The theme of Green Lantern 7 (July-Aug. 1961) can be traced back about 2,400 years, to…
Dan Hagen
Dan Hagen is a retired newspaper journalist and editor, a former journalism professor, and a mighty comics presence in print and on the web. You can find Dan's work at... danhagengreatcaesar.blogspot.com, justimaginedanhagen.blogspot.com and captaincommentdanhagen.blogspot.com
JUST IMAGINE! March 1949: The Gidget with the Gadgets
You gotta get a gimmick, as Stephen Sondheim observed, and Merry Creamer-Pemberton had a plethora of…
JUST IMAGINE! July 1962: Another Face-Off with the Faceless
They were two of the most underplayed “superheroes” of the Silver Age. Two South Dakota Highway…
JUST IMAGINE! February 1959: Titano, Son of Kong
Several super-simians have complicated Clark Kent’s life over the years. He tangled with the massive escaped…
JUST IMAGINE! November 1956: Tanks for the Memories
A good part of Blackhawk’s unique appeal had to do with the fanciful, heavy-duty military hardware…
JUST IMAGINE! October 1962: The Flame Rekindled
As an 8-year-old, I wasn’t aware that the Human Torch had a famous prior history when…
JUST IMAGINE! June 1961: Super Pets Peeved
Loving both cats (although I was allergic to them) and the color orange, I naturally appreciated…
JUST IMAGING! May 1978: The Bionic Woman Meets The Prisoner
Martin Caidin’s 1972 novel Cyborg inspired the 1973-78 TV series The Six Million Dollar Man, which…
JUST IMAGINE! July 1960: The Invader from 4,500 Years Ago
The 66-foot-tall, 240-foot-long Great Sphinx of Giza has always loomed large in young imaginations, and comic…
January 1963: Neither Rain nor Sleet nor Alien Invasion…
I have long considered the cover of Strange Adventures 148 (Jan. 1963), to exemplify the title’s…
JUST IMAGINE! August 1963: In a Mirror Darkly
Battling bodies careering into and right through arcane architecture — this new superhero feature was clearly…
December 1952: The Joker Goes Crazier
The theme of insanity has always been central to the concept of the Joker. Though a…
May 1954: Aquaman’s Fantastic Voyage
Move over, Proteus. Aquaman got there first. In Adventure Comics 200 (May 1954), the Pentagon summons…
JUST IMAGINE! June 1983: You Only Live Twice
Lancelot Strong, the Shield, has a place of honor among the annals of short-lived superheroes. He…
JUST IMAGINE! June 1963: Models and Marvels
Contemporary readers might be surprised to realize that five of the 14 titles Marvel Comics published…
JUST IMAGINE! June 1959: The Short and Double Life of Private Strong
Even given the quirky history of comic books, The Double Life of Private Strong was an…
JUST IMAGINE! December 1947: The Super-Queen from the 7th Dimension
All-Flash 32 (Dec. 1947-Jan. 1948) became No-Flash with the next issue, which never appeared. Even as…