Jess Nevins's Blog

Episode #3 of my podcast, “The History of Comics in 500 Issues,” is now up over at my Patreon.

This episode is about Comic Cuts #1, the first British comic book, and everything that led up to it.

As always, it’s free for the public, but if you’re so inclined and have some spares pennies, a subscription would be much appreciated.

As before, the new episode is available to the public for free at my Patreon, so have a listen!

This time I’m talking about (among other things) New Fun #6, the first comic book that had all new material in it.

As I mentioned last time, I’m doing a new podcast: The History of Comics in 500 Issues. In it, I’ll be covering the global history of the comic book medium, starting in the 1830s and proceeding up to the present.

The first episode (“Episode One: To Begin With: L’Histoire de M. Vieux Bois“) is complete, and I’m making it available here for free to give you a taste of what I intend to do.

http://jessnevins.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/episodeone.mp3

Future episodes will be up at a proper website as well as at my Patreon. If you’re so inclined, you can throw me some coin there to encourage me to make more episodes. (Patreon subscribers will get to read and hear the new episodes first, before I make them publicly available, of course).

Beginning this September–ideally starting Sept. 1–I’m going to be doing a podcast: The History of Comics in 500 Issues. It will be the comic book version of Andrew Hickey’s splendid A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs, and will be an exploration of the history, artistry, context, and cultural linkages of comic books around the world.

The following is a list of comic book issues I know I’m going to cover. If there are any issues I’ve left off, please suggest them to me at jjnevins@ix.netcom.com!

(My criteria, btw: comic book issues or first in a series of collections of comic strip from a country that doesn’t have comic books; the issue I cover has to be historically important, artistically triumphant, symbolically important, or iconic in some say)

The list of what I’ll be covering in my podcast:

