Saturday, August 30, 2014

My Continuing Adventures With Mego-style Blue Beetle Customs

You may recall that I've been working on some custom Mego-Style Blue Beetles. (here and there) When I finally wrap this epic project I'll have at least 8 figures! Costumed heroes and secret identities. So far, the costumed heroes have posed the bigger problem. I could buy or commission custom clothing and custom heads, but the artist in me has decided to make them myself...though it's proving to be a lengthy process full of trial and error.

In the meantime, I have been working on the secret identities by mostly using existing pieces. Buy and outfit here, a body there...which leads me to today's post...Jaime Reyes!


For Jaime, I used a 6 inch "teen" body. I chose to go with the "adult" 8 inch figure clothes though. I liked how it gave him a baggy, youthful style. Where as I left Dan and Dan's somewhat generic heads untouched I did thicken the eyebrows, and change the eye color on Jaime. I used a head I found online that seemed a better fit that most of the generic "teen" heads...but I'm pretty sure this used to be "Bud" from "Married With Children."

So, that's Silver Age Dan Garrett the archaeologist, Modern Age Jaime Reyes the teenager, and Golden Age Dan Garret the cop done. Next up...Bronze Age Ted Kord! Then back to the costumed heroes...sewing, and possibly silk screening, tiny spandex outfits and sculpting and casting the heads...it's going to be a lot of work, but this is a labor of love, and an adventure!






















And thanks again to Anthony Durso of the awesome Toyroom for the boxes!

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Text Tuesday: "The Blue Beetle and the Hi-Jack Combine"

It's the last Tuesday of the month, so it's time to enjoy another 1940's text piece! N. N. Nathaniel is back to bring us "The Blue Beetle and the Hi-Jack Combine" from Fox's "Blue Beetle" #5.

The next few issues of Fox's "Blue Beetle" include text pieces, that do not feature Dan Garret or the Blue Beetle. What do you think Beetlemaniacs? Should I post them anyway, or stick with our hero?

Enjoy!



Saturday, August 23, 2014

Blue Beetle #2 (Charlton)

Writer Joe Gill, penciller Bill Fraccio and inker Tony Tallarico are back with another Silver Age adventure of Dan Garrett...the Blue Beetle! The cover says "The mightiest man battles Reds from today, and monsters from yesterday!" in and adventure called "Hot War In The Arctic".



An unidentified military aircraft flies above the Arctic, and fails to respond to radio communication, so logically it's shot down by a missile. The reason the pilot didn't respond? He was fighting off an attack by a caveman! The pilot manages to eject and parachute down with the caveman in tow, where they're quickly captured by the crew of a DEW line base station who report the incident to the U.S. government. General Waller, of the Air Force, calls for the immediate assistance of Dan Garrett, archaeologist! In no time (about one panel) Dan reviews films sent from the DEW line base and has quickly assesses that this is a primitive Goth man, from a tribe "fifteen centuries gone". 


Close but not close enough, so Dan hops on a plane with Captain Elaine Norr, and flies to the Arctic to check out the caveman first hand! Garrett and Norr feed the caveman before checking out some radar scans and deciding they should do a little recon of the area. After boarding another plane, they quickly find they have a stowaway...the caveman! And right on the heels of that revelation comes another...just under some mysterious cloud cover is a jungle, in the Arctic, and full of dinosaurs! After finding a place to land the trio is quickly set upon by more barbaric Goths. The caveman intercedes on their behalf, but the peace is shattered by gunshots! Chinese soldiers have also discovered the mysterious Arctic jungle and are firing on the Goths and the wildlife. Dan figures now is as good a time as any for Blue Beetle to step in! 


He quickly uncovers the Chinese army's plan. Creating a base, with an airstrip, in the Arctic is just the first step in a plan to take over North America. Using an "atomic powered steam generator" they're melting the ice and creating a fog that hides their actions. 


And as a byproduct of the melt, they've released and revived the Goths and prehistoric animals. With this info Blue Beetle quickly realizes he must stop them, because if the northern ice is melted, but the southern pole remains intact the world would be off balance and could be thrown off its axis. Blue Beetle starts blasting the Chinese planes, and equipment before realizing it may seem odd that Dan Garrett hasn't been seen in a while. He changes back just in time to join Elaine in a cave while the Goths, armed only with stone clubs join in the fight against the invading army. 


Not wanting to let them fight virtually unarmed and definitely out gunned, Dan switches back into Blue Beetle while Elaine Norr isn't looking. He rushes into battle, using his strength to smash planes, tanks and guns. The Chinese army calls for a retreat, but not without one final attack...atomic weapons!

Blue Beetle rushes to destroy the Chinese base, and the "atomic powered steam generator". With the generator offline, he knows the Arctic will quickly re-freeze. He quickly moves to take out the last of the planes, the ones armed with the nuclear bombs! 


