Number 992


Joe Kubert Tor it up...


Tor, the comic book character from "1,000,000 years ago" was created by Joe Kubert and Norman Maurer, and copyrighted by the creators. Kubert later licensed the character to DC and then Marvel. This is from the last issue of the original St. John series in 1954.

The first story is a prehistoric soap opera tale of adultery and murder. It seems a bit out of place for a setting of a million years ago, but I'm sure people had trouble with spouses (or "mates") in those days, too. The second story is more typical, with Tor doing battle with an ape. I've also included a page with Kubert and Maurer defending their comic books against the attacks on comics that led to the Comics Code, and a page where Kubert and Maurer offer schooling in how to be a comic book artist, letterer or colorist, by practicing as little "as 15 minutes a day in the privacy of your own home," pre-dating the now famous Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Arts.

I posted another story from Tor #5 in Pappy's #647, and a 2-D version of a 3-D Tor in Pappy's #850.

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Number 850

2-D Tor

I'd like to thank whoever took a 3-D copy of St. John's Tor #2 (actually, according to the indicia, 3-D #2, 1954) and blew out the 3-D effects, giving us a blackline copy.

I took their work and hopefully added to it by tweaking it a bit with my own software. I don't know who you are, anonymous scanner, but if you step forward and identify yourself I'll be glad to give you credit.

Tor is, of course, Joe Kubert's creation, a sort of serious Alley Oop caveman, wandering the world of "1,000,000 Years Ago," an anachronistic world where dinosaurs and humans co-exist, in a time roughly 64,000,000 years after the last dinosaurs died out. It may not be accurate in any way, but it sure is fun to look at, with or without the 3-D. It's just that for the purposes of this blog and Pappy readers, you don't have to hunt around for 3-D glasses to read it.

I do have 3-D glasses, and 3-D works on my computer screen just like it works on paper. Sometimes better. But they are a pain to wear over eyeglasses. Given my druthers I'd druther have the black and white.

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Number 647


Tik, Tok and Tor


Tor, a comic which was written, drawn and edited by Joe Kubert, is like a straight version of Alley Oop. No time machine or gags, but cavemen mixing it up with dinosaurs always remind me of V. T. Hamlin's Oop. A reason to forgive the nonsense and like Tor is because it's by Joe Kubert. Even if Joe's science was off, by this period in his career he was one of the best comic book artists in the field.

I wonder where he got the names Tik and Tok. Maybe he remembered an old Oz book by L. Frank Baum (Tik-Tok is a mechanical man), or he was listening to his clock tick off the time to a tight deadline.

From Tor #5, 1954:

PAPPY CHRISTMAS

I'd like to express my deep appreciation to talented SQUA TRONT, also known as Paul Beatless, who has so thoughtfully supplied the 2009 Pappy Christmas card. Thanks, Paul!

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