Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon.
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ABBA, meanwhile, still topped the British album chart, with The Visitors.
So, in the absence of any other news, what was Marvel UK dishing up when it came to weeklies?
Not a lot, as the company gives us just two books.
In a shocking development, Captain America celebrates Christmas by making the front of his own comic.
And, in fairness to him, he does it appropriately, by having a snowbound adventure.
If I remember rightly, this is the one in which he single-handedly lays siege to a castle, on top of a mountain, in which a young girl's being held captive, and things get more and more surreal as it goes along.
Tragically, I can say nothing of the latest adventures of Thor and Daredevil but it does seem we get a free Christmas poster this week.
By the looks of it, we're in for an epic encounter because, according to the cover, this issue features Spider-Man vs the Black Panther.
Come to think of it, off the top of my head, I don't recall ever reading a story in which Spidey meets Panthey.
I can only assume it's a Marvel Team-Up reprint. No doubt, the pair of them have to slug it out for a few pages before realising they're fighting the wrong man and then uniting to tackle their true foe who's probably Klaw because it always is when T'Challa's around.
As with Captain America's book, we get a free poster.
I wouldn't get excited, though, as it's just a still from the TV show and isn't even an action shot. And, despite the claim that it's a Christmas poster, there's nothing remotely Christmassy about it.
More excitingly, this issue, grants us the chance to win five Raiders of the Lost Ark annuals.
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44 comments:
There were a couple of Spider-Man / Black Panther team ups. One is MTU 20 where Stegron brings dinosaurs back from the Savage Land. "Dinosaurs on Broadway"? It was repeated in a U.K. hardback annual in the late 1970s.
I suspect we're talking here, though, about MTU 87, where the cover suggests there might be a Spider/Panther fight. The villain in that issue is someone called Hellrazor.
Speaking of MTU...
You comic-loving folks ever wonder why Christmas related covers / stories are essentially non-existent?
The only story I remember (50 years ago this month it hit the stands!) was MTU 1 with Spidey and Torch tracking down Sandman who, every Xmas, tries to see his mom.
Though the cover has no indication of Xmas, or even winter, the last panel does have Torch blazing out "Peace on earth. Good will towards men."
Other than that... I can't think of a single story during the late 60s - mid-70s.
Dangermash - Did you follow Spidey in all the other books as well, e.g., MTU? PPtSM? Etc.
I followed Spider-Man in U.K. comics up to the advent of Dez. Towards the end there were PPtSSM stories and the odd MTU story as well as ASM. I probably came on board as a regular reader just before Norman was revealed as the Goblin. Any earlier stuff I bought in Masterworks in the 80s, recognising the occasional story that I'd seen in annuals or the odd one-off comic treat.
Now, though, I have all of ASM 1-500 on cd and the iPad, so I caught up on these in the noughties.
But as for any of ASM annual, MTU, PPtSSM, WoSM, etc that I never got to see in pre-Dez comic, anything I know I only know from the internet, not from comics.
Recently that Black Widow/Nick Fury/Shang Chi team up was on the cover of the Spidey TV Comic dm - and I think last week Steve mentioned the Guardians of the Galaxy - so yeah, it does seem very likely its that later Panther story.
So they regularly reprinting MTU? I expect purist Spidey enthusiasts will disagree, but that strikes me as a pretty good idea - it offers the young audience the weeklies were aimed at fairly self-contained stories at the same time as introducing them to variety of characters.
Although iirc, MTU #87 was a bit rubbish, even though it was drawn by Gene Colan (clearly the best artist for the Panther).
Steve, not only is Cap on the cover of his comic this week it actually looks competently designed and coloured - Marvel UK have somehow made it look not look off-putting! Whats going on?
And is it just me, or do those Spidey TV Comic covers somehow end up looking a bit like they were by Alex Ross...?
-sean
Charlie - Marvel time didn't seem to always correspond with real time. Amazing Spider-man # 166 had snow on the front cover, & Christmas presents inside - but it's dated March! I read the first part of this in a UK Marvel (dated August):
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Amazing_Spider-Man_Vol_1_166?file=Amazing_Spider-Man_Vol_1_166.jpg
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Super_Spider-Man_%26_Captain_Britain_Vol_1?file=Super_Spider-Man_%2526amp%253B_Captain_Britain_Vol_1_238.jpg
Also, there's a Vulture issue, soon after (in UK issues, not US), with snow on the cover, too. Another Christmas issue - or soon after Christmas?
