2000 AD - July 1983.

Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon. 

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It's currently a bit parky where I am, despite it being the middle of summer. But even I have to admit the temperature's positively sunsational compared to what they had to put up with at Vostok Station, Antarctica, in July 1983.

That's because it was the month in which the lowest temperature on Earth was recorded, bottoming out at a majestic −89.2 °C, otherwise known as −128.6 °F. There's no doubt about it, that would definitely put a frosting on your popsicle.

Elsewhere, that month gasped as Australian Dick Smith completed what Wikipedia calls, "his solo circumnavigation in a helicopter."

I'm assuming that's a circumnavigation of the world and not just a circumnavigation of the inside of his helicopter, as the latter achievement would be rubbish.

In the field of music, Madonna released her very first album which, by incredible coincidence, was also called Madonna.

She would, of course, go on to make a sort of mark in the field of Cinema but we'd all have to wait for that thrill because, film audiences, right then, were soaking up the brand new releases Staying Alive, Jaws 3-D and Krull. 

I must confess I've never seen Staying Alive nor Jaws 3-D but I will, from now on, always associate them with each other.

I have seen Krull but can't claim to have been bowled over by it, despite its strong supporting cast.

That month, the British singles chart was topped by just two 45s.

They were; Rod Stewart's Baby Jane and Paul Young's Wherever I lay My Hat (That's My Home). I do massively prefer the Rod track to the Paul Young one.

Over on the UK album chart, the top spot belonged to three LPs, that month. The first was Fantastic by Wham! which was then replaced by Yazoo's You and Me Both before July bowed out with The Very Best of the Beach Boys claiming the pinnacle.

But what of the greatest comic in the galaxy? Was it riding as high as all those records, and Dick Smith's helicopter?

Well, it was a month of zero change, with the only strips appearing in it being Robo-Hunter, Tharg's Time Twisters, Judge Dredd, Skizz and Rogue Trooper. Of those, the one that intrigues me most is the Dredd storyline, as it has werewolves in it.

Prog 325 contains a review of Return of the Jedi, and I do like the speech balloon on the cover of Prog 326; "Is this the death of a GI?" which feels like a very Marvel Comics kind of front cover declaration.