As all keen readers will know, Prog 92 of the galaxy's greatest comic was cover-dated November the 25th.
However, as can be seen below, Prog 93 is cover-dated December the 30th, meaning the mag appears to have disappeared for four weeks.
Just what nightmare menace could have occurred to create such an anomaly? Did the artwork vanish into another dimension for a month? Did IPC's batteries run out of Thrill Power? Was Tharg abducted by aliens?
Scouring the internet tells me that, this being the 1970s, the comic fell prey to industrial action during that spell, causing its disappearance from the racks and shelves of the nation's newsagents. What the industrial action was about, I could not tell you.
Nothing too landmarky seems to have occurred within the pages of this issue but, looking at the cover, I do have to say I am surprised by the attitude of its spokesman. Frankly, given a choice, I'd far rather be stung to death by giant scorpions than be drowned.
But, of course, these things are subjective. Therefore I've added a poll to the top of this very page, where you can vote on which method of death you'd prefer.
Don't forget to vote.
One day, your life might depend on the outcome.
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9 comments:
No death by giant scorpion for me! The way I'd really like to die is crash a one-man rocket into the moon, creating a huge explosion that can be seen from Earth. But I'll settle for drowning, if that's the only other option.
M.P.
Having devoted much thought to the subject, I have come to the conclusion that my preferred method of death is being instantly crushed between two huge slabs of metal.
I look forward to the government arranging it for me.
Theresa May's lot will probably finish us all off, Steve.
The industrial action that caused the progs to disappear was presumably the same one that hit Marvel UK as Dez Skinn took charge, and kept the first of his new look re-launched weeklies out of the newsagents.
Although I don't think trying to stop Hulk comic replacing MWOM was the unions' primary objective.
Judging by recent events, strikes seem to be the coming thing in 70s nostalgia - I look forward to you holding the country to ransom with SteveDoesIndustrialUnrest.
-sean
It's the upcoming alliance between Trumpenstein and his sidekick Brexit Theresa that'll do us in. But Dez Skinn's re-launched weeklies didn't come out till mid-January 1979 so it can't have been the same industrial action, Sean. Anyway the new look, re-launched weeklies were crap so I wouldn't have cared if they never appeared. By the way, MWOM was replaced by the dire Marvel Comic - Hulk Comic came out two months later. Today (January 17th) is exactly 38 years since the new-look weeklies came out - a day that will live in infamy :(
Infamy, Colin, infamy, they've all got it in for me...
C'mon, getting the Hulk and Marvel Comic mixed up is easily done, and fair enough.
It didn't seem unreasonable to assume industrial action in December 78 might have dragged on into the middle of the following month.
But I just looked up the winter of discontent on the wiki and it turns out that the lorry drivers strike - which is what messed up the Marvel UK "revolution" - began at the start of January, so you are correct and we're talking about two separate disputes.
That'll teach me to sound off about stuff I don't know anything about (but I doubt it will stop me).
A quick search online, and it turns out that back then IPC had a very militant "juveniles" division, and the comrades producing comics went on strike fairly regularly.
www.jintycomic.wordpress.com/2015/09/01/ipcfleetway-and-the-nuj-interview-with-pete-wrobel/
-sean
Colin, maybe it's Trump that oughtta be fired into the moon. Isn't it for situations like this that we created NASA in the first place? To jettison undesirables into the depths of outer space with no hope of return?
M.P.
MP, we all feel your pain. And we know most Americans didn't vote for The Donald.
But feel sorry for the 48% of Brits who didn't vote for Brexit - it's like being trapped on the sinking Titanic with no lifeboats :(
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