1837. Rodolphe Topffer’s Histoire de Mr. Vieux Bois.1854. Gustave Dore’s Dramatic and Picturesque History of Holy Russia in CaricatureMay 1890. Comic Cuts #1.1897. The Yellow Kid in McFadden’s Flats.1899. The Story of the Three Kingdoms.July 1904. Puck #1.Oct 1905. O Tico-Tico #1Aug 1907. Gente Menuda: Debut of “Un Viaje al Planeta Júpiter.”1908. Corriere dei Piccoli #1June 1908. L’Epatant: debut of “Les Pieds Nickelés.”1911. Favourite Comic.1920. Frans Masereel’s The IdeaJan 1921. El Heraldo de Mexico: debut of “Don Catarino”May 1922. Debut of “Bulletje & Bonestaak”1923. Debut of Liwayway.May 1925. Dimanche Illustré: debut of “Zig et Puce.”1927. First Tijuana Bible.1928. Rin-Tin-Tin #1Apr 1928. Shanghai Manhua Oct 1928. Critica: first appearance of Patoruzu.1929. Debut of Kenkoy in Livwayway 1930. Milt Gross’ He Done Her Wrong 1930. Tintin in the Land of the Soviets1931. Shonen Kurabu: debut of Norakuro.Jan 1931. “Put On;” First Indonesian comic strip.1932. Adelaido el Conquistador #11933. Detective Dan1933. First manga comic strips issued in hardcover editions.1933. Shonen Kurabu: First appearance of Dankichi.1933. Mack Wan. El Invencible #1.July 1933. Debut in Liwayway of Kulafu1934. Le Journal de Mickey #1.1934. Paquin #11934. Strip #11934. Don Tito: first appearance of “El Ultimo Vampiro.”May 1934. Comic Cuts #1.1935. Debut of Sanmao1935. First Arendsoog album.Feb 1935. New Fun Comics #1Mar 1936. Pepin #11936. Debut of Fukuchan1936. El Circulo Rojo #11936. Novedades: First appearance of “Los Supersabios.”July 1936. Paquita: first appearance of AdelitaAug 1936. Paquin: debut of Charro Negro.Nov 1936. Funny Pages #6: first appearance of the Clock1937. Dandy: first appearance of Desperate Dan.Jan 1937. Mickey Mouse Magazine #16Feb 1937. Star Ranger #1Mar 1937. Detective Comics #1: first DC comic.Apr 1937. Detective Comics #2: debut Mr. Chang.Apr 1937. Pepin: debut of El Monje Negro.Oct 1937. Pepin: debut of Nancy.Dec 1937. Pelayo: debut of “Bajo Tierra con los Monstruos de la Destruccion”.1938. Donald Duck.1938. First appearance of “Tif et Tondu.”Mar 1938. Albi dell’Audacia #2: debut of Dick Fulmine.Apr 1938. Le Journal de Spirou #1 (1938)May 1938. Pepin: début of “Corazon del Norte”June 1938. Action Comics #1: first Superman.Sept 1938. Funny Pages v2n10: first appearance of the ArrowOct 1938. Detective Comics #20: first Crimson Avenger.Oct 1938. Detective Comics #20: first WingOct 1938. Radio Fun #1:Dec 1938. Gazetinha: debut of “Audaz, O Demolidor”.1939. First appearance of Mu-Fa1939. El Gorrion: first appearance of El Vengador Alado,1939. First appearance Tom Poes.1939. Mikijevo Carstvo #1. Debut Zigomar.May 1939. Detective Comics #27: first BatmanMay 1939: Wonder Comics #1 starring Wonderman.Summer 1939. Superman #1. First single-character issue.Aug 1939. Ciclón el Superhombre #1Sept 1939. Amazing-Man Comics #1: debut of Amazing ManOct 1939. Marvel Comics #1: first Marvel.Dec 1939. Fantastic Comics #11940. Chamaco: First appearance El Monje Loco1940. Jaime Bazan #11940. Debut of Dick Bos.1940. Debut of “El Vengador.”Jan 1940. Pep Comics #1: debut of ShieldJan 1940: Shadow Comics #1:Feb 1940. Whiz Comics #2: debut of Captain MarvelMar 1940: First comics published during WW2Apr 1940. Weird Comics #1: first appearance of Bird ManJune 1940. Marvel Mystery Comics #8: Human Torch-vs-SubmarinerJune 1940. Blue Bolt Comics #1: debut Sergeant SpookJuly 1940. Target Comics #6: first comics with letters pagesJuly 1940. Blue Bolt #2: First Kirby-Sinnott issueOct 1940. Vittorioso: First appearance of Pippo, Pertica and Palla.Dec 1940. Prize Comics #7: first Dick Briefer FrankensteinWinter 1940-1941. All-Star Comics #3: first JSA issue1941. Debut of “Jean Valhardi.”Mar 1941. Captain America Comics #1.Mar 1941. First Mort Weisinger edited issuesMar 1941. Better Comics #Apr 1941. Daring Mystery Comics #7. Debut of ChallengerApr 1941. True Comics #1 (1941) – first “true” educational comicMay 1941. Captain America Comics #3. Stan Lee’s first credited comic book work.July 1941. Pep Comics #17:Aug 1941. Triumph-Adventure Comics #1: debut of NelvanaDec 1941. All-Star Squadron #8, debut of Wonder Woman.Dec 1941. Pep Comics #22: first Archie Andrews1942. Picture Stories From the Bible 1942. Spirou: first appearance of the Blue Hawk.Jan 1942. USA Comics #3: First Carmine Infantino story.Mar 1942. Cat-Man Comics #8: first Joe KubertApr 1942. Joker Comics #1: first appearance of Powerhouse PepperMay 1942. Real Heroes #4 First non-fiction war comic?July 1942: Crime Does Not Pay #1: First True Crime comicSept 1942. Police Comics #11: first appearance of the SpiritOct 1942. Four