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Mars Will Send No More

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Mars Will Send No More

Tag Archives: Ka-zar

The Day the Nazis Ruled Latveria, and Other Astonishing Tales!

13 Thursday Mar 2014

Posted by Mars Will Send No More in superhero

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Astonishing Tales, Barry Smith, Black Panther, collection, Dr. Doom, Gene Colan, Gerry Conway, Herb Trimpe, Jack Kirby, Ka-zar, Kraven, Larry Lieber, Marvel Comics, Red Skull, Roy Thomas, Stan Lee, Wally Wood

astonishing tales 1-8 ka-zar doom set (1)

Of all the glorious splash pages in Astonishing Tales #1-8, this one of the Red Skull turning Latveria into Nazi Nation cracks us up the most. It’s so wrong in so many ways. Red Skull, what were you thinking? Do you have ANY idea what Dr. Doom is going to do to you when he gets home? And why does the decor look like a high-school assembly?

But let’s start at the beginning. Long before we used the controversial picture above to sell the set on eBay, Jack Kirby kicked off Astonishing Tales #1 in 1970 with a Ka-Zar story.

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Ka-zar versus Kraven sounds like a manly jungle free-for-all, but the tale lacks substance. Each issue, however, provided two stories, and the second one features Dr. Doom. Roy Thomas teams up with artist Wally Wood for several issues of unique stories in the Dr. Doom archives.

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After Stan & Jack wrap up the Kraven story, Gerry Conway and Barry Smith tell what may be the greatest Ka-zar story of all time. X-men fans may recall Garokk the Sun God from the days of Chris Claremont and John Byrne’s run. Byrne & Claremont’s tale, one of our favorites, has its roots in the pages of Astonishing Tales. Barry Smith renders the Savage Land and its inhabitants like never before or since. Conway’s tale is so awesome we could almost forgive him for killing Gwen Stacy — but we won’t.

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Stan’s brother Larry Lieber takes the reins from Roy Thomas to continue Doom’s adventures, which include revolution, androids, and bringing a mummy back to life. It’s a whacky mix of themes that Wally Wood renders like it’s still the golden age at EC Comics. And did we mention the Red Skull shows up while Doom is on vacation? Guess what — he turns Latveria into Nazi Nation! What an idiot.

astonishing tales 1-8 ka-zar doom set (10)
astonishing tales 1-8 ka-zar doom set (8)

Just when you are thinking that you might subscribe to a monthly title featuring Dr. Doom drawn by Wally Wood, the creative team begins changing. Gene Colan joins Gerry Conway for a pretty awesome Black Panther story, the goofy gimmick of drilling underground in Wakanda serving as an excuse for a fine character study of the opposing monarchs, Doom and T’Challa.

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Colan’s pencils seem to become more flowing and abstract in his next few issues of Doom. Inker Tom Palmer certainly deserves some credit for that effect, and if you’d like to see how different inkers have interpreted Colan, Comic Tropes has a great short video that will show you.

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Doom’s mystic battle is one of our favorite examples of Colan’s style, rendered in bold flowing areas of black ink.

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Herb Trimpe steps in with what seems a Frazetta-inspired pose for Ka-zar.

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But despite these creative high points in these little-known and certainly underrated stories, they might have been too odd for the market at that time. Doom got the axe, and the book became Ka-zar’s title for more than a year beginning with the ninth issue.

Later, it would become a sort of proving ground for potential characters. Tony Isabella and Dick Ayers would give us “It!” for a few issues, and then Deathlok by Rich Buckler and Doug Moench. The Guardians of the Galaxy also make an appearance, but Marvel axed the whole title after issue #36, six years after it began.

We recently sold our ‘reader’s copies’ set of the first eight issues, but you can usually find Astonishing Tales (Marvel, 1970) in stock. Many well-worn copies exist, so prices on VG+ Marvels from this era remain relatively cheap. Just try finding VF/NM copies, though, and you will have yourself a collecting challenge!

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Man-Thing’s Second Appearance!

