick/Lee
Marrs] 11p
4) The Return Of The Fish [Steve Skeates] 2p
5) I’ve Got The Power! [Jim Starlin/Jim Starlin &
Al Milgrom] 3p
6) The Visitor… [Jim Starlin/Jim Starlin & al
Milgrom] 3p
7) Key Club [John Workman] 8p
8) Reincarnalation [Mike Vosburg] 1p
Notes: $1.25
for 48 pages.
3. cover: Frank Brunner (Oct. 1975) [wraparound cover]
1) Editorial [Mike Friedrich] 1p [text article, frontis]
2) Dragonus: The Wizard’s Venom [Frank Brunner] 10p
3) I Hunger And I Wait… [Mark A. Worden/Mark Cohen]
5p [poem]
4) Earthprobe: On The Shoals Of Space [Mal
Warwick/Mal Walwick & Lee Marrs] 12p
5) And Sleep The Long Night In Peace! [Mal
Warwick/Bob Smith & John Workman] 7p
6) Linda Lovecraft: High Priestess Of Sexual Fantasy
[Mike Vosburg] 9p
7) Wooden Ships On The Water [Mike Friedrich/Steve
Leialoha] 5p from the song by David
Crosby, Steven Stills & Paul Kantner
Notes: Brunner’s
story is a sequel to ‘Dragonus’, which appeared in Phase #1 (Sept. 1971) and
was reprinted in Marvel’s Monsters Unleashed B&W magazine in Nov.
1973. Vosburg’s ‘Linda Lovecraft’ series
is a forerunner to his recent ‘Lori Lovecraft’ series. It was clearly inspired by the stories of H.
P. Lovecraft, with a tip of the hat to the porn “actress” Linda Lovelace. ‘I Hunger And I Wait’ is a poem in comic form
while ‘Wooden Ships On The Water’ has a story woven around the song lyrics from
the
4. cover: Howard Chaykin (Mar. 1976) [wraparound cover]
1) Editorial [Mike Friedrich] 1p [text article, frontis]
2) Starbuck [Howard Chaykin] 11p
3) Linda Lovecraft: The White Slavers Of Scrofula!
[Mary Skrenes/Mike Vosburg] 10p
4) Marginal Incident [Steve Leialoha] 8p
5) Sherlock Duck: The Adventure Of The Animated
Government [Bob Smith] 5p
6) Earthprobe: Hidden Worlds, Hidden Dreams [Mal
Warwick & Lee Marrs/Lee Marrs] 11p
7) Clik! [John Workman] 4p
Notes: My
copy of this issue is a reprint but the titlepage that replaces Friedrich’s
original editorial is a misprint of Star*Reach #10’s titlepage so I’ve no
information at this time on reprint dates.
The Sherlock Duck story appears to have a missing page as the page
numbers go from 1-4 to page 6 but Mike Friedrich {see his interview below}
tells me that that was a deliberate joke.
‘Sherlock Duck’ would also appear to be a preview of sorts to
Star*Reach’s upcoming Quack! comic.
Chaykin’s ‘Starbuck’ features a much older looking Cody Starbuck than in
his first appearance in #1. ‘Clik!’ was
a last minute replacement for another Workman illustrated story, ‘Comicbook
Writer’, that was to have been scripted by Gerry Conway. When
5. cover: Howard Chaykin (July 1976) [wraparound cover]
1) Editorial [Mike Friedrich] 1p [text article, frontis]
2) Gideon Faust, Warlock At Large [Len Wein/Howard
Chaykin] 12p
3) The Gods Of Mount Olympus In Ancient Mythology:
The Beginning Of all Things [Johnny
Achziger/Joe Staton] 16p
4) A Nice Place To Live, But… [Frank Brunner] 1p
5) Mandy, The Girl With The Most Comics In
6) Waters Of Requital [Lee Marrs] 8p
7) Linda Lovecraft: Midnight In The
Notes: Chaykin
delivers a great cover for the debut of the interesting Gideon Faust. Two more Gideon Faust stories appeared {in
color} in Heavy Metal in 1979 & 1981.
‘The Gods Of Mount Olympus’ is technically reprinted from Johnny
Achziger’s self-published tabloid-sized fanzine of the same title. However, it is somewhat rewritten and largely
redrawn for its appearance here. To
accommodate the larger size of the artwork, the story is printed sideways. Regardless of its origins, the story &
art {particularly the art} are superb; the best in an already strong
issue. Lee Marrs’ work takes a
noticeable upward swing. With this issue
Star*Reach really began to come into its own.
