Strange Tales #107: Flame On 26

Plot: Stan Lee

Script: Larry Lieber

Art: Dick Ayers

Lettering: Art Simek

Well, we didn't stick around long with Fantastic Four #13... So, back to Strange Tales then!

Today's 'Flame On' comes after Johnny, left at home instead of joining the team thanks to his shenanigans the previous issue, starts snooping through Sue's belongings. He soon comes across a framed photograph of Namor, the Sub-Mariner, proof that Sue still has feelings for him.

Ignoring the question of when exactly the picture was taken (maybe during his tenure as boss of SM Studios), he decides to head off and beat up Namor and prove himself worthy of inclusion in the rest of the team's activities.

There's not that much to say about this panel, save to note that the room must be pretty big for Johnny to be able to fly in an arc like he does.

Check out our coverage of Strange Tales #107 in our eleventh episode: Red? Yes! Communist? Yes! Russian? No!

[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/ffcast/Episode_11.mp3]

Strange Tales #106: Flame On 25

Plot: Stan Lee

Script: Larry Lieber

Art: Dick Ayers

Lettering: John Duffy

Take a look at the page and panel reference for today's image. Now go and see yesterday's. Now back to today's again. That's right, your eyes aren't deceiving you, and I've not made a mistake. Two FLAME ONs in three panels. Johnny sure has an ignition problem, and I'm sure it's nothing to do with Stan having to cover artistic inconsistencies that saw Johnny alternate between fiery and flame-free form from panel-to-panel.

Other details to notice include Reed's rarely-seen pipe, which would occasionally pop up in the early 1960s and in stories set during the early days of the Fantastic Four. Also take a look at Ben - his form has rarely been more 'lumpy-oatmeal'. As Kirby's main inker in the first couple of years on the book, Ayers played a large role in shaping the look of the Fantastic Four. It wasn't really until after he had moved on that the Thing's hide would move away from the organic, hide-like look to the more traditional 'rocky-platelets' look.

Check out our coverage of Strange Tales #106 in our tenth episode: Hulk? Smash!

[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/ffcast/Fantasticast_Episode_10_Final.mp3]

Strange Tales #106: Flame On 24

Plot: Stan Lee

Script: Larry Lieber

Art: Dick Ayers

Lettering: John Duffy

It's back to Strange Tales, and a particular favourite of ours. Not only is issue #106 the episode where Johnny's pretence at having a secret identity completely falls down, but it also introduces my favourite villain of the entire run - The Acrobat, aka... ZANTE!

ZANTE makes his way into the book by convincing Johnny that he would be better off in a team with him, rather than with his family. Johnny pop round to tell Reed and Ben the news, and predictably, gets into some sort of fight. Still, it makes for a nice ignition panel from Dick Ayers - his first of many.

Check out our coverage of Strange Tales #106 in our tenth episode: Hulk? Smash!

[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/ffcast/Fantasticast_Episode_10_Final.mp3]

Fantastic Four #12: Flame On 23

Script: Stan Lee

Art: Jack Kirby

Inking: Dick Ayers

Lettering: Art Simek

Ah, those halcyon days of times past. When an army base conducting top secret weapons research involving gamma rays would have a strange egg-shaped rail-mounted transport pod that anyone could jump into, only to find themselves at risk of being blown up by a booby trap laid by a most-literal card-carrying Communist spy with a penchant for kidnapping teenage sidekicks.

Ah, those halcyon days of times past. When a Fantastic Four comic would trail the appearance of the Hulk on the cover of the comic, only to be repeatedly sidetracked, ensuring that by the 3/4 mark, we have yet to see the jade giant himself.

It's not often that Kirby and Lee let their pacing instincts draw them this far off course, but with Fantastic Four #12, the moody and ominous cover acts as a tease to a fight that barely gets to happen in the issue. Thankfully, the next time the Hulk would meet the Fantastic Four, the action quota would be more than met.

Anyway, waxing lyrical has led me astray as well. Johnny's catchhrase is here employed as he charges off to try and save Ben from the exploding egg-shaped transport pod.

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #12 in our tenth episode: Hulk? Smash!

[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/ffcast/Fantasticast_Episode_10_Final.mp3]

Fantastic Four #12: Flame On 22

Script: Stan Lee

Art: Jack Kirby

Inking: Dick Ayers

Lettering: Art Simek

We continue small step backwards in the development of the Human Torch's signature catchphrase in today's panel from Fantastic Four #12.

We've got quite used to a triumphant FLAME ON! being given prominence on the page. Its own speech balloon, often with a thicker or jagged edge, significantly larger font, orange or red fill. It's become an occasion to look forward to in the narrative. Which is why this one just seems to be a bit lacklustre, struggling for room in its own panel, and not standing out in the context of the page at all.