06 Saturday Apr 2013

Posted by Mars Will Send No More in jungle

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Astonishing Tales, John Buscema, John Romita, Ka-zar, Len Wein, Man-Thing, Neal Adams, Roy Thomas, Zabu

As Zabu fans, our favorite part of this comic is Zabu kicking major alligator ass. He needs no help from any human brother! But listen, this comic is also important for being the second appearance of Man-Thing.

Manny first appeared in Savage Tales #1 in 1971. Len Wein and Neal Adams created a second Man-Thing story that didn’t make it into Savage Tales. That story is integrated in its entirety right into the middle of this two-part Ka-zar story by Roy Thomas and John Buscema. It’s fitting, because Thomas wrote that very first Man-Thing story.

Len Wein went on to write the first issues of Swamp Thing for DC Comics with Berni Wrightson. The star-studded “Terror Stalks the Everglades!” also features inker Dan Adkins and John Romita, Sr., who provided retouches to the original black-and-white Neal Adams artwork.

Collector’s Guide: From Astonishing Tales #12 Featuring Ka-Zar; Marvel, 1972. Story continues in Astonishing Tales #13.






X-Men 10: Introducing Ka-Zar!

12 Wednesday Sep 2012

Posted by Mars Will Send No More in jungle, superhero

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Jack Kirby, Ka-zar, Savage Land, Stan Lee, Uncanny X-Men, X-men, Zabu

The Coming of Ka-Zar! Here it is: the first silver age appearance of Ka-zar, lord of the savage land! And don’t forget Zabu!

Even though Ka-zar is not a mutant, Xavier allows the X-Men to travel to Antarctica and enter the Savage Land to investigate this noble savage. They end up having to save Jean and Warren from being sacrificed by the Swamp Men.

Collector’s Guide:
– From Uncanny X-Men #10; Marvel, 1964.
– Reprinted in Marvel Masterworks X-Men HC #1.
– Reprinted in Marvel Masterworks New Edition X-Men HC #1.
– Reprinted in Marvel Masterworks X-Men TPB #1.

Script by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Chic Stone.








Spider-man and Ka-zar Team Up Against Dinosaurs!

20 Friday Jan 2012

Posted by Mars Will Send No More in dinosaur, jungle, superhero

≈ 6 Comments

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dinosaur, Gil Kane, Ka-zar, Len Wein, lizard, Marvel Team-Up, Marvel Treasury, marvel treasury edition, Savage Land, Spider-man, Stegron, Zabu

Spider-man jumps without a parachute into the Savage Land, where he and Ka-zar take on the evil Stegron and a herd of stampeding dinos! Later, the dinosaurs fly to New York to bring chaos to the streets. And who should drop in but the Black Panther?! With art by Gil Kane and a guest appearance by Dr. Curtis “The Lizard” Connors, this two-part dino extrvaganza has been one of our very favorites for as long as we can remember! Do you want Part Two of the story?

Collector’s Guide:
– From Marvel Treasury #22
– Reprints Marvel Team-Up #19
– Reprinted in Essential Marvel Team-Up #1








He Stands Triumphant in the Very Center of Pangea!

03 Tuesday Jan 2012

Posted by Mars Will Send No More in dinosaur, jungle, superhero

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Avengers, Holocaust in a Hidden land, John Buscema, Ka-zar, Roger Stern, Savage Land, Terminus, Tom Palmer, Zabu

Remember when the Savage Land was totally destroyed by a giant alien in space armor? Dinosaurs on the run, Terminus looking mighty creepy, and the Avengers flexing in the jungle. Not to mention Hercules making friends with a sabretooth tiger, a little Kirby Krackle, and Shanna trying on her new leopard bikini. It’s all part of one of our favorite runs on the Avengers. We posted two excerpts: Part One.

Collector’s Guide: From Avengers #256-257: “Holocaust in a Hidden Land.”

Roger Stern plotting and scripting, John Buscema handling layouts and breakdowns, and Tom Palmer’s finishes bringing it all together! This team rocked the Avengers for thirty issues in #255-285, from 1985-1987.




You are Mine to Do with as I Choose!

