Dial H For Hero

Most definitely one of my personal favorite comics of '66 was DIAL H FOR HERO, featuring Robby Reed, "the boy who can change into 1000 super-heroes!" Technically, the title of the comic was HOUSE OF MYSTERY. In the past it had been home to DC's trademark pseudo-science fiction stories and in the future it would showcase more traditional horror tales by new and classic artists. But for one brief, shining moment beginning with the January, 1966 issue, it housed this most unusual strip.

The setup is simple. Young Robby finds a presumably alien dial which can turn him into various superheroes. No explanation is ever given although it becomes Topic # 1 in the letters pages! Some are cool (THE COMETEER), some are lame (MIGHTY MOPPET) and some are retro (PLASTIC MAN!) but all are, at least in these early issues, beautifully rendered by artist Jim Mooney with scripts by Dave Wood.

The concept has been revived a number of times with and without Robby including the requisite "grim and gritty" version but the most successful version of the Dial H For Hero concept, although unofficial, would have to be TV's BEN 10!