Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon.
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Nothing too exciting was happening in the realms of current affairs or entertainment, this week in 1980. Nor was there any change at the top of either the UK singles or album charts. Therefore, I shall leap straight into my look at the 800 million things everyone's favourite comics imprint was up to at the time.
Star Wars based hilarity is ours for just 30p.
Britain's greatest sci-fi mag gives us all the latest news and gossip from the world of Speculative Fiction, including a lengthy look at Milton Subotsky's attempts to bring the family-friendly majesty of Thongor to our silver screens.
We also get Red Sonja vs an Ibis.
That doesn't exactly sound dramatic. What's she tangling with next - a mallard?
And we get The Hour of the Dragon. Wasn't that a big, rambling Robert E Howard tale involving a trip to China?
I seem to remember there was an implication he was working for someone else but I never found out who.
Perhaps it was the Hellfire Club. That would make some kind of sense.
And the Thing travels back in time to cure himself of being the Thing but ends up having to beat himself up, in order to achieve it.
And it all turns out to have been in vain, anyway.
We get a text adaptation of the Jon Pertwee adventure Ambassadors of Death.
We also get a look at the never-filmed Douglas Adams Doctor Who serial Shada.
We get Dragon's Claw, a strip in which Shaolin monks get dragged into the evil schemes of the Sontarans.
And, of course, there's the latest installment of the Abslom Daak serial Star Tigers.
Havok makes his senses-shattering debut, while the Sentinels cause mayhem, thanks to the pencils of nefarious Neal Adams.
The Champions' attempts to publicly inaugurate themselves are hampered by the arrival of the Crimson Dynamo, Griffin and Titanium Man.
The Man-Thing rescues a baby thrown off a bridge; an act that, somehow, leads to a fight with a giant, killer moth created by a woman's attempts at witchcraft.
And we finish off with the tale of a man who hates spiders - only to discover they hate him too.
Then totally fails to teach him a lesson.
From that cover, I confidently predict that Dr Octopus makes his introductory appearance and defeats our hero, with ease.
In other news, Spider-Man rescues John Jameson, as the astronaut's capsule hurtles Earthward.
He also tries to join the Fantastic Four but ends up having to battle the Chameleon for the first time.
Then he has to deal with the newly-created Sandman when the villain decides to flee justice by hiding out in Peter Parker's high school.
All in all, it's more Lee/Ditko goodness than one man could demand in an entire lifetime.
Spider-Man's still up against the gaseous menace of Belladonna - and having to contend with stroppy fashion designers, along the way.
Meanwhile, the Silver Surfer's decided the best way to bust free of Galactus' Space Barrier is to make himself Gamma-powered.
Needless to say, that's not the best idea anyone's ever had.
I don't know much about this week's contents but it would appear both Princess Leia and Darth Vader are having trouble getting past customs officers on some planet or other.
Elsewhere, we get the start of a reprint of Marvel's adaptation of the original movie.
And I would assume that Killraven's climactic battle with Skar is still ongoing.
This all seems to be tied-in to a war between those antagonists and the Mole Man.
I don't know. Lava Men, the Mole Man, Tyrannus, Kala. Why can the denizens of the subterranean world never learn to live in peace with each other?
As for the rest of this week's contents, I don't have an inkling what's going on in them.
And, beyond the fact that ROM's cornered by the Dire-Wraiths, I don't have a clue what occurs in this one either.
Posts
52 comments:
As far as I know, Frantic was the UK title for Marvel's Crazy magazine, Steve, which was a far cry from Mad or Cracked.
Always enjoyed an occasional issue of Starburst. Noticed on the cover of the featured issue there was a story concerning the Dr. Strange TV pilot. That was hilariously horrible! If any of you folks have never seen it, I highly recommend for laughs.
Charlie, I know I made you a copy of that. Get your son to hollow out an apple, and watch that incredible mess:).
Looks like all the reprint books were jam-packed with great stories from the silver-bronze ages. Way too many to comment on, so I'll save any remarks till the others make them. Till then, though:
Reed hired Luke Cage to replace Ben when he lost his Thing-ness. Then I believe Puppet Master took Luke over. I could be wrong.
I had an early appearance of Man-Thing in FEAR, where a hillbilly threw a baby off a bridge, but Man-Thing caught it. He shambles to their shack, and messed up the hillbilly pretty good but stopped after the wife begged him to. There wasn't any moth-monster in that story.