Firing blasts of energy with his hands, and a mighty "BAROOM", he puts and end to the threat, and sends Captain Elaine Norr back to the plane before the runway is completely snowed in. On the plane ride back, Dan invites Elaine to dinner, but after seeing Blue Beetle in action she replies "How can any ordinary man ever seem appealing now...?"

Wow, so Dan shot himself in the foot on that one! Impress the ladies with your super heroics and they'll never be interested in your secret identity, lesson learned! He also somewhat callously left the Goths and the prehistoric beasts to die/frozen beneath the Arctic ice once more. Kind of sad when you think about...but such is life in Silver Age comics! See you next week!





Saturday, August 16, 2014

Blue Beetle #2 (Fox) Part 3

We're halfway through "Blue Beetle" #2! Here's 2 more nuggets of Golden Age goodness from 1940 for your viewing pleasure!

(click the pages to enlarge)


















Thursday, August 14, 2014

Blue Beetle 3000?

So, just saw this over on Bleeding Cool and figured I'd better share it here!

According to a Keith Giffen interview at Newsarama, "Justice League 3000"'s status quo is due for a shake up soon...and Rich Johnston at Bleeding Cool thinks this could mean the arrival of Blue Beetle and Booster Gold! 

Keep your fingers crossed Beetlemaniacs! 

Saturday, August 9, 2014

"Timepiece!"

Len Wein, Paris Cullins and Dell Barras return with issue #9 of "Blue Beetle" from November 1986 (cover dated February 1987) with a "Legends" Cross-Over! "Legends", for the uninitiated, was DC's first post-Crisis cross-over event that saw the world (under the influence of Darkseid by way of Glorious Godfrey) turn against it's heroes. It also led to Blue Beetle joining the Justice League...but lets not get too far ahead of ourselves!



Right off the bat we know this is a "Legends" story. Why, you ask? Because immediately after Blue Beetle rescues a little old lady from a gang of punk rock muggers, she beats him with her purse, and screams "Down with superheroes!" If that doesn't drive home the "Legends" tie-in, I don't know what would.



While that happens in the city, out in the suburbs we get the pay off to on of the ongoing plot threads. Angela, Ted's receptionist who has been stealing bits and pieces of tech, finally sees what her uncle has been up to. Apparently, we learn through a brief monologue, he's been recuperating after a dust up with Batman and some issues with the time stream...he is none other than, Chronos, the Time Thief! Angie finally decides its time to stop him and tries to call the cops, but he freezes her with his stopwatch, and disappears into the night. 




Ted brings the BUG back to base, and laments the goings on of G. Gordon Godfrey, wondering if things keep going this way will there be a place in the world for superheroes...or Blue Beetle? In Death Valley, geologist Cassandra Sharp "dies" in a sandstorm, but is quickly scooped up by two shadowy figures in a helicopter. Not only is Ted's professional life taking a hit, his personal life is too. In the offices of Kord Inc. Ted and his girlfriend Melody watch the President announce an executive order requiring all heroes to cease activity. 



The announcement is followed by some choice words about superheroes from Godfrey himself. Ted turns off the TV, but Melody wanted to hear what Godfrey had to say, "Maybe the man has a point", she says. The two argue briefly until Melody decides she's done discussing it and needs to get back to work. 

At a secluded warehouse, Chronos accepts a shipment of clocks and other equipment, then kills the delivery men. Meanwhile Ted, Calhoun and Takamoto try another test creating, a promethium alloy. Sadly, it fails...just as the head of S.T.A.R. Labs, Garrison Slate, shows up to check their progress. Down at the police station, Lt. Fisher debates the President's declaration with another officer. Fisher is quite happy with the decision, heroes are a menace. Frank, the other cop, isn't so sure...in fact "Since he first showed up in town the Blue Beetle has defeated Firefist, the Madmen, Doctor Alchemy, the Muse..." Fisher cuts Frank off there, and promptly kicks him out. While on Pago Island, Conrad Carapax finds a door. A door that leads to "whatever Dan Garrett was searching for", or as we know...Jarvis Kord's lab! Finally back at Kord Inc. Melody and Ted are talking again...and realizing that Angie never showed up for work. Ted swings by her house and finds her, frozen in place. After bringing her back around with a simple shake, she reveals to Ted that her uncle is Chronos. Ted is about to call the cops, but figures presidential order be damned, this is a job for Blue Beetle!



Not a whole lot of Blue Beetle action this issue, but I think it worked out anyway. After shifting over to the Showcase '94 stories the last few months I think this actually turned out to be a pretty good way to get back into the core series...plenty of reminders of the various plot threads, and at least one new one. Great art from Paris Cullins and Dell Barras, and spot on writing from Len Wein as always! See you back here next week for some more Blue Beetle adventures!