{"id":33963,"date":"2025-10-07T08:00:43","date_gmt":"2025-10-07T08:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=33963"},"modified":"2025-10-06T13:49:52","modified_gmt":"2025-10-06T13:49:52","slug":"showcase-presents-dial-h-for-hero-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2025\/10\/07\/showcase-presents-dial-h-for-hero-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Showcase Presents Dial H for Hero"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"
\nBy Dave Wood<\/strong>, Jim Mooney<\/strong>, George Roussos<\/strong>, Frank Springer<\/strong>, Sal Trapani<\/strong>, Jack Sparling<\/strong> & various (DC Comics)
\nISBN: 978-1-4012-2648-0 (TPB)<\/p>\n

This book includes Discriminatory Content<\/strong> produced in less enlightened times. <\/em><\/p>\n

In the mid-Sixties the entire world went crazy for costumed crusaders and every comic book publisher (and some who weren\u2019t) frantically sought new ways to repackage an extremely exciting yet intrinsically limited concept. Perhaps its ultimate expression – for Americans at least as UK comics were always skewing the curves – came with the creation of a teen-aged everyman champion who battled crime and disaster in his little town with the aid of a fantastic wonder-tool…<\/p>\n

This slim monochrome paperback compendium collects the entire eclectic run from House of Mystery<\/strong> (#156, January 1966 to #173, March-April 1968), after which the title vanished for a few months, only to re-emerge as DC\u2019s first new anthological supernatural mystery title and next big publishing sensation…<\/p>\n

Created by Dave Wood & Jim Mooney, Dial H For Hero<\/strong> detailed the incredible adventures of lonely boy genius Robby Reed<\/em> who lived with his grandfather in idyllic Littleville: a genial small town where nothing ever happened…<\/p>\n

Born in Arlington, Massachusetts on September 5th<\/sup> 1926, Dave Silva worked prodigiously in comics as Dave Wood, as did his brothers Bob Wood and Dick Wood. Their father was a doctor who blotted his copybook so badly that the family had their surname legally changed sometime after 1932.<\/p>\n

Dave\u2019s brothers got into making comics early – founding a studio shop with Charles (Airboy<\/strong>, Crime Does Not Pay<\/strong>, The Little Wise Guys<\/strong>) Biro – and Dave joined them before his war service as an army reporter in 1944. He returned and blossomed into a go-to writer in many genres. His prolific output really began in the post-superhero days of AUS comic books and includes such seminal classics – often with artistic legends Jack Kirby and Wally (no-relation) Wood) – as Challengers of the Unknown<\/strong> and seminal Space Race newspaper strip Sky Masters<\/strong>. A skilled jobbing writer, Wood frequently and closely collaborated with brother Dick. They bounced around the industry, scripting mystery, war, science fiction and he-man adventure yarns. Amongst his\/their vast credits are stints on Danger Trail<\/strong>, Our Army at War<\/strong>, most Superman<\/strong> family titles, Batman<\/strong>, Detective Comics<\/strong>, World\u2019s Finest Comics<\/strong>, Green Arrow<\/strong>, Rex the Wonder Dog<\/strong>, Tomahawk<\/strong>, Blackhawk<\/strong>, Martian Manhunter<\/strong> and so many more. As well as Dial H For Hero<\/strong> Dave Wood created bizarre sleeper hit Animal Man<\/strong> and the esoteric but fondly regarded Ultra, the Multi-Alien<\/strong>. He was Bob Kane\u2019s ghost writer and co-created eccentric villains Mister Zero\/Mr Freeze<\/strong>, Doctor Double X<\/em> and the Terrible Trio\/The Fox, the Shark and the Vulture<\/strong>. He died far, far too young on July 7th<\/sup> 1974<\/p>\n

The majority of the illustration was left to capable, unflappable, slick James Noel Mooney. He started his comics career in 1940, aged 21, working for the Eisner & Eiger production shop, and at Fiction House on The Moth<\/em>, Camilla<\/em>, Suicide Smith<\/em> and other B-features. By the end of that year he was a mainstay of Timely Comic\u2019s vast funny animal\/animated cartoon tie-in department.<\/p>\n

