POLITIAN is an unfinished play by Poe, set in 16th-century Rome. Early parts of the play appeared in the Southern Literary Messenger, but it failed to garner good notices so Poe never finished it.
I'm tempted to hypothesize that this was Poe's attempt to ape Shakespeare, given that the play's main action depends upon sexual jealousy among the elite classes. Main character Castiglione has become engaged to his cousin, which is probably less reflective of Poe's own tendencies than of a contemporary scandal during Poe's era. The main character also has apparently had some romantic interaction with his father's ward-- who would be his sister in a functional though not biological sense-- and this would seem to be the only relevance of the play for modern Poe-enthusiasts, as it's pretty bereft of either comic or dramatic interest.
The tome I'm using, Running Press' UNABRIDGED EDGAR ALLAN POE, next prints three Poe efforts that I consider to be more in the vein of "essays." I assume they were included because they bear on the way the author composed some of his hoax-stories, like HANS PFALL. I don't consider the three essays relevant to my project and so I'm skipping them.
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
RAR #19: SNAKE-DANCE AND WITCH-WOMAN
The early 1970s may have given a featured berth to a new Native American superhero, Red Wolf,
but there were still a lot of bad Injuns in them thar comic-book hills-- and two of them appear in the GHOST RIDER comic.
SNAKE-DANCE appears in the last "Ghost Rider" story to be drawn by the character's co-creator Mike Ploog, and Ploog's art, seen in the above cover, is the only thing good about the character. As written by Mike Friedrich, Snake-Dance is an Apache medicine-man who wants to return his people to their old customs, including that of human sacrifice. Friedrich's story-arc dealing with Snake-Dance is essentially just another tired old quasi-imperialist fantasy of dark-skinned people sacrificing white victims. This might not be entirely out of line if there existed any solid proof that archaic Apaches ever had practiced human sacrifice. Both Snake-Dance's character and motives are pretty lame, and the conclusion of the arc, when Ghost Rider destroys the tribe's traditional sacrificial altar, is a little problematic. Given that the monster-hero possesses his power thanks to a deal with Satan, he's not exactly in a position to be throwing stones here.
WITCH-WOMAN, daughter of the unmemorable medicine-man, is a character with a little more potential, but Friedrich bungles that potential in a confused storyline. When she first appears under the name "Linda Littletrees," she's portrayed as the image of the "good Indian" who wants to live by the ways of modernity. However, she reveals to the Ghost Rider that she too has hellfire-powers like his own, and that she too is an emissary of Satan, bent on subjugating the rebellious skull-headed cyclist so he'll surrender into the service of Hell. Ghost Rider doesn't defeat her so much as escape her, and she appears to kill herself at Satan's command, though later she's resurrected and used as a pawn against the hero. This time, however, Ghost Rider manages to free Witch-Woman from her bonds to Satan and return her to the status of an ordinary woman. Friedrich writes one last story with her attempting to romance Ghost Rider's mortal identity, and then she disappeared from Marvel continuity, except for a much later appearance in a 1994 comic.
The most irritating thing about Friedrich's use of the character is that he breaks his own rules. In the debut issues of Ghost Rider's comic, the character only gains his powers because he makes a willing deal with Satan, but is able to avoid surrendering to the Devil by his own willpower (and an occasional assist from his girlfriend, though her role in the series diminished rapidly). However, Linda is victimized by a Satanic sect when she goes away to college. Her sacrifice by a phallic blade resembles the iconography of various "Satan-films" of the early 1970s, but Friedrich doesn't establish that she makes any pact with Satan prior to being killed, so why does she serve him? Indeed, the following panel implies that her murder was almost a form of sexual intercourse.
I don't have a problem with weird sexual fantasies in comic books, but this one undermines the rules of the writer's own universe, and shows that the author was just batting stuff out without much effort. Given the wasted potential of the character, it's just as well almost no one has tried to revive her.
but there were still a lot of bad Injuns in them thar comic-book hills-- and two of them appear in the GHOST RIDER comic.
SNAKE-DANCE appears in the last "Ghost Rider" story to be drawn by the character's co-creator Mike Ploog, and Ploog's art, seen in the above cover, is the only thing good about the character. As written by Mike Friedrich, Snake-Dance is an Apache medicine-man who wants to return his people to their old customs, including that of human sacrifice. Friedrich's story-arc dealing with Snake-Dance is essentially just another tired old quasi-imperialist fantasy of dark-skinned people sacrificing white victims. This might not be entirely out of line if there existed any solid proof that archaic Apaches ever had practiced human sacrifice. Both Snake-Dance's character and motives are pretty lame, and the conclusion of the arc, when Ghost Rider destroys the tribe's traditional sacrificial altar, is a little problematic. Given that the monster-hero possesses his power thanks to a deal with Satan, he's not exactly in a position to be throwing stones here.
WITCH-WOMAN, daughter of the unmemorable medicine-man, is a character with a little more potential, but Friedrich bungles that potential in a confused storyline. When she first appears under the name "Linda Littletrees," she's portrayed as the image of the "good Indian" who wants to live by the ways of modernity. However, she reveals to the Ghost Rider that she too has hellfire-powers like his own, and that she too is an emissary of Satan, bent on subjugating the rebellious skull-headed cyclist so he'll surrender into the service of Hell. Ghost Rider doesn't defeat her so much as escape her, and she appears to kill herself at Satan's command, though later she's resurrected and used as a pawn against the hero. This time, however, Ghost Rider manages to free Witch-Woman from her bonds to Satan and return her to the status of an ordinary woman. Friedrich writes one last story with her attempting to romance Ghost Rider's mortal identity, and then she disappeared from Marvel continuity, except for a much later appearance in a 1994 comic.