Could there be more than one Man-Thing story involving bridge-tossed babies? Yow.
Damn. Now I gotta re-watch that Strange fiasco tonight. Think I'll triple-bill that with a Captain America tv movie & the Spirit pilot.
In reverse order! - 'Forces in Combat' # 21. Two themes, this week - dissension in the ranks, & a whiff of the occult! In 'Fury of the Commandos', Nick Fury & the Australian spotter, 'Rolfe Harrison', square up to decide who's 'the best man in the outfit'. Then the David Niven-like English member of the squad points out Fury can't beat up Rolfe, as he's their only guide. Next, Rolfe starts saying Australian things, like calling people "sport"! Kull has more dissension in the ranks. Kull & Lorkar the beast man have a fight, because Lorkar's trying to stop Kull going off with the mysterious woman who's actually a Lovecraftian monster, that looks like a microwave recipe gone wrong, but Kull can't see it. As Bones said to Captain Kirk, about a monster, "She's a handsome woman, Jim." (Or was it Kirk to Bones? - I forget.) In ROM, the eponymous Spaceknight neutralizes an occult baddie, who literally comes out of the wallpaper of that strange house ROM was in last week, along with Brandy & Steve. This is a very short story - almost an interlude - next week we might finally get the Nazghul-esque (is that a word?) Dogs of the Dire Wraiths - one of ROM's greatest foes! In Machine Man, we discover Baron Brimstone has both occult & scientific skills - two villains for the price of one! We also see Machine Man in his secret identity as Aaron Stack (why couldn't he have an alliterative name, like Peter Parker, Reed Richards, or Bruce Banner? I'll tell you why, because he's already got one - Machine Man!) Aaron Stack's version of Mary Jane, Pamela Quinn, gets captured by the baddies. Machine Man, using his 'boot skates', goes after Baron Brimstone. This is the second Iron Man gadget to appear in Machine Man - last week it was his 'refractory coating'! Iron Man should have Machine Man for copyright! The villains stealing gold, for one of Brimstone's devices, seem to be using English slang, like 'bloke' & 'mate'. Has Paul Neary been changing words again? In the Golem the implication, at the end of the story, seems to be the Golem has been possessed by the soul/spirit of the murdered archaeologist. If I wanted that plot device, I could just call on Frank Charlesworth, from 'Second Chance' - speaking of which... Frank is trying to protect war-loving Keith Mannering, who's charging towards the German front line! A Scottish soldier, dressed in a kilt (obviously), gets incredibly angry, when a German soldier assumes he's English!
Team-up # 3 - in Thor & the Human Torch, Jinku, the Lava men's leader, uses Thor's hammer to power a crazy machine (hasn't somebody done this before?) But Mjolnir transforms back to a stick, so the project fails! In 'What-if?', Spidey has a quick dust-up with the Fantastic Four, then joins the group! The Fantastic Four's own story only has 3 pages; so, by the end of the page count, the group finally gets round to charging at some little, dark aliens, who've just noticed Sue Storm! In Ms.Marvel, Carol & the Vision finally realize they're on the same side, and team-up (well, that is the mag's name!) to beat the baddies. 'Jack of Hearts' is the best story, as Hemlock (another 'world's greatest assassin-type) attacks Jack with a heat seeking, guided trowel! Even James Bond hasn't got one of those! First Hemlock tried to gas the Jack of Hearts, before using the same tactics the White Tiger used, in Deadly Hands of Kung Fu # 22 - Hemlock's really done his homework! But...unfortunately, it doesn't work! In Morbius, hypnotism (no - it isn't a Claremont story!) is still the name of the game, with the rabbi (who isn't a rabbi) making Morbius attack somebody in a limousine!
'Spider-man & Hulk Weekly' # 395 - In Spidey, Roger Stern introduces Sandy Jones, Peter Parker's "favourite editorial girl Friday in the whole world!" Is she actually Belladonna, or just another red herring? Debra Whitman finds Peter's shopping list & buys all his shopping for him; then Peter (who already stood her up once before), asks for a raincheck, until dinner next week - and Debra is grateful for being stood up, a second time!!! "Outdated attitudes", Roger Stern! Anyway, Spidey uses vinegar to survive Belladonna's gas - but still she escapes! Jack of Hearts didn't need vinegar, for Hemlock's gas! Is Belladonna Sandy or Debra? - you decide! In the Hulk, the rage-enhanced Silver Surfer defeats the Hulk a second time, by transforming him back to Bruce Banner, yet again, but drops Banner from his board. The Surfer then has the dilemma of making it through the temporary breach in Galactus's barrier, or going to save Banner, before he falls to Earth. Anyway...the Surfer makes the right choice - no, I don't mean going back to Zenn-La! The She-Hulk/Jen Walters saves Roxxon oil, concluding that not everything big & powerful is bad - whether it's an oil company, or the She-Hulk. Getting a bit political, David Kraft? In Spider-woman, we learn Morgan Le Fay is behind Spider-woman's hallucinations (more occult stuff). And why is Spider-woman called 'the dark Angel'? She isn't dark, and she isn't an angel! Next week, Werewolf by Night turns up!
