Aztec Ace
| Aztec Ace | |
|---|---|
 The cover to Aztec Ace #1 (March 1984), art by Michael Bair. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Eclipse Comics |
| Schedule | Irregular |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Publication date | March 1984 - September 1985 |
| No. of issues | 15 |
| Main character(s) | Ace (Caza) Bridget Head |
| Creative team | |
| Created by | Doug Moench |
| Written by | Doug Moench |
| Penciller(s) | Michael Bair (#1-2, #9) Dan Day (#3-8, #10-13, #15) Mike Harris (#14) |
| Inker(s) | Nelson Redondo (#1-8) Ron Harris (#9-11) Mike Gustovich (#9-13, #15) Art Nichols (#14) Tom Yeates (#14) |
| Letterer(s) | Adam Kubert (#1) Esphid Mahilum (#2-6) Pete Sullit (#3-6) Peter Iro (#7-9) Carrie Spiegle (#10-15) |
| Colorist(s) | Philip DeWalt (#1-12) Dennis McFarling (#1-5) Steve Oliff (#12-15) Sam Parsons (#14-15) |
| Editor(s) | Cat Yronwode |
Aztec Ace is an American creator-owned science fiction comic book formerly published by Eclipse Comics. Created by writer Doug Moench, 15 issues appeared from 1984 to 1985.[1] Amazing Heroes would describe the series as "a strange cross between Dr. Who and the Illuminati trilogy".[2]
Publication history[edit]
The series kept an irregular schedule due to main artist Dan Day's meticulous approach; by 1985 the book was aiming for a six-weekly schedule, with Eclipse editor-in-chief Cat Yronwode hoping for nine or ten issues a year.[3] Other contributors to Aztec Ace included Mike Harris and Mike Gustovich.[4] The Aztec Ace logo was created by Denis McFarling.[5]
Aztec Ace featured appearances from numerous historical figures, including Amelia Earhart, Glenn Miller and Ambrose Bierce.[3] The series ended abruptly, leaving several storylines unresolved. This was announced as being due to the difficulty in finding adequate fill-in artists.[6] In 1988, a copy of Aztec Ace #13 - featuring Bridget dressed as Cleopatra - was part of an Egyptology exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum.[7]
For Eclipse's 10th anniversary in 1988, they commissioned the crossover mini-series Total Eclipse, and the creators of Aztec Ace gave permission for Marv Wolfman to use the characters in the series.[8] The characters had sizeable roles in the series, with Nine-Crocodile the overarching villain, while Moench contributed a short "Interlude" story centred on Aztec Ace for the second issue, with art by Tim Sale. [9] This led to the announcement of plans to collect the earlier material as a trade paperback[10] and to continue the story as a three-issue mini-series - tentatively titled Aztec Ace - Time Tripper - in 1992 with artist Doug Heinlein;[11] however, these plans would not come to fruition.
Synopsis[edit]
The story revolves around a time traveller named Ace (real name: Caza), whose goal is to save the timestream from unravelling through various intricate adventures. Ace is from the 23rd century, with his base in pre-contact Aztec Mexico; he often visits ancient Egypt. Caza is aided by Head - formerly his assistant Tempus Fugit, reduced to a disembodied head after an accident - and Bridget Kronopoulous, Ace's girlfriend from 1940 who may or may not be the Queen of Egypt. They travel through time in a time machine called the ACE (Azure Crosstime Express, though the characters often call it 'the Egg' due to its distinctive shape), which Head controls. His main enemy is Nine-Crocodile, who creates time paradoxes in an attempt to save his own dimension at the expense of other realities - especially the modern day planet Earth; his minions include the Nightgaunt and the Ebonati.
References[edit]
- ^ McCulloch, Joe (March 22, 2011). "THIS WEEK IN COMICS! (3/23/11 – Multifarious Chills!)". The Comics Journal. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
- ^ Bob Hughes (June 1, 1988). "Enlarging the Penumbra". Amazing Heroes. No. 142. Fantagraphics Books.
- ^ a b Heidi MacDonald (January 1, 1985). "Aztec Ace". Amazing Heroes. No. 62/1985 Preview Issue. Redbeard, Inc.
- ^ "Newsflashes". Amazing Heroes. No. 66. Redbeard, Inc. March 1, 1985.
- ^ "Aztec Ace". DenisMcFarling.com.
- ^ "Newsflashes". Amazing Heroes. No. 80. Fantagraphics Books. October 1, 1985.
- ^ "Top of the News (advertisement)". Amazing Heroes. No. 153. Fantagraphics Books. November 15, 1988.
- ^ Andy Mangels (January 15, 1988). "Total Eclipse". Amazing Heroes. No. 133/Preview Special 6. Fantagraphics Books.
- ^ "Top of the News (advertisement)". Amazing Heroes. No. 145/Preview Special 7. Fantagraphics Books. July 15, 1988.
- ^ "Top of the News (advertisement)". Amazing Heroes. No. 147. Fantagraphics Books. August 15, 1988.
- ^ "Newsline". Amazing Heroes. No. 194. Fantagraphics Books. September 1991.
External links[edit]
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