CLAREMONT @ PRICE GUIDE ® PREVIEWSCONTENT VOL. 1 __NUMBER2 OCTOBER 1991 Ghost Rider sports a Wizard's costume to torch our second issue. We're still trying to figure out how the hat doesn't catch fire, Ghost Rider can be found every month inhis own title and making guest appear. ances throughout the Marvel Universe. "X" Marks The Spot: Chris Claremont and Marvel's Mutants. 9 2 WIZARD #2 FEATURES MORE THAN A GHOST OF A CHANCE Interview with cover artist, Javier Saltares, DRACULA — THE KING OF VAMPIRES Stil thirsty after all these years, PREVIEWS GHOST RIDER: THEN and NOW Find out how he blazed into town. 2 3 PLATINUM SPIDER-MAN CONTEST Here's your chance to own one of comics most prestigous books 26 NOVEMBER 22, 1963 12:30 P.M. Where were you when President Kennedy was assassinated? Let's find out from Steven Grant. GUIDES ANDLISTINGS GRADING YOUR COMICS Reese ees seat se eee 30 COMIC BOOK PRICE GUIDE Receteesia ener egees neat 33 TRADING CARDS Feels aerestes fe reacts 84 NEW TOP 100 ‘Check out the best selling books for the last 3 years, PICKS FROM THE WIZARD’S HAT ‘This month's sneak peek at what's to come. WIZARD COMIC WATCH Here's more books to keep a Wizard eye on. NEW UP & COMING ARTIST He's not new, but he's hot — Sam Kieth! FIND THE ZARETSKY Where is he? Try to find him twice,LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHE WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF WIZARD #2 Thank You! Thank Youl Thank You! For what you ask? For_moking Ward #7 a bigger success than | ever Imagined. You flooded our offices with malibags full of replies suggestions, and good wishes. Now we're really psyched for Wizard #2. Since Wizard #1 teally cast a spell, we've added 24 more pages and burst at the seams so we had to add @ perfect bind to Wizard #2. Now you can really en- hance your comic book knowledge. We solicited Weard Trading Cards for issue #3. irsistably, due to an over whelminglyhuge response to the poster, Instead of the cards, we will bring you a poster of the unused Ghost Rider cover! Ijust recently got a new computer, and it plays all of Monty Python's favorite biurbs along with Rocky and Bullwinkle, Foghorn Leghorn, and the Looney Toones theme. Even at 4am | have someone to talk to. 8ypopuiardemand, Ihavejustsignedadealto produce the Wizard covers on T-Shirts. Petty neat, | sleep in my prototype every night. Before you tun the pages, | thought | would let you PUBLISHER: GAREB S, SHAMUS BUSINESS MANAGER: MARTIN SCHRANZ CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: PATRICK DANIEL O'NEILL ART DIRECTOR: RICH DuFOUR CREATIVE DIRECTOR: LEO McCARTHY PRODUCTION MANAGER: JANE SCARANO PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: RALPH O°BRIEN know, wehavejust completed our fist DC cover tobe on Wizard #4. Riddle me this. Every issue we'll be expanding our existing features ‘nd adding a few new ones. We have many new ideas to improve your overall comic book interest, ‘ond make you a more informed reader Whew Firstissue is done and now the second, Where Next... Issue #3, and what surprises we have for you! Sincerely Gareb 8, Shamus Publisher P.S. - Remember: Tell your friends, you have a Wizard OUR STAFF eee oS ADVERTISING MANAGER: LINDA PERILLO PROMOTIONS: KENNETH SHAMUS RESIDENT COOK: GRANDMA DEBBIE COLORIST: MARK H. McNABB ILLUSTRATOR: BART SEARS EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS: DOUG GOLDSTEIN PAT McCALLUM. eR a RI ARE SAE IS SE ‘Ary statement made n Vizard: The Geide To Comics. exxessed crimped. cre icely howe of thelnckichick baing [Link] not repretent the ctrl positon of the pubisher, who doesnot accept any fesponsbilly for such satomonts Allextwokcs TM ord © of er teipective Owes, \Wearct The Guide To Comics published mori by Waord Prats P.O Box 8, Nanuet NY 1094 A542. One-year aibacrictions rte i $27.50, Canada nd Mexde0 $34.95 cnclal other counties$30.95. AlpaymentsinUS furcsoryy.éiacontenkscopyrght 199), Cexeb SreanusErieremen re The Weord legelsprotected trough raderiak ogstaionin fhe Untadstatesof medina. lvarmetion pubkcanon, may note terxockycedin ero wholsincry form without witten prot consent of Word Pras andl Gored S Shams Postmaster: Send across choriges to Wir Pras,.O, Box 8, Nanuet, NY. 10958968, 4 WIZARD #2MARKS THE SPOT “The point is that all of them — Scott, Jean, Angel, Iceman, Beast, Wolverine, Storm, all the rest — are all X-Men,” Chris Claremont says, discussing the origin of the scheme that has resulted in two monthly titles featur- ing Marvel's senior mutant team — Uncanny X-Men and X-Men. “They all come out of the school; they are all a part of the first twogenerationsof Xavier's dream. It doesn't matter whether they call themselves X-Factor, X-Men, X-traordinary — callitwhat you like — they are all, at heart, X-Men. That allowed a certain freedom of action to break the old patterns and chal- lenge some oldas- sumptions.” Chris Claremont has been writing Uncanny X-Men for more than 16 years; “longer than most of my audience has been alive,” as Claremont puts it. But despite the appearance of hav- ing created a bi-weekly X-Men series, Claremont says the two books will still be different. “My intention, from the start, was CHRIS CLAREMONT and MARVEL’S MUTANTS by Patrick Daniel O'Neill that the two titles go —to a degree — their own way,” he notes. “What you're seeing, in a sense, is the adventures of eight or ten people who happen to live in the same house. In certain respects, their lives will intermingle: Things that happen to one team willaffectthe other team, simply be- cause that's where they all live, where they all hang out. This is the center of their being, in the same way that, ifpick eight people who work at Mar- vel Comics—they may live and their lives may have fo- cuses that are to- tally outside the of- fice, but the office is the place where they all meet. I'm viewing this as an ensemble, some- whatlike Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, Northern Expo- sure, anything like that.” Butthat wasn’talways the plan, according to Claremont. Originally, the powers-that-be at Marvel wanted one team in two books. “Tom deFalco’s vision for the new X-Men book was to have two books done by two different artists with the same five charac-“PVE KNOWN THEM (ALL) TOO LON ters in each — essentially making the book a bi-weekly. | opposed that and [editor] Bob Harras agreed with me—basically because in practical terms we didn’t think it could be done, because the coordination problems between two different artists plotting con- secutive stories on that kind of schedule would be a nightmare “Secondly, it was a waste of resources. We had a dozen or more really superb charac- ters; to have to cull them down to a half dozen — first of all, you'd be casting six characters into comic-book limbo, who would immediately be picked up for some other series, which would perpetuate the X-Fac- tor mess. “More importantly, it created a situation where | was asked to play favorites with characters | couldn't play favorites on any- more,” he notes. “I've known them too long; | don’t have any favorites. They all deserve their moment in the sun and to be written as they should be written —which is to say, by me. | didn't really want to see characters in whom | had invested all this time and effort go off to other writers who, however good they are, will always be different.” Actually, Claremont thinks that, even under iginal plan, the two series would have found different paths. “The fact that Whilce Portacio and Jim Lee [the artists on Un- canny X-Men and X-Men respectively] are totally different people, totally different art- ists with surprisingly different styles, means that the books couldn't help but go in differ- ent directions,” he notes. “Jim's interests aren't Whilce’s and vice versa. The