THE MARVELOUS AWARDS!!
SILVER AGE AWARDS
Ironically, many who enjoyed the “Silver Age” of Marvel Comics in the 1960’s are now themselves in their sixties, sporting silver hair. And though my own hair has morphed from a glorious brown to a vibrant white over the decades, I was not one of those who enjoyed the “Silver Age” of Marvel Comics while it was happening. But I’m here now and loving it! The nostalgia of this era is sometimes overwhelming, and so much fun. That’s what I’m here for—the fun! And this set of Awards should prove to be exactly that. So let’s get started.
POP CULTURE
Did I not just mention nostalgia? And we’re off and running. Let’s go!
In the category of Pop Culture, the nominees are…
- Coffee a Go-Go
- Thing & Torch Meet the Beatles
- Thor’s French Film Star
And the Award goes to…
I love all of these pop culture references, but having only recently become a more dedicated coffee drinker, the Coffee a Go-Go warms my heart like a steaming hot latte! And so much good-natured ribbing about the beatnik subculture is like a swirl of whipped cream atop. Can you dig it?
NOW THAT’S COMEDY!
The 1960’s were filled with so much comedy, from iconic sitcoms like Gilligan’s Island and Green Acres, to classic Disney movies like The Love Bug and The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, as well as Jerry Lewis’ Nutty Professor and Peter Sellers’ Inspector Clouseau. As a child of the 1960’s, I also enjoyed Dr. Seuss, Mad magazine, and collections of poetry like Oh, What Nonsense! And Marvel Comics was all about jumping on that bandwagon as well.
In the category of Now That’s Comedy, the nominees are…
- Volstagg
- X-Men
- Stan’s Credit Box
And the Award goes to…
Stan’s Credit Box. Whenever you are about to immerse yourself in an entertainment where the title page or opening remarks are just as enjoyable as all that follows, you know you’re on the right track. The credits set the stage, and the stage is set for comedy!
STYLE
Ah! The style of the 1960’s! What goes around comes around, and somehow it seems that style…well…never goes out of style.
In the category of Style, the nominees are…
- Gideon’s Snazzy House
- Eternity’s Hippie Outfit
- Zantor Beatnik
And the Award goes to…
Gideon’s Snazzy House. I want that house! I want to live in that house!
ALTERNATIVE COMMUNICATION
In many ways, the 1960’s were the beginning of the age of technology. In the real world, advancements in communications technology came painfully slow, in comparison to the breakneck pace of the following decades. But Marvel was ahead of the curve, in many ways predicting advancements that were yet to come.
In the category of Alternative Communication, the nominees are…
- Doctor Strange’s Enchanted Eye
- Professor X’s Mento Helmet
- Avengers’ Pager Jewelry
And the Award goes to…
The Avengers’ Pager Jewelry. The watch, the pin, the ring predict the pager in the same way Star Trek “communicators” foresee cell phones. If Doctor Stranger’s Enchanted Eye and Professor X’s Mento Helmet have current day equivalents, they do not speak to me as intimately. But I fully understand and appreciate the usefulness of a watch, pin or ring that can call out an important message.
WISH WE HAD THAT INVENTION
But why stop at communications?
In the category of Wish We Had That Invention, the nominees are…
- SHIELD’s Flying Car
- Nick Fury’s Periscope Hat
- Leader’s Transporter
- Mister Fantastic’s Dishwasher
And the Award goes to…
The Leader has essentially created the Star Trek transporter. Does it get any cooler than that?? Though kudos to Reed Richards for apparently inventing the dishwasher!
TRAVELING IN STYLE
I always enjoy doing this Award, as the writers and artists of Marvel seem to have such a good time dreaming up crazy ways for their characters to get around.
In the category of Traveling In Style, the nominees are…
- SHIELD’s Flying Car
- The Helicarrier
- Tony Stark’s Mini-Sub
And the Award goes to…
A helicarrier is certainly more marvelous than any form of transportantion we have yet seen, but…c’mon! A flying car??? After being snubbed in the previous Award, I am now biologically required to give wings to every human being’s fantasy of owning a flying car. Go, Lola!
EXOTIC LOCATION
When Russ and I watch movies (and so often, by the way, this happens in 60’s flicks), whenever we see an exotic or otherwise interesting location, we yell out “Travelogue!” A travelogue can always be counted on to add a bit of spice to a story. As Marvel has well figured out.