Hokey Smokes, anonymous-winkle!
Never having read Rom, because of my abhorrence for comics based on toys, I gotta get some kind of collected edition. Just because it featured our favorite supporting character, Rick Jones.
Phillip (I assume it's you), that was a magnificent summation of the books in question. Thank you.
KD, I saw the Dr Strange TV movie around the time it was made but nothing from it has stuck in my memory, other than that John Mills was in it, which always seemed a bit of a comedown for him.
KD, It's possible that that Chiller pocket book issue contains two Man-Thing tales and I was wrongly assuming they were both just one story.
Steve - yes, it was me. I've got Rampage & Marvel Superheroes, too - but I need a rest! Killdumpster - ROM doesn't have Rick Jones, but has Steve Jackson, who looks like Rick Jones!
Phillip
I saw Dr Strange on tv back then too Steve, and don't remember much other than John Mills slumming it as the Ancient One either.
As you know, I dislike contradicting my colleague Mr Killdumpster but he is in fact wrong about Luke Cage.
Yes, he did briefly replace Ben in the world's greatest comic magazine, but that issue of Rampage actually reprints part of an earlier story from Luke's own mag where he has a brief altercation with the FF in the Baxter Building while trying to "borrow" a rocket or something to get him to Latveria so he can collect payment on a hero for hire gig.
The message of the story being: if you do any work for Dr Doom, get the cash up front!
-sean
"Why can the denizens of the subterranean world never learn to live in peace with each other?"
Because when it comes down to it, they're not so different from the surface dwellers.
(Thats your free thought for the day there people)
-sean
UK Chaps - Two questions if you please!
1) Would you have understood the american baseball reference to "The Umpire Strikes Out?"
2) What the heck does "Merseyside" mean as in "Merseyside is going on Covid lockdown again?" I know it's the river in Liverpool... is it just "slang" for the Liverpool area in general?
As I see that venerable Surfer-Thing cover, was anyone else out there like me as a kid figuring the Silver Surfer had to be the strongest hero in the Marvel Universe, given he could withstand the rigors of space?
I just never understood him struggling with Hulk, Thing, Subby, Torch, et al. I mean, could none of those two dudes could last more than a few minutes in space, if at all, and I always assumed SS could fly through stars going nova, etc. suggesting he was the strongest.
And as far as that goes, did Thor ever actually demonstrate he could withstand the rigors of space? I mean, him and every other Asgardian were running over the rainbow bridge and stuff, so I figured he somehow by-passed space.
That's an interesting question, Charlie. In the wonderful Defalco-Frenz run on Thor, it's established that Thor has to breath. Not nearly as often as you or me when we're going up the stairs, mind you. So does Superman, according to some sources. And Thor is susceptible to the rigors of space, though he can fly around out there for quite a while.
The Silver Surfer doesn't have to breath at all, apparently, and isn't bothered by temperature or radiation.
Still, precedent leads me to be believe Thor could take him, in a short term encounter. At least he could take the Surfer after he got banished to Earth by Galactus and lost some of his cosmic powers.
I don't think the Rainbow Bridge, or "Bifrost" has anything to do with outer space, Charlie. It's a dimensional portal. It connects Asgard to Midgard. Doc Strange could walk over it. Why, maybe you or I could casually stroll across it with a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other, at least until we ran to into Heimdall. Then we'd probably get thrown off.
Did the ancient Norse really believe a rainbow was a pathway to the gods? We now know from T.V. there's merely a leprochaun at the end with a box of cereal. Either way, I'm going armed.
One Native American tribe, I can't remember which, believed the Milky Way was a bridge to the afterlife. Who knows what they thought a rainbow was.
M.P.
Who cares what Tom Defalco and Ron Frenz had to say about Thor? Kirby is what counts.
