Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon.
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Ronnie may have been going down like a proverbial house on fire over there but, in London, something was literally going down like a house on fire.
And that was Alexandra Palace which went up in flames in spectacular style. First, Crystal Palace. Now, Alexandra Palace. It's enough to put you off living in palaces.
Which is the only reason I've never lived in one.
Speaking of things royal, on the UK album chart, that week, Queen grabbed the top spot with their LP The Game.
However, on the singles chart, there was no change at the summit, with ELO and Olivia Newton-John clinging to the crown they'd first snatched a week earlier.
I don't know if there are any palaces in this comic but I do know we get Part 2 of the new strip Dragon's Claw.
We also get a text retelling of The Celestial Toymaker.
There's a Steve Ditko tale entitled I Took a Long Journey into Fear in which a mad scientist murders a colleague, in order to get the equipment he needs for his time machine.
Needless to say, it doesn't end well for him.
Elsewhere, we get more adventures of the Daleks, this time involving the Monstrons.
And we finish off with a two-page tale featuring Autons and toy soldiers.
Frankly, I don't have a clue who the Monstrons are.
But, with a name like that, they can only be trouble.
Meanwhile, Spider-Woman finds herself up against the menacing peril of Brother Grimm who starts the tale by watching a panto.
In a Steve Ditko drawn tale, the Hulk finds himself in Jack Frost's subterranean lair, along with the retired villain's collection of ice sculptures.
Above ground, She-Hulk's accused of killing her own alter-ego!
And, in The Defenders, Valkyrie has to battle the ever-annoying menace of Lunatik after he kills a couple of drug dealers, in front of her.
I would assume Gullivar Jones is still gallivanting around on Mars, that we're getting more of the strip known as Monsters of the Cosmos and that there's another tale of the Watcher, put there to help us learn the difference between right and wrong.
I'm not sure which strip that striking cover represents but I do know that, inside, Wulf and his men are laying siege to the fortress of Cartamandua - and it's not going well for our Brythonic battlers.
In the present day, a man calling himself Kublai Khan wants to transfer his mind into Machine Man's body.
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31 comments:
Ahh yess... ole Ronnie. He was inspiration for one of Sheffields greatest groups: Heaven 17 (nee Human League).
In their mega hit "We don't need This Fascist Groove Thang" they affectionately mention him.
Steve! I share your reasoning regarding owning a palace!
However, what about a castle? Is a replica of Sheffield Castle on the market? It would be so you! I understand it had famous prisoners, was disliked by all at one time or another, etc.
That Hulk story was also in Sunday's 40 years ago post. Marvel U.K. has caught up with the US. What happens next week? Hulk replaced by Defenders?
And I'm sure I don't need to remind people that Spider-Man story is the one where Lightmaster wires up Dazzler with the famous nipple electrodes.
Reagan was also an inspiration for Bootsy Collins Charlie, with Bonzo Goes To Washington.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3CUHnUsk8M
You'd think having had a B-movie actor president you lot would have been put off voting a reality-tv geek into the White House. To have chosen a second-rate celeb once might be considered a misfortune, but twice...?
Wasn't there some talk of rebuilding the Sheffield castle gate a while back Steve? Personally, I can't really see the point of just a gate - on its own its not really going to be that helpful defending the city is it?
-sean
dangermash, I think the defenders are already in Spidey & Hulk Weekly.
And yes, I did wonder about Dazzler's nipples...
-sean
Charlie, tragically, no one has ever had the sense to build a replica of Sheffield Castle, mostly because no one knows what it looked like.
Dangermash, It'll be interesting to see how Marvel UK gets round the Hulk catch-up situation, in the coming months. I suspect his strip is going to find itself with very few pages each week. We can only hope they don't decide to redraw Killraven stories as Hulk tales.
Sean, there are vague plans to rebuild the entire gate tower but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for it to happen.
When Charlie sees the Dazzler nipple electrodes he wonders: who the heck let the artist get away with that???
Also, Charlie is then reminded of the annual county fair and the cows being milked with those machines with the long hoses and nipple suction cups (whatever they are called).
It's really quite a weird world out there...
