Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon.
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There's nothing like being precise in life and, this month in 1983, things got a whole lot preciserer, as it was the month in which the 17th General Conference on Weights and Measures decided to define the metre as the distance light travels in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second. That decision was certainly a big load off my mind.
No doubt that measurement was coming in handy for British entrepreneur Richard Noble who, at that time, set a land speed record of 1,019.468 km/h, in his "car" Thrust2 at the Black Rock Desert in Nevada.
But things were also happening in Chicago, as October saw the first call made with a commercial mobile cellular telephone.
We also saw the United States' invasion of Grenada; carried out to please Eugenia Charles of Dominica.
The UK singles chart, meanwhile, welcomed the month with Culture Club's Karma Chameleon at Number One before that was overthrown by Billy Joel's Uptown Girl.
On the corresponding album chart, October began with Paul Young's No Parlez triumphant before it was dethroned by Genesis's self-titled LP which was then toppled by Culture Club's Colour by Numbers.
After that, we get fanzine reviews from Alan Moore and Lew Stringer.
Then, Night Raven continues his battle with the Snow Queen.
Now, there's a three-page tale featuring someone called the Crusader, brought to us by Alan Davis and Paul Neary and, allegedly, reprinted from the venerable pages of Rampage.
And, of course, we finish the book with its cover star who's concerned that Bullseye's brain tumor's making the villain think everybody he encounters is our hero.
There's also a review of the latest Peter Davison serials Enlightenment and The King's Demons.
In our main tale, Dr Doom's captured Arcade, leading the X-Men to go to the villain's rescue.
Storm, meanwhile, is wined and dined by Doomsie.
The issue's second tale presents us with the events of Wolverine #1 in which our main man arrives in Japan to confront Mariko about her marriage to another - and then ends up fighting her father.
That's right. Nothing.
I do know, though, thanks to the cover, that it features both Sword and Sorcery at its greatest and Robert E Howard's greatest hero.
By Crom, that sounds worth 75 pence of anyone's looted spoils.
Our favourite sci-fi mag decides it's time to take a look at Judge Dredd and at what the future may hold in store for him.
There's also an interview with Jack Clayton, director of the soon-to-be-surfacing Ray Bradbury adaptation Something Wicked This Way Comes.
And, as the cover makes clear, there's a look, both backward and forwards, at the phenomenon the world knows as The Twilight Zone.
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27 comments:
The Americans went into Grenada because it was a communist country where the head of state was that well-known Marxist-Leninist the er... queen of England, Elizabeth II, Steve.
You have to wonder how Eugenia Charles ever got made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire after being behind the invasion of one of her imperial Majesty's realms and dominions.
The Marvel UK highlight this month is obviously the latest Captain Brexit episode. Alan Moore was good at cliffhanger endings, and this was one of his best - the psychic Cobweb saying "I've seen the future, and it is cancelled" leading into a single black panel covering the last page, with the Fury sound effect.
VAAARRR!!!
-sean
Having mentioned the release of the first Art of Noise record under the last post in this feature, I suppose I should point out Trevor Horn's plan to dominate the music biz continued this month with the release of Frankie's 'Relax' and - possibly somewhat less credibly - 'Owner of a Lonely Heart' by Yes.
-sean
Well, burying the lede here…
I have always loathed ‘Uptown Girl’ and the whole album. I’ve never been able to get over it. That whole bloody LP. In recent years I’ve come to enjoy some of Billy Joel’s 70s stuff, but ‘An Innocent Man’ is still toxic to me.
Not a fan of Culture Club either. I love the confrontational gender stereotype busting. Can’t be doing with the boring, MOR music.
I had that Starburst: I remember it was the point where I realised I really wasn’t reading it any more and I should cancel by standing order (a sort of archaic subscription method we used to have in the UK). Can’t remember if I did though… we’ll see next month.
That was the first MWOM I bought. Because of Wolverine, and Frank Miller. Really shitty partial colour reproduction - why didn’t they just go black and white…?
What was the other strip in there? Was it X-men? What period was it reprinting?
So then. DDs 10…
This is the issue I think of when I think of the mag. I think it’s the peak of the CB story: Moore was able to make an extended fight scene into something complex and remarkable, and then go one further with the two pages inside Cobweb’s nightmare mind-space. Had a mainstream comic ever gone so abstract at such a key dramatic point before? Breathtakingly well done.
And the luxury of 10 or 11 pages: I’m pretty sure at this point Moore and Davis were just working to the lengths they wanted to for the same money, such was the pleasure they were getting from it and their respect for Bernie Jaye.
And still more… Night Raven was hotting up. Text features. A random tasty scrap from Marvel UK’s vaults.
