Chuck Topley
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ctopley.bsky.social
Chuck Topley
@ctopley.bsky.social
460 followers 630 following 2.6K posts
Cheerful, apathetic, cheerfully apathetic. Mostly. (He/him)
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ctopley.bsky.social
I wonder if maybe he shouldn't have hosted the stories! With the exception of Rod Serling in old TWILIGHT ZONE; I don't think sci-fi anthology comics usually get hosts like the Crypt-Keeper or Cain & Abel.

Maybe there were technical difficulties.
The monster from the corner box of WORLDS UNKNOWN. He appears to be trying to tell us something, but he's like miles away...
December 12, 2025 at 7:17 PM
ctopley.bsky.social
I swear I've seen the corner-box monster mentioned online more than any of the actual stories from that book! And I read the Killdozer issue some years back!

random-happenstance.blogspot.com/2018/10/my-l...
Corner-box monster, from Marvel's WORLDS UNKNOWN. He's shy, come on closer!
December 12, 2025 at 6:09 PM
ctopley.bsky.social
Today, on the blog: like "Who Goes There?" or "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" the original story "Farewell to the Master" is far less known than its adaptations. But is this comic more faithful than the movies...?

random-happenstance.blogspot.com/2025/12/mayb...
From 1973, Worlds Unknown #3, "Farewell to the Master!" Written and edited by Roy Thomas, from the original story by Harry Bates, pencils by Ross Andru, inks by Wayne Howard. In a museum, a guard shoos a photographer couple away from a massive, and weirdly-standing, green robot: Gnut. From 1973, Worlds Unknown #3, "Farewell to the Master!" Written and edited by Roy Thomas, from the original story by Harry Bates, pencils by Ross Andru, inks by Wayne Howard. Cover by Rich Buckler, with John Romita alterations: the soldier in the foreground feels definitely his. This is probably a more accurate adaptation of the original story than either of the movie versions...cover notwithstanding. Also, the robot Gnut itself was a million times harder than that lamppost it's swinging; so why?
December 12, 2025 at 2:37 PM
ctopley.bsky.social
As long as you make sure the Ch'od heads find homes: he's one of my favorite Build-a-Figures in recent memory. You can give me all the Cr'reees, though!
Marvel Legends figures. In the background, Satana is trying to get a selfie with Xemnu--another great Build-a-Figure! Ch'od is talking to Nightcrawler, but he now has a Cr'reee on each shoulder. CH'OD: Not bad, not bad, not bad. Starting to see some returns here. KURT: Uh, Ch'od...? Since when is Cr'reee...two? One of the Cr'reee's dives between Kurt's legs and scurries off. CH'OD: Wha--darn it, Cr'reee! I told you to do that BEFORE we left the ship! Grab it! Grab--aaaand it's gone. Ch'od apologizes. CH'OD: Sorry, our bad! That's on me there. ...how's your local ecosystem, Kurt? Pretty good against invasive species? KURT: Is this going to be a problem, Ch'od? CH'OD: Nah, I'm sure it's fine. It's not like getting flerkins, or, Rao forbid, symbiotes. <heh> What if you had BOTH? Planet'd be so messed up Galactus wouldn't touch it.
December 11, 2025 at 7:38 PM
ctopley.bsky.social
I wasn’t sure I was going to open the new Silver Surfer figure, but the package didn’t show up in great shape, so decision made.
New Marvel Legends Silver Surfer. Close-up of the new Surfer. Pinless body; which means he’s an incremental improvement on the last few Surfers, but you may be fine with those.
December 11, 2025 at 2:33 AM
ctopley.bsky.social
Probably! I was wondering if Claremont flipped through something like MARVEL PREMIERE #29 and thought he could use some of them, only for the continuity to not line up.
Jack Kirby cover for MARVEL PREMIERE #29: Bucky leads a band of super-heroes to save the Invaders. I liked Jack Frost, he had a great appearance in Gruenwald's CAP run.
December 9, 2025 at 11:02 PM
ctopley.bsky.social
I wanted to say Scourge (photo from @oafe.net!) but that might be a bit busy for Silver Age. Although, a lotta times I think of Jigsaw wearing a version of the Punisher's outfit! He needs a neckpiece/brace, though.
From OAFE, the Marvel Legends Demolition Man/Scourge figure. This is fairly accurate to what D-Man wore, in one storyline as a baddie; and not really recognizable as either D-Man or Scourge! It's a generic, metal-masked, paramilitary thug; but does a good job of that. OAFE has a great review, go see it! Dave Cockrum cover for AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #188. Framed in the spider-signal spotlight, a panicked Jigsaw fires a machine at Spidey, who's leaping down from the dark. It's coooool. (I don't think Jiggy's outfit is that orange, just in the red light!)
December 9, 2025 at 2:19 PM
ctopley.bsky.social
Today, on the blog: @teganoneil5000.bsky.social mentioned Jademan a while ago, and of course I have a random issue for example-type purposes.

