Once Upon a Geek

Thanks once again to everyone that stopped by during BLUE DEVIL WEEK here at Once Upon a Geek. Based upon feedback I’ve received, quite a few people have enjoyed the Dan Mishkin & Gary Cohn interview.  I’m thrilled to hear that!  Keep your comments coming!

There were a couple images I’ve presented previously that I couldn’t resist including again.  First up is an advertisement for Blue Devil #1 that ran in DC comics in the month of June 1984.  I simply love this shot!

Next up is an advertisement from 1986 promoting the Blue Devil/Firestorm crossover.

I ran the scan above of this ad a few months back.  Well… I was amazed when Frank over at …nurgh… ran the same image last week, but with a much better resolution.  Click here to see the amazingly clear copy of this advertisement.

Thanks again to all the visitors to BLUE DEVIL WEEK!  With FLASH WEEK, AQUAMAN WEEK, FIRESTORM FAN, and BLUE DEVIL WEEK all behind me, I’m only got one left to cover of my top five favorite superheroes – Doctor Fate.  It will probably be a while, but I”ll get around to it.

BLUE DEVIL WEEK concludes here at ONCE UPON A GEEK…

Today we’ve got a very special treat – the first creator interview from ONCE UPON A GEEK!  Dan Mishkin and Gary Cohn, creators of the DC comic book characters Blue Devil and Amethyst Princess of Gemworld, were kind enough to spend some time with Ravenface and I discussing their creations.

Dan Mishkin & Gary Cohn both have been professional writers for nearly 30 years.  Their writing credits go on for miles, whether writing as a team or independently.  They are probably best known together for creating Blue Devil and Amethyst Princess of Gemworld, but they have also written a great deal on their own.  Just to name a few items… Dan wrote the Wonder Woman comic from 1982 through 1985, and more recently published a children’s book entitled The Forest King: Woodlark’s Shadow;  Gary wrote Shi for Crusade Comics and the Masters of the Universe action figure mini-comics.

Dan and Gary are true professionals and a joy to talk with.  We truly appreciate how generous they were with their time.  They indulged all our fanboy questions and explained a lot of the inner-workings of the comic book industry.   We talked about the characters, artists, the writing process, creator rights, proposed action figures, crossovers, and much more! I believe any comic book reader, even if you aren’t a fan of Blue Devil or Amethyst, would genuinely enjoy this interview.

Dan and Gary did a fantastic interview about Blue Devil for Back Issue magazine two years ago. In that interview they discussed things such as: how they came together as a writing team; what inspired them to create Blue Devil; and what was it like working with artist Paris Cullins. It’s the holy grail of Blue Devil interviews, so we did not re-tread those same questions here. If you haven’t read that excellent interview, issue #21 of Back Issue is available as a digital download from TwoMorrows Publishing.  Normally the digital download would cost you about $3, but they are running a special right now and this particular issue is FREE in PDF format. Go check it out!

During our interview we reference two different Amethyst-related works of art.  Here are links to both of those:

• Early Amethyst art by Ernie Colon
• Superman and Batman: World’s Funnest comic page by Ty Templeton featuring Gemworld

Our interview with Dan and Gary lasted an astonishing one hour and forty-one minutes (101 minutes).   You may play the interview right here on the ONCE UPON A GEEK site with the handy-dandy player below! I apologize for not offering the interview in text format, but transcribing an interview that long would have taken months.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Alternatively, you may download the file and listen to it on an MP3 player or your computer. You may download the interview by right-clicking here, choosing “Save Target/Link As”, and selecting a location on your computer to save the file (48.5 MB).

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy the interview.  If you are in the Michigan area, please try to attend the Kids Read Comics event in Chelsea, Michigan on June 12-13.  Dan has been heavily involved with this event and it sounds really special.  You can read more about the Kids Read Comics event on their website.

This will do it for BLUE DEVIL WEEK!  Thanks to everyone for reading!   Long live Blue Devil and Amethyst!

BLUE DEVIL WEEK continues here at Once Upon a Geek! Today we’ll be spotlighting some of my favorite comic book covers related to Blue Devil. Also, be sure to come back tomorrow for a 90-minute audio interview with the creators of Blue Devil and Amethyst, Dan Mishkin & Gary Cohn!

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, the early Blue Devil issues were really the best.  That’s why the selection of covers below is really heavy on the early Blue Devil issues.

