Undercover Comics

SUPERMAN FAMILY #171 - The Most Perverted (Mainstream) Comic Ever?

You know it's interesting to me, but even as a young lad, caught up in the adolescent boy fantasies that comic books so feverishly slather us with, I still had no problems with GIRL POWER. It wasn't called that then, they used words like Women's Lib (as in Liberation) and eventually feminism, but I just never felt threatened by it.

I liked females. So seeing them as superheroes was ok to my 10-12-year-old mind. I found the differences interesting - and even though today I see the silliness in the writing and presentation - just the fact that they approached the subject and FEATURED it, makes me happy. A cover like this wouldn't have made me go, "Ewww... cooties", but rather, "This looks cool..."

The same thing I thought as I went through the dollar box I found this in...

(SUPERMAN FAMILY #171 cover-dated June-July 1975, on newsstands March 11, 1975, with cover art by Ernie Chan and inks by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez)

These ads have not aged a bit - they're still cheeky fun.

I realize Superman is the basis for this whole hobby - he's the start of it all - but I just never was a big fan. And the last panel o this, something you'd see in many DC Comics over the years, used to rub me the wrong way.

I'd always think, "How can these dunces NOT know he's Superman? I WISH they WOULD find out!"

(SUPERMAN FAMILY #171 cover-dated June-July 1975, on newsstands March 11, 1975, with art by... Mike Esposito inked Nick Cardy?)

More evidence that Curt Swan was the most boring comic book artist ever. It's bad enough I have to endure his work through this whole story, but with Vince Coletta inks??? Ah man...

This page... this is not the work of a genius. To me... it just looks lazy. I get a little torn between being critical of the guy or just moving on from it... he was obviously a well-loved workhorse for DC for decades... I just am not moved by this layout at all. It's the definition of bland.

It gets better, but...

(SUPERMAN FAMILY #171 cover-dated June-July 1975, on newsstands March 11, 1975, with art by Curt Swan and inks by Vince Coletta)

If you've ever mingled with Porn Stars 'on the job' (and that's as far as I'm taking that part of the conversation), you'll know that they're really kind of freakish athletic specimens. Sort of like Superheroes.

Some of the things they do... regular people just can not do. And I'm sure Superheroes... when they... well, I'm not the only one who's ever thought about this...

(SUPERMAN FAMILY #171 cover-dated June-July 1975, on newsstands March 11, 1975, with art by Curt Swan and inks by Vince Coletta)

Ok, so I thought that the last situation was a bit weird, but nothing compared to this next sequence. I can picture editorial saying, "You know I was going to use this idea in the Robin/Jimmy Olsen team up, but I thought it might work better here. Let's have Supergirl get the wind knocked out her, and Batgirl has to give her mouth to mouth resuscitation..."

Did this raise eyebrows at the time? Don't think it's weird? Imagine Batman having to do this for Robin... I don't think they'd quite depict it like this.

(SUPERMAN FAMILY #171 cover-dated June-July 1975, on newsstands March 11, 1975, with art by Curt Swan and inks by Vince Coletta)

"And then, she just doesn't have the air to do the job (because Supergirl is, ya know, SUPER), so she uses the air from a car tire nozzle to do the trick...!"

COME ON. This was the editor OBVIOUSLY saying, "WHAT can we make Curt Swan draw in his bland style that would be funny to see?"

And Supergirl's reaction...

(SUPERMAN FAMILY #171 cover-dated June-July 1975, on newsstands March 11, 1975, with art by Curt Swan and inks by Vince Coletta)

Here's an example of DC Comics having FUN! You'd expect something like this from Marvel, especially in their magazine's, but it's DC here who decides to have some fun with their past Supergirl covers.

(SUPERMAN FAMILY #171 cover-dated June-July 1975, on newsstands March 11, 1975, with cover art by various - Swan. Adams, etc.)

Here, Lois Lane shows us what a shameless hussy she really is! Yet another story that probably raised some eyebrows back in the day because as we all know, kissing leads to OTHER things. Originally from Superman's Girlfriend LOIS LANE #29 (November 1961), this comic was rated X by the Comics Code Authority. Just kidding.

The byline clearly says Art: Curt Swan & George Klein, and yet the comics.org (Grand COmics Database) shows Pencils: Curt Swan, and Inks: Stan Kaye. Someone needs to alert them to this update.

(SUPERMAN FAMILY #171 cover-dated June-July 1975, on newsstands March 11, 1975, a reprint from Superman's Girl Freind LOIS LANE #29, cover-dated November 1961, on newsstands September 21, 1961 with art by Curt Swan and George Klein)

Here Swan's layouts are at least inked to look more pleasant, but still rather bland.

"Holy Cats! Now he's Kissing Her! He Must Like It!" LOL. Lana is NOT amused.

Aquaman, finally happy for the attention!

Do we even have to SHOW Batman going at it? The biggest horn dog in the DC Universe was obviously up for the game as they explain in detail what was actually going on. Garth Ennis did a variation on this in the early issue of 'The Boys'.

As perverted as this issue is (for 1975 anyway), we're treated to one more story, where Jimmy Olsen gets to 'dress up' as Robin the Boy Wonder. I like Pete Costanza's work on this (of Captain Marvel fame) - it reminds me of the TV Show.