The Toy Box

Comics Corner: Web Of Spider-Man 44

Title: Web Of Spider-Man
Issue Number: 44
Release Date: November 1988

Highlights

First appearance of the Warzone team, Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta
Also the first appearances of Lloyd, Harry, Dinah, Mr. Peterson
First appearance of the location Page After Page is Las Vegas, Nevada
As Spider-Man swings through Las Vegas, he makes his way into the path of where Delta is aiming his rocket launcher, and this sets off his spidey sense

Delta takes notice, and duck into the shadows

The remaining members of Warzone are at a bar catching up, and planning for the upcoming game
Marlo Chandler goes to the casino hotel room of Joe to surprise him

When she knocks, she says she was watching MTV, and Michael Jackson's The Way You Make Me Feel came on, prompting the visit to him

When she asks if he knows what else Michael sings, Joe replies, "Beat It," and slams the door in her face

As Warzone get ready in their respective rooms for the game, they each take a line from Beat It

Meanwhile, on the television, the introduction for the Dinah Show notes that special guest, Peter Palmer, will be on that evening, showcasing his book Webs

Despite repeatedly correcting her, Dinah continues to call him different names

Marlo watches Peter on television, and takes a shining to him
Peter's appearance at Page After Page isn't going well, with minimal people coming by for an autograph
As Marlo heads to the store to meet Peter, the games begin, and Delta fires a rocket at Charlie, who is also nearby
Spider-Man makes an appearance, and attempts to question Charlie, but is met by two rockets coming his way, which he neatly webs up
Spider-Man hits Delta with a spider tracer, but then diverts his attention to the injured Marlo, who he takes to a nearby hospital
Marlo's roommate Mona works at the hospital, and when she see's her friend, she call's Joe to let him know that she was hurt by a woman in fatigues
Spider-Man and Charlie track Delta to a hotel, and it just so happens to be the one Joe is at

As Spidey and Delta enter, Alpha appears, and starts shooting, only to be interrupted by Joe who blocks the gunshots with his hand, and tells him he doesn't like noise

Joe sees the woman in camouflage, and deduces that she's the one who hurt Marlo

Alpha says he'll take care of her, and fill her full of holes, to which Joe says he's fine with

Spider-Man protests, and realizes it that Joe, AKA Mr. Fix-It, is actually the Hulk, but he's sure he's supposed to be green, and dead

Low Points

The story continues in the pages of The Incredible Hulk 349

So tired of all the crossovers

Oddities

None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Big Lick NOVA 2026: Part II - Joe Rubenstein, Alex Saviuk, And Patrick Olliffe

My day continued at Big Lick NOVA 2026 where last week's post ended off. I was making my way down the row of artist alley, getting books signed, meeting with folks, and in general having a blast. What shocked me was just how relatively empty the majority of their tables were. People would come in waves of three to five every few minutes, but in general, it was relatively easy to walk up to a table and immediately meet with your creator of choice.

As I noted yesterday, the order in which these are posted isn't actually the order that I went from table to table, but rather how each person was seated, left to right. Mind you, while the folks I showed last week, and am showing today, are the ones I got several books signed by, there were also a couple others I met with. Those will pop up next Monday when I wrap up my Big Lick posts.

Kicking things off for today was Joe Rubenstein. At $15.00 per signature, Joe has historically been one of the more expensive creators to obtain a signature from. It's because of this that I had to severely edit myself. Things could have easily gotten out of hand at his table had I allowed myself to do what I initially wanted, which was get all the Official Marvel Handbooks he worked on signed. That would have easily cost over $700.00.

Joe Rubenstein signing my stack of books

While I could have done this within my budget, it would have certainly killed how things ultimately played out, and frankly, I'm much happier with how things ended up versus getting a bunch of books signed that ultimately would have sat in a comic box. I ended up limiting myself to just twelve books, which in and of itself is quite a few, considering the price.

