Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon.
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This week in 1981 was quiet in the fields of current affairs, music and television. Therefore, I shall plunge straight into my look at what Marvel UK was doing at the time.
At least, I think it is, as I've not been able to discover what happens in it, other than it guest stars the Invisible Girl.
From this, I'm assuming it's another Marvel Team-Up tale.
I note that Marvel Team-Up #88 contains a story - featuring the villains Spencer Jarret, Jomo, Daisy, Morgan and the Maggia - that guest-stars the Invisible Girl.
I shall, therefore, assume it's the adventure we're getting here.
However, the plot details are a mystery to me.
Meanwhile, there's good news for all cowards because, this issue, we can win a pair of running shoes.
But it does look obvious we're getting the Thor tale in which the prediction of Ragnarok seems to be coming true!
Because of this, the new Thor's convinced by Sif to team up with the real one to protect Asgard.
And readers will not be surprised to discover the neophyte Norseman pays for it with his life.
Let that be a valuable lesson to us all.
As if that's not enough, there's a full-colour poster for us, as well.
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36 comments:
Do we know if the dinosaur Thor and Thor Jr. are facing has a name?
Just wondering if it falls into “lamest villain names” category???
Also, today is Charlie’s first day he can walk freely since November 18. In case I slip and fall on all this verdammte Chicago snow and ice and wind up incapacitated for another month i want to wish all of you
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Hope your cheese, gas, and blood-pressure meds remain plentiful and cheap!!! And Charlie hopes he can keep on truckin and that his prostrate shrinks back to its original size!!!
I think it's the Midgard Serpent, Charlie which will be unleashed at Ragnarok and destroy the world.
Happy New Year to you too and I wish you a speedy recovery. :)
Wow! "Falling in Love" #121, featured recently on this very site, is available for GBP 159!!!
That's a lot of money for a comic book full of love stories, no???
https://www.ebay.com/itm/234354843482?mkevt=1&mkpid=0&emsid=e11021.m43.l3160&mkcid=7&ch=osgood&euid=210d42bea6c54e0f83e9a8752219acd9&bu=43058198920&ut=RU&osub=-1%7E1&crd=20211229044857&segname=11021&sojTags=ch%3Dch%2Cbu%3Dbu%2Cut%3Dut%2Cosub%3Dosub%2Ccrd%3Dcrd%2Csegname%3Dsegname%2Cchnl%3Dmkcid
Charlie - All the best! Your good spirits & thoughts for others, despite the operation, are an example to the rest of us!
"guesting" - is that a gerund? Any grammar mavens - what do you think?
Sean - I read your link. The selection of covers looks fascinating. However, the social commentary, I'm dubious about! Thought experiments by past sci-fi writers doesn't always necessarily mean the writers believe in it as anything other than a thought experiment - a device for a story. I'm thinking of one writer in particular. With today's sci-fi generation, however, it may be a very different kettle of fish. When you've read the book, possibly you can offer a few comments of your own! You've probably read a lot more sci-fi than me, as I largely stopped after about age 21.
Phillip
Well Phillip, the book isn't necessarily intended as a guide to 'worthy' works - the editors come from an interest in pulp generally, and how it works as a window into the popular culture of the period. They're pretty good at distinguishing between exploitative hacks and genuinely engaged writers.
Their previous books in the series - 'Sticking It to the Man: Revolution and Counterculture in Pulp and Popular Fiction 1950 to 1980' and 'Girl Gangs, Biker Boys and Real Cool Cats: Pulp Fiction and Youth Culture 1950 to 1980' - cover a lot more cynically written and published work, but they're still a good read. And with loads of great covers pictured, as you can see here -
https://theporporbooksblog.blogspot.com/2018/02/girl-gangs-biker-boys-and-real-cool-cats.html
-sean
Steve, as I recall last weeks issue of dangermash fave Spider-Man TV Comic reprinted MTU #87, so theres quite a high likelihood of you being right about #88 being in this one.
Is that the first time they've had a drawing of Spidey on the cover, rather than a tv still? I can't recall seeing one before.
Maybe its something to do with the free poster inside. I'd ask about whats on the poster but I expect you probably don't know, and - more to the point - I don't care.
All the best for the new year to you, and everyone else - I trust all the Brits (and the Australians) here are looking forward to celebrating their queen's platinum jubilee!
Athbhliain faoi mhaise dhaoibh.
And good luck with the prostate, and the walking around Charlie.
-sean
As with last week I have nothing to add with regard to these comics and so wish everyone a happy New Year from down under.
This image sums up 2021 for me.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/photos-of-of-the-year-by-the-sydney-morning-herald-photographers-20211214-h20lsr.html
DW
It was actually image 4 (of 65) I was referring to.
DW
Sean, when I first saw that phrase you wrote, I thought, "shouldn't 'Cthulhu" or 'R'yleh" be in there somewhere?"
But after googling the phrase I was happy to discover that rather than trying to bring back The Old Ones from the void on all our heads you were wishing us all a prosperous new year in an ancient and time-honored fashion.
Duitse freisin mo chara.
(Hope I got that right!)
Charlie, I'm sorry to hear of your recent troubles, and I hope you are on the upswing. I ain't been around, I know. Family matters have kept me busy, but I'm happy to say things are looking much better on this side, and pray they are for you too. I'm feeling optimistic these days.
Now all we gotta worry about is this god-awful weather for a few months!
Cheers!
M.P.
Yes, thats right M.P., well done.
(I decided being a bit ethnic was the best way to mark a year of Brexit, as its giving people their country back as promised... only those people happen to be Irish rather than British. You've got to laugh)
DW, I kinda liked the one of Scott Morrison exiting the press conference, looking well dodgy...
