Kicked off by listener feedback, a little talk on a few works by Archie Goodwin. (11:50)
NOTES:
Comic Book DB:
www.comicbookdb.com
Jim Shooter on Heroes for Hope:
www.jimshooter.com/2011/09/heroes-for-hope-and-why-i-dont-like.html
peter@thedailyrios.com
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The Manhunter series was fantastic. I bought the Manhunter special from 1984 collecting all those Detective Comics backups. I seem to recall that Archie and Simonson weren’t going to include Batman when they did, but they needed to wrap up the story and it was suggested to includes Bats, I think?
Also, I’m with you on the Armageddon 2001 series, though I will say that I HATED the reveal of Hawk as the Big Bad, thus cutting short my beloved Hawk and Dove series.
I really enjoyed this episode, Peter. Archie Goodwin is one of those writers who’s often cited by creators as one of the best writers ever to work in comics, often mentioned alongside Alan Moore and other “more visible” writers. And yet, like you my interaction with his work is definitely more as an editor than writer.
I think I’m most familiar with Goodwin as the head of EPIC comics, at or near its inception in Marvel. His name is the one I most affiliate with that line and that magazine. Like his work with James Robinson (of which I’ve read relatively little), it seems like Goodwin was the guiding light, who pushed for better stories and for something different. Obviously, thought, that’s just my opinion. But that EPIC line, and the work Robinson crafted under Goodwin’s editorial hand, tends to be held in high regard by many, with Goodwin being a common factor in many of those books.
As to his writing, it appears I’ve read a bit more of his work than you. I know I’ve read most, or all, of his Star Wars comics (though I don’t remember much of them), and I’ve enjoyed his Manhunter & ALIEN adaptation, both of which he did with Simonson, along with the Fantagraphics reprints of his seminal Blazing Combat comics. All of these are great comics. But the first book I think of, when discussing Goodwin, is the Marvel GN he did with Howard Chaykin, Wolverine/Nick Fury: the Scorpio Connection. I love that book. It might be the fact that it was my introduction to Chaykin and his distinct art style, but I also really appreciate the story, which has held up for me on multiple re-readings. Definitely a book I’d recommend seeking out.
Thanks for all the work you do, sir. And take care,
chris