way | would interact as a writer with Jim would not be the way | would interact with Whilce. Therefore, intone, in direction, in emphasis, the books couldn't help but go in different directions, even though they might be similar, = MARVEL GIRL STORM WOLVERINE Very much a natural She has serious doubts John Byme’s emphasis leader: the most abstract about her capacity to lead. of Logan changed the thinker of all. shape of Marvel. Art by Andy Kubert. Art by Marc Silvestri Art by John BymeI COULDN’T PLAY FAVORITES ANYMORE” SRM ee a 9 ee a oe “That doesn't preclude storylines, plotlines, situations, that do intermingle — but | think, for myself, | would prefer a situation where you have two independent but strong books, as opposed to what some people envi- sioned as one bi-weekly title,” he concludes. The teams were not split along the lines that many fans expected: It is not the old team — Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Iceman, Archangel — and the new — everyone else. The team in Uncanny X-Menis led by Storm, and includes Marvel Girl, Iceman, Archangel and Colossus. The X-Men squad is helmed by Cyclops, and features Beast, Wolverine, Rogue, Psylocke, andGambit. Both teams will report to Professor X. Claremont says the new groupings were designed to create new synergies among these characters. “What would happen if Scott and Jean were on different teams? What would happen if we had some of the X-Factor people on one and some of the X-Men on the other — but a mix? And we wanted to see if we could create a new synergy in terms of character,” he suggests. But that doesn’t mean we'll see conflicts about who's in charge, Claremont is quick to add. “These aren't kids anymore, to a large extent; they're grown-up, they're experienced, they've been through the mill. | would hope that they would approach a question like this in a rational, adult manner. Doesn't mean they won'tchallenge the status quo; doesn’tmean they will “Storm has serious doubts about her capac- ity to lead. Jean is very much a natural in that regard. Iceman is an unknown quantity. Colossus doesn't really drift in that direc- tion,” he points out. “Archangel’s a possibil- ity, but—if you'll excuse an inadvertent pun — he’s a little too flighty, too psychotic. We're talking about introducing abrand new CYCLOPS NIGHTCRAWLER COLOSSUS An abstract person who is Given a lot of ‘air time” by Doesn't really drift in the a conceptual strategist. his fan: artist Dave direction of leadership. Cockrum. Art by Paul Smith Art by Dave Cockrum Art by John Romita, Jr.sixth character to the team, but at this point, nothing's been defined about him. “Again — how things are the first issue does not necessarily mean they'll be the same six months down the line.” On the otherside, the old conflict between Cyclops and Wolverine will not re-emerge, Claremont assures. “It's not that Wolverine is a follower or not; he works with people. Scott and Storm are, if you view this as a military company, the captains; Wolverine is Sgt. Rock. He is not a conceptual strategist. He's the kind of person who can look at a fire fight and know how to win it, but he can’t take the two steps back and look at the fire fight in relation to the entire battle. He's just too focussed on the moment. In that context, he isnota ferociously abstract person, whereas Scott and Storm are far more abstract and Jean is probably the most abstract of all. 14 WIZARD #2 “Wolverine works with people out of respect for their abilities. He’s aman who does know his limitations; they're are certain things that Scott is better at than he is, therefore he will defer to Scott in those regards,” he goes on. “Doesn't mean he won'tgive hima hard time — because Wolverine’s way of keeping people on their toes is to needle them, to challenge them every step of the way. If Scott were to prove himself unworthy of being the leader, then Wolverine might take him down — not because he has any seri- ous animosity toward Scott, but just be- cause it's better for the team.” Other than the differences that will develop out of different casts, Claremont is hard- pressed to say how the two books will differ. A lot depends on how his relationship with the two artists develops. “It would be a matter of how Whilce, for example, would approach the story, what characters he pre-fers, what kinds of stories he would like to tell," Claremont explains.“Whilce is more sci- ence-fictional oriented than Jim is, therefore the stories could, conceivably, focus in a more purely science-fictional approach; whereas Jim would have a different ap- proach, “It relates to tone, perhaps, more than sub- stance — and that's something that evolves over time,” he continues. “The kinds of sto- ries | did with John Byrne were different from the stories | did with Dave Cockrum, both before and after John—which were different from the stories | did with John Romita, Jr. or Paul Smith or Marc Silvestri or even Jim. “You don't want to play to your artist’s weak- nesses; you don't want to shove something down their throat that they fundamentally do not want to draw,” he sums up. “By the same token, Dave Cockrum, when he drew X-MEN, was a big fan of Nightcrawler, so Nightcrawler gota lot of ‘air time,’ soto speak. John Byrne didn'tlike Nightcrawler that much, but he loved Wolverine, so you saw the de- emphasis of Nightcrawler and the emphasis of Wolverine, with ramifications that changed the shape of Marvel. That's what I'm talking about in terms of different directions. There are characters that Jim will mesh well with that Whilce won't; there are types of that Whilce will love to do that Jim won't. How those interact with the writer will define how the books look different.” & This may well be the last inter- view Chris Claremont gives con- cerning the X-Men for quite a while. Shortly after this conver- sation, Chris announced thathe was resigning from the writing chores on X-MEN and UNCANNY X-MEN, following a series of editorialdifferenceswith Bob Harras. linvited Chris todo an addendum to the interview, aninvitation he politely declined. For the next several months, Chris will be touring the country. promoting his comics work and his new novel, GROUNDED, as well as working on a third novel. —Patrick Daniel O'Neill a DEAT Chris Claremont's first X-Men script: Uncanny X-Men 94, Sixteen years, 185issues, plus assorted annuals & specials later: Chris’s last X-Men script? OCTOBER 1901 18JAVIER PALJARES by Datrick Daniel CO@HE After slightly more than half-a-dozen yearswwotne business, Javier Saltares came to fan attention when he brought comic-book life to the latest version of Marvel's flame-headed cyclist, the Ghost Rider. We started this chatby discussing his background and training, WIZARD: Where do you come from? SUGVIER SALTARES: I've lived in New York all my life. was born March 15, 1961 inthe Bronx and been here ever since. WIZARD: Have you had any formal art training? SALTARES: Not really. I've had very little— mostly I've met people who are artists and satin OCTOBER 1991 17“Everybody wants the [creative] control” with them on classes. | was fortunate enough to meetacouple of nice teachers whowouldletme sit inon classes. But 'm pretty much self-taught...the most famous old Marvel/Buscema rule of picking up the Andre Loumas and George Bridgeman books and just draw from there and from life. Mostly, I'm self-driven. WIZARD: Where would someone go to find your earliest professional work? SALTARES: At DC Comics, | was working onthe New Talent Showcase books. WIZARD: How did you move over to Marvel and pick up on Ghost Rider? SALTARES: | was working at Marvel for a couple of years straight — two or three years — noton any one book, but hopping around. | was working steadily; Ineverhad atime when | didn'thave work