In the category of Exotic Location, the nominees are…
- Lichtenbad
- Olympus
- The Savage Land
And the Award goes to…
Wow! This one was tough, because all are such good contenders. But in the end, the Award goes to Lichtenbad, and I’ll tell you why. While Olympus and the Savage Land are certainly exotic, the average reader will not believe they could ever actually travel there. But Lichtenbad resembles so many ancient cities one might add to their European itinerary. The description of it being “like a medieval fortress” lends a touch of history, and the suggestion that it is akin to a prison adds a layer of mystery and potential danger. And, it’s got a moat.
STRONG WOMEN
The 1960’s saw the beginning of the Women’s Lib movement, and Marvel jumped on that bus early, peppering its pages with not only strong female super-heroes and villainesses, but also the occasional supporting character.
In the category of Strong Women, the nominees are…
- Agent 13
- Celia Rawlings
- Scarlet Witch
And the Award goes to…
Celia Rawlings, for her two-pronged attack against her Nazi captors. We don’t know enough yet about Agent 13 (though she could certainly be a future contender in this category), and Wanda is there in a pinch, but having magical powers makes it that much easier to respond in strength. In contrast, Celia’s only superpower is a sudden burst of anger, self-preservation and commitment to what is right. While her Nazi guards have guns, all she has is her determination and high heels. Good work with those heels! BOK!
CAT FIGHT
Strong women don’t always play nice. Though women may have engaged in a form of hand-to-hand combat with other women throughout history, the spectacle we now know as a “cat fight” is a relatively modern phenomenon. Is this a manifestation of Women’s Lib, or merely the indulgence of a particular male fetish? That is not for me to decide. What is for me to decide is which Marvel cat fight wins the Award for 1965.
In the category of Cat Fight, the nominees are…
- Invisible Girl vs. Medusa
- Wasp vs. Madame Macabre
- Scarlet Witch vs. Princess Python
And the Award goes to…
Invisible Girl vs. Medusa, and I can justify this choice with one word: hair. All.That. Long. Red. Hair. Spectacular!
MEN BEHAVING BADLY
So we’ve just witnessed some gals behaving badly. But what’s good for the goose is good for the gander! Or is it the other way around? No matter, men are just as capable of bad behavior as the ladies.
In the category of Men Behaving Badly, the nominees are…
- Harris Hobbs kidnaps Jane Foster in a bid to discover Thor’s identity
- Rick Jones says the quiet part out loud in South America
- Matt Murdock bails on the law firm
And the Award goes to…
Though any of these could easily have taken this Award, in the end it goes to Matt Murdock, for his utter insensitivity to his friends’ problems. While he has money to take a vacation, elsewhere in the story we learn he is not willing to pay his portion of the rent on the business that bears his name. This level of selfishness is not like our hero at all. I guess this extremely bad behavior is the writer’s way of letting us know how out of sorts Murdock is at this moment, but…c’mon!! Really??? Maybe the “Men Behaving Badly” Award should have gone instead to the Marvel Bullpen for stretching our levels of credulity?
MOST PATHETIC FEMALE POTRAYAL
Well, I just got done praising Marvel for moving ahead regarding their portrayal of women, but a few vestiges of the old stereotypes still remain. Let’s move through these quickly.
In the category of Most Pathetic Female Portrayal, the nominees are…
- Invisible Girl, in an apron
- Brunette in the Street
- Wasp Intrigued by Count Nefaria
And the Award goes to…
Sue in an apron, fussing about dinner and Johnny getting ashes on the furniture. Though I must say, that random woman in yellow planting herself in front of an oncoming car, rather than putting her energies into simply moving out of the way is absolutely inexplicable. (Perhaps she was auditioning for the Damsel in Distress Award?)
BIGGEST SHOW ON EARTH
And no examination of Marvel Comics would be complete without a nod to the Big Top! Stan, this one is for you.
In the category of Biggest Show on Earth, the nominees are…
- Spider-Man faces the Clown and Masters of Menace
- Hawkeye, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch Join the Circus
- Hawkeye Quits the Circus
And the Award goes to…
Hawkeye, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, for joining the circus after deciding to leave the Avengers. Ah! That good old dependable circus! When all else in life fails, you can always join the circus, right? What a comforting alternative…at least in the Marvel universe of the 1960’s.
This little walk down Memory Lane has reached a picket fence that we will open next time to take a deep dive into the marvelous artwork of Marvel Comics in 1965! See you then!
