# Ask the comic guy.. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 9, 2003, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415 "2003-01-09T01:53:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 18
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/341 "2003-02-04T02:47:41Z")
Um, no. Kingpin was always a very large white guy in every issue (three, I believe) I have ever seen him in. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/342 "2003-02-04T02:56:50Z")
I thought Duncan was a perfect choice to play Wilson Fisk(AKA The Kingpin). The Kingpin is a man who can and has killed with his bare hands. He controls an empire of drugs, prostitution and protection rackets among other less savory things. But, he’s also a human being with a personality and emotions. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/343 "2003-02-04T03:09:26Z")
I have to agree tere. Duncan is the only current actor with both the emotional range and the physical presence to portray the character. I look forward to seeing him as Darkseid in the _New Gods_ movie. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/344 "2003-02-04T03:35:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DrFidelius \* > \*\*I have to agree tere. Duncan is the only current actor with both the emotional range and the physical presence to portray the character. > > I look forward to seeing him as Darkseid in the _New Gods_ movie. \*\* I had not heard of this film. Duncan is a good choice. Although, I think Michael Ironside might be able to carry it off. Ironside did do Darkseid’s voice for the _Superman Adventures_. OOhh! Kylie Minogue _must_ play the yellow female fury, (IIRC) Mad Hettie! And I want Gillian Anderson as Lashina! And Rosie Odonnel as Stompa! ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/345 "2003-02-04T04:35:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fenris \* > \*\*I’ve completely lost track of who said what, but you ARE reading Girl Genius, right? And you do have the two issues of Grimjack that have the prelude to the story. > > And you do know that DC’s Stanley and his Monster series had a tie-in (a very loose one but still), right?\*\* Which two issues of **Grimjack**? My collection is not complete, but I have most of them somewhere. And you are going to have to spill it about the **Stanley and his Monster** tie-in too. I don’t know much about that series. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DocCathode \* > **Whatever happened to The Mad Maple anyway?** If you are referring to the prolific letter writing fan, he died a few years ago. I believe of cancer, but I am not certain, and I can’t find anything online about it. Lok ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/346 "2003-02-04T05:19:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DocCathode \* > \*\*Whatever happened to The Mad Maple anyway? \*\* I found two references to him on the net. [http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/comics/t17-3000-e.html](http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/comics/t17-3000-e.html) Which has a non-working link says he died in 1994. It seems that there was this comic book: Journey #23 (Dec 1995, Fantagraphics Books) @p? Various artists, including SA(Sergio Aragones), depict what they think legendary letterhack T.M. Maple looks like. A letter from the late T.M. Maple(Jim Burke): [http://theages.superman.ws/maple.php](http://theages.superman.ws/maple.php) ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/347 "2003-02-04T11:46:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DocCathode \* > \*\*Whatever happened to The Mad Maple anyway? \*\* I believe I read in a lettercol somewhere that he died ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/348 "2003-02-04T12:00:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lok \* > \*\*Which two issues of **Grimjack**? My collection is not complete, but I have most of them somewhere. And you are going to have to spill it about the **Stanley and his Monster** tie-in too. I don’t know much about that series. \*\* Actually, it’s only one Grimjack: #40. The Heterodyne boys visit Munden’s Bar. Side-splittingly funny. **Stanley and his Monster** were characters that had a back-up series in the late '60s in the comic **Fox and Crow**. Frankly it was so-so. Stanley was a kid who lisped ('cause speech defects are funny) and his Monster was a big magenta thingie. No-one but Stanley ever saw the Monster (who’s name was Massachusetts…'cause it was funny to ‘hear’ Stanley try to pronounce it.) Anyway after the demise of humor books, ( **Sugar and Spike** :: sob :: ) the characters were pretty much ignored for 20 years. Foglio got his hands on the characters in the late 80s and did some minor revamps (all for the better). The Monster got changed to a demon who’d been infected with goodness and left Hell 'cause he just didn’t fit in (He’d give milk and cookies to the damned souls, for instance). Anyway, in the fourth issue, the sub-plot centered around a copy of one of the “Heterodyne Boys” books. Fenris ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/349 "2003-02-04T17:46:15Z")
