Strange Tales #111: It's... ASBESTOS 14

Plot: Stan Lee

Story: H. Huntley

Art: Dick Ayers

Lettering: S. Harold

It's an issue featuring the Asbestos Man. I'd be very disappointed if we didn't add a fair few panels of ridiculous uses of asbestos over the next few days...

Like this asbestos letter. It looks and feels like paper, and clearly shares many of the same properties, allowing ink to stain it, or taking the markings of a pencil without ripping. And yet, it resists the hottest fire of the Human Torch. Marvellous! Now, if only he could do something about making it a bit less lethal, then he could make a fortune in the indestructible paper market. And not need to rob safes to fulfil his desire to be recognised for his works.

Check out our coverage of Strange Tales #111 on our fifteenth episode: Whence Came The Man of Asbestos

[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/ffcast/Episode_15.mp3]

Strange Tales #111: It's... ASBESTOS!!! 13

Plot: Stan Lee

Story: H. Huntley

Art: Dick Ayers

Lettering: S. Harold

We're back to Strange Tales today, in a story that features the debut of a villain that seems completely natural to appear in this strip, and one who really should have gone on to be the Human Torch's greatest nemesis: The Asbestos Man!

A brilliant scientist who felt his talents were going unappreciated, the Asbestos Man attempted to steal from the company's safe, only to overlook the presence of an alarm.  A chance encounter on the street made him realise that if he were to defeat the Human Torch, criminals might want to share their expertise with him.

Thus, he takes normal sheets of asbestos and chemically treats them to make them extra... asbestos-y... Clad in the material, he prepares to do battle with the Torch.

Of course, he's a completely ridiculous villain, encased in a suit that is far more likely to do him harm than anything the Human Torch could do to him, and stupid enough to not even consider the presence of an alarm on a safe. It's not surprising he barely resurfaced following this issue...

Check out our coverage of Strange Tales #111 on our fifteenth episode: Whence Came The Man of Asbestos

[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/ffcast/Episode_15.mp3]

Strange Tales #108: It's... ASBESTOS!!! 12

Plot: Stan Lee

Script: Robert Bernstein

Art: Jack Kirby

Inking: Dick Ayers

Lettering: Terry Szenics

In amongst all this talk of magical paint that allows the user's imagination to come to life when used, it's been pretty much overlooked that this is not the Painter's greatest asset. And no, I'm not talking about his moustache.

Wilhelm van Vile's greatest asset is his ability to paint complete scenarios in a matter of seconds. At no point in the story is it mentioned that he can paint a picture then will it to life at a later point. So, we have to assume that the animated mascots came to life, at which point he started painting an asbestos cell along with members of the Fantastic Four. As this springs up within a page, he must have been daubing away like the devil to get it done in time.

No wonder his attention to details is a little shaky!

Check out our coverage of Strange Tales #108 on our twelfth episode: HYPNOFISH!!!

[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/ffcast/FF_Episode_12.mp3]

Strange Tales #108: It's... ASBESTOS!!! 11

Plot: Stan Lee

Script: Robert Bernstein

Art: Jack Kirby

Inking: Dick Ayers

Lettering: Terry Szenics

It's a lovely big splash page today, showcasing the terrible Painter's terrible facial hair, second only to the Wizard!

And it's not only crap face-fuzz that the Painter has stolen from the Wizard - he's also stolen his asbestos-lined cell. I thought it had been made pretty clear already that such tactics don't really work - both the US Army and the Wizard have found their inescapable fireproof cells to be anything but.

Check out our coverage of Strange Tales #108 on our twelfth episode: HYPNOFISH!!!

[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/ffcast/FF_Episode_12.mp3]

Strange Tales #107: It's... ASBESTOS!!! 10

Plot: Stan Lee

Script: Larry Lieber

Art: Dick Ayers

Lettering: Art Simek

It's a shame the remit of this blog doesn't allow me to cover the brief trend for giving Namor ridiculous powers that started with this issue. Just prior to today's panel, Namor was seen hurtling unstoppably towards an iceberg. To survive, he employed the powers of a puffer fish and inflated his body to three times its original size, embedding himself in the ice. He then shrank down to his normal size and easily escaped. Yes, he was pretty much Aquaman crossed with Animal Man.