Regarding how the Sheffield Castle looked, can't you just ask Mary Queen of Scotts?
If I see her, Charlie, I'll ask her.
Don't worry Steve, I'm not planning to hold my breath til the Sheffield Castle gate tower is rebuilt.
-sean
Speaking of Sheffield I am really bummed... Heaven 17 and Pet Shop Boys had shows planned for Chicago this past month.
But alas, the secret plot by the Reds to destroy the West's proud tradition of its fascist groove thang, by feeding its populace tainted bats, has thwarted all this!
Wasn't exactly a fan of Reagan during his terms. Lost my first good job with his union-busting/tarrif-lifting policies. One of the many reasons I became a Dead Kennedys fan.
As I've gotten older, and not so hot-in-the-collar, I don't have as much animosity to the man as I did before.
Still listen to the Kennedys, though. Alot of their lyrics are dated, they were very tight for a punk band.
Guess we here in the states like to vote in a film noir-style "heavy" or cowboy, usually after a term or 2 of a milktoast, soft-spot, mild sweet talker.
I didn't think of it at the time but it seems weird to see only one proper 'superhero' title in the Marvel UK weekly line-up.
Tim, It is indeed a strange sight. Proof, I suppose, that Marvel UK had pretty much used up its parent company's super-hero material.
KD, I remember the Dead Kennedys getting a brief period of exposure on mainstream British radio, along with Lawnmower Death who I always used to get them mixed-up with.
Weellll... not sure its that strange a sight Steve - the late 70s/early 80s were a period of decline for weekly comics in the UK. Its not surprising Star Wars and Dr Who should have lasted - if anything, its impressive Spidey (with a bit of help from the Hulk) still had his own weekly.
Worth keeping in mind that Rampage and Marvel Superheroes would be on sale all month. And the pocketbooks too, of course (with full stories, and at only 3p more than an issue of Spidey & Hulk they sound like much better value for any kids into US superhero comics).
-sean
Maybe back then those rapacious Icelanders were hijacking those comic shipments from the U.S., Sean!
They are descended from Vikings, after all.
First the Atlantic cod and now this. Those pagan savages will stop at nothing!
M.P.
And they inflicted Bjork on us M.P., don't forget that!
Actually, I was on about the Marvel UK monthlies... but that might well explain the iffy distribution of imported US comics in the 70s, which made the reprints necessary.
The government here is currently engaged in trade negotiations with the US, and given how useless they are (on both sides!) I fear for future supplies.
Still, if I understand the economic argument for Brexit correctly, the domestic market will be stimulated and pick up any slack in imports, so I look forward to the imminent revival of the local comic industry...
-sean
Negotiations with the U.S. of any kind are best delayed till January 21, Sean, when we actually have a president and a foreign policy both worthy of the name.
The whole planet is counting the days, now, till that fat orange sociopath is sent packing.
M.P.
Sean,
As regards the decline in British weeklies in the late 70s/early 80s, I agree with you. There were, however, notable exceptions. Captain America weekly had Byrne's run on Captain America. Also, Jim Shooter's Avengers (a high water mark for me) started in the paper weeklies, before moving to Marvel Superheroes Monthly. Spidey also faced Carrion in the late 70s/early 80s paper weeklies - probably his nastiest villain up to that point!
British monthlies certainly were great. Marvel Superheroes Monthly was perfect for Jim Shooter's Avengers, as the rich tones of Pablo Marcos's inking looked much better in black & white. Also, the fact that British monthlies had bigger pages added to the effect, too. Likewise Savage Action - Bob McLeod, like Marcos, used rich tones, and his inking on Moon Knight looked better in black & white. Also, Moonknight, the Punisher, & Dominic Fortune seemed a good blend, in those days. Rampage Monthly too - top class.
As well as being great value for money, Marvel Pocket books'size meant they fitted perfectly into your hands! Genius. For middle-aged eyes - not so good!
To go off at a tangent, I never realized at the time that, in Spider-man, Carrion had probably only been created for the sake of one single pun - namely, "Carrion, my Wayward Son!" Likewise, Spidey's encounter with "The Big Wheel" - I don't need to explain that one! Credence Clearwater Revival.
