Tuesday 1 October 2019

Fifty years ago this month - October 1969.

If you're a dead parrot, you might want to sit up and take notice of this because, in this month of 1969, Monty Python's Flying Circus first aired on BBC One and the life of deceased avians would never be the same again.

Something else which occurred that month and would ensure nothing would be the same again, was the first message being sent over ARPANET which, the internet informs me, was the forerunner of the internet.

And there was another taste of the future, for the people of Britain, with the launch of the brand new 50 pence coin. Brought in as a replacement for the 10-shilling note, it suffered a mixed reception from the public, many of whom found it too easily mistaken for the 10 pence coin.

That is genuinely baffling. The 50 pence piece was bigger than the 10 pence piece, was thicker, heavier, had smoother edges; and was heptagonal, whereas a 10 pence piece was round. They're probably the least easy coins to get mixed up, ever.

I suspect people also complained it was, "Like Mickey Mouse money, Monopoly money and that funny money they have abroad," as I can't remember any new coin ever not being greeted with that response.

Avengers #69, the Growing Man

Hooray! The Growing Man makes his senses-shattering return.

And that can only mean Kang the Conqueror isn't far behind.

Needless to say, despite knowing their foe grows bigger and more powerful every time you hit him, the Avengers still keep on hitting him.

Captain America #118, the Falcon

All fully trained-up by Cap, the Falcon helps our hero take on the Outcasts or the Rejects or whatever it is they're called.

I do believe this is the issue in which the Red Skull, disguised as Captain America, tells Rick Jones to clear off and Rick vows to give up the sidekicking forever.

This, of course, leads to him becoming sidekick to Captain Marvel, barely hours later.

Ironically, it's the Red Skull's possession of the Cosmic Cube which causes all this and, thanks to Thanos, the Cosmic Cube will go on to become Captain Marvel's biggest headache.

Daredevil #57

Death's Head meets his doom but is revealed to be Karen Page's father.

It would appear Daredevil's also revealed to be Matt Murdock.

Fantastic Four #91

So desperate for evil things to do are the Skrulls that they take to stealing plots from whichever Star Trek episodes Jack Kirby happens to be watching at the time, as they capture the Thing and take him to their world of 1930s gangsterness, to take part in their gladiatorial games.

Incredible Hulk #120

Maximus tries to team up with the Hulk, to take on the US army but, inevitably, that alliance doesn't last and the evil Inhumans are soon having to flee both the Hulk and Uncle Sam.

Iron Man #18

I would assume the figure inside the new Iron Man suit is the LMD who's taken Tony Stark's place, and that the figure inside the old Iron Man suit is the real Tony Stark, trying to reclaim his rightful place in society.

The Avengers certainly look shocked by it all.

Amazing Spider-Man #77, the Human Torch and the Lizard

Spidey has to save the Lizard from the Human Torch but can he get the hotheaded hero to listen?

Thor #169, Galactus

Thor learns yet more of Galactus' origin.

X-Men #61, Sauron

It's one that I've read but I recall little of. I think that, at the climax, Sauron chooses to die, rather than drain the life force of his beloved, which is nice.

35 comments:

Killdumpster said...

Of all the issues you featured, Steve, I had half of 'em. The rest I later read in reprint books.

Kang rules! Growing Man not so much.

Any guy in athletic shape, getting the Captain America "20 Minute Workout", should be able to takeout a handful of aging Nazis. Especially with a trained falcon.

Wow, the little blurb about Thanos, the cube, Mar-vell, and my old pal Rick makes me think I ought to go back to the cave and pick up that costume jewelry I put back.

Maybe I'd get to be in a movie. Naw, probably not. I'm white, male, and have too much personality.

Killdumpster said...

When Monty Python was broadcast here in the US on public television in the early 70's, it was a fountain of material for us class-clowns in high school.

The more we utilized the humor as in-jokes, the more it became a cult hit, even in my hillbilly area.

My pals and I called everyone "Bruce" for months, even our teachers. Occasionally one of us would yell something like "ALBATROSS!!", "The Larch", or "Dimsdale!!!" down the hallway.

Kids would burst-out laughing, and the hick farmer-boys would look around in a bewildered state.

Killdumpster said...

It was endless. Monty Python has to be one of the greatest contributions to comedy. I'm hoisting my beer to all those guys, and to peace to Graham Chapman.