Also signed by Jim Shooter at
Big Lick NOVA 2023, and
purchased off of ebay pre-signed
by Charles Vess

While I initially got the above book signed by Jim Shooter at Big Lick NOVA 2023, the above copy was my second which I bought off of ebay, pre-signed by Charles Vess. I did end up meeting Mr. Vess at Baltimore Comic Con 2025, and getting my original copy signed by him as well.

Also signed by Jim Shooter at
Big Lick NOVA 2023

Also signed by Mark Bagley at
Awesome Con 2024, and
Jim Salicrup at the same show

Also signed by Jim Shooter at
Big Lick NOVA 2025

Also signed by Jim Starlin at
Baltimore Comic Con 2023

Also signed by Alex Saviuk and
Keith Williams at
Baltimore Comic Con 2024

Also signed by Alex Saviuk at
Baltimore Comic Con 2023
(but I forgot to post the book at that time)

And speaking of Alex Saviuk, he too was there, and another artist I had to severely handicap myself with on getting books signed. Basically, if there was a book of Web of Spider-Man that Keith Williams inked, chances were high that Alex penciled them. The problem is that at $10.00 per signature, he's not as affordable as Mr. Williams.

Alex signing my edited stack of books

With that said, prior to Rubinstein being announced as a guest, I did have several more books picked out for him to sign. Still, I got quite a few good ones. In lieu of this, I ended up having him on my list as a possibility to get a commission piece from. However, much like Mike DeCarlo, this was going to come down to whether or not he was doing them that day, what they cost, and how long it would take.

Also signed by Jim Shooter at
Big Lick NOVA 2023, and
Al Milgrom at
Baltimore Comic Con 2025

I bought this copy of The Amazing Spider-Man: Riot At Robotworld! specifically to take with me and get signed. Mr. Saviuk was happy to see it, and it spawned quite a long conversation with him about how he came to be the penciler on the book. Flipping it open and seeing the promotional poster, he then told me about how he came to draw that, how a fan brought him one to keep at a show, and then proceeded to look them up on ebay, showing me the multiple sellers who had them after I expressed an interest in owning one myself.

Since I had Keith Williams do a remark on Web of Spider-Man 63, I thought it would be fun to have Mr. Saviuk also do one. No offense to Mr. Williams, but man that black suit Spidey turned out hot!

The last artist I actively brought books for was Patrick Olliffe.

As I was getting things situated with Mr. Saviuk, Pat actually got up to walk away from his empty table. I turned to him and said, "No, please don't go. I have stuff for you to sign as well." He smiled and sat back down. Admittedly, he was the person I brought the least for, but I was glad that he stayed around for me.

Also signed by Renee Witterstaetter
at Big Lick NOVA 2023, and
Mark Bagley at
Galaxy Con Richmond 2023

From there, I did make my way to two other tables in the same row to get my convention book signed. From there, I walked the showroom floor, intent on finding the things I had on my want list, but I'll go into all of that in next week's post, which will also wrap up my time at Big Lick NOVA 2026.

Until then, here's a few select photos from the show, starting out with a selection of cosplayers who killed it on their costumes.

There were also some cool props and cars in the showroom.

All of that was just the tip of the iceberg once you add the illustrious volume of vendor tables. Comics, toys, games, cards, unique foods, and tchotchkes of every kind could be found. If there wasn't something in this building that appealed to you, there's something wrong with you.

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Retro Spins: Devo - Oh, No! It's Devo

With the backing of David Bowie and Iggy Pop, which garnered them their original recording deal with Warner Bros. to the massive single, Whip It, Devo exploded on the 80's new wave scene, ushering in the era of synth pop. Among them were the likes of The Human League, Gary Numan, Kraftwerk, and to an extent, even Italian producer Giorgio Moroder.

The title, Oh, No! It's Devo, would come from word of mouth getting to the band that whenever they released something new, that was the response people often gave. As for the music itself on the album, this was conceived from the public's general consensus that the band were either fascists or clowns. As a result, when they set to the task of writing, they set out to answer the question, "what would a record sound like by fascist clowns?"

