Comics Feature July/August 1984

I have been reading comics for over 5 decades (I am old) and I have been blogging about Supergirl for 18 years (this site is old!). So when I discover something new and novel and fun about my favorite character, I get completely thrilled.

One of the things that I have started to look to are the comic magazines from the 80s and 90s to crack open the time capsule and learn what people were thinking and doing back then. 

At this year's Terrificon, there was a dealer who had a whole section of old magazines - Starlog, Comic Scene, Amazing Heroes, and Comics Feature. I'd never heard of this periodical but what an issue for me to stumble on.

From July/August 1984, this issue covers the Supergirl movie and gave me some new interesting info about it. But moreover, there is a Julie Schwartz interview! There is a Thor article which talks about Simonson's run which was in its infancy. There's all sorts of background info on editorial teams and creative changes. Plus, an article by Steve Bissette who was less than a year into his run with Alan Moore on Swamp Thing!

You want a cool time capsule, this is it! Come for the Supergirl movie info. Stay for everything else!

On to some details.

The article about the movie is pretty straightforward including a breakdown of the plot and a discussion about discovering Helen Slater.

I loved this opening page, a classic shot with a pretty fun opening paragraphs reminding us who Supergirl is. 'Hot on the heels of her mentor, she enters the full color world of the celluloid." 

Awesome.

But a couple of things did strike me.

One, I didn't know (or remember) that Mike Ploog did the preproduction art and designs. How I would love to see some of those! Ploog is a legend!

More interesting was the last paragraph. I had always heard that the comic was canceled after the movie tanked. This article is already talking about the cancellation even though the movie hasn't even come out yet. Yes, the concept of Double Comics was out there. 

Makes me wonder if the movie had been a smash hit if Double Comics would have hit the stands? Or if they would re-release a Supergirl solo book.

Hmmm...

Pretty cool poster in the center.

I have been gifted some Slater autographs but if I meet her myself, I will be torn. Should I have her sign this? Or the comic adaptation of the movie? Or the Supergirl comic she helped write? 

As a big Bronze Age Superman guy, I loved this article about Julius Schwartz. This covers his whole career and I have to admit, he sounds like a crotchety old man who knew how to keep things running.

He strikes me as a 'my way or the highway' kind of leader!

And then this little knowledge bomb about Supergirl! Schwartz, in general, does not sound happy.

The comic adaptation was drawn by Gray Morrow but he had no reference material to pull from so it might look different from the movie.

The story Schwartz got was that Kara is around 7 when she is rocketed away and ages 10 years in the journey which is NOT what happens in the movie. So was that a treatment? Was a young Kara cast? Or did Schwartz misunderstand. I have never heard about a version where Kara ages in her trip to Earth. Fascinating.

I love that Schwartz calls out that the Supergirl in the 60s and 70s was all over the map so it doesn't really matter that the movie isn't like the comic. The comic was always changing!

Lastly, he sound upset about the mandated addition of the headband to Supergirl's comic costume because it was going to be in the movie only to have the movie not use it. Sounds like Schwartz hated ... HATED ... the headband. Just a delicious little diatribe.

More than the movie article, this bit was the best part of the magazine for me.

As a fan of the Alan Moore/Steve Bissette/John Totleben run on Swamp Thing, I also loved the article showcasing Bissette's art. He talks about being relatively new to the industry ... incredible! I am old.

How cool to see his pencil sketch of a classic Swamp Thing splash thing!

Anyways, this was a very very cool find for me!