R.I.P. George Perez (June 9, 1954 – May 6, 2022)

We lost an industry titan yesterday with the passing of George Perez.  We knew it was coming and had for some time, but for it to actually have happened is a tough blow.  Any fan of comics in the 70s and 80s (and beyond, of course), should remember Perez for his iconic work on Marvel's The Avengers, DC's Teen Titans, and many others. 

It won't be hard to find any number of career retrospectives, anecdotes, and tributes to this legend written by people who knew him and are much more eloquent than us, so we're not even going to try and will instead just post the kick-ass piece of art.

Thanks for everything, George!

"Nobody Loves the Hulk"

Episode #108

Lois Lane, Mary Jane Watson, and Veronica Lodge - what do they all have in common? They're non-powered love interests of comic book characters. While there are plenty of couples in comic books, most of them don't last long or, when they do, both parties have extraordinary abilities. So Joseph and Mike decided to take a hike up Mt. Retromore and discuss those love interests and each list their top four. Then, sticking with the comic book theme, the guys discuss what got them into comics, their early days of buying, when they realized they were collectors, and other topics related to their comic book fixations back in the day.

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/whenitwascool/UBW108_Nobody_Loves_the_Hulk.mp3

7 From the 70s - Comic Book Memories

 

Comic Book Memories with Gold Key Adventure Titles, Charlton’s Phantom, and Marvel Monsters - by Joseph Perry

Gold Key was my favorite comic book publisher growing up. I was a big fan of the underdog publishing companies at that age, so I was big on Dell — a former powerhouse that was on its final legs — King, and Charlton, too. Make no mistake about it — I loved Marvel and DC stuff, as well, but for whatever reasons, I tended to gravitate toward the smaller publishers. This time, I’ll discuss some more Gold Key offerings that hooked me as a six-year-old, and then dive into a Charlton title and some Marvel monster comics.

Bronze Age Marvel Comics Fan? Check This Out!

If you're a fan of old-school, Bronze-Age Marvel comics, then Fist of Justice is something that might be of interest to you.  Created by a couple of Gen-Xers, this comic has all the fun and appeal of one of the comics they collected as kids.  So who is the Fist of Justice? Fist of Justice is a man out of time, a cat with his heart in the right place-- a true hero from the 70s awakened in our time. He was the super-heroic defender of Charm City until he made a fatal mistake that ended his career. He threw in the towel and was locked away and soon forgotten. But his power-- though dormant-- did not leave him. Now it has returned and resurrected FOJ-- restoring him as defender of a city dealing with the new villains of the 21st century. Villains who are tougher, stronger, and meaner than ever. 

Full disclosure - Uphill Both Ways' Mike Imboden is the co-creator and writer of 'The Fist of  Justice' comic book by Digital Webbing Press...

7 From the 70s - Gold Key Comics

 

Some of My Favorite Gold Key Comic Books - by Joseph Perry

I became a huge comic book fan at age six when, after moving from northern California to Corral, Idaho (population 32 when we lived there in 1968, if I recall correctly), I discovered a stack of old comics in one of the storage sheds at the ranch to which my family moved. I was already well aware of, and quite interested in, Marvel and DC superheroes thanks to coloring books, cartoons, and television shows, but the comic books I happened upon opened up a whole new world to me. Fortunately the general store in Corral and the drug store in nearby Fairfield stocked the latest issues in spinner racks stuffed full of colorful goodness.

Gold Key publishing company boasted beautiful, painted covers that set the brand’s books apart from other publishers’ titles. Though the books usually didn’t credit their writers and artists the same way that Marvel and other publishers did, Gold Key had a rich group of talented people behind their comics. Best of all, for six-year-old me, Gold Key had many titles that appealed to my love of monsters and robots, an affection that I still hold to today.

"Holding Out for a Hero."

A wealth of riches! Find out our favorites on episode 2 of the "Uphill Both Ways" podcast, "Holding Out for a Hero." Excelsior!

http://www.whenitwascool.com/up-hill-both-ways-02

Episode 001 - "Feels Like the First Time" - 4/27/17

http://www.whenitwascool.com/up-hill-both-ways-01

The debut episode. "Like to Get to Know You Well" - 4/20/17

http://www.whenitwascool.com/up-hill-both-ways-0