A unique aspect to the original vinyl pressings was the die-cut stand on the back of the jacket. Popping this out allowed the record to be displayed like a photograph in a frame. Schticks aside, the album didn't perform as well as its predecessors and would seemingly be the beginning of a steady decline for them.

The album would further come under scrutiny for the song, I Desire, for its lyrics taken directly from the letter John Hinkley Jr. sent to Jody Foster prior to his attempted assassination of Ronald Regan. Though the band obtained the approval from Foster to use the words, the FBI warned against doing so.

The opening track, Time Out For Fun, and the final, Deep Sleep, definitely feel like the groundwork for what Weird Al Yankovic's Dare To Be Stupid was based on. It kind of make me just want to listen to that.

It took the album about four tracks before things started to stand out for me, starting with Peek-A-Boo, and continuing through That's Good, Patterns, Big Mess, and Speed Racer. If you think the latter is about the cartoon, that wouldn't be the right assessment, but nonetheless, it's a very quirky tune.

Overall, it delivers the expected listening experience from a Devo album. New wave synth pop with lyrics that don't necessarily make much sense.

The band would tour extensively between 1982 and 1983 and even contributed two new songs to the soundtrack for the film, Doctor Detroit, the appropriately titled, Theme From Doctor Detroit, and Luv-Luv. This was followed by a music video for the theme song.

From there, they returned to the studio to record what would become 1984's Shout, their final record for Warner Bros. until 2010. It would also be their last with drummer Alan Myers. We'll pick up there tomorrow.

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Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.

Comics Corner: The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual 8

Title: The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual
Issue Number: 8
Release Date: November 1988

Highlights

First appearance of Junipur, Katos, and Professor Quint
Spider-Man sits atop a roof petting a stray cat and pondering if Mary Jane would be upset if he brought it home when a stray explosion hits close to him
Reference is made to The Spectacular Spider-Man 142, 143, The Amazing Spider-Man Annual 22, The Amazing Spider-Man 90, and 148
Spider-Man swoops down and deals with the High Evolutionary's armored men, and then goes to check on the girl they were chasing, only to come face to face with the clone of Gwen Stacy

Seeing each other startles them both

The battle with the armored men commences, and in the tussle, Gwen has taken off on foot

High Evolutionary's men return to him, having failed their mission a third time

He explains to Quint why he needs Gwen Stacy - To study her genetic makeup

Peter digs out an old photo album of him and Gwen, looking through it while he waits for Mary Jane to come home

When she does, he explains to her what's going on

The High Evolutionary spies on the Young Gods training for battle, but they realize he's there, and what his plan is for humanity
Some of them think they should do something about it, but Katos tells them they shouldn't get involved

Not listening, Brightsword has Highnote transport him and her, along with Daydreamer, Mindsinger, Sea Witch, Splice, and Junipur to Earth

Katos informs the rest they need to go after them before they bring disaster to all humanity

As Mary Jane and Peter wait for the inevitable arrival of Gwen, Mary Jane gets upset, feeling like she's never stood a chance with Peter as long as Gwen was in the picture

Peter tells her that he doesn't love Gwen anymore, but in his mind, calls himself a liar

Gwen tracks down Peter to his new apartment through Betty Brant

As she grabs him for a hug, his Spider-Man costume gets exposed under his robe

Gwen panics, and runs away

Mary Jane tells Peter he still loves Gwen, and to find her, help her, but come home to him with a clear heart, or don't come home
Spider-Man grabs Gwen, and tries to explain, but she immediately blames him for killing her father

Distracted, and trying to explain, the High Evolutionary's men attack

Quint grabs Gwen, and transports back to their hidden base, but Spider-Man jumps on, and goes along

As the entire base attacks Spider-Man, the rogue Young Gods appear on the scene, and immediately join the fray

The remaining Young Gods also show up, but immediately set to the task of stopping their comrades

However, it ends abruptly when Daydreamer sneaks up on Calculus, and zaps his mind harder than she expected, sending him into a screaming frenzy

Spider-Man frees Gwen, and calms her down by telling her he's Peter

They embrace, but he tells her that it's over between them because he's in love with someone else