Finally, | guess they figured my work was coming up to snuff and they were looking for a new person 18 WIZARD #2 to begin a new project. All the big names were taken on the big projects. | kind of lucked out, WIZARD: What was your working method like on Ghost Rider with Howard Mackie? SALTARES: Mostly he wrote and | drew. We spoke very little about storyline and ideas. We always talked about talking about it and never ‘seemed to get around to it. Things were always moving so fast that, by the time we were ready to talk about issue #9, we were already working on #10. I'm not on Ghost Rider, anymore, of course. But Howard would do a plot, give it to Bobbie Chase, who would edit it (whatever that means), and she would pass it on to me. WIZARD: What are you working on now? SALTARES: I'mworkingona special Flash project for DC with John Byme; he wrote it and I'm pencil- ling and inking it, WIZARD: That's the one based on the TV series? SALTARES: Yep. WIZARD: How does it feel to work on a character like the Flash, someone with that much history? SALTARES: |like the Flash, Like all artists, Ihave favorites — at DG, it's always been the biggies: Superman, Batman, Flash. At Marvel, it's Hulk, Silver Surfer, Spider-Man, Captain America. Any of the mainstream characters, the old tried- and-trues, you're always eagerto try your hand at. WIZARD: In films, the line always seems to be — “What | really want to do is direct.” Lately, in comics, all the artists seem to be saying, “What | Bxtime ago. Nojhing this lately.“That's what makes comics fun: I'm, earning, my, living, and getting a, creative release.” —— In the very first comic | ever did — seven or eight years ago — there's a short interview with me. They asked me my goals and | said, “I eventually want to write, draw and ink my own book,” That's not an uncommon goal. All artists want to do that, all inkers want to do that. I'd even say writers — if they could take the time to learn to draw — would want to write, draw and ink their own work. Every- body wants the control. You have to wait to prove to the money folks that your ideas are worth it. If there's anything I'm grateful to Ghost Rider for, i's that: It gave me the clout to walk into DC and say | wanted to pencil and ink my own work. Eventually, I'll write it, too. As a matter of fact, Brian Augustyn and | are working on one of his brainchildren... and | told him | wanted to co-plot it. That's my first step toward writing. WIZARD: When and where did you develop your interest in comics? SALTARES: In junior high, | met Mark Texeira. | used to doodle a lotand he would show me conics. That sparked the idea. it for me was looking at certain remember looking at Frazgt What really di 20 WIZARD #2 Until the editor calls and wants to hang you for being so late! All and all it's a good life, if you don't take it too seriously. If you take it too seriously, like anything else, you limit yourself. WIZARD: On one level, you have to have the motto, “It's just comic books.” SALTARES: Exactly. | always say that. I remember talking to a friend in the business and he asked if | really believed that. “I can take this industry or leave it,” | told him. | don’t mean that in any negative sense; it's just that | have had so many different types of jobs before | drew comics that, for me, the concept of workis more important. You have to make a living. As long as you're working and supporting yourself, you're doing all right | think the person is more importantthan what he does; what you do can help develop you as a person, but it’s not everything you are. I'ma creative person; so are all artists and writers. What makes them different — not necessarily special — is that they need an outlet for their creativity, in much the same way an athlete needs to play his sport, for example. That's what makes comics fun for me: I'm killing two birds with one stone. I'm working, I'm earning my living and I'm getting a creative release. OCOLLECTING COMICS IN THE 90'S PAT McCALLUM By the time you finish reading this first line, this book may have gone to a second print. Orat least that's the way it seems these days. One of the hottest aspects of collecting comics in the '90s is the altered appearances on most second print comics, where, at times, the second print is more desirable than the first. This, however, has not always been the case. Going back a year anda halfago, sec- ond prints of comics were considered no more than reading cop- ies. Thesereprints were a simple way to supply dealers with enough copies to satisfy their customers. Instead of tuming away customers due to lack of availabil ity or the drastically in- flated price, dealers can offerthe second print at a lower or cover price. Rarely did these sec- ond prints experience a price increase, and when they did, it was next to nothing. Sec- ond prints were merely the same book with a “second printing” disclaimer printed inside. Why would fans find these books to be desirable? Why. would they want to add these to their collections? They didn't, so second print books have always been available for cover price, and shelves were always stocked with them. This all ended with the release of Spider-Man #1 Marveltook a book, that atthe time had the highest printrun in history (2.8million copies), and reprinted itwith a metallic gold cover, causing a nation wide stirthat rocked the industry. The public considered ita "new" book, oranother variation on the original, which created something unprecedented. The gold second print has. surpassed the first printing 22 WIZARD #2 in popularity and value. This “reading copy" was now the book to own, and the floodgates were opened for future second prints Marvel has been popular for publishing the ‘ew look" to their second prints, but DC Comics has justjoined the craze. Thesenewsecond prints have neon colors, metallic inks, gatefold covers, etc. The popularity of second prints has main- tained itself. Many of the “new look” second printings have surpassed their first print in the marketplace. Comic book retailers are now at a loss. Should they cut their orders on new books, hoping for a second print that they can mass order on? Should they hold back the second printings from the public and wait to see what happens? Are first Prints really worth it any more? These are under- standable fears, the public is bent on this second print craze, leaving dealers with large amounts of the now not-so-desirable first printings. Have the better de- signed, higher quality second prints de- stroyed the market for their first print counter- parts? The common misconception is yes, that they have, but this isnotthecase. Thetew second printings which surpassed the originals price-wise made a lot of noise in the industry, while the majority went unnoticed. Don't con- sider all second prints gems justbecause one or two skyrocket. The second print- ings to really watch out for are those that jump out at you with outra- geous covers thatcatch and hold your eye (a strong content helps a little). Remember, a gold cover does not a winner make. Now don''t take all this the wrong way. Second prints are nota bad thing. Quite the contrary. The fact that these new" books are unpredictable is fantastic. This industry could use more of this type of product, items which stir up the waters and keep people guessing. If this industry wishes to expand and come close to reaching it's potential, Comic book companies should continually explore new ways to increase their readership. This is one of many projects which is helping comics to grow tremendously. Let's hope the companies continue in this direction, and don't sit on their hands keeping the industry at a standstill.One of the hot comics in today’s market is Marvel’s Ghost Rider, wherein a demon on a motorcycle