conceived and written: Gary Freidrich
drawn by: Mike Ploog
lettered by: Jon Costanza
edited by: Stan Lee
aid and abetment: Roy Thomas
on stands: August, 1972
reprinted in 1992 as: The Original Ghost Rider no. 1 with cover art by Mark Texiera.
Marvel Spotlight was a proving ground for new ideas. A number of characters introduced in this series went on to have their own books, though probably an equal number of them failed dismally to capture the market. The character of the Ghost Rider appears to have had a strong following initially and the appeal seems obvious in an era where motorcycles were especially cool, Evel Knieval was on top of his game, and interest in the occult was fashionable.
The story is presented (somewhat bizarrely) in a second person narrative ~ in which the "you" is protagonist Johnny Blaze. This is pretty much a straight-forward origin story that sets up Johnny's background, his hot and cold relationship with the rather fickle Roxanne "Rocky" Simpson, and the deal with Satan (during a hilariously staged occult scene) that costs him his soul and causes him to be cursed with the powers of the Ghost Rider. The bulk of the issue concerns the typical superhero back story (dead parents, oh tragedy, etc.) while, in a relatively unspectacular framework, Ghost Rider tootles around the city feeling lost and disoriented following his initial transformation. He's ostensibly trying to hide, but it's kind of hard to do when speeding through the city with your head on fire. Naturally he gets into an entanglement with some thugs so that he can show off his powers, but there's something very goofy about the bubbled interior thoughts of the character puzzling through his confusion while he "plays at" being a hell spawn charged with the punishment of the guilty. Especially since Johnny's vernacular is pretty slangy (he's a carny, after all, right?). Anyway, perhaps it's all pretty typical for New York City, all things considered.
Though Roxanne's love keeps Satan from collecting Johnny's soul (try not to roll your eyes), he's doomed to be a fiery skull-headed biker by night (this lycanthropic-like transformation will change as the character develops). The issue ends with the threatening tag: "The Beginning", warning all readers that they are likewise doomed to be subjected to more of this pyro-cycle soap opera. Joy!
drawn by: Mike Ploog
lettered by: Jon Costanza
edited by: Stan Lee
aid and abetment: Roy Thomas
on stands: August, 1972
reprinted in 1992 as: The Original Ghost Rider no. 1 with cover art by Mark Texiera.
Marvel Spotlight was a proving ground for new ideas. A number of characters introduced in this series went on to have their own books, though probably an equal number of them failed dismally to capture the market. The character of the Ghost Rider appears to have had a strong following initially and the appeal seems obvious in an era where motorcycles were especially cool, Evel Knieval was on top of his game, and interest in the occult was fashionable.
The story is presented (somewhat bizarrely) in a second person narrative ~ in which the "you" is protagonist Johnny Blaze. This is pretty much a straight-forward origin story that sets up Johnny's background, his hot and cold relationship with the rather fickle Roxanne "Rocky" Simpson, and the deal with Satan (during a hilariously staged occult scene) that costs him his soul and causes him to be cursed with the powers of the Ghost Rider. The bulk of the issue concerns the typical superhero back story (dead parents, oh tragedy, etc.) while, in a relatively unspectacular framework, Ghost Rider tootles around the city feeling lost and disoriented following his initial transformation. He's ostensibly trying to hide, but it's kind of hard to do when speeding through the city with your head on fire. Naturally he gets into an entanglement with some thugs so that he can show off his powers, but there's something very goofy about the bubbled interior thoughts of the character puzzling through his confusion while he "plays at" being a hell spawn charged with the punishment of the guilty. Especially since Johnny's vernacular is pretty slangy (he's a carny, after all, right?). Anyway, perhaps it's all pretty typical for New York City, all things considered.
Though Roxanne's love keeps Satan from collecting Johnny's soul (try not to roll your eyes), he's doomed to be a fiery skull-headed biker by night (this lycanthropic-like transformation will change as the character develops). The issue ends with the threatening tag: "The Beginning", warning all readers that they are likewise doomed to be subjected to more of this pyro-cycle soap opera. Joy!
THE COSTUMES (part 1): Some general notes about the way I have reproduced the clothing (click the image to download the full-sized, scaled picture):
This "costume" remains fairly standard throughout the series, though Johnny will wreck it several times. A few details change over the years (the shape of his belt, the trim on the edges), but for the most part, the way Mike Ploog designed him would be the way he remained.
Roxanne's first outfit is from a flashback on page 8. In some cases parts of clothing are never visible to the reader (shoes, most often), so I have done my best to fill in. We never see below Roxanne's knees in this scene, but later she is also wearing a pair of white pants with no boots, so I made that concession.
- I have tried to remain faithful to the coloring based on the original comic books.
- I have tried to remain faithful to the design (despite bewildering continuity issues between artists ~ and sometimes within the same issue!), and
- I have tried to be comprehensive without repeating items of clothing very similar.
This "costume" remains fairly standard throughout the series, though Johnny will wreck it several times. A few details change over the years (the shape of his belt, the trim on the edges), but for the most part, the way Mike Ploog designed him would be the way he remained.
Roxanne's first outfit is from a flashback on page 8. In some cases parts of clothing are never visible to the reader (shoes, most often), so I have done my best to fill in. We never see below Roxanne's knees in this scene, but later she is also wearing a pair of white pants with no boots, so I made that concession.