Color Comics #9: First Carl Banks duck comic.1943. Bravo: first Willy Vandersteen1943. Manga: debut of of “Kagaku Senshi New York ni Shutsugensu,”1943. El Murcielago #1Jan 1943. Le Téméraire #1Feb 1943. Bravo: “Le Rayon U” makes first appearance.Aug 1943. Classic Comics #13: the first horror comic book.1944. Diamante Amarillo #1: first appearance Ginesito.1944. Chamaco: first appearance of “Wama, El Hijo de la Luna.”Oct 1944. All-American Comics #61Oct 1944. El Guerrero del Antifaz #1Nov 1944. First Sheena, Queen of the Jungle story in Jumbo Comics #69Nov 1944. Big All-American Comic Book: First Julie Schwartz1945. El Halcon de Acero #1: first appearance of Halcón.Jan-Feb 1945. More Fun Comics #1Feb 1945. All-American Comics and Detective Comics into National ComicsSpring 1945. Wonder Woman #12: first issue of Wonder Woman that we know was written by a woman.May 1945. Rotterdamisch Parool: debut of Ketelbinkie.Sept 1945. First significant end-of-WW2 comicsNov 1945. Die Volkskrant: first appearance of Pa Pinkelman.Nov-Dec 1945. Headline Comics #16: debut of Atomic Man,Dec 1945. Het Parool: first appearance of “De Avonturen van Kapitein Rob”.1946. First hardcover collection of Sazae-san 1946. Tintin: first appearance of Blake et MortimerJan 1946. Shokokumin Shinbun: first appearance of Diary of Ma-chan 1947. Pilipinio Komiks #1: first Filipino comic book.1947. First Malaysian comic books.Jan 1947. Spirou: first appearance of Buck DannySpring 1947. Negro Heroes #1 – first Black comicApr 1947. Classics Illustrated #1.June 1947. All-Negro Comics #1.July 1947. Chandamama #1Oct 1947. Young Romance #1: first romance comic.Dec 1947. Manga Shonen: First Japanese all-comic manga?1948. Manhwa Haengjin: first Korean comic magazine1948. First appearance in comic form of “El Doctor Niebla.”1948. La Familia Burron #1Mar-Apr 1948. Superman #51. First Curt Swan-penciled Superman.Sept 1948. Tintin: first appearance of AlixSept 1948. Tex Willer #1,Apr 1949. Walt Disney’s Donald Duck #223: Carl Barks’ “Lost in the Andes” –Aug 1949. Marvel Tales #93: the first Atlas Comics issue.Nov 1949. Detective Comics #153: first “Roy Raymond, TV Detective”1950. Matt Baker & Arnold Drake It Rhymes With Lust1950. First Taiwanese comics in Central Daily News and Dawa NewsApr 1950. Eagle #1: first Dan Dare appearance.1951. Lianhuanhua Bao1951. First issue of Tot’ori Yongsa Feb 1951. First Korean War issue – War Comics #1Sept 1951. Mickey Maus #11952. First Astro Boy story in Shonen.Sept 1952. Santo el Enmascarado de Plata #11953. Hwas?ng–?i Ch’ oin debutMar-Apr 1953. Weird Fantasy: “Judgment Day.”May-June 1953. Haunt of Fear #19: contains “Foul Play,”1954. Shuster Nights of Horror (1954)July 1954. Manga Shonen first appearance of Phoenix Sept 1954. Jungle Tales #11955. Kazuo Umezu’s first manga.Mar-Apr 1955. Impact #1. “Master Race.”July 1956. Shonen: first appearance of Tetsujin 28-Go Sept-Oct 1956. Showcase #4: the return of the Flash,Nov 1956. Black Blizzard 1957. Sakura Namiki debutAug 1957. Superman #1151958. Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story1958. Comic King: first appearance of Chuko Szu-langOct 1958. Spirou: first full appearance of SmurfsDec 1958. Forbidden Worlds #73: debut of Herbie PopneckerDec 1958. Strange Tales #11959. Sanho Kim’s Lifi 1959. First appearance/album of Redbeard Oct 1959. Pilote: first appearance of Goscinny & Uderzo’s Asterix.1960. Weekly Shonen Magazine: first appearance of Gegege no Kitarou1960. First collection of Dowling & Boshell’s Garth.Feb-Mar 1960. Brave and the Bold #28: first JLA issue.Summer 1960. Superman Annual #1.1961. Rick Griffin’s The Surfing Funnies (1961)Sept 1961. Flash #123: “Flash of Two Worlds”Nov 1961. Fantastic Four #11962. Sukhtara #1 (1962) .1962. Debut of Old Master Q 1962. Frank Stack’s Adventures of JesusAug 1962. Journey Into Mystery #83. First appearance of ThorSept 1962. Amazing Fantasy #15: First Spider-Man.1963. Das Kampf: Vaughn Bode’s first published workOct 1963. Pilote #210: first appearance of Blueberry.1964. Shonen: first appearance of Cyborg 009Mar 1964. Indrajal Comics #1May 1964. Detective Comics #327: first “New Look” BatmanDec 1964. Garo: first appearance of Kamui June 1965. Debut of Los Supermachos Sept 1965. Ranger: first issue of Trigan Empire Dec 1965. Lobo #1Dec 1965. Kaliman #11966. Les Mysteres des AbimesJan 1966. Tesoro de Cuentos Clásicos #103: first appearance of FantomasJuly 1966. Fantastic Four #52: First appearance of Black Panther1967. Krishna #1 (1967) – first Amar Chitra Katha issue,1967. First album of Valerian & LaurelineApr 1967. Strange Tales #155: first Jim Steranko-written SHIELD story.July 1967. Il Sergente Kirk #1: debut of Hugo Pratt’s Corto Maltese.July 1967. Thunderbolt #58: First Denny O’Neill story.Aug 1967. Weekly Manga Action: first appearance of Lupin IIINov 1967. Fantastic Four Annual #5: announcement of Sue Richards’ pregnancy.MampatoJan 1968. Weekly Shonen Magazine : first appearance of Ashita no Joe Mar 1968. Tales to Astonish #101: first Archie Goodwin storyJune 1968. Screw Style/NejishikiJuly 1968. Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD #2:Oct 1968. Debut “Golgo 13” in Big Comic.1969. Year 24 Group of female manga artists debut1969. Alan Ford #1Feb 1969. Pif Gadget #1.Dec 1969. CoroCoro Comic: first appearance of Doraemon1970. Red Colored Elegy 1970. First collection of “Monica’s Gang”Apr 1970. Green Arrow #76: first Denny O’Neil/Neil Adams comicJuly 1970. Trina Robbins’ It Ain’t Me Babe (1970) first female underground comicSept 1970. Weekly Manga Action: debut of Lone Wolf & Cub.1971. Sangokushi #1First appearance of Chacha Chaudhury in Lotpot Feb 1971. New Gods #1May 1971. Amazing Spider-Man #96: first comic published without the Comic Code Seal of AuthorityJune 1971. Avengers #89: first issue of Kree-Skrull WarAug 1971. Green Lantern #85: Speedy does drugs1972. First issue of Madhu Muskan 1972. First album of Buddy Longway1972. Pilote: “Le bol maudit,” Enki Bilal’s first story.Nov 1972. Wimmin’s Comix #1.Mar 1973: Tomb of Dracula #7: first Marv Wolfman issueMay 1973. Captain Marvel #26: first Jim Starlin issueJune 1973. Amazing Spider-Man #121: Death of Gwen Stacy.Dec 1973. Special Marvel Edition #15: intro Shang-Chi.Feb 1974. Amazing Spider-Man #129: debut of the Punisher.May 1974. The Heart of Thomas #1 First yaoiJune 1974. Captain America and the Falcon #174: Nixon commits suicide.Oct 1974. The Incredible Hulk #180: debut of WolverineMay 1975. Giant-Size X-Men #1June 1975. The Barbarians #1: first Atlas/Seaboard issue.Sept 1975. Big Apple Comix #1La Genie des alpages.1976. D. #28 : first appearance Adele Blanc-SecJan 1976. Superman vs The Amazing Spider-Man.May 1976. Harvey Pekar’s American Splendor #1.June 1976. Warlock #13July 1976. X-Men #101: First appearance of PhoenixAug 1976. Roberta Gregory’s Dynamite Damsels #1Sept 1976. Weekly Shonen Jump first appearance of KochiKame: Tokyo Beat Cops 1977. Thorgal #1Mar 1977. Jack Jackson Comanche Moon Mar 1977. Superboy #225: first Paul Levitz LSH.Mar 1977. 2000 A.D. #2: first appearance of Judge Dredd.Apr 1977: Black Lightning #1.Dec 1977-Jan 1978. Cerebus #1.1978. Diamond Comics: first appearance of Fauladi SinghJan 1978. Jim Shooter becomes Editor-in-Chief of MarvelFeb 1978. Fantasy Quarterly: first Elfquest story.Feb 1978. Misty #1.May 1978. Starlord #1.1979. Valhalla #1Aug 1979. Amazing Spider-Man Annual #13Jan 1980. Gen of Hiroshima: Apr 1980. Green Lantern #127: start of the British (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British... 1980. Howard Cruse’s Gay Comix #1 (1980) first Howard CruseFall 1980. Raw #1.Nov 1980. Tinkle Nov 1980. New Teen Titans #1Dec 1980. First segment of Maus is published in Raw 1981. Nexus #1Jan 1981. Daredevil #168 – first Frank MillerMar 1981. Dazzler #1: first Direct Market-only issue.June 1981: Doctor Strange #47Feb 1982. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind #1Mar 1982. Warrior #1.June 1982: Contest of Champions #1Aug 1982. Legion of Super-Heroes #290: First issue “Great Darkness Saga”Dec 1982. Camelot 3000 #1Dec 1982. First Akira story in Young MagazineDec 1982. Groo the Wanderer #1.1983. Domu collection1983. Obscure Cities collectionMarch 1983. Journey #1June 1983. Omega Men #3: first appearance of Lobo.Sept 1983. Weekly Shonen Jump: first appearance of Fist of the North Star Oct 1983. American Flagg #1Oct 1983. Big Comic Spirits first appearance of Oishinbo Nov 1983: Thor #337 – first Simonson1984. First issue of Eddie Campbell’s Alec1984. Weekly Shonen Jump publishes first Dragon Ball issue1984. First issue of Raj Comics 1984. First album of XIII 1984. Debut of Tsai Chih-chung’s The Music of Nature, Zhuangzi SpeaksJan 1984: Swamp Thing #20: First Alan Moore issue,May 1984: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1May 1984: Secret Wars #1Dec 1984. Weekly Shonen Jump: first appearance Dragon Ball Jan 1985. Those Annoying Post Brothers #1Apr 1985. Crisis on Infinite Earths #1May 1985. Bessatsu Shojo Comic first appearance of Banana Fish June 1985. Shatter #1Aug 1985. Miracleman #1Sept 1985. Squadron Supreme #1Oct 1985: Love & Rockets #1Oct 1985. Action Comics #572: first Mark Waid storyFeb 1986. Karmatron #1June 1986. Dark Knight Returns #1Sept 