The Plastic Man Archives, Vol. 6

The Plastic Man Archives

by Jack Cole, Michael T. Gilbert (Foreward)

Follows the adventures of the superhero, a reformed criminal, and his bizare sidekick, Woozy Winks.

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Superheroes

214 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Jack Ralph Cole was an American cartoonist best known for creating the comedic superhero Plastic Man, and his cartoons for Playboy Magazine.

Reviews

[Dominick · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are some fun comics. Jack Cole was a genius. Plastic Man is basically a superhero parody, quite aware of--even celebratory of--the absurdity of the concept. As far as I know, Cole never worked with Harvey Kurtzman (though Kurtzman and Russ Heath did a dandy Plastic Man parody in Mad--https://comicrazys.wordpress.com/2010...), but one wonders what the result might have been. Cole's style has a delightfully exaggerated dynamism to it--cars never have their wheels on the ground, characters have exaggerated gaits, postures, and features (all admirably distinct in their designs)--but Plastic Man himself is the acme of Cole's carefully-orchestrated anarchy. Cole's inventiveness in finding new ways to contort and stretch him is amazing, and often hilarious. The plots are mostly ridiculous, but then, they are intended to be, and they are all expertly executed. I was especially fond of the story in which Plas obligingly reels in a criminal in order to make his apartment available to a young newlywed couple unable to find a place to live--who then face a succession of other invading crooks, seeking a formula the first guy had stolen. Cole is justly lauded as one of the greats of comics.

[Al McCarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack Cole was brilliant!

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know it's not a very original stance, but I'm pretty sure that Plastic Man was the best superhero book ever published and if the Watchmen couldn't shake it from the top of the heap, I doubt that anything ever will.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 1940's was the Golden Age of Comics but the two most inventive comics artists were Will Eisner and Plastic Man's creator, Jack Cole. This volume doesn't disappoint, with some great stories involving a candy factory, the evil Dr. Phobia, Professor Spindrift in his tall suit, the insane Mr. Happiness and a solo Woozy Winks story. Is it me or does Plastic Man look like Graham Parker?