Namor is scavenging around for things to use in his battle with the Torch. He grabs a statue from an ancient Atlantean ruin, and a torn bit of asbestos, presumably from an ancient Atlantean insulated wall. The statue is to mesmerise the Torch, the asbestos to wrap around his fist so that he might wail on the teenager without burning his knuckles.

Its origins aside, this is probably one of the most sensible uses of asbestos seen so far.

And as an aside, I really like Dick Ayers' depiction of Namor in this panel. It's very recognisably Namor without being a carbon-copy of Jack Kirby's rendition.

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]

Fantastic Four #13: It's... ASBESTOS!!! 9

Story: Stan Lee

Art: Jack Kirby

Inking: Steve Ditko

Lettering: Art Simek

Today's panel represents  a first for this blog, and certainly a first for comics.

What seems like a perfectly harmless (well, mostly harmless) sheet of asbestos is actually a patriotic Communist shape-changing ape who is in an ancient abandoned alien city on the moon. I'll bet you never guessed it was going to be that!

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #13 in our eleventh episode: Red? Yes! Communist? Yes! Russian? No!

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

Fantastic Four #13: It's... ASBESTOS!!! 8

Story: Stan Lee

Art: Jack Kirby

Inking: Steve Ditko

Lettering: Art Simek

We've made fun of unusual uses of  asbestos before, focusing on Stan and Jack's misguided understanding of the physical properties of the substance, from cells and dungeons, to buzzsaws and spray. And don't get me started on Johnny's room...

But as we all know, asbestos is a nasty and toxic substance, whose fibres cause a very nasty lung condition that leads to death. Which is why it's darkly funny that Reed would mix asbestos and unstable molecules to create a protective stretch-suit for himself.

It's not very apparent from this panel, but the inker for this issue is Steve Ditko, regarded by Stan Lee as his favourite inker for Jack Kirby. We'll see some notable differences in the artwork this issue as the two styles mesh to create a unique and different look for the book, one that sadly would not be reproduced in Strange Tales Annual #2.

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #13 in our eleventh episode: Red? Yes! Communist? Yes! Russian? No!

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

Strange Tales #106: It's... ASBESTOS!!! 7

Plot: Stan Lee

Script: Larry Lieber

Art: Dick Ayers

Lettering: John Duffy

Between the break in posting and the huge amount of content from Fantastic Four #12, it's been quite a while since we saw an appearance from my favourite trope: Inexplicable usage of asbestos. Thankfully, today's panel is an absolute classic.

Taking a leaf (and a visual) from Paste Pot Pete's book, ZANTE extinguishes Johnny's flame with a jet of liquid asbestos. Ignoring the fact that asbestos is a fibrous substance and liquidising it would be exceedingly difficult, if not impossible.

Ah, my favourite villain and my favourite trope. Life is good!

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 #105: It's... ASBESTOS!!! 6

Plot: Stan Lee

Script: Larry Lieber

Art: Jack Kirby

Inking: Dick Ayers

Lettering: Art Simek

Yay, more asbestos!

As before, The Wizard's house is full of traps designed to catch out an unwary fiery teenager. Top of the list is the trapdoor that drops down to an asbestos-lined dungeon. One hopes that The Wizard has learned from the US Army, who spectacularly failed to make an asbestos-lined cell fireproof way back in Fantastic Four #2.

Not that we get the opportunity to find out, as The Wizard has forgotten one key element of Johnny's powers: that he can fly. I really do hope that as The Wizard graduates to the Fantastic Four and forms the Frightful Four, we discover exactly how his intelligence upgraded itself.

Check out our coverage of Strange Tales #105 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: It's... ASBESTOS!!! 5

Script: Stan Lee

Art: Jack Kirby

Inking: Dick Ayers

Lettering: Art Simek

Yes, it's been about three weeks since the last proper post. No, I don't have an excuse.

Let's get to it.

Today's panel sees one of my favourite ever uses of asbestos. It's so crazy you just have to love it.

The Impossible Man decides to go for a wonder, so he grows a pair of wheels, and an asbestos-coated buzzsaw pops out of his chest, keeping Johnny and the rest of the team at bay. This panel is so joyfully ridiculous that it's impossible not to love.

