Wednesday Comics: The Brave and the Bold #24
September 30, 2009
The Brave and the Bold #24 (July, 1959)
The first incarnation of DC Comics’ The Brave and the Bold ran for 200 issues from 1955-1983. Originally it was an anthology series featuring adventure tales set in ages past and starring characters like the Silent Knight, the Golden Gladiator, and this guy—the Viking Prince. Issue 24, which featured two Viking Prince stories, would be the last to follow the original swashbuckling format. The title’s next 25 issues were used to test out new characters and concepts (such as a little team called the Justice League of America, which debuted in Brave and the Bold #28), and after that it featured a rotating roster of superhero team-ups.
So back to issue #24, the cover (drawn by comics legend Joe Kubert) depicts Jon, aka the Viking Prince, and his wife Asa struggling against a giant cephalopod of indeterminate identity. Considering that the Viking Prince stories were set in 10th century Scandinavia, I think it’s safe to describe this monster as a Kraken. I don’t know if this is a scene from one of the stories in the issue or if it was created just for the cover…it can be difficult to track down detailed information on these old comics.
The Viking Prince still shows up every now and then in modern DC continuity, most recently in the 2008 mini-series The War That Time Forgot.
T-shirt Tuesday: “I Heart My Giant Squid” by Gama-Go
September 29, 2009
In my video post from earlier today I was wearing what I think might be the oldest cephalopod shirt in my collection—”I <3 My Giant Squid” by Gama-Go. I don’t actually remember when I got it, but the tag says 2003, and this photo was taken in 2005 (at Dragon*Con, not that that’s important). I know this was only four years ago, but I can’t get over how young (and skinny) I look in this photo!
The shirt was designed by Tim Biskup, and similar squids have appeared on various Gama-Go products over the years (all of which will make an appearance here sooner or later). Everything Gama-Go makes is a limited edition, and they switch out their product line every season. Once it’s gone, it’s gone, so, sadly, this shirt is no longer available.
Scanopedia™ demo: What does a Giant Squid sound like?
September 29, 2009
Last month I wrote up a small review of the Discovery Kids Smart Animals™ Giant Squid figure and asked one of the great mysteries of the ages…What does a Giant Squid sound like?
Anyway, long story short, someone at JAKKS Pacific, the toy’s manufacturer, read my post and offered to send me some free samples, including the all-important Scanopedia! So, without further ado…
Sightings: an octopus for every occasion
September 28, 2009
All sighted at my local Target.
Sightings: “Eva Octopus” tote bag by Bungalow360
September 26, 2009
The “Eva Octopus” tote—$26 from Bungalow360′s Deep Blue Sea collection.
Sighted by my wife at Parker and Otis in Durham, NC.
Ryn blogs about gardening, local farming, and vegetarian cooking at Suburban Herbivore.
Flickr Friday: Articulate Matter
September 25, 2009
Articulate Matter is a “sculptural webcomic” by Justina Kochansky. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday she publishes a new hand-crafted tableau of the daily lives of squids, jellyfish, and other marine creatures. Justina’s sculptures are delightfully detailed and super adorable. Here is a small selection of some of my recent favorites.
Zombie Squid
Phrenology
The Great Escape
Blind Date
Live Long and Prosper
Follow the continuing adventures of Justina’s squiddy creations at www.articulatematter.com, and visit her Etsy shop for prints and original sculptures.
Coincidentally, Articulate Matter was also mentioned today on Cephalopod Tea Party, a blog that I’ve been waiting for the perfect opportunity to name check for a while now. CTP is maintained by a number of different contributors, and their main focus is cephalopod-themed arts and crafts from the Etsy community. Check them out at cephalopodteaparty.blogspot.com.
Sightings: octo-cupcake!
September 25, 2009
Sighted by fellow Durhamite Dr. M (of Deep-Sea News) in the bakery at our local Harris Teeter supermarket. I have to assume that this is every bit as delicious as it is awesome.
Sightings: Bearsharktopus!
September 24, 2009
Sighted by Chris Butler (via cult youth., via BuzzFeed)
Sightings: “Sailor Print” by Dwell Deep
September 24, 2009
A while back I created the Sightings category as a way of classifying the occasional random cephalopod appearance in otherwise cephalopod-free websites and chance cephalopod encounters in the real world. While I expect I will continue to use the category in this way, I have decided to also extend it to submissions sent in by my readers!
The following was Sighted by Xtina:
Dwell Deep says,
Gocco print of my original sailor illustration. Imagine sailing the high seas with this scurvy dog! Black ink on Rives BFK printmaking paper. Each paper is hand torn and of irregular size. Image size is approximately 4″ square.
So I guess that means the blog is officially open for submissions! If you have a cephalopod Sighting you want to send my way, leave a comment on the blog, message me through Facebook or Twitter, or email me at indiesquidkid AT gmail.com.
Also, if you have your own blog, or Etsy shop, or whatever, let me know the url so I can include the link if I post your Sighting!
Wednesday Comics: Never bring an octopus to an axe fight!
September 23, 2009
More Fun Comics #44 (June, 1939)
More Fun Comics (1935-1947) was the original publication of the company that we know today as DC Comics. It was also the first comic to publish original material rather than reprints of newspaper strips. Issue #6 introduced Doctor Occult, a supernatural detective created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster (who would later become famous as the creators of Superman), and who is often considered one of the earliest superheroes in comics. During its twelve year run, More Fun debuted several other notable characters including The Spectre, Doctor Fate, Green Arrow, and Aquaman.
Of course the stories in More Fun weren’t all about superheroics. They were also about swashbuckling, manly adventure, daring-do, and, of course, axe fights.