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Super_Spider-Man_%26_Captain_Britain_Vol_1?file=Super_Spider-Man_%2526amp%253B_Captain_Britain_Vol_1_240.jpg
Phillip
As for Christmas in ASM, JJJ throws a Christmas party In ASM #131 (Hammerhead, first Spider-Mobile appearance), dated March 74. The snow's still around next issue for the aborted Aunt May/Doc Ock wedding.
From memory, I don't remember any earlier Christmas stories but I do remember snow in
- ASM #48 - first appearance of second vulture
- ASM 83-85 - Schemer trilogy
A bit later on in ASM #166 (Lizard & Stegron, March 77) we get to see snow, Christmas trees and Christmas presents.
It took me so long to write that comment that Phillip got in first. The Vulture story with snow on the cover is PPtSSM #4, March 77.
To be fair to Charlie - hey, why not? - March 77 (ie Dec 76) is at the end of the period he's talking about.
Generally, Xmas references were more of a DC thing back then? At least thats how I remember things.
Anyway, Steve, as you know I don't like to go off topic here, but...
Apparently its being claimed Robin Hood was from Sheffield.
I heard it on Radio 4 earlier, and it made sense to me seeing as he robbed from the rich and redistributed the wealth - he didn't need that feudal groove thang, so to speak - but whats the official Steve Does Comics position on the matter (if you have one)?
-sean
Er... apologies for all the typos in my first comment.
How embarrassing. %@£!^& phone!
-sean
Nothing to add regarding this week’s comics but I still remember Don’t You Want Me? pumping out loud and crisp at several parties that Christmas. Still a great toon.
Merry Christmas Steve, and every one, and thanks for your continual efforts with the blog.
Cheers
Daren
(DW - sweltering in the heat and humidity)
Sean - I don't know about Sheffield, but the 'Geste of Robin Hood' (written in medieval times) has Robin hanging around Barnesdale - and that's West Yorkshire! Then again, several other places have claimed him too.
Thinking about Christmas Marvels, there was that MTIO featuring Ghost Rider, which always gets referenced, every year:
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Marvel_Two-In-One_Vol_1_8
Phillip
Sean, probably the most popular story of Robin Hood is that he was originally the Earl of Loxley which is near Hillsborough. Hence, the city has claimed him as one of its own for a long, long time. In the old days, Sherwood Forest used to continue up along the western side of Sheffield and deep into Yorkshire.
Then again, I think the oldest written record of Robin Hood placed him in the forest in Barnsdale Bar, Doncaster.
Merry Christmas to you too, DW, and to all who frequent this site. :)
Dangermash, thanks for the Hellrazor info.
Charlie, I suspect we didn't get too many Christmas-themed Marvel comics because issues tended to come out months before their cover date and that could cause confusion.
Oops! Phillip beat me to it with his info.
On the subject of West Yorkshire Phillip, I liked the Leeds supporters' latest singalong chant -
www.youtube.com/shorts/-X9Puj2FnQg
And on top of that, the team lost to Arsenal big time. Well done lads (;
-sean
Yeah Steve, as with most of northern Europe the forest used to be much bigger in the middle ages, and on the radio they did say the sheriff of Nottingham's jurisdiction covered a larger area than you'd think from the title.
-sean
Sean - Bo Jo praised Thatcher for being years ahead on the green issue, by closing all the mines - then counts on northern support.I'm surprised the people of Yorkshire don't use Bo Jo's stupid head as a football. I don't care when any football team loses - local ones included. Sean, as your Christmas hit, did you listen to (Winter)'Solstice Day', at Stonehenge?
Phillip
Odd, I never thought about it much before — but yeah, can’t really remember many X-mas themed stories in the good old Marvel Universe. One that comes to mind : a two-parter from AMAZING SPIDEY 130 and 131. I think it takes place a good few days before the actual Holiday, but it does prominently feature a Christmas party at Ned Leeds’ apartment. Memorably, MJ tries to get Peter under the mistletoe but he begs off (still mourning Gwen, poor guy). He then has to bail on the party altogether when he gets word that Aunt May is about to tie the knot with Doc Ock. Also, there’s lots of snow, so it all feels quite festive.
