Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon.
***
I've no doubt humanity was feeling pretty pleased with itself, this week in 1982.
After all, it was the week in which the first International Day of Peace was proclaimed by the United Nations. After that announcement, surely, an end to all war and conflict was now mere days away.
Sadly, there wasn't much peace to be had in the world of American Football. The truth is the National Football League Players Association downed tools and called the first in-work stoppage in the NFL's 63-year history. The strike would last for 57 days, reduce the regular season from sixteen games to nine and force an expanded 16-team playoff tournament.
Also not working - but for less voluntary reasons - was the British population, with an estimated 14% of the workforce now registered unemployed.
How would Scott Fahlman have reacted to this news?
No doubt with the use of an emoticon. For it was he who, this week, became the first ever person to post one. And, thus, was history created. 😀
There's also a colour-packed feature about the brand new Ridley Scott epic Blade Runner.
But there's more than that because the cover's still demanding to know whether my drawing's inside. I'm fairly sure it's not. I distinctly remember leaving it somewhere else.
Intriguingly - following the chance to win a Dr Strange record, last week - this time, we have the opportunity to win a Spider-Bag!
The Hulk's looking very miffed on that cover.
Given the material the mag's been reprinting lately, it's highly possible it could be sourced from the US Incredible Hulk #130 in which, after yet another disastrous attempt to cure himself, Bruce Banner and his alter ego get split into two totally separate beings.
Now, the conscienceless Hulk's out to track down and kill the hated Banner.
Now, the conscienceless Hulk's out to track down and kill the hated Banner.
But beyond even that, excitement mounts, as the cover promises us details of a brand new comic!
Granted, it's not that exciting, as it's news of a mag that'll be created by the merger of this book with Spider-Man's, meaning the green galoot will no longer have his own UK title.
But what's this? After a few issues of Ghost Rider being the book's back-up star, it would appear the Son of Satan's suddenly putting in an appearance!
Elsewhere, a criminal's hiding out in Yogi's cave, waiting for the Statute of Limitations to run out on his crimes.
And he's taken Boo-Boo Bear hostage!
Can Yogi and the Park Ranger possibly rescue the hapless ursus before it's all over?
The Autumn Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere occurs at 02:03 BST on September 23rd so this momentous summer in the UK is nearly over. A summer which included the Platinum Jubilee, the ousting of Boris Johnson, the death and state funeral of Queen Elizabeth, the third female Prime-Minister and the accession of King Charles but MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL we end this summer with the final '40 Years Ago' post. I'm right aren't I, Steve? MWOM #1 was launched on September 30th 1972 so I assume 'Marvel UK 50 Years Ago' begins next week?
ReplyDeleteHow can this feature stop, when it hasn't got to Daredevils yet Colin?
ReplyDeleteAlthough I guess with the Hulk and Spidey comics merging it might be a fairly slight read most Thursdays...
-sean
This is even more important than the final post of the MWOM!!! The boys from Sheffield around the first American tour ever… Heaven17. And I am waiting outside of Park West in Chicago for the doors to open to finally see these guys. Thank God for Sheffield and thank God for Steve. 40 long years I’ve been waiting, lol!
ReplyDeleteCharlie, last Christmas you were very interested in the Queen's Christmas message so what will you do now she's gone? Are you looking forward to the first Christmas message from King Charles or have you lost interest in the whole thing?
ReplyDeleteMybidea of royalty right now is Martyn Ware and Gregory Gregg
DeleteI second keeping the Marvel 40 years ago but as a monthly feature. It will be ashamed to miss Daredevils, MWOM monthly and Captain Britain monthly simply due to the amount of original material created for those titles.
ReplyDeleteCharlie do you mean Glen Gregory?
DW
I second this. Covering Marvel’s 1983-85 period is a must. I’m already composing lengthy, tediously nostalgic comments in my head.
Deletea shame to miss...
ReplyDelete!@#$% spell check
Marvel U.K. went all-in on Blade Runner, didn’t they? Must’ve been a bit of a tease for the young readership of these comics who subsequently couldn’t get into the cinema to see it.
ReplyDeleteSorry, that was me.
ReplyDeleteKing Charlie of The People’s Republic of Chicago hearby confers knighthood upon Martyn Ware and Glenn Gregory of Heaven 17 and the Human League and thus Sheffield. The boys from Sheffield rocked the house. It took them 40 years to finally tour the USA… 40 long years. Simply amazing. God bless ‘em.
ReplyDeleteGlenn and Martyn talked a lot during the show. They made mention of many many things if Sheffield id never have understood were it not for this venerable blog. One question.. they talked about Sheffield “getting rough” about 40’years ago and worried about getting beat up by “jug heads?”
