Back Issue # 5 August 2004 (magazine review)
There are a few back issues (sic) of TwoMorrows Publications that were on my want list, Back Issue # 5 amongst them simply because of the Alex Ross art on the cover. Getting it, the discovery that there was a no text version picture inside would have had his fans after it, putting the price up. Patience and finally winning an auction helped, especially as they rarely appear on the market. If you just want to read it, TwoMorrows does offer a digital version.
This issue focused not only on Wonder Woman but also other TV versions of comicbook characters. Oddly, the text wasn’t as condensed as earlier issues although the comicbook articles were.
For starters, writer Dan Johnson interviews Lou Ferrigno about his time on ‘The Incredible Hulk’ and how fellow actor Bill Bixby became his mentor.
Writer Darrell McNeil recounts his time at Filmation and the various cartoon series that were proposed but never made. One of the oddest had to be Scooby-Do teaming up with various super-heroes from both DC and Marvel. Even if that one had got the go-ahead, you would have to wonder at how their legal department would have handled it.
The real paydirt of this edition is Andy Mangels interview with actress Lynda Carter. Like her audio commentaries with the ‘Wonder Woman’ DVD boxset, she gives insight into the industry and what she went through in getting the part. Back in the day, TV companies didn’t think a woman-led shows outside of comedy would work and she proved them wrong. Obviously, there would have to be a first and she was and so many shows followed afterwards confirming this.
From this, Mangels brings a collection of interviews he made with various cast and production people from the ‘Wonder Woman’ TV series. Of note is Donefelfd who designed the Wonder Woman costume and its variants and main stuntwoman Jeanne Epper and the problems with keeping the top up.
The 8-page colour section is the obvious delight because it features the art of Alex Ross and Adam Hughes amongst others.
Then there is a switch to a piece by John Romita, Sr. who looks at all the media interpretations of Spider-Man from the 1960s animation to live TV and the first couple of films. He shared his misgivings with his boss, Stan Lee, and although he wasn’t happy with the details on the early animation series, they did provide for better things to follow. Amusingly, one choice was to have Spider-Man in red and black rather than red and blue because of problems with effects blue and the company not using green screen instead. There’s a reminder that originally, Spidey actually wore red and black, with blue highlights which slowly took over the costume. This is an interesting analysis.
In the early issues of ‘Back Issue’, ‘Rough Stuff’ shared its pages with them Here, there is a selection of pages from Jerry Orwell. It’s a shame that in these days of digital drawing we don’t see what the modern day comicbook artists do to share their techniques. Even so, if you are seeking this as a profession you really must be capable of drawing everything and not just be a figure artist.
Writer Mike W. Barr goes over the history of ‘Star Trek’ in comicbooks, of which he was also a contributor. The early Gold Key comics were seriously flawed because the artists didn’t have even reference photos, let alone see the TV episodes. Some of this material appeared in UK annuals and probably explains why the landing parties were all given backpacks. This is an enlightening piece up to 2004.
Andy Mangels returns with part one of an alphabetical list of comicboook characters that transferred to the big and small screen up to 2004. In some respects, I wish it had been done by year because it would show the proportion of comicbook characters in that time and its growth.
Lastly, Dan Johnson interviews director Mark Goldblatt over his 1989 film ‘The Punisher’ and the problems. I know it was a low budget film but $9.1 million is chickenfeed compared to how much is spent today and filmed in Australia to keep the costs down. I’m not sure if I get the idea that Frank Castle is a zombie, though, just driven for revenge.
Undoubtedly, I can understand why the market price of this edition of ‘Back Issue’ has gone up, as it combines good art and reference material. You just have to be lucky if you want a paper copy.
GF Willmetts
May 2026
(pub: TwoMorrows Publishing. 82 page illustrated magazine. Price: varies. ISSN: 1932-6904. Direct from them, you can get it digitally for $ 4.99 (US))
check out websites: www.TwoMorrows.com and https://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=98_54&products_id=423&zenid=a82rb8fo2jntdb0bq97l428tt6
