Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon.
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We all know there's only one album to play if you want to watch the first half of Wizard of Oz with the sound turned down.
And that album is Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon.
Sadly, for many decades, that wasn't possible, as the album didn't yet exist.
However, this week in 1973, Judy Garland fans' suffering was finally brought to an end and that seminal album was released in the UK.
The Dark Side of the Moon may have been highly soothing but rather more raucous fare held sway on that week's UK singles chart, as Slade's Cum on Feel the Noize clung tightly onto the top spot.
While, over on the associated album chart, Alice Cooper's Billion Dollar Babies smashed straight in at Number One.
Back in New York, a wealthy and ruthless financier begins his reign of terror as the Owl.
And then hires Matt Murdock to represent him.
Clearly, this can only lead to a clash between the villain and Daredevil.
Meanwhile, the Fantastic Four attend a military briefing in New Mexico, aimed at working out how to tackle the Hulk.
Fortunately, while there, they meet Bruce Banner and his assistant Karl Kort. Both of whom will, no doubt, prove invaluable in stopping the gamma-spawned monster.
Interesting to see both Marvel UK mags sporting very similar covers, this week. And, as is the norm, both laid out by Judo Jim.
Inside, a brand new villain hits our eyeballs, as the Green Goblin hires the Enforcers to help him defeat Spider-Man. He then sets out to make a movie of the scrap.
Unfortunately, for all concerned, that's when the Hulk shows up.
Elsewhere, Loki discovers Thor’s secret identity and separates him from his hammer, trapping him in human form. Now, the powerless Don Blake can only watch, as the god of mischief torments humanity, right in front of him.
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30 comments:
Is Thors after ego Don Blake still used? I can't actually recall him being used that much in the 1970s, did Marvel just decided that Thor was simply Thor.
"Billion dollar babies" was a great L.P. hard to believe it's 50 years old . I have to confess that I have never heard Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon album all the way through - I really should as folk keep banging on about how good it is (alegidley).
Alter ego not "after ego"
The Goblin Jet-glider's figure head reminds me of the Starfox emblem.
Phillip
A pedant writes: 'Dark Side of the Moon' was released in America at the start of the month, Steve, so any dedicated friends of Judy could have enjoyed it a few weeks earlier.
But who cares, when the greatest album of the 70s was released around the same time? That was of course Herbie Hancock's 'Sextant'.
-sean
McSCOTTY- Yeah, I don't remember Blake much in the '70's either. One time sticks out though, him trying to revive the Avengers after Korvac thrased them.
If we are discussing Wizard Of Oz myths don't forget the notorious hanging munchkin.
I forgot all about that urban myth Colin. To be fair from the movie still of the scene it does look a bit like a hanging man when it was of course a large bird.
Munchkin versus Oompa Loompa!
Who wins???
Charles
Btw I hope you all attend my upcoming coronation. We have sufficient bell ringers trained for the event so it should be splendid.
Poor old Charles - off to Paris this weekend, and there's no-one to roll out the red carpet for him because the French are revolting.
www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/23/french-strikers-red-carpets-king-charles-camilla-visit-paris
A la lanterne!
-sean
Funny you mention France, Sean! I got me some insomnia going and am youtubing the live webcam to Sacre Couer! Very soothing whilst playing Jaque Dutronc “il est cinc heure! Paris s’eveille” Try it!
Charles
They really do seem to be kicking off tonight, Charlie. And it's only early spring!
Maybe I'll try the footage with Serge Gainsbourg's Marseillaise...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ea4TKq_nurc
-sean
Charlie opened this SDC on his phone. He saw the word "MarveL" and made out glimpses of green on the cover.
He thought... "Joy of Joys! The UK lads are possibly reading the Marvel's original green CAPTAIN MARVEL Luscious Gene Colan art awaits them!"
Alas...
Did the green Marvel ever make it into print in the UK?
Yes he did, Charlie - in a comic called The Titans which was printed sideways in landscape style. The Titans lasted about a year, first appearing in October 1975, and I remember the original Captain Marvel in the earlier issues.
Charlie, as Colin says, Captain Marvel appeared in The Titans. Before that, his very early adventures featured in Marvel UK's Planet of the Apes comic.
He was, of course, in black and white, which meant greenness didn't feature.