ReplyDeleteA "jug head" was a name for a wild person. It comes from the name for a mule, a stubborn wild creature. I assume it was similar in Sheffield.
ReplyDeleteHard to believe MWOM issue 1 appeared 50 years ago. As an unabashed plug I prattle on about it on my wee blog, if interested.
MCSCOTTY - where is your blog?
ReplyDeleteCharlie, McScotty's blog is called That Was Then.
ReplyDeleteCharlie - You should have been following the Daredevil screen-grabs, on Paul's blog!;)
ReplyDeletehttps://twthen.blogspot.com/2022/08/page-turners-gene-dean-colan.html
Phillip
I expect Sheffield 'getting rough' forty years ago is a reference to Margaret Thatcher's government trashing the north of England, Charlie.
ReplyDeleteFunnily enough, a new government of right-wing loons are at it again today. Will the English ever learn?
-sean
Colin, I take the week I'm covering to be the week leading up to the cover date. So, there's one more 40 Years Ago post before we get to Mighty World of Marvel #1. I think.
ReplyDeleteMWOM #1 was dated "week ending October 7th 1972".
ReplyDeleteIt was indeed date 7 October Colin but it went on sale 30 September most/all weekly ckmic were date like that.
DeleteI'm not sure a "Marvel 30 Years Ago" feature would be a viable replacement, given the state of Marvel Comics 30 years ago.
ReplyDeleteNay, we must continue to delve ever deeper into the past, my friends.
On another note, as I was typing these very words, a large spider, which had somehow got on me, scurried down my left arm, across the desk, and into the shadows.
So allow me to add, as a postscript:
YAAAAAAAHHHHGH
M.P.
Charlie, I take it you won't be bothering with King Charles' Xmas message.
ReplyDeleteSean, you haven't mentioned the rather important news that Catholics now outnumber Protestants in N.Ireland!
The author Hilary Mantel has died which is sad news as I quite liked her. She'd been planning to move to Ireland to escape loony right-wing Brexit Britain and who can blame her. The "Wolf Hall" trilogy will be regarded as a modern classic.
I didn't mention it because its not particularly relevant, Colin - this isn't Steve Does Incorrigible Republicanism you know.
ReplyDelete-sean
Sean, it's another step closer to a united Ireland!
ReplyDeleteMP, my father loved spiders - he said spiders were "our friends". If there was a spider in the house he'd cup it in his hands and put it outside. I asked him if he'd ever been bitten but he said no which made me think that Stan lee was lying to us and spiders don't really bite people but I recall Steve saying he had been bitten by a spider. Maybe, like Spider-Man, spiders really do have a sort of spider-sense and they could tell that my father wasn't a threat when he was picking them up!
Hello all. This is King Charlie of Chicago speaking. I feel no need to listen to King Charles of the United Kingdom Christmas speech this year. I think I’m just going to do my own Christmas speech.
ReplyDeleteHere’s another example of how I’ve been educated by Steve Doug Comics. During the heavens 17 concert on Thursday and Chicago, one of those men from Sheffield said some thing about the bolshies and the republic of South York Being the context for the time when their band was formed and they wrote their music. Truly I never would have known about the republic of York or the People’s Republic of York or Yorkshire had it not been for this vulnerable blog site.
ReplyDeleteAnother interesting comment from the concert was the access they had to very inexpensive recording studios in Sheffield.. This seems to parallel ABC’s remark about free bus fares allowing them to get together and record as being an important part of their story and Sheffield.
ReplyDelete"...this vulnerable blog site" made me chuckle, Charlie. I assume you meant "venerable blog site".
ReplyDeleteSteve, it's so nice that we can come here and leave comments over several days. I have an account with The Guardian which means I can make comments on various articles but the comments sections are often only open for a couple of hours so by the time I get around to reading the articles the comments have already closed. Not that I have anything of earth-shattering importance to say but if I did I wouldn't be able to say it anyway!
His Britannic Majesty King Charles III will be sad to hear that King Charlie of Chicagoland won't be listening to his first ever Christmas message to the Commonwealth.
ReplyDeleteColin, I absolutely agree with your dad about spiders. He sounds like a wise man. Even when I see one in my home, I'm inclined to leave it alone. That spider's got a job to do.
ReplyDeleteThis far north (whether in the Dakotas or the U.K., spiders don't get all that large) they usually don't have fangs long enough to penetrate human skin, and not enough venom to make it dangerous if they could.
And they avoid people as a rule. They aren't like those banana spiders in South America that drop out of trees on people's necks, or those Australian spiders that can kill a man just by looking at him.
M.P.