But y’know, there HAVE to be more Marvel Xmas stories. They put out at least two ‘GIANT SUPERHERO HOLIDAY GRAB-BAG’ Treasuries. But I’m too lazy to look up what the contents are.
Sean — that’s too funny, I was just thinking about Alex Ross while looking at that cover with TV Spidey Nick Hammond in that god-awful costume. Pretty sure he’s said in several interviews that those Spider-man episodes were a huge influence on his approach to illustrating superheroes. Also, yes, that CAP cover ain’t half bad! Kind of amazing that someone didn’t choose to color the background neon pink.
b.t.
Oops, I see dangermash mentioned the Hammerhead/ Doc Ock/ Spider Mobile two-parter already. But I think he’s getting his parties mixed-up — JJJ’s bash was during Len Wein’s run a year or two later, I think. Pretty sure the Xmas party in 130-131 was at Ned Leeds’ apartment, co-hosted by fiancée Betty Brant. There’s a good ‘Spidey Soap Opera’ scene at the end of 131: MJ is actually the last person to leave the party, she’s been hanging around all night waiting for Peter to come back. Betty tries to assuage MJ’s disappointment but MJ downplays it, ‘Hey, whatever, his loss!’
b.t.
Spotters badge, b.t. I just took a look and the party in ASM #130-131 is Ned and Betty's.
I was getting mixed up with the party in ASM #151 that Jonah throws at his place for Ned & Betty's engagement where he's too worried about his records & vases to enjoy himself. I took a quick look a couple of hours ago at so many issues with snow or parties that it was bound to happen,
Treasury edition #13 (the second Giant Superhero Holiday Grab Bag) had a new framing sequence, introducing the reprinted stories, being a Christmas snow ball fight between the various Marvel characters. I'm pretty sure this was my first Treasury edition and wiki suggests it would have been a Christmas 1976 present.
DW
The 1975 Giant Superhero Holiday Grab Bag featured two Christmas stories, a Nick Fury one and a Luke Cage one. Uncanny X-Men #143 (dated March 1981) had a Christmas story centred on Kitty Pryde. There were two issues of Fantastic Four where the Torch and Medusa get stuck in the Himalayas and encounter a race of beings who plan to turn the entire world into a frozen wilderness - these two issues were re-printed in Marvel UK's Complete FF #13 and #14 in December 1977 and the combination of the snowy Himalayan setting and the December publication date made those two issues of 'The Complete FF' feel very festive to the 11 year-old me :D
Merry Christmas, Steve, and everyone who reads Steve Does Comics!
Merry Christmas to you too, Colin, our ever patient host Steve, and all my frenetic fellow followers of SDC! I have spoken!
Dangermash, well do I remember ASM 151#. With all the charm of a seasick crocodile (a nod to the Grinch, there) Jonah was doing a slow burn all night at that party of his. The reader knew he was fixin' to blow his stack.
He didn't even like people handling his Guy Lombardo records.
But I like that issue just 'cause the Shocker was the villain.
I always liked that guy. He's different from the usual suspects in Spidey's rogues gallery.
He's not a scientist or an industrialist who went insane, and got powers, or some poor schmuck who got weird powers through an experiment or an accident.
And he didn't name himself after an animal.
The Shocker is strictly a safecracker, a second-story man. He's a thief with fancy hardware who doesn't care about revenge or power, he just wants the loot. When Spider-Man shows up, he's more exasperated than anything else.
His lawyer's probably gonna get him off on a B n' E, he'll do six months in Rikers.
The Stilt-Man coulda learned a lot from that guy.
M.P.
Not sure of the release date but Young Charlie received Stan Lee's "Origins of Marvel Comics" for Xmas, presumably for Xmas 1974. Hence this book on comics will forever be associated with Xmas.
MP - Charlie always dug the Shocker. Spidey summer annual #8 1971 battling Shocker and some columns being knocked over... Seemed so cool to 10 year old Charlie. Even cooler was Charlie's little brother bought the comic saving Charlie $.25!
Merry Xmas to all and to all a good night!
I've just remembered, in America, people open their presents on Christmas eve, not Christmas day, as in the UK. So, Merry Christmas to Team USA! I'll save my season greetings to Blighty
for tomorrow - I don't know about Australia! Merry Christmas to Daren, just in case it's today!
