Sunday 14 June 2015

June 14th, 1975 - Marvel UK, 40 years ago this week.

On this very day in 1975, the Soviet Union launched the mighty Venera 10 space probe to land on and explore the surface of Venus.

Well, planets and stars are all very well but there's only one set of stars any sensible child was interested in in 1975. And those were the stars of the most cosmic comic company of them all.

And that can only mean one thing.

That it's time for Steve Does Comics to fire a probe at the surface of Planet Nostalgia and see what strange lifeforms are waiting for it there.

Mighty World of Marvel #141, Hulk vs Chameleon

It's the start of one of my favourite Hulk tales, as the green Goliath finds himself shrunk to the size of a doll and up against the hordes of Hydra.

Spider-Man Comics Weekly #122

Iceman and Spider-Man are still battling political corruption, in the mighty Marvel manner.

Marvel UK, The Avengers #91, Dr Strange

I don't have a clue what this advertised new direction is in the life of Dr Strange.

Is it him abandoning the blue mask and going back to looking like a normal human being again?

Or is it some other landmark event, which I've totally forgotten about?

I quite liked the mask. It gave him an alien air that I felt suited the strip.

Marvel UK, Dracula Lives #34

Ah yes.

He hunts the deadliest prey of them all.

Bats.

Does anyone actually hunt bats?

Not in Britain they don't. It's illegal.

Then again, so is shooting people.

And he's managed to do both.

So, there you go. Well done to him.

Marvel UK, Planet of the Apes #34

The Planet of the Apes is still Mark Twaining it up.

I've just been watching the pilot episode of the 1970s TV show.

I do feel sorry for the actor who had to play the dead astronaut in it.

How excited he must have been when his agent told him he'd landed a part on a brand new TV show.

How disappointed he must have been when he found out it was playing a dead body.

I wonder if you have to audition for the part of a corpse. And, if so, how you are expected to go about it?

Marvel UK, Savage Sword of Conan #15, Elric

Two of Fantasy's greatest heroes bump into each other.

I'm still not sure about Elric's hat though.

Marvel UK, The Super-Heroes #15, the Silver Surfer

The Silver Surfer's out to kill everyone connected with SHIELD?

I know it's not the greatest TV show of all time but I do think he's overreacting somewhat. Surely he could just change channels until he's calmed down.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I don't know about Elric's hat either.
Its a pity Marvel didn't do the Moorcock stuff a few issues later; Barry Wi...erm (sorry about that, Steve).. Barry Smith's approach is well suited to it - more so than Howard - and he suddenly got so much better with Hawks from the Sea. As it is, that Elric story is a bit of a disappointment.

And - how many favourite Hulk tales have you got, Steve?

-sean

Anonymous said...

I always wondered if Moorcock's Melnibone wasn't in fact supposed to be England, an island of lunatics that used to rule the world.
Hey, don't get mad at me! I'm part English myself. On my mother's side.
Also known as the crazy side of the family.
m.p.

Steve W. said...

Sean, Every Hulk tale is a favourite Hulk tale of mine.

MP, but England isn't an island, so it can't be us.

Anonymous said...

Those Moorcock fantasy allegories can be a bit heavy handed.
Although the one I liked was the island of Granbritan - full of people wearing masks who didn't like foreigners.
Its funny because its true.

-sean

Anonymous said...

You could be referring to America, Sean, and it's true.
Although things are changing, over here. Hopefully, for the better.
A bit too slow, sometimes, for my tastes.
m.p.

Dougie said...

I love Elric's hat. I like to think the Second Doctor dropped it on Melnibone, running for the Tardis.
"Look at the size of that, Doctor!"
"Yes, Jamie, it is a big one, isn't it?"

In fact, I like that Elric story so much, I bought the reprint with the (redrawn) Kirby cover.

I am unsure whether the FF story in MWOM is about Ronan or Him.
The Thor reprint is the Mangog saga, IIRC.