You Just Won the Super Bowl…

You Just Won the Super Bowl…

Tony Isabella actually wrote this gag way back in March of 2023. I’ve just been holding on to it, waiting for the perfect day to run it!. This seemed to be it!

—John Lustig

Original Vintage Art & Text

Art by Charles Nicholas & Vince Alascia from the story “Belated Love” in First Kiss #36, Feb. 1964. Charlton. The story starts on Page 23.

Curious to see more? Click the link above to read the entire vintage comic book for free on ComicBookPlus.com.

↓ Transcript
SCENE: A quarterback and his girlfriend are being photographed and interviewed by members of the press about the football game.

REPORTER: Ron Grady...you just won the Super Bowl! What are you going to do next?

QUARTERBACK: I’m going to auction off...my personally deflated footballs...and take this cougar to Disney World!

GIRLFRIEND: That’s right, girls! He’s my quarterback...and I’m his tight end!

1964 Art: Charles Nicholas & Vince Alascia
Color: Diego Jourdan Pereira
Writer: Tony Isabella

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Home Run? Safe!

Home Run? Safe!

Original Vintage Art

Art by Charles Nicholas & Vince Alascia from the cover of First Kiss #2, Feb. 1958. Published by Charlton.

Curious to see more? Click the link above to read the entire vintage comic book for free on ComicBookPlus.com’s presentation of the comic.

↓ Transcript
SCENE: A man and woman standing in the woods cuddling.

MAN (thinking): I hope I get to second base!

WOMAN (thinking): C’mon! Slide into home!

Art: Charles Nicholas & Vince Alascia Color: Allen Freeman
Home Plate Umpire: John Lustig

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Playing for Pleasure

Playing for Pleasure

The Gag

This one’s unusual because it’s the first time Tony Isabella has come up with a gag not inspired by a piece of existing art. His original idea was for this to be a male baseball player who’d tried out for a “recreational” baseball team. He figured I’d have some comic art featuring baseball players. And I do.

But nothing that seemed quite right. And I had nothing at all with a baseball player at a bar sadly telling his tale of woe—which would’ve been Tony’s ideal version of the art.

So, I created some new art using artificial intelligence. But first I suggested to Tony that we make the baseball player a beautiful woman softball player. And instead of her trying out for her a recreational team, she wanted to be on her church’s team.

Tony liked the suggestions so much that he suggested we share writing credit for the gag. (I still think my suggestions were more along the lines of good editing than writing, but I’m happy to share a byline with Tony!)

The Art—First Attempt

Above is my preliminary art attempt using the MidJourney platform.

Typically, I’ll go through anywhere from 10 to or more attempts before I get a final piece of art. But here, something very close to the final art showed up in my very first attempt.

However, I asked MidJourney to give me some additional variations—just to see what would happen. I liked some very much. But most didn’t seem quite right for this gag. Or they had some sort of A.I. weirdness that would’ve taken too much time to clean up.

As for the word prompts used to create the art, I tell MidJourney to use several late-but-great comic book artist as influences. This time, though, I added Norman Rockwell to the art influences and listed him first so his work would be the primary art influence.

Second Attempt

Again, I liked all four of these—particularly the first in the upper left. But she’s behind the bar and appears to be the bartender instead of a customer. Plus, she’s not wearing a baseball cap. Two of the other three have the women wearing either a dress or a long, tight skirt—which seemed improbable for any sort of modern sports play. So, I decided to spin the MidJourney wheel again.

Third Attempt

This time I asked MidJourney to give me a version of one of the women from my first attempt. The lower left panel seemed closest to what I wanted. So I eventually went with that—making a few minor changes in Photoshop (mostly fixing her ear and hair a bit.) And then—I was done!

↓ Transcript
SCENE: A beautiful woman in a baseball cap and an outfit that looks vaguely like it could be a baseball uniform is sitting on a stool in a bar or restaurant.

WOMAN: I got kicked off my church softball team. When they asked what position I played...I said “reverse cowgirl.”

Art: A.I. Magic Writers: Tony Isabella & John Lustig

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Check! And then Mate?

Check! And then Mate?

I’m not going to Comic-Con this year. But there’s some great Last Kiss merchandise for sale at Prism Comics, Booth 2144.

Original Vintage Art & Text

Art by Charles Nicholas and Vince Alascia from the story “The Spoiler” in Secret Romance #28, Dec. 1973. Art by Charles Nicholas and Vince Alascia from the story “The Spoiler” in Secret Romance #28, Dec. 1973. Charlton. (The full story isn’t online. So no link this time.)

 

 

Transcript:

SCENE: Woman in background watches as a hand comes into the foreground of the panel and moves a chess piece.

WOMAN: “Strip chess?” is that a real thing?

HAND PERSON: Sure! it’s just like “strip checkers”…Except, when you get naked, it’s more intellectual!

1973 Art: Charles Nicholas & Vince Alascia Re-Creation: Diego Jourdan Pereira
Grandmaster of Gags: John Lustig

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↓ Transcript
SCENE: Woman in background watches as a hand comes into the foreground of the panel and moves a chess piece.

WOMAN: “Strip chess?” is that a real thing?

HAND PERSON: Sure! it’s just like “strip checkers”...Except, when you get naked, it’s more intellectual!

1973 Art: Charles Nicholas & Vince Alascia Re-Creation: Diego Jourdan Pereira
Grandmaster of Gags: John Lustig

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The World’s Favorite Sport

The World’s Favorite Sport

 

Art from “The Love That Failed” in FIRST KISS #25, 1962.

 

 

Transcript:

Woman crying as a man tries to kiss her.

WOMAN: It’s not fair!
Why didn’t someone tell us…sex
isn’t an Olympic sport?

1962 Artist Unknown Color: Diego Jourdan Pereira

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↓ Transcript
Woman crying as a man tries to kiss her.

WOMAN: It’s not fair!
Why didn’t someone tell us...sex
isn’t an Olympic sport?

1962 Artist Unknown Color: Diego Jourdan Pereira

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