Adventures of Jerry Lewis #121 (November-December, 1970)
"Schnook and Ladder"
"Pizza Pie in the Sky!"
"A Boob in the Woods"
"Low I.Q. High SNAFU"
Sole (signed) Credit - Bob Oksner (artist)
Probable Writers - Alan Riefe & Howie Post
Probable Editorial - Murray Boltinoff & Carmine Infantino
Cover Price: $0.15
Never let it be said that we are not purveyors of some pretty strange comic books. As if comics aren't strange enough... today we're going to discuss quite a pip.
I don't have much of a history with humor comics... nor Jerry Lewis. Growing up, outside of his annual MDA Labor Day Telethon signalling that Summer vacation was over and my return to school was imminent, I didn't really know much about him... still don't really. Most folks who know me "in real life" know it's pretty hard to get me to sit down for any period of time to watch a movie... though, I did see a bit of that really uncomfortable interview with him that was floating around the internet a few months back. That was a rough few minutes!
As with many books of the time, the credits are a bit nebulous. I was able to deduce Oksner's involvement because... well, he signed his work. The rest of creative comes from the wonderful resource, The Grand Comics Database. I figure they'd know better than me!
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Our first story, Schnook and Ladder, begins with Jerry meticulously oiling and over-securing his brand-new bicycle to a lamppost outside the fire station. He is invited in to play checkers for money, mostly only because he sucks at checkers. Wouldn'tcha know it, just as soon as he heads inside... his bike is swiped!
Jerry heads down the fire pole to give chase... with his super-oiled hands, making it rather slippery. Wouldn'tcha know it... at that very moment the fire-alarm goes off and he is soon piled under a gaggle of firefighters. One burly fireman grabs him by the seat of his pants to throw him out of the station... and unfortunately, right into the back of the fire engine. Our man can't drive... hell, he can hardly ride a bike!
It's a wild ride as to be expected, including Jerry steering the rear into a whole mess'a stuff... including a pickup truck full of chickens! One such bird lands on our man's head... and lays an egg in his mouth. Umm... glad this isn't in first-person!
Finally Jerry and the gang arrive at the sight of the fire. The engine screeches to a halt sending Jerry flying, and... wouldn'tcha know it, he winds up atop the ladder as it ascends all the way to the top of the building... where he meets the source of the "inferno", a fire-eater. Whoops.
The two dangle from the top of the ladder... they're both afraid of heights, ya know. Jerry looks into a convenient skylight to see the thieving thugs with his bike!
They both fall... the fire-eating lady safely lands in the life-net below, Jerry falls through the skylight where he finds the baddies spray-painting stolen bikes. He suddenly shows some uncharacteristic bravery and threatens the goons! I'm not sure if Jerry had some sort of brave-guy alter-ego any time he bonked his head or anything... either way, he starts blasting them with paint!
Before we know it, we're in full-blown Splatoon! mode, paint everywhere. Jerry knocks over a crate that conveniently (?) had a lit torch resting on it... it falls and starts heating up a box...
... of popcorn! The sound of the popping corn is mistaken for machine gunfire, and the baddies give themselves up.
We wrap up with Jerry not recognizing his own bike because it's covered in paint. Though, to be fair, he hasn't had it all that long yet... he's repeatedly said he's only made one payment on the thing. The Fire Chief turns the hose on him... and the bike before telling him to get out of his face.
We follow up with the short subject, Pizza Pie in the Sky!, and in it Jerry applies for a job at a pizza place. I'm thinking a lot of these shorter pieces have to do with Jerry taking on new jobs... we've got another one ahead of us. Anyhoo... he's about as adept at making pizza as you might expect.
A couple of tiny children arrive and start giving him a hard time. When their pie winds up in the belly of a bird, they threaten to beat the hell out of our Jerry... and I'm not sure that's an idle threat!
The story ends with Jerry tossing dough with such a severe "spin", that it takes flight... with him attached to it! He flies away from the pizza stand as his boss informs him he's fired. No duh.
A Boob in the Woods begins with Jerry attempting to play the guitar, much to the annoyance of his nephew, Renfrew. Jerry, as we might expect, is terrible... so terrible in fact, young Renfrew kicks him out of the house. Not sure it oughta work that way... but we'll play along.
Jerry winds up in the (back)woods, and starts a'strummin'. As soon as he plucks his first string, he finds himself in the middle of a hail of gunfire. He attempts to flee, and finds himself running smack into Shacknasty and his family of odd cretins. They inform him that he's a'comin' with them.