In 1946, he migrated to National\/DC to ghost Batman<\/strong> for Bob Kane & Dick Sprang. He stayed until 1968, a regular on a host of key features including Superman<\/strong>, Superboy<\/strong>, Legion of Super-Heroes<\/strong>, World\u2019s Finest<\/strong> Comics<\/strong> and Tommy Tomorrow<\/strong>, as well as many genre short stories for the company\u2019s assorted anthology titles like Tales of the Unexpected<\/strong> and House of Mystery<\/strong>. He famously drew Supergirl <\/strong>from her series debut in Action Comics<\/strong> #253 to #373. He returned to Marvel in the late 1960s, delivering stellar runs on Spider-Man<\/strong>, Marvel Team-up<\/strong>, Omega the Unknown<\/strong>, Man-Thing<\/strong>, Ghost Rider<\/strong> and a host of other features including early adults-only feature Pussycat <\/strong>as both penciller and inker. Prior to that move he was illustrating Dial H For Hero<\/strong>; the only original DC feature he co-created.<\/p>\n

Big things were clearly expected of the new feature, which was parachuted in as lead and cover feature, demoting the venerable Martian Manhunter<\/strong> J\u2019onn J\u2019onzz<\/strong> to a back-up role at the rear of each issue. Cover dated January 1966 (and on sale from November 18th<\/sup> 1965) House of Mystery<\/strong> #156 kicked off the strange adventures with an untitled tale that opens in an attack on the local chemical works by super-scientific criminal organisation Thunderbolt<\/em>. This occurs just as young Robby and his pals are playing in the hills above the site. As they flee, the plucky kid is caught in a landslide and falls into an ancient cave where lies hidden an obviously alien artefact… that looks like an outlandish rotary telephone dial. If these words mean nothing to you, feel free to investigate on-line…<\/p>\n

After finding his way out of the cavern Robby becomes obsessed with the device and spends all his time attempting to translate the arcane hieroglyphs on it. Eventually he determines that they are instructions to dial the dial symbols which roughly translate to \u201cH\u201d, \u201cE\u201d, \u201cR\u201d and \u201cO\u201d…<\/p>\n

Ever curious, Robby complies and is suddenly transformed into a colossal super-powered Giantboy<\/em>, just in time to save a crashing airliner and quash another Thunderbolt raid. On returning home, he simply reverses the dialling process and goes to bed…<\/p>\n

These were and still are perfect wish-fulfilment stories: uncluttered, uncomplicated yarns concealing no grand messages or themes: just straight entertainment expertly undertaken by experienced and gifted craftsmen who knew how to reach their young-at-heart audiences. After all, what right minded child wouldn\u2019t rush out and DO GOOD if they got superpowers?<\/p>\n

Thus, no-one is surprised at the ease with which Robby adapts to his new situation. When Thunderbolt strikes again next morning Robby grabs his dial but is startled to become a different hero – high-energy being The Cometeer<\/em>. Streaking to the rescue Robby is overcome by the raider\u2019s super weapon and forced dial back into being a boy again. Undeterred, he later tries again and as The Mole<\/em> finally tracks the villains to their base and crushes them. The leader escapes, however, to become the series\u2019 only returning villain…<\/p>\n

Mr. Thunder<\/em> was back in the next issue as Robby became The Human, Bullet<\/em>, bestial energy-being Super-Charge<\/em> and eerie alien Radar-Sonar Man<\/em> to combat \u2018The Marauders from Thunderbolt Island\u2019 <\/em>after which criminal scientist Daffy Dagan<\/em> steals the H-Dial after defeating the boy\u2019s next temporary alter ego Quake-Master<\/em>. Dagan becomes a horrifying multi-powered monster when he learns to \u2018Dial… V… For Villain\u2019<\/em> but after the defeated hero takes back the artefact, Robby redials into techno-warrior The Squid<\/em> and belatedly saves the day. Clearly the Mystery<\/strong> in House of<\/strong>… was related to where the Dial came from, what its unknown parameters were and especially who or what Robby would transform into next…
\n\"\"
\nHoM<\/strong> #159 pitted The Human Starfish<\/em>, Hypno-Man<\/em> and super-powered toddler Mighty Moppet<\/em> (wielding weaponised baby bottles) in single combats with a shape-shifting bandit gang dubbed \u2018The Clay-Creep Clan\u2019<\/em> whilst \u2018The Wizard of Light\u2019<\/em> played with the format by introducing a potential love-interest for Robby in his best friend\u2019s cousin Suzy<\/em>. It also saw the return of Giant-Boy, introduction of sugar-based sentinel of justice King Candy<\/em> and the lad\u2019s only transformation into an already established hero – Golden Age legend Plastic Man<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Cynical me suspects the move was a tester to see if the Pliable Paladin – who had been an inert resource since the company had bought out original publisher Quality Comics in 1956 – was ripe for a relaunch in the new, superhero-hungry environment.<\/p>\n