Reprinted in Apr. 1977 & June 1978 with Friedrich’s original
editorial replaced by Becky Wilson’s titlepage art.
6. cover: Jeff Jones (Oct. 1976)
1) Editorial [Mike Friedrich] 1p [text article, frontis]
2) Elric Of Melnibone: The Prisoner Of Pan Tang [Eric
Kimball/Robert Gould] 20p from the
character created by Michael Moorcock
3) Childsong [Gary Petras/Gene Day & Steve
Leialoha] 3p
4) The Gods Of
Achziger/Joe Staton] 15p
5) Out Of Space, Out Of Time [Gary Lyda] 8p
Notes: Jones
cover is a superb rendering of Elric, with Berni Wrightson serving as the
model. It is repeated sans copy on the
back cover. The Kimball/Gould Elric story was sent in out of the blue and
Friedrich had to obtain Elric creator Michael Moorcock’s permission to allow
its appearance. This set up the decade
long adaptations of the various Elric novels, all under Friedrich’s
supervision, at Star*Reach, Heavy Metal, Marvel/Epic & First. Kimball & Gould were college
buddies. The story credits notes the
story is based on an idea by Steven Grant.
While this striking story tended to overshadow the remaining contents,
there’s not a weak story here. Very strong
issue. There were reprintings of this
issue but I don’t have the info on them since this was the first Star*Reach
issue I bought as it was published.
7. cover: Barry Windsor-Smith (Jan.
1977) [wraparound cover]
1) Editorial [Mike Friedrich] 1p [text article, frontis]
2) I’m God! [Dave Sim/Fabio Gasbarri] 8p
3) The Bushi [Sitoshi Hirota/Masaichi Mukaide] 8p
4) The Gods Of
Achziger/Joe Staton] 9p
5) Headtrips [Lee Marrs] 10p
6) My Fears [Jeff Bonivert] 4p
7) Skywalker [Mike Vosburg & Steve Englehart/Mike
Vosburg] 11p
Notes: Windsor-Smith’s
cover is an early version of his Apollo and Artemis print. Sim’s story is very well done and it,
combined with his story ‘The Shadow Of The Axe’ {art by Russ Heath & printed
in Creepy #79 (May 1976)}, convinced me that he was someone to watch for long
before Cerebus appeared. ‘The Bushi’ is
the first manga story/artwork to appear in the
8. cover: P. Craig Russell (Apr. 1977) [wraparound cover]
1) Editorial [Mike Friedrich] 1p [text article, frontis]
2) Parsifal: His Journey [Patrick C. Mason/P. Craig Russell]
10p from the opera by Richard
Wagner
3) Interface [Ken Steacy] 19p
4) “All We Are Saying Is…” [Mal Warwick & Mike
Friedrich/Gene Day] 6p
5) There’s Banging Up In Bangor [Gene Day] 3p [poem]
6) The Gods Of
Workman] 9p
7) Crazy Lady!? [John Workman] 1p
Notes: Russell’s
cover is made up of colored panels from the interior story. This was Russell’s first opera
adaptation. Ken Steacy & Gene Day
make their American debuts although both had appeared in the Canadian fanzine
Orb. In fact, Day had appeared
extensively in various Canadian fanzines.
‘The Gods Of Mount Olympus’, one of my favorite serials, changes its
artist for its last appearance. Best
artwork was John Workman’s on ‘Gods Of Mount
9. cover: Ken Steacy (June 1977) [wraparound cover]
1) Editorial [Mike Friedrich] 1p [text article, frontis]
2) The Sacred And The Profane: Figure Of Menace [Dean
Motter/Ken Steacy] 15p
3) Homestone [Yves Regis Francois/Raye Horne &
Danny Bulanadi] 11p
4) Seriah & Damon [Mickey Schwaberow] 8p
5) Divine Wind [Gene Day] 6p
6) Worlds Within, Worlds Without… [Michael Gilbert]
8p
Notes: ‘The
Sacred And The Profane’ was originally intended for the lead feature in the
first issue of Andromeda but when that indy comic was delayed Friedrich picked
up the feature. This was probably the
strongest story to run in Star*Reach and provided the best story & art for this
issue. It was also arguably the first
true graphic novel to be completed in the 1970s. ‘Seriah & Damon’ is composed of 8 full
page stained glass window designs.