1986. Watchmen #1Oct 1986. Man of Steel #1: first Byrne SupermanOct 1986. Dylan Dog #1.1987: Monthly Halloween: first Junji Ito story,1987. Abi Sword #1Jan 1987. Weekly Shonen Jump: first JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.1988. The Cowboy Wally ShowMar 1988. The Shadow #8. First Kyle Baker issueSept 1988. Animal Man #1: first Grant Morrison.Winter 1988. Greed Magazine #6: first appearance Milk & CheeseNov 1988. Black Orchid #1: First Neil Gaiman issueNov 1988. Sandman #11989. Taboo #2: first issue with From Hell in it.1989. First album of Le 4e pouvoir Apr 1989. Crisis #15 (Fleetway in UK): first Garth EnnisAug 1989. Monthly Animal House: first appearance of Berserk 1989. Eightball #1Dec 1989. Saviour #1: first Mark Millar1990. Business Jump: first appearance of Battle Angel Alita Jan 1990. Animal Man #19: “I can see you!”Spring 1990. Drawn & Quarterly #1.Spring 1990.Aug 1990. Weekly Manga Action first appearance of Crayon Shin-chan Oct 1990. Weekly Shonen Jump: first story of Slam Dunk Feb 1991. New Mutants #98: first Liefeld issueJuly 1991. Bone #1Aug 1991. first Sailor Moon issue in Nakayoshi.Sept 1991. Flash #54: “Nobody Dies.”Fall 1991. Adrian Tomine’s Optic Nerve #11992. Nagraj air Bughaku #1Apr 1992. Youngblood #1. First Image ComicsJune 1992. Lazarus Churchyard #1: First Warren Ellis issueMay 1992. Spawn #1Nov 1992. Demon Annual #2: first appearance of Tommy Monaghan, HitmanDec 1992. Action Comics #682 – first issue of the Death of SupermanJan 1993. Fire #1: first Brian BendisFeb 1993. Joe Sacco’s Palestine #1Mar 1993. Death: The High Cost of Living #1Apr 1993. Hardware #1: first issue of Milestone ComicsNov 1993. Strangers in Paradise #1.Great General Mighty Wing 1994. First album of Lanfeust of Troy Jan 1994. Debut Detective Conan story in Weekly Shonen Sunday.Mar 1994. Hellboy: Seed of Destruction #1Sept 1994. Invisibles #1Oct 1994. Starman #1.Dec 1994. Big Comic Original first appearance of Monster 1995. Jason’s Pocket Full of Rain Hariton Pushwanger’s Soft CitySpring 1995. Acme Novelty Library issue containing first part of Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on EarthMar 1995. Stray Bullets #1.July 1995. Feel YoungAug 1995. Astro City #1.Mar 1996. PKNA #1Apr 1996. Berlin #1Aug 1996. Supreme #41: first Alan Moore issue.Nov 1996. Finder #11997. Gotham ComicsJuly 1997. Debut “One Piece” in Weekly Shonen Jump.Sept 1997. Transmetropolitan #1.Mar 1998. Weekly Shonen Jump: first appearance Hunter x Hunter Sept 1998. Vagabond #1Nov 1998. Black Panther #1Nov 1998. Age of Bronze #1.Apr 1999: Planetary #1Aug 1999. 100 Bullets #1.Sept 1999. Weekly Shonen Jump: first appearance of NarutoSept 1999. 20th Century Boys #12000. Persepolis #1Sept 2000. Ultimate Spider-Man #1Oct 2000. Batman: Ego. First Darwyn Cooke2001. Blizzard in the Jungle July 2001. Monthly Shonen Gangan: first Fullmetal AlchemistAug 2001. Weekly Shonen Jump: first appearance of Bleach Sept 2002: Black Hole #1Jan 2003. Invincible #1.Sept 2003. Big Comic Original: first installment of Pluto Oct 2003. Walking Dead #1Nov 2003. Ultimates v1n12: “Do you think this stands for France?”Nov 2003. Bombaby the Screen Goddess #1Dec 2003. Death Note #1.Aug 2004. Identity Crisis #1Oct 2004: We3 #1.Apr 2005. Vinland Saga #1.Jan 2006: All-Star Superman #1June 2006. Casanova #1Aug 2006. Phonogram #1Oct 2006. Criminal #1Dec 2006. Seven Solders #1Mar 2007. Essex County #1: first Jeff Lemire2005. Aya of Yop City Dec 2007. Jonathan Hickman’s first story, Pax Romana #1.2008. Baby #1.Aug 2008. Achewood: The Great Outdoor Fight.Mar 2010. Scalped #35: “Listening to the Earth Turn.”2011. The Long Ballad manhuaAug 2011. Ultimate Fallout #4: debut of Miles Morales.Sept 2011. Bubble ComicsMar 2012. Saga #1.June 2012. First manga of One-Punch ManOct 2012. Hawkeye #1.2013. First volume of Les 5 Mondes Oct 2013. Kieron Gillen’s Three #1.Dec 2014: Bitch Planet #1Mar 2015. Sexcastle: first Kyle Starks story.Mar 2015. Kaijumax #1.Feb 2016. Weekly Shonen Jump: first appearance of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no YaibaJuly 2016. Debut Solo Leveling Feb 2017. My Favorite Thing is Monsters book #1.Oct 2017. Mister Miracle #1.Mar 2018. Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles #1 by Mark Russell.Mar 2018. Weekly Shonen Jump: first appearance of Jujutsu Kaisen Aug 2018. Immortal Hulk #1.Dec 2018. Weekly Shonen Jump: first appearance Chainsaw Man 2019. First volume of Les Omniscients published.Sept 2019. House of X #1: first issue of KrakoaNov 2020. Webtoon “Colossale”,Jan 2022. Wonder Woman HistoriaAug 2022. 20th Century Men #1June 2023. Gila: El Sol Negra