I still don't think "Lord Buddha, please let his neck be broken" is a traditional prayer, though.

random-happenstance.blogspot.com/2025/12/lord...
From 1988, Oriental Heroes #5, art by Tony Wong, script by Mike Baron. A hero tries to defend an innocent bystander--not that innocent, she tries to stick him with a poison ring! From 1988, Oriental Heroes #5, art by Tony Wong, script by Mike Baron. A character prays to Lord Buddha, that his opponent's neck is broken, to end the fight! No dice.
December 8, 2025 at 3:22 PM
ctopley.bsky.social
There's a penny shortage, Scrooge, what the hell
From Fantagraphics UNCLE SCROOGE #3, "Flintheart Glomgold's Sinister Secret!" Story by Francesco Artibani, art by Alessandro Perina, translated by Jonathan Gray. Forced to pay "one cubic acre of cash" to ransom Huey, Dewey, and Louie from the treacherous Flintheart; Uncle Scrooge uncharacteristically pays up...in cash, namely pennies! But Scrooge is of course ahead of the game.
December 8, 2025 at 2:52 AM
ctopley.bsky.social
So I had to reorganize some stuff in my house, since one of my kids will be staying with me for a bit; and I thought maybe now would be a good time to build my own not-Criterion Closet! Clear the boxes and stuff out, move all the DVD's in.

Well...
Closet before. Closet after. Basically, most of my DVD racks were just crammed in there. There are a bunch of loose ones in the upper left corner but those aren't great/don't need rewatching anytime soon. There's also a shelf full of Marvel Adventures/Mini-Marvel reprints: I don't know if I have quite all of them, but they were very good!
December 7, 2025 at 3:50 PM
ctopley.bsky.social
Pretty sure he was in some "Forgotten Heroes" appearances in ACTION, or maybe the all-monkey issue of SECRET ORIGINS? (That was '89, so maybe not.)
Bill Wray cover for SECRET ORIGINS #40. Why is this chimp crying? Sadly, I have this issue, but not right next to me...
December 7, 2025 at 12:26 AM
ctopley.bsky.social
Did Robinson add Congorilla to the League, or was he already there? I ask only because he was basically the voice of the team in a Giffen DOOM PATROL...
From Doom Patrol, #20. "With Friends Like These..." Written by Keith Giffen, with art by Matthew Clark, Ron Randall, Scott Clark, Jose Luis, Scott McDaniel, Art Thibert, John Livesay, and Dave Beaty. The Doom Patrol looks for help, but have been blacklisted as "probable terrorists," so other super-heroes completely cop out. Cliff goes to the Justice League, but apparently only Congorilla is there today, and he gives him a firm "no." After years of dealing with Monsieur Mallah, Cliff's request to "talk to someone (that) ain't a monkey?" is pretty understandable.
December 6, 2025 at 10:38 PM
ctopley.bsky.social
(Reference!)
From "Treehouse of Horror VII" Lisa looks unimpressed with breakfast. LISA: These are just square pancakes. MARGE: I'm sorry, honey, the waffle iron's in the shop.
December 6, 2025 at 7:36 PM
ctopley.bsky.social
Finally did something I hadn’t taken time for in too long: got out the waffle iron for proper protein waffles! No square pancakes this week!
A GE waffle iron. It still has a $5 tag from the yard sale I bought it at, years ago, and it was a million years old then.
December 6, 2025 at 7:35 PM
ctopley.bsky.social
Weird cultural appropriation AND unleaded nightmare fuel! That book's a helluva find.
From LIFE WITH ARCHIE #204, which finds a space Archie and crew, who find Indians--in outer space! It...uh...yeah. Also from LIFE WITH ARCHIE #204: Jughead saves the space-old western town from the space-Indians, by sending them in the wrong direction. The mayor wants to make Jug sheriff, sweetening the deal with "we got us a mighty pretty school marm!" Which turns out to be...sexy R2-D2? (It doesn't do it for me, but there's gotta be some kid out there...)
December 6, 2025 at 6:37 AM
ctopley.bsky.social
I don't have it handy, but there's an EPIC ILLUSTRATED (#11) with an adaptation of this--ah, here you go:

