And it was even better news if, once you'd got those shelves up, you wanted to fill them with nothing but computers, because just two days later saw the launch of the ZX81, the pioneering British home computer which went on to sell over 1.5 million units worldwide and become a legend wherever nostalgia for machines with terrible keyboards and no memory rears its ugly head.
However, there wasn't such good news for fans of scarves that month because, after a mighty seven years in the role, Tom Baker left Doctor Who, to be replaced by Peter Davison, in the final episode of the serial Logopolis. After all this time, I still don't have a clue what was going on at the end of that episode. If anyone can explain it to me, I would be highly grateful to them.
Speaking of the inexplicable, the UK singles chart kicked off the month with Joe Dolce's Shaddup You Face still keeping Vienna off the top spot.
However, even Joe couldn't hold on forever and he was soon replaced by Roxy Music's whistle-tastic cover of Jealous Guy, while the month ended with This Ole House by Shakin' Stevens at the summit - which meant Kim Wilde's Kids in America inherited Vienna's coveted role of, "Zeitgeisty 1980s synth classic kept off the Number One spot by a record that no one seems to like."
Meanwhile, in that month, the UK album chart was topped by Phil Collins' Face Value and then Adam and the Ants' Kings of the Wild Frontier.
But what of the galaxy's greatest comic? What joy was it bringing into our lives at that time?
It was still bringing us Strontium Dog, The Mean Arena, Return to Armageddon, Judge Dredd and Meltdown Man though I don't have a clue what the talking polar bear on the front of Prog 205 is about.
I also don't know what Tharg's Futureworlds is about but it sounds even more exciting than the Sinclair ZX81.
This is all the information I have to impart about this month's issues because that is all the information I have.
You may not understand the ending of Logopolis but I didn't understand any of it. And having watching the Blu-Ray just a few weeks ago that still holds true. Something about rows of very white guys adding up on abacus holding the universe together?
ReplyDeleteThe Blu-ray extras talk about having to add in 2 new companions and a new Doctor but still seems a mess.
I went to London to see the Tedeschi Trucks Band last night.
ReplyDeleteThe only reason I mention it here is that I counted five Greene King pubs within 100 yards of the London Palladium. And that's without exploring every street - just walking down some side streets parallel to Regent Street on my way from the Palladium to Piccadilly Circus for a pre-concert coffee and chill in the Virgin Money Lounge.
A bit light on info about the comics Steve - have you considered you might rather be doing Dr Who or Top of the Pops?
ReplyDeleteSadly, a polar bear on the cover of prog 205 doesn't mark the return of Shako, rebooted as an axe-wielding mutant with the power of speech. Still, the Meltdown Man - which was a bit like Kamandi, if Kamandi had been in the SAS and drawn by the underrated Massimo Belardinelli instead of Jack Kirby - was pretty good.
Strontium Dog was doing the origin thing at this point, covering Johnny Alpha's youth in the dystopian hell of Milton Keynes (not everything is different in the future)
-sean
PS Pretty sure Tharg's Futureworlds was one of those serialised poster things they used to do in the progs sometimes Steve, drawn by (I think) Dave Gibbons.
ReplyDelete-sean
Sean, thanks for the Futureworld, Strontium Dog, polar bear and Meltdown Man info. I have said in the past that I'd be perfectly happy to drop this feature, as it's rubbish, but people have insisted I carry on with it.
ReplyDeleteDangermash, that is certainly a lot of Greene King pubs.
Aggy, I haven't seen Logopolis in years, so my memories of it are vague. I think it made sense to me in that, "It doesn't make sense but it's Dr Who science, so you have to make allowances," way. But what was going on with the Watcher is still a total mystery to me.
It was observation rather than a complaint Steve, and I'm for you carrying on with the feature - it might be rubbish, but its SteveDoesComics rubbish!
ReplyDelete-sean
It was around this time in 1981 that the 15 year-old me wrote a letter to the Radio Times on the subject of Doctor Who. I can't remember what the hell I actually said in the letter but it didn't get printed anyway. I wrote another letter to Radio Times in July 1984 which DID get printed and a third letter (e-mail) in November 2014 which was also printed (neither my 2nd or 3rd letters was about Dr. Who). So I've had two letters printed in Radio Times out of three attempts - a 66% success rate !!
ReplyDeleteThe only Dr. Who DVD I've ever bought was "Planet Of The Spiders" in 2011. Back in 1974 those giant spiders were really scary but watching the story again, the spiders just looked like plastic spiders. Ah well, they say you should never go back - but I enjoyed watching it again even so :)
I think my big instance of, "Monster grown-up disappointment," from Doctor Who is the Abominable Snowmen. When I was a kid they were totally terrifying. As an adult, they look like the cuddliest, most adorable things ever.
ReplyDeleteAnybody remember "The Giant Spider Invasion" from the '70's?
ReplyDeleteThey had this big ol' spider that looked looked a bad parade float.
In fact, it was a bad parade float. I think the budget for that film was probably around three hundred dollars. And most of that was probably spent on beer.
There was this hilarious scene where it swallows this dirt farmer whole, his boots dangling out of it's mouth-hole.
Still, he was a dick, so he kinda had it coming.
MST 3000 had a hoot with that turd of a movie.
M.P.
It's supposed to read "looked like" and not "looked looked".
ReplyDeleteI keep doing that for some reason. Apparently I'm dyslexic now.
On top of everything else.
Yep...
M.P.
The title rings a bell but I don't think I've ever seen it.
ReplyDeleteDon't.
ReplyDeleteM.P.
I have watched Logopolis many times and I still have no clue what that "watcher" business was all about. My best guess is certain writers just played fast and loose with the subject of Time Lords and regeneration. Like the bizzare Time Lords from The War Games or Romana "changing her body" multiple times before choosing to regenerate into Lala Ward. Then there was that whole White Guardian/Black Guardian nonsense...
ReplyDelete~F.B.
M.P., you're dyslexic now? We'll have to start calling you P.M....
ReplyDelete-sean
MP-
ReplyDeleteMST 3K's riff on Giant Spider Invasion is indeed a fragging howl! I'm a huge fan of those guys. Met Joel Hodgson at a horror convention. If he was anymore laid-back, he'd be in a coma.
For a low-budget film that doesn't stink as much, I recommend Kingdom Of The Spiders starring William Shatner.
FB, I think there needs to be a, "Not knowing what was going on with The Watcher," support group for all of us who've spent the last 38 years baffled by him.
ReplyDeleteKD, I do feel that any film that has William Shatner in it is guaranteed to be watchable, just by virtue of Shatner being in it.
Here here, oh my brother!
Delete