Thor regularly used to fly around in space, and as he could even take on Galactus I reckon that puts him in the same league as the Surfer.
Generally though I reckon being able to survive in the vacuum of space should put them on a completely different level from characters who can't.
Charlie, Merseyside is a metropolitan county that includes Liverpool. Yeah, they're all going covid crazy up north at the moment.
Btw Steve, I don't think China was around in the Hyborian Age, although with Conan stories being what they were, I expect there was some place very much like it with a made up name, full of dodgy stereotypes.
Don't think it had much to do with "Hour of the Dragon", which I'm fairly sure was another title for Conan the Conqueror.
-sean
I believe "Khatai" was Howard's version of China in the Hyborian Age. Somewhere out there in the jungles there were apes dancing to the flutes of blind priests. Or something like that.
"The Hour of the Dragon" had nothing to do with Khatai or dragons. It's one of his weirdly non-sensical titles like "Black Colossus." That title too had nothing to do with the story.
It may have had something to do with attracting the attention of the reader or him selling it to a magazine!
Usually, though, his titles, like "Rogues in the House" or "The Frost Giant's Daughter" were pretty literal.
You make a good point about Thor, Sean, and as you know, I usually give Kirby the last word in these matters.
If Thor could take on Ego, Galactus, a Skrull fleet or Thanos' armada, he could last in outer space for quite a while. Was this an ability he inherited from Odin? Like, not having to breath or worry about freezing to death? Some kinda Asgardian power.
M.P.
Charlie - the Silver Surfer...yes, indeed! Before I read any Silver Surfer stories, I was already intrigued by him, as the Surfer was rated highest, in the incredibly cool Marvel superheroes card game! On Christmas day, aged 8, that card game & my UK Captain Britain annual were my 2 most prized possessions! The first Silver Surfer story I ever read was the Surfer's battle with the Human Torch, in a UK Marvel Superheroes annual. In that encounter, the Surfer didn't struggle against the Torch - he completely outclassed him! But the Surfer was trying to show restraint, and avoid the Torch, for most of the battle. At the end, however, I was left with an increased respect for the Human Torch. Before that story, I never knew an entire city block could be destroyed by the Human Torch's nova blast - previously, I'd just seen Spidey, Captain Marvel, or the Black Panther, easily defeat the torch by dousing him, or depriving him of oxygen! But, I digress.
My impression is the Silver Surfer could use the power cosmic to enhance his usual strength, so that he could rival, or exceed, other 'big hitters.' In the following year's UK Marvel Superheroes annual, the Silver Surfer was having difficulties against the Abomination (who's almost as strong as the Hulk),then started crackling with cosmic energy, and beat the Abomination, hand to hand, at close quarters! Also, the Silver Surfer was level pegging with Thor in Asgard - and he twice defeated the Hulk, by transforming him back to Bruce Banner!
Charlie - as you've probably already thought of, other characters who could withstand the rigours of space include Captain Marvel, Drax, and Warlock. I think the Jack of Hearts also doesn't require oxygen, and can do likewise. Colossus doesn't breathe in his armoured form, either.
Phillip
Oh - I forget to mention, before Sean picks me up on it, the Incredibly Cool Marvel Superheroes Card Game had incredibly accurate ratings for other superheroes, so you might rightly question it being a benchmark! Nevertheless, the chosen artwork was terrific!
Also, I liked the 1970s Dr.Strange movie - much more than the Cumberbatch one. Then again, I like nearly all the 1970s tv superhero stuff - exciting, but suitable for all the family. As well as John Mills, the movie had that woman who was causing Clint Eastwood problems, in 'Play Misty For Me' !
Phillip
Phillip,
I also had wonderful memories of the Marvel Superheroes Card Game published in 1977 and recently purchased a complete set off e-bay, still in it's original case.
When I get home tonight I'll have to check if the Silver Surfer is indeed the top trump card, or does his master, Galactus outscore him?
Cheers,
Duncan
Duncan - check this out!!!
https://retromash.com/2015/02/26/the-extremely-cool-marvel-super-heroes-card-game/
Phillip
Sean - I meant inaccurate, not accurate!
Phillip
Nothing happening in current affairs at that time?
Michael Foot becomes leader of the Labour Party
The Gang Of Four consider leaving the Labour Party
Margaret Thatcher says "The lady's not for turning"
President Carter and Ronald Reagan fight it out in the US election...