‘Divine Wind’ is another very good story.
10. cover: Frank Brunner (Sept. 1977) [wraparound cover]
1) Editorial [Mike Friedrich] 1p [text article, frontis]
2) Parsifal, part 2 [Patrick C. Mason/P. Craig
Russell] 10p from the opera by Richard
Wagner
3) Linda Lovecraft: Nymphonecromania [Mike Vosburg]
14p
4) Mariah [Mike Friedrich/Lee Marrs] 8p
5) The Sacred And The Profane: Pattern Of Wounds
[Dean Motter/Ken Steacy] 15p
6) Aquarian [Steve Leialoha] 1p
Notes: Parsifal,
who is cover featured, would be continued and concluded in the Parsifal color one-shot
in 1978. A very strong issue without a
weak spot anywhere. Everything here is
of high quality. Reprinted in June 1978
with new titlepage art by Fabio Gasbarri replacing Freidrich’s editorial.
11. cover: Ken Steacy (Dec. 1977) [wraparound cover]
1) Editorial [Mike Friedrich] 1p [text article, frontis]
2) The Sacred And The Profane: Plague Fugues [Dean
Motter/Ken Steacy] 190
3) Stark’s Quest: The Sensor [Lee Marrs] 14p
4) Samurai [Gene Day] 7p
5) Tempus Fugit: Out One Ear & In The Other [Gary
Lyda] 8p
Notes: Two new
serials begin this issue from Lee Marrs & Gary Lyda. Both are quite good although Marrs’ is much
more accessible. Neither, unfortunately,
have ever been collected.
12. cover: Frank Brunner (Mar. 1978)
1) Editorial [Mike Friedrich] 1p [text article, frontis]
2) The Doors Of His Face, The Lamps Of His Mouth
[Roger Zelazny/Gray Morrow] 13p [text
story]
3) Replay [Michael Gilbert] 3p reprinted from New Platz Comics: Amazing
Adult Fantasies #2
(1976)
4) The Old/New/Final Testament [Mike Nasser] 8p [color]
5) The Sacred And The Profane: Vessels Of The Past
[Dean Motter/Ken Steacy] 16p
Notes: Now
$1.50. Brunner’s cover is repeated sans
copy on the back cover. In his editorial
Friedrich announces a new comic anthology, Imagine, and two color comic
specials—Parsifal & Cody Starbuck.
Zelazny’s story is a publishing tie-in with the Byron Priess’
publication The Illustrated Roger Zelazny.
The first appearance of interior color arrives, looking very muddy and
washed out. The expenses of doing, and
correcting, color would eventually cause the demise of the company. Gilbert’s story is a reprint from his own
fanzine.
13. cover: Steve Leialoha (Aug. 1978) [wraparound cover]
1) Editorial [Mike Friedrich] 1p [text article, frontis]
2) The Sacred And The Profane: Final Deliverance
[Dean Motter/Ken Steacy] 16p
3) The Quicksilver Serpent [Steve Leialoha] 8p [color]
4) Tempus Fugit: Second Venture [Gary Lyda] 8p
5) Tempus Fugit: Genesis Revisited [Gary Lyda] 8p
Notes: In an
attempt to remain on schedule, both #13 {two months late} and #14 {one month
early} are published during the same month.
Friedrich apologizes for this issue’s lateness and blames it on a major
contributor who ‘finked’ out, which probably explains why two chapters of Gary
Lyda’s serial appeared. The new serial,
‘The Quicksilver Serpent’ is never completed.
Best story this issue, and the best serial that Star*Reach ever
published, is the conclusion of ‘The Sacred And The Profane’, a stunning
achievement on the creators’ part.
14. cover: Ken Steacy (Aug. 1978) [wraparound cover]
1) Editorial [Mike Friedrich] 1p [text article, frontis]
2) Stark’s Quest: Touching [Lee Marrs] 16p
3) Counterpoint Communion [Dean Motter/Ken Steacy]
8p [color]
4) Tempus Fugit: Genesis Revisited, part 2 [Gary
Lyda] 16p
Notes: Published
the same month as #13. ‘Counterpoint
Communion’ is a sequel or coda {also never collected} of ‘The Sacred And The
Profane’. Marrs’ ‘Stark’s Quest’ gets
better and better.