Caduceus is able to repair Calculus's mind

The Young Gods depart

Spider-Man demands to know what High Evolutionary wanted with the clone of Gwen Stacy

He explains that he wanted to learn how Professor Warren created her, and in probing learned she never was a clone of Gwen Stacy, rather a near identical woman that Warren kidnapped, and genetically altered

High Evolutionary transports Spider-Man and "the woman" out of his fortress

As the now confused woman questions everything, Daydream appears behind her, and returns her original memories to her

The woman, who Peter still doesn't know, simply wanders off, presumably back to where she remembers she was from
Peter returns to Mary Jane, and when asked if he loves Gwen, he says of course he does, but that she's dead, and part of his past, while Mary Jane is now and his future

Low Points

There's a second story featuring the Young Gods, and a third all about High Evolutionary, but neither include Spider-Man
These annuals are really long and drawn out

Take out the Young Gods, and the story isn't impacted at all, instead, it's tighter, and moves along better

Oddities

None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: Devo - New Traditionalists

It's interesting how something as simple as a pamphlet can inspire the inception of an entire band. Jocko Homo Heavenbound which included a winged devil illustration called, "D-EVOLUTION". However, it was this very thing found by Mark Mothersbaugh, who showed it to Gerald Casale and Bob Lewis, that would start to kick things off. That same pamphlet would later inspire the Devo tune, Jocko Homo.

The first iteration of Sextet Devo featured Casale, Lewis, Mothersbaugh, brother Bob Casale, Rod Reisman and Fred Weber. Though this lineup would only perform together once in 1973. Someone had the foresight to film the event, and it's actually been released on Devo's The Complete Truth About De-Evolution (1993).

The lineup would continue as the Casale brothers, Bob Lewis, Mark Mothersbaugh, and his brothers Jim and Bob Mothersbaugh. Though in 1974, Lewis would step down as a member and actually take on the role as band manager. They'd record music videos for Secret Agent Man and Jocko Homo and stay together until Jim's departure in 1975. He'd be replaced by Alan Myers. The core members were now in place; Gerald Casale, Mark Mothersbaugh, Bob Mothersbaugh, Bob Caslae, and Alan Meyers.

Fame would start to come with the 1976 Chuck Statler directed film, The Truth About De-Evolution. After it won first place at the Ann Arbor Film Festival, David Bowie would take a direct interest in the band. Bowie would make it his mission to get them signed with Warner Bros. Shortly thereafter, they were asked by Neil Young to participate in his film, Human Highway. Filming would begin in 1978, and not wrap up until 1981, with it eventually being released in 1982. Devo would play nuclear garbage men and provide Mark Mothersbaugh with his first opportunity to score a soundtrack.

In 1977, Devo released their first single, Mongoloid backed with Jocko Homo. This was followed by a cover of the Rolling Stone's (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction. This was followed by the EP, B Stiff, released on Stiff Records. This was followed by another EP, Mechanical Man (1978), which contained so many demo versions that people initially thought it was a bootleg.

By this point, both David Bowie and Iggy Pop were pushing Warner to sign the band, and eventually they acquiesced. While Bowie initially agreed to produce their debut, previous commitments required him to back out. Brian Eno was brought in to fill the roll, and the end result was 1978's Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!

An appearance on Saturday Night Live would garner them national attention, and riding this wave, delivered their sophomore album, Duty Now for the Future (1979). Though not as successful as its predecessor, it did allow the band to tour Japan, as well as appear at Don Kirshner's Rock Concert that same year.

As part of their act, the guys embraced the Church of the SubGenius, a parody religion. Under this guise, they would perform as the band, Dove, serving as their own opening act as a joke. Dove would then appear in the 1980 televangelism spoof film Pray TV.

1980's Freedom Of Choice would serve as the band's breakthrough album with its hit, Whip It. This not only put them on radio airwaves but become a staple on MTV during its early years. Additionally, their boom in popularity allowed them the opportunity for a massive tour of Japan, UK, Germany, Canada, France, Italy, and Netherlands, in addition of course to the USA. Multiple television appearances also followed. The EP DEV-O Live kicked off 1981 for them, and was followed by their next album, New Traditionalists, which is where we start things off today.