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #12 in our tenth episode: Hulk? Smash!

[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/ffcast/Fantasticast_Episode_10_Final.mp3]

Strange Tales #105: Flame On 21

Plot: Stan Lee

Script: Larry Lieber

Art: Jack Kirby

Inking: Dick Ayers

Lettering: Art Simek

If you've been reading Fantastic Four and FF over the past few years, you'll know that Jonathan Hickman has done a great job positioning The Wizard as a highly-dangerous sociopathic anti-Reed Richards. So much so that Reed adopted a young clone of the Wizard just to ensure that another version of him wouldn't come into the world, that some positive nurture would affect him and make him less of a risk to society.

Which is why it's so hilarious to return to these early stories where the entire scope of the Wizard was to humiliate a 16 year old boy, all whilst sporting some of the worst facial hair ever seen in comics.

In this story, the Wizard escapes from jail and returns to his house, which he is able to shield from the police. He then broadcasts to the entirety of Glenville/dale (I forget which one it is) that he will battle the Torch to prove who is the better man. And, being a 16 year old boy, Johnny doesn't see anything wrong with rushing head-first into battle.

Idiot.

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #11 on our ninth episode: Episode 9 - Patriotic Pedestrians Proceeding from Planet Poppup Prefer Poorly Produced Podcasts!

[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/ffcast/Episode_9.mp3]

Fantastic Four #11: Flame On 20

Script: Stan Lee

Art: Jack Kirby

Inking: Dick Ayers

Lettering: Art Simek

Let's try this again, shall we? Evil WordPress ate my last attempt at writing this post.

In this final excerpt from Fantastic Four #11, the team still haven't conjured up any kind of plan to deal with the omnipotent shape-changing menace. So, they just attack him blindly with all of their powers. Which is why, when the Impossible Man takes to the skies, Johnny yells his catchphrase and gives chase.

Now, those of you reading this blog who are not seasoned comics readers may be looking at this panel and wondering to yourself, "Wow, there's a distinct lack of backgrounds, walls and floors there. It's almost as if this panel was rushed by Kirby and Ayers." Well, the more experienced readers will, of course, recognise that for this panel only, the entire Fantastic Four have been shunted into the Phantom Zone. Or the white room from Invincible. Yeah, that's it...

Sadly, none of the remaining panels from this issue are eligible for inclusion in the blog, so we are denied the enjoyment of watching an entire planet ignore the ADHD-ridden alien. My particular favourite is the shot of the boxers in the ring casually leaning against the ropes, yawning, whilst the Impossible Man desperately tries to get attention.

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #11 on our ninth episode: Episode 9 - Patriotic Pedestrians Proceeding from Planet Poppup Prefer Poorly Produced Podcasts!

[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/ffcast/Episode_9.mp3]

Fantastic Four #11: Flame On 19

Script: Stan Lee

Art: Jack Kirby

Inking: Dick Ayers

Lettering: Art Simek

It's a classic example of self-immolation today!

This is about as good as a Flame On gets.

Johnny's powering forward towards the camera, fully ablaze, a trail of fire looping behind him. His speech balloon bursts out of the panel - the frames of the comic aren't strong enough to contain his energy.

'Nuff said.

(Apart from a note that this comes from the second story in the issue, the titular battle with the Impossible Man)

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #11 on our ninth episode: Episode 9 - Patriotic Pedestrians Proceeding from Planet Poppup Prefer Poorly Produced Podcasts!

[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/ffcast/Episode_9.mp3]

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Strange Tales #104: Flame On 18

Plot: Stan Lee

Script: Larry Lieber

Art: Jack Kirby

Inking: Dick Ayers

Lettering: Art Simek

It's a good old fashioned battle cry today!

Thanks to the unfortunate timing of his flame running out and some nifty paste - the supreme weapon - skills from Paste Pot Pete, Johnny has found himself bound to a missile, unable to use his flaming powers to escape for fear that he would detonate the warhead. It's an effective - albeit slightly goofy - piece of peril for him to be caught in.

After directing a minute fireball to delicately burn away the paste, Johnny here cries out as he ignites, flying away from the missile, and just avoiding being caught in the ensuing explosion in the next panel.

Check out our coverage of Strange Tales #104 on our eighth episode: Don! Don! Don! Don-Don-Don! Don-Don-Don!

[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/ffcast/FF_Episode_8.mp3]

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Strange Tales #104: Flame On 17

Plot: Stan Lee

Script: Larry Lieber

Art: Jack Kirby

Inking: Dick Ayers

Lettering: Art Simek

Yes, it's been a little while. My attempts at keeping this daily are as fruitful as my attempts to keep the 20 Minute Longbox as a regular podcast...