DC\u2019s Plastic Man<\/strong> #1 was released five months later…<\/p>\n

House of Mystery<\/strong> #161 featured awesome ancient Egyptian menace \u2018The Mummy with Six Heads\u2019<\/em> who proved too much for Robby as Magneto<\/em> (same powers but so very not a certain Marvel villain) and Hornet-Man<\/em>, but not intangible avenger Shadow-Man<\/em> who eventually triumphed, whilst in the next issue \u2018The Monster-Maker of Littleville\u2019<\/em> is proved by Mr. Echo<\/em> and Future-Man<\/em> to be less mad scientist than greedy entrepreneur. Then, \u2018Baron Bug and his Insect Army\u2019<\/em> almost ends Robby\u2019s clandestine career when the boy turns into two heroes at once. However, even though celestial twins Castor and Pollux<\/em> are overmatched, animated slinky-toy King Coil<\/em> proves sufficient to stamp out the Baron\u2019s giant mini-beasts. Human wave Zip Tide<\/em>, living star Super Nova<\/em> and Robby the Super-Robot<\/em> are then increasingly hard-pressed to stop the rampages of \u2018Dr. Cyclops – the Villain with the Doomsday Stare\u2019<\/em>, but eventually overcome the outrageous odds – and oddness…<\/p>\n

Things got decidedly peculiar in #165 when a clearly malfunctioning H-Dial called up \u2018The Freak Super-Heroes\u2019<\/em> – Whoozis<\/em>, Whatsis<\/em> and Howzis<\/em> – to battle Dr. Rigoro Mortis<\/em> and his artificial thug Super-Hood<\/em> in a bizarrely captivating romp with what looks like some unacknowledged inking assistance from veteran brush-meister George Roussos (who popped in a couple more times until Mooney\u2019s departure).<\/p>\n

Suzy became a fixture and moved into the house next door with \u2018The King of the Curses!\u2019<\/em> He found his schemes to plunder the city thwarted by The Yankee-Doodle Kid<\/em> and Chief Mighty Arrow<\/em>, a war-bonneted \u201cIndian brave\u201d on a winged horse, before in HoM<\/strong> #167, \u2018The Fantastic Rainbow Raider\u2019 <\/em>easily defeated Balloon Boy<\/em> and Muscle Man<\/em> but had no defence against returning Radar-Sonar Man<\/em>. Next \u2018The Marauding Moon Man\u2019<\/em> easily overmatched Robby as The Hoopster<\/em>, but had no defence when another glitch turned old incarnations The<\/em> Mole<\/em> and Cometeer<\/em> into a single heroic composite imaginatively christened Mole-Cometeer<\/em>. The biggest shock of all came when \u2018The Terrible Toymaster\u2019<\/em> defeats Robby – AKA Velocity Kid<\/em> – and Suzy cajoles the fallen hero into dialling her into the scintillating Gem Girl<\/em> to finish the mission.<\/p>\n