My first exposure to this one was the song, Race Of Doom, which randomly came across my shuffle list one day. It immediately got my attention, as was added to my regular rotation. As such, I was kind of looking forward to today's Retro Spin, anxious to see what more would come from it.

It certainly delivered a synth pop and new wave filled listening experience, and an enjoyable one at that. I also found some other noteworthy tracks, which included, Jerkin' Back 'N' Forth, and Through Being Cool. The latter was a bit of a shock for me, because I initially recognized it. No, not from hearing it on the radio, but instead in the animated film, Heavy Metal.

Along with the single, Working In The Coal Mine, which was recorded during the Freedom Of Choice sessions, Devo contributed Through Being Cool, which plays during the bar scene, with an animated band performing it. While Working In The Coal Mine appears on the soundtrack, and plays during the end credits of the film, Through Being Cool was not included on the record.

From there, Devo worked with Toni Basil as her backing band to record her debut, Word Of Mouth. The album would also feature Basil covering three songs from Devo, Be Stiff, Space Girls, and You Gotta Problem. Of course, most notable from that would be the smash hit, Mickey.

Not ready for a rest, they returned to the studio to record 1982's Oh, No! It's Devo. This is where we'll pick up tomorrow.

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Comics Corner: The Spectacular Spider-Man 143

Title: The Spectacular Spider-Man
Issue Number: 143
Release Date: October 1988

Highlights

Death of Persuader, AKA Roland Rayburn
First appearance of the security guard, Mel Zimmerman, Ben, the bartender, Dave, Steve, Andrea, and the Lobo Brothers, Eduardo and Carlos
First appearance and death of the hired gunman, Andrew
First appearance of the locations Herdling Refinery, Grapevine Lake, and the Lobo's Mansion
Spider-Man has been returning to Punisher's boat, following the events that had them both investigating Tombstone, but he hasn't returned

Some would be burglars try to rob the boat, and thinking they might have information, he pounces them, but learns nothing

Punisher is spotted at the Dallas airport by a security guard who's good at remembering faces

A report overhears him confronting the vigilante

The Arranger attempts to fill Kingpin in on current events, which is actually just a synopsis for the readers, but is told to shut up, and that he, the Kingpin, is more interested in his revenge on Daredevil
The clone of Gwen Stacy is on a bus in Ohio, headed towards Peter Parker, looking for his help

The vehicle is attacked by the High Evolutionary's men, who are continuing their pursuit of her

Reference is made to The Amazing Spider-Man 308 and 309
Peter meets Mary Jane at a bar, and the two have dinner plans

Those plans are interrupted by a news report saying that the Punisher was spotted at the Dallas airport

As Peter storms off to catch a plane, Mary Jane calms herself down saying she knew there would be days like this, and that she's not angry...much

Punisher infiltrates an oil refinery being used to smuggle drugs for the Lobo brothers, and does what he does best, kill people, and blow it up
When Peter arrives in Dallas, he meets up with Andrea who works on the team promoting the book Webs (see oddities)

He shows up to attend a convention to sign copies of his book, and asks her about the Lobo brothers (see oddities)

In doing so, we get a backstory on them

Peter takes a break while signing books to dip out as Spider-Man, and hunt for the Punisher

He finds him on the tail end of a killing spree at the Lobo brother's mansion

He's holding the brothers at gunpoint, and they tell him to do what he's going to do, and tell the Kinpin that they spit on him

This temporarily breaks the "spell" he's under by the Persuader

Spider-Man breaks up the party by webbing Punisher's gun away, but this only starts a fight between the two

The Lobo brothers dip out during the scuffle

Spider-Man is grazed across the head by a bullet, temporarily knocking him unconscious

He awakens to Punisher standing over him with his gun drawn

Instead of shooting Spidey, Punisher turns his weapon on Andrew, and Persuader, killing them both

He tells Persuader that he only fogged his brain, but never had control of his mind

Seeing and hearing everything from a safe distance, the Lobo brothers profess their forthcoming revenge on Kingpin

Low Points

Peter is explaining to a kid how his older red and blue costume wasn't as easy to capture on film as his new one

The kid tells him he thinks it stinks, and is promptly told by Peter, "G'way, kid, ya bother me."

