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Sometimes, there are things lurking in your local swamp that you don't want to know about.
But you did in February 1983.
That's because it was the month which saw the release of the very first Swamp Thing movie, starring Dick Durock and Adrienne Barbeau. It's been so long since I saw it that I can't recall if I liked it or not, although I vaguely recall having preferred its sequel.
The month also saw the release of legendary Stone Age movie Quest for Fire, a film that, to my knowledge, has never had a sequel.
Although, I suppose, technically, every film made ever since has been a sequel to Quest for Fire.
Inside, more pretty pictures are supplied by Rick Veitch, Marc Hempel, Jim Starlin, Dave Sim, Trina Robbins, Gene Day, Carl Potts, Rick Geary, Barry Smith and Charles Vess.
Between them, they illustrate tales with titles like Two Sisters, Our New Dad, The Vision, The Woman Who Loved the Moon, Arnold the Isshurian, The Horde, A Path of Stars, The Beguiling and Arise Awake, Awakening.
I can sensationally reveal that I know nothing about the plot of any of them.
How well we remember that day when the original members were captured by Krakoa the Living Island, and Professor X had to recruit a team of misfits to rescue them.
But because even that's not enough to keep some people happy, we also get a brand-new tale in which Kitty Pryde shows Illyana around the mansion and talks about the team.
I know!
It sounds riveting!
OK, I admit it. It's not. It's the fight that probably no one would ever have seen coming, as Rom encounters Shang-Chi son of Fu Manchu.
It seems the pair unite at the British Museum, in order to prevent a coven of Dire Wraiths from resurrecting the mummy of an Egyptian witch-princess.
I've no idea what happens in it but I do know blue definitely doesn't suit her and she needs to switch back to the bikini as soon as possible.
As far as I make out, those two are facing the mind-numbing peril of the Sons of Satannish.
Wait. What's this? The Son of Satan vs the Sons of Satannish? I spot a whole heap of room for confusion in that one.
Sadly, though, I don't know what occurs in the Spidey vs Hulk clash.
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14 comments:
That Moon Knight cover is giving me Daredevil #43 vibes.
I’ve only just realised that, despite it being a direct sales comic in the US, Moon Knight was distributed on regular newsstands here in the UK.
I remember finding 23, 24 and 29 in regular pokey little regional newsagents in the early 80s.
I wonder how that worked out…?
...as was Epic Illustrated, now I come to think of it. I picked one up in a newsagent in 1983.
I wish I'd read more of that mag. It was very uneven but always interesting.
Newstand distribution in the UK is a weird one, Matthew - in the mid 90s I wasn't really following the latest comics, but picked up the first couple of issues of Batman: Black & White (you know, with Ted McKeever, Chaykin, Jose Munoz, Corben etc) on impulse when I saw them in my local corner shop.
Steve, the highlight here is obviously Epic Illustrated #16, specifically Barry Windsor-Smith's cover and phenomenal 8 page 'Beguiling' strip. Its hard to think of anything quite like the latter - I suppose some of P Craig Russell's short pieces for Imagine and Epic are in a similar vein, but not really at the same level.
www.barrywindsor-smith.com/studio/biobeguiling1.html
I don't think I've seen colour quite as rich and subtle as that in a comic story anywhere else. Along with the cover its kind of the end point of where Barry was headed, if you follow the evolution of his work from the early Conan comics to 'Song of the Red Sonja' and 'Red Nails', and on through his Gorblimey Press, and Studio period.
In the 80s it seemed surprising that his next work was on Machine Man (starting off inking Herb Trimpe!) and then X-Men and Wolverine comics for Marvel. But in retrospect it makes sense that he'd pull back, and even go full circle.
Btw on the subject of Red Sonja, I read the first new-look issue you've included here. Its not very good, but at least they got rid of that ridiculous metal bikini.
Its made a comeback in the comics from Dynamite though.
-sean
Barry Windsor-Smith is from Forest Gate, right? I wonder if he supports West Ham...
I knew they'd cock it up earlier.
-sean
West Ham got pretty much the result I suspected they would, and they deserved. The only plus point was that I didn't get up at 2.30am as usual.
I bought the X-men special as I hadn't seen that story in colour. It was nicely presented but, agree, the back-up was a waste. I assume I also had Moon Knight, but the cover (which is rather good) doesn't ring a bell.
I'll check out the BWS story online.
DW
Sean- thanks for including that BWS link. That's some gorgeous artwork. I only picked up the first issue or two of "Epic" back then, and have never seen that story. Looks like another book to hunt down. At least this title is probably reasonably inexpensive. One can hope, anyway...
Sean -
I think the explanation for BWS going back to superhero comics can be found in the notes at the end of that story (on the website): it took him about five weeks per page to draw. That’s almost a year on one short story. I expect he did a little thinking about his household finances after that.
A friend bought me the Machine Man mini for Christmas last year, but I haven’t read it yet.
I wonder if big name creators got more per page on regular newsstand titles than lower-tier artists and writers? I know Marvel instituted a profit-share scheme for titles that sold over 100,000 copies or something - did that cover it, or did BWS get paid more upfront for his X-Men one-offs than other folks would? And Miller for writing the pretty low-key DD 229?
Yeah, five weeks a page is ultimately a bit of an economic dead end, Matthew. But then Windsor-Smith is also the geezer who spent decades working on 'Monsters'...
Supposedly he originally got the Conan job because he was cheaper than first choice John Buscema, so Marvel must have had different page rates in 1970.
But I don't know if that was still the case by the time of X-Men #186, when the real differentials would have been in the bonuses and 'incentive' payments anyway (unlike DC, Marvel never called them 'royalties' - that would imply the creators retained some interest in or rights to their work).
So outside of any sales bump, I've no idea whether BWS made a bit more money for that issue than Romita Jr would have instead. Er... thats not very helpful, is it?
-sean
DW, the other plus point is that Arsenal won, and are back on top.
-sean
DW,et al. The whole relegation thing is foreign to US sports. I assume should Westham go down, then there is no more West Ham on television? (At least no more 02:30 wake ups on a weekend?)
But do you / can you still follow your team then or is it like a real exiling and you lose contact?
Charlie - in the age of Arsenal (cohosted by Nottingham Forest?)
Charlie, West Ham will still be on television. The Championship (which they'll be in) is one of the world's most-watched leagues.
Sean, thanks for that Barry Smith link.
Dangermash, yes, there is a certain similarity.
Charlie
Personally, it will be more difficult to follow the Championship in Oz, although I'm sure I'll work it out (it appears Foxtel broadcast five games per round, whereas Optus broadcast all Premier League games - for similar costs). I may be ready to take a break after decades of disrupted sleep because, at my age, I could easily have a seizure. I've followed West Ham for close to fifty years but I don't want to die for them (half-hearted as that will make me to some fans ;-)
Generally the enjoyment level watching the Championship (or second division in old money) is greater because there're less mercenary prima donnas, and consequently fair-weather fans. They also play more games in a season and its easier to get casual tickets if I happen to be visiting.
DW
Epic was a wonderful magazine! As a kid I stumbled across it in a bookstore (long gone now like almost all bookstores, sadly).
I read it religiously 'till it got cancelled.
There was always something in there that made it worth the money!
I remember an Elric story in there illustrated by P. Craig Russell that really put a hook in me. I hadda subscribe to the comic after that.
And of course the other artists and writers you mentioned, Steve.
Charles Vess did some weird spooky stuff.
M.P.
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