15. cover: Steve Leialoha (Dec. 1978) [wraparound cover]
1) Editorial [Mike Friedrich] 1p [text article, frontis]
2) The
3) Warriors! [Gene Day] 7p
4) The Quicksilver Serpent, part 2 [Steve Leialoha]
8p [color]
5) Tempus Fugit: Tempus Fugitives [Gary Lyda] 16p
Notes: $1.75. This was the last comic-sized, 48 page issue. It also featured the last appearance of ‘The
Quicksilver Serpent’, which was cover featured.
‘Tempus Fugit’ concludes.
16. cover: Paul Rivoche & Ken Steacy
(Apr. 1979) [wraparound cover]
1) Editorial [Mike Friedrich] 1p [text article, frontis]
2) Stark’s Quest [Lee Marrs] 16p
3) Murphy’s Law [Ken Steacy & Jeffrey Morgan/Ken
Steacy & Don Marshall] 16p
Notes: The
magazine-sized format begins, with interior content reduced to 32 pages. Friedrich’s money woes are becoming quite
apparent. Interior color was dropped and
completed color stories were re-sold or moved to either Heavy Metal or its
upcoming Marvel rival, Epic Illustrated.
Both of the lengthy stories this issue are quite good.
17. cover: Jeff Bonivert (July 1979)
1) Editorial [Mike Friedrich] 1p [text article, frontis]
2) The Raven [Edgar Allan Poe/Jeff Bonivert] 7p [poem]
3) Inter Flight [Stephen Konz] 5p
4) Chilly [George Szostek] 6p reprinted from Brainstorm Fantasy Comix #?
(197?)
5) GZ-15 [Stepehn Konz] 14p
Notes: Easily
the worst comic Star*Reach ever published.
If not for Jeff Bonivert’s superb art on his presentation of Poe’s poem,
this issue would be a complete writeoff.
‘Inter Flight’ is a slight effort and both ‘Chilly’ and ‘GZ-15’ are
wordless strips that cheat the reader since nothing interesting happens in
either one. ‘Chilly’ is also printed so
dark that it is hard to make out what, if anything, is going on. Unlike most Star*Reach comics, there is no
art on the back cover.
18. cover: Lee Marrs (Oct. 1979) [wraparound cover]
1) Editorial [Mike Friedrich] 1p [text article, frontis]
2) Stark’s Quest: Decision [Lee Marrs] 16p
3) The Soldier Who Guards The Gate Of The City
[Masaichi Makaide] 2p
4) Crashing [Steven Grant/Masaichi Mukaide] 12p
Notes: Final
issue. The sturdy ‘Stark’s Quest’ is
concluded. This was a much better issue
than the limp previous one.
Pudge, Girl Blimp
1. cover: Lee Marrs (Jan. 1976) [wraparound cover]
1) Editorial [Lee Marrs] 1p [text article, frontis]
2) The Further Fattening Adventures Of Pudge, Girl
Blimp [Lee Marrs] 6p
3) The Case Of The Veneral Virgin [Lee Marrs] 4p
4) Mei-Lin Luftwaffle [Lee Marrs] 10p
5) Who Was Dat Self I Was You With? [Lee Marrs] 3p
6) The Group [Lee Marrs] 2p
7) Cyberfenetics [Lee Marrs] 3p
8) The Big Fat Rip-Off [Lee Marrs] 4p
Notes: $1.50
For 32 pages. Magazine-size issue. Reprinted from the Last Gasp edition (Jan.
1974). Reprinted yet again in June 1978. Pudge was much more of an underground comic
than the other Star*Reach publications.
It told the story of a 17 year fat girl who moved to
2. cover: Lee Marrs (? 1975) [wraparound cover]
1) She Was Still A…Virgin [Lee Marrs] 1p [frontis]
2) Further The Fattening Adventures, Pudge, Girl
Blimp [Lee Marrs] 6p
3) Git Uh Job, Chapter One: Brother, Can You Spare A
Rebate? [Lee Marrs] 2p
4) Meanwhile…Out There Mars [Lee Marrs] 2p
5) Git Uh Job, Chapter Two: The Screen Queen [Lee Marrs]
10p
6) What Ever Happened To [Lee Marrs] 2p
7) Git Uh Job, Chapter Three: Got Them Part-Time
Temporary Deduction Blues [Lee Marrs] 4p
8) Mei-Lin Luftwaffe [Lee Marrs] 6p
9) TV Twinkies: I Think I’ll Dump Him… [Lee Marrs] 1p
10) Git Uh Job, Chapter Four: The Pay’s So Low, This
Must Be The Underground [Lee Marrs] 5p
11) That’s No Pimple, That’s Your 2nd
Charka [Lee Marrs] 2p
12) The Group Dynamic [Lee Marrs] 2p
13) Am I Gay Or Only Cheerful? [Lee Marrs] 2p
14) Fiscal Interuptus [Lee Marrs] 4p
Notes: $1.00
for 48 pages. Comic-sized issue. Richard Nixon appears on the front cover. Since an ad for Star*Reach #2 is on the
inside back cover, one would probably be safe in stating that this issue
appeared in the latter half of 1975.