wreaks fiery ven- geance on wrongdoers. And just about everyone knows that this Danny Ketch isn’t the first Ghost Rider-— especially since Johnny Blaze has turned up and told Ketch about his own career as Ghost Rider. But Dan Ketch isn’tthe second Ghost Rider, either. Oreven the third. He’s the fourth Ghost Rider. The original version wasn’t demonic; he was a fake. He didn’t ride a motorcycle, but a horse. And he wasn’t even published by Marvel! That original version first appeared in Tim Holt #11, published by Magazine Enterprises (better known as M.E.) in 1950. Holt was one of the popular western movie actors of the time — not as big as Gene Autry or Roy Rogers, but a big enough star to have his own comic book. One of the back-up features, starting in #6 (in those days, almost every comic book had back- up features), was the Calico Kid. The Kid’s real name was Rex Fury, and he wasa U.S. Marshal. Five issues after he was introduced he under- ent a drastic transformation; he became the ost Rider. Still a westem — and now a jerhero, too. Almost immediately, he got his title as part of the A-/ series, as well as fy back-ups various places. (4-/ was more 8 M.E.’s equivalent of Dell’s Four Color, 's Showcase.) Lawrence and pants, and covered’ cape that glowed white on one s Watt-Evans He could use this to disappe: OCTOBER 1901 23only appeared at night, and there were noelectric lights in the Old West, he was effectively invis- ible when wrapped in his cape with the black side out. He would swirl the cloak about to create ghostly effects. How he could see through the cape was never really explained, and some of the stunts he pulled to convince people he had supernatural powers would sure convince me— for example, to quote a caption in Ghost Rider #7, “By a clever use of his specially prepared cloak, The Ghost Rider appears to lift his head from his shoulders!” How you do that by ma- neuvering a black cloak isbeyondme. Healso had a “magic lantemn” — for you youngsters, that’s the 19th-century version of a slide pro- jector— and used it for various additional spe- cial effects, projecting images of ghosts and monsters. Initially, the GhostRider tackled ordinary out- Jaws. Then it was out- laws who were using fake supernatural gim- micks to terrorize their victims — there was a nice irony there, as the Ghost Rider would use his own stunts to expose the bad guys’ stunts, and to scare them into really believing in spooks. And then he started running up against the real supernatural — by 1953 he was tackling zom- bies and the like. This was, after all, the early 1950s, when horror comics were hot; in addition to his own adventures, the Ghost Rider also started hosting “Tales of the Ghost Rider’— horror stories in western settings. 24 WIZARD #2 The original Ghost Rider who rode in the 1950s. But the market collapse of the mid-fifties put an end to it all. M.E. gradually withered away, starting in 1954; they shut down for good in 1958. Their Ghost Rider, to the best of my knowledge, last appeared late in °55 Itshould be mentioned thatthe M.E. version was drawn by Dick Ayers. Well, by 1967, Dick Ayers was at Marvel, and somebody — prob- ably Ayers, who got plotting credit — had the clever idea of re- viving the old M.E. character. The Marvel version was schoolteacher Carter Slade, who used glowing powder and a reversiblecloaktoplay ghost. The powder came from a mysteri- ous meteor, and was giventoSlade bya wise old medicine man Slade, like Rex Fury, had a projector forspe- cial effects. The sto- ries shied away from the supernatural stuff that had crept into the later MLE. stories, and stayed with fairly ordi- nary western villains. The series was nota hit; after seven issues it was cancelled. Six issues were reprinted in the sev- enties, but with the name changed to Night Rider — because by then the third Ghost Rider had appeared. More recently, in a run of stories in West Coast Avengers, he was calling himself the Phantom Rider. In 1972, in the pages of Marvel Spotlight #5, a motorcycle stunt-rider by the name of Johnny Blaze made a deal with Satan — in exchange for his soul, Blaze was promised that his beloved mentor, Crash Simpson, wouldn’t die of the cancer that was killing him.So Simpson died in a motorcycle crash. Blaze deserves an award of some sort for truly inept phrasing in his request. Satan then put his mark on Blaze —at night he would transform into a flaming skeleton, able to throw hellfire around. This was supposed to be a short-term thing, because Satan would soon return and claim Johnny’s soul — except that Johnny was loved by Roxanne Simpson, whose soul was so pure that her love shielded Johnny against Satan’s power. (Marvel now says it was Mephisto, rather than the real Satan — but that isn’t the way it read at the time.) This seri- ously weird premise was the work of the new GR’s creator, Gary Friedrich, and it didn’t really hold up well. Vi- sually, Ghost Rider was great, but the set-up didn’t make for great stories. Almost imme- diately, writers began tinkering with it. The day/night thing Johnny Blaze frees his soul in Ghost went fairly early, but the trigger for the transfor- mations varied considerably over the years. Roxanne’s purity of soul as Johnny’s protection was a nuisance — it tied Blaze to a wimpy love interest, and made Satan look stupid with his constantunsuccessfill attemptsto pry Blaze away from her. How it got cleared up is something of alandmark in comicshistory. In Ghost Rider #9, Satan had finally gotten rid of Roxanne; he had Johnny Blaze trapped when a mysterious char- acter walked out of the crowd and banished the ET Devil. This person gave no name, called himself, just “a friend” but it’s pretty clear that this was Christ. It had taken divine intervention to save Blaze. The next feature to change was the nature of the Ghost Rider himself. At first, the fiery skull- faced creature called the Ghost Rider was just ("33 [MARVEE COMICS GROUP Va Johnny Blaze; then it was the dark, vengeful side of Blaze’sperson- ality; and finally, it turned out to be a genu- inedemon, Zarathos by name, who had pos- sessed Blaze. In Ghost Rider #81 Zarathos was disposed of, Johnny Blaze was free, and he and Roxanne rode off into the sunset together, ending the series. That was 1983, making the third ver- sion the most success- ful yet, with over a de- cade of adventures to hiscredit. As for the ee fourth and latest, who’s isthe been around for fee scarcely ayear—well, itremainstobeseen what der #81. will become of him. Lawrence [Link] the author of fifieen novels and thirty-thr8ghort stories, to date, as well as over a hufidlpetig@fieles about comic books for varidpsipublications 9 END OCTOBER 1991 25by Randall W. Scott Areview by Henry T. Colonna Collecting comics is a hobby that most comics readers probably feel self-con- scious about for one reason or another. Although the readers themselves know otherwise, much ofthe world believes that SttI/7 “TThis book] strongly affirms the aesthetic value of comics” comic books are pre- dictable stories about men and women wearing spandex and fighting each other for control ofthe universe. Family members, business partners, and friends of comic readers don't under- stand the care and interest that comic readers devote to their collections, be- cause, in their eyes, comic books are for adolescents. As more and more sophis- ticated superhuman and non-superhu- man comics enter the market, particu- larly during the last half of the ‘80s, with titles like Sandman attracting musicians, painters, and writers after being exposed in mainstream magazines like Rolling Stone, comics are perhaps making slow progress towards becoming a respect- able form of entertainment, education, and research. Comics Librarianship, by Randall W. Scott, strongly