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  1. #1
    Uncanny Member MajorHoy's Avatar
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    Default Meet the Mud Pack: The Clayface(s) Appreciation Thread



    Who the person called "Clayface" was when you first encountered the character in comic book stories or in animated series may have depended greatly on when the comic book / show was first produced, since quite a few different people have gone by that name over the years.


  2. #2
    Uncanny Member MajorHoy's Avatar
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    The first to be called Clayface was an actor named Basil Karlo, who first appeared in Detective Comics #40 (June 1940).





    The original Clayface didn't have any shape-shifting abilities back in the Golden Age. He was just an actor who was also a skilled makeup expert. He was able to disguise himself as a horrible monster for the movies (and later for his crimes of revenge).

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    Astonishing Member signalman112's Avatar
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    One of my favorite stories from the late 50's/early 60's is BATMAN #159 "The Great Joker-Clayface Feud".

    Batman159.jpg

  4. #4
    Astonishing Member signalman112's Avatar
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    Here is Clayface(Matt Hagen) turning into "Superman". Never read WFC #140 but I plan on getting the 2nd World's Finest Omnibus next spring which
    reprints that story.

    WorldsFinestComics140.jpg

  5. #5
    Uncanny Member MajorHoy's Avatar
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    Speaking of Hagen, the second Clayface was introduced in Detective Comics #298 (December 1961).



    Unlike his predecessor Basil Karlo, Hagen wasn't an actor. He also didn't use makeup to achieve his Clayface personae.



    Hagen was later died during Crisis on Infinite Earths.

  6. #6
    Astonishing Member jetengine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MajorHoy View Post
    Speaking of Hagen, the second Clayface was introduced in Detective Comics #298 (December 1961).



    Unlike his predecessor Basil Karlo, Hagen wasn't an actor. He also didn't use makeup to achieve his Clayface personae.



    Hagen was later died during Crisis on Infinite Earths.
    I noticed in your first post they claim that Hagen gets his powers via a urn of goop he has to apply, not by falling in a lake of goop. When did they retcon that ?

  7. #7
    Uncanny Member MajorHoy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jetengine View Post
    I noticed in your first post they claim that Hagen gets his powers via a urn of goop he has to apply, not by falling in a lake of goop. When did they retcon that ?
    I'm assuming that happened in later stories. I guess it was probably a bit more efficient to go that route than to have him constantly go back to that grotto if he needed to renew his abilities.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by jetengine View Post
    I noticed in your first post they claim that Hagen gets his powers via a urn of goop he has to apply, not by falling in a lake of goop. When did they retcon that ?
    I think it was the Secret Origins with all the Clayfaces.

  9. #9
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    I was disappointed all those times that DC seemed determined to forget that they had a plethora of Clayfaces and either tried to consolidate them into one person or just invent a new one this week. I liked Karlo in TEC where he was playing a good guy, but I honestly loved the idea of having so many different villains with some similarities but a lot of power differences.

    Honestly, it feels like the kind of thing that should be adopted to other media. I'd love to see Lady Clay played up as a power copier, Preston Payne as a super strong and horrifying opponent, Hagen as the classic shapeshifter who maybe has physical photographic memory, and Karlo as the Ultimate Clayface.

    Honestly, Karlo's evolution never got used to its potential.
    Like action, adventure, rogues, and outlaws? Like anti-heroes, femme fatales, mysteries and thrillers?

    I wrote a book with them. Outlaw’s Shadow: A Sherwood Noir. Robin Hood’s evil counterpart, Guy of Gisbourne, is the main character. Feel free to give it a look: https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asi...E2PKBNJFH76GQP

  10. #10
    Moderator Frontier's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by godisawesome View Post
    I was disappointed all those times that DC seemed determined to forget that they had a plethora of Clayfaces and either tried to consolidate them into one person or just invent a new one this week. I liked Karlo in TEC where he was playing a good guy, but I honestly loved the idea of having so many different villains with some similarities but a lot of power differences.

    Honestly, it feels like the kind of thing that should be adopted to other media. I'd love to see Lady Clay played up as a power copier, Preston Payne as a super strong and horrifying opponent, Hagen as the classic shapeshifter who maybe has physical photographic memory, and Karlo as the Ultimate Clayface.

    Honestly, Karlo's evolution never got used to its potential.
    I don't mind more then one Clayface's to a degree, but I can understand the thought behind consolidating them so there aren't a bunch of people running around with the name Clayface in the same universe.

    "Team Clayface" sounds like an interesting episode of a Batman cartoon .

  11. #11
    Uncanny Member MajorHoy's Avatar
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    The story of the third Clayface, Preston Payne, was told in Detective Comics #478 (cover-dated July-August 1978), though he first made a brief appearance on the last page of the previous issue.

    From issue #477:


    From issue #478:


  12. #12
    Uncanny Member MajorHoy's Avatar
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    By the way, on the first page of issue #478, I'm pretty sure the one burglar on the left on the first page was Len Wein . . .




    Does anybody remember who the one with long hair was?

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    Astonishing Member signalman112's Avatar
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    Odd thing was just about 20 issues after the debut of CLAYFACE III, Michael Fleisher brings back the Original Clayface, Basil Karlo in DETECTIVE #496.

    http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Detective_Comics_Vol_1_496


    Detective496.jpg

  14. #14
    Uncanny Member MajorHoy's Avatar
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    from Batman Villains Secret Files (October 1998):

  15. #15
    Astonishing Member signalman112's Avatar
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    Clayface II(Matt Hagen) teams up with Brainiac in WORLD'S FINEST COMICS #144.


    WFC144.jpg

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