Then the DD story: this was the story for me where Frank Miller clicked with me. I’d been reading the earlier reprints and thinking ‘yeah, OK, this is alright but it’s still pretty bread and butter’.
But this story was a real quantum leap. Better even than the previous Elektra story. The snowy winter setting, the dirt and grit and the chunky blocky inking. The moral challenges. It looked better in black and white here than when I eventually picked up the original US issue, as well.
This was peak Daredevils: where everything was really working. One of the best single issue of a comic ever (even if it is an anthology).
40 years since Relax! Good lord.
I always liked Owner Of A Lonely Heart. It’s a textbook example of how to make a straightforward song 300% more interesting via imaginative production. Great headphones record.
Matthew - It's refreshing to hear a very strong recommendation for a particular comic. My interest is piqued.
I also liked 'Owner of A Lonely Heart'. I bought the album it was on, from Bostocks records in Leeds. It was a 'Freedom of the Open Road' song, on Knight Rider, during my teenage years (as was 'Human Touch', by Rick Springfield!)That show hasn't aged well (to say the least) but, nevertheless, its music is an 80s time capsule!
I remember watching 'The Kings Demons' at the Battlesteads hotel, in Northumberland. My memory is hazy, but I remember a man ( King John?) playing a lute, whilst singing in cod medieval English. For example, pronouncing 'war' to rhyme with car, as if that were the medieval pronunciation of war. Yet he didn't use different words, etc, for other things, as was really the case, in those days. I seem to remember that gent turned out to be a robot, too. And didn't the Master make a dramatic appearance at the end? More committed Dr.Who fans will know better.
Phillip
Yeah, Matthew, 'Owner of a Lonely Heart' was annoyingly catchy. Harder to dislike than 'Tales From Topographic Oceans' thats for sure (although Jon Anderson's voice was a deal breaker for me).
ZTT were prog for the 80s. Discuss.
Completely agree on the Captain Brexit fight scene going all trippy with Cobweb's hallucinations. But there was a lot of stuff going on that was unusual, like CB's reaction to seeing the Fury - after charging in, as soon as he turns to look and recognizes what he's up against, he's terrified. Not a standard super-hero reaction! And then there's the general carnage - War Dog losing an arm, the death of Legion - which is all quite different to the more whimsical previous big fight on the alternate Earth. Tonally, the story has shifted more into Marvelman territory, and yet it all works. Impressive stuff.
The X-Men story is from the second Claremont/Cockrum run, their encounter with Arcade and Dr Doom. Or Doomsie, as apparently some call him.
Steve, its hardly surprising Storm had the hots for Doom. He's a stylish guy, and has that bad boy thing going on. Plus, she does seem to go for fellas who have their own technologically advanced kingdoms.
-sean
Matthew
Davis commented at the time that he would lay a page of art paper horizontally and effectively produce two pages for the price of one. If you looks at these issues, you can pick where each 'extra' page has been gained. It's a credit to Davis that he was prepared to provide extra pages for no additional pay. I don't think this continued once Bernie Jaye left Marvel UK, as once Captain Britain moved to MWOM monthly the chapters mostly returned to 8 pages. I don't recall if Alan Moore specifically wrote these scripts to support this, however, given how dense his scripts were anyway, its easy to see how spreading them over additional pages, improves the overall story telling.
I agree that this (and issues 9 and 11) were the high point. Davis's first Batman and the Outsiders, for DC, was cover dated June 1985, and so likely created in early 1985. Given that he was offered (and fully illustrated) the Aquaman mini-series, before jumping to BatO, he was likely tapped up, by DC, mid 1984. Therefore, this extra hard work did not go unrewarded. And he did remain on Captain Britain monthly, while simultaneously working for the US publishers.
This issue cam out the same month as Warrior #15, at which time marvel man had slowed a bit. Personally, I think Captain Britain was the pick of the two. V for Vendetta was probably still my favourite but, with hindsight, I think Captain Britain has held up the best (for what it is).
DW
Sorry, I should clarify, just the first issue of the proposed Aquaman mini-series, which never eventuated.
DW
Also in the charts in October 1983 was Tracey Ullman's fantastic 'They Don't Know' which should have reached #1 but got stuck at #2 behind Karma bloody Chameleon.
Eugenia Charles was called "the Caribbean Mrs Thatcher" at the time.
Colin
Yes that was a great version of a Kirsty MaColl song (released as a single in 1979 but never charted). It had a very watchable video, I recall (and will now watch on YouTube).
DW
Hey DW, apparently 'This Charming Man' came out in October '83...