affirms the aesthetic value of comics by promoting through detailed instructions the value, need, methodol- ogy and value of starting and maintaining a comics research library. The book makes clear in the beginning that it is not a guide- book for the hobby- ist. The introduction sets up the underly- ing premise that comic books belong in academia, and is fortunately neither defensive nor con- frontational. From this point onward, this premise is understood, and the book becomes an instructional tool for setting up a comic library using a university as a haven. Towards the end, more difficultissues such as censorship are explored, and the book does take a stance. But in doing so, the author is not preachy or dogmatic. There are many suggestions for a grass- roots approach for anyone with the en- ergy and desire to begin to build a comics library. The author clearly and succinctly details approaches to building collec- tions, including fosteringrelations with local communi- ties retailers andcol- lectors. There is definitely insight that any comics reader would find valuable, butinsightthatis es- sential for someone who would choose to begin an actual library. Methods of cataloging, storying, and pre- serving comic books are detailed, includ- ing some ideas that are different from the methods that most collectors use. In particular, Scott proposes a thorough cata- loging system unique enough to suit comic books, yet adaptable enough to work with the current Library of Congress rules. While exploring all of his ideas and sug- gestions, Scott remains authoritative, yet “The book becomes an instructional tool for setting up a comic library ina university” friendly and careful, detailed yet simple, clearly organized, and always profes- sional. This book is definitely intended to be a guidebook to someone starting a comics library, but it reaches much more deeply than that. Comics Librarianship becomes either intentionally or unintentionally a vindication for all of us who have been self- conscious about our hobby. Throughout every page, through- out every example, there is a sense of pride that all comics collectors should share. Any self-con- scious feeling that a comics collector has about his hobby should definitely be al- leviated by reading this book. Currently, the commonplace existence of comic book libraries in universities seems, quite far-fetched. But if this innovative book actually helps start even one library at a university, it will havedone a great service to the comics world. Credibility in academia ultimately means credibility to society. @In today’s comic book market, grade is one of the most important factors that influences the value of a comic book. There are many grades that fall between the ones listed below; however, the grades presented here are the ones with the most noticeable signs of ew MINT: By definition, amint comic book shouldappearasifitjustcame 200% of the NEAR MINT value. This all depends on the scarcity and offthepress, flawless. There shouldbe nosigns of wearinsideoroutside desireability of the specific comic in hi ofthe issue, Thecover should becentered,spine shouldbe very tight(no present) issues in Mint condition are usi creases), and all comers should be sharp. The pages inside should not NEAR MINT show any signs of aging. A MINT comic book could be worth upto ‘grade, Most newer (70's to ly valued upto 120% of NEAR MINT: A comic book in thi Usually, there is only one small im frombeing MINT. One ofthese flaws may be, cover! center, one comermay be slightly rounded, orthe spines w ‘one tiny erease, The pages inside should show almost no signs of aging (or wear, with a bright and glossy cover. The comie books listed in this guide are valued at NEAR MINT prices 25°)! is Nov | Pe | VERY FINE: A comic book in this condition will show some pages. The comicsiin this grade are valued at 0% to 70% ofthe NEAR signs of aging and wear. The spine will have few slight creases, he MINT value, again depending on the scarcity and demand for the ‘comers might notall be sharp, and the color may have lostalitte luster. specific issue There should be no folds, cuts, or markings in any way, on any of the 30 WIZARD #2changes in condition. Grading comics vary from person to person depending on how much they regard certain flaws or imperfections. This guide will serve to help you in the process of grading your comics. FINE: This comic book is a good example of a well read comic. The cover, especially around the staples. Although there are still no pages ‘cover may show some minor flaking, the spine showsnoticeable signs with cus, folds, or missing totally. A FINE comic book will usually be ‘of wear, pages have slightly discolored - showing signs of age,and the valued at 30% to 50% of the NEAR MINT value ‘comersare rounded. An issue inthis condition may haveaslightly loose GOOD/VERY GOOD: Comics inthis range will have very noticeable shoulda'tbe any chunks missing. Thisis avery common grade foroldet signs of aging and wear. There will be spine eases, rounded comers, comics. Comics in GOOD/VERY GOOD condition are valued from very minorcutsortears,minormarks writing) [Link] 10% to 30% ofthe NEAR MINT values. POOR: Acomicbookin this condition hasmany defects. Somepossible rusty staples, pe marks, cut out eoupons, missing complete pages, flaws include ripped pages, a bent spine, a small chunk missing, large writing marks, or stains. A POOR comic is worth less than 10% of the creases, and very discolored or faded pages. Any comic with unnatural NEAR MINT value, defectsare usually considered POOR. Examplesinclude waterdamage, OCTOBER 1991 31Hello and welcome to the Wizard’s Won- derful World of Video Games. What the old Gamemaster is going to try to do here is be informative, entertaining and maybe even downright funny attimes. Controversy comes at no adaitional charge. First. lets talk about the X-Men’s hottest hero, Wolver- ine. going head to head with the Mutant Master of Magne- tism, Magneto, and with his arch-enemy, Sabretooth, who may or may not be his own father! No, were not talking about the newest issue of his comic, we're talking about LJN’s newest smash cart for the NES, “WOLVERINE!” Yup, that wacky Canadian makes his solo debut in what looks to be a sizzling game filled with such cool features like the awesome “berzerkermode,”” which squashes your opponents. Look for this little gem to be in the toy stores soon! Camerica: Quicklybecomingthe Game- masters favorite game company, produces the Game Genie. Only avallablein Canada, this excellent little gadget snaps on to your Nintendo cartridges and lets youreprogram them. That's right! Make yourself invincible. Start with an infinite amount of lives. Make the game as hard or easy as you like. The Game Genie sells for about $70 in K-Mart, Toys R Us and other stores of the like in Canada. ‘Super NES: Yes, that's the name for the 16- ‘92 WIZARD #2 Mat bit Nintendo system which should be reach- Ing store shelves by the time youread this. It carries a suggested retall price’ of $199.95, and will come out with Super Mario Brothers 4, Peter Mann, Nintendo Marketing V.P. expects to sell 2 million units and 6 million games by the end of 1991. For those of you who must know, some Super NES titles include: Zelda3,SuperBases Loaded, Gradius 3, The Simpsons, John Madden Football, Final Fantasy 2 and Super Play Action Football. Genesis: Sega has coun- tered the Big N by lowering the price on their GenesisSys- tem from $189 to $149. From now till September, a mail-in offer entitles you to a free Sonic, The Hedgehog game (A $55 value). What a value! Sonic is one of the most dynamic games|’ve ever played, and an experience that shouldn't be missed. The story revolves around Sonic, a hedge- hog who would give the Flash a