Oddities

Pretty convenient there just so happens to be a convention in town that very day for Peter to trek to Dallas and sign books at
How would Andrea know about a pair of local drug dealers when she works in book promotion?

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: Devo - Freedom Of Choice

Back in my day, Devo's Whip It was required listening. Unfortunately, it relatively stopped there, and as a result, one would be forgiven to classify the band as a one hit wonder. Even being a staple of the era, the reality is that the song only reached number fourteen on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1980. Its relevance perhaps came more so from its music video, which was among the earliest played on the station.

From there, they had two other minor Billboard hits. The first was the cover version of Working In The Coal Mine, which peaked at number forty-three in 1981. While it was recorded during the Freedom Of Choice sessions, it would not be included on the album. Instead, it was contributed to the animated film, Heavy Metal, and its subsequent soundtrack. Ironically, it would be another soundtrack contribution which would be their third and final charting hit when the Theme From Doctor Detroit landed at fifty-nine in 1983 on the Billboard.

Personally, my knowledge of the band was limited to just Whip It and Working In The Coal Mine for the longest time. For the longest time, the only albums in my collection were 1980's Freedom Of Choice, and the Heavy Metal soundtrack. However, while out shopping at a used CD store in 2022 for my birthday, I came across, Oh No, It's Devo, which I decided to pick up. It definitely wasn't an album I wanted per se, but rather, grabbed because it was there, and from a band I knew.

Returning to the same used CD store in January 2023, I found their 1978 debut, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, and followed this up with a purchase on ebay for a compilation album I'd had on my want list, but never pulled the trigger on, 2000's Pioneers Who Got Scalped: The Anthology. Though I typically steer clear of greatest hits, I wanted this one specifically for the inclusion of the cover, Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini, used in the 1987 film, Revenge Of The Nerds II: Nerds In Paradise. The film itself never received a soundtrack release.

It was at this same time that I also came across 1981's New Traditionalist, and for whatever reason, I also grabbed it for my collection. However, it wouldn't be until May of 2026, when deciding which Retro Spins to tackle next that I decided to look into their remaining two album, 1984's Shout, and 1988's Total Devo. It was at this point why I remembered that Devo was a slow band to be added to my collection; most of their albums are so freaking expensive.

This does at least make sense, as CD releases were relatively few and far between. With exception of Japanese releases, legit or otherwise, options in the USA were mostly limited to the 1996 Infinite Zero Archive series, or 2005 Collectibles releases. Mind you, not every album was released during these periods. Yes, there are anomalies in there, such as Freedom Of Choice which saw a wider CD release, due in part to Whip It, and Total Devo, which was released during the boom of CD popularity. But for the most part, the majority of their earlier work is quite rare outside of vinyl and cassettes.

Devo was a new wave and synth pop bad through and through, and this is exactly what I expected to get from today's Retro Spin. Yes, they do incorporate lead, rhythm and bass guitars into the tracks, but these are utilized sparsely. Mainly, you're getting keyboards and drums.

Ever present are those quirky lyrics the band became known for. In retrospect of listening to Weird Al Yankovic's Dare To Be Stupid, the song, which parodies liberally from the guys, it's actually not far off from how their lyrics come off. I do, however, favor the latter to Devo.

With an understanding of what I was going to be getting, it was easier to mentally wrap my mind around everything. Tracks like Snowball, Freedom Of Choice, and That's Pep delivered catchy hooks, and along with Whip It, stood out as the superior tracks. Overall, while I'm not necessarily sold on the band, I am intrigued enough to continue on. With four more to go, I suppose that's a good mindset to have.

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