Costume Capers

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Billy Bunny, Robot Fighter!


I saw nothing wrong with the way Magnus dressed when I was a kid.  In the 1960's, everybody who was anybody in the superhero biz wore skin tight nylon.  The only one whose costume bothered me was the Phantom, because clothing like that in a tropical jungle would be worse than impractical not to mention an obvious detriment to stealthy movement and jungle neutral coloration, never mind sweating.  As an aside, Magnus is way overdressed for swimming in the left hand panel.  I was on two swim teams for 5 years, and boots, utility belts and unitards are not the thing for swimming, particularly if speed might be very important, as it seems to be here.  But dig that fucking Think-Rob!  On dry land Magnus would attract derision in South Beach.  I mean, white go go boots with black leather?  Why Russ Manning, an Army veteran, chose such a get up for a man who could crack steel with his bare hands is beyond me. 


But I thought The Magus was pretty stylin' also.  In the 1970's such an outfit would not have been out of place or remarkable on the Temptations or Elton John, never mind David Bowie.  Now that cape Adam Warlock is wearing, hell, that's just weird!  I could never figure out why Batman wore a cape, Superman was a space alien and so beyond all earthly standards, I guess it helped him fly or something.  It was not until I started trying to draw again that I realized that Batman's cape is not for him but for the artists.  Nothing broods like a draped dangerous neurotic man of action. 


 David Finch, artist.

 And the Magus, who is pure evil and about to achieve his goal of ruling the entire universe for the rest of time, is not the one wearing a fanged gold skull brooch on his scarlet opera wear.
It makes sense that Gamora is dressed the way she is, these comics were marketed to sex crazed teenage boys and drawn by sex starved artists who probably did not tell single women what they really did for a living.
 

Russ Manning, artist.  Magnus Robot Fighter, Gold Key Comics.


  Jim Starlin, artist.  Gamora,  Adam Warlock, (aka Him), The Magus, (aka Adam Warlock), and Pip the Troll, (aka Jack Kirby).   Marvel Comics.


 Bonus Link!

perfesser-bear wrote and reminded me of the Richard Corben send-up of Magnus.  I read this decades ago and at that time I had forgotten all about Magnus.  This is a terrific story and just as ice cold as it can get.  Enjoy!







Richard Corben, Slow Death.  1972


Steve Holland, model.

I don't even know where to begin complaining about this cover.  And what is with wearing Speedo's over your purple bodysuit?  Is the Phantom concerned about something?  If you got it, baby, flaunt it!  And that mask.  Is he worried about being recognized without it?  The expression of the Phantom suggests that of a tired man who has just found a large, glistening, body temperature turd in his hotel bed.  He really should check out the Red Skull for pointers on how to pose in a comic book, let alone working on that Paul Lynde physique.  Oh, yeah.  The Phantom is the first comic hero in a form fitting body suit, and he is still going strong today.


  I got the Phantom picture off Pinterest as a Silver Age comic, but I believe the picture is a Whitman book cover.  Bad art and shitty paper was a mark of pride for those jokers!
But he is packing heat.  This alone makes him the smartest superhero I knew of back in the day.


Brooding Spartan hoplite, c. 500 BCE.  See what I mean about the cape?


 1929-1982.  You lifted me out of the tedium of childhood and into the future, and I am forever grateful.  Farewell!


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