The most irritating thing about Friedrich's use of the character is that he breaks his own rules. In the debut issues of Ghost Rider's comic, the character only gains his powers because he makes a willing deal with Satan, but is able to avoid surrendering to the Devil by his own willpower (and an occasional assist from his girlfriend, though her role in the series diminished rapidly). However, Linda is victimized by a Satanic sect when she goes away to college. Her sacrifice by a phallic blade resembles the iconography of various "Satan-films" of the early 1970s, but Friedrich doesn't establish that she makes any pact with Satan prior to being killed, so why does she serve him? Indeed, the following panel implies that her murder was almost a form of sexual intercourse.
I don't have a problem with weird sexual fantasies in comic books, but this one undermines the rules of the writer's own universe, and shows that the author was just batting stuff out without much effort. Given the wasted potential of the character, it's just as well almost no one has tried to revive her.
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
SUPERHEROES ARE DAMN-NEAR EVERYWHERE #51
Primary JOHN ASTIN acted in the 1966 BATMAN teleseries and THE FRIGHTENERS, among others.
_________________
Primary SEAN ASTIN acted in THE LORD OF THE RINGS, among others.
Primary SEAN ASTIN acted in THE LORD OF THE RINGS, among others.
Saturday, January 21, 2017
SUPERHEROES ARE DAMN-NEAR EVERYWHERE #50
Peripheral ROBIN ASKWITH acted in QUEEN KONG with--
Primary VALERIE LEON from THE SPY WHO LOVED ME.
__________________
Primary ED ASNER has a couple dozen relevant credits, starting with "Jonah Jameson" in the 1994 SPIDER-MAN.
____________________
Primary ARMAND ASSANTE has a few credits, but only the JUDGE DREDD role is well known.
_____________
Primary FRED ASTAIRE (left) has just one credit, an episode of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA.
_________________-
Primary NILS ASTHER (not shown) has an uncredited role in 1949's SAMSON AND DELILAH.
Primary VALERIE LEON from THE SPY WHO LOVED ME.
__________________
Primary ED ASNER has a couple dozen relevant credits, starting with "Jonah Jameson" in the 1994 SPIDER-MAN.
Primary ARMAND ASSANTE has a few credits, but only the JUDGE DREDD role is well known.
Primary FRED ASTAIRE (left) has just one credit, an episode of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA.
Primary NILS ASTHER (not shown) has an uncredited role in 1949's SAMSON AND DELILAH.
Friday, January 20, 2017
SUPERHEROES ARE DAMN-NEAR EVERYWHERE #49
Primary AARON ASHMORE acted in several relevant TV shows, including LOST GIRL and KILLJOYS, with his role as Jimmy Olsen in SMALLVILLE being his most comic-centric.
____________________-
Primary SHAWN ASHMORE also appeared in SMALLVILLE but is best known as "Iceman" in the X-franchise.
________________
Primary LUKE ASKEW appeared in TV shows like AIRWOLF and movies like THE WARRIOR AND THE SORCERESS.
Primary SHAWN ASHMORE also appeared in SMALLVILLE but is best known as "Iceman" in the X-franchise.
Primary LUKE ASKEW appeared in TV shows like AIRWOLF and movies like THE WARRIOR AND THE SORCERESS.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
SUPERHEROES ARE DAMN-NEAR EVERYWHERE #48
Primary LINDEN ASHBY acted in two MORTAL KOMBAT movies and the TV series SPY GAME.
_________________
Peripheral PEGGY ASHCROFT acted in SECRET CEREMONY with--
Primary MIA FARROW, (left), as the mother of the 1984 SUPERGIRL.
______________________
Peripheral JANE ASHER (left) acted in THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH with--
Primary VINCENT PRICE, whose second tracing here I'll designate as the "combative comedy" THE RAVEN.
_______________
Primary ELIZABETH ASHLEY (right) confined her performances to a couple of TV shows, THE MAGICIAN and THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN.
______________________
Peripheral JENNIFER ASHLEY acted in BARN OF THE NAKED DEAD with--
Primary ANDREW PRINE (right), who has various relevant TV credits, the most significant being the original WONDER WOMAN telefilm.
________________
Primary JOHN ASHLEY (not shown) acted in just one relevant work, an episode of THE WILD WILD WEST.
_________________
Primary MIA FARROW, (left), as the mother of the 1984 SUPERGIRL.
Peripheral JANE ASHER (left) acted in THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH with--
Primary VINCENT PRICE, whose second tracing here I'll designate as the "combative comedy" THE RAVEN.
_______________
Primary ELIZABETH ASHLEY (right) confined her performances to a couple of TV shows, THE MAGICIAN and THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN.
______________________
Peripheral JENNIFER ASHLEY acted in BARN OF THE NAKED DEAD with--
Primary ANDREW PRINE (right), who has various relevant TV credits, the most significant being the original WONDER WOMAN telefilm.
Primary JOHN ASHLEY (not shown) acted in just one relevant work, an episode of THE WILD WILD WEST.
Friday, January 13, 2017
RAR #18: FIREHAIR
Since I've just finished a long blogpost on one of the adventures of "white Indian" Firehair, it behooves to me to include a general post on the character here as well.
Unfortunately, though Firehair's three adventures in the DC title SHOWCASE display the sterling artistic talents of his creator Joe Kubert, the character never went on to more than a few scattershot appearances elsewhere. Firehair appeared in 1969, at a time when westerns were beginning to wear out their welcome in American comics (though they did continue to see publication a lot longer than many other formerly popular genres). Over time, the character was largely consigned to guest-shots in titles like SWAMP THING.
He's also the first "white Indian" I've surveyed here, in accordance with the rules I set down in this blogpost. There was a 1940s heroine named "Firehair" as well, but she fails to qualify for a post here for the same reasons Tomahawk is disallowed.
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