- NOT BRAND ECHH! - WHAT THE -- ?! - MISCELLANEOUS - HOSTESS - WHAT IF...? - - BULLPEN BITS - MARVEL AGE CALENDAR - |
I'm going to try to include in this section DD items that have tickled my funnybone over the years. Some will be bits from Marvel parodies like What the -- !? and Not Brand Ecch starring "Scaredevil" or "Duh-devil", others may be amusing sketches or jokes...anything's fair game. Hope you enjoy. |
Not Brand Echh! came out in the late 60s. And while the name sort of poked fun at the competition, the stories inside tended to ridicule Marvel's own universe to an unparalleled extent. Splat Murdock, aka Scaredevil, was featured along with the rest of Marvel's zany version of its own universe. A few examples are listed below. |
Not Brand Echh! #4 Nov 1967, 23 pgs., 12¢ "Defeated by the Evil Electrico" (pgs.2-9) Lee, Colan, Tartaglione, Simek Splat Murdock, aka Scaredevil, tries to convince Electrico to unmask him, so he can quit the superhero business & pursue his secretary, Miss Rage. also: Sub-Mariner & X-Men spoofs. |
Not Brand Echh! #5 Dec 1967, 23 pgs., 12¢ Scaredevil T-shirt on the cover and Scaredevil's face makes cameo on title/splash page of first story. No real appearances or stories. |
Not Brand Echh! #9 Aug 1968, 52 pgs., 25¢ "Casey at the Bat!" (pgs.11-16) Thomas, Sutton, Sutton, Rosen A spoof of the famous poem; DD is one of the batters (Flynn in the poem). DD also appears in a SuperHero Greeting Card on p.26 and on the cover. |
Twenty some odd years later, What the --?! picks up Not Brand Echh!'s duties. And while we start off with "Scaredevil", in the later issues, our favorite ol' Hornhead is represented most often as "Duh-Devil". |
What the -- ?! #3 Oct 1988, 32 pgs., $1.25 "Fed Up!" (pgs.17-23) Hembeck, Hembeck, Hembeck, Parker Scaredevil holds a dinner party for some of his long time friends & enemies. The Kingking of crime crashes the dinner party. The Lard Boys (a parody of both Daredevil's Fatboys and the Little Wise Guys from the Golden Age Daredevil) prepare the meal. "Marvel Super-Heroes with Pet Partners: Daredevildog" (pg.24) writer & artist? "Drake" acts as Matt Murdock's seeing eye dog until danger rears it's head -- then he dons a mask & teams up with DD as Daredevildog. |
What the -- ?! #5 Jul 1989, 32 pgs., $1.50 "You Bet Your Dignity" (pgs.20-23) Austin, Lee, Williamson, Chiang With "U-tu" the Watcher playing the part of Groucho, and Howard the Duck playing the part of the "secret word duck", the parody of "You Bet Your Life" stars Scaredevil, the Ever Evolving Lout (Beast), Black Dolt, and Longshort. |
What the -- ?! #6 Jan 1990, 32 pgs., $1.00 "Smacks of Vengeance!" (pgs.1-8) Byrne, Byrne, Austin, Parker Lots of Marvel characters battle lots of DC characters. Even Casper & Wendie show up from ?Charlton?. Scaredevil runs into DC sendoffs the Jokester, Sinestronie, Mabilla Grod, and Metal-toe. |
What the -- ?! #8 Jul 1990, 32 pgs., $1.25 "--After Hours" (pgs.7-14) Lobdell, Keown, Candelario, Chiang Scaredevil, and many others, put on a benefit for Bud's Suds, the hangout for superheroes and supervillains alike, to keep My-Fistoe from closing it down for nonpayment of rent. |
What the -- ?! #9 Oct 1990, 32 pgs., $1.25 "Hotel Galacticus", part 2 of 4 (pgs.17-24) Lobdell, Hoover, Hoover, Joyce Scaredevil? in hotel kitchen trading quips with "The What-Iffer" over the phone about his room service. |
