In this issue:
The Scarecrow Walks!
7 pages :: Jack Kirby/Dick Ayers
never reprinted
 |  |
| Scans from the collection of FAMAC |
............. Philip Parodayco :: 17 February 2004
- Also see:
This scarecrow story proves what I call the Kirby Challenge; to take a completely ridiculous concept and make it work. Kirby's real genius was to be able to take the darned dumbest idea imaginable and turn it into a dramatically told story.
The cover story here bears this out. I mean, this story is dopey from jump street. But look how Jack sells it! The storytelling is brisk and the panel compostions are dead on. The ending, with the goofily grinning strawman is priceless. The King never phoned it in and this story is Exhibit A.
............. Chuck Dixon :: 19 April 2004
Totally agree! Who else but Kirby could take an apparently goofy idea like that. I mean, the scenes on panel 5 and 6 are great! Who else could make something that…whacky look awesome!
............. c.papantoniou :: 06 August 2004
THE STRAWMAN WALKS!! I liked this charcter and thought the story was rather neat…if you noticed, they mentioned gamma rays and how delta rays are more terrible…interesting if marvel looked more into the delta ray mutations…
............. Matt Bjorkman :: 21 January 2005
Interesting that this story features “Delta rays, which are even more powerful than the deadly gamma-rays!” It wasn't that many months when a certain Gamma-spawned monster graced Marvel Comics!! Jack was truly THE KING!
............. Steve Welch :: 21 May 2005
Page 4: the scarecrow wears purple pants and he's refered to as “a living hulk”…hmmm.
But wait, also on page 4, a man and a woman, in a car, named “Johnny and Sue”…could it be???Are the storms practicing something un-natural??? The story DOES take place in New Mexico…
............. Patrick Tango :: 29 August 2005
I just bought a copy of ST#81 on Ebay, and I agree with the other guys that the story is kind of goofy, but it still works for me. I think the best thing about this issue is the cover artwork. That's the reason that I bought this comic book, and I don't have any regrets about it. There is only so much that you can do with a giant scarecrow, but the story still has that classic Marvel twist at the end. Most of these early pre-superhero stories had a strong moral message for younger fans, and as a kid from that era, I was influenced by them in my own life. What kind of person would think of stealing anything after reading THE SCARECROW WALKS! I owe my strong moral character to those early silver-age stories. Well, it helped to have good parents, too!
............. Tom L. Becker :: 10 July 2006
AWWW come on!!!! the least marvel coulda done is given him some uber-cool name like:STRAAWWW!!!! or SHAMA-LAMA-DIN-DONG!!!ALL OF RAVENKIND TREMBLED IN HIS WAKE!!,so whaddya think,smell a limited series?
............. TURRRRRD THE THING THAT COULD NOT DIE!!!! :: 08 November 2006
I think highly of this story. The good guys won. The bad guys lost. There was no blood. There was no gore.
It had a nice ending. I guess I am a sentimental softy.
............. Bob T. :: 02 April 2007
The fans are singing! Join the choir, oh Jubilant One.
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Strange Tales 81, February 1961
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