This is how you do it. Or, one of the ways, anyhow. There is no single way to do it. (Or, rather, the single way to do it is “Do a good job.” There are many ways to do that). But this is one of them.

It’s from Richard Condon’s Manchurian Candidate (1959), which if you only know from the movies, you’re missing a lot, not least an oddly affecting treatment of Captain Marco. For those of you who haven’t seen the movies, Captain Marco and his friend Raymond Shaw were captured during the Korean War and brainwashed. This turns Shaw into an assassin. Marco only gets nightmares. Horrible, persistent, driving-him-close-to-derangement nightmares, in which he sees North Koreans murdering men in his platoon. Condon’s good enough, as a writer–take a look at his bibliography and you’ll recognize some pretty good (or at least solidly entertaining) books–to make the reader sympathize with poor, twitchy, near-the-point-breakdown Captain Marco, who no one believes. Marco finally visits Shaw, hoping for some human company. Unbeknownst to Marco, Shaw’s Korean handler, Chunjin, is staying with Shaw to make sure that Shaw carries out the assassination.

Chunjin is one of the figures Marco sees in his nightmares.

Chunjin answered the door. He stood clearly under good light wearing black trousers, a white shirt, a black bow tie, and a white jacket, looking blankly at Marco, waiting for an inquiry, not having time to recognize the major, and most certainly not expecting him. To Marco he was a djinn who had stepped into flesh out of that torment which was giving him lyssophobia. Not more than four fifths of a second passed before Marco hit Chunjin high in the chest, having thrown the desperate punch for the center of the man’s face, but the Korean had stepped backward reflexively and had saved himself, partially, from the unexpectedness of Marco’s assault. Because he had not thought of himself as being on duty while Raymond was out of the city, Chunjin was unarmed. However, he was a trained agent and a good one. He held the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Soviet security forces and he had been assigned to Raymond on a crash basis. He had recognized Marco too late. He was entirely current on Marco’s dossier because the major was Raymond’s only friend.

The elevator operator, a sturdy twenty-eight-year-old, watched the Korean carried backward and the door flung inward to bang against the pink plaster wall. He rushed in fast behind Marco and tried to pull him back. Marco held Chunjin off with his left hand and cooled the elevator man with his right. Chunjin took that left arm and drew Marco into a prime judo catch and threw him high across the room so he could get at Marco’s neck, coming down on it hard enough to break it in the follow-up, but Marco rolled and kept rolling when he hit the floor and slipped locks on hard when Chunjin came down, missing him.

They were both Black Belts, which is the highest judo rank there is, this side of a Dan. Marco had weight on his man, but Marco was in a run-down condition. However, he had been lifted into a murderous exhilaration and was filled to his hairline with adrenalin because he had at last been permitted to take those nightmares and one of the people in them into the fingers of his hands to beat and to torture until he found out why they had happened and where they had happened and how they could be made to stop. What worked the best was the twenty-nine extra pounds of weight and, as four neighbors watched with studious curiosity from the safer side of the doorsill, he broke Chunjin’s forearm. The Korean almost took the side of his face and his neck off, not losing a beat of his rhythm during the fracture and appalling Marco that such a slight man could be so tough. Then Marco dislocated the man’s hip joint as he leaped to jab his foot into Marco’s larynx, and it was that second catch which brought out the great scream of agony.

He was pounding the back of Chunjin’s head into the floor and asking him a series of what he thought were deliberative questions when the youngest squad-car cop came into the room first and fast, hitting him behind the head with a sap, and the entire, wonderful opportunity passed.

(Originally appeared here in 2010).

It’s not like I want to spend time thinking about the following. I’ve got a steampunk novel to plot. But my son Henry–that’s him on the left–loves Toy Story  We watch a part of it every night before bed. Have done since we bought an iPad. So I’ve seen Toy Story every night for over three months now, and while it still retains its ability to charm, I have to admit to not paying full attention to it, or letting my mind wander…

…which is how I came to ask the question, Who Is Andy’s Father?

You’ll note that there aren’t any pictures of him in the house. Don’t believe? Go look. I can wait.

See? Lots of pictures of Andy and Molly, individually and together, and one or two of Andy’s mom, Mrs. Davis, but none of Andy’s dad. Why is that, do you think?

The obvious answer is that Andy’s mom took them down. Why would she do that?

Let’s think this through. Andy’s father never appears in any of the films. He’s never even mentioned. If Andy’s mom was still married to “Mr. Davis,” that wouldn’t be the case. He’s deliberately absent from the films because he’s not part of the family any more.

If he had died, there would still be pictures of him in the house. Divorce is a possibility, but I don’t believe Andy’s mom would have removed all the photos of Andy’s father just because of the divorce, not least because of how Andy might react to that. If there was a divorce, then Andy’s mom won custody, and while Andy is clearly happy with his mom, it’d only be natural for Andy to want something of his father, if only a picture.

The remaining alternative is that Andy’s father abandoned Andy’s mom, and Andy, and Molly. This would explain why Andy’s mom removed all the pictures of Andy’s father. It would also explain why Andy’s mom is moving the family to a smaller house during Toy Story 1. Go ahead and compare the house at the beginning of the film with the one in the final scene–post-move house is smaller. it also explains why Andy’s mom is bringing so little furniture to the new house–take a look at the contents of the moving van in TS1, there’s practically no furniture in it, and the time from when the movers arrive in TS1 to when they leave can’t be much more than an hour. Not only is the new house smaller and needs less furniture than the old house, but Andy’s mom, having been abandoned by the former Mr. Davis, is in all probability facing some difficult financial times and is selling not just the house but some of the furniture.