Anyway, not sure I go along with Captain Brexit being a stronger series than Marvelman - I like the more self-contained 'universe' of the latter, and it didn't have the ropey start - but agree about V for Vendetta being the stronger of Moore's series at this point.
Although it suffered more from the break in publishing (Chuck Beckum notwithstanding) - I found the final Miracleman arc with Totleben more satisfying than the conclusion of V.
-sean
Sean
I mean these chapters of Captain Britain (roughly the point the return to Earth with Saturnyne) until the end of the Jaspers storyline, were stronger than the final several chapters of Marvelman in Warrior (which I thought trod water a bit). Of course compared to what followed in the remains of book 2 of Miracleman, doesn't compare to either. I really like book one of Marvelman but it never reached those heights again. Not that Captain Britain did either. I thought V for Vendetta in Warrior was superb at the time, but he didn't quite land the ending.
I forgot about This Charming man. The Smiths are very 1985 in my head, but great single. What a time to be alive ;-)
DW
Meant to add that I completely forgot about Batman & the Outsiders, DW.
Who were they again? Black Lightning, Metamorpho, and er... um... some other DC d-list no-hopers that no-one would be interested in if they weren't in a comic with Batman. Actually, I don't think I even bought an issue - just some other comic which had a bonus section with their first appearance. Drawn by (I think?) Jim Aparo.
So Davis drew them in a series for a bit? Thats good. I always thought it took him longer to get into American comics - with Excalibur - and before that for some reason things didn't go well. But all I remember seeing were the Miracleman reprints from Eclipse - which apparently Davis wasn't even paid for - and then that terrible Batman Year 2... where he got replaced after a couple of issues by a young Todd McFarlane (how embarassing for him).
-sean
DW, it's Kirsty McColl who sings the "bayybeee" part on the Tracey Ullman version (they were close friends apparently).
Yes, a good video too and Paul McCartney makes a cameo appearance at the end!
Sean
The brilliant 100 page issue 17/18 of Arken Sword (mid 80s) had a lengthy interview with Davis (as well as similar interviews with Steve Bissette, Eddie Campbell, Jenette Kahn and Marv Wolfman) in which it is implied that Moore withheld permission for Marvel US to reprint Captain Britain and so Davis withheld permission for Eclipse to reprint his Marvelman pages, expecting it all to be resolved amicably. Marvel US complied, Eclipse (Dean Mullaney?) didn't and so, yes, Davis was never paid. I believe Davis negotiated proper page rates from Marvel when they reprinted Miracleman, rather than reduced reprint rates, as the original Warrior rates were also heavily discounted (as they were intended to lead to reprint and repackage deals). The same Arken Sword features few pages from the aborted Aquaman mini-series which was impressive enough to DC to land him the (higher profile) Batman work. I did pick up his issues at the time, which looked brilliant but were pretty pedestrian. I'm also pretty sure he voluntarily dropped Batman year 2, rather than being replaced, as he was offered X-men around that time (initially turning down the monthly book for the annuals and then Excalibur).
Obviously all hearsay...
DW
There's an overview of that Arken Sword here:
https://rootsoftheswampthing.com/2015/02/10/arken-sword-17-18-1986/
Colin
I didn't realise that. Kirsty's version is also on youtube and very similar to Tracy's arrangement. She apparently wrote it when she was only 16. Very talented, and tragic...
DW
DW -
Yes, that story about Davis not getting paid for the Eclipse reprints of MM is true - it was covered in George Khoury's 'Miracleman Companion' back in around 2003, and probably in the 'Poisoned Chalice' book a few years ago. Davis still held a share of the [apparent] rights to MM, but was holding out because Moore wouldn't let Marvel reprint CB after he'd fallen out with them.
Moroe doesn't come out of the situation looking too good, because whilst he was initially careful not to sign on with Eclipse until everyone was happy, he was eventually persuaded by Mullaney that Davis had agreed - when he very much hadn't - and went ahead. Davis was sidelined and never paid. When, as Davis points out, Moore still had his number and could simply have phoned him up to check. But, given that once Moore turns his back on you it is to be shunned until the end of time, he didn't.
There's a similarly sad story in Dave Gibbons' excellent autobiography about the bitter end of their friendship over Watchmen's various ancillary business. Oh well.
I did pick up a couple of issues of The Outsiders, but by then I was not a fan of Davis's later CB and 2000AD art, and his US stuff seemed utterly formulaic. Plus the writing was nothing to get excited about.
Definitely looking for that Arken Sword on eBay right now!
Sean -
I thought the dramatic change of style for MM Book 3 was at least the equal of Book 1...? Such a confident change of pace, and beautifully rendered.
