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I came across a small box of comics my dad sent me once as a surprise. Somehow these had survived my parents divorce and put into storage after I fled the East coast some 20+ years ago. There was a lot of crap in there, a few early New Mutants, some Star Wars even. What stood out were two seriously beaten up comics I'd bought at a drug store or flea market while vacationing in the Thousand Islands. One is DC's "Strange Sports Stories" - really odd, that one. It's like a collection of Twilight Zone stories which all somehow revolve around a sport. For example, the first story is about how aliens steal everyone's faces except for a basketball team, and if they can beat their faceless competitors, it will somehow vanquish the aliens. I did not make that up. Another story is about a golden boxing gloves talisman that a boxer uses to some effect, but which turn his boxing gloves to lead weights sometimes (maybe if he morally backslides?)...
The prize is the other comic in that box that caught my eye. "Tragg and the Sky Gods" from 1976. That would have made me about six years old when I got it, or maybe just a bit older if it'd been collecting dust in a shop somewhere when I found it. It was published by Goldkey/Whitman. I wasn't really interested in superheroes at that age - I distinctly remember picking up a Savage Sword of Conan one year there, and being slightly disappointed in the B&W art. Ignorant child!
My Tragg #4 has been through the ringer. Here's the cover scan:
The first page catches you up on Tragg's universe pretty well...
Alien but human babes. Prehistoric times. Good start...And a little more background...
Enter the Universal Combiner...
Saber tooth lion + cave man. Sounds like a good idea to me!Quickly sent to find and kill Tragg of course.
There were less than a dozen Tragg appearances - nine in his own comic, and a few elsewhere. Anyone else ever pick up one of these back in the day?
7 comments:
Tragg was fun. I used to have this very issue, but it went away and never came back. The artwork wasn't bad and it reminded me of The First Kingdom, only on a more Sid & Marty Kroft level, sort of...
This would make a good reference for Terminal Space.
I've heard of ol' Tragg but never read it. I believe its a Don Glut joint, isn't it?
I never saw Tragg. I do remember getting an envelope of comics as a kid which included teen titans #1. I proceeded to trace the cover ruining it. Here's to a better week ahead for all of us.
Keen! I wish there were some of these discoveries still waiting for me in my attic or parent's basement. Alas, I think all of my old memorabilia has already been uncovered.
Never heard of it, looks fun though. Thanks for sharing!
I had that Strange Sports comic! The basketball team HAD to lose otherwise the aliens would win in the future, and everyone would lose their face! The basketball team was facing possible future ( faceless )versions of themselves. They needed a lesson in humility.
@Trey: I don't know - no contributors are credited anywhere. I see that it was published in Poughkeepsie, NY - maybe that's why I saw so many Gold Key comics as a kid.
@Zanazaz: Dang, I should have read it more closely. Based on your accurate memory of said comic, you deserve to own it once again. I had your address but have since lost it - let me know where to mail it to you. :)
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