03 Tuesday Jan 2012

Posted by Mars Will Send No More in dinosaur, jungle, superhero

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Avengers, Holocaust in a Hidden land, John Buscema, Ka-zar, Roger Stern, Savage Land, Terminus, Tom Palmer, Zabu

Remember when the Savage Land was totally destroyed by a giant alien in space armor? Dinosaurs on the run, Terminus looking mighty creepy, and the Avengers flexing in the jungle. Not to mention Hercules making friends with a sabretooth tiger, a little Kirby Krackle, and Shanna trying on her new leopard bikini. It’s all part of one of our favorite runs on the Avengers. We posted two excerpts: Part Two.

Collector’s Guide: From Avengers #256-257: “Holocaust in a Hidden Land”

Roger Stern plotting and scripting, John Buscema handling layouts and breakdowns, and Tom Palmer’s finishes bringing it all together! This team rocked the Avengers for 30 issues #255-285, from 1985-1987.




Make Your Own Sabretooth Tiger!

30 Saturday Jul 2011

Posted by Mars Will Send No More in dinosaur, jungle

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

dinosaur, dinosaur comics, Ka-zar, prehistoric mammals, Savage Land, Smilodon, Zabu

The 1980s were not kind to our dinosaur-riding, smilodon-loving jungle hero Ka-zar. But, we did get a few good stories about Zabu, who was always the one we liked more anyway. Artists like Gil Kane and Val Mayerik contributed to the back up stories “Tales of Zabu” that traced the tiger’s life from a cub to his first mate to his first encounters with the future lord of the Savage Land.

Plus, we got this totally awesome page you could cut out and fold to make your own Zabu! Print it out and send us a pic of your own sabretooth! (Yes, I did it.)

Collector’s Guide: From Ka-zar the Savage #14 and #18; Marvel Comics.



I Ain’t No Dino Dinner!

22 Friday Apr 2011

Posted by Mars Will Send No More in jungle, superhero

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Chris Claremont, dinosaur, Jim Lee, Ka-zar, Savage Land, X-men, X-men covers, Zabu

uncanny x-men 275 jim lee 122

Uncanny X-Men #275 featured an awesome three-page fold-out wrap-around cover. Today’s post features that cover — and let me tell you, it wasn’t easy, what with my scanner only being big enough for one page at a time. So take advantage of my hard work, click on the image, blow it up to relish the detail, and set it as your desktop background.

Uncanny X-Men #275 sets the artistic high water mark for the team of Chris Claremont and Jim Lee. Very soon, their take on Marvel’s mutants would earn X-Men #1 the record of highest sales for any one comic book, ever. The records still stands.

Collector’s Guide: From Uncanny X-Men #275. Reprinted in X-Men Omnibus Chirs Claremont/Jim Lee/Marc Silvestri #2.

You might also enjoy flipping through the Wolverine Gallery.



RRAWRR!

04 Monday Apr 2011

Posted by Mars Will Send No More in jungle, superhero

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Chris Claremont, John Byrne, Ka-zar, Savage Land, Smilodon, Wolverine, X-men, Zabu

More black and white artwork from Essential X-Men. Witness John Byrne and Terry Austin’s original artwork from the first time Wolverine meets Ka-Zar, Lord of the Savage Land – and his awesome sabretooth tiger, Zabu!

Collector’s Guide: From Essential X-Men TPB Vol. 1. Originally printed in Uncanny X-Men #115; 1978, Marvel.

He Must Have Entered through the Endless Abyss!

25 Friday Mar 2011

Posted by Mars Will Send No More in dinosaur, superhero

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Amphibus, Ka-zar, Magneto, Neal Adams, Roy Thomas, Sauron, Savage Land, X-men, Zabu

Sauron has been bugging the X-Men for longer than some of us have been alive. Here are some scenes from when they first met, long ago, at the hands of creative team Roy Thomas and Neal Adams.

Also guest starring in this magnum opus, Magneto and his strange “little friend” Amphibus the frog freak! Whatever that guy’s power is, we don’t want to know!

