Of Course There's a House that Looks Like Batman. Why WOULDN'T There Be?

Let's start the week off with Batman #160, or as I like to call it:

The Spoiler Alert Cover Issue!

Actually, it's more of a "the artists just wanted to draw a ton of oversized props" issue... because we certainly do suffer a shortage of oversized props in Silver Age Batman comics, don't we?

Although I admit this is pretty cool:

Because, you know... gorillas.

Check this out:

I want to know what kind of cot has springs where a 200 pound man can jump on them and propel himself twenty feet in the air like that.  I've sat in many a lawn chair and if they were that springy, I'd spend a lot more time in them.

Well... okay.  If I saw someone flying a cup and saucer like that, I'd want to take a turn at the controls as well.  I'd probably even try to jump twenty feet out of a lawn chair.  Bats gets a pass on that one.

See you tomorrow!

You... You Gigolo!

It's funny how perspective changes: When I was a kid, I would happily drop ten bucks on a video game... and this was back in 1980's dollars.  I actually remember buying a copy of the Popeye game for ColecoVision and dropping about $35 or so... again, in 1980's dollars.  I think the game only had two levels and, like all games back in the day, you just kept playing the same levels over and over.

Then in the early 90's, I got the gaming bug again (after being out of it for a few years) and bought a Nintendo Entertainment System.  There was a store in Tulsa that sold used cartridges and the cheapest you could get a game for was ten bucks.  That was for a copy of.... say, Duck Hunt.  Even that awful NES version of X-Men cost you $15 if it cost you a dime.

Fast forward to where I am now: The PS3.  I have now reached the point where if a game is more than 8 bucks on ebay (including shipping), I tend to turn my nose up at it.  8 dollars.... including shipping... is my cutoff.  For games that are of a caliber I could only dream about as an adolescent.

I bring this up because I'm feeling very guilty for buying the "Game of the Year" version of Borderlands 2.  But I don't have access to the main game because I let my Playstation Plus subscription expire and I want all the cool goodies.  Still... I spent $14.51 and I feel like I owe Beloved an apology.  She'll be totally cool about it, but I feel so naughty.

Anyway... back to Boy Meets Girl #8:

Do I ask myself a lot of questions?  You betcha!  Do I answer them? Every time?  Should I be tested for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder? Probably so!

Just let me say this about Rick:

Rick's got game.

Meanwhile, Ruth and Carl...

... are not in for a long marriage.

Hey!  It's time for some Fun with Out of Context Dialogue! (tm!):

Now, Stella, wait... Did you guys not do the deed?  Because if not, that guy owes me a partial refund.

Okay, I'm sorry about that last bit.  That set-up took me down a very unfortunate road.

See you Monday!

How Nora Got Her Groove Back

Today, I used the expression, "You have a bee in your bonnet" and the 20-something person had no idea what I meant.  I'm at an age where pop culture references and colloquialisms that come out of my mouth make no sense to most people under the age of 35.  It's called the calendar... and it's coming for you next.

So, along those lines, let's check out Boy Meets Girl #8 to see what romance was like back in the day:

Well, Jim had some game, didn't he?  But there's a down side to that sort of thing:

Yup.  No woman wants a guy who doesn't have backbone, but Jim needs to loosen the knot on his well-pressed ties.

And then there was this:

Yeah, that's the good old days for you... when women had allowances.

Granted, Don is way overdoing it with the tuxedo, but I think the Marshalls look pretty dressed up as well by today's standards.

Okay, before we leave it, the notion that Don is trying to convince someone he typically wears a tux to dinner is hilarious.

Oh, Nora will take care of it, Don.

The moral of the story is... well, basically, you don't cross swords with Nora.  She'll torch your clothes and make it look like an accident.

See you tomorrow!

It Even a GIANT Armadillo That Much of a Threat?

And now, let's take a look at some CMNS Sound Effect Theater (tm!), courtesy of Batman #158:

Zoosh, indeed!  The Bat-Hound and Bat-Mite were the highlights of the Silver Age for me.  I'd buy the heck out of a Bat-Hound and Bat-Mite book.