run for his money. An evil scientist has transformed his animal friends into unthinking robot slaves, and it’s up to Sonic to put things right. Can he zip through the seemingly endless horl- zontal, vertical and 360 degree flipping scenes. During this super-caffinated adven- ture, Sonic must travel through tubular un- derground tunnels, cross tumbling bridges and bounce acrosssuspended moving plat- 1 Hforms. Whether you're right side up or up- side down, Sonic The Hedgehog is more than just your average run and jump game. This challenging game merges quick think- ing required by a challenging puzzle with a game that will leave you breathless. Another cool game for the Genesis is Toe Jam & Earl, which deals with two hip-hoppin, smooth-rappin aliens from the planet Funkatron. The two connoisseurs of pop culture and junk food have a big problem; they are strandedonthe weirdest, the wacki- est, the oddiest planetin the universe- Earth! Can these two ‘spaced’ aliens gather the scattered remains of theirstarship (the “Righ- teous Rapmaster Rocket Ship”), put them back together and get off this crazy mudball? Well, with hordes of nerd herds, ‘obsessive mad dentists, crying-baby-toting shoppers and the love inducing Cupid, it won't be easy. But who said life on Earth was? Allin alll, this is one cart which can'tbe missed! More upcoming Genesis titles include: Spi- der-Man,Swamp Thing, Decapattack (we ‘re dying to see this one...), Valis Ill, Phantasy Star Ill, Double Dragon II, Mario Lemieux Hockey (Sega’sown SuperMario!), and Jesse “The Body’ Ventura Wrestling. With the new low price, Sonic, and more than 100 titles available in the stores now, Super NES has a lot of catching up to do. Hot onthe heels of the Nintendo Gameboy is the Game Gear by Genesis. Opposed to Gameboy’s black and white screen, Game Gear is in full color, has stereo sound and a back lit screen (Game Gear is awesome in the darkl). The success of Game Gear looks assured, as Sega expects to gain 25% of the one billion dollar handheld marketplace in America. The system made its debut in the fall of last year in Japan, where it sold 40,000 units in just two days... WOW! Game Gear should be available by the time you read this at a suggested retail price of $149.95 which includes the mego-hit “Columns,” a $34.95 value. Watch for it! Bytes & Pieces: The Gamemaster has just found out that starting in September, Sonic will replace Al- tered Beast as the free game when you buy a Genesis. Sega is also introducing a CD- ROM unit for the Genesis in early “92, No. price yet, but it'll play 3 and 5 inch audio CD’sandis designed to stack right beneath the Genesis. Watch out for Camerica. In the next few months they will introduce three amazing items. The first is a Nintendo cart sized item that you can slip a Gameboy game into. This will allow you to play Gameboy on the NES. The next is tentatively called the Express. It’s alittle bigger than a Gameboy, with a color LCD screen that lets you play regular Nintendo games onthe go. The prototype we saw allows you to plug in a regular NES controller, although anon-game padi a distinct possibility. Also, inthe next6monthsCamericawill release 20 games on 14 carts. Leading the pack is the Camerica Gold Quattro Series, which gives youfour512k gamesonone2meg cart. And if that wasn’t enough, the bold Series carts will use a custom designed super chip that lets your 8 bit Nintendo paint 16 bit quality graphics. Ifanyone has got any Game Genie codes let me know. Are the game companies mentally becoming “If its not based on a comic or movie, or isn’t a sequel, we‘re not interested?’ We'll get into that in the com- ing months. Until then, remember- It’s not real, it’s only a game. OCTOBER 1991 93pon eS Ea sy ORR ren oC oru Rea EUnet can Coser at ons Reais et aoe Prosecosi boc tore aame Seance on aR eta Potente cet inate eee eset any eer emena ito mee etc yea eMetrics tay cra Holmes, and has two other Pe recesteee tent a re ESRC t tn Cone en oer inmecouce nee To Pye eet amet Coenen ert Some eerie yen OC a ocean a eerste Pe vCR Senecio omens re nal novel — a project Powell een rece Rok OM sect Ce ecard tS Con Man Cees met adaption is mixed. Contents Cian oes (ome aa TS Ree orcs DEC ee Mee Tost tees eee er eu t tog ict fel ame amet el ini Comm ola eae Papen eto POE ae ore tant omit terra eececs Pore ce a eters tert eel The Ghosts of Dracula. Origi Sora gece steer cece ss et ae ere encore C Rte ian Pee eta ce bel OMe Notas BUDE ae eee tone Prose meen Cte Drea ce Beto rst es Dau enamored PMc E Comment ctt a cian Harry Houdini, Dracula pronrTe Me cece meee at tag Stull Thirsty Priel ee cero nT aC ero RUM Cte rea Rey og teria Toke te Peace n_ issue #4 of this Pere M goo baer ty oe lanl mos gin, noting that the vampire’s beginnings have Neer rte ted Doreen Caton ist Operon after all these years By Paul Robb Ron arse cosmetics emma mest origins,” Powell notes. BREET sont’ Pm gem ce maT pyran eC Mn (oe Lents doesn't work forme. Besides, eae Ten mc Ne Code OnE met cant Drea aterm SOME Tg see CI Pret ngs een! cic merece OCTOBER 1991 m1poreten ee our hae erste eta Ut Christ. His name more or less means ‘son of the devil.’ He’s not the evil, vile Peace eee tet Rieger cece ky eed Crem se Rat ae Cos ee Pe eer TET Coenen eee ROR kes te De Ueeske te CIC RAZ cay and the messiah legend,” Powell adds. “Even in Stoker's original PS Men eR Cantata! Sc Soc Cen nt nt ea CSR eRe e ty Prete cron emai sa tt eer cent nat Cece en not tecomam rt Pere ne a eee td Ope ten ene ce Rasa Se Ue Ren teri ceco aco tg COU ean eRe Tne tenant ey Ba cee ot era eet Simones Reem eae Cee OCB aCe mee Cee) Pao Meo Ceca ts ee cccal named “king of the undead.” Then a vampiric horde takes on the Turks. owell’s follow-up to Ghosts of Delran cee Eternity’s Dracula Rex: 1990 recon nec ss saan DOT etre este ince te reesttCrom artist for both seriesis Seppo Makinen, Ru rent aoae kro ecttonc tu) a” “The Ghosts of Dracula”; the count contacts Harry Houdini in 1925. wizarD #2 eee aR RC Risen eee K el cee ee rel Bae Sco e CR CR rrony ren em eet oat ta coe EN eee eats Nae ee ee RT noe Tet Ooo harcore Serta tet DE ome aaa ce re aorta wanted to show different species of vampires Core eeu en Ciro irene ta UM EE Reet eae tase RC etter ots road Ra UCB CE Moa acce le Rece-tit tei he doesn't like to stay in one place,” ees tem ocr ot Les eo eM ene test eM nose Cot Oo eee) memories of, he has good memories of a few eect een CROROMET Cheon teeters ert eee eed ecera net ecet tas Peet canon ea eee at tka Ped ox mena erm etn eM ICES athe sist ee comet cette eee ye eae nt) wants to resolve that.” Powell notes that when Pete eC g ee cece teeta Peete en eae coe tes a reece Tee ares eeonteotts eek esracula Rex:1990 reveals vampirism running in the RRC one cn O Rn ohare Coleco Len semis La egg Emenee iy compelled to do it. See Vi eed se tee lof Dark Shadows] there.” he adds. Case Ser et cume meth ian el ae ess) CCMA ZT OO aOR meee CRC pe ene Se ee ee CS ess Png RNa Cert) not been committed to an insane asylum I was intrigued by that section and I've touched on it in Ghosts.” ea ACR cnet Deen cm CR antec eR Co Meese ta Dee Ct ae ete eed sess) Pio een tenis ere ne eros ene a Cob errata orn ce amar Pe enc seen Ce en os oe ete eet Eos om Ld Colca gor tonic RcaT tee am Tet Van Helsing blood. SE Nace Cee Petes Seu Cen ee ee Ca coco PRR Rem eT arg Pub iea omen ten Mere] CR Recemn eRe line crs Be ences rarest their head, they're dead and that's it. They Pr eon ee sonemonte ena Tear Pe CUR Kerem Cmte) CTR ormce eaten eiuec) Se an Helsing was a Catholic priest in eMac kt rat Cesc DA Run ue ee oc imeie balclerieeel porn ome MER mR crete ated UCC RC ema tcrme tm teetit area aoa On eRe a eta sta) Er eas eR eat OCMC RCN a ace Meet a ac mcd Doe Riese Ne CR onan rte DUC Cee rem stiecerrt