But the matter of “Mr. Davis” doesn’t end there. Consider Woody. We know from Toy Story 2 that he’s a valuable and rare collectible. How did he end up in Andy’s hands?

According to Andy’s mom, Woody is an old family toy. But if that’s really the case, why is he in mint condition? If he’s been played with before, by a previous generation of Davis children, why does he look like he’s fresh out of the box? And why does he act like Andy is his first owner?

We have to assume that Woody was, indeed, an old Davis family toy. The logical assumption is that he was Mr. Davis’ before he was Andy’s. (We could extrapolate other ways in which Woody joined the Davis family, but Woody being Mr. Davis’ toy is the least unlikely). But how did Woody remain mint if Mr. Davis played with him? And if Mr. Davis played with him, why doesn’t Woody remember him? We know the other toys remember their previous owners–Jessie remembers Emily, Lots-O-Huggin’ Bear remembers Daisy–why doesn’t Woody remember Mr. Davis?

If–as I think is a reasonable assumption–Mr. Davis abandoned Mrs. Davis, Andy, and Molly, he did so recently. Molly’s only a year old, and it’s probable that she is Mr. Davis’ daughter, which means that Mr. Davis abandoned Mrs. Davis when she was pregnant or had a one year old to raise. Which ain’t cool, at all, and hints that Mr. Davis might be worse than just a deadbeat dad, he might be a genuinely Bad guy.

(There’s also the matter of Sid Philips, the psycho boy next door in Toy Story 1. Sid is disturbed in the ways that Andy is not…but they both have vivid imaginations when it comes to toys, both are resilient (notice how quickly Sid recovers from the disappointment of the sudden rainstorm in TS1), both are energetic, and while Sid is cruel to his toys he loves his dog Scud.

Could Sid and Andy be…related? Sid looks nothing like Andy, but then, Andy looks nothing like Molly. During TS1 Sid is 10 years old and Andy is 6. Did Mr. Davis abandon Mrs. Davis because Mrs. Davis discovered Mr. Davis’ affair, previous or ongoing, with Mrs. Phillips?)

Okay, perhaps not–perhaps that is a stretch. But the point about Mr. Davis being a rotter remains.

Now, as we see in TS1, when toys are tortured, they are traumatized. Only one of Sid’s toys can communicate in any way, and none of them have the ability to make facial expressions, whereas most of Andy’s toys can talk and move their faces. In the world of Toy Story, as in ours, torture leaves a permanent mark on its victims.

But there are many different types of trauma, and some are more subtle than others.

Consider Woody’s relationship with Andy. Woody is devoted to Andy. Fixated on him, really. Is willing to do anything to get back to him (as we see in TS2 & TS3), refuses to admit that Andy has outgrown him (in TS3)…I’m not sure that “obsession” is too strong a word for Woody’s devotion to Andy. Woody’s feelings for Andy are clearly much stronger, much more obsessive, than what any of Andy’s other toys feel for Andy.

Why? Why does Woody not seem to have any memories of his previous owners, but is fixated on his current one?

Because his previous owner did something to cause some trauma in Woody, I think, a trauma which gave Woody either traumatic amnesia or a deeply-embedded case of denial of memories as well as a case of idealization (in the psychological, defense-mechanism sense) of Andy. Woody can’t remember (doesn’t want to remember) his previous owner, but his current owner, Andy, is wonderful, worth following to infinity and beyond (idealized owner, safe owner, everything’s okay with Andy, everything’s fine).

Obviously Woody was never tortured by his previous owner–Woody couldn’t have been, not and be in mint condition.  But he could have witnessed torture. That would certainly qualify as traumatic.

Woody is fixated on Andy. But he actually considered abandoning him for a new life with Jessie, Bullseye, and Stinky Pete. It wasn’t the lure of the museum which temporarily changed Woody’s mind–it couldn’t have been. No, it must have been the prospect of a reunion with Woody’s toy family.

Reunion? Yes, reunion. Who do you think Woody saw being tortured by his first owner?

I’m sure there were other toys that Woody’s first owner tortured. But I think it’s safe to suppose that the rest of the Round-Up Gang were some of the victims there. The reason Woody escaped the torture? Woody’s previous owner just never got to him–moved on to other things, and left Woody in the attic, in the dark, wondering when he was next to go under the magnifying glass or scissors…in the dark for years, for decades, until he is given to Andy, wonderful, kind Andy.

And so the obsession is created.

I’ve painted a dark picture of Mr. Davis, Woody’s original owner: abandoner of wife and children, possible adulterer, torturer of toys. This begs the question: who is Mr. Davis?

Andy was born in 1989 (6 in 1995, the year of TS1). In TS1 I’d put Mrs. Davis at around 40 (which is how old Laurie Metcalf, the voice of Mrs. Davis, was in 1995), and we can assume that Mr. Davis is roughly the same age, meaning he was born in the early/mid-1950s. Woody’s tv show lasted from 1946 to 1957, so–assuming Mr. Davis was given Woody & the Round-Up Gang in the last year possible, and when Mr. Davis was young–we can put Mr. Davis’ birth year in the 1951-1953 range, which would have made him 35-37 when Andy was born.

