What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About ‘Dark Shadows’

Jonathan Frid as vampire Barnabas Collins on 'Dark Shadows'
‘Dark Shadows’ ‘ Barnabas Collins, ready for a snack.

Next summer, “Dark Shadows” marks its 50th anniversary.

The supernatural soap (1966-1971 on ABC) didn’t have a long run as far as daytime serials go – “General Hospital” recently celebrated its 52nd year on the air – but it made a mark like no other.

With its suspenseful tales of remorseful bloodsuckers, handsome ghosts and malicious witches, “Dark Shadows” captured the imaginations of housewives, college students and kids, who would race home from school to watch the show spin out its increasingly crazy stories. Continue reading “What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About ‘Dark Shadows’”

The JLA/JSA Nightmare: When Nazis Rule an Earth

The Justice League and the Justice Society meet the heroes of Earth X
When the JLA and the JSA met the Freedom Fighters of Earth X!

Len Wein had a problem: He was too good.

The writer for “Justice League of America” had marked the 100th issue of DC’s premier team book in 1972 with a rousing, riveting three-part JLA/JSA team-up that brought together 33 heroes to save Earth 2. It was a time-spanning epic that re-introduced the Golden Age heroes the Seven Soldiers of Victory and an old-school story so much fun, it sent a generation of comic book lovers into orbit.

A year later, Wein was ordered to do come up with something even better.

Continue reading “The JLA/JSA Nightmare: When Nazis Rule an Earth”