Salts metre pire,” he notes. BNE vam erm me ber Lem mai) Cron eroe meet Cincy foc Meme ee Br ees POURS etna tanta cy) ocToBeRhim. He wants to kill all life on earth so he can eventually die too,” Powell elaborates. nthe Rexseries, there will be a huge vampire warbetween Dracula's followers and Van Helsing’s followers, Powell says. “It’s been a lot of fun to write so far,” he says. “It's done ona much grander scale than Ghosts because I wanted to do something really epic — something cosmic.” owell also points out that there igeaatifiog = © suck pigttilinonese anne T | verted characters in this we Pires,” h&@@yewith a laugh. esides these mini-se- ries for Eternity, Powell is also tackling Dracula, and a few other fa- mous movie monsters, for a TSR series this summer. The June release, Battle for Smithville: Dark Asylum, is an eight-part mini-series set within TSR's R.I-P. apspeiatil series. Poyelisetititi aston is Jeg ly based on a card Gimewnonappesee tn the Seeger Carlicr issuc of Bere series. teve Gerboiialiagime up apgitifieredmenye cp@CSonaemEgn to a scric eT seen cad going (GUienaSeassnn is: but deC fig ee mmOre a my aja eenelobontan 114 WIZARD #2 —l consider it the best thing Tve ever done.” The basic storyline: A small town is in- vaded by classic movie mon- sters such as Dracula and Frankenstein, na nutshell, it's mon- sters with a Watchmen. like reality,” Powell says. e admits that the Dracula in this series is not the same char- acter he usy@iiamammmtmaout and indeed isa fat cry from 1 “It's definitely not the s..i— Dracula I usually do, so 1 Bas 2 nice chagig@gnpaeenlh liked the concep ggOmE do just_about anythin=ey wanted to(within that fray) Wore s TREGEGPTD ination of Dark Shadglil and Twin Peaks — it's Gai ce laughs. The 3iiataignneiS series is Patrick Oli, with whom Powell worked on his Frankenstein adaption. n Dark Asylum, there's a lot of emotional an- guish of the sort where you say ‘it's not good to be a monster’ but unfortunately this is what they are,” Powell says. He already has a sequel planned to this series, a two- issue story called The Dead Place focusing on Franken- stein, the new experiment, not the original monster. If Powell has his way, he'll be keeping Dracula bloodthirsty for yqquemiamoome, © TEA iLe KEEP yOu BaeEt 6 WI Ue FOReveR... VIITH Me By YOUR ‘SIDE.Che Wizard Times Conspiracy to Commit Comics Steven Grant examines the events in Dallas on a November afternoon some 28 years ago in BADLANDS. By RALPH MONTANO Special to The Wiz ard NOVEMBER 22, 1963: 12:30 P.M. (Central Standard Time) “Where were you wfien Presiden John F. Kennedy wage fated? is one question most adults in this country can answer With vivid and accurate recollection. On that fateful day, Steven Grant, the author of Badlands a six issue mini-senigs ffonrBark Horse Comics — sii his fifth grade class located i6 Medison, WI, and prepared to athe school assem- bly But the gathering wascanceltedand school was dismissed without any reason being given. It was hours after the fact when Grant learned the President was dead, “Momcalled froma friend’s house ident Kennedy had been shottodeath in recalls. “By that tines the grayish day had turne¥plgek because of the purplish and YB glouds in the sky and toldme Pre: “I hadn’t thought About the presi- dent or government before [the as- sassination]. It [Link] vision of some people plaigging'to-bump everyone off —-sfarting with the Presidentand working down tome. it was my introduction to Today conspiracy and political OCTOBER 1991 115crimes are two of Grant's favorite subjects when writ writing Badlands, reached beyond sfté conventional worldofel ‘intothe harsher pl Badlands takes place between 1963 and 1964, With the Kennedy assas- sination taking place in issue five. All Clues Removed From Book The story follows Coprad Breman, small-time ex-gghyivho findshim- self suckerett fgi@the plot to kill Kennedy. As the 388, Breman is helpless sper into a complex web o king- fish,oil tycoons, governmentagents and dopplegangers. Grant says the conspiracy plot is so ‘complex, he considers his previous works dealing with political assas- sination"“a warm-up for Badlands.” Considering his record, that is say- ingsometbing. Besidesa ero Pt and graphic n6vel for Marvel Comi Grant also created and wrote’ per at First Comics. Z assassination came easy, Grant notes. He has been working on the subject since the age of 16. Grant/Gearrano team again in cross-country endeavor. Granttitled Badlandsafterthe sparse 2 \yegions of west Texas. He says the epee sparse tone of the story dit also represents the psycho- 7 logical state of his main character. “Conrad is a rebel without a clue,” Grant explains. “He has a little understanding on the way in and he never gets Sagugh information to Feit ast in for the publi in genctal.” te Oneethewsing wns GR Sea (who lives in California) again teamed with Whisper artist Vincent Giarrano (in New York). “A lot of people think the artist and writer need to work together a lot more 118 WIZARD #2 than they do,” Grant says. “Vince and I, we know each other's style and we're pretty sympathetic.” But theré are occasional surprises inany workingteam. Forexample, seca emitey (dfpte page heis drawing." “My research was done by osmo- sis,” he says. “I've accumulated a lot of information about the assassi- nation over the years. — Si ‘ Before Istarted writing, [re of the spade of books on the subject thatcarpeout recently, Lalso flipped several older books that I laying around.” ZF -Asthat point, the series was without a name. And titling his work is often the most difficult and essen- tial task, Grantpointsout."“Tusually need a title before I start writing. Once Ihaveatitle, the story almost writesitself.” Ba sea Ww so CONRAD BREMAN “A stand-in for the public” lc told me, ‘I've worked ah, with you enough one Ishould _ 4n thg’aqniversary of the Kennedy appreciate the script as I go along rather than reading ahead,"* Grant says. “I thought that was great.” The end result is set to be released assassifiation. “It’s a barren book, as it should be,” he notes. “The characters carry the plot with ex- pression and action. All the clues areremoved,” ee sAuthor Grant says: “TI Believe There is a Conspiracy According to Grant, readers famil- iar with the various conspiracy theo- ries will recognize many sequences in the series. For other readers, Badlands may bean introduetionto politically motivated crime. dobelieve there isaconspiracy,” Grant says. “Anyone can go to a public library and see the government’ sevidence contradicts itself. It igiust & matter of wading through Bt 8,000 pages of testi- mony.” Granthaskiggerhopesand plans for Bddlgnidgand other works underway. “Tydighdy would Tike to see Badlands and other stuff about the cover-upkeadatAbibger inyes- tigation,” he saysSalh ould eeQuire amass movement ta get goig apd those are a rare thing) “On the other hand, a mass move- mentis possible because theyall start with a small group and snowball into something bigger,” Grant sur- mises Beyond the first Badlands series, Grant is planning a secBhd that will follow “the psychological state of the U.S.A.” through the yelts fol- lowing the assassination. The Kennedy assassination is the start- ing point of several mini-series be- cause of the impact it carries on culture in the United States, Grant says. “Itisthe pivotal point ofthe 1960s, perhaps of the century,” he points out. “Like the middle of an hour- glass when half of the sand has fallen to the bottom.” Inother works, Grantsays Whisper will retum in 1992. But details are still being worked out. Ys. cmos Bo NevE PONCE, Through his work, Grantultimately hopes toring crimecomics back to the forefront of the industry. “Crime comics are the wiy"tS go,” he declares. “You have a genre that