Phillip
Phillip, I'm afraid I don't know what 'Solstice Day' is.
The main drawback with being at Stonehenge for either solstice is that theres always some hairy eejit playing the bongos in earshot (at least with the live stream you can mute that dreadful new age music English Heritage use for a soundtrack).
On Boris Johnson's support in Yorkshire... even I'm surprised by how quickly he's thrown it away. But it was never in places like Leeds anyhow, was it?
-sean
My mistake, Sean. I meant 'Solstice Bells':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJS9TjjHxx8
Yes, you're right about Leeds - even more so, with the nearby mining towns & villages.
Phillip
THE QUEEN'S SPEECH!!!!
Last Christmas I mentioned a brit TV show I was watching where the families had gathered around and watched the Queen's traditions Xmas Day speech.
Many of you were not familiar with this; I wasn't either.
Anyhow, the televised Christmas Day message is a tradition in Britain, a moment when the monarch reflects on the holiday’s meaning and the challenges facing the country. It is getting some headlines here b/c it is supposedly particularly poignant and personal this year.
Steve (any of you fine gents in the UK) can you watch and give us Yanks a recap? It won't be televised here as far as I know.
(Steve - this would atone for the lack of live sports coverage on your blog this year: bog snorkeling, conkers, pie eating...)
XMAS IN THE USA
Phillip, et al. I think the Xmas traditions here vary. I am going to generalize and say that traditionally we opened presents Xmas morning. Makes sense: it synchs with Santa bringing stuff during the night.
Now though I sense more families doing it on Christmas Eve. Could be b/c our population is aging and fewer families with kids in them?
And we do have a percent of Orthodox Christians who celebrate Xmas (and notably Easter) a few weeks later than Catholics/Protestants. So, especially growing up around Chicago we had many greeks and yugos who were Orthodox and they still had their trees up after ours had come down.
XMAS SONGS
Charlie has never heard the Slade one here. Ever. Crazy how some things reside mainly on our respective sides of the pond.
Is Charlie's fav Sir Paul's "Wonderful Xmas Time." No though it is the collective fav of me and the kids. We belt it out when it plays.
Ole Charlie's fav is Silent Night. That magical moment at Xmas Mass, with hundreds standing even, and after Communion the church sings Silent Night with no instruments. For one brief moment there does seem to be peace.
Imagine was what Lennon wrote 50 years ago and when you are sitting in that Mass one can imagine the possibility.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE uk gents WATCH THE QUEEN'S SPEECH!
It's like the first time in my life I ever read a headline about it!
Here's a special treat for you Charlie - last year's Queen's speech
https://youtu.be/OZbCRN3C_Hs
Charlie - Also, the crucial point is, the Queen's Speech is always at 3pm!
Phillip
In 'Musty Books', Haunted Generation (Fortean Times spin-off) is reviewing an interesting Winter/seasonal type children's book (with a Norse twist?):
https://hauntedgeneration.co.uk/
Phillip
Just watched the Snowman (another great UK X-mas tradition, Charlie!) intro - what an absolute pro Bowie was - clearly at the top of his game! "This attic's full of memories for me", etc!
Phillip
Is there going to be a Queen's Speech this year? I was under the impression she's leaving it to someone else (Prince Charles?) this time?
Apparently there isn't anything wrong with her Steve, its all routine check ups.
-sean
Just for you, Charlie, I'll watch the Queen's Speech, for the first time in my life. I shall report back if anything dramatic happens.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all — especially to Steve, for generously hosting this fun, unruly clubhouse :)
Mega-cheers,
b.t.
Merry Christmas everybody! Talk to you on the X-mas day!
Phillip
Charlie, the monarch's Christmas message to the Commonwealth (it's NOT a speech!) began on the radio in 1932 (the year my mother was born) and it's been broadcast on TV since 1957. The Christmas message may be a "tradition" but I suspect only hardcore monarchists watch it nowadays.
Merry Christmas to you, Steve; and also to everyone who enters the halls of Steve's Comic Domicile of Discussion!
Phillip- our family has always opened gifts on Christmas morning (although as kids, our parents would allow us to open one gift (their choice) on Christmas eve.
Another Marvel Christmas tale: Marvel Two in One 8, with Thing and Ghost Rider. Has a very strange sight of Ghost Rider as one of the Three Wise Men...
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