Comic-book Elvis

johnfoyle · Post by **johnfoyle** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 7:20 am

From listserv-

A very minor one in the most recent (and almost unreadable) issue of
"The Fantastic Four"...
As The Thing and The Human Torch are eating in a restaurant, we see a
poster for "The Delivery Man" hanging on the wall. So perhaps either
writer J. Michael Straczynski or artist Mike McKone is a fan.

I also picked up a hardcover copy of "Frank Miller's Spider-Man"
recently. In "Marvel Team-Up Annual #4" (written by Miller, with art by
Herb Trimpe and Mike Esposito), Spider-Man encounters the nefarious
Purple Man. (Yes, he's as lame as he sounds.) Said Purple Man
"hynotizes" (for lack of a better word) Spidey to climb up a lamp post
and recite Shakespeare. When Spidey admits that he doesn't know much
Shakespeare and is forced to recite something he does know, he starts
singing "Oliver's Army".

That's one hip web-slinger!

jim

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... ce&s=books

Complete Frank Miller Spider-Man
by Frank Miller

Unbound: 208 pages
Publisher: Marvel Comics; Comic edition (March 1, 2002)
Language: English
ISBN: 0785108998

stormwarning · Post by **stormwarning** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 6:15 pm

With my new avatar, everything falls neatly into place. He's dancing to Oliver's Army.

I think we should all make a pact to dance exactly the same way whenever EC plays this song live.

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 6:24 pm

I always have done anyway.

stormwarning · Post by **stormwarning** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 7:03 pm

Yes, I'd heard.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 9:10 pm

so lacklustre wrote:I always have done anyway.

Yes, but did you do it in a lycra bodysuit?

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 8:22 am

Sam, I'd do it for you, if you asked nicely.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 11:39 am

so lacklustre wrote:Sam, I'd do it for you, if you asked nicely.

My next trip to London then. We'll have to get you well tanked-up on Guinness and whiskey first!

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 9:15 am

He'll do anything for attention

bobster · Post by **bobster** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 3:05 pm

It's funny, but I just got back from the San Diego Comicon -- where comic books are now often not much more than a footnote, but that's another matter.

I haven't been reading many comic books of late, there really haven't been too many EC references I've caught. I think Neil Gaiman might have thrown one in somewhere in "Sandman."

As for non-genre comics, there's also a 24 hour comic (i.e., a comic book created in 24 hours) by Alex Robinson called "Brilliant Mistake", which is a direct reference.

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 4:01 am

Does it feature the King of America?

bobster · Post by **bobster** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 2:43 pm

No, but the cover reads "It was a fine idea at the time, but now...." above the title. Also, I talked with Alex about it when I bought it. (Still haven't read it, though...it's in a box someplace!)

JEM · Post by **JEM** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 1:14 pm

This is kind of wierd. When I was a kid, I had a copy of the DC/Marvel team up of Superman and Spiderman (they fight Luthor and Doc Oc if you must know). I haven't seen it in years, but I have always remembered that at some point in there that Peter Parker (or maybe someone else) sings.... Oliver's Army!

Must be one of his favorites.

PS - I just got tickets today for Wolf Trap on the 31st! This will be my first time seeing him. Can't wait.

bobster · Post by **bobster** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 4:02 pm

I bought that quite anxiously when it first appeared. (It was THE event of the year, for some of us. I mean, Marvel and DC were, quite literally, two separate universes. It was so wrong, yet so inevitable....) I hadn't really discovered EC yet, but I sure don't remember that one....

JEM · Post by **JEM** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 4:28 pm

I didn't really know the song at the time either - but I was really into music in general (Beatles mostly), so I remember wondering what song it was.

I might still have the book in tatters in storage. I'll try to find it and scan the page.

Poppet · Post by **Poppet** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 8:38 pm

bobster!! how was comic con?? report!!

your fan on the other coast, your poppet.

Will kane · Post by **Will kane** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 6:16 pm

The latest issue of DC comic's 'Solo' comic, featuring the work of Darwyn Cooke, has a story entitled 'King of America'.

There was a recent-ish Warren Ellis comic called 'Tokyo Storm Warning'.

10 · Post by 10 » Wed Jul 27, 2005 6:52 am

About 15 years ago or so, the artist who worked on The Amazing Spiderman AFTER Todd McFarlane (I cant remember his name), constantly drew Elvis Costello posters on Peter Parker's walls.

little martinet · Post by **little martinet** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 9:22 pm

reading this post made me remember something...

when I was younger, I absolutely devoured Archie comics (I still love them!). Anyway, I remember one storyline where Betty is friends with an elderly lady named Lydia, who was telling Betty a story about the love of her life, a solder named DECLAN MACMANUS!

I swear to God! I remember, because at the time I think Veronica (the EC single, not the Archie character) was out and I made the connection that DM was Elvis' real name.

I learned a lot from Archie comics.

Will kane · Post by **Will kane** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 7:39 am

About 15 years ago or so, the artist who worked on The Amazing Spiderman AFTER Todd McFarlane (I cant remember his name), constantly drew Elvis Costello posters on Peter Parker's walls.

Erik Larsen?

Extreme Honey · Post by **Extreme Honey** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 10:34 pm

Okay, boys, now we have finally unearthed the age-long mystery that has baffled scientists for years...Comic book artists really ARE Costello fans (and therefore worthy of praise).

johnfoyle · Post by **johnfoyle** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 3:12 am

Loads of comic book Elvis here !

http://preptimeposse.blogspot.com/2006/ ... cs-im.html

johnfoyle · Post by **johnfoyle** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 9:24 am

Extract from this -

' I should point out that this phenomenon isn't exclusive to old musty comics from yesteryear. Comedian of Comedy Patton Oswalt's 'JLA: Welcome to the Working Week' owes its title to an early Costello track, and just months ago in Action Comics #830, Gail Simone contributed to the tapestry with a Lois Lane subplot that interpolated "Everyday I Write the Book."'

Poor Deportee · Post by **Poor Deportee** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 2:28 pm

Kudos to that Blogger, who did ace work.

I've had vague memories of that 'Purple Man' episode for a long time, from my comic-book reading days as a 12-year old. But I'd always recalled the tune as 'Alison.' But tell me...does Spidey get to the 'one more widow one less white [N-WORD]' part in his recitation???

Very cool thread. In a nerdy kinda way natch

Hank · Post by **Hank** » Sun Feb 05, 2006 11:26 pm

Ah, that blogger would be me.

Thanks for the props, guys. It was those Erik Larsen years in Spider-Man (late 80s/early 90s) that introduced me to Costello, and since then I've always had a fascination with not only his music, but also the way he keeps coming up in the funny pages time and time again. It's really quite bizarre.

This seems like a pretty cool place. If no one minds I might hang around for a bit.

EDIT: And to johnfoyle, thanks for the heads up on the Fantastic Four reference. When I get a chance I'll try and amend that to the blog.

legman open to offers · Tue Feb 07, 2006 1:26 pm

Excellent work, Hank. Welcome welcome.