What the -- ?! #11 Mar 1991, 32 pgs., $1.25 "Okay, So It's Not Such a Wonderful Life!" (pgs.1-8) Loebdell, Weeks/K.Wilson/Keown/Liefeld/R.Wilson, Kubert/K.Wilson/Williams/Milgrom DD decides to kill himself after tangling with the Kingpin, Mephisto, and Typhoid Mary, but Ghost Rider shows up and tries to deter him a la "It's a Wonderful Life". One of the things GR shows him is what it would have been like to have been done by other artistic teams. Shown left is their parody of a McFarlane DD. "Auld Lang Syne" (pp.25-32) Loebdell, Tyler, Tyler, Moede There is a huge New Year's party with all the Marvel superheroes & villains including "Duhdevil". |
What the -- ?! #12 May 1991, 32 pgs., $1.25 "Married with Superpowers" (pgs.20-27) Tyler, Tyler, Tyler, Joyce An albino Vision & the Scarlet Witch play the Bundys in this send off of Married With Children. "Duhdevil" appears for 3 pages as Vision's buddy at a big costume party. |
What the -- ?! #13 Jul 1991, 31 pgs., $1.25 "An Eye for an Eyepatch" (pgs.25-31) Proudfoot/Warden, Quesada, Wilson, Moede Poking a little fun at Wolverine & Nick Fury, the writers in this yarn have EVERYONE in the Marvel Universe start sporting eyepatches. The Torch has trouble making it work 'til he makes it out of asbestos. Then he has a little more trouble... |
This section includes some Hembeck/Aragonés madness, of course, but some other interesting gems as well: A Moore DD satire poking fun at Miller's DD in the British mag Daredevils, Boris the Bear (as Daredevil), Darerat, Daredame (the Woman without a Brassiere), and others. |
Amazing Heroes: Silly Cover #7633 Amazing Heroes #17 (Nov 1982), p.18 Warren Drummond "Duddevil" sits holding a dying "Electric". "Bullsear" is snickering in the foreground. When Duddevil asks her how she was defeated by Bullsear, she answers that Bullsear had the one thing her sais have never been able to cut through: the back of someone's shirt. Still makes me laugh - mostly because it's true! |
Amazing Heroes: Silly Cover #1001 Amazing Heroes #17 (Nov 1982), p.27 Warren Drummond In a beautiful parody of the cover to issue #189, Drummond has "Deaddevil" getting skewered by dozens of arrows. The series title reads, "Here Dies DEADDEVIL, the Man Who Can't Dodge Arrows". One of the ninja arms holding a curved sword at the bottom of the page has a Spidey arm sticking out. Thor's hammer is also one of the flying projectiles. |
Boris the Bear #26 Jul 1990, 32 pgs.(B&W, no ads), $1.95 "Dancin' with the Devil" (pgs.1-27) James Dean Smith, McKinnon (lettering) This independent put out by Nícotat Comics seems to have had a fairly long run. I'm not familiar with the character, but he seems to be an android?/robot?/creation? of some sort. He's apparently donned a number of costumes in the past including the Punisher and Batman, but in this issue he becomes...Beardevil! to fight a nasty gang of ninjas. |
Daredame (Spoof Comics #5) Oct 1992, 32 pgs.(B&W, no ads), $2.95 "The Origin of Daredame" (pgs.1-16) Halbleib, Corola, Halbleib, De Paolis (cover: Hughes) In this Personality Comics sendoff, Pat Paddock, daughter of mud wrestler Joltin' Jackie Paddock, is struck in the chest by a radioactive isotope while saving a man crossing the street. Her bust size increases dramatically, and she gains radar sense through...yes, her breasts. In this issue she fights the Queenpin & Bullwhip. This issue also included some trading cards (ltd. edition of 750 prism trading cards). |