Killdumpster said...

Yes Karen. Matt Murdock is DD. Insert dumb blonde joke HERE.

Kirby was definetly in his "no more, hittin' door" stage in FF #91.

Classic Trimpe cover for Hulk #120. Greenskin vs the army & Inhumans, what's not to love?

Iron Man #18 got thread-bare from me reading it. Action packed, loads of guest-stars, and the old armor in action. What's not to like?

Read the Spidey storyline in Marvel Tales. I know I've told you guys about the availability of Spider-Man books in my area. That cover would've been a first grab.

While I did dig Thor, he was usually a third choice when I only had enough spare change to get 1-3 books. Even with Galactus.

I know I had the X-Men story, either the original or a reprint. I'm just uncertain if the Angel's suit was as red in the interior as it is on the cover.

Steve, you're a "wing-man". Was Warren's costume primarily yellow in the guts of the book?

Sorry for the obsessive posts, oh my brothers. Big headache bugging me, and I really need/want to go back to work. Still have some mileage to traverse.

Redartz said...

50 years of Python! Now that's momentous. Like KD, I and my close band of friends who watched the Pythons on PBS would frequently quote skits around school. In fact, the "Spanish Inquisition" skit often brought to mind our World History class. While studying, a grin always appeared when I'd remember that "Noooooooobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!"

As for the comics this week, I had several years after the fact. Actually, I rather enjoyed that Skrull gangster story in FF. And in Spidey, the Lizard always made for a good tale. Or tail, if you prefer...

Charlie Horse 47 said...

I enjoyed the FF story, though I bought it a few years after the fact. And it did strike me as being motivated by Star Trek.

Who is the woman on lower right on the Iron Man cover?

I must say, I miss having a Steranko cover in the mix! Talk about a Halo affect. Everything else that month just looked better if there was a Steranko thrown in!

Never watched Monty P on the TV. Nor did I ever read Monster comics. Nor karate comics. Guess I'm a plain superhero guy with a taste for war comics, lol.

Charlie says to thank you for posting in alphabetical order.

Good job Steve!

Anonymous said...

Must be a serious headache Kd, as you didn't mention Rick Jones once there - usually his name in one of Steve's posts would have you pining for the nega-bands.

Another failure for the Red Skull there. Not even being able to get rid of Rick Jones - and thats with the Cosmic Cube! - surely makes him the most useless super-villain ever.

-sean

Killdumpster said...

Redartz-
Now that I'm older, I can appreciate the Skrull/gangster storyline better. When I was younger I didn't understand "film noir".

Starting at age 25, Humphrey Bogart became one of my favorite actors of all time.

Anonymous said...

The woman on the Iron Man cover is Madame Masque Charlie.

-sean

Anonymous said...

Posting a comment again I just noticed you did mention Rick Kd.
Don't I feel like an eejit now. Duh.

-sean

Killdumpster said...

Sean, oh my brother, You skimmer, you.

I did reference my pal Mr. Jones. Don't blame you for missing it, though. I was on a bit of a spell.

Killdumpster said...

We be good, Sean, oh my brother.

Killdumpster said...

Like they used to say, " A day without Rick Jones is like a day without sunshine."

Well, maybe that tag-line had something to do with some kind of citrus fruit beverage.

Killdumpster said...

Hell, just remembered!

My girlfriend at the time put a small stuffed penguin on our math teacher's desk before class. He eye-balled it suspiciously.

Wish she would've told me beforehand, as our crew were quite the amateur demolitionists. Then again, maybe it was for the best.

Steve W. said...

KD, I'm afraid I've only ever read that X-Men tale in black and white and can, therefore, offer no illumination upon how red the Angel was in it.

Killdumpster said...

Tony and Madame Masque had quite a thing going on way back.

Guess they were showing that Stark wasn't completely superficial. She sure filled out her costume nice.

Killdumpster said...

Did they ever show Madame Masque's face in the comics?

Somethings are better as a mystery, like Dr. Doom's deformity.

Selenarch said...

You get a glimpse of Madame Masque's face in Iron Man 139 when Bethany Cabe shoots her in the face (I kid you not) and her mask falls off, but she covers most of it with her hand.

Fun fact: The actual helicopter accident where Whitney Frost loses her face is never shown. The story is later only told to Tony Stark by Madame Masque.