McScotty, I can shed no light upon whether Don Blake still appears. I'd be surprised if he does, as, apart from the first few issues, he served no real purpose in the strip.
I do feel Dark Side of the Moon has a lot of padding on it. I can't help feeling they could've got it down to 20 minutes if they'd really tried.
Hey UK Gents! By chance do you know of any blog out there covering british comics like beanio, oor willie, etc? I ised to enjoy lew stringer and hs “Blimey! The golden age of British comics” but that ended a few years ago. Mind you, SDC more than satisfies my comic book needz… but we dont do Beano here so…
Charlie, I was a reader of Lew Stringer's blog too and I'm sure there must be other blogs concentrating on British comics but I can't name any unfortunately.
Steve, I didn't realise that the original Captain Marvel had first appeared in Planet Of The Apes. I was a loyal POTA reader but I have no memory of Captain Marvel at all.
I dunno what's more disturbing: The Wizard of Oz or Dark Side of the Moon.
On one hand, that movie scared me as a little kid. I mean, Jesus Christ! Dead witches, flying monkeys, Judy Garland...
On the other, that Pink Floyd record, which I assume was somewhat about Syd Barret and his descent into madness.
My brother and I had a cousin who was schizophrenic, but we didn't really know him. We did have a buddy, a guy we grew up with, who slowly, inexorably lost all his marbles.
It's like nobody was at home anymore.
Or maybe somebody was, or something was moving him around, but it wasn't him.
That's why that record spooks me.
...and he's still walking around...
M.P.
Colin and Charlie, Captain Marvel's adventures first appeared in Planet of the Apes #42 and continued until issue #52. He then immediately switched to appearing in The Titans.
Charlie, I've come across the odd blog that's dealt with British comics but I can't recall the names of any of them.
Planet of the Apes & Dracula Lives # 89 also announces it's got CM in it:
https://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=1815598
Phillip
Steve, have you ever heard the Dr. Who adventures on BBC Radio 4-Extra? I think they were originally for sale on CD and they have included various incarnations of the Doctor over the years. The current series being broadcast stars the late John Hurt as the War Doctor plus the late Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan in Blake's 7) as Cardinal Ollistra (a Timelord bigwig) and Louise Jameson returns as Leela.
I've not heard of them, Colin. I have a vague memory of hearing a Colin Baker Doctor Who audio adventure on Radio 4, many years ago but that's the limit of my Radio 4 Doctor Who knowledge.
Dr.Who Target books cover artist - of interest to Colin, perhaps:
https://hauntedgeneration.co.uk/
Phillip
Phillip, I don't buy Fortean Times anymore but I still follow Haunted Generation.
Thanks anyway :)
'Dark Side of the Moon' does go on a bit, Steve, but I'm not sure there'd be much point to them making it more concise. I mean, musically Pink Floyd are all about the atmospheric build up - if you take that away, what's left?
Still, there's always the new solo version of 'Dark Side of the Moon' by Roger Waters coming out soon. Maybe that'll be more to your taste...?
M.P., the difficulty dealing with someone unravelling like that is that their behaviour tends to be frustrating, making it hard to be sympathetic in the moment.
I hate to say it but in the case of Syd Barrett, that's when he recorded his best stuff. The first Pink Floyd album has always struck me as the most overrated of that '66/67 era (not counting Sgt Pepper)... but 'Jugband Blues', the track he contributed to their second album is remarkable - and eerily moving - and his solo 'Madcap Laughs' album is fantastic.
-sean
Phillip, the Captain Marvel stories (briefly) reprinted in the merged POTA/Dracula Lives featured the red and blue version. From the Judo Jim run.
-sean
I expect you all know about this site, but in case it's gone undetected...
https://britishcomics.wordpress.com/
Sean - I've just started listening to Jugband Blues, and the spoken delivery reminds me of Ray Davies (in style, if not sound.)
B - A fine website, indeed!
Charlie - What aspects of the Beano were you interested in exploring?
Phillip
Thanks for that link, B. :).
I'm not really up on the Kinks, Phillip. But to me there's something unsettling about 'Jugband Blues' that somehow makes it really memorable. It's hard to explain.
Perhaps it's striking in part because of the contrast with the more controlled and produced music of Pink Floyd's mega-stadium era which, like most people, I heard first (and, as M.P.pointed out, often seems to reference Barrett's disintegration).
-sean
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