(The) Daredevils #8 Aug 1983, 54 pgs., 65p "Grit!" (pgs.14-17) Moore, Collins, Farmer, Craddock Moore does a bit of a sendoff on Miller's Daredevil. In this satire, "Dourdevil" takes on the Tiepin of crime, Pigseye (who beheads some goons with a Q-tip), and Erektra. There's LOTS of mindless violence & blood and very grim & gritty looking backdrops. note: Daredevils was a British monthly publication with news, interviews, a poster (#8 has an Elektra poster), text stories, Captain Britain stories, and B&W reprints of various American mags including Daredevil (this one included "The Mauler" story from DD#167). |
DareRat(/Tadpole) Feb 1987, 32 pgs.(B&W, no ads), $1.95 "Pizza Now" (pgs.1-16) Mark Martin This comic by Mighty Pumpkin Publishing pokes a little fun at quite a few targets. The cover is a nice takeoff on the promo poster Mazzucchelli did the Apocalypse DD storyline. Darerat is none other than Boo Swain (Bruce Wayne) and has a faithful servant Alpo (Alfred). A pizza delivery turtle even shows up at one point. There is an additional flip comic on the reverse side, not to mention a color centerfold poster of a monkey dentist pulling a hippo's tooth. You heard me correctly. |
Fantastic Four Roast #1 May 1982, 32 pgs.(no ads, wraparound cover), 75¢ "When Titans Chuckle!" Hembeck, misc., misc., Rosen The Marvel Univ. salutes the FF in their 20th year. DD gives a 1 pg. roast, and appears off & on throughout the comic with the rest of the Marvel Universe. note: Some folks have told me this is actually part of Marvel canon & NOT outside normal continuity. I suppose this is possible, but it just gets TOO silly at times, so I've made an arbitrary decision to include it here with other parodies & spoofs. |
Fred Hembeck Destroys the Marvel Universe #1 Jul 1989, 32 pgs.(no ads), $1.50 "When Titans Croak!" Hembeck, Hembeck, Colletta/Staton, Chiang/Parker Hembeck kills off Marvel's heroes (and villains) in devilishly funny ways. DD meets his own demise in a full page reminiscent of a Señor Wences routine. |
Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham #7 May 1986, 22 pgs., 75¢ "Deerdevil, the Cloven-Hooved Mammal Without Fear" (pgs.18-22) Skeates, Albelo, Albelo, Albelo Deerdevil takes on the evil Sanity Claws at the North Pole. |
Powers (v.2) #6 Nov 2004, 32 pgs., $2.95 "True Believer" (letters pages) Bendis This isn't so much a "parody" as a cartoon/sketch. Bendis discusses his career in cartoon form. In one panel of the cartoon, Spidey, Daredevil, and others are looking over his shoulder as Bendis types at the computer. |
Sergio Massacres Marvel #1 Jun 1996, 48 pgs., $3.50 no title Evanier, Aragones, misc., Starkings & Comicraft Sergio & Mark drop by Marvel offices; Sergio decides to help. 'Nuff said. |
Some of you may remember the Hostess Fruit Pie ads run in Daredevil and the
other Marvel comics in the 70s. Not too long ago on the RACMU newsgroup, one
of the fans out there, James Smith, came up with a parody of those ads
utilizing that milestone in DD comics, the Death of Elektra. DD superfan
Bill Koenig, from our own DD mailing list, replied in kind with his own
parody finishing the epic with the fateful confrontation between Bullseye
and Ol' Hornhead. My thanks to James and Bill for these creative gems.
BULLSEYE: Now, we fight, Elektra! And only one of us may live!
(Daredevil, his legs wrapped around a wire, holds Bullseye above the
pavement.) |
From time to time, Marvel puts out silly "What If...?" one panel
or 1 page gags in the back of the issues on a given month, in the Bullpen Bulletins, or
elsewhere. Here are a few of the funny (AND not so funny) bits they've printed over the
years.
