by Anthony Perconti
in Issue 88, May 2019
May 2019
I have always been a big fan of genre mash-ups. Types of stories (in any medium, really) that are an amalgamation of different elements that at first may not seem like an obvious choice to combine. But when they are done well, these combinations breathe new life into old tropes. Stuff like the AMC series Into the Badlands, the Reverend Mercer tales from Joe R. Landsdale, the twisty, sneaky, intricate and brilliant works of Gene Wolfe (Rest in Peace, sir) or Brian Keene’s Lost Level series. All of these aforementioned works are in essence genre blenders; mixing together aspects of horror, martial arts, western, fantasy, literary fiction and science fiction and molding them into a hybrid product. At the time of this writing, Ahoy Comics has just released a new title, Bronze Age Boogie, written by Stuart Moore, with art by Alberto Ponticelli. This title (the first issue so far) is a perfect example of a genre blender deftly mixing several comic book subgenres into a hilarious and downright strange book. And by strange, I mean that in the best possible way. Strange as in Grant Morrison’s brand, albeit with more monkey’s I’ll wager. Even the title is a mash up of duel meanings; the first is in relation to a time period in which a thread of the story is set, while the other (more importantly) refers to another Bronze Age, that of an era in comic book history, it’s starting point being 1970. And at the end of the day, Bronze Age Boogie is a love letter not just to comic books from the ‘70’s, but for the decade itself, along with its pop culture touchstones. This first issue deals with several subgenres that were representative of what was going on in the world of comics, but it also references works such as Happy Days and Escape from the Planet of the Apes. In an article I wrote a little over a year ago, I reviewed (ok, gushed on about) Brian Keene’s novel, The Lost Level. I titled that article “The Best ‘70’s Comic Never Written”. Judging from the trajectory of this first installment, I may have to eat those words. Although it’s still too early to tell, I suspect that The Lost Level may have some company as being a near perfect homage to those pulp inspired works scattered throughout the 1970’s; it certainly helps as well that Bronze Age Boogie is an actual comic book (versus a novel). As a reader, what appeals so much to me about works such as The Lost Level and Bronze Age Boogie is the fact they both are heavily influenced by older works, be they pulp novels, movies and comics, those influences are then fiddled with in novel ways, thereby creating something familiar enough, yet with enough discernible changes to make it seem fresh. Or to state it a different way, who doesn’t love a good swords and sorcery, kung fu, simian time travel, blaxploitation, Martian invasion story?
Issue one starts off with a prologue, set in the headquarters of Madame Ape, a wheelchair bound primate, in the year 1975CE. Her associate, Doc Lunar, who resembles ‘The Dude’ from The Big Lebowski, is on the verge of panic, ranting on about; “Junkies dying in the streets! A plague of muggers infesting Central Park…The NYPD on the verge of an illegal strike…The invasion has begun!”Madame Ape is able to calm him down and send him on his way (along with some Psilocybin ‘shrooms) to put in motion part of her contingency plan. She then tells Go-Go Golem, a female golem in go-go boots and mini skirt to check on the tequila reserves because Bianca is back in town. As confusing as this scenario sounds, I can assure you that it is just as strange reading it firsthand. We then cut to the year 1975BCE where we join a barbarian war-band on the battlefield pitted against the reanimated denizens of ancient Atlantis. Making up the ranks of this monstrous horde are zombified mutants, beast men and various species of mega-fauna. Brita Constantina, teenage daughter of King Domnal is fighting through the zombie ranks along with the rest of her comrades. Brita is not your typical barbarian. Unlike her father, who pontificates in purple prose snatched straight from the Conan the Barbarian monthly, Brita speaks in a 1970’s argot. On page four, after loping off the head of a decomposing mook, she raises her sword to the sky and defiantly screams; “Sit on it, Potsie!” In the distance looms a gigantic violet jewel perched atop a sheer tower. This tower and the surrounding structures are the stronghold of the dark sorcerers that the war-band is trying to loot. The jewel begins powering up and suddenly blasts multiple death rays into the crowd, vaporizing huge swaths of the war-band. Seeing this super-weapon in action, King Domnal calls for a strategic retreat. Later that night in the barbarian camp, King Domnal enters Brita’s tent and they consult a map of the landscape; it turns out that beyond the sorcerer’s keep lies the fabled Taboo Zone, a place of ancient power guarded by an impenetrable barrier (this is certainly a nod to The Forbidden Zone from The Planet of the Apes films).
