Pandora Pann

Last updated
Pandora Pann
Pandorapanndcu0.jpg
Pandora Pann, promo art from The Comic Reader #201, artist Ross Andru.
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance The Comic Reader #197 (December 1981)
Created by Len Wein (writer)
Ross Andru (artist)
In-story information
AbilitiesTrained archaeologist

Pandora Pann is a fictional comic book character owned by DC Comics. Pandora debuted in The Comic Reader #197 (December 1981) and was created by Len Wein and Ross Andru. Pandora Pann is based on the Greek myth of Pandora the first woman, as related by the poet Hesiod in his epic poem, the Theogony (700 BCE).

Contents

Publication history

The character was originally slated for a September 1982 publication date by DC Comics. Len Wein and Ross Andru's Pandora Pann was described in The Comic Reader #197 (December 1981) as "the assistant of an archaeologist who unwittingly opens Pandora's box and spends the rest of her time trying to retrieve the evil she has unleashed by doing so".

Pandora Pann was originally scheduled to debut as a backup preview in The Saga of the Swamp Thing #5 (September 1982). Promotional art from the preview debuted in The Comic Reader #201 (April 1982). According to an interview in The Comic Reader #202 (May 1982) the series was instead put on indefinite hiatus "due to Len Wein's inability to find the time to write it". Launched instead was Arion, Lord of Atlantis , which had run for several months as a backup feature in The Warlord . [1]

When Bob Rozakis asked him about the character, [2] Len Wein responded with:

Even I had forgotten about Pandora Pann. The answer is that Ross Andru penciled most of a terrific-looking 15 page insert to be included in Swamp Thing, before going off into her own book. But for reasons sadly lost to history (meaning, for the life of me, I can no longer remember why), we never went ahead with the series. A shame too, since it would have preceded things like Tomb Raider and Relic Hunter by decades. And there you have another Secret Behind the Comics. --Len Wein

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swamp Thing</span> Fictional character, an elemental creature in the DC Comics Universe

The Swamp Thing is a superhero in American comic books published by DC Comics. A humanoid/plant elemental creature, created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, the Swamp Thing has had several humanoid or monster incarnations in various different storylines. The character first appeared in House of Secrets #92 in a stand-alone horror story set in the early 20th century. The character then returned in a solo series, set in the contemporary world and in the general DC continuity. The character is a swamp monster that resembles an anthropomorphic mound of vegetable matter, and fights to protect his swamp home, the environment in general, and humanity from various supernatural or terrorist threats, his archnemesis being the sorcerer Anton Arcane.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernie Wrightson</span> American comic artist (1948–2017)

Bernard Albert Wrightson was an American artist, known for co-creating the Swamp Thing, his adaptation of the novel Frankenstein illustration work, and for his other horror comics and illustrations, which feature his trademark intricate pen and brushwork.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Len Wein</span> American comic book writer and editor

Leonard Norman Wein was an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men. Additionally, he was the editor for writer Alan Moore and illustrator Dave Gibbons' influential DC miniseries Watchmen.

<i>House of Secrets</i> (DC Comics) Anthology comic book series

The House of Secrets is the name of several mystery, fantasy, and horror comics anthologies published by DC Comics. It is notable for being the title that introduced the character the Swamp Thing. It had a companion series titled The House of Mystery.

<i>DC Comics Presents</i> Comic book series

DC Comics Presents is a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1978 to 1986 which ran for 97 issues and four Annuals. It featured team-ups between Superman and a wide variety of other characters in the DC Universe. A recurring back-up feature "Whatever Happened to...?" had stories revealing the status of various minor and little-used characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ross Andru</span> American comic book artist (1927-1993)

Ross Andru was an American comics artist and editor whose career in comics spanned six decades. He is best known for his work on The Amazing Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, The Flash, and The Metal Men, and for having co-created the character called The Punisher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Yeates</span> American comics artist

Thomas Yeates is an American comic strip and comic book artist best known for illustrating the comic strips Prince Valiant and Zorro and for working on characters created by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heap (comics)</span> Comic book character

The Heap is the name of several fictional comic book muck-monsters, the original of which first appeared in Hillman Periodicals' Air Fighters Comics #3, during the period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books. The Heap was comics' first swamp monster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Rozakis</span> Writer

Robert "Bob" Rozakis is an American comic book writer and editor known mainly for his work in the 1970s and 1980s at DC Comics, as the writer of 'Mazing Man and in his capacity as DC's "Answer Man".

The Rutland Halloween Parade is an annual event held on Halloween in the city of Rutland, Vermont, since 1960. The parade has a strong superhero theme and has been the setting for a number of fictional comic book adventures. Local officials maintain that it is one of the largest and longest running Halloween parades in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paris Cullins</span> American comics artist

Paris Cullins is an American comics artist best known for his work on DC Comics' Blue Devil and Blue Beetle and Marvel Comics' Hyperkind.

Notable events of 1982 in comics.

Notable events of 1972 in comics.

The fictional character the Swamp Thing has appeared in seven American comic book series to date, including several specials, and has crossed over into other DC Comics titles. The series found immense popularity upon its 1970s debut and during the mid-late 1980s under Alan Moore, Stephen Bissette, and John Totleben. These eras were met with high critical praise and numerous awards. However, over the years, the Swamp Thing comics have suffered from low sales, which have resulted in numerous series cancellations and revivals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daily Planet (DC Comics house advertisement)</span>

Daily Planet was a promotional page appearing in DC Comics publications from 1976 to 1981. The Daily Planet contained previews of upcoming stories, as well as recurring features like "The Answer Man", where DC writer/editor Bob Rozakis would answer questions sent in by readers, and a comic strip by cartoonist Fred Hembeck which poked fun at DC characters. Edited by Rozakis, the Daily Planet was set in the format of a page from the fictional Metropolis newspaper where Clark Kent worked.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DC Comics insert previews</span> Set of comic book inserts

DC Comics insert previews were 16-page comic book stories inserted into issues of existing DC Comics series to promote new series usually debuting the next month. Running from 1980 to 1985, they consisted of a front cover, 14 pages of story, and a back cover that depicted the cover of the actual first issue. The addition of the insert did not entail an increase in the price of the comic book, and the cover copy called the insert "a special free 16-page comic!"

The Goethe Award, later known as the Comic Fan Art Award, was an American series of comic book fan awards, first presented in 1971 for comics published in 1970. The award originated with the fanzine Newfangles and then shared close ties with The Buyer's Guide to Comics Fandom.

John Calnan was an American comics artist best known as the co-creator of Lucius Fox with writer Len Wein.

References

  1. Mangels, Andy (February 2011). "Opening the Box: Pandora Pann's Lost Adventures". Back Issue! . Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing (46): 37.
  2. Rozakis, Bob (2001). "It's BobRo...The Answer Man!". Silver Bullet Comic Books. Archived from the original on June 18, 2002.