May 1999, Bullpen Bulletins
"What if... the kids who teased young Matt Murdock had called him by a different name, instead of Daredevil" Bullpen Bulletins, May 1999 (shown above) writer & artist? DD takes on the world with a slightly different monicker thanks to the kids who used to tease him. "What if... All the Super Heroes Who Now Live in New York City Moved to Toledo, Ohio?" What If...? (I) #34 (p.14), Aug 1982 Budiansky Daredevil playing darts at the Super Heroes Social Club while all the other Super Heroes sit around bored also. "What if... Daredevil Were Deaf Instead of Blind?" What If...? (I) #34 (p.19), Aug 1982 Miller DD beats up on a group of thugs who, at the end, are willing to talk/confess, but he can't hear them giving up. "What if... Obnoxio the Clown Fought Crime?" What If...? (I) #34 (p.30), Aug 1982 Kupperberg Obnoxio-Daredevil is just one of 9 vignettes of alternative Obnoxios. "What if... Daredevil Could See?" What If...? (I) #34 (p.31), Aug 1982 Carlin, Zalme, Breeding Daredevil runs away from Bullseye, Gladiator, Stilt-Man, Hyde & Elektra because they look scary! "What If... Daredevil Had a Dishonest Tailor?!" What If...? (II) #17 (p.27), Sep 1990 Candelario, Ramos, Ivy Did you ever wonder how DD would look in a plaid superhero outfit? (And you thought the old yellow & red duds were a little strange)! "What if... Daredevil Was a Policeman?" What If...? (II) #20 (p.26), Dec 1990 Dutter, Auck, McLaurin Daredevil uses his radar sense as a radar detector to catch speeders.
One of the neat things about the old Mego figures in the 60s/70s was the fact that you could change their clothes around. The figures didn't just have "painted on" costumes. Well, here for your edification & enjoyment are 2 "What If..."s courtesy of long time fan Adam Gilbert (fashion & cultural attaché to the Resource) and made possible by the recent Mego-like "Famous Covers" series of action figures:
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In early/mid 1999, Marvel started featuring a little humor strip on the Bullpen Bulletins page. While the
earliest ones weren't marked, I suspect they were all by Giarrusso. This is a weekly strip, so please
let me know if you see one not listed here.
Bullpen Bulletins May 1999 (shown in the "What If..." knockoffs above) "What if... the kids who teased young Matt Murdock had called him by a different name, instead of Daredevil" writer & artist? DD takes on the world with a slightly different monicker thanks to the kids who used to tease him. Bullpen Bits #9 Aug 1999 no title Chris Giarrusso DD (playing ump) calls strike on Wolverine batting (Hulk catching). Inevitable: "Are you blind?" from Wolvie to the ump. |
For a number of years, the back cover of Marvel Age featured a "calendar" with gags/jokes, announcements of birthdays, and all sorts of assorted cartoons. Daredevil "appeared" in a number of these. And while they're mostly just 1 frame cartoon cameos rather than actual parodies, they share a certain flavor with the Bullpen Bits. |
January 1987 Calendar Marvel Age #49, Apr 1987 Carlin, Zalme side panel: "January starts a year without fear!", DD, Iron Man, Cap, Spidey & Forbush-Man celebrating New Year's. Jan 23: DD in green plaid shorts wishing Klaus Janson a happy birthday. July 1990 Calendar Marvel Age #91, Aug 1990 Eliopolous & Dutter, Zalme Jul 1,2: DD vs. stealth bomber, sight gag. August 1990 Calendar Marvel Age #92, Sep 1990 Eliopolous & Dutter, Zalme Aug 17: DD & Iron Man talk about John Romita, Jr.'s birthday. October 1990 Calendar Marvel Age #94, Nov 1990 Eliopolous & Dutter, Zalme Oct 29: DD wishes John Morelli a happy b-day 3 days previous. December 1990 Calendar Marvel Age #96, Jan 1991 Eliopolous & Dutter, Zalme Dec 4,5: DD plays catch with his dog, sight gag. January 1991 Calendar Marvel Age #97, Feb 1991 Eliopolous & Dutter, Zalme Jan 16: DD wishes Bob Petrecca a happy birthday. August 1991 Calendar Marvel Age #104, Sep 1991 Lackey, Zalme Aug 10: DD wishes Christie Scheele a happy birthday. November 1991 Calendar Marvel Age #107, Dec 1991 Lackey, Zalme Nov 3: DD says that he's thankful for his radar powers. |