Go on, just stare at it. I'll be back tomorrow to distract you with another panel.

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]

Strange Tales #102: It's... ASBESTOS!!! 4

Uncredited Writers: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber

Uncredited Artist: Jack Kirby

Uncredited Inker: Dick Ayers

Uncredited Letterer: Art Simek

(Or is it panel 3? There's a massive chapter heading at the top of the page that I'm not quite sure whether to count as a panel or not...)It's a brand new year, and with Christmas out of the way, it's high time this blog got back to what it's supposed to be doing. So, let's do so with some asbestos.

The Wizard has lured the Torch back to his house (a plot that Marvel surely wouldn't approve nowadays), doused his body with fire-retardant chemicals, and now he locks him in an asbestos-lined prison cell. Now, the US Army tried this (way back in Fantastic Four #2) and it didn't work too well for them, so it's surprising that the Torch is contained for an entire two pages before he escapes.

Now, as any budding scientists reading this blog will know, asbestos was highly prized for its properties of insulation and the fact that it didn't burn. So, the Torch's method of escape - burning really hot - isn't one I'm putting a lot of stock in.

The interesting visual of Johnny's head ablaze whilst his body stays normal comes from the fact that the Wizard only covers his body with the chemicals. It clearly wasn't a popular visual as we would almost never see it again, although it does invite comparisons with Steve Ditko's creation from a couple of years later, The Dread Dormammu.

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: It's... ASBESTOS 3

Uncredited Writers: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber

Uncredited Artist: Jack Kirby

Uncredited Inker: Dick Ayers

Uncredited Letterer: Art Simek

The asbestos madness continues in the very next panel!

Well, it does in one of the caption boxes, at least. It's not outright labelled as asbestos, but anything listed as being 'fire retardant' or, in this case, 'heat resistant' just has to be full of asbestos.

Some of the other things that make me laugh in this panel include the table top which is also a tv screen which scans all callers. I'm not sure how a screen can scan someone who is not right in front of it, but ok. I also really like the tiny lab where Johnny "experiments with chemicals that will help prolong the burning time of his flame". Except that we never see him do such a thing.

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: It's... ASBESTOS!!! 2

Uncredited Writers: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber

Uncredited Artist: Jack Kirby

Uncredited Inker: Dick Ayers

Uncredited Letterer: Art Simek

In his debut story in the anthology magazine Strange Tales, Johnny Storm hits a peak with the usage of asbestos to control the harmful side-effects of his flaming powers.

We see that someone (most likely, given that she is the only person to have shown any evidence of comptency with needlework, Sue) has woven asbestos fibres into his bedspread and carpet. Although given that the carpet is more of rug, one has to wonder what the floor itself is made out of... It is mentioned to be 'non-combustible', which suggests concrete, which can't be the most comfortable material to have for a bedroom floor.

We also have the ominous caption pointing out that pretty much everything in his room has been chemically treated to prevent it from  catching fire at any time. This brings up some interesting questions. First of all, the smell in Johnny's room (which already has a healthy dose of teenage boy) cannot be pleasant, tinged with strong chemicals. Secondly, someone surely has to pop by every now and again to apply a fresh coating.

I love both this panel and the panel we'll see tomorrow. They're great examples of a time when asbestos was a miraculous substance, a cheap method of insulation, and in no way a major public health hazard.

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 #2: It's... ASBESTOS!!! 1

Fantastic Four #2, page 8, panel 6

Uncredited Writer: Stan Lee

Uncredited Penciler: Jack Kirby

Uncredited Inker: George Klein

Uncredited Colours: Stan Goldberg

Uncredited Letterer: John Duffy

One of my absolute favourite misconceptions of the Silver Age of Marvel Comics is the way that asbestos is thrown around as a catch-all substance to retard flames. Yes, asbestos has fire retardant properties - it's how it was used so extensively before the health risks became apparent - but on almost any occasion that you see asbestos used in the comics you should remember that it is a fibrous substance that is responsible for a pretty nasty and fatal lung condition.

So, when the army throw Johnny into an asbestos-lined cell to contain him, you should be able to visualise all those tiny little fibres heading down Johnny's throat and latching onto his lungs.

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #2 in our second episode: Secret Invasion Tie-In