Killdumpster said...

Checked on the value of a 50 pence piece vs current American currency. It was roughly about 75 cents our money. Heck, 50 cent pieces here in the states are relatively rare.

Paper money, or so I thought, was invented so people didn't have to have loads of valuable metal coins on them. Back then said coins were made of silver & gold. I'm uncertain, but wasn't paper money invented by the Chinese?

I do know the Knights Templar invented writing checks.

They've tried a couple times to reintroduce $1 coins here, Sakajuwia & Susan B. Anthony, to incredible fail.

They were just a shade bigger than our quarter coin, and got mistaken as such. One of them had a cheesy gold coating that quickly wore off. No one in commerce liked them. There was no place to put them in cash registers except in the "junk slot"!

Killdumpster said...

Plus on your side of the pond and ours, folks were breaking up the coins to make their own change. "Pieces of eight" on your end, and "bits" on ours.

That's what caused the creation of smaller value coins, if I recall correctly.

Killdumpster said...

Selenarch-
Now that you brought that up, I think I remember that. Thanks, oh my brother.

Steve W. said...

KD, and, back then, you could get ten comics for 50 pence. Those were the days.

Selenarch, thanks for the Madame Masque info.

Sean and Charlie, thanks for your comments. They're always appreciated.

Redartz and KD, I remember Monty Python suddenly becoming a thing in our school in the late 1970s. Before that, I often had the feeling I was the only one who'd ever seen it.

Killdumpster said...

Steve-
In the late 70's one of our 3 (!) major broadcast companies, ABC, tried to run Monty Python. It was doomed to failure.

They edited it, and the average dim-bulb American couldn't wrap their head around British humor at that time. Granted, we had SNL who were doing some groundbreaking stuff, but the majority of our country thought "Happy Days", "Laverne & Shirley", and "Three's Company" as comedy.

On our end, public tv was the best venue for Python. No editing and commercials.

Sorry guys, but "No one expects the KILLDUMPSTER inquisition!"

Think I'll break out the "comfy chair". This barstool I'm on isn't really therapeutic.

Killdumpster said...

Hey Charlie, since you said you never watched Python, I recommend as an introduction the film "And Now For Something Completely Different".

Its free on a few movie sites, and features some good skits.

Killdumpster said...

I own the complete Python box set. Gonna crush a hunk of that now, and for dinner while I watch I'll make a sandwich of Spam. And beans. And Spam. Bacon & Spam, and Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam ( to eternity) with a Viking helmet on, and my Rick Jones mask.

Charlie Horse 47 said...

KD- I have seen the Python King Arthur Movie. It's a hoot! But the TV show was so hit-and-miss, plus I was in my early teens... I figured I'd watch women's Roller Derby instead on Sunday nights.

Killdumpster said...

Hokey Smokes, Bullwinkle!
Loved female roller derby! "Unholy Rollers" is an excellent trash-fest on that theme, featuring the wondrous Claudia Jennings.

Charlie Horse 47 said...

KD - all I can say is that, back in the day, I liked only women's not men's Roller Derby and I preferred men's "wrestling" to women's. Not sure of the reason for my biases but in general I don't like to see women beating up on each other.

But roller derby was in a league of it's own.

B.t.w. WWF wrestling is actually considered entertainment, not sport, lol, by their own admission.

And congrats to you England chaps for beating the USA in the Rugby World Championships!

Charlie Horse 47 said...

And Steve, Sean, Colin, MP, anyone in the UK!

Please, give us a report on the World Conkers Championships on 13 October! Puh leeze!!!

Charlie Horse 47 said...

Main Street
Southwick
Nr Oundle
Peterborough
PE8 5BL

Steve W. said...

Don't worry, Charlie, I shall do my best to post any vital news from the World Conkers Championship.

Charlie Horse 47 said...

Charlie was asking me if I should try and reserve you a room, Steve? Looks like the event is a few hours south of the Republic of Sheffield?

Steve W. said...

It's probably best not to, Charlie. I suspect the hotels will need all the rooms they can get, to cope with the huge influx of tourists from around the world.

Anonymous said...

Steve, I love these Marvel 50 &40 years ago today features....I am pretty sure that my folks bought me a copy of Hulk 120. Thanks for the memories!

Steve W. said...

Thanks, Anon, and thanks for reading them. :)