They take him to their creep-cabin, and make him play with their jug band. It's almost like we're watching one of those awful episodes of Andy Griffith where they sit around singing, hooting, and hollering.
Outside we meet Maw Jugbender and her three sons (all named Irving) as they wrap up a sing-along. They are at odds with the Shacknastys (Shacknasties?), and now that Jerry appears to have joined them, they are out-gunned by one. As they run off with their rifles a strange fellow emerges from behind a rock. He has a tape recorder, and he has designs on the Jugbenders.
The Shacknastys wrap up their jam session, and head out to kill them some Jugbenders. Jerry uses this opportunity to make a hasty escape. As he flees he hears the horrid twang of Shacknasty music, which causes him to freeze. Lucky for him, it's not the 'nastys, it's that strange fellow from earlier (we now know he's Wardell Schvetz)... he taped the Shacknasty jams (on a second tape-recorder). He offers $200 to Jerry to help find them, but our man insists on $140 so he might pay off his guitar. Master negotiator!
They decide the best way to draw them out is to continue playing the recording of their "music"... and whattayaknow, they immediately start shooting! This causes Jerry to trip and fall on top of both tape recorders... causing the Shacknasty music to sync up with the Jugbender vocals! It's hillbilly music magic!
Jerry and Wardell are able to smooth out the differences in both back-woods families. Schvetz offers to become their agent, and make them all rich and famous.
They all load up into the Schvetz-mobile, and Jerry is handed his dosh. We wrap up with Jerry returning home to his disappointed nephew. He's decided to spend his earnings on... a tuba! Renfrew runs off to the deep woods... and is never seen or heard from again.
Our final short is Low I.Q. High SNAFU, and is another "Jerry gets a job" story. This time he applies to a hardware store, and unfortunately the gig isn't for "sign-tearing", because he's pretty good at that!
The job is painting a flagpole, which is no biggie for our man. Before we know it, he's sitting atop a freshly painted pole. That sounds dirty, I apologize. The joke here is that he should have started from the top and worked down... but he didn't.
Unfortunately for Jerry, his jerk-ass boss gave him slow-drying paint... so he's gonna be stuck up their all night. Mister Boss tosses him a sandwich... and Jerry spends the night getting pecked by birds. Whoops.
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I was prepared to dislike this. I thought it was going to more annoying than entertaining... and I was (mostly) wrong. This was so much more fun than I expected... despite the cover copy, it wasn't quite ha-ha funny, but comfortable and inoffensive enough to enjoy.
I really thought there'd be more to say about this... but there isn't all that much. This is a humor book... the art was on-point, even if many of the gags were not. The jokes were hacky, but had a bit of a charm... and I swear if I squint hard enough, it's as though I'm reading a comic starring Pee-Wee Herman.
I do appreciate that Jerry is something of a menace to just about everyone around him. Nobody seems to wanna give him the time of day... unless they can scam a cool couple bucks off of him. I think we all know that one person we kinda wince when we notice, and hope they didn't notice us... and that's Jerry Lewis... at least the comic book version anyway.
I like the way this book is formatted. The longer bits separated by shorter-subjects really breaks things up. It gives the reader a breather and change of scenery, and it's definitely a net-positive for the book. The shorts are just a single gag stretched over a few pages... the payoffs were silly, but it was a nice break from his longer-form misadventures.
If you're interested in checking this out... you'll probably be shocked to find that this has... not been collected, nor is it available digitally. I can't say you need to go out of your way to track this bugger down, however if you're a fan of comics history and odd novelties, I wouldn't sway you against nabbing an issue of Jerry Lewis (or Bob Hope) if you come across them for a good deal.
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Letters (from Jerry!) Page:
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Batman and the Outsiders #3 (October, 1983)
"Bitter Orange!"
Writer/Co-Creator - Mike W. Barr
Artist/Co-Creator - Jim Aparo
Colorist - Adrienne Roy
Editor - Len Wein
Cover Price: $0.60
Hey, here's a "reading project" I'm actually sort of keeping up with! Batman and the Outsiders, as I've said before, has been one of the nicest surprises of this blogging endeavor. There's just something so damn comfortable about it. Doesn't hurt that the writing and art are great too, right?
Anyhoo, let's get down to it.
