Monday 1 April 2013

Fifty years ago today - April 1963.

The wisest of women once said, "Drip drip drop, little April showers," - just before Bambi's mother got shot.

Clearly she'd never spent an April in Britain or she'd have been singing, "Plunge plunge plunge from the rooftop edges, huge icicles of potential death." Shall this winter never end? Or am I doomed, like Mr Freeze, to spend eternity in permafrostial numbness?

And will Marvel's heroes be getting shot of their enemies in April 1963? Or will they be filled with the Christian spirit this Easter and instead be holding them deer to their harts?

Only the next few hundred words can tell us.

Fantastic Four #13, the Red Ghost, on the moon, Jack Kirby

This is what you call value for money. We don't only get the debut of the Red Ghost, we get the first appearance of his super-apes, the city on the moon and the first ever declaration by the Watcher that he's sworn never to interfere - just before interfering.
Journey into Mystery #91, Sandu, Thor in chains

I've not read this in forty years. Is this the one where pixies come down from Asgard and give Thor his belt of strength?

Pixies have never come down from Asgard and given me a belt of strength.

Not even when I've needed to open a jam jar.

I hate those pixies.
Tales of Suspense #40, Gargantus, Iron Man

Hooray! It's a story I've always loved, as Gargantus, the evil hypno-robo-Neanderthal, invites Iron Man to go clubbing with him.
Tales to Astonish #42, Ant-Man and the voice of doom

Ant-Man suffers his latest indignity - falling off a jetty because Isambard Kingdom Brunel tells him to.

Stand up to him, man. It doesn't matter how big a whizz he is with funicular railways, he's still just a man.

Call himself a master engineer? He can't even build a proper jetty. Look at that nail sticking up. He was no Frank Whittle. Frank Whittle would have made sure that nail was knocked in properly.

No wonder Henry Pym ended up going mad.
Strange Tales #107, The Human Torch vs the Sub-Mariner

It's the big one! It's Flamey vs Splashy!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have to say that, as legendary as those characters and early stories are, those covers are pretty unexciting!

Also, just wondering...will you be reviewing the new Dr Who?


cheers
B Smith

Steve W. said...

B, I won't be reviewing the new Dr Whos. Not because I don't like them - I did enjoy the Christmas one and I enjoyed the latest ep. I've just found with previous episodes that I don't feel comfortable reviewing things. It all feels a bit too sensible a thing for me to be doing.

Kid said...

Pixies? You mean Valkyries. And yes, that's the issue. I know 'cos I've got it - as well as TOS #40. Aren't I lucky?

Comicsfan said...

That Strange Tales issue had the dubious honor of having one of the most cringe-worthy Sub-Mariner scenes I've ever had the misfortune of reading through. And some of the Torch's abilities during the fight were equally *ahem* creative.

Steve W. said...

Comicsfan, I demand that the Sub-Mariner uses his "puffer fish power" in every story he appears in.

Comicsfan said...

Nooooooooooo!!!

Steve W. said...

If he plays his cards right, he could be the new Bouncing Boy.

Anonymous said...

I seem to recall in an early Fantastic Four story wherein Namor joins forces with Dr Doom that he imitates an electric eel and sends a blast of electrical energy to Doom at a point of contention.



cheers
B Smith

david_b said...

I picked up that FF ish 13 last year in VF condition, and it's just a BEAUT.

Love the cover style, on sale just 2 months before I was born...

Very Kennedy-esque.

And still cannot believe it's the 1st Watcher appearance.