Comic Book Beard: DC's Starman

Back from the future, bearded and bugnuts crazy... just how I
like Starman! From writer Geoff Johns and artist
Dale Eaglesham in Justice Society of America #2 (March 2007).

In the comic book universe of DC Comics, there have been many Starmen, but the one I am most familiar with is former Star Boy, Thom Kallor. Thom was part of the Justice Society of America during a fantastic run spanning the latter half of the 2000s, the time during which I followed the teams' adventures through a number of different volumes and line-ups.

From the back up to Magog #1 (2009), by writer Geoff Johns and artists Scott Kolins.

My own understanding of the character is limited to that period, though he does have a much lnger history as a member of the Legion of Superheroes. Fortunately "The Secret Origin of Starman" backup story appeared in the January 2009 one-shot, Kingdom Come Special: Magog #1, to bring readers such as myself up to speed. On a side note, reading back through the previous JSA runs, only makes me miss the inter-generational old school niche it so entertainingly filled before being replaced with Earth 2 as part of DC's ongoing New 52 initiative. But this post is about comic book beards...

Starman being all crazy and what-not, courtesy of writer Geoff Johns and
artist Dale Eaglesham in Justice Society of America #6 (July 2007).

A member of the Legion of Superheroes in the future, Thom was sent back in time for, as Braniac 5 puts it, "one unsettling, but vital task." Unfortunately, while the future, baby-faced Star Boy did make it back to the past, a price was paid. In the process, his brain had been scrambled. Upon removing his mask in the present, it was revealed in the full-page scene at the top of the post, that Starman had somehow grown a beard while on his time trip. Going slightly against type, when Thom did regain his sanity briefly during this run, it was the state of lucidity that troubled him. While the more common comic book trope is for characters to become disheveled (and for men, beared) as his or her super-sanity begins to crumble, Thom avoided shaving as an external manifestation of being coherent, Thom maintained his bearded look for the issues that followed.

I've lost track of Thom Kallor (as well as many DC characters) since the New 52. I do understand though that he is alive and well, though drastically different in his physical characetrization and, sadly, beard-free.

Comic Book Beard: Rick Grimes

Sporting his current comic book "look", The Walking Dead's Rick Grimes
in issue 127, with art by Charlie Adlard.

Electing to write daily posts about comic book characters with beards last November was much more challenging than I had anticipated.  After hitting five characters with varying degrees of recognizability (from DC Comic's Aquaman to Robert Crumb's Mr. Natural) to any but the most dedicated fanboy, things petered out.

From issue #1 of The Walking Dead (2003),
art by Tony Moore.

Rather than taking that as a hint to cease-and-desist, I've once again accepted the challenge to ferret out examples of comic book characters who have jumped headlong into beardedness, this time kicking Novembeard off with a very high Q rating. Though this character originated in Robert Kirtkman's successful comic book, he has reached an even greater degree of popularity on the small screen: Skybound Comics' The Walking Dead's Rick Grimes.

In an interview given by actor Andrew Lincoln prior to the start of the most recent season of AMC's The Walking Dead, the actor responded to a question regarding his character's progression in season five that, “I've been growing my beard. I decided this season we’re gonna need a bigger beard. It’s all about the beard this season. I’m just waiting for them to tell me to stop growing it.”

From The Walking Dead, Volume 7,
trade paperback by Adlard.

Of course, those of us who've been reading Robert Kirkman's comic book for the past 10 years already knew that it has always been about the beard. In fact, Rick's reoccurring facial hair (as illustrated by Tony Moore and especially, Charlie Adlard) can be tracked throughout the comic book series since it's first issue wa-a-a-ay back in 2013.

Issue #1 kicked of with 5 o'clock shadow Rick (above, left), recently awoken from a coma to a zombie apocalypse. Though he has lost the facial hair on occasion, Rick's look has lately evolved and developed into the "crew-cut wearing, thick, hillbilly bearded Rick" that stars in the most recent issues of the comic book. In a slight twist on the standard "character grows a beard when they go nuts" motif, this new Rick is living a fairly well-adjusted existence in as orderly a world as possible (heck, even Carl has achieved a level of normalcy!) given the cannibals, psychopaths and murderous zombies. But we all know that current state of affairs won't last long...

From The Walking Dead, Volume 12, trade paperback with art by Adlard.

As seen in The Walking Dead, Volume 12, even Rick occasionally goes clean shaven.