Robert E. Howard's "The Hour Of The Dragon" was originally intended to be a novel for the UK market but the British publisher went bust so the novel was published (in several parts) in Weird Tales magazine. The basic plot is similar to R.E.H's King Conan story "The Scarlet Citadel" and ideas from other Conan stories are included but American readers of Weird Tales weren't supposed to see "Hour Of The Dragon" (it being intended for British readers) so R.E.H. could safely repeat stuff from his earlier Conan stories (or so he thought). Howard's Hyborian version of China is called Khitai but Conan doesn't go there (in this or any other Conan story). I own a collection called "The Complete Chronicles Of Conan - Centenary Edition" (published by Gollancz in 2006, the centenary of Robert E. Howard's birth) which obviously includes "Hour Of The Dragon" but I haven't read that story/novel in ages. I must tackle it again sometime soon :)
Well, who am I not to do as Phillip asks, and pick him up?
We don't really need to check some cards as of course we've been here before with Steve's post on the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe. A quick look - click on the "Who's the strongest" tag in the column on the right - shows the OHMU puts the Surfer way below Thor and the Hulk, and on a par with Luke Cage, Val, and Ghost Rider, which may be official but its also plainly absurd. He's only just above Nighthawk ffs!
The thing about surviving the rigours of space is that it takes a lot more than just not needing to breathe. I think the point Charlie may have been making - and which I agree with - is that the ability to withstand a vacuum, tremendously low temperatures, and cosmic radiation by definition makes a character qualitatively more powerful than one that can't.
-sean
Colin, I believe the Thatcher government's "right to buy" housing policy - one of the more far reaching social changes of the decade - came into effect in early October 1980.
-sean
Sean - the point about the Marvel Superheroes card game, which distinguishes it from the OHMU is the art - pure class - many of the illustrations being improved versions of the originals. Yes - it was inaccurate - but, nevertheless, as a product it's never been beaten! That card game's art perfectly captured the spirit of Marvel, at that time (the Black Panther being a personal favourite of mine!). Yes, it's ludicrous that Daredevil's as strong as Spidey, and stronger than the Ghost Rider - the Submariner's strength even more so. And how can characters without weapons get a score for weapons? But, who cares?
As regards OHMU, I did a long Amazon review, collating every single Marvel universe mistake & inaccuracy I could think of - but I'm always noticing more! The trouble is, when you start on this path, you get into the mindset of over-analyzing & over-explaining everything (Marvel post 1981?) which M.P. has so perceptively highlighted, when contrasting Gerry Conway's lack of exposition, with the later Marvel style. In fact, Marvel Universe may be the very epitome of M.P.'s bugbears! Where's the reader anticipation for a battle between Goliath & the Thing (just as a hypothetical example), if Marvel Universe has already told them the Thing is much stronger?
Phillip
Surely setting heroes against more powerful (on paper) opponents was how Marvel got reader anticipation going Phillip?
Obviously two heroes fighting each other was a bit different to coming up with a villain that was hard to defeat, but didn't those "friendly fights" usually end before a decisive result, generally the realization it was all because of a misunderstanding? Or at least some sort of special explanation as to why one of them lost (of the "Thing wasn't at his best because he was under the control of the Puppet Master" variety)?
Anyhow, I completely agree that there was no real consistency in Marvel universe power levels. Its not just that writers would handle the same characters differently, but on top of that the requirements of continuity meant that sooner or later those differences - including even obvious inaccuracies - had to be explained, and became the basis of later stories (hello Roy Thomas).
-sean
Hi Phillip,
Nice link to retromash - so Galactus totals 25 "points" to Silver Surfer's 24 "points", making him the most powerful card, which makes some kind of logical sense since he created the Surfer.
Agree with the comments at retromash that the set could have been improved with 1 or 2 more categories to provide more of a challenge when playing, however most of the artwork is great.
Cheers,
Duncan
Sean - In Jim Shooter's Avengers (my favourite), the reader wondered whether Wonder-man's strength equaled Thor's, or was possibly even greater. The anticipation was built
over many issues! Later, Wonder-man lifted Thor's barbels, to impress Ms.Marvel, and failed miserably. To me, this was a false note - Wonder-man diminished as a character, after this. Things had been "pinned down", too much. This is what Marvel Universe does for every single one of Marvel's characters! It's was a widespread problem, damaging the entire Marvel concept.