Here is the cover to Blue Devil #1.  Paris Cullins did a great job laying out this cover.  You’ve got the heroic pose in the foreground, the background telling the story, and the film strip at the bottom with the supporting cast.  Well done!  A real classic!

I can’t explain it, but there is something magical about issue #2 comic covers from the 1970s & 1980s.  I’m not just talking about Blue Devil, but almost any issue #2 from the 70s/80s.  I feel the same way about the covers of Firestorm #2, New Teen Titans #2, West Coast Avengers #2, and so on.  Back then issue #1 was usually self-contained, so issue #2 was almost like a sequel. I’m a sucker for sequels, so maybe that’s part of it.  Anyone else feel this way?  Regardless, another great cover by Paris!  Blue Devil’s facial expression is really cool.  He looks really tough.   This is also the start of snarky caption boxes on the cover.  We’ll see a few more as the series progresses.

It was nice that Blue Devil was placed so firmly in the DC universe early on.  You can see the guest stars listed on the cover below and Zatanna featured prominently.  Paris’ rendition of Zatanna is still the definitive version in my mind.  I also like the shadows playing across the characters on this one.  Better watch out Danny for Nebiros and the snarky caption box!

I always love seeing Blue Devil fly into action with his trident!  It was a very unusual way for a hero to get around back then.  Another great Paris Cullins cover (also featuring Zatanna), but what really puts this cover over the top is the snarky caption box.  “And just for good measure — A Special Guest Star: THE MEXICAN ARMY!“  LOL!

Issue #6 is where the humor of Blue Devil really hit its stride.  The cover does a phenomenal job reflecting that.  I love the use of the word balloon on the cover.  By 1984, word balloons on covers were fairly unusual.  They were best used for humor (or villains so over-the-top it was funny).   Paris did an awesome job with Blue Devil’s body language and all the background detail work.  One of my absolute favorites!

I’ve displayed issue #7’s cover here before, but it’s worth showing again.  Again, the humor was firing on all cylinders at this point. This is where the Trickster begins to play a reoccurring role in Blue Devil’s life.  Paris did this cover, even though he was no longer the regular artist on the interiors at this point.  My favorite bit is again the snarky caption box, “… and a 1959 Pink Cadillac in PERFECT CONDITION!“  I find that hilarious!  I can understand how difficult it would be to get a 1959 Pink Cadillac in mint condition in real life, but in a comic?!?!  Too funny!

Probably my favorite Trickster comic cover ever!  Paris has a way of drawing dynamic scenes, yet they have a slight cartoonish look about them.  Mishkin & Cohn’s idea for a bank robbery in mid-air — Genius!  This issue is a laugh riot.  You should read it, and then read it again.

First appearance of Kid Devil (a.k.a. Red Devil), and a wonderful spoof of Robin’s first appearance.  Blue Devil’s embarrassment is wonderful.

Fantastic drawing of Marla!  Paris really nailed the look of her struggling to keep these two apart.  And another hilarious snarky caption box!

Blue Devil + Firestorm?  What else could an Irredeemable Shag ask for?!?!  Great cover!  I love the shadowing on this piece, and Firestorm’s got Kirby dots!  KIRBY DOTS!  Hooray!

All these Blue Devil action figures are adorable!  Super fun cover and really nice perspective.

The Blue Devil Summer Fun Annual #1 is where it all came together.  Dan Mishkin & Gary Cohn brought the humor and the adventure, while Paris Cullins brought his amazing artistry.  This comic is phenomenal!  Do yourself a favor and pick up this book. If you own it already, go re-read it.  It’s witty, fun, and full of action.  The best single issue of Blue Devil!

Here is Blue Devil from his JLA days, but before his awful second costume. I liked Wojtkiewicz’s style.  It was somewhat cartoonish, like Paris Cullins’ style.

This Shadowpact issue is where they really started to develop Blue Devil.

This Shadowpact cover is just awesome.  Blue Devil looks smaller than usual, but is cranking out so much power.  Very nice!

I like this Justiniano cover of Blue Devil battling Etrigan.  During the Shadowpact series they built a rivalry between these two demon characters.

That’s all the covers for now.  Tomorrow wraps up BLUE DEVIL WEEK with a 90-minute audio interview with the creators of Blue Devil and Amethyst, Dan Mishkin & Gary Cohn! See you then!