raggedclaws.com/2009/03/08/l...
From EPIC ILLUSTRATED #11, "An Imperial Message" Written by Franz Kafka, adapted by Leopoldo Duranona.
December 5, 2025 at 7:23 PM
ctopley.bsky.social
If you see this, post a Spider-Man.
From Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #23, "There Can Be Only One!" Written by Paul Tobin, pencils by Matteo Lolli, inks by Terry Pallot. Spidey leaps away from a pinkish energy blast. MODOK: (off-panel) Joke all you want, but I've already destroyed the real Spider-Man, and a cheap substitute will be no challenge! SPIDER-MAN: Hold on! HOLD ON! Are...are you serious? I can joke all I want? NOBODY EVER LETS ME JOKE ALL I WANT! THIS IS WONDERFUL!
December 3, 2025 at 10:23 PM
ctopley.bsky.social
I didn’t get to open these the other day!
Marvel Legends Enchantress and Executioner.
December 2, 2025 at 3:02 AM
ctopley.bsky.social
An action scene of Dinosaur Island by Bill Wray, with soldiers, a robot, a Frankenstein, and planes all fighting dinosaurs. In the foreground, a guy in a red shirt is blazing away with a machine gun, but I can't tell if he's shooting at a dinosaur, or the Frankenstein.
November 26, 2025 at 7:09 PM
ctopley.bsky.social
I have a real piecemeal Legion: some from assorted DC Direct series, and two from the Mattel set that I got loose from eBay.

I think McFarlane made a Lightning Lad, and that was it? I didn't spring for him; he would've towered over Star Boy and Mon-El there.
My hodgepodge assortment of Legion of Super-Heroes, who seemingly can't believe there's really an Invisible Kid. BRAINIAC 5: Wait, we really have an Invisible Kid? I thought you were kidding. COSMIC BOY: I thought he was a prank, like Superboy's super-ventriloquism imaginary friend. MATTER-EATER LAD: Wait, if he's real, why have I been saying "present" for him at roll call every morning?
November 26, 2025 at 3:01 PM
ctopley.bsky.social
What’s your favorite comic book from the 80s?
Bob Layton cover to HERCULES #1. Such a fun-ass book; the first sequel and the graphic novel are also good. Dave Cockrum cover for NIGHTCRAWLER #1. Again, so fun. Absolutely one of my favorite books ever. Denys Cowan cover to BADGER GOES BERSERK #1. I had been aware of First Comics before, but this was where I started reading them more regularly, starting with BADGER and then NEXUS. Norm Breyfogle cover for DETECTIVE COMICS #589. John Wagner was there for a bit, but the Grant/Breyfogle Batman was like "my" Batman. Still great!
November 21, 2025 at 5:40 PM
ctopley.bsky.social
I know I’ve got it on DVD-ROM, but it’s weird as hell I find a copy in the cheap bins today! (And just that issue!)
Cover to STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION #2, by Pablo Marcos and Carlos Garzon.
November 20, 2025 at 2:56 AM
ctopley.bsky.social
In that issue, Gatecrasher mentions something from the Krakoa era that I don't think I've seen. The last Technet appearance I recall was from a Rocket Raccoon mini, guest-starring Deadpool! With this really Ditko-style merc explainer:
From 2017, Rocket #4, "The Blue River Score, part 4: Dirty Money" Written by Al Ewing, art by Adam Gorham. "The Wade Wilson Special Theory of Merc Motivation," and a very Steve Ditko looking page of Deadpool in a suit, walking from the white square of "loyalty" to the black square and sack of cash labeled "the Benjamin$."
November 17, 2025 at 4:24 PM
ctopley.bsky.social
I wasn’t expecting this yet! The Mondo X-MEN ‘97 Nightcrawler figure just came in.

I don’t usually get 12-inch figures, but of course I ordered this as fast as I could.
Mondo’s X-MEN ‘97 Nightcrawler figure. So fancy! He can hold a sword with one of his tails. Close-up of one of the four heads included. The Mondo X-MEN’97 Nightcrawler figure with the plain bendy tail and alternate head: I think that’s in the style of “Pryde of the X-Men.” The Bamf stuffed toy!
November 14, 2025 at 10:01 PM
ctopley.bsky.social
I miss First, and those editorials! I liked the one where Mike admitted they spent a lot of money on subliminal advertising in supermarkets, which didn't carry First comics, so all they did was increase shampoo sales...
A bottle of Nexxus shampoo, which presumably doesn't fly around and zap murderers. As far as I know...
November 14, 2025 at 7:44 PM