Beauology 101: Thor: How I Learned To Stop Hating And Grew To Love The God Of Thunder

Your Host With The Biggest Guns—Beau Smith

Your Host With The Biggest Guns—Beau Smith


by Beau Smith

When it comes to comic books I am very blessed.

I’ve known I’ve wanted to write comic books since the age of six.

I’ve been mesmerized by comic books since the age of four.

I grew up in the most wonderful time for superhero comic books, 1960-69. That took me from Grade School through Junior High School.

I’ve been writing comic books for 32 years.

I’ve created comic book characters that have become action figures, merchandise and a television series.

I still own the bulk of my childhood comic book collection.

I’ve had lunch with Stan Lee twice, became close friends with Don Heck, and was taken under the wing of Jack Kirby for my first comic book convention and treated like a king by him.

I have worked, and continue to, with the best and most creative people in comic books.

John Byrne has always been really nice to me.

Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert were professional friends that always took my calls.

I could go on and on. When you’ve been around as along as I have, you have many stories you can keep on telling. The above list of facts are things that if told to my 12 year old self, you would see a brain explode.

Now that you have a little bit of background on what I’m thankful for, I want you to know that growing up reading comic books, as well as most of my adulthood, I never really cared for the Marvel Comics character, Thor.

“By The Power Of Grey…Er…Asgard….Whatever…”

“By The Power Of Grey…Er…Asgard….Whatever…”


He was stiff, unfunny, talked like a classic book you’d get assigned in school written by somebody named Shakespeare. He had longer hair than Millie The Model and he was always getting tricked by his pesty younger brother. I mean how many times can you fall for Loki’s “Pull My Finger” trick?

Great Cover, Great Villain…I Didn’t Like Thor As A Kid.

Great Cover, Great Villain…I Didn’t Like Thor As A Kid.


Yes, he had some really cool bad guys to fight like Ulik The Troll, The Wrecker, The Absorbing Man, Mister Hyde and The Cobra, but I cared more about them than I did the hero of the book. That’s not right.

I spent a lot of decades not liking or not caring about the character Thor—Then came the Marvel Movies.

I did a 180 turnaround.

Marvel Studios turned the way I feel about Thor around in one movie. Not only that, but they continued to increase Thor’s likability with me with each film he appeared in, The Avengers and his own. I have to tell you that they really knocked it out of the park for me with THOR: RAGNAROK.

Thor Ragnarok Marvel Studios Style.

Thor Ragnarok Marvel Studios Style.


Writers Eric Pearson and Craig Kyle wrote a script for the film like they stole it from my own brain of things I wanted a Thor story to be. Director Taika Waititi pulled up a chair, asked me to sit in it and then asked me what I’d like to see. (At least it felt like that.). The casting of the whole film was so near perfection for me. It could’ve gone off the track with Cate Blanchett as the villainess Hela-Goddess Of Death. Not because it was Cate Blanchett, she’s always great in her roles, but because she was playing Hela, a VERY dark and deeply No-Fun character in the Thor comic books. But it didn’t got off track like a DC (Depressing Comics) film would’ve. Nope! Cate Blanchett added smirks, dark humor, and the underlying anger of a first born that was screwed out of her inheritance by her dad and her younger brothers. It played out so very well.

I have to comment that every character, main and supporting, got to shine with not only honor, but the other H word that seems to get left out in comic cooks—HUMOR!

Every character was a pleasure. The directing and editing of the film walked hand in hand like the perfect prom date. Another surprise was that the film score/soundtrack did not detour from the story and the acting. It was perfect in placement and acted as an added character, not a blaring horn out of nowhere.

I have to say that THOR: RAGNAROK is my favorite superhero film to date. There’s been a lot of them, so that’s saying a lot. PLUS—as I mentioned, Thor was NOT my favorite character. Now he is…in the movies. The comic books still have some work to catch up on.

Thor Ragnarok Jack Kirby Style.

Thor Ragnarok Jack Kirby Style.


Yes, please note, we are talking about MY likes and dislikes, MY personal taste in pop culture, comics and films. I don’t expect all of you, or even a few of you, to agree with me. My tastes are limited, BUT…they are the only tastes in MY mouth, so don’t expect any pop culture CPR from me to save you.

I like humor and camaraderie and loyalty in my entertainment and my life. I do not seek out to be sad, afraid, or have added melodrama injected into my life or in my entertainment. (I told you, my tastes are limited, but they’re MY tastes and MY money, so I like and spend them as I see fit.) Real life will give you all the sadness, fear, and reality show drama that you can stand. There are no group hugs for that when it comes to me.

So to all powers that be at Marvel Comics and Marvel Studios, Thank you! Thank you for turning my head around like Linda Blair in The Exorcist on the character of Thor (as well as Doctor Strange). And thank you for making me believe anything can happen. Whoever said “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” better watch where they step in my entertainment backyard.

Your old dog,

Beau Smith

The Flying Fist Ranch

@BeauSmithRanch on Twitter and Instagram

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