BLUE DEVIL WEEK continues here at Once Upon a Geek! Today we’ll be spotlighting places Blue Devil has turned up outside of comic books. Don’t forget, on Friday we’ll feature an exclusive ONCE UPON A GEEK interview with the creators of Blue Devil!

Animation

Blue Devil made a few cameos in the Justice League Unlimited animated series, including the episode “Dark Heart” in which he had a non-speaking appearance along with most of the league. He had a line in the episode “Destroyer” in which he yelled for everyone to get to the Javelins.  Those minor appearances led Blue Devil to a lead role in the comic book Justice League Unlimited #25.  In that issue, Blue Devil struggled with his role as a hero because the people he rescued were frightened by his appearance.

Action Figures

Justice League Unlimited

The first Blue Devil action figure was produced as part of the Justice League Unlimited toy line in 2007 (seen below). This figure is 4.5 inches tall (5 inches if you count the horns).  While he doesn’t look exactly like a Paris Cullins drawing, it’s a pretty good representation of the original Blue Devil design (admittedly with an “animated series” look to him).  You’ve got the trident, the goatee, the earring, the pointy ears, the flared shoulders and collar, the blue and yellow colors look great, and the devil design around the belt is there.  The horns aren’t exactly right and he’s got a tail for some reason, however, those can be overlooked.  I was just happy to see a Blue Devil figure produced!

DC Direct

There is another Blue Devil figure due out July 22, 2009 from DC Direct (see below).  This figure will stand 6.5 inches tall and is patterned from George Perez’s drawings in the classic 1986 History of the DC Universe comic book.  I’m not entirely thrilled with the face on this prototype figure. My hope is that the final figure’s face will look slightly more like the comic character.

Unproduced Super Powers Figures

Believe it or not, Kenner was developing Blue Devil and Shockwave action figures slated for the Super Powers collection back in the mid-1980s.  Unfortunately, the line was canceled before these figures could be produced.  You can read all about it, see presentation artwork, and mock-up figures by clicking here.  For information specific to the unproduced Blue Devil figure click here.  For information specific to the unproduced Shockwave figure click here.

You really gotta check out those unproduced Super Powers figures.  They look so friggin’ cool!  I would’ve loved these figures as a child.  It also goes to show how popular Blue Devil was during the mid-1980s.

Games/Trading Card

Heroclix

Here is a Blue Devil HeroClix game piece from WizKids. HeroClix is a collectible miniatures game in which players construct teams of heroes and villains to play out a battle turn-by-turn on a grid map. Blue Devil came in three different ranks: Rookie #43, Experienced #44, and Veteran #45 (shown here).  While the Blue Devil figure looks the same for each rank, the Rookie and Experienced feature Blue Devil on an elevated plane (to represent the use of his trident when flying).  The Blue Devil HeroClix are from the “Collateral Damage” set produced in 2006. The Rookie and Experienced ranks are considered to be “uncommon”, while the Veteran rank is considered to be “rare” (meaning somewhat difficult for collectors to obtain).  The Rookie is worth 50 points, the Experienced is worth 76 points, and the Rare is worth 100 points (showing that Blue Devil became more powerful later in his career).  If all that is meaningless to you, don’t worry. The cool thing is they made a Blue Devil game piece and used his costume from Shadowpact.  I love the trident and the flames!

VS Trading Card System

There were two Blue Devil cards from the “VS System” collectible card game produced by Upper Deck. In the game, players build and play a deck of VS System cards in an attempt to win a game against their opponent.

The first card is “Blue Devil: Dan Cassidy” and is #DCR-045 from the “Infinite Crisis” set produced in 2006. His attack rating is 4, his defensive rating is 2, and he has a casting cost of 2.  When activated you lose 4 endurance, however, when Blue Devil leaves play you gain 6 endurance.  The quote on the card is, “Lately, all Big Blue does with his powers is throw drunks like me out of the Oblivion.“  Phil Noto did the art.

The second card is “Blue Devil: Big Blue” and is #DCR-046 from the same set.  His attack rating is 10, his defensive rating is 10, and he has a casting cost of 5.  When activated you lose 4 endurance, however, when Blue Devil leaves play you gain 8 endurance.  The quote on the card is, “Our heavy hitter used to be a stuntman, but a magical accident turned him big, mean, and blue.“  Great art by Alex Horley!

Now, if all the attack, defense, and casting cost jargon is meaningless, don’t sweat it. Just be happy they included Blue Devil in this popular card game.