Sean - as regards Marvel's battles, you've highlighted all the most common types. Also, battles between a much stronger and a weaker character (usually Daredevil) - "Isn't he brave?" or winning the respect of the stronger hero. Plus, battles between 2 similar characters, to highlight subtle differences - e.g. the Thing isn't invulnerable, like the Hulk. Or, 2 similar heroes battle the same villain, to highlight subtle differences - the Beast does better against the Whirlwind than the Black Panther, because his recuperative powers mean he doesn't get dizzy. Namor vs the Thing is probably the most common contest between equals. Thirdly, you've got middle-weights, like Captain Marvel, against a lightweight, or a heavyweight. These are interesting - like Jack of Hearts vs the White Tiger/Hulk. Or, Spidey vs Daredevil.
The best Marvel battles are those which aren't a "cop-out", and provide genuine insights to the reader, and often increase the reader's respect for the loser. 1.) The Silver Surfer vs the Human Torch 2.) The Hulk vs the Thing (John Buscema classic) 3.) Wonder-man vs the Vision 4.) Daredevil vs Spider-man (the roof-top one in which Spidey was clearly shown to be much stronger) 5.) The Hulk vs the Jack of Hearts 6.) Captain Marvel vs Drax (Milgrom/Englehart) 7.) Thor vs the Hulk - Defenders? 8.) Iron Man vs Hercules etc.
As regards continuity, and inconsistency of powers, Jim Shooter stopped a lot of this nonsense (at least in his outstanding Avengers run). The outcomes of Iron Man's battles were never "valid", as his armour always had some problem, when an opponent appeared. In contrast, when Jim Shooter had Iron Man fight Hercules, Iron Man said, "It's a good job I'm fully charged, because it looks like I'm in for the fight of my life!" In other words, the reader would finally see what Iron Man was really capable of on "a good day". As a reader, I really appreciated this - a battle with a "valid" outcome! However, I think Iron Man being able to knock out the Hulk (admittedly, doing more damage to himself) was a major mistake!
Phillip
Duncan - your attention to detail is better than mine!
Phillip
In the Marvel Superheroes card game, does anyone know who was the artist for Iron Man? I've found the original art - usually cover art - for most of the others, but not Iron Man. Someone must know!
To return to Steve's selection, Rampage deserves further discussion. The former title, 'Rampage', is now printed in very small letters, whilst the cover title 'THE X-MEN' is printed in very large letters! Surely, the Hulk deserves better...I suppose Wolverine sometimes goes on a rampage, too.
That Luke Cage/Fantastic Four story, in which Cage wants the FF to provide him with transport, to get revenge on Doom for non-payment of fees due (as Sean pointed out), has some great bits. Principally, that group of renegade Latverian robots, in America, which Doom wanted Cage to round up, appear like the cavalry, to help Cage & the FF storm Doom's lair. Better yet, the robots are being led by...an alien!
In the X-Men, I thought Warhawk was a good villain. Being in thrall to a mysterious master, whom he resents, makes Warhawk very much like Angar, with Kerwin J Broderick (?) in Daredevil. Also, the bit when Warhawk holds his own against a couple of X-Men, but gets cold feet when the rest turns up, is very much like Vindicator/Hudson's response, after he tries to recapture Wolverine.
We never seem to discuss Marvel Superheroes Monthly yet, at the time, I thought it was the best thing since sliced bread!
Phillip
Duncan and Phillip, thanks for raising the subject of those Marvel playing cards. I'd been previously unaware of their existence.
Phillip, I think the Iron Man artist on that card was George Tuska.
Colin and Sean, I can only apologise for ignoring those particular events.
Charlie, I can't speak for anybody else but I had a general understanding of the phrase, "The umpire strikes out."
As Sean said, Merseyside is an administrative area centred around Liverpool. As well as zillions of traditional counties, England has six metropolitan counties, which are each, effectively, extensions of a core city. The six are; Merseyside (Liverpool), Greater Manchester (Manchester), West Midlands (Birmingham), South Yorkshire (Sheffield), West Yorkshire (Leeds) and Tyne and Wear (Newcastle).
MP, Colin, thanks for the Hour of the Dragon info.I had it in my head that he bumped into a bunch of Chinese sorcerers in it but it looks like I was mistaken.
M.P.
My understanding is that the term Milky Way is actually a reference to the "holy boob's" infinite capability to lactate and thus fill the universe with the "milky way."
I.e., the Virgin Mary's breast created the Milky Way.