Once Domnal exits, Brita pulls out her secret box, chock full of detritus from the future including among other things, a hair pick, a plastic drinking bird and fuzzy dice. Brita hears a sing-song voice in her head, rhyming snatches that make no sense to her, along with seeing visions of a woman with a full afro and wielding a matched pair of pistols. At this point, in walks Sniffer Ape, Brita’s benefactor and instructor on all things 1970’s. Sniffer Ape is a smart-aleck, currently recovering coke addict (hence his name) agent of ATTAC (Ape Time Travel Action Crew). Decked out in a leisure suit, Sniffer proceeds to tell Brita more about the future; Alberto Ponticelli’s visuals on page fourteen are just wild. The top half is imagery from Sniffer’s future including art deco spaceships, monkeys in vacuum suits floating in zero g by the rings of Saturn, with Billy Jean King and Bobby Riggs going toe to toe across the net, while the bottom half is Sniffer’s story conveyed in straight text, as opposed to word balloons. This Howard the Duck like agent of ATTAC is marooned in the (or is it a?) distant past. Sniffer gives Brita one more gift from his stash from the future, a miniature disco ball. At this point, outside the tent, chaos erupts; a pack of Martian war machines begins vaporizing the barbarian camp, while simultaneously, the disco ball teleports Brita and Sniffer forward in time to 1975CE, in the midst of the Martian invasion of Manhattan! In the caption for the second issue, Stuart Moore promises the readers a: “Cross time invasion! Little girl lost! The silky smooth hands of Jackson Li, master of martial arts! And the coming of…Lynda Darrk!” And boy, I can hardly wait.
Although this is only the opening chapter of a series, this first issue certainly sets a specific tone that I’m sure will continue (and probably accelerate) as the series progresses. This is a manic book; chock full of weird ideas, offbeat humor and solid world building. We have yet to be introduced to the kung fu and blaxploitation aspects of the piece, but as Moore hinted in that final caption, I’m sure they will be introduced in the second issue. In addition to referencing films and TV shows from the 1970’s, Bronze Age Boogie is awash in the comic book culture of that time period as well; especially the Roy Thomas helmed era of The House of Ideas. A comic like Bronze Age Boogie would not exist today if it wasn’t for such Marvel characters (and their respective titles) as Killraven, Misty Knight and Colleen Wing, aka The Daughters of the Dragon, Shang-Chi the Master of Kung Fu, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Conan and Howard the Duck. I would also bet the farm that the trippy, cosmically preoccupied works of Jim Starlin will rear their influential heads soon as well. Bronze Age Boogie is essentially a nostalgia piece, aimed at a specific demographic (middle aged comic book geeks) that is trying to capture lightning in a bottle; recreating that groovy ‘70’s Marvel vibe but for a modern audience.
This is my first exposure to an Ahoy brand comic and the amount of content presented is robust. Moore follows up this first installment with an informative essay entitled “I Say It’s Nostalgia and I Say the Hell with It!” The writer reminisces about being a teenager (in the ‘70’s, naturally) and reading an editorial from Archie Goodwin (“I Say its Space Opera and I Say to Hell with It!”) in Marvel Preview #4 that deals with Goodwin’s initial disdain of the space opera genre until he discovered the innovative works of Jack Vance. This magazine contained a black and white double feature starring, appropriately enough given his current success, Star-Lord and the short lived Sword in the Star. The backup feature in Bronze Age Boogie is Major Ursa, written by Tyrone Finch, with snappy art by Mauricet. This is an origin story set during the space race of 1958 in which a test bear named Elvis gains human intelligence through exposure to cosmic rays a la the Fantastic Four. It’s not every day you read a line in a comic book stating; “That bear is twice the man you’ll ever be.” In addition, two short comedic text pieces are included as well. You get a plenty of solid reading material for the $3.99 cover price. So pull the tab off an ice cold Schlitz or if you prefer, a Narragansett, put on some K.C. and the Sunshine Band in the background and get comfortable in your favorite old arm chair. The grind house main feature is about to begin as soon as you flip open that front cover.
Ahoy Comics
https://comicsahoy.com/comics/bronze-age-boogie-3
Interviews with Stuart Moore on Bronze Age Boogie
http://smashpages.net/2019/02/19/smash-pages-qa-stuart-moore/#more-14850
https://www.hollywoodsoapbox.com/interview-monsters-check-kung-fu-check-cosmic-adventure-check-welcome-to-bronze-age-boogie/
©May 2019, Anthony Perconti
Anthony Perconti lives and works in the hinterlands of New Jersey with his wife and kids. He enjoys good stories across many different genres and mediums.