Mr. Davis: born in 1951-1953, a torturer of toys, a man who abandons his wife and children. We have the makings of a true villain in Mr. Davis. So who was he? He would have been active in his twenties during the 1970s and still alive, though temporarily settled to a suburban lifestyle in his forties.

Who fits this profile? What villain of tv, movie, or comics could this apply to?

The necromancer character class. Art by Russell Marks.

Hi–

My first attempt at a Kickstarter for The Fury of the Northmen failed, so I’ve relaunched it with a humbler funding goal (only $5,000) and humbler aims (the funding will pay for layout and cover art so I can sell the books on DriveThruRpg.com).

Naturally, with the lower budget, the Kickstarter was fully funded in three hours and hit its first stretch goal in eighteen hours. And I’ve still got 29 days to go! So–think about pledging something, if you’re inclined, or spread the links, if you’re in the mood.

What’s the game? The Fury of the Northmen is a 5e-compatible rpg set in England during the first six years of the Viking invasion of England (865-871 CE/AD). The Fury of the Northmen is historical fantasy; it’s an equal mix of imagination and intensely researched Scandinavian & English history, myth, legend, and folklore.

The heidr character class. Art by Kim Van Deun.

The three books that make up Northmen are:

The Player’s Guide , a 450+-page book containing completely new character classes (nearly all the 5e character classes weren’t compatible with the historical setting), new PC folk, 600+ new spells, dozens of historical ethnicities, and everything else needed to create a Northmen character and play a Northmen game or campaign. The World Book , a 250+-page book containing everything a GM could want to know about the Northmen setting: the kingdoms of England as of 865, the cultures, the religions, the philosophies, the lived experiences, and all the other basics of both English and Scandinavian societies; a gazetteer of the England of Northmen; the who, what, where, when, and why of both the historical Viking invasion and the Viking invasion in the world of Northmen (two different things); rules for large-scale battles; sixty manuscript pages of new treasure types and items; and a long list of resources for people interested in learning more. The World Book is mostly setting-agnostic, and can be profitably used by anyone interested in learning about or gaming in England during the Viking Age. The Bestiary , a descriptive catalogue of 240+ new monsters for the setting. I put all 240+ monsters on a free website , but people also wanted the Bestiary as a book, so the first pledge goal for the Kickstarter was to make enough money to afford to get the Bestiary layout and cover art to sell on DriveThruRpg.comNorthmen is unlike any other Viking rpg ever published–more historical information (as much as fun allows) and more intensely researched setting, cast of characters, and monsters–and it’s pretty good. (Admittedly, I’m biased). So…take a look, won’t you? Thanks!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thefuryofthenorthmen/the-fury-of-the-northmen-digital-edition

Hi–

My new Kickstarter has just gone live. It’s for The Fury of the Northmen, a 5e-compatible rpg set in England during the first six years of the Viking invasion of England (865-871 CE). The Fury of the Northmen is historical fantasy; it’s an equal mix of imagination and intensely researched Scandinavian & English history, myth, legend, and folklore.

If the Kickstarter funds, patrons can get:

The Player’s Guide , a 450+-page book containing completely new character classes (nearly all the 5e character classes weren’t compatible with the historical setting), new PC folk, 600+ new spells, dozens of historical ethnicities, and everything else needed to create a Northmen character and play a Northmen game or campaign. The World Book , a 250+-page book containing everything a GM could want to know about the Northmen setting: the kingdoms of England as of 865, the cultures, the religions, the philosophies, the lived experiences, and all the other basics of both English and Scandinavian societies; a gazetteer of the England of Northmen; the who, what, where, when, and why of both the historical Viking invasion and the Viking invasion in the world of Northmen (two different things); rules for large-scale battles; sixty manuscript pages of new treasure types and items; and a long list of resources for people interested in learning more. The Bestiary , a descriptive catalogue of 240+ new monsters for the setting. Rather than create a third book for the Kickstarter, I decided to put the entirety of the Bestiary–all 240+ new monsters–on a free website whose design will be paid for by the Kickstarter and which will contain not just the Bestiary but all the errata and freebie material for Northmen.various add-ons: a poster-sized map of the England of the Northmen setting; a pad of Northmen character sheets; a leather Northmen dice tray; and a set of six Northmen dice.Northmen is unlike any other Viking rpg ever published–more historical information (as much as fun allows) and more intensely researched setting, cast of characters, and monsters–and it’s pretty good. (Admittedly, I’m biased). So…take a look, won’t you? Thanks!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1651697370/the-fury-of-the-northmen

A story by me in which I attempt to tell a Lovecraftian tale that’s never been told before.

reverse the charges

It’s true. I converted my blasphemously long Victorian encyclopedia–all 2,259 manuscript pages of it–into a series of web pages which are now publicly accessible.

Of course, I’d still prefer you buy the ebook over at Amazon–only $9.99, which comes out to 4/10ths of a penny per page, and where else are you going to get a deal like that?–but I know people don’t like to use Amazon and of course there are those of you who can’t afford it. So every page is open to the public. I hope you find it useful!