Rampaging through the bosco city of Cleveland, Howard the Duck on a downtown bus viciously attacks the Kidney Lady. "Aaah, shuddup, ya bug-brained old bag! Who cares about your kidneys?!" He gives her a swift kick in the old,gut, his webbed-feet flapping against her belly. "Im goin for the throat!" he froths.

Now, I havent read a comic in umpteen years. The escapades of Marvel heroes like Spidey and Conan usually only lead me to another cigarette, a yawn, and theh its time for McHalesNavy. Ive always, however, been very partial to DUMB COMIX like Not Brand Eech, Spoof, Herbie, and The Inferior Five. Any comic that possessed a spirit similar to Harvey Kurtzmans Help was a delight to behold; anything else was for bumblers who were into Perry Rhodan sci-fi:

Marvels Howard the Duck, though, reconciles both camps: the'klunks who dig Nancy and the fans who swallow the Fantastic Four whole. Often the message recalls the satirical bent of Pogo: more often, though, its just plain fun (the•word Jay Ward practically invented). "Trapped in a world he never made," Howard the Duck must hustle to survive (finally