Of course, the beard is back for the showdown with Neegan in the final installment of
the "All Out War" arc in issue #126

Comic Book Beard: R. Crumbs' Mr. Natural

The one and only Mr. Natural... still truckin' after all these years.

For my previous Comic Book Beards post, I dug deep into my back issue long boxes and for today's, I had to go underground. Mr. Natural (Fred Natural) is a comic book character created and drawn by 1960s counterculture and underground comix artist icon Robert Crumb. As I very young comic book fan, I recall a friend of mine finding and sharing a collection Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers issues (with Fat Freddy's Cat, naturally) found in his father's closet beside nudie magazines. It's blend of "bad behavior" and stories (with drug and sexual references) satirizing the establishment appealed to my 14 year-old sensibilities. An added bonus was that the guy who owned the comic store I frequented at the time had the same aesthetic appearance.

The irony of my black boxing Mr.
Natural's book cover is not
lost to me.

My introduction to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers underground peer, Mr. Natural (and what real fanboy doesn't at least have a passing awareness of R. Crumb?), came much later in life. A few years ago, while browsing graphic novels at a bookstore, I came across Fantagraphics' The Book of Mr. Natural collection (which was recently released as a hard cover). I bought an original print softcover from 1995 online soon thereafter, and was fortunately not too surprised at how relevant Crumb's underground anti-establishment humor still is. In adhering to that long time facial hair trope, the sagacious Mr. Natural is part prophet and part conman, and always depicted with an extremely long white beard.

I'll defer to online resource Wikipedia  for am articulation of Mr. Natural's origins: "At first appearance, Mr. Natural is a mystic guru who spouts aphorisms on the evils of the modern world and the salvation to be found in mysticism and natural living. He has renounced the material world and lives off anything he can get in exchange for his nuggets of wisdom. Usually depicted as slightly overweight (although his size varies), he is bald with a long white beard, and wears a gown which makes him resemble the Old Testament God or a prophet... Crumb's bearded guru is too unapologetic to be called a con man. Despite his renunciation of the material world, he's an unrepentant sybarite. His straight talk, while refreshing, can get him into trouble, as when he was kicked out of heaven for telling God it's "a little corny" in "Mr. Natural Meets God". But he may be the only Crumb creation who is genuinely likable.[2] Mr. Natural's aphorisms such as "Keep on Truckin'" are seemingly at odds with his image as a sage..."

The fact that one of Mr. Natural's most famous aphorisms, "Keep on Truckin'," is still so relevant should not be that surprising. Just as everything old can be new again, Mr. Natural's satirical message seems as fresh as ever in our world or Oprah-Dr. Phil-ized life coaching and mumbo-jumbo. Sometimes the call to just keep on truckin' is all that is necessary... well that, and a bada** beard.

Comic Book Beard: DC's The Chief

Ready for action (again) in Doom Patrol (Volume 4, #1) by John Byrne.

Justice League:
The Nail (1995)
by Alan Davis.

Justice #1 (2005)
by Doug Braithwaite
and Alex Ross.

You can't keep a good (albeit occasionally psychotic) super hero mastermind down... especially one with as cool a beard as Doctor Niles Caulder, more affectionately known as "The Chief." Perhaps the most notable aspect of the Chief's bearededness is that it is part of his consistent characterization since the teams beginnings. The Chief, along with the group he organized, the Doom Patrol, first appeared in DC Comics' My Greatest Adventure #80 (June 1963). The Doom Patrol has since appeared in multiple incarnations by some of the industry's best talent including Grant Morrison and (a personal all-time fave) John Byrne. All along the way Chief's appearance (other than an occasional shift in age and color from ginger to grey and back) has been the beard--like most instances of facial hair in comic books, his bear has not always been indicative of a transition to "craziness," but a rather a symbolic of his role as the rock of the team. (Note: The Chief has had a descent into madness--but what "hero" hasn't?)

Reaching the comic stands in advance of Marvel Comic's X-Men, Doom Patrol had some conceptual similarities with Marvel's X-team from the onset, the most obvious being that both the Chief and X-Men's Charles Xavier, were wheelchair bound "big brains."  Though Professor X was bald and a mutant psychic, the Chief was gifted with a genius-level intellect crowned by a fantastic head of hair and matching beard. The Chief motivated the original Doom Patrol, misfits who's individual circumstances made them bitter from being isolated from the world, to use their powers for the greater good. Caulder then used his scientific knowledge to develop numerous inventions and innovations that have made him wealthy.