Mayfair RPG

Role-playing statistics for Blue Devil were published by Mayfair Games in 1993 for the DC Universe Who’s Who Volume 3 role-playing companion. Mayfair’s supplements featured role-playing statistics for each character, tips to role-playing the character (such as personality and subplots), and a complete list of comic book appearances for the character.  These were designed as companion pieces to DC’s Who’s Who loose-leaf edition published around the same time.

Below you will find the front-side and back-side of the Mayfair Who’s Who Blue Devil entry. If you are interested in reading the text, click the image for a larger version.

DC Trading Card

This final Blue Devil piece comes from the 1991/1992 DC Comics trading card set produced by Impel Marketing. Blue Devil is #37 in the series and the art was done by artists Paris Cullins and Robert Campanella. If you are interested in reading the text, click the image for a larger version.

That’ll do it for Blue Devil appearances outside of the comics.  Be sure to come back tomorrow where we’ll look at some favorite Blue Devil covers.  Also, don’t forget that on Friday we’ll have the very first ONCE UPON A GEEK creator interview featuring Dan Mishkin & Gary Cohn!

BLUE DEVIL WEEK continues here at Once Upon a Geek! Today we’ll be spotlighting some of my favorite stories and supporting characters from Blue Devil. Don’t forget, on Friday we’ll feature an exclusive ONCE UPON A GEEK interview with the creators of Blue Devil!

Great Stories

The earliest Blue Devil stories are without a doubt the best.  I could die a happy man if DC were to collect: the Blue Devil Preview comic (published in The Fury of Firestorm #24), Blue Devil issues #1-9, and the Blue Devil Summer Fun Annual #1.  These comics really form the foundation for the Blue Devil mythos and nearly all of them feature gorgeous artwork by Paris Cullins.  The stories feature action, drama, and a healthy dose of humor.  Here you meet Dan Cassidy and follow his transition from Hollywood stuntman to reluctant superhero.  You also get to see mainstream DC Universe characters such as: Zatanna, Superman, Elongated Man, Phantom Stranger, Etrigan, Metallo, and the Trickster.  You even get some original characters in these stories, including: Shockwave, Bolt, Nebiros, and Gopher Bloomberg (who would go on to become the Teen Titan Red Devil).  If you’ve never read these issues, do yourself a favor and pick them up.  For less than $14, you can purchase all 11 of these comics right now from Mile High Comics (before shipping).

Another great Blue Devil story is the four-issue mini-series JLA: Black Baptism (2001).  In this story the JLA must stop the rampage of a mob of demons to protect the Sentinels of Magic.  This series prominently features Faust and Blue Devil, and was probably the best portrayal of Dan Cassidy since the original series had been canceled.  There really wasn’t much humor in this tale, but it was still a fine story.  This is another one you can pick up cheap online at Mile High Comics – all four issues for about $5 (before shipping).

Finally, Blue Devil’s recent return to stardom in Day of Vengeance and Shadowpact is worth mentioning. Bill Willingham and Matt Sturges really fleshed out the character for the first time in nearly 20 years.  Blue Devil starts out in the series as a bouncer for an interdimensional magic-users bar.  You then follow his journey as he learns more about the deal he made with the demon Neron, and that it’s the man that makes the hero (not the powers). You can pick up trade paperbacks of these great issues from your local comic book shop.  Be sure to look for or special order: Day of Vengeance; Shadowpact vol 1: The Pentacle Plot; Shadowpact vol 2: Cursed; Shadowpact vol 3 – Darkness and Light; and finally, Shadowpact: The Burning Age.

Great Supporting Characters

I was planning to write up information on each of my favorite supporting characters.  However, I simply don’t have the time and other folks have done it better than I could.  So I’ve listed my favorite supporting characters and have provided links so you can read more about each.  Nearly all of these links go to Justin’s Honest-to-Goodness Blue Devil Page.

• Wayne Tarrant
• Norm Paxton
• The Trickster
• Nebiros
• Smitty & Rojek
• Sharon Scott
• Marla Bloom
• Eddie “Gopher” Bloomberg  (a.k.a. Kid Devil/Red Devil)
• Shockwave
• Bolt
• Cain & Abel of the House of Weirdness – Yes, the same Cain and Abel from House of Mystery/Secrets
• The Blue Devil suit and Trident – Not exactly a supporting character, but critical to the stories

Don’t forget, on Friday be sure to catch the very first ONCE UPON A GEEK creator interview with Dan Mishkin & Gary Cohn!