Philip -
I also picked up that Yes album, and I have never been able to like it: apart from the two singles [which are very much intentionally hit single, built for that purpose] the band seem to be in a place I can never get to grips with. I lent it to someone in 1987 and never got it back but didn't complain. I've tried to give it a listen over the decades since and it's always the same result!
Matthew
I did have the Miracleman companion and so may be remembering some of the details from there. Davis was asked about this a few times. I liked his artwork through to the end of Captain Britain monthly but I appreciate the formulaic comment. It did become less inventive (experimental) and by the time he started Excalibur he'd settled into an easy, house style. I still thought he was brought it on occasion, though.
I did find scans of that Arken Sword online, a few years back, but Paul Duncan (the editor) requested they be removed. It surprised me upon release because the average fan editor could have made any one of the interviews a cover feature. It eventually became Ark magazine, with accordant glossy cover, production standards and proper distribution. Very much a rival to Fantasy Advertiser.
DW
Matthew, you'll get no argument about Miracleman book 3 from me. DW's the one you've got to persuade there.
It does seem convenient that Moore allowed himself to be persuaded that Davis was on board with the MM reprints and started turning over new scripts to Eclipse. He's quite vague about how that actually happened in interviews, making it hard to see it as anything other than a wish to finally carry on with the series getting the better of any ethical considerations. Tsk tsk Affable Al.
-sean
Sean -
Ah, sorry!
So, then - DW: are you sure about that!?
I don't think it was any lapse in ethics regarding Eclipse & MM, just a question of letting your ego get in the way of doing some straightforward due diligence not being a great way of carrying on.
Alan Davis has just retired from doing full comics. He's still up for covers, apparently.
Dunno Matthew - there's definitely something around the Davis/Miracleman business that sounds conspicuously off on the occasions it comes up in Moore interviews.
I'd love to give him the benefit of the doubt, and accept that Eclipse convinced him it was all sorted, in order for him to start sending new scripts. But he could have held back new stuff whenever he found out Davis hadn't been paid, so we'd have to believe he was never aware of that until after MM #16? I get they weren't on speaking terms, but it never got back to him during a period he was regularly working with people like Dave Gibbons?
Sorry, but thats hard to believe (the British comic pro circle wasn't big). You can put it down to ego, or we could be polite and call it enthusiasm for finally being able to finish a signature work, but he must have known Davis had been screwed over in the process.
Obviously it was Eclipse that actually did that, and I suppose if you've fallen out with someone it's easier to not consider their interests too much, but still...
-sean
Matthew
I still like book three but not as much as book one. The writing became overly floral, and I don't think Totleben is particularly suited to superheroes. If the series had continued in Warrior I doubt the framing sequences would exist. I'm not sure they add anything, but acknowledge many love them. I think the joy of book one is the subtle shifts to a still obvious superhero tale. Watchmen and Killing Joke, to me, work (to lesser degrees) in the same way. I thought Totleben was great on Swamp Thing but, again, not necessarily best suited to this type of superhero story. In the perfect world Leach would have completed all three books, however we'd currently still be looking forward to #14. I do still rate all three books highly, just not meeting the potential suggested during the Warrior era.
Moore's subsequent falling out with pretty much everyone tends to lessen any moral position regarding Davis's art. Marvel delayed reprinting these stories for at least a decade, which no-doubt impacted his income. It's hard to argue Eclipse's conduct was anything other than opportunist theft.
DW
Don't know if you all read Steve Bissette's Facebook page, but Neil Gaiman made my jaw drop slightly when he wrote this comment on it a day or two ago...
"I remember Alan telling me that it was a point of honour for him not to read or negotiate contracts, just to sign them, because a company you are doing business with should treat you honourably. Me, I read the contracts and would let the company know when they had broken them."
I mean WTeverlovin'F...?
Nerd note: following on from a discussion last month...
The cover date months were definitely a month ahead. I bought DDs 10 from a little newsagent near my Grandparents' place when I was staying over a couple of nights. That would have to be in a school half term, so it would be October 1983.
Similarly, if DDs 11 is dated December then it would have come out in November, as I clearly remember buying the following MWOM 7 in the run up to Christmas 1983.
[pushes glasses up on nose}
I recall the monthlies coming out around the third week of the month and being cover-dated for the next month.
I specifically remember buying the January 1980 issues of Rampage and Marvel Superheroes on Christmas Eve 1979.
I read Marvel Superheroes Monthly # 1 on September 10th, and it was cover-dated September. Colin, you read it a few days earlier, I seem to remember!
Phillip
Yes Phil, Marvel Superheroes #1 was due to come out on August 23rd 1979 but I didn't see it in my local WH Smith's until September 3rd.
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