3. cover: Lee Marrs (? 1977) [wraparound cover]
1) She Was Still A…Virgin [Lee Marrs] 1p [frontis]
2) This Can’t Be Right…It Feels Too Good [Lee Marrs]
7p
3) Midnight At The Oasis [Lee Marrs] 3p
4) The New Street: Campaign Capers [Lee Marrs] 4p
5) A Visit To Homebase (Some Of My Best Friends…)
[Lee Marrs] 1p
6) Laid At Last [Lee Marrs] 4p
7) The Morning After [Lee Marrs] 2p
8) Movin’ On: Group Transformation [Lee Marrs] 1p
9) Funny Thing Happened On The Way To (During) [Lee
Marrs] 4p
10) On The Campaign Trail [Lee Marrs] 3p
11) The Patter Of Lil’ Feet…Of Clay [Lee Marrs] 3p
12) Before And After [Lee Marrs] 2p
13) Mei-Lin Luftwaffle: A
14) Bye Bye Martians [Lee Marrs] 1p
15) Can I Interest You In A Climax? [Lee Marrs] 4p
16) Loose Ends [Lee Marrs] 1p
17) The Close Call [Lee Marrs] 4p
18) After All, Tomorrow Is Another… [Lee Marrs] 1p
Notes: $.125
for 48 pages. Final magazine-sized issue. Captain Kangaroo & Woody Allen appear on
the back cover. Pudge would not reappear until 2005, in Dark
Horse’s anthology Sexy Chix.
Quack
1.
cover: Frank Brunner/back cover: Alan Kupperberg (July 1976)
1) Editorial [Frank Brunner &
Mike Friedrich] 1p [text article,
frontis]
2) Duckaneer [Frank Brunner/Frank Brunner
& Steve Leialoha] 11p
3) The Wraith [Michael Gilbert] 5p
4) You-All Gibbon [Scott Shaw!] 7p
5) E. Z. Wolf:
6) E. Z. Wolf [Ted Richards] 1p
7) On The Skids [Howard Chaykin/Alan
Kupperberg] 10p
8) Duckula [Scott Shaw!] 1p
9) Kosmo Cat: The Case Of The
Purloined Periodicals [Mark Evanier/Scott Shaw! & Dave
Stevens] 12p
Notes: $1.25
for 48 pages. Publisher & editor:
Mike Friedrich. A photo of Jan Brunner
{Frank’s wife} was included on the editorial page. ‘Duckaneer’ was Brunner’s response to not
being allowed to plot {or write} Howard The Duck. Gilbert’s ‘The Wraith’ debuts. I’ve found no earlier evidence of Dave
Stevens’ name appearing in comics {although I believe that he worked as an
uncredited assistant with Russ Manning on Tarzan prior to this} so, for now,
I’m posting this as Stevens’ professional debut. At least one reprinting occurred in Oct.
1976. Scott Shaw’s ‘You-All Gibbon’ was
a takeoff on the leading health nut of the time, Euell Gibbons. Shaw also had a policy to put an exclamation
point on the end of his name. The best
story here was easily Brunner’s ‘Duckaneer’ although I also liked the work by
Michael Gilbert & Ted Richards. This
seems a rather odd title to find Howard Chaykin in.