It's back to the bread-and-butter of the blog today. After distracting the unsuspecting public Glendale with a highly-suspect flame duplicate, Johnny is finally free to cry FLAME ON and self-ignite. Why he couldn't just run around the corner whilst everyone was gawping at Paste-Pot Pete isn't really made clear, but as we'll see over the next couple of pages, the flame duplicate isn't just a distraction.

But that's for tomorrow.

Check out our coverage of Strange Tales #104 on our eighth episode: Don! Don! Don! Don-Don-Don! Don-Don-Don!

[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/ffcast/FF_Episode_8.mp3]

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Fantastic Four #10: Flame On 16

Script: Stan Lee

Pencilling: Jack Kirby

Inking: Dick Ayers

Uncredited Lettering: Art Simek

Tonight sees us finishing with page 2 of Fantastic Four #10, having posted all-but-one panel over the past few days.

Tucked away in the very bottom corner is the first Flame On of the issue as Johnny heads off to respond to Ben's emergency flare. It's very blink-and-you'll-miss-it, although the font gets a bit bigger for the exclamation itself.

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #9 on our seventh episode: Don! Don! Don! Don-Don-Don! Don-Don-Don!

[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/ffcast/FF_Episode_8.mp3]

Strange Tales #103: Flame On 15

Plot: Stan Lee

Script: Larry Lieber

Art: Jack Kirby

Inking: Dick Ayers

Lettering: Art Simek

Today's post sees the Flame On count surpass Reed's Stretchy Body. I'd celebrate with champagne and oysters, but that seems a little extravagant for catchphrase counting...

After wandering into a Scooby Doo plot involving disappearing houses at the swamp and an old hermit, Johnny finds himself involved in a civil war in the 5th dimension. I barely remember the plot of this issue from recording over a year ago, and if the situation and characters hadn't resurfaced in the mid-1970s, then this story could easily be consigned to obscurity without people really missing it...

Anyway, Johnny here flames on to assault the central armoury and defeat the invading forces.

'Nuff said.

Check out our coverage of Strange Tales #103 on our seventh episode: S(&)M Studios

[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/ffcast/FF_Episode_7.mp3]

Strange Tales #103: Flame On 14

Plot: Stan Lee

Script: Larry Lieber

Art: Jack Kirby

Inking: Dick Ayers

Lettering: Art Simek

It's a teeny-tiny Flame On for today's hastily-written post!

For the first time, a story opens with Johnny flaming on. The reason for this? A re-appearance from the Mole Man? Namor trying to kidnap Sue again? No, he's late for school and he's got a history test!

Yeah, it's short one today. Not even very much snark.

Check out our coverage of Strange Tales #103 on our seventh episode: S(&)M Studios

[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/ffcast/FF_Episode_7.mp3]

Fantastic Four #9: Flame On 13

Script: Stan Lee

Art: Jack Kirby

Inking: Dick Ayers

Lettering: Art Simek

It's been a while since we've had a nice big Kirby panel to drool over, so I'm very happy to be able to post this one today. Grab a napkin and join me after the break!

Namor's grand plan to humiliate and defeat the Fantastic Four is to use the ruse of filming a movie starring the four heroes as an excuse to split them up and take them down one by one. Here, Namor has flown Johnny all the way to the heart of deepest Africa to face off against a tribe who have a potion that makes them immune to fire. If only it was liquid asbestos that they were drinking...

Deepest Africa and the tribe is, of course, playing off popular pulp tropes rather than anything approaching reality. Which is why we get the strange visual of a man wearing a crocodile head over his own head. And, later on, there are totemic dances and giant cauldrons, and when Johnny escapes he explodes a volcano all over them.

But the best thing about today's panel is that, because the panel takes up two thirds of the page, the FLAME ON balloon is allowed plenty of space to breathe, and is a great focal point for this panel.

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #9 on our seventh episode: S(&)M Studios

[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/ffcast/FF_Episode_7.mp3]

Fantastic Four #8: Flame On 12

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Uncredited Inker: Dick Ayers

Uncredited Letterer: Art Simek

So, what do you do if your stretching power gives up mere feet away from a civilian about to jump to his death? Why, you send an impetuous teenage to go and reason with him!

No, seriously. Johnny doesn't just grab the guy and fly him to the ground. Instead, he tries to reason with him first. I guess he was lucky that the guy was being controlled by Phil the Puppet Master, as someone looking to end their life would probably have jumped the second the flying guy with the flames showed up.

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #8 - with special guest Joshua Lapin-Bertone - on our sixth episode: Like A Puppet On A String

[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/ffcast/FF_Episode_6.mp3]

Strange Tales #101: Flame On 11

Uncredited Writers: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber

Uncredited Artist: Jack Kirby

Uncredited Inker: Dick Ayers

Uncredited Letterer: Art Simek

Today's instance of Johnny's catchphrase  sees a printing error add extra flare.