It’s BLUE DEVIL WEEK here at Once Upon a Geek! In the grand tradition of FLASH WEEK and AQUAMAN WEEK, we’ll be exploring another of my top five favorite superheroes this week.  And to finish it off on Friday we’ll feature an exclusive ONCE UPON A GEEK interview with the Blue Devil creators!

Why I Like Blue Devil…

A blast of supernatural energy trapped Dan Cassidy — special effects master and stuntman supreme — in the skin of his greatest contraption! Forever after he would be an honest-to-goodness Blue Devil!

That was the brief description at the start of most issues of Blue Devil.  It was a good recap, but it didn’t capture how funny and endearing the character was.  One of Blue Devil’s greatest traits is that he’s a regular guy.  Regardless of how crazy the situation is around him, you can count on Blue Devil to provide a perspective you can relate to.  Whether we’re talking about the original Blue Devil series or the more recent Shadowpact series, he’s always maintained a Jimmy Stewart-like quality.  He’s the guy whose situation has spiraled out of his control, and yet he’s still struggling to do the right thing.

The humor that Blue Devil is known for typically comes from these outlandish situations and his responses.  In fact, that’s when Blue Devil works best in a comic; when he can spout off a bunch of one-liners in response to the insanity he’s caught up in.

Another reason I like Blue Devil is that I got in on the ground floor.  I picked up issue #1 off the shelf in 1984.  Here was a brand new hero that was funny and I could relate to!  I didn’t need to know 40 years of continuity and I felt like I was blazing my own trail of fandom (rather than just following the herds to Uncanny X-Men or New Teen Titans).  It felt like I was cheering for the underdog.

Finally, Blue Devil just looks cool. Paris Cullins work on the first six issues of Blue Devil is downright phenomenal.  Cullins has an incredible sense for layout & storytelling, and has a way of making static figures look dynamic & fun.  In Shadowpact, they redesigned Blue Devil’s look and gave his costume a much more “regular guy” appearance.  The new look of a t-shirt and pants really works for Blue Devil.  Now the look Blue Devil sported during his JLA years should be forgotten (1995-2005).  Yuck.

A Little History Lesson…

The much-beloved Blue Devil monthly series lasted 31 issues and one annual (1984-1986).  Blue Devil was created by the writing team of Dan Mishkin and Gary Cohn, and they did the entire Blue Devil monthly series.  In that series, Dan Cassidy’s powers came from the amalgamation of his stunt suit technology and the sorcery bestowed upon him by the demon Nebiros.   While he used his powers to help people, he was always the reluctant hero.  He would rather have found a way to remove the costume that had become grafted to his body.

After that, Blue Devil dropped off the radar for about seven years until he reappeared in a six-part story in Showcase ‘93, again written by Mishkin & Cohn.  He later joined the Justice League America (1995-1996) written by Gerald Jones.  During the Underworld Unleashed crossover (1995), he made a deal with the demon Neron for fortune and fame.  This deal resulted in a drastic transformation for Blue Devil into a true devil; he was no longer just a human in a suit. During this period he joined up with the Sentinels of Magic, and found himself roaming the Earth with Lucifer’s Trident banishing escaped demons back to Hell.

Blue Devil returned to the spotlight in the excellent Day of Vengeance (2005) mini-series by Bill Willingham.  This led to a fantastic spin-off called Shadowpact that was written by Bill Willingham and Matt Sturges.  Shadowpact lasted 25 issues (2006-2008), giving Blue Devil a real chance to shine once more.  Finally, Blue Devil recently appeared as part of the Reign in Hell (2008-2009) mini-series.

The years after the monthly series and before Days of Vengeance were not stellar for Blue Devil (1986-2005).  During that era Blue Devil died no less that three times.  I’m not kidding.  Once in Underworld Unleashed #3 (1995), next in Starman #38 (1998), and finally in JLA: Black Baptism #4 (2001).  Each time he managed to come back to life.  It sort of became a running joke.

More to Come…

Come back later this week as we cover things like: cool covers, favorite stories, supporting characters, action figures, trading cards, and Who’s Who.  Even if you are not a Blue Devil fan, I think you’ll find things of interest this week. On Friday be sure to catch the very first ONCE UPON A GEEK creator interview with Dan Mishkin & Gary Cohn!