2. cover: Steve Leialoha/back cover: Scott
Shaw! (Jan. 1977)
1) Editorial [Mike Friedrich & Sergio
Aragones/Sergio Aragones] 1p [text
article, frontis]
2)
3) The Wraith: The Cure [Michael Gilbert] 7p
4) A Fish Shtick: Be True To Your School [Steve
Skeates] 3p
5) On The Skids!: A Day At The Rat-Race [Mary
Skrenes, Steve Gerber, Alan Weiss & Alan
Kupperberg/Alan Kupperberg] 10p
6) How To Recognize An
7) Tales Of The
8) Tales Of The
9) You-All Gibbon: The Incredible, Edible Invasion Of
Earth! [Scott Shaw!] 10p
10) A Job Well Done [Ken Macklin] 5p
Notes: Duckula,
who appeared on the back cover, correctly noted that there were no ducks in
this issue of Quack! Best story here was
the Leialoha/Aragones tale of ‘
3.
cover: Dave Sim & Steve Leialoha/back cover: Steve Leialoha (Apr. 1977)
1) Editorial [Mike Friedrich] 1p [text article, frontis]
2) The Beavers [Dave Sim] 4p
3) The Wraith: Duck Death [Michael Gilbert] 12p
4) E. Z. Wolf As Wolfjack: The Case Of The Missing
Quack [Ted Richards/Ted Richards, Larry
Gonick & J. Michael Leonard] 10p
5) You-All Gibbon: Pig-Foot, The Awful Boar! [Scott
Shaw!] 6p
6) Deserter [Ken Macklin] 8p
7)
Alex Nino] 8p
Notes: The
4. cover: Steve Leialoha/back cover:
Michael Gilbert (July 1977)
1) Editorial [Mike Friedrich/Steve Leialoha] 1p [frontis, text article]
2) Rick Rabbit: Home On The Range, Rabbit! [Steve
Leialoha] 10p
3) The Beavers [Dave Sim] 11p
4) On The Skids!: Into The Breach! [Alan Kupperberg]
7p
5) Tales Of The
6) Tales Of The
7) Tales Of The
8) The Wraith’s Pal, Inspector Mulchberry [Michael
Gilbert] 1p
9) The Wraith: The Fall Of The House Of Silver
[Michael Gilbert] 11p
Notes: In a
rather terse note, Friedrich confirms that this issue’s installment of ‘On The
Skids’ is the last, even though the last page advertises the next
installment. Leialoha’s Rick Rabbit is
not the same rabbit character as the earlier
5. cover: Michael Gilbert/back cover: Ken
Macklin (Sept. 1977)
1) Editorial [Mike Friedrich/Michael Gilbert] 1p [frontis, text article]
2) The Wraith: The Reality Wraith [Michael Gilbert]
16p
3) Tales Of The
4) The Beavers [Dave Sim] 11p
5) Planet Of The Ducks [Ken Macklin] 10p
6) A Bird In The Hand! [Gene Day] 4p
7) …And Now For Something Completely Different…
[Steve Leialoha] 1p
Notes: Friedrich
promises a format change as he feels that Quack hasn’t found an identity. It was to begin with #7 but the comic is
cancelled with #6. Leialoha’s one pager
is an explanation for the absence of the Rick Rabbit installment, told by
6. cover: Ted Richards/back cover: Steve
Leialoha (Dec. 1977)
1) Editorial [Mike Friedrich] 1p [frontis, text article]
2) The Quark, Son Of Quack [Ted Richards/Ted
Richards, J. Michael Leonard & Larry Gonick]
10p
3) Rick Rabbit: Into The Motherlode [Steve Leialoha]
10p
4) You-All Gibbon [Mike Friedrich/Scott Shaw!]
1p [text article]
5) Duckaneer [Frank Brunner/Frank Brunner & Steve
Leialoha] 11p reprinted from Quack #1
(July 1976)
6) The Fleet Foot Foogle! [Lee Mars] 8p
7) The Wraith: Fear [Michael Gilbert] 5p
8) The Wraith: A Christmas Carol [Michael
Gilbert/Michael Gilbert, Ted Richards, Ken Macklin,
Scott Shaw!, Frank Brunner, Steve Leialoha, Lee Marrs,
Al Gordon & Mary McAllister]
3p
Notes: Although
Friedrich promises the 7th issue in six months with a new format
consisting of longer strips by Michael Gilbert, Ted Richards & Steve
Leialoha, this is the final issue.
Leialoha’s Rick Rabbit storyline is concluded in Eclipse #2 in
1981. ‘The Duckaneer’ reprint is
required when Scott Shaw!’s installment of ‘You-All Gibbon’ is not
completed. Friedrich’s note regarding
this is quite interesting reading. The
last page of The Wraith’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ is in the form of a Christmas
card with characters & art from current & previous Quack
contributors. Although it wasn’t
intended as such, that page is a rather nice way to say goodbye to the reader.
