< comics/x >
THE ROCKET'S BLAST COMICOLLECTOR #4
($9.95 + $4.00 post. from James Van Hise / 57754 Onaga Tr. / Yucca Valley, CA / 92284 USA. Web:
www.jamesvanhise.com)
During the '60s & '70s heyday of comics fanzines, one of the most popular and well-known was the
RBCC. James Van Hise has wisely revived it at a time when a market has been shown to be there for publications like
The Jack Kirby Collector and
Comic Book Artist. Even though my interest in superheros and many other mainstream comics genres has certainly waned over the years, I'm still fascinated with the history and continued existence of true fan publications. This issue, in between painted covers by Mark Schultz and Al Feldstein, offers such features as a lengthy examination of Steve Ditko's
Amazing Spider-Man work (including detailed summaries and notes for the first 38 issues), a rundown of Ditko
Spider-Man reprints in
Marvel Tales (and the discrepancies between printings), a look at Reed Crandall's superhero work in the '40s (with lots of art samples), an eight-page horror comic by editor Van Hise and the late Tom Sutton, a pulp-comic preview by Stuart Hopen and Russ Martin, an interview with Mark Schultz (
Xenozoic Tales) and memories of CC Beck. You'll also find illustrations by Eduardo Barreto, Ron Wilber, Andy Warner and others. Obviously, if you don't like what's generally thought of as genre material then this isn't for you. But if you're nostalgic for the stories of yesteryear or interested in current related projects, I recommend checking this out.
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