Of course, as it was the 1960s, plucky Suzy didn\u2019t quite manage on her own, but after Robby transforms into psionically potent Astro, Man of Space<\/em> they soon closed the case – and toybox – for good. This one was all Mooney and so was the next, which turned out to be the artist\u2019s last hurrah with the Kid of a Thousand Capes. \u2018Thunderbolt\u2019s Secret Weapon\u2019<\/em> saw the crooks cartel seek to steal a supercomputer, only to be stopped dead by Baron Buzz-Saw<\/em>, Don Juan<\/em> (and his magic sword!) and the imposing Sphinx-Man<\/em>. With House of Mystery<\/strong> #171 a radical new look emerged, as well as a darker tone. The writing was clearly on the wall for exuberant, angst-free adventurers…<\/p>\n

\u2018The Micro-Monsters!\u2019<\/em> was illustrated by Frank Springer and saw Robby dial up King Viking – Super Norseman<\/em>, Go-Go<\/em> (a fab hipster who utilised the incredible powers of popular disco dances… and how long have I waited to type that line?) and multi-powered Whirl-I-Gig<\/em> to defeat bio-terrorist Doc Morhar<\/em> and his belligerent invaders from a sub-atomic dimension. Springer also drew \u2018The Monsters from the H-Dial\u2019<\/em>, wherein the again on-the-fritz gear simultaneously turns Reed\u2019s friend Jim<\/em> into assorted ravening horrors every time Robby dials up. Luckily the unnamed animated Pendulum<\/em>, Chief Mighty Arrow<\/em> and the Human Solar Mirror<\/em> our hero successively turns into prove just enough to stop the beasts until the canny boy can apply his trusty screwdriver to the incredible artefact once again.<\/p>\n

In those distant days series ended abruptly, without fanfare and often in the middle of something… and such was the fate of Robby Reed. HoM <\/strong>#173, by Wood & Sal Trapani, saw the lad solve a mystery in \u2018The Revolt of the H-Dial\u2019<\/em>, wherein the process reshapes him into water-breathing Gill-Man<\/em> and a literal Icicle Man<\/em>: beings not only unsuitable for life on Earth but also compelled to commit crimes. Happily by the time Robby dials into Strata Man<\/em> he\u2019s deduced what outside force is affecting his dangerously double-edged device…<\/p>\n

And that was that. The series was gone, the market was again abandoning Fights \u2018n\u2019 Tights fantasy and on the immediate horizon lay a host of war, western, barbarian and horror comics…<\/p>\n

Exciting, fun, inspirational, imaginatively engaging and silly in equal amounts (heck, even I couldn\u2019t resist a jibe or too and I genuinely revere these daft, nostalgia-soaked gems), Dial H For Hero<\/strong> has been re-imagined many times since these innocent odysseys first ran, but never with the clear-cut, unsophisticated, welcoming charm displayed here.<\/p>\n

This was Ben-10<\/strong> (remember him?) for your granddad\u2019s generation and perhaps your kid\u2019s delectation: and only if they\u2019re at just that certain age. Certainly you\u2019re too grown up to enjoy these glorious classics. Surely you couldn\u2019t be that lucky; could you?
\n\u00a9 1966, 1967, 1968, 2010 DC Comics. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n

Today in 1950 comics iconoclast and creative pioneer Howard Chaykin<\/strong> was born. You should track down American Flagg!<\/strong> and his interpretation of The Shadow<\/strong> but don\u2019t miss Ironwolf: Fires of the Revolution<\/a><\/strong>. One year later international comics legend Enki Bilal<\/strong> did likewise, before going on to create masterpieces such as Century\u2019s End: The Black Order Brigade & The Hunting Party<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Dave Wood, Jim Mooney, George Roussos, Frank Springer, Sal Trapani, Jack Sparling & various (DC Comics) ISBN: 978-1-4012-2648-0 (TPB) This book includes Discriminatory Content produced in less enlightened times. In the mid-Sixties the entire world went crazy for costumed crusaders and every comic book publisher (and some who weren\u2019t) frantically sought new ways to … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Showcase Presents Dial H for Hero”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[191,75,76,102,125,108,396,225,127,276,254],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33963","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adventure","category-crime-comics","category-dc-superhero","category-fantasy","category-humour","category-miscellaneous-superhero","category-monsters","category-mystery","category-nostalgia","category-plastic-man","category-young-adult"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4AFj-8PN","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33963","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33963"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33963\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33968,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33963\/revisions\/33968"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33963"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33963"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33963"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}