The Masked Man
{{Short description|Comic book title published by Eclipse Comics.}}
{{about|the Eclipse Comics character and comic book|other topics|Mask Man (disambiguation)}}
{{italic title}}
{{Infobox comics character
| character_name = The Masked Man
| image = MaskedMan1Eclipse.jpg
| imagesize = 240
| caption = The cover to The Masked Man #1; art by B.C. Boyer.
| publisher = Eclipse Comics
| debut = Eclipse #7 (November 1982)
| creators = B.C. Boyer
| full_name = Dick Carstairs
| species = Human
| partners = Barney McAllister
| module = {{infobox comic book title | subbox = yes | italic title = no
| publisher = Eclipse Comics
| schedule = Bi-monthly (#1-9)
Irregular (#10-12)
| date = December 1984 – April 1988
| issues = 12
| ongoing = Y
| writers = B. C. Boyer
| artists = B. C. Boyer
| editors = Cat Yronwode (#1-9)
Fred Burke (#10-12)
| sort = Masked Man
}}
}}
The Masked Man is a fictional comic book crime-fighter created by B.C. Boyer and published by Eclipse Comics. His first appearance was in Eclipse #7, dated November 1982. The Masked Man is the alter ego of private eye Dick Carstairs, who takes on the identity of the Masked Man so that his friend Barney McAllister, a reporter, could grab headlines using tales of his crime-fighting adventures.
Publication history
Boyer originally created the character as a simple one-shot "throwaway" for Eclipse, and originally pitched it as White Collar Man before Eclipse publisher Dean Mullaney persuaded him to retitle the strip. While the character's visual similarity to Will Eisner's The Spirit has been noted, Boyer claimed the latter had no influence on the Masked Man, who was instead born out of the creator's apathy towards overcomplicated superhero costumes, and that he was unaware of the similarities until editor Cat Yronwode pointed out the resemblance. After being introduced to Eisner's work, Boyer devised the character of the Phantom Man in tribute. After the end of Eclipse, the Magazine in January 1983, The Masked Man graduated to colour successor Eclipse Monthly, appearing in all ten issues from August 1983 to July 1984; it was the only ever-present in the anthology. Yronwode chose to give Carstairs a blue mask for his colour debut, something she later admitted to regretting.{{cite magazine|date=January 15, 1985|title=Who is that Masked Man?|author=Eric Yarber|magazine=Amazing Heroes|publisher=Redbeard, Inc|number=63}}
The Masked Man was then given an ongoing series from December 1984. Initially the bi-monthly ongoing retold the character's origins.{{cite magazine|date=January 1, 1985|title=Masked Man|author=Diana Schutz|magazine=Amazing Heroes|publisher=Redbeard, Inc|number=62/1985 Preview Issue}} The series was originally planned to end after 9 issues in 1986{{cite magazine|date=March 15, 1986|title=Newsflashes|magazine=Amazing Heroes|publisher=Fantagraphics Books|number=91}} but resumed with #10 in 1987.{{cite magazine|date=July 15, 1987|title=Top of the News (advertisement)|magazine=Amazing Heroes|publisher=Fantagraphics Books|number=121}}
The resurrected title switched to black-and-white interiors. The book would then keep an irregular schedule until the twelfth and final issue, with editor Fred Burke noting Eclipse published the issues "whenever they were ready".{{cite magazine|date=January 15, 1988|title=The Masked Man|author=John Wilcox|magazine=Amazing Heroes|publisher=Fantagraphics Books|number=133/Preview Special 6}} In 1988 Eclipse sought Boyer's permission to include the Masked Man in crossover Total Eclipse.{{cite magazine|date=January 15, 1988|title=Total Eclipse|author=Andy Mangels|magazine=Amazing Heroes|publisher=Fantagraphics Books|number=133/Preview Special 6}} He acceded and the character featured in promotion for the title, but ultimately Carstairs and McAllister would only appear in a single panel of the series - drawn by Boyer himself.{{cite comic|title=Total Eclipse|issue=#3|date=November 1988|story=Heroes and Villains|publisher=Eclipse Comics|writer=Wolfman, Marv|penciller=Hampton, Bo|inker=Rick Bryant}}
Fictional character biography
During his crime-fighting career, Carstairs meets a number of allies and enemies. Among these is Dan Drekston, a reporter who threatens to reveal the identity of the Masked Man unless he can take Barney's place as Carstairs' companion. He also encounters Phantom Man, a.k.a. Lenny Winchester, when he saves Carstairs' life. The Phantom Man is an old man in a blue business suit, fedora, domino mask and gloves. Aphidman is another whom Carstairs crosses paths with, a high school student named Percy who mistakenly thinks he has superpowers like Spider-Man. Carstairs also meets Maggie Brown, who was blinded by gunfire; after saving her life, Carstairs falls in love with Maggie, although Barney believes she is faking her blindness. Barney also meets Carstairs' sister, Roxy Chicago, a criminal and murderer.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{gcdb series|id=2920|title=The Masked Man}}
- [http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/m/maskedmn.htm International hero The Masked Man Page]
{{Eclipse Comics}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Masked Man}}
Category:Defunct American comics