The Chief Pin-up
by Richard Case.

Doom Patrol (Vol 2) #87
by Tom Taggart.

It is Caulder's genius that allowed the team members to survive (e.g., designing Robotman's body, devising Negative Man's medicated bandages), and helped grant their freakishness and amazing abilities. Much like the appeal of the X-Men, it was their status as outsiders which I found appealing as a young fanboy.

Like many, it was Morrison and Nick Cases' seminal Doom Patrol (Volume 2) run which began with the "Crawling from the Wreckage" storyline starting with issue 19 that really brought me to the team for the long run. Prior to this run, the Chief had always had a level of aloofness about his character, but from that point forward he began a fascinating spiral into straight-up kookiness. Demonstrating the truth in the adage that "nothing gold can stay," eventually this second series came to end. While there have been numerous other attempts by DC at a profitable Doom Patrol series, one has yet to take. Rest assured when they give it another shot (and rumor has it New 52 DP is in the works) the Chief will be front and center.

Source:
Wikipedia: Chief entry

Comic Book Beard: Mighty Samson

Far left: Mighty Samson #2 (1965),
Middle and Far Right: Project Superpowers #4 (2008). 

Finding comic book characters with beards is not as easy as it sounds. In an effort to avoid posting only a variety of poses and iterations of the same two to three characters commonly shown bearded by the Big Two (DC and Marvel), I find myself digging very deeply into my collection (and memory). In addition to simply showcasing a whiskered warrior, it is also an opportunity to revisit some characters of yesteryear who may not get as much recognition on the recent "New Releases" table as he may once have. Take Mighty Samson, for example.

Cover to Project Superpowers #4
(2008) by Alex Ross.

Cover to Mighty Samson #2 (1965),
no art credits given.

Originally created wa-a-a-ay back in 1964 by writer Otto Binder and artist Frank Thorne to be a member of Gold Key Comics stable of characters, my own introduction to Mighty Samson came from the considerably more recent  2007 Dynamite Entertainment series, Project Superpowers. Project Superpowers, from artists Alex Ross, revived many Golden Age comic book characters. The visual design of the character was inspired by the Gold Key Comics version from the mid-Sixties. Less well known than other more iconic Gold Key comic book characters then and now, Mighty Samson's lack of name recognition outside a small group of fans is best attributed to the absence of any licensing featuring him to other media; he has never appeared on television, in theaters, or as an action figure.

A beardless Mighty Samson
attempted a comeback in 2010
lasting 4 issues.

Mighty Samson as rendered
on the cover to SuperPowers:
Meet the Bad Guys #3 (2009)
by Alex Ross.

Despite simplistic "costuming," Mighty Samson has a unique (in comic book terms, anyway) "origin." With no secret identity, Mighty Samson is a direct descendant of the biblical figure. Like his ancestor, Samson had immense strength and endurance, but could lose his powers when his hair was cut. Samson only learned about his heritage when he was a grown man, after his mother revealed his ancestry.

The Project Superpowers character (an amalgam of both Gold Key's and the even older Fox Feature Syndicate version) was the first time he is depicted with a beard. This is an older, more experienced (and completely--not just his left eye--blinded) version of the character who's beard is used to reflect the wizened perspective. As was the case with the majority of Golden Age characters re-introduced to the comic book collector with both SuperPowers' series (as well as one-shots and minis), Mighty Samson was rarely afforded the narrative spotlight but was more often than not used as background fodder. This is not to suggest the characterization was weak, just that here were so many characters vying for time in a book featuring over twenty Golden Age superheroes in any given issue.

As uncommon as unshaven super men are in comic books now, it makes sense that those published during the Golden Age would be even less likely; the negative association attributed to those with beards (as well as the adolescent comic book fans' inability to emulate any whiskered favorite character) would make such a characterization nuance difficult to make profitable. Perhaps someday, as the no-shave aesthetic becomes more mainstream, the comic book world will be ready for the first full bearded superhero!

Comic Book Beard: Marvel Comics' Volstagg

"The Lion of Asgard" kicking butt (or chin) in Thor #608, drawn by Billy Tan and written by  Kieron Gillen.

In an effort to identify a fully bearded mainstream comic book characters who are not completely insane, I had to dig pretty deeply. While rereading Marvel's 2010 "event" miniseries Seige, I came across the ancillary mini-series Siege: Embedded starring a popular, though minor, Thor character. A member of Thor's Warriors Three, Volstagg (also known as Volstagg the Enormous, Volstagg the Voluminous, and the Lion of Asgard), though fun loving, is definitely not depicted as a nut job.

