I was introduced to the peculiar character of Howard the Duck in the Marvel Universe in the late 1970s. At that time, I was around nine or ten years old. I lived on an island with no local stores selling comic books. My grandmother would occasionally bring me a stack of comics. During visits to the mainland, we would explore drugstores with spinner racks stocked with a variety of comic books. I was fortunate enough to stumble upon issues of the original run of HOWARD THE DUCK. However, I yearned for more consistency in following the storyline.
In 1979, a weekly ritual began with my mother’s grocery shopping trips. These trips afforded me the opportunity to explore the drugstore next door. It was there that I stumbled upon the black and white magazine of HOWARD THE DUCK, starting from issue number two. Created by Steve Gerber, Howard made his first appearance in ADVENTURE INTO FEAR #19 in December 1973. He eventually received his own series in January 1976. The series spanned thirty-three issues until September 1986.
The artwork was fantastic throughout. The first story in issue two, “Animal Indecency!” looks great with art by Gene Colan and Klaus Janson. In issue three, Colan is teamed up with Dave Simons, presenting a well-drawn Christmas story written by Bill Mantlo. In these stories, black and white significantly enhance the series’ overall look. They add numerous shadows and depth. Issue four featured two stories, the second of which started a new storyline. The second story also introduced John Buscema in the artist position.
Gerber’s creation, Howard the Duck, embarked on adventures. These adventures served as social satires and genre fiction parodies. They were often infused with a metafictional awareness of the medium. According to Gerber, the essence of the book is existentialist. It emphasizes the central joke that there is no joke. Life’s serious and absurd moments are distinguishable only by a fleeting point of view.
The black-and-white magazine allowed for more mature themes, deviating from the constraints of the Comics Code Authority. Despite the enjoyable stories, the series lacked consistency, and I believe it would have significantly benefited from Steve Gerber’s involvement. The artwork featured talents like Gene Colan, Klaus Janson, and Dave Simons. It was consistently fantastic. The black-and-white format enhanced shadows and depth.
The inclusion of a series called “Street Peeple” from issue six onward disrupted the continuity of Howard’s stories. It felt out of place. The magazine series sadly concluded with issue nine in March 1981.
Motivated to revisit the original series, I hesitated due to the collectors’ prices. Fortunately, Marvel released the HOWARD THE DUCK OMNIBUS in 2008, compiling all of Howard’s appearances. Subsequently, in 2015, Marvel introduced HOWARD THE DUCK: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION. It provided an affordable alternative with reprints. However, the nudity from the black-and-white magazine was censored.
The series is still recommended despite these alterations. It is lauded for its compelling writing. The fantastic artwork stands out. It also significantly contributes to the mythos of Howard the Duck. Subsequent appearances and series exist. Their limited runs help keep the character fresh. They also ensure its endurance in the Marvel Universe.
In 2015, Marvel started to release HOWARD THE DUCK: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION. This collection reprints Howard’s adventures throughout the years. It includes the black and white magazine. Though this is an affordable alternative to the Omnibus, I noticed the censoring of the nudity from the black-and-white magazine. Although volume three of this series clearly states on the cover, “PARENTAL ADVISORY! NOT FOR KIDS!” these brief panels were altered. Now I certainly understand editing these panels so kids do not see them, but this has some problems. Though the nudity is not pertinent to the story, editing it compromises the integrity of the original artwork. Second, it clearly states on the book that it is not for kids. Third, the original magazines had no warnings on them that they were not for kids; anyone was able to buy them. Even the original series implied that Howard and Beverly were a couple and were probably having sex. On the plus side, this editing does not alter the storytelling at all.
With or without the original artwork, this series is highly recommended. It is well-written, the artwork is fantastic, and adds so much to the mythos of Howard the Duck. Though his various appearances and series continue, they are also for limited runs. Perhaps this is a good thing as it keeps the character fresh and always in the back of your mind. I’m not sure how a full-blown, long-running series would actually do these days. Despite this, Howard is a very endearing character in the Marvel Universe.
If you would like to read any of the Howard the Duck collections, click on the images below. Make sure to check out my entire series of OFF THE RACK COMICS! Thanks for reading!