And then there was that time Batman and Robin fought a gigantic crimson armadillo...

Yay!  On to the next issue!  Clayface was another good Silver Age villain, because he could become stuff like this:

And if you're wondering why all of this was taking place in a small model city, you haven't read enough Silver Age Batman.

But this kind of confused me:

I understand changing the shape, but how did that constitute the ability to actually emit a trail of flame behind him.  Forget about "keeping the form for seconds"... I'm wondering how he pulled that one off at all.

But then he turns into a gorilla, and I remember that I love him, no matter what:

Because.... gorillas.

See you tomorrow!

A River Runs Through Captain America Comics

Taking a look at Golden Age Captain America #69, for this CMNS Moment... of Comic Book Greatness! (tm!):

This has been a CMNS Moment... of Comic Book Greatness! (tm!)

As we've previously seen, Captain America without a war to fight is pretty... well, noneventful.  In this particular ish, we see the one and only appearance of Sun Girl in the Human Torch story.  It's my understanding that she was the secretary to Jim Hammond and was basically the opposite of the Phantom Lady in that she would blind you with a really bright flashlight or use some martial arts on you, but that's about all she'd do. 

Yes, this was her contribution: To put stupid, arbitrary conditions on the Torch in a desperate attempt to liven things up. Fortunately, Toro would eventually return.  Although it is worth noting that Sun Girl had her own title beforehand, so her appearing with the Torch was something of an usual cross-over back in the day for Marvel Comics.

Hey!  It's time for Fun with Out of Context Dialogue! (tm!)

You knew the Torch "for a few hours"?   HA HA HA HA HAAAAAA!  Why, Mrs. Sorrel... what would MR. Sorrel say?

See you tomorrow!

Batman and Spider-Man Villain Swap!

So, check this out:  I was reading Batman #157, which had the first (and as far as I know, only) appearance of the Jackal.

When you mention the Jackal, comic book nerdlingers think of this guy:

He's a Spider-Man villain from the Bronze Age.  Not a big deal.  We've seen recycled names before, right?

But it doesn't end there.

Look at his origin:

The Jackal was a manifestation of a split personality, you say?  Let's check back with the Spider-Man villain's origin:

Yup.  He became another whole personality.  Thusly (from Amazing Spider-Man #149):

Okay, folks.... 'splain that.

That's right.  It took 40 years to make the connection, but nothing gets past us at CMNS!

And what about this?

Vicki Vale has the least sensitive lips of any human being ever if she can't tell she's kissing a facemask.  That is all.

Okay, that wasn't as big of a deal as the whole "Jackal Origin Swiping" thing, but still.

See you tomorrow!

Batman and Robin had a Gorilla Foe and I Wasn't Advised????

Dear Ones, I'm afraid I'll be out of pocket on Friday, so today is the last post this week.  I'll see you Monday, okay?

Meanwhile, let's take a look at a few random things because I've had that kind of day:

The Mirror Man is one of Batman's most fantastic foes?  I mean, I've never heard of "Gorilla Boss" either, but I believe he's fantastic because... well, gorillas.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Joker looks like a bobblehead and I'm not sure why they felt obliged to put "Human" in front of Firefly's name.  Maybe he's trying to get in on that whole "Human Fly" name that seems to pop up every so often.

Check this out:

My grandmother had one of these, and I will tell you that it was awesome.  I wish I had it, because it was so dang convenient.  It had a hammer and even an eyeglass screwdriver.  And that thing was solid construction.  But I had no idea it had been around for so long.  It was just one of those things you find at your grandmother's house, you know?

Now, I found nothing about this:

Philco made televisions, but I'm coming up empty on the whole "television bank" thing.  I imagine it just showed an image... but considering how much a quarter was worth back in the day, that sounds pretty steep.  Does anyone know anything about this?

Tired.  Seriously tired.  See you Monday!