After Byrne left the X-Men (minus the final issue - which never arrived at the newsagents!), I largely stopped getting American Marvels - with a couple of exceptions
( Powerman & Iron Fist? Memory fails)- but British Monthlies kept the quality high.
As regards last week's discussion of Xanadu, in 1981 (or 1982? I forget) I listened to Xanadu & Magic on an old MFP instrumental album called 'Themes & Dreams', by the 'Midnight Mood Orchestra.' All the compilation albums at that time seemed to also have 'Cavatina' & 'Bright Eyes' on them. Apologies to the group for sharing that little nugget of information!
Phillip Beadham
Dear Phillip Beadham!
Not sure if you are new-ish to this blog but PLEASE... share "little nuggets of information!"
It often inspires great conversation!
For instance, Sean shared that Merlin moved Stonehenge from Ireland to the UK about 1,500 years ago! That inspired all sorts of conspiracy theories, discussions of King Arthur, Sir Lancelot (du Lac), etc.
Hey Charlie, I thought about you earlier while reading a book review, so heres a little nugget for you... and its even about comics! -
www.tcj.com/reviews/american-daredevil-comics-communism-and-the-battles-of-lev-gleason/
Phillip, who here hasn't had an MFP record at some point? I'm surprised they haven't come up here before - MFP seems like a very SteveDoesComics subject.
Btw, thats a good point about the larger size black and white of the Marvel UK reprints working to the advantage of some artists. Gene Colan and Tom Palmer's Dr Strange looked particularly great to me in the old Avengers weekly and Rampage.
-sean
Sean - that is quite an interesting article! Thanks for sharing! To me, Lev Gleason was an enigma in many ways b/c not much written about him besides Steranko's History of Comics Vol 2.
He (and Biro) clearly made a mark in comics but since it wasn't with the Big Two (or Big 3 if one counts MLJ - Archie) they've been pretty much forgotten at this point.
Help? What is an "MFP" album?
And on that note, I am on my way to the LCBS to pick up that $1 True Believers Marvel issue of Man Wolf on the Moon! I mean, for $1 (and NO tax on magazines) I'll get nostalgic!
Gents! Go out there and get Thor #5 (on sale 6/26/2020) I guess the fan boys are on a binger buying it up b/c a new character was introduced.
I only was looking for it b/c the LCB Store gave me #4 gratis, and it's a great story! Thor is now Galactus's herald! So, Charlie wanted to read #5 but they are getting snatched up. Even the dude who owns the store is ticked b/c he didn't get a copy b/c he was off that day and his staff souled out! LOL.
Charlie, MFP - Music For Pleasure - was a budget record label that put out cheap albums of the type Phillip described above.
Mainly I recall compilations of badly re-recorded film themes, but they also issued some name artist back catalogue hardly anyone would have wanted at full price.
-sean
I would suggest that Merlin maybe magically moved Stonehenge from Ireland to England for tax purposes, but I would think they're higher in England.
Maybe he got a sweetheart deal from the local town council. That happens all the time here. Or maybe the ticket sales were in the toilet back in Ireland.
Perhaps the business term "Location, location, location" was coined by Merlin, who, being half-demonic on his father's side, had a natural leg up in marketing.
M.P.
Stonehenge was nicked because the Britons wanted a monument to mark their victory over the Saxons, M.P.
Which does make one wonder why its now in Wiltshire, as according to Geoffrey of Monmouth the Saxon king Hengist was actually defeated at Sheffield.
-sean
Again, Sheffield has come up. It it possible this legendary and mystical city is a nexus of realities, a thin place between the membrane of all alternate universes where weird f%$!ing s#!t happens on a regular basis? Did the Romans do unspeakable rites there?
I don't suspect the Saxons. They weren't sophisticated enough to summon ancient cosmic evil.
M.P.
I think there is a wormhole between Stonehenge and Denmark that runs directly through Sheffield.
I'll explain later.
But, my dear brothers and sisters, it is no coincidence that the oldest existing book in the English is set off the coast of Danemark and written by a UK monk! BeoWulf!
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