Collector’s Guide: Originally Printed in Uncanny X-Men #57-63. Reprinted in X-Men Classics (1983) #1-3.



The Only Place You’re Gonna Rule… Is in Hades!

04 Friday Mar 2011

Posted by Mars Will Send No More in dinosaur, jungle, superhero

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Chris Claremont, dinosaur, dinosaur comics, Ka-zar, pterosaur, Sauron, Savage Land, tyrannosaurus rex, Wolverine, X-men, X-men covers

Wolverine and Sauron. One nasty mammal and one hideously evil reptile. Something tells us they are never going to get along! Here’s a touching scene from their first meeting in Uncanny X-Men #115.

Collector’s Guide: From Classic X-Men 21. This reprint added gnarly dinosaur art to the interior and back covers, with a fun back up story: Colossus versus a Tyrannosaur!



Dinosaurs from the Past Could Roam the Earth Today!

16 Wednesday Feb 2011

Posted by Mars Will Send No More in dinosaur, jungle, superhero

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Avengers, dinosaur, jungle, Ka-zar, Savage Land, Wolverine, Zabu

More dinosaur action in the Savage Land — and the coolest Zabu (Ka-Zar’s sabretooth tiger) ever! Feast your eyes on Joe Madureira’s artwork. Through this entire series, he provides an overwhelming visual feast. Great fun!

Collector’s Guide: From Ultimates 3, Marvel Comics, 2007. Also in TPB and Hardcover!



Lizard Men! We Are Lost!

07 Friday Jan 2011

Posted by Mars Will Send No More in dinosaur, jungle

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

dinosaur, dinosaur comics, Doug Moench, jungle, Ka-zar, Lizard Men, Marvel Comics, marvel value stamps, mole man value stamp, Russ Heath, Savage Land, Smilodon, Triceratops, tyrannosaurus rex, Wizard of Forgotten Flesh, Zabu

Ka-Zar: World’s Manliest Cat Lover.
From the Letters Page.

2022 Update: This was the first post here at Mars Will Send No More, way back in January 2011. Since then, the scans I painstakingly made for it somehow became FUBAR; so, eleven years later, I pilfered some pirate scans from the web to restore this post to its former glory. Along the way, I re-discovered that the letters page contains the Mole Man Value Stamp, which later became the avatar for our blogging buddy Paul at Longbox Graveyard — a truly historic comics coincidence!

Anyway, let’s rock this thing!

Doug Moench penned Wizard of Forgotten Flesh for the Ka-zar in 1974. Doug Moench did a huge amount of writing for Marvel in the 1970s: teaming up with Bill Sienkewicz for awesome Moon Knight stories, Gil Kane & George Perez on the Inhumans, Paul Gulacy on Shang-Chi Master of Kung Fu, and — my personal favorites — the two Six From Sirius limited series.

That being said, Russ Heath‘s dinosaur artwork in Wizard of Forgotten Flesh speaks for itself. Dig his splash panel for page one.

Here is a the five-page sequence where Ka-zar and his buddies harness a Triceratops. They ride it into a river where they wage battle against the evil cult of serpent people.

Gotta admit: I love Zabu, the sabre-tooth tiger. One of my favorite scenes in any superhero book is Zabu and Wolverine having a conversation in animal language. That was Uncanny X-Men #116, when Chris Claremont and John Byrne took the X-men to Ka-zar’s home, the Savage Land.

Anyway, these serpent cultists are up to no good and using some ancient skull to give them power to enslave the tattooed guy’s people. The good guys free the prisoners, but the serpent priestess invokes skull power. With that power, she raises the dead to life to be her unholy soldiers.

This is a fun issue. It transplants some of the best 1970s Conan and Kull cliches and male-bonding adventures into a world of dinosaurs, and the artwork makes the script come to life. Unfortunately, it was only a fill-in from Russ Heath, and he would not again grace the pages of this series.

Collector’s Guide: From Ka-Zar #12, Marvel Comics, 1974.

If you liked that, dig the rest of our Gallery of Dinosaur Comics both old and new, or our guide to Steve Bissette’s Complete History of Dinosaur Comics.

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