-sean
Sean, they seem to alternate between using photos and drawings on the Super Spider-Man covers.
Also, thanks for the link to the PorPor Books site.
DW, thanks for the link to all those photos. A Happy New Year to you too, and to everyone who visits this site.
When reading Simonson's Thor during 1983-84 I thought 'wow, Ragnarok is really happening - that's so edgy and heavy!'
With further reading I realised that Ragnarok is as common as afternoon tiffin. Exhibit A: December 30th 1981.
That taught me to read every comic as if it is my first. To better retain the grandeur and majesty through wilful forgetfulness. And the approach still works pretty well.
Cups of tea taste better that way too.
Sean, you've lived in the UK for nearly 50 years so she's your queen too ;)
Not according to my passport Colin, which shows me to be a citizen of a republic. And Crom knows I've had enough hassle over the years in the UK because of it.
Not that I'm complaining - after all, I still have free movement here AND in Europe (;
-sean
Colin The Librarian!
Might you know Coin B from Exeter?
Colin B was part of the venerable group composed of Steve and the two Colins who made a magisterial presentation on Marvel UK to Back in the Bronze Age a frw years back!!!
Were it not for that folks like me would not be at SDC!!!
Ummm… for us Yanks… what is tiffin???
SDC - How did you ever connect with BitBA in the first place? Just curious….
Colin the Librarian makes a good point about the value of "wilful forgetfulness" when reading comics.
But theres only so many times you can apply that, especially in the case of Thor and Ragnarok...
-sean
Charlie, it was Steve and Colin Bray who "made a magisterial presentation on Marvel UK" whereas my own contribution added precisely zero and I'm embarrassed I was ever part of it.
Now CJ why would you be embarrassed? It was a great presentation! Unless you mean you’re embarrassed with accreditation?
It was a team effort Colin...although, admittedly, Steve did the real heavy lifting.
Charlie - tiffin. Source: Wikipedia
Etymology
In the British Raj, tiffin was used to denote the British custom of afternoon tea that had been supplanted by the Indian practice of having a light meal at that hour.[4] It is derived from "tiffing", an English colloquial term meaning to take a little drink. By 1867 it had become naturalised among Anglo-Indians in northern British India to mean luncheon.[5]
'Tiffin' is still in common use in some parts of India.
-sean
I lived in India for a while in the 90s and the New Delhi central post office staff room (as observed from the customer side of the desk) was labelled 'Tiffin Room.'
Colin J, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. You played a valuable role.
Charlie, I used to read Doug and Karen's Bronze Age Babies blog, and Back in the Bronze Age was a sort of offshoot of that.
Hope all you guys ( and gals) on SDCs have a "braw Hogmanay" - all Scots talk like this on New year's eve:) -.2022 has to be better (and yes Sean I agree , baring Boris ). Take care.
2022 probably will be an improvement, just don't eat the Soylent Green.
-sean
Happy New Year, everybody - may your 'tiffin boxes' all be full!
Phillip
I want to see a "Colin the Librarian" comic book. With the title hero standing atop a pile of defeated book censors, with a comely literate lady hanging on his every word. Illustrated, of course, by Barry Smith...
But seriously folks, most sincere best wishes to everyone at Steve's place for the coming year. May the Best lie yet ahead of us!
And Charlie- good luck with your recovery! Ah, those annoying prostates. I remember fondly the nights when I wouldn't have to get up a couple times to...well, you know...
Charlie, this past year I got a new doctor who seems a very good guy, and apparently, extremely thorough.
He insisted on giving me a prostate exam (my first ever) despite my repeated and vigorous protests that everything was fine down under the equator.
"No, really, doc, I don't think this is AAAAGGGHHH"
Perhaps he did me a service.
So this is what I gotta look forward to. Old age spares us no indignities.
M.P.
"2022 probably will be an improvement..."
Well, Sean, 2022 has started with a knighthood and membership of the Order of the Garter for Tony Blair so don't get too optimistic about things improving...
On the subject of 40 years ago - January 1st 1982 saw the first ever broadcast of '2001: A Space Odyssey' on British TV.
Well, New Year is a time for optimism Colin.
And anyway, so what if Tony Blair got a title? I'm only surprised its taken this long, and he isn't a lord yet like the other former Labour leaders. It'll be Gordon Brown next...
(To be fair Michael Foot never had a knighthood and somehow I can't see Jeremy Corbyn with one either, but thats crazy 'hard-left' extremists for you)
-sean
And after Sir Gordon it'll be Sir David, Dame Theresa and Sir Alexander Boris de Waffle...
To be honest I don't care about knighthoods either - medieval nonsense in a country that's increasingly irrelevant.
Good news, Charlie - Run Rudolph Run by Chuck Berry leapt to #67 (from last week's #74) on the UK Top 100.
Ladbaby plummeted from #1 to #29 so the support and concern for food-banks lasted precisely one week.
Meanwhile, those of us who actually DONATE to food-banks will continue to do so all year long.
Run Run Rudolph!!! Ever notice how every Chuck Berry somg seems to start off witht the same licks???!!!
CJ thanks for the update! Is Elton Johm still the most prevelant name in the top 20?
For you french enthusiastics, i so recommend “Call Your Agent” on Netflix! Also called Dix Pourcent! Funny… A bit of drama… many superstars in french cinema playing themselves in hilarious roles e.g., Sigourney Weaver, Charlotte Gainsbourg, et al!
Give it a l few episodes to sink in!
Smash hit for Netflix as well as “”Lupin”
Do both in VO not overdubs!
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