Take a look at the body of the Human Torch, and the speech bubble containing the 'Flame On'. The orange colour is misaligned by a few millimetres, a fairly common error in comics from this time. Sometimes, it can be extremely disconcerting to read when the colour is so off, but here the error enhances the speech bubble.

The standard presentation of Johnny's catchphrase at this time was to have large bubble letters, filled in with red or orange. The displacement of the colour lends an added burning effect to the phrase, which is rather nice.

Check out our coverage of Strange Tales #101 in our fifth episode: The Strangest Tales Of All

[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/ffcast/FF_Episode_5.mp3]

Strange Tales #101: Flame On 10

Uncredited Writers: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber

Uncredited Artist: Jack Kirby

Uncredited Inker: Dick Ayers

Uncredited Letterer: Art Simek

I had a few days away from the blog recently to deal with some personal stuff that came up. I'm back now, and we're still in the middle of Johnny Storm's debut solo strip in Strange Tales. Join me after the jump to find out why Johnny is flaming on.

In Johnny's debut story, the big bad guy is a chap called the Destroyer. No, no the Asgardian death machine. Or the nemesis of Thanos. This guy is the publisher of Glenville's local newspaper, and also a Red spy. Who decides that the best way to bring down the ruling forces of capitalism is to unleash a reign of terror  upon the amusement park in a sleepy New York suburb. Who says that Johnny's villains were a mostly pathetic and forgettable bunch?

[By the way, if you even think of describing ZANTE!!! with those words, then we'll have to have a talk. Outside. By the asbestos trashbins.]

Anyway, his first act of terrorism is to make a roller coaster go wrong a bit. So Johnny has to flame on to save him. But wait! This is one of the first 5 solo stories, and Johnny has a secret identity!

[Andrew here, with an incoherent rant. SAADSKJGSDFYGDHG"$£%*%£ADHGSGFJDF"£%$&^(*&(wersFGKJDG!]

So, we have a brilliant preamble where Johnny uses his flame-controlling powers to cause a cigarette lighter to emit huge clouds of black smoke, all in order to mask his transformation from regular, run-of-the-mill teen-ager into world famous member of the Fantastic Four.

Yeah, it's a bit crazy.

Check out our coverage of Strange Tales #101 in our fifth episode: The Strangest Tales Of All

[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/ffcast/FF_Episode_5.mp3]

Fantastic Four #7: Flame On 9

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Uncredited Inker: Dick Ayers

Ah, now this is more like it.

Johnny activating his flame is now being treated as an event, and the focal point of the panel. We have his catchphrase in its own speech bubble and with a larger and more prominent font than the rest of the dialogue. The bubble even breaks the borders of the panel, pushing up against the next panel, giving more importance to the moment.

On the art side, we have a rare partially-flamed Johnny, as the panel catches him mid-ignition. The normal artistic depiction for a Flame On is to have Johnny already alight, maybe with flame to show him towards the end of ignition. but Kirby's art here shows us Johnny igniting from the feet up. It's not a visual that would last, but this early variant is interesting to see.

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #7 in our fifth episode: The Strangest Tales Of All

[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/ffcast/FF_Episode_5.mp3]

Fantastic Four #7: Flame On 8

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Uncredited Inker: Dick Ayers

The Flame Ons are catching up with the Reed's Stretchy Bodies!

Today's panel is a touching story of why you should never accept dinner invitations from Congress when a robot from a planet facing destruction lands on Earth armed only with a beam to incite hatred lands nearby. Why, of course Congress will go mad and denounce you live on TV, calling out the National Guard and forcing you to use your powers to defend yourself against your own country's forces.

Play safe, kids!

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #7 in our fifth episode: The Strangest Tales Of All

[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/ffcast/FF_Episode_5.mp3]

Fantastic Four #6: Flame On 7

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Uncredited Inker: Dick Ayers

You'd be forgiven for missing today's 'flame on' utterance, tucked away at the bottom of this speech bubble. We did, back on episode 5. Whilst the idea of a catchphrase is obviously resonating with Stan, it's not yet become something worth celebrating every time by making it the focus of the panel and letting the letters really sell it. In fact, if it wasn't for those two words at the end of the bubble, all we' would have here is a small panel of Johnny's arse.

We give Johnny a fair bit of stick on the show for being, as Andrew puts it, 'dumb as dirt'. It's hard to think of him as anything else when he climbs out of the window into the cold vacuum of space and then gets confused when his flame goes out.

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #6 on our fourth episode: Super-Villain Team Up