Pop culture roundup: Jack Kirby; Jim Steranko; Yogi Bear; Eric Idle; Sub-Mariner

A French graphic arts festival now running in Angoulême, France, features an exhibition of Jack Kirby's great comic book work.

-----

Via Slay Monstrobot: When Stan Lee and Jim Steranko did a romance comic.


-----

Via the Fabulous Fifties: Yogi Bear comics strips of the 1960s.


-----

"Radio 5," a sketch and music program hosted by Monty Python's Eric Idle on BBC radio back in the early 1970s is now streaming here. Good, funny stuff.

-----

Did Salvador Dali inspire the Sub-Mariner? I'm not so sure, but this is cool.


New monthly Disney comics coming from IDW in April

IDW is launching four monthly titles focused on Disney's Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse beginning in April.

Titles include Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge, which all begin with #1 numbering, and Walt Disney's Comics and Stories, which continues with legacy number with #723.

The titles will include a blend of old and newer comics, likely from the European versions of the comics. A series of collected editions also is planned.

The titles will kick off with a series of  Disneyland-themed variant covers (see graphic below).

Always nice to see more kid-oriented comics on the stands.


Vintage ad: Superman for Pep cereal


New comics collected editions Jan. 21, 2015: Batman; Popeye; Iron Man; X-men; Doc Savage

Notable collected editions out this week. Click the links to order discounted items from Amazon.


Beware the Batman Vol. 1
The popular Cartoon Network series makes its way to comics!
Bruce Wayne spent years studying crime-fighting techniques from his butler/former secret spy Alfred Pennyworth. Together they will take on Gotham City's worst criminals and convicts. But even with the help of allies like Katana and Pennyworth, Batman's skills will be put to the test against villians such as Professor Pyg, Man-Bat, and Tobias Whale.


Batman: The Silver Age Newspaper Comics Volume 2 (1968-1969)
In this second volume, produced in partnership with DC Entertainment, Batman's rare 1960s newspaper adventures continue. Will Batman and Robin survive the double dealings of Madame Zodiac, not to mention the redoubtable Blue Max? If so, can the Caped Crusader then survive being trapped on an island with an atomic time bomb beneath him? Can his friend Superman save him when the Man of Steel might not be able to save himself? Can Aquaman come to rescue them both? The answers to these questsions - and many more - are in this breathtaking Bat-Volume, reprinting all daily and Sunday strips from January 1, 1968 through May 31, 1969!


Popeye Classics Volume 5
Re-presenting the classic Popeye comic book series that debuted in 1948 by Bud Sagendorf, the long-time assistant to creator E.C. Segar! Carefully reproduced from the original comic books and lovingly restored, Volume 5 contains issues #20-24. Also included are more of Sagendorf's gloriously funny one-pagers, rare photos, and extra artwork.


Iron Man Epic Collection: Stark Wars
Time for the Armored Avenger to start avenging! Tony Stark is back in the groove as Iron Man, from outer space to the ocean depths. But the new Stark Enterprises is under constant super-villain alert, under attack from familiar faces like Spymaster and new threats like the ethereal Ghost. And when Tony discovers that his technology has been stolen and abused, he declares war on anyone in armor! Iron Man's new ruthless streak brings him into conflict with the U.S. government, S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers, and as his actions grow ever more extreme, he must battle an old friend in a new guise - Steve Rogers, aka The Captain!


Marvel Masterworks: The Uncanny X-Men Volume 9
By 1982, the Uncanny X-Men had become the biggest franchise in comic books. Chris Claremont's writing rose to find perhaps his most poignant and challenging expression of the mutant metaphor in "God Loves, Man Kills," while his work with Frank Miller on Wolverine skyrocketed the character's popularity. With the culmination of Paul Smith's classic run - featuring the growing romance between Kitty Pryde and Colossus, the first appearance of Callisto and the Morlocks, Rogue's debut as an X-Man.

COLLECTING: Uncanny X-Men (1981) 168-175, X-Men Annual (1970) 7, Marvel Graphic Novel (1982) 5, Wolverine (1982) 1-5


Doc Savage Archives Volume 1: The Curtis Magazine Era
The Man of Bronze is back with a vengeance! In this brand-new, archival edition, the harrowing adventures of Doc Savage return straight from the 1970's - fully remastered and ready for action. With art rendered by John Buscema, Tony DeZuniga, and Ernie Chan to accompany writer Doug Moench, this book is a must-have for any and all fans of Doc Savage and his Amazing Five. Revisit the classic Curtis Magazine issues and relive the glory days of the Man of Bronze! - Collecting the complete, first eight issues of the 1970s Doc Savage Magazine in its entirety, complete with vintage advertisements, features, and more!