Cameo appearance by the worst Hawkman mask.
So Daniel T made a joking reference to how All-Star Superman would be abbreviated, which reminded me of this panel from another “All-Star” comic, All-Star Squadron #3 (November 1981):
Oh Roy Thomas, you’re such a card! Actually, I think the Golden Age Superman would have totally abbreviated it that way and not worried about being “careful” about it. Like I was, when I used the shorted version “ASQ” at the shop the other day.
Sorry for the short Monday post, I had some family stuff to attend to, but I should have one of my usual overly-wordy entries here later in the week. Thanks for reading, pals!
I seem to recall reading somewhere that when All-Star Comics was revived with issue 58 in 1976, there were thoughts of calling the younger members of the JSA–Robin, Star-Spangled Kid, and Power Girl– the “All-Star Squad,” but that got modified to the “Super Squad,” to avoid, assumably, an embarrassing abbreviation.
Also, that’s Hawkman’s most badass mask depicted in that ASS panel. Everyone knows that Earth-2 Hawkman’s worst mask was the yellow cloth one with the boring red hawk emblem which he wore towards the end of his Golden Age adventures and all through his Silver Age appearances.
I’ve never seen “ASQ” before, but that’s clever. “A-SS” just makes the problem worse. “A*S”? Nope. Same thing.
I always assumed that the adding of Super Squad helped differentiate the younger members from the ALL-STAR heroes. Figure in 1976 there were a few old guys who maybe had a few ALL-STARs book from the Golden Age.
I can’t even remember if Super Squad was used inside the books.
I always thought they were the All-Star Super Squad! Pity they never got the ASS Squad Fan Club off the ground.
Worst? I think you misspelled “Best.” :)
@ Rob S.
It’s never too late to implement your brilliant idea! Especially if Wally Wood artwork featuring Power Girl is used for the fan club’s pins, T-shirts, and bumper stickers…
The WW2 era fan in me wants to say that All-Star is one word so you could abbreviate it as AS, but the 30th/31st century era fan in me thinks that is sproking nuts.
Roy Thomas’s ear for dialogue is like that of a Bulgarian immigrant who missed the boat to Ellis Island and has vaguely heard of the English language.
@ Dave
I disagree. I think Roy was going for a 1930s/early ’40s classic screwball comedy film dialogue approximation and it was fun to see Earth-2 Superman being quick with the sarcastic retort–since Groucho Marx wouldn’t want to be a member of ASS…
@Sean Mageean: Your comment implies that the All-Star Squadron would have admitted Groucho, which leaves me wondering what his super power was.
(And if it were a comic-book Groucho, would it have been Lord Julius or Rufus T. Hackstabber?)
Matthew D: What if Groucho worked at Bannerman Chemicals and invented the Miraclo cigar? Grouch “Puff-Puff” Marx.
@ Matthew Johnson
Knowing Roy Thomas’ penchant for inserting and repurposing public domain Golden Age characters into his retroactive continuity Invaders/Liberty Legion and JSA/All-Star Squadron plots, I could see the possibility of Groucho being repurposed as “Funnyman”–but then again, that might have given Jerry and Joe–or their estates –more cause to try to sue DC again.
But actually, now that I think about it, it would have been fun to have an All-Star Squadron story where the Marx Bros., The Three Stooges, and Abbott and Costello all take on fifth columnist saboteurs.
I recommend the Ron Goulart novel “Groucho Marx, Detective” –it is a fun read.
Oh, and for comic-book Groucho, I would go with Rufus T. Hackstabber!
I could also see Groucho flirting with Wonder Woman, Liberty Belle, or Phantom Lady.
Sean: “I could also see Groucho flirting with Wonder Woman, Liberty Belle, or Phantom Lady”.
And all at the same time!
Wasn’t it Rufus T Firefly?
@Snark Shark
I think you are right…Rufus T. Hackstabber was Doug Moench’s homage to Groucho in Master of Kung Fu, I believe.
Sean: “…when All-Star Comics was revived with issue 58 in 1976…”
Allow an old-timer to grumble about this. The original “All-Star Comics” was not canceled after #57. The title was changed to “All-Star Western,” and it ran that way for another 62 issues.
Historical revisionism, this is. Strong Bow denial, also.
RAR: “Allow an old-timer to grumble about this. The original “All-Star Comics” was not canceled after #57. The title was changed to “All-Star Western,” and it ran that way for another 62 issues.”
As another old-timer who bought ASC #58 in 1976, my memory is that the letter column in that issue (or perhaps in one of the subsequent issues that contained letters about #58) included a letter from Roy Thomas “complaining” that he was still owed issues from his old subscription to ASC because of the change to the western title. He was still at Marvel at the time, and the DC editor’s wry response was along the lines of “whatever happened to that guy who used to be such a well-known part of fandom?”
@RAR
You are correct that All-Star Comics was changed to All-Star Western, but DC Comics also brought back All-Star Comics, with issue no. 58, in 1976–meaning that in 1976 they chose to view All-Star Western as a separate title from All-Star Comics–as far as I can tell. Also, I don’t think I wrote anywhere that the titled had been cancelled, just that it was “revived.”
I’m not intentionally trying to be a historical revisionist. My apologies if didn’t see the whole picture.
@ Scott A. Tacktill
Yes, I remember reading Roy’s letter as well, and that he was chagrined to be stuck with a subscription to All-Star Western. I think at some point it also came out that Gerry Conway offered to let Roy be a ghost writer on All-Star Comics, but he didn’t want to to do it. It’s just as well, since the Conway, Wally Wood, and
Paul Levitz scripts were good. Plus, Roy got to be Earth-2 magus a few short years later.
“Rufus T. Hackstabber was Doug Moench’s homage to Groucho in Master of Kung Fu, I believe.”
Ah!
“All-Star Comics was changed to All-Star Western”
Didn’t All Star Western get brought back also, then turned into Weird Western Tales?
DC did use the title “All-Star Western” in the 1970s, but did not continue the numbering. The first issue was #1.
Sean–I was accusing DC, not you, of historical revisionism. Sorry if it seemed an insult.
@ Snark Shark
All-Star Western no. 10 from the 1970s revival is the first Jonah Hex appearance (with the exception of house ads in other DC Comics) — a CGC-graded 7.5 copy is going for $600.
@ RAR
No offense taken. Thanks for the clarification.
Ah!
“All-Star Western no. 10 from the 1970s revival is the first Jonah Hex appearance (with the exception of house ads in other DC Comics) — a CGC-graded 7.5 copy is going for $600.”
I’ll think I’ll have to stick with reprints for that one! I did get a BIG pile of early Weird Western & Jonah Hex comics, a long time ago, for very cheap, including the holiday special that has a Hex story, along with Frank Millers first Batman work, “Wanted: Santa Clause- Dead or Alive!”.
Still some of my favorite comics
@ Snark Shark
DC should release a facsimile edition of Jonah Hex’s first appearance.
That’s cool that you got the Holiday Special with the first Frank Miller Batman art…I need to track down a copy of that.