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We open at Horton Chemical, it's 4:00 AM. Inside a night watchman pours himself a cup of coffee as he laments the drudgery of his existence. He is alerted by a nearby "klink" that he just might not be alone on this night. He peeks his head around the corner... and is gassed for his trouble. At the same time, on the other side of the world... or wherever Markovia is, Geo-Force is bidding adieu to his brother, the new King, Gregor. He is leaving with Batman and the gang, but promises to return.
On the flight home, Brion recounts the events that brought him here... and questions his decision to follow this strange crew of Outsiders back to Gotham.
They approach Wayne Manor while Alfred is clipping coupons... no, he's clipping out the news article on a chemical plant bombing. Batman radios in "on channel seven", which is code that indicates to Alfred that he is bringing visitors with him... and his dual identity needs to be kept under wraps. The Outsiders are surprised that they're entering under Wayne's place... which Batman brushes off, claiming that Bruce is just funding the cause. The Outsiders are advised that until he can find quarters for them all, they'll have to stay at the Manor... next they enjoy their first complimentary continental breakfast.
Meanwhile, at Gotham Square Garden, a masked man instructs his crew that they are going to keep bombing places until Gotham City decides to listen to them... okay, sounds reasonable. The fella plays on his underlings' status as Vietnam veterans... playing up the anti-war rhetoric they faced upon their return stateside. It's here we learn that this fella is... Agent Orange! Named after the gas that disfigured him during the war.
Later, we join Bruce Wayne and "Jane Doe" at a Psychologist's office. They are discussing ways in which they might help Halo rediscover her past. While the men talk, Halo starts playing the piano, showing a strong musical acumen. Bruce sees this as a clue.
On the drive home, Bruce suggests "Jane" pick a new civilian name, and she settles on Gabrielle... however, keeps the surname Doe. He pulls the car over and takes her shopping for some non-superhero duds.
That night, Batman meets with Katana at Bruce Wayne's old penthouse. He offers the pad to she and Halo. Katana initially refuses, claiming that she wants to keep her identity secret. Batman spoils that by calling her by her real name. Way to put a lady in her place, Bats!
The rest of the team arrives, and Batman takes them down a flight of stairs to their new headquarters. Before they can call their meeting to order, Batman receives a call from Alfred to inform him that something is amiss at Ames Farm. He jams out, and tells the Outsiders to stay behind... for they are "not ready yet". At Ames, Batman conducts some surveillance... and is soon joined by Katana and Halo. Hey, I thought he told you to stay behind! They look on as two militant men bury some toxic waste.
The Outsiders jump into action. Batman tells Katana to "take them alive"... so of course she kills the first dude she sees. Other baddies blast bullets into Halo, but they go right through her. Agent Orange arrives via helicopter and begins pumping gas at Halo, which is actually effective in putting her down. Katana cuts the Agent's gas-mask hose, causing him to flee before he is overcome.
Off on the side, Batman spots a surviving baddie and proceeds to interrogate him. When all he gives is his name, Halo and Katana jump in to play good cop-sadistic cop, which leads to a pretty funny gag.
They learn that Agent Orange's base of operations is Gotham Square Garden, however arrive just in time to see the baddie leave. Black Lightning and Katana take care of the militia Orange left behind... they make pretty quick work of 'em.
Batman and the rest are flying over Gotham Bay after Agent Orange's chopper. As they approach, he deploys his giant gas-bomb. Batman hops onto the chopper and instructs his teammates to take care of the bomb.
Geo-Force, Halo, and Metamorpho neutralize the threat, and as just as they begin to celebrate see Agent Orange's helicopter explode! Moments later, bubbles form in the water... and Batman emerges, with Agent Orange in tow.
They all return to Gotham Garden so Batman can humiliate unmask Agent Orange in front of his men. Hey, whattaya know... he isn't deformed after all! He was just a manipulative twit!
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It's always a good time with the Outsiders! Such a great mix of superhero action and soapy fun... with a fair amount of humor thrown in as well. This might not be over-the-top with the comedy, but when it hits... lemme tell ya, it hits pretty good.
These comics of the early 1980's show what a lost art storytelling can be. Here we had so many subplots weaving their way through, steps are taken in characterization, there's drama... and it was all framed by a nefarious threat. I so miss the days before decompressed storytelling. We actually get a full story here... and still, we have ample reason to return for the next issue(s).
The Halo/Gaby mystery is working so well... it doesn't monopolize the entire story, but it's still attended to and advanced. Of course hindsight being what it is... we know where it's headed... and, if you've been following this blog with any regularity, you know I wasn't a fan of the resolution. That said, I can definitely appreciate how the lead-up was handled.