Painted by artist Stephanie Hans,
the cover to Journey Into Mystery #630
proves that even children dig
Volstagg's beard!

Easily recognizable to comic book fans by his large girth and immense red beard, and purple/gold clothing color scheme, in comic books, Volstagg is the most fun loving of the Asgardian trio of heroes known as The Warriors Three. The physical extension of the character's extremely healthy "appetites", Volstagg's girth and hairy countenance is also useful in lulling unsuspecting enemies and villains into a sense of ease, though he is both an Asgardian god and a skilled combatant with a quick wit.

Featured as key minor player in the the 2011 movie Thor, actor Ray Stevenson would appear to have more film time as Volstagg in the upcoming sequel, Thor: The Dark World. At least the inclusion of a character poster promoting the film would leave one to believe that. Immediately following Marvel's event series Seige: Embedded, Volstagg was part of the renamed Thor series Journey Into Mystery (which recently concluded after the Marevl NOW initiative). Issue #630 of Journey Into Mystery, was devoted to his whereabouts in that series during the following year's next event, Fear Itself. (If it seems like there are too many "events" in the Marvel 616 Universe, you are correct!)

Though I have periodically collected Thor comic books, primarily as a youngster during the Walter Simonson-Beta Ray Bill days, I regret that I have not followed the Warriors Three since then. Simonson's (then) definitive run included the Warriors Three to great effect and I recall those issues fondly. As a minor character, Volstagg is not featured enough in a single title that I have been able to plop down my limited comic funds for, but I have enjoyed reading a few books in doing some research on his Marvel character for this post. I also look forward to once again seeing Stevenson take the screen as Volsatgg in Thor: The Dark World later this week.

Actor Ray Stevenson as Volstagg in Thor: The Dark World (2013).

Comic Book Beards: DC Comics' Aquaman

Top: Aquaman (Volume 2, 1991) #1 by Kevin Maguire,
Bottom: Aquaman (Volume 3, 1994) #0 by Martin Egeland.

If one superhero exemplifies the Jean Cocteau quote that "There is always a period when a man with a beard shaves it off. This period does not last. He returns headlong to his beard," it would be DC Comics Aquaman. Following many decades of perceived wimpy-ness (due in large part to his telepathic-fish appearances on Super Friends, the mid-Nineties saw an effort to "toughen" up the character.

Bearded Aquaman (Vol 3) Issue 4
cover by Hellboy
creator Mike Mignola.

To this end, writer Peter David and artist Martin Egeland collaborated on two significant aesthetic changes to the Aquaman character in the first few issues of his solo 1994 comic book series: by the fourth issue Aquaman would both lose his left hand to a school of a piranha and grow a crazy blonde beard. Though the first few images of this premiere issue keep Arthur Curry's (Aquaman's "real" name) countenance in the shadows--it is only in his dream that he is baby-faced--by the ninth page (see below) the new, edgier look is revealed.

As seems to often be the case (see Fantastic Four's Reed Richards, for example), the sudden facial hair growth was used to signal a jarring shift in characterization reflective of Aquaman's then unstable state of mind. Even his sidekick Garth (aka side-kick Aqualad) noted upon the initial reveal of the Aqua-beard that, "You [Aquaman] look like hell." Unlike other characters that have let their hair down (and out) while in reflective states of mind, the newly unkempt Aquaman did not clean himself up after returning to the world following his sojourn at the bottom of the seas.

During the next 20(!) years of continuity, Aquaman would occasionally shave and then re-grow his whiskers, returning headlong to his bearded, fiercer state. This "look" has seems to have settled into a consistently used one as evidenced by its use in Aquaman's recent appearances in Batman: Brave and Bold. Even issue 24 of the current Aquaman series--part of DC's New 52--recently had a previously clean-shaven sea king depicted with trim beard in place intact. In the iconic pantheon of DC characters, where in the past Aquaman's blond hair was perhaps enough to visually differentiate him from more popular heroes such as Superman, or even Batman's alter-ego, Bruce Wayne, the beard effectively points out some key differences. While Superman is an alien, and Wayne a millionaire playboy, Curry is an off-again-on-again King of Atlantis and a warrior to boot.

And who but the most bad-a** underwater super-warriors can stylistically pull off that crazy beard?

From Aquaman (Volume 3) Issue 1 (1994).