Thursday 1 December 2022

December 2nd, 1972 - Marvel UK, 50 years ago this week.

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 1972 delivered bad news for Bjork and her fleet of Atlantic trawlers because the already simmering Cod War suddenly heated up with British Foreign Secretary Sir Alec Douglas-Home declaring that, from now on, Royal Navy ships would be stationed to protect British trawlers from Icelandic attacks. You can see now why she gave up on it and settled for a career in the recording studio instead.

The Mighty World of Marvel #9

But all of that pales into insignificance besides what's happening here. After all, my razor-sharp senses tell me the Hulkster's having his first run-in with Tyrannus, villainous ruler of an underground kingdom.

We also get a one-page explanation of Spider-Man's spider-senses, thanks to the words and pictures of Lee and Ditko.

And it looks like Webhead's going to need those senses, as, for the first time, he encounters the awesome getting-everywhere power of the Sandman.

Meanwhile, the FF are having a first-ever meeting of their own, as we're given the debut of the man who'll go on to become their greatest foe this side of Willie Lumpkin. Yes, it's Dr Doom!

And, yes, we're now nine issues in and the book is still going on about that mysterious poster it's been going on about since issue #1. Never has there been so much fuss made about one picture.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Hulk, speaking in the first person - sacrilege!

Phillip

dangermash aka The Artistic Actuary said...

Next thing you know it will be Charlie speaking in the first person

Steve W. said...

In fairness, this is during that very short spell in which the Hulk spoke like a cross between Ben Grimm and Al Capone, and Bruce Banner would become the Hulk by shooting himself with his Gamma Gun whenever the world needed him.

Colin Jones said...

Alec Douglas-Home had been Prime-Minister for only 363 days in 1963/64 but that now seems like an eternity compared to the 49 days of Liz Truss.

This month will be 10 years since I started reading Steve Does Comics. I can't remember the exact date in December 2012 that I first discovered SDC but I think it was around the 15th. Anyway my 10 years here makes me a veteran :D

Anonymous said...

Charlie likes Hulk!

Anonymous said...

Hulk like you too, Charlie! Let’s smash something now!

Steve W. said...

Happy 10th anniversary, Colin. :)

Charlie Horse 47 said...

COLIN, Charlie is sending you a NO-PRIZE for you 10th year anniversary! Don't forget to check your junk e-mail!

STEVE- When did your memorable and venerable blog on UK Marvels run at BITBA? Charlie wants to ensure he marks off the anniversaries too! For it was that blog that brought Charlie here!!!

Colin Jones said...

I've now received the NO-PRIZE, Charlie :)

dangermash aka The Artistic Actuary said...

You'll be needing a new set of business cards reflecting your T.T.B. status Colin.

Steve W. said...

Charlie, I don't have a clue when it was.

Colin Jones said...

Charlie, I think the UK Marvels post you're thinking of appeared on BiTBA around March/April 2017.

Anonymous said...

Thank you Colin. If I remember correctly Steve, you and Colin Bray contributed to that fine piece of scholarly research! Hi, for one, thoroughly enjoyed it! And thanks to that I discovered steve does Comics!

Anonymous said...

DAngermash! I think the next “open mic” at SDC you should post all the acronyms! See who can guess them! Also, should we not have equivalents for SDC???

Anonymous said...

Colin, you've been reading SDC for ten years?
Y'know, buddy, if you had made some sound financial investments at the same time you started reading this blog, you might be a millionaire by now.
But you got distracted. Possibly by this website.
Too late now, I guess.

M.P.

Colin Jones said...

Complete change of subject but BBC Radio 4-Extra has just finished serialising "Psycho" by Robert Bloch which I've never read so it was fascinating to hear how the novel differs from the famous Hitchcock film version. Turns out the film was very faithful to the novel with only a few minor changes - Marion Crane in the film is Mary Crane in the book and Norman Bates in the book is described as "fat and bespectacled" so nothing like Anthony Perkins in the film. Radio 4-Extra has also been serialising "The Haunting Of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson which I had read before. It was adapted into the 1963 film 'The Haunting' which is one of the best haunted house films ever made in my opinion. There was also a truly dire remake from 1999 starring Liam Neeson, Owen Wilson and Catherine Zeta-Jones - one to be avoided!

Charlie Horse 47 said...

Has anyone been around these parts longer than COLIN B? 10 years?

Colin Jones said...

COLIN J.

Anonymous said...

I agree, that 1963 film was definitely scary.
The deal was, the audience never got to see anything. I mean, yeah, the big door was buckling, the house was shaking, all kindsa horrible racket, but we didn't get to see IT, whatever IT was.
As a viewer, I had to use my imagination, and believe me, I can imagine some pretty scary stuff.
I'm not sure I would wanna see what was behind that door.

M.P.

Anonymous said...

"No living organism can continue to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream. Hill House, not sane, stood by itself against its hills, holding darkness within; it had stood so for eighty years and might stand for eighty more. Within, walls continued upright, bricks met neatly, floors were firm, and doors were sensibly shut; silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked there walked alone."

-Shirley Jackson

...which begs the question, does anything happen in dark empty rooms or houses when no one is there?

M.P.

Anonymous said...

If a tree falls in a forest and no one hears or sees it… that is your answer MP.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I get what you're saying, Anon, but the idea of it still spooks me a little.
To quote a very wise man: "I'm not superstitious but I'm kinda stitious."
Was that Confucious? Aristotle? The Venerable Bede? I forget.

M.P.

Colin Jones said...

MP, that's exactly why the 1963 film is a masterpiece - you never actually see anything and it's all left to your imagination. But the dreadful 1999 remake leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination and it's just an orgy of stupid CGI (the re-make also ignores Shirley Jackson's classic novel and completely re-writes the story).

Colin Jones said...

Last Wednesday (Nov 30th) I had full-fibre broadband installed in my house which means the phone socket is now redundant as my landline phone is plugged into my router (BT Smart Hub 2) and the router is plugged into a little box displaying three green lights which is fixed to the wall. A cable runs from that box to another box on the wall outside and another cable runs from that exterior box to a nearby telegraph pole. As part of the package BT also sent me a cordless phone which runs on two rechargeable AAA batteries (already installed but they can be replaced if necessary). So I've now got full-fibre broadband, smart meters for gas and electricity and I've been totally cashless for over 18 months - welcome to the future!

Anonymous said...

Colin! Sorry about the B-J mixuo!

And with that fibre hook up that means you’ll be getting SDC first at lightening speeds!!! Charlie