Green Trashcan

Well, as you've no doubt noticed, I've spent waaay too much time this past week discussing the wonder that is Go-Go #5 (or, as we know it around here at Slay Monstrobot, the gift that keeps on giving). We've dissected the cover, we've gaped in awe at the Rotting Stumps.

Well, let's take one last dip in the pool of cool (at least for now), and take a very brief look at The Bestest League of America!!

Yup, it's a silly parody, that wishes it were as funny or inspired as the glory days of MAD comics. Sorry, Gary Friedrich and Grass Green, no such luck. It's pretty trite, even for 1967. Wondrous Woman (she's a Glamazon!!). Lean Arrow? Aukman?? Aquariuman?!? Ho ho, hee hee. The art ain't much better, either.

But there were two things that actually made me giggle. First:

S'amm S'mmith? Now THAT's funny!

And the leader of the BLA? Why, none other than Green Trashcan!!

See, his ring emits smells, and...anyway, here's my favorite part, as GT recharges his ring:

Alfred Bester it ain't...

Friday Night Karaoke--Rotting Stumps Style!!

Well, since Bahlactus has punked out on us this weekend, you know what that means--Friday Night Karaoke!!

And, since we spent a bit of time earlier this week dissecting the cover of that Charlton oddity, Go-Go #5, it's a perfect time to look inside the issue and sing along with The Rotting Stumps and their 1st major hit, Wailin' Welfare Blues #69!!

Yes, you see, The Rotting Stumps apparently are a terrible band, yet they hit it big!! No one can stand their music, but it sells millions!! That's the kind of wry...uh...satire...you get from Go-Go.

I know, you would think that telling your target readership that they have terrible musical taste might seem to be bad marketing, but Go-Go is nothing if not bold!!

And by 1967, you might think that even the white-collar middle-aged types making this magazine might have twigged just a little bit onto the fact that some popular music might actually be good and have artistic value!! Not our creators at Go-Go, however...they dare to tell it like it is--anything popular actually sucks, even as we try to market this comic to you by claiming to represent pop culture!!

Too bad we never got to see these guys respond to punk, eh?

Anyway, let's enjoy the lyrics...and don't be afraid to sing along:

...and...

...and...

Uh-oh, better close-up on those lyrics:

And finally, as the band goes on the Ed Sulkivan Show (get it? GET IT?!?):

And in case we haven't gotten it, the band's manager and promoter give us a funny moral:

Hahahahaha!!

So, in case you missed all the layers of this sophisticated parody, our creators are telling us that a) pop music has no artistic value, and in fact sounds awful, b) our readers, therefore, have no taste, c) while still pimping out pin-ups of pop-stars on our cover as a selling point, d) and having our heroes sing lyrics that serve as a scathing (?) indictment of welfare. And I didn't even show you their attack on the IRS!!!

Too much to believe? Baby, this is Go-Go, and it makes it's own rules!!! Sing along, dammit!!

Oh come with me, please marry me,
And we'll raise a family,
You be a squaw, I'll be your chief,
And we'll live on govt. relief

Man, they don't write 'em like that anymore...

What The #$%^???--Go-Go

I could have made this a Tale From the Quarter Bin, but really, it's just too dang nuts.

What is? Why, Charlton Comics Go-Go #5 (Feb 1967). Gaze at it in awe:

You know, I've looked at this about 150 times over the past 2 days, and I still don't know what to make of it. What, exactly, is this beastie?

As best as I can describe it--and words are actually failing me now--is that it is trying to combine the feel of the MAD comic books of the 1950's with the aesthetics of Archie comics, heavily peppered with the pop culture of the early late 60's via Laugh-In. All filtered through the sensibilities of middle-aged white-collar workers desperately trying to sound hip.

Seriously, this odd, odd comic book caroms from a MAD-style lampoon of the Justice League to an extraordinarily lame attempt to do a lampoon mash-up of Peyton Place and Dark Shadows, to the Archie filtered through Not Brand Ecch!! adventures of the pop band The Rotting Stumps to...

Aside from the amazingly amateurish and off-putting design of the cover, please note two things that epitomize what this magazine is doing to my brain. First, there's the featured cover character, Ms. Bikini Luv:

Man, does that ever say 60's in every way possible, or what? Secondly, please check out this from the bottom of the cover:

Hmmm...Pin-ups of Sonny and Cher? Sock it to me, baby. And what exactly do they mean by "colorful black & white?" Let me guess...

Yup, just plain old black & white. Have you no shame, Dick Giordano?

But wait, there's a second pin-up:

Uhhh....why? Uhhhh....head exploding....

Anyway, we're not done with Go-Go yet. Not by a long shot...Stay tuned...