Imagine
1. cover: Marshall Rogers (Apr. 1978)
1) Editorial [Mike Friedrich] 1p [frontis, text article]
2) Flightmare [Neal Adams/Frank Cirocco] 8p
3) Anticipation [Dave Sim/Fabio Gasbarri] 5p
4) Making It [Lee Marrs] 1p
5) Disputed Sacrifice [Marshall Rogers] 8p [color]
6) The Nimrod Fusion [Steven Grant/Rich Larson] 9p
7) The Garbage Men [Gene Day/Fabio Gasbarri] 7p
Notes: This
second attempt to use interior color wasn’t printed any better than the first, over
in Star*Reach. The original cover was
never completed and
2. cover: P. Craig Russell (June 1978) [repeated sans copy on the back cover]
1) Editorial [Mike Friedrich] 1p [frontis, text article]
2) Black Crow [Lee Marrs/Mike Vosburg] 12p
3) Speed! [Gene Day] 4p
4) The Avatar And The Chimera [P. Craig Russell]
8p [color]
5) Days Of Future Past [Gene Day] 6p
6) Drug Fiends Of The Martian Moon [Trina Robbins/Trina
Robbins & Steve Leialoha] 7p
7) Encounter At The Crazy Cat Saloon [Michael
Gilbert] 3p
Notes: The
lead character in ‘Black Crow’ is a thinly disguised riff on singer Joni
Mitchell. Best art & story honors go
to Craig Russell’s beautiful color installment of ‘The Avatar And The Chimera,
but everybody here has a strong entry.
3. cover: P. Craig Russell/back cover:
Steve Leialoha (Aug. 1978)
1) Editorial [Mike Friedrich] 1p [text article, frontis]
2) The Spider Thread [Masaich Mukaide] 4p from
the story by Atutagama
3) Songs To Aging Children Come… [Mike Vosbury &
Paul Levitz/Mike Vosburg] 10p
4) Ersatz [Lee Marrs] 2p
5) The Avatar And The Chimera, part 2 [P. Craig
Russell] 8p
6) Nebula: Gavin’s Ring [Mickey Schwaberow] 11p
7) Fear Of Death! [Dorothy Bucher/Dorothy Bucher
& Michael Gilbert] 2p
8) Vignette: A Soft And Gentle Rain [Michael Gilbert]
3p
Notes: The
new serial, ‘Nebula’, is never completed.
‘Ersatz’ is a gentle spoof of famed French cartoonist Moebius, by Lee
Marrs. Best artwork here again goes to
Craig Russell, but the best story is Michael Gilbert’s gentle, odd little
vignette. There’s also good work from everybody
else in this issue. This was Imagine’s
best issue overall.
4. cover: Steve Ditko/back cover: John
Allison (Nov. 1978)
1) Editorial [Mike Friedrich] 1p [text article, frontis]
2) A Dream Of Milk And Honey [Michael Gilbert] 16p
3) The Summoning [Paul Levitz/Steve Ditko] 8p [color]
4) The Awakening Of Tamaki [Lee Marrs/Masaichi
Mukaide] 12p
5) Coxmix [Dave Sim] 4p
Notes: $1,.75. This was the last comic-sized issue. Good work from Dave Sim & Steve Ditko,
while Michael Gilbert delivers a heart-breaking story, possibly the best work
he’s done to date. A very strong issue.
5. cover: Michael Gilbert (Apr. 1979)
1) Editorial [Mike Friedrich] 1p [text article, frontis]
2) A Sprig Of Thaxin [Paul Kirchner] 16p
3) A Dream Of Milk And Honey, part 2 [Michael
Gilbert]
4) Ravens [Eric Kimball/Robert Gould] 1p [on back cover]
Notes: Magazine-sized
format with comic content reduced to 32 pages for the same $1.75. Gilbert’s ‘A Dream Of Milk And Honey’
concludes. This is such a good story
that it’s a crime and a shame that it’s never been reprinted.
6. cover: Stephen Konz (July 1979)
1) Editorial [Mike Friedrich] 1p [text article, frontis]
2) The Song Of Asmodeus [Dean Motter & Ken
Steacy] 11p
3) Salvation [Masaichi Mukaide] 2p
4) The Dewcatcher [Stephen Konz] 6p
5) Nebula: Bones & Spheres [Mickey Schwaberow] 8p
6) Nebula: Beware Of Ashenwaste, My Son [Mickey
Schwaberow] 5p
7) Siegfried [P. Craig Russell] 1p [color, on back cover]
Notes: Final
issue. Konz’s cover is quite blah. The ‘Siegfried’ page is the original final
page of the story that Russell published in Epic Illustrated #2 (Summer
1980). That color story was originally
intended for Imagine. Best story &
art here belongs to Dean Motter’s & Ken Steacy’s ‘The Song Of Asmodeus’. ‘Nebula’, in its final appearance, was quirky
and interesting. Too bad it was never
finished.
