dr_hermes (![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} dr_hermes) wrote in ![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} scans_daily,@ 2009-03-26 02:40:00 |
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Now, I like Gardner Fox just fine. Aside from the impressive list of classic characters he created, Fox turned out thousands of whacky, imaginative stories with complicated jigsaw-puzzle plots and great hooks to draw the reader in. His characterization and dialogue were not strong points, but adequate; sometimes he threw in a small aside that gave the characters unexpected quirks. However, decade after decade, Fox insisted on taking a small obscure scientific fact and misusing it quite cheekily in a story. He must have know most of the gimmicks he came up with couldn't conceivably work, but hey.. if they sold an issue and entertained a reader, that was enough. Here, in "Earth's Impossible Day" (from THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD# 44, November 1962), he has Katar Hol trying to pull our legs. The idea is that fulgurites -- those small tubes of fused quartz created by lightning strikes -- still somehow have some of that lightning stored in them...!
Today's mystery guest is also associated with birdlike characters, and I'm sure many of you are grinning and saying, "Of COURSE I know who that is, Doc! Who do you think you're dealing with here?" In any case, it's worth it just to show everyone this chipper beaming old chap.