And, I might add, the Vertigo books got a hilarious tweaking. Great fun, the Stanley and his Monster series. Jellomancy! Chaim Mattis Keller ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/350 "2003-02-04T18:15:26Z")
Right, the treehouse plans were in the “Heterodyne Boys Book of 1001 Things You Can Build” or something like that. There were also plans for a dirigible that a friend of the family started building. Let’s see, the Vertigo-esque character was supposed to be, I forget, a nineteenth century writer, wasn’t it? He was still alive and was constantly mistaken for John Constantine. That was a good bit. Likewise the silent angel who held up cue cards rather than speak. Yeah, Foglio’s pretty good. I like his fan page art for Good Omens. ---
**Author:** ![Trion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Trion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trion)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/351 "2003-02-04T18:28:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fenris \* > > * * * > > Anyway after the demise of humor books, ( **Sugar and Spike** :: sob :: ) the characters were pretty much ignored for 20 years. > \*\* You know, I’ve always suspected that Sugar and Spike grew up to star in The Sims. After all, isn’t “glshbx” just another word for “keevaloosh”? ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/352 "2003-02-04T18:39:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fenris \* > > * * * > > Actually, it’s only one Grimjack: #40. The Heterodyne boys visit Munden’s Bar. Side-splittingly funny. > > **Stanley and his Monster** were characters that had a back-up series in the late '60s in the comic **Fox and Crow**. Frankly it was so-so. Stanley was a kid who lisped ('cause speech defects are funny) and his Monster was a big magenta thingie. No-one but Stanley ever saw the Monster (who’s name was Massachusetts…'cause it was funny to ‘hear’ Stanley try to pronounce it.) > > Anyway after the demise of humor books, ( **Sugar and Spike** :: sob :: ) the characters were pretty much ignored for 20 years. > > Foglio got his hands on the characters in the late 80s and did some minor revamps (all for the better). The Monster got changed to a demon who’d been infected with goodness and left Hell 'cause he just didn’t fit in (He’d give milk and cookies to the damned souls, for instance). Anyway, in the fourth issue, the sub-plot centered around a copy of one of the “Heterodyne Boys” books. > > Fenris \*\* I remember that issue now. I didn’t know who they were at the time, and it has been so long, I never made the connection. I konw who Stanley and his Monster are, but I only read 1 or 2 stories way back when, and I have never seen the mini. I guess it is DC continuity since Kevin Smith used it in GA. Lok ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/353 "2003-02-04T21:40:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fenris \* > \*\*Tell me. > > Freff was a pretty popular up-n-coming fan-turning-pro artist in the mid-'70s. His work appeared in Galaxy/Worlds of If magazine IIRC among other places. Then he vanished. I don’t know where/how/why. > > All I know about **D’Arc Tangent** is that Foglio has always used the “creative differences” type lingo to describe what happened and apparently the two of 'em shared copyright on the characters. Sigh. > > I’ve completely lost track of who said what, but you ARE reading Girl Genius, right? And you do have the two issues of Grimjack that have the prelude to the story. > > And you do know that DC’s Stanley and his Monster series had a tie-in (a very loose one but still), right? > Freff can be found here. > > As to Stanley and his Monster being in continuity, they are, but not the way Foglio envisioned them. I preferred his version to Smith’s (although I liked his GA otherwise). > > Fenris, Foglio Fanatic feels Phil’s Fine Linework would suit Fin Fang Foom. 😉 \*\* ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/354 "2003-02-04T21:41:34Z")
Now how the hell did that happen? \*\*Freff can be found here. As to Stanley and his Monster being in continuity, they are, but not the way Foglio envisioned them. I preferred his version to Smith’s (although I liked his GA otherwise).\*\* belongs to me, not Fenris. Sorry about that. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/355 "2003-02-04T22:07:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Max Carnage \* > **Someone on usenet I think once suggested that Franklin Richards was keeping everything the same age while the world around progressed. He could do it.** One day I will write Fantastic Four, and this will be my plotline. Seriously, I was just thinking about this in the last couple of days, & it ain’t the first time. When in doubt… blame John Byrne. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/356 "2003-02-04T22:27:20Z")
