They were mentioned in a 1975 ad for an Iron Fist black-and-white magazine that appeared in one issue of The Deadly Hands of King Fu before plans for the magazine were scrapped. They were mentioned in an issue of FOOM Magazine and it's possible that issue also included a design sketch done by John Romita, Sr. Those "appearances" constitute the publishing history of these two characters I created during my time as a Marvel Comics editor...and yet, at least once a year, readers ask me about them. Here's what the ad said about them:
Dragons Two. Brother and sister - their minds linked by a strange telepathy - their bodies honed to Kung Fu perfection - starring in unbelievable mystery stories as only Marvel Comics could present them!
I'm sure I wrote that kind of dumb copy. Filtered through my hazy memory, here's what else I can tell you:
My two teen dragons were the grandchildren of Ho Yinsen, the scientist who gave his life so Tony Stark could become Iron Man and escape from their Viet Cong captors. Learning of these events, but not knowing Stark was Iron Man, the kids came to America to see if he was worthy of their grandfather's sacrifice. Being that these siblings were crazy smart in addition to being first-rate martial artists, they would have figured out Stark was Iron Man by the end of their first story. Impressed, Stark would sponsor their further adventures in the USA and elsewhere.
My pal Mark Evanier was my choice to write the series because I had liked his writing on Gold Key's Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan and figured he would get the blend of comedy, mystery, and super-hero action I wanted for the series. I think he accepted the gig, but I don't believe he did any work on the feature before the Iron Fist mag was scrapped. I have a vague memory that Mark and I discussed Dan Spiegle for our artist, but, if we did, we never got around to actually asking him. If we had asked him, Spiegle, who has always been one of the best and fastest artists in comics, probably would have finished drawing the first story before Mark wrote it.
That's all I got. But at least I won't have to answer Dragons Two questions for a while.
******
ADDENDUM - Dragons Two Art Contest
On the other hand...let's have some fun with this in the form of a "Dragons Two" contest. Artists are hereby invited to send me their interpretation of the characters as described above. Don't feel you have to keep the siblings in their original 1970s setting. In fact, modern takes on the kids probably have the best chance of winning this contest.
Send me a .jpg of your drawing by Monday, September 1, along with an e-mail granting me permission to run your drawings here in Tony's Online Tips. I'll run your drawings during the month of September and pick the winner once all of the drawings have been published.
Since "contest" and "winner" do imply some sort of reward for excellence even beyond the immeasurable honor of appearing in TOT and being lauded for your talent and imagination, the artist whose work I deem the best will receive over $100 worth of comic books and other books from the cool stuff that rises high in every corner of my office. Heck, if I'm a good mood, there will also be prizes for the runners-up.
You can e-mail your drawings to:
I can't wait to see what you come up with.
******
TONY POLLS
Every Tuesday, I post new Tony Polls questions for your voting fun. Having just returned from a weekend road trip with my son Eddie, I got to wondering what my readers have been doing with their summers. So, this week, I'm asking you several questions on that very subject. You can answer them at:
Besides answering my questions, you should feel free to e-mail me if you did something this summer that's not reflected in those questions. I'd love to hear about and, with your permission, I'll share your stories with your fellow TOT readers.
Thanks for spending a part of your day with me. I'll be back tomorrow with more stuff.
TIP THE TIPSTER! It's your turn to "Tip the Tipster" and Webmaster who bring you these columns! Just click the "Tip the Tipster" button. Thanks for your support!
Some random opening remarks. Then I review Drawing Heroes in the Backyard: Tim Sale: Black and White, Witchblade Volume 1-3, Strip for Murder, Justice League Unlimited: The Ties That Bind, and Leader's High!.
ZERO: Burn your money before buying any comic receiving this rating. It doesn't *necessarily* mean there's absolutely nothing of value here - though it *could* - but whatever value it might possess shrinks into insignificance before its overall awfulness.
ONE: Buy something else. Maybe I found something which wasn't completely dreadful in the item, but not enough for me to recommend it when there are better comics available. I only want what's best for you, my children.
TWO: Basic judgment call. I found some value, but not enough to recommend it. My review should give you enough info to decide if you want to take a chance on it. Are you feeling lucky today, punk? Well, are you?
THREE: This denotes something I find perfectly respectable. There are better books out there, but I wouldn't regret buying this item. Based on my review, you should be able to determine if it's of interest to you. Let the Force guide you.
FOUR: I recommend anything earning this rating. Unless you don't like the genre, subject matter, or past work of the creators, I believe you'll enjoy this item. Isn't it uncanny how I can look right into your soul that way?
FIVE: Anything getting this rating is among the best comicdom has to offer. You should buy/read this, even if the genre/subject matter doesn't appeal to you. It's for your own good. Me, I live for comics and books this good...but not in a pathetic "Comic-Book Guy" sort of way.
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