Now before you think I been hitting the hash pipe, I learned this in a hut in the Austrian Alps discussing it with a handmaiden in front of a picture of the Virgin breast feeding Jesus. She explained this to me, in a somber, serious, enlightened tone. I think I was repeating back to her in German (I speak some) "die Heilige was?" and she said "the holy boob" in english.
But yea - If you want to grab some beers, blunts, and Browning .45s and catch up with Hiemdall on the bridge I'm all about it! ("Has anybody seen the bridge? Where is that confounded bridge?" LOL - Good ole Robert Plant and Led Zepp!)
Philip! I'm with you. Once you start painting the characters into a corner, the reader loses some of their imagination.
That said, I think in general, Marvel'd been better off sticking to the "street villain" types fighting Spidey, DD, etc. and not the super powered dudes. Doc Ocks, Vultures, Enforcers, Kravens, et al. made for very satisfying match ups and stories.
I think I was marveled when Spidey was trapped underwater (I forget by who, it's on a cover, probably by Ditko?) and used his strength to bust out. Hey! That was impressive. But once you sense how strong he is, then the creators have to keep amping up the challenge. (Maybe just lazy creators?)
Personally, I like the more way out cosmic-type "villains" Charlie - Galactus, Darkseid, Eternity etc. Or rather, I do when they're done well; obviously the more impossibly powerful threats can result in diminishing returns in the hands of writers who think scale - big is best - is the only way to give a story impact.
But with an imaginative creator who can do something a bit different - like the Magus in Judo Jim Starlin's Warlock, or Jim Jaspers (a sort of reality warping super mutant Enoch Powell/Jacob Rees-Mogg) in Alan Moore's Captain Britain run - they're the kind of thing comics can do really well.
-sean
Charlie, I agree they made Spidey way too powerful. Heck, he even once beat up Firelord, for cryin' out loud. Same with Wolverine and the Hulk. How is there suspense in a story where the character is invincible.
I realize that they're not gonna kill off these money-making characters (permanently, anyway) but having them just running roughshod over everybody isn't interesting.
One thing I like about Ben Grimm is that he got his ass handed to him occasionally. He could lose a fight.
Sean, I dig cosmic too, ever since I was a kid. I love '70's Starlin, but I am sick and tired of Thanos, frankly. How many Infinity Somesuches and What-Have-Yous are they gonna churn out?!
"Over-exposed and commercialized" to quote the Travelling Wilburys.
Y'know, we could sure use the Wilburys today. Now more than ever.
M.P.
The Travelling Wilburys! What was Dylan thinking, getting together with those plonkers?
Anyway M.P., I agree with you (what?) on Thanos. Starlin went onto repeat himself an awful lot, and his work since the 70s never did much for me either.
I still generally prefer the more way out stuff to "street level" superheroes because... well, frankly theres something about putting on a mask to fight crime thats a bit dumb (sorry everyone).
I liked that kind of thing more when they mixed it up, like say Jack Kirby adding crazy science-fiction to Captain America.
-sean
Sean, you apparently believe agreeing to me about anything is the first step on the road to lunacy. ...or is it the first step on the road to Wisdom?
Probably not. Anyway, I liked Kirby's 1970's run on Captain America too! It was my introduction to the character. At age seven I had a T-shirt and everything. I associated Cap with sci-fi and other assorted weird threats.
Much later I would pick up back issues from Englehart's run, and found I enjoyed them a lot too! Including the social and political commentary, and Sal's clean artwork.
Kirby's Cap and Englehart's version are two very different animals, but M.P. is a complex cat; his tastes are varied.
Perhaps in his own way, he is a new breed of Renaissance Man, even if he had to look up the definition and spelling of that word on his computer.
That's a tough word to spell! Can anybody here spell that right without assistance on the first try? I'm dubious of that.
M.P.
M.P. & Sean - Often, in Starlin's best Warlock stuff, Alan Weiss was working with him. The Infinity nonsense is just an embarrassment!
M.P. My first ever Captain America - Captain America # 215 - is my favourite. Both Gil Kane & Sinnott on the cover, and particularly George Tuska & Pablo Marcos inside, gave Cap a great big shield, large enough to protect him from gunfire, for example. I think Cap looks silly with a tiny shield, like a frisbee, as George Perez (whom I otherwise greatly respect) gives him. A frisbee-sized shield could not protect Cap from bullets!
As a (very)little kid, I used to play with toy knights, with shields. When I first saw Captain America, with his shield (particularly the first one) & chain mail, he looked like an American knight. Later, this impression diminished, and Cap just looked like a crime fighter. Tuska & Marcos made Cap look strong, too - I assumed he had super strength, like Spidey. Later, I was disappointed to discover he hadn't.