Parsifal
1. cover: P. Craig Russell (May 1978) [repeated sans copy on the back cover]
1) Editorial [Mike Friedrich] 1p [text article, frontis]
2) Parsifal: His Journey [Patrick C. Mason/P. Craig
Russell] 10p [color] reprinted from
Star*Reach #8 (Apr. 1977)
3) Parsifal: His Temptations [Patrick C. Mason/P.
Craig Russell] 10p [color] reprinted from
Star*Reach #10 (Sept. 1977)
4) Parsifal: His Victory [Patrick C. Mason/P. Craig
Russell] 11p [color] entire story from the
opera by Richard Wagner
5) Addendum [Patrick C. Mason & P. Craig
Russell/P. Craig Russell] 1p [color,
text article]
Notes: $2.00
for 32 pages. Friedrich was very
disappointed with the color reproduction in this first all-color comic. The color was corrected in later
reprintings. Regardless, this is a
beautiful book and an impressive start to Russell’s now 27 year effort in
adapting opera to comics.
Cody Starbuck
1. cover: Howard Chaykin (July 1978) [wraparound cover]
1) Editorial [Mike Friedrich] 1p [text article, frontis]
2) Cody Starbuck [Howard Chaykin] 32p [color]
3) Cody Starbuck Portfolio Ad [Howard Chaykin]
1p [on inside back cover]
Notes: $2.00
for 32 pages. This was much more
graphically and sexually violent than previous Star*Reach titles or earlier
Cody Starbuck stories. Starbuck’s tales were
continued in the 1981 in the pages of Heavy Metal.
Alter Ego
11. cover: Marie Severin & Bill
Everett/back cover: Moebius (June 1978)
1) Welcome to Alter Ego [Mike Friedrich] 1p [text article]
2) The Altered Ego: A Final Bow [Roy Thomas] 1p [text article]
3) Gir/Moebius: An Interview With Jean Giraud [Mal
Burns, Moebius & Mike Friedrich/Moebius]
7p [text
article]
4)
22p [text
article
5) Bill Everett: The Ancient Sub-Mariner [Roy Thomas]
1p [text article]
Notes: $.?
for 32 pages. Editors: Roy Thomas &
Mike Friedrich. The covers’ colors were
hand separated by Michael Gilbert, who today does a regular column for the
revived fanzine. Final issue of volume
one.
Star*Reach’s Greatest Hits
1.
cover: Frank Brunner (Sept. 1979)
1) Foreword [Mike Friedrich] 1p [text article]
2) Elric Of Melnibone [Frank Brunner]
20p [color] from the story by Michael Moorcock
3) Elric: The Prisoner Of Pan Tang
[Eric Kimball/Robert Gould] 20p
reprinted from Star*Reach
#6 (Oct. 1976)
4) Dragonus: The Wizard’s Venom [Frank Brunner]
10p reprinted from Star*Reach #3 (Oct.
1975)
5) Cody Starbuck [Howard Chaykin] 16p reprinted from Star*Reach #1 (Apr. 1974)
6) I’m God! [Dave Sim/Fabio Gasbarri] 8p reprinted from Star*Reach #7 (Jan. 1977)
7) Waters Of Requital [Lee Marrs] 8p reprinted from Star*Reach #5 (July 1976)
8) Worlds Within, Worlds Without [Michael Gilbert]
8p reprinted from Star*Reach #9 (June
1977)
9) Reincarnalation [Mike Vosburg] 1p reprinted from Star*Reach #2 (Apr. 1975)
10) My Fears [Jeff Bonivert] 4p reprinted from Star*Reach #7 (Jan. 1977)
11) Skywalker [Mike Vosburg & Steve
Englehart/Mike Vosburg] 11p reprinted
from Star*Reach
#7 (Jan. 1977)
Notes: $?
for pages. Brunner’s painted Elric story
also appeared at the same time in Heavy Metal (Sept. & Nov. 1979). Chapter headings are listed as
Swashbucklers/Alien Contact/Inner Space with page borders by Lee Marrs. A good collection of early Star*Reach
material.
Within Our Reach