I think Batman was well-handled here as well. Of course, he saves the day... but we're used to that. I like him as sort of an outsider... to the Outsiders. I mean, the gang know one another at this point... Batman is still a mystery. On the subject, I never took the time to consider that he and Alfred might speak in-code. I really like that detail... really reinforces that Batman is always thinking a few steps ahead.
Overall... I can't say enough good things about Batman and the Outsiders. This is definitely a series that is worth tracking down. The hardcover collection was recently released, also the whole shebang is available digitally. If you're a fan of the Marv Wolfman/George Perez New Teen Titans, I think you'll also really dig this.
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Letters Page:
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Pryzm, the Beginning: A Costly Peace (2002)
"A Costly Peace"
Story - David Artuso
Script - Brian Augustyn
Penciller - Val Semeiks
Inker - Rodney Ramos
Letterer - Ken Lopez
Color/Separations - Digital Chameleon
Editor - Paul Kupperberg
If you're following me on Twitter (@acecomics), you might know that I've spent the past few days rooting through my overstuffed garage. I've come across a whole bunch of stuff that I don't know how or why I held onto... most of it comics related. I mean, there's Marvel Internet discs, bookmarks, stickers, hell... San Diego Comicon brochures going all the way back to the mid-1990's... why?! Ehh, guess that just comes with the territory if one is a comics-packrat.
Anyhoo... now that the stage (as it were) is set... onto today's discussion piece. While digging through a particular box, I came across a nice fistful of ashcan-sized promotional comics. Atop the pile was one with the ol' DC bullet in the top left corner... Pryzm! What is Pryzm? From the looks of it, it's a PlayStation 2 game... one that was supposed to be a series. The game is called Pryzm, Chapter One: The Dark Unicorn... and if the Metacritic is to be believed... it's a pretty dismal affair. So dismal in fact, that Pryzm, Chapter Two: Pegasus Boogaloo never saw the light of day.
What does that mean for the comic prequel? Well... I suppose we're about to find out. Good or bad... it's always fun to dip our toes into the unknown.
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We open with a fleet of winged women descending on their target... a tree town, that sorta resembles the Ewok village on Endor. They proceed to lay waste to it by firing blasts from the crystals they carry.
On the ground, a wolf-riding elf fights back... hurling a flaming javelin. The leader of the ladies is struck, and she plummets to the ground... which she hits without a thud. She is met by a white unicorn, who promises her safety.
The unicorn introduces itself as Anrenna, and heals the young winged woman. The wolfrider rides up, with murder in his eyes. Before he may act, however, he is felled by a... black unicorn called Zartu. Zartu claims that they killed the elf to save Anrenna.... Anrenna ain't buying it, however.
The two-horsies argue whether it's okay to kill being in order to save another. It gets sillier as we learn that Anrenna can see the future... and sees that Zartu (now, the most powerful sorcerer in Luminantia, oi...) is on an evil path. This causes us to flashback to Zartu standing before the High Council of Horsies... who refuse him (him?) a proposal to do... something. Okay.
We wrap up... yeah... already, with Anrenna telling us what is yet to come... we gotcha plagues, we gotcha monsters, we gotcha fires... annnnnd, that's it. Not even a "to be continued in the game" (until an ad that follows), just a "The End".
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Oof. Welcome to what is likely to be my lowest-viewed piece ever.
I almost feel like I'm cheating today discussing such a short and nothing-happening issue. That wasn't my intention at all... I really expected there to be more to this.
Really, this was so short and uneventful that I wonder why they wasted the time, cost, and energy into producing it. I can't imagine reading this caused a single soul to run out to Gamestop to preorder Pryzm, Chapter One: The Dark Unicorn... hell, this just might have caused a few folks to cancel theirs!
Very boring... can't hold that against the creative team, because, really... what could you hope to achieve with something like this? Hell, I never played the game... but it wouldn't surprise me if this whole mini-issue wasn't part of the opening cut scene.
What's worse... with what little we do get, so much of it is spent discussing strange-named characters who we may or may not even meet here. Eh, at least the art was pretty nice.
Overall... I couldn't imagine anyone would waste even a minute trying to track this down. Hell, this was so boring, I doubt anybody is still reading this discussion piece at this point. If you're still here, I thank you. I guess the humble blogs "Random DC Comics Discussion and Reviews" mandate means we're going to have some days like this. We'll try for something a bit more substantial tomorrow!
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