Drastic: If I remember the old X-Men’s correctly, Professor Xavier and his evil stepbrother Kain (sp?) served during the Korean War. In fact, I think that’s where Kain discovered the Helmet of Cytorrak, which enabled him to become the Juggernaut. Tony Stark became Iron Man as a result of visiting Viet Nam. I remember one old Thor where the Thunder God visits that land at the height of the war and makes a profound difference in a communist commander’s brief life. Of course, Dr. Manhattan and The Comedian both fought in Vietnam. Servant to the “Precious” and ResIpsaLoquitor: Superman: Our Worlds At War sounds like a new version of the old Legion of Super-Heroes versus the Suneater. In brief, the Suneater, a huge, I mean we’re talking a creature with a diameter that can be measured in light-seconds or light-days, is threatening to eat the Earth’s sun and possibly a lot of other stars in our Galaxy. Only the Fatal Five and Legionnaires Superboy, Cosmic Boy, Princess Projectra, Sun Boy, and Ferro Lad are availabe to face the thing. It was a pretty good two-parter back in the '60’s, and, aside from greed, I don’t know why DC decided to redo the basic idea. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/357 "2003-02-04T22:35:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Peyote Coyote \* > \*\* In fact, I think that’s where Kain discovered the Helmet of Cytorrak, which enabled him to become the Juggernaut. > > \*\* Crystal of Cytorrak, actually. Was that in Korea? I always thought it was someplace in South America, or maybe Africa. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/358 "2003-02-04T22:46:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Peyote Coyote \* > \*\* Superman: Our Worlds At War sounds like a new version of the old Legion of Super-Heroes versus the Suneater. In brief, the Suneater, a huge, I mean we’re talking a creature with a diameter that can be measured in light-seconds or light-days, is threatening to eat the Earth’s sun and possibly a lot of other stars in our Galaxy. Only the Fatal Five and Legionnaires Superboy, Cosmic Boy, Princess Projectra, Sun Boy, and Ferro Lad are availabe to face the thing. It was a pretty good two-parter back in the '60’s, and, aside from greed, I don’t know why DC decided to redo the basic idea. \*\* Actually, they redid it as Final Night, a few years ago. Ferro Lad was also introduced then, as a twentieth century hero who joined the Legion while several members were stranded in the 20th. He survived this time because Hal Jordan gave his life to reignite the sun. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/359 "2003-02-04T23:42:49Z")
Max: Have spent the last 20 minutes or so looking at some web sites, but I can’t find any containing information about the Juggernaut. I could have sworn it was Korea as I believe Professor X and Cain were in uniform. I have to go now as I’m getting a headache from hunger. P.S. I pretty much quit reading Marvels in the mid-'80’s and looking at those web sites made me glad I did. The “House of Ideas” apparently ruined Crystal. Hell, I gathered she has slept with at least half the Marvel Universe. Photopat: Thanx, I didn’t know that. DC has apparently decied to imitate Marvel is recycling the same epic story over and over again. I’m thinking of the Phoenix saga, in case you couldn’t tell. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415/360 "2003-02-05T00:24:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Max Carnage \* > \*\*Crystal of Cytorrak, actually. Was that in Korea? I always thought it was someplace in South America, or maybe Africa. \*\* Actually, it was the Ruby of Cyttorak. His name is CAIN Marko. The inscription on the gem: “Whosoever touches this gem shall possess the power of the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak. Henceforth, you who read these words shall become forevermore a human juggernaut.” [http://www.marveldirectory.com/individuals/j/juggernaut.htm](http://www.marveldirectory.com/individuals/j/juggernaut.htm) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415.md?page=17) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-comic-guy/147415.md?page=19)