Here, Tuska, acting as a "pinch-hitter" (like Captain Marvel vs Nitro, and Iron Man vs Hercules) sometimes put the regular boys to shame!
M.P. - Did you notice on Sean's Titan books Elric link, there's an anthology of Elric short stories (Elric fan fiction?) that looks interesting. Might be worth a punt if it drops in price? (£11-£12 on Amazon - sheesh!) I think it's called 'Tales of the White Wolf'.
Phillip
Steve, as I mentioned, I haven't read Hour Of The Dragon for a number of years but I think some sorcerers or assassins from Khitai do indeed turn up at some point.
By the way, in your post you say that "nothing too exciting" happened in current affairs in October 1980 so I suppose it depends on what you define as exciting. I was getting interested in politics at the time so the events I mentioned were at least very interesting to me, even if they weren't actually exciting!
Charlie, I think the Ancient Greeks believed that the Milky Way was milk from a divine breast, possibly Hera's (the wife of Zeus) so nothing to do with the Virgin Mary. Typical of the Christians to steal the idea from the ancient world as they've done with lots of things!
Well, at SDC we learn a lot of stuff!
Colin - There is more than one lactating breast responsible for the Milky Way. WHo'd a thunk it?
Phillip - YOu are spot on! Every now and then Tuska turned in some genius work. I would say Sal Buscema did too, but I still think John helped him out "a lot" on those early Subby's.
I'd be curious to here folks opinions on Billy Graham. I was really into his Luke Cage Hero for Hire work. And I think he did some Black Panther as well? Any of you comic-pedias have an opinion on where he was his best???
I thought the Irreverent Billy Graham - as he was apparently known in the Marvel bullpen - was at his best on the Jungle Action-era Black Panther, Charlie.
It was nice to seem remembered by the lamestream media when the film came out -
www.nytimes.com/2018/03/07/movies-black-panther-luke-cage-artist-billy-graham.html
Btw, I'm sure I speak for the rest of us in hoping for your president's speedy recovery from the covid hoax.
-sean
* to see him remembered
Duh, apologies for the typo
-sean
Had to fix the link and ***** it up. Duh again.
Here it is...
www.nytimes.com/2018/03/07/movies/black-panther-luck-cage-artist-billy-graham.html
-sean
Thanks, Phil. I've got Moorcock's first two Elric novels from Berkley Books, (the name is unfamiliar to me) from the early '80's.
I've read some of the rest of the saga illustrated by P. Craig Russell.
My local library, which is pretty good, has this amazing "inter-library loan program," where, if they don't got it, they can get it on loan from another library. It's incredible! And this service is free of charge!
Unfortunately they've temporarily suspended it because of Covid, they say (I don't follow the logic, there) but when they get it up and running I'm definitely gonna put in some orders for Moorcock's stuff.
They seem to be able to order damn near anything, no matter how obscure.
If Yog-Sothoth manifests on this plane, it will probably be because I ordered the Necronomicon while on a bender.
Colin, why is it always about women's breasts with you? Do you gotta work that topic into every conversation?
(kidding)
M.P.
....Sean, I was meaning to bring this up. I take umbrage at you for disparaging the Wilburys.
Once in a great while, there is an artistic work so profound it becomes part of our shared heritage.
M.P.
Is I the only one who could not understand how Jeff ELO Lynne fit into the Wilburys given the style of his music vs. the less-electric styles of Dylan, Petty, Harrison...
I understand he was their buddy / engineer / whatever from somewhere in the bowels of rock history though? (No umbrage being given out here. So please don't take any!)
The Wilburys aren't part of any heritage I have a share in M.P., so I guess you'll have to keep stocked up on umbrage.
But when you finally do get your hands on a copy of the Necronomicon (yikes!) I hope you'll remember I agreed with you on the other stuff.
Whats your problem with women's breasts though?
-sean
Ingrates!
M.P.
MP - Please remember that this is a specific conversation about the creation of our galaxy fer cryin out loud and women's breasts played a significant role!!! We are not dishing out umbrage. Well, I have plenty to dish out but not here.
Sean - Covid does not exist in the USA. If it did, according to the Hoaxster in chief, all you need to do is stick a UV light up your backside and gargle with some bleach. (Maybe that's why he's walking rather "smartly" at the moment?
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