stripsaway super-heroes. Ifhandled properly, crime comicscandomuch more than super-hero comics do.” The problem with,recent attempts to renew the gerire\igplack of cre- 'y, Grant says” “he old cops and robbers stuff that BC did is out of date and’avérpopularized,” he concludes: &¥oucan watch thesame stuff Witthisrash of cop programs on tetevisidn. What is needed is a new direftion for crime comics be- cause there is a lot more to crime than good guys and bad guys.” © ng cw encnecs A Canpsions roe Ve OCTOBER 1991117THE NEW TEEN TITANS #2 q i 8 8 5 als Now in his own monthly series Deathstoke is destined to bo Pr ‘CANTHIS TRULY BE THE ID OF 768 BON TEA Artist: George Perez Writer: Marv Wolfman Release Date: December, 1980 Publisher: DC Comics He’s not Arnold Schwarzenegger, but he still terminates quite nicely. He‘s Slade Wilson, AKA Deathstroke the Terminator, DC’‘s answer to the Punisher. Originally one of the Teen Titans’ most dangerous foes, he has mellowed (just anitsy bit) and now is an “anti-hero,” one who fights on the right side but with highly questionable methods, This makes him right at home alongside such other fan favorites as Wolverine, Lobo, Ghost Rider and the Punisher. With the debut ofhisown monthly series in June, this is definitely an issue that should be watched carefully.COMME WHEY IL FAIT TRES CHAUT (french for, It's Hot!). Not only is this book hot, it’s scalding! X-Men #266 introduces one of the hottest new characters this side of the Mississippi, the creole mutant Gambit. With a fresh look, afighting ability that rivals Wolverine’s andthe ability to super-charge metal into an explosive substance has caused him to rocket to the top to the popularity charts. All thisandhis continued exposure in the pages of Uncanny X-Men insures that he'll have a long career in comics, and his first appearance is a diamond in the rough. UNCANNY X-MEN #266 Title: X-Men #266 Artist: Mike Collins Writer: Chris Claremont Release Date: August, 1990 Publisher: Marvel THE UNCANNY slams Wolverine’s alien counterpart, pretty impressive for a rookie X-Man. OCTOBER 1991 119The Wizard speaks with the new up and coming artist fe SAM KIETH (even though he's been around a little Xf bit), Sam's currently working on Marvel Comics Presents, drawing Wolverine. What are your future plans? Well I'm working on Marvel Comics Presents, the Wolverine story. Starting Marvel Comics Presents #100, | will doing a Ghost Rider story. What's your age? 28 Where did you grow Up? in California, Sacramento. What high school did you attend? What month? Who is your favorite Jeopardy host, Bert Parks or Alex Trebek? Oh, it's gotta be Alex Trebek. | should've answered Pat Sajak. What character do you resemble? It | say the Hulk people will laugh. I'm across between... Peter Parker and Warlock Where did you get your training? Selt- taught and studying various anatomy books and life drawing classes offered locally. Who's your biggest influence? | started off with guys like Robert Crumb and Gilbert Shelton, then jump to John Byrne. It took years to get rid of John Byrne, Jim Starlin, god —whose after that... Berni Wrightson, Frank Frazetta, Walt Simonson. Why comics? Beats flipping burgers at the drive-in 120. WIZARD #2 What about sculpting? I've done some. For painting a Hulk project | sculpted a life size bust of his face, so | can cast shad- ‘ows on it and draw from it. | wound up being too busy for it so | have this life size bust of the hulk sitting around with nothing to do.Who was your toughest artist to ink? Good question. | inked over Matt Wagner ona comic called "Mage" 5-7 years ago, which never sold a lot. | really respected him at the time. What was your first job in comics? | did a story in the back of a Comico comic. | was about seventeen. It was about a killer rabbit named Max The Hare. | wrote, drew, and inked it for ten bucks a page, whata deal. Three dollars to wri four to draw and three to ink. What was the last comic you read and enjoyed? “Eightball”, by Fantagraphics. Its a black and white art book, nobody reads it. Also Peter David, | do make an effort to read his stuf. Whose your favorite artist? Well, Jim Lee and Todd McFarlane. In that order? Hmm. Lets see how | can put this. | respect Jim Lee and | enjoy McFarlane. | respect Jim's fundamentals. | just enjoy Todd's design and layout. He's got a real punch. A lot of artists use him now as a base, if he ever left comics his design will be sorely missed. Who would you like to draw professionally? | did Hulk, I'm doing Wolverine, I'm going to do Ghost Rider, maybe Doctor Strange. For now it's great I'm doing all the characters I've always wanted to do and | didn't have to go through Quasar or anything. How do you like to work best, from a plot or script? Ifit’s a good writer like Peter David, then plot. It's a little harder to work from a script. What's your favorite piece you've done? The eyeball in Incredible Hulk #368, page 27, 4th panel. That's a great eye. | also like the previous page where Hulk cracks the floor. It was a nice little treat. Who's your favorite Charlie’s Angel? In the beginning it was Farrah, she had a great poster out. Then it was Sabrina. Most embarrassing moment: | went up to Charles Vess at a convention. | pre- tended to be a stranger and asked him what he thought of Sam Kieth's work. He said, “He's just like me. He can ink nice but he can't draw worth a crap!” | then revealed my identity and he said he knew. Anything you want us to know? Yeah, I'm really pretending to draw. I'm just trying to find my way out of a paper bag. OCTOBER 1991 121ASK THE WIZARD Why does Polaris (of X-Factor) experience growth spurts, and what happened to her magnetic powers? Adam Kama - Ramsey, NJ. In Uncanny X-Men #250, Zaldere stole Polaris’ magnetic powers, giving her super strength, size and invulnerability in its place. Since then, these newfound powers have faded in and out randomly, but we may have seen the last of them in Uncanny X-Men #280, One a side note, Zaldere met her fate at the hands of Magneto in issue #275. Who is Cable, really? Michael Hillson - New City, NY. Marvel isn’t telling Cable’s origin right now, but everyone noticed it when he used his mutant powers in X-Force #1 to make his tools fly around, Was Cable manipulating magnetism? Has anyone noticed how much he looks like Magneto? Only future issues of X-Force will tell the tale. P.O. Box 648, Nanuet, 122 WIZARD #2 The Demon comics with Lobo in them were great! Is Lobo going to be appearing anywhere else soon? Richard Higgins - Nanuet, NY. Lobo has a Christmas special coming out in December (Lobo vs. Santa Claus? Neat!). He's also appearing in Legion of Super Heroes #21- 24, and makes regular appearances in LEG..O.N, ’91. Ifyou haven't read it yet, go get the Lobo mini series, which is a hilarious story and is slowly going up in price. Oh, those Demon issues with Lobo were #11-15. Demons, Czamians, Aton Bombs, oh my! Inoticed that John Byme is writing the X-Men books now. Is there a possibility that he'll draw one, too? Phil McCrack - Gnome, Alaska tt doesn't look that way. Everyone is more than happy with the artwork that Jim Lee and Whilce Portacio provide for the X-Men and the Uncanny X-Men. Even though many collectors consider Uncanny X-Men #108-143 (when John Byme and Tery Austin supplied the art) to be the best X-Books ever, Byine had repeatecly said he‘d never retun to drawing the X-Men after he left. Now that he’s writing both X-Men titles, maybe someone, somewhere could talk him into doing some art, but only time will tell, Letters are welcome from everyone. Here is your chance to let us know what you think. Please include a photo! Address all questions and eovesondence 0 to: . "WIZARD: The Guide To Comics, New York 10954-( 0648clea a mo rene PC acl AURAL acon)