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Daredevil: The Pill Popper Without Fear!

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 It's well known that when asked by the government in 1971 to do an anti-drug story for Spider-Man, Stan Lee obliged and released the comics without the Comics Code approval, because the Code did not allow for any portrayal of drugs, even negative. In the story, Peter Parker's roommate Harry gets addicted to pills first abusing amphetamines and barbiturates and then getting pills from a dealer to make him feel "on top of the world."  If someone brings up drugs and Daredevil, they'll probably think of the "Born Again" storyline where Daredevil's ex-girlfriend, Karen Page, sold his identity to the Kingpin for a fix of heroin.  However, Daredevil and drugs started much earlier. In Daredevil Annual #1, published in 1967, while battling Electro and his Emissaries of Evil, Daredevil stops and opens his billy club to pop a pill into his mouth. The dialogue says those are "nutrient capsules" that fill his stomach since he doesn't have time to e

Guest Star Spider-Man: Strange Tales Annual #2

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 I thought it would be interesting to see how Spider-Man was portrayed as a guest star in other comics during the first 100 issues of The Amazing Spider-Man.  Writer: Stan Lee Penciler: Jack Kirby Inker: Steve Ditko Looking at the cover, there's not a spider insignia on the front of Spider-Man's costume. Other than that, it's a solid cover. The story is just 18 pages. The rest of the 72 pages advertised on the cover is for reprints, monster stories before the Human Torch took over Strange Tales.   I haven't usually drawn attention to who the inker was, except it was Steve Ditko which helps bring Spider-Man closer in line to how he looked at the time.  So the story begins with the Human Torch jealous because Spider-Man has been getting favorable write ups in magazines and newspapers, which kind of contradicts how Spider-Man is portrayed in his own comic. Outside of Amazing Fantasy #15, Spider-Man seemed regularly vilified in the press, led by The Daily Bugle's J. Jo

Tom DeFalco Cancels Barbie?

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  "Bye Bye Barbie"  May 1994 Writer: Barbara Slate Penciler: Mary Wilshire Inker: Trina Robbins Editor: Hildy Mesnik Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco Plot: Barbie and Barbie Fashion editor Hildy Mesnik has to break the news to the artists who produce Barbie that it is canceled.  This is probably the only related Barbie post I will do, because it features Tom DeFalco. DeFalco, then editor in-chief, tells editor Hildy Mesnik that they are canceling the Barbie titles. DeFalco remarks that girls will just have to read Fantastic Four , a title he was writing at the time.  Devastated, Hildy calls all the talent on the Barbie comics and tells them that the comic has been canceled.  However, Hildy decides that she's going to try and save the Barbie comics after all and marches down to DeFalco's office. However, it turns out to have been an April Fool's Day prank that DeFalco and characters of Barbie have played on her.  There are some interesting codas to this story. Bar

Avengers Unlimited Infinity Comic #38

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  Writer: Tom DeFalco Penciler: Ron Frenz Synopsis: A foe from the Avengers first battle comes back to seek revenge.  Comments: Uroc was first appeared in Thor #408 and was created by Tom DeFalco and Mike Mignola. In Thor #450, Uroc's left hand was frozen and destroyed by the special forces police team of Code: Blue. In Wolverine #137, written by Eric Larsen and drawn by Jeff Matsuda (designer on The Jackie Chan Adventures and The Batman ), Uroc had both hands intact, so Uroc's history on Earth 982 must diverge from Thor #450 and the events of Wolverine #137 did not happen. Uroc was created before Hellboy (Mignola's most famous creation), but shares a resemblance to him with the filed down horns on his head. Frenz has strengthened the resemblance by giving Uroc a presumably prosthetic uru left hand that resembles Hellboy's right hand as a tribute to his creator.  Sabreclaw looks like the trolls. I thought it might result in a friendly fire incident.  There's a