Fifty years ago today - September 1975.

Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon. 

***

Time for us to fling ourselves, once more, into the waiting arms of nostalgia - and hope they don't turn out to be the terrifying tentacles of Doc Ock! 

It's hospital drama for the Avengers when that woe-begotten windbag the Whirlwind returns to try and abduct the comatose Wasp!

But what's this? It seems this is the issue in which Hank Pym finally discovers his arch-foe has been his chauffeur for all these years!

It's Conan versus Conan in the tale we, no doubt, never thought we'd live to see. And it would appear it's all down to an oracle in the vicinity of the city of Ronnoco!

I really don't know what's going on but the GCD assures me the Falcon recovers from his coma, with his "Snap" Wilson persona intact, while Cap battles illusions of villains from his own past.

It looks like a grave situation for  the man without fear when his fight with Copperhead reaches its dramatic climax.

They always say good things come in pairs but, by the looks of things, it's bad Things that come in pairs.

I've no idea what happens in this one but it seems that Arkon, Thunderbolt Ross and Gaard all put in an appearance. Therefore, I'm going to guess that alternate world shenanigans are involved.

Half Skrull, half shopping cart, all awesome; the Shaper of Worlds is back.

And it can only mean trouble for the criminally underrated Toad Men.

It's a pivotal point in the life of Tony Stark, as exposure to the suffering caused by the Vietnam War convinces him to halt his involvement in arms manufacturing.

Getting flung off a bridge is the least of Spider-Man's worries because we've reached a tale to shock the world, as, at last - in the most insane revelation in the history of great literature - we finally get to discover who the Jackal is!

Nope. no idea what happens in this one.

Clearly, it involves Ulik but it would also seem to include Isis and Osiris.

I do know Star-Quake sounds like it should be a follow-up to legendary Caroline Munro/David Hasselhoff epic Starcrash.

To be honest, if the story inside isn't as magnificent as Starcrash, I may be tempted to demand my 25 cents back.

Thus are Marvel's main heroes disposed of.

But what of that other company?

The one that goes with Marvel like fish goes with chips?

Just what would we find in a random sample of its output that bears the same cover date?

We'd find that Beowulf's in trouble again.

Tragically, I completely struggle to recall anything that happens in this tale, other than that I reviewed it several years ago and that said review may be found right here.

Can it be?

Can a horrific new monstrosity be about to enter the life of our youthful hero?

I suspect not. I suspect the thing they're reacting to on that cover is Pyra who I remember little of, other than that she doesn't look like a monster.

There are few comics more idiosyncratic than DC's 1st Issue Special.

And, so, issue #6 sees the arrival of the Dingbats of Danger Street.

I know nothing of the contents of this one, other than it's brought to us by Jack Kirby and, in it, the Dingbats' lives are disrupted by a man called Jumpin' Jack who I'm assuming isn't Jack Kirby.

It seems they also encounter someone called Gasser.

It all raises the obvious questions in my mind. Was Jumpin' Jack inspired by Spring-Heeled Jack? And was Gasser inspired by the Mad Gasser of Mattoon?

I cannot say.

Because I don't know.

Not because I'm banned from saying.

As if all the Batman goodness we've encountered over the years hasn't been enough for us, we're set to get even more of it, as Batman Family #1 enters our lives!

In our first thrilling tale, Batgirl and Robin must unite to keep British mega-patriot Benedict Arnold from taking over the United States!

Then we get The Origins of Batgirl and Robin the Boy Wonder.

Next, Alfred the butler finds himself battling The Great Handcuff King!

Following that, a crook once caught by Commissioner Gordon uses the detective to lure Batman into a trap!

Now, we encounter a reprint of Batman's first-ever encounter with the Man-Bat!

And, a one-page feature tells us how Alfred became Batman's butler, and of his time as the villain the world could only know as The Outsider!

Another classic Mike Kaluta cover introduces the last issue of this book. One in which the man of mystery investigates a remote village run by people who like to re-enact the past.

Can Shaddy and Margo survive a stint on the local ducking stool?

And will our hero's knowledge of hemp save them?

It's time for some sizeable fun, as Batman secures his latest treasury-sized collectors' edition.

In this one, we find such thrilling content as The Cross Country Crimes!, The Blackbird of Banditry!, The State vs Lucky Sheldon, Secrets of the Batcave, The Scarecrow! and The Lady Rogues!

We also discover a one-page feature dedicated to Batman's Television Villains.

And there's the inevitable table-top diorama. This time, by Jim Aparo and featuring The Joker, Penguin, Catwoman and Two-Face. From that description, I'm going to assume it reproduces the front cover.

But in 3 dimensions!

August 1985 - Marvel UK monthlies, 40 years ago this month.

Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon. 

***

August 1985 was a bad time for all lovers of electric tricycles, because the Sinclair C5 - which had been intended to revolutionise motor transport on the planet Earth - ceased production, after just seven months, with fewer than 17,000 sold.

In fairness, 17,000 in seven months sounds like quite a lot to me but I'm no expert in tricycles.

Sadly, there was far more tragic news when it came to transport, as that August was oddly stricken by air disasters. It saw Delta Air Lines Flight 191 crash near Dallas, killing 137 people, Japan Air Lines Flight 123 crash in Japan, killing 520 people - including Japanese singer Kyu Sakamoto,  55 people killed while trying to evacuate British Airtours Flight 28M at Manchester Airport, and Bar Harbor Airlines Flight 1808 crash in the United States, killing all 8 passengers including high-profile thirteen-year-old peace campaigner Samantha Smith.

On the UK singles chart, the month began with Madonna's Into the Groove at Number One before that was dislodged by I Got You Babe by UB40 and Chrissie Hynde.

While, on the associated album chart, August kicked off with Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms on top before that had to make way for Now That's What I Call Music 5.

As we can tell from that cover, the Stephen King based film Cat's Eye is going to get a reviewing.

But there's more because Tom Selleck talks about his new film Hit and Run in which he must battle out-of-control robots.

Elsewhere, Ursula K Le Guin and David Bedford talk about what seems to be an opera they've written.

I'm assuming that's not David Bedford the long-distance runner but I'm hoping it is because I'd like to see Frank Herbert write an opera with Brendan Foster.

Also, Linda Hamilton talks about Terminator, Jon Abbott takes a look back at Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and there's a discussion on whether music videos are art or not which seems a strange topic to discuss in Starburst.

Not only that but there's a chance to win preview tickets to Ridley Scott's Legend!

Of course, I remember Starburst when it was called Opal Fruits Magazine.

This, no doubt, tumultuous issue presents us with the Captain Britain tale Childhoods End which, judging by that cover, is the one in which they make the mistake of having Meggan lose her monstrous appearance and become a hot babe.

Then, there's a four-page story called The Eye Witness, brought to us by R. Hunter and John Stokes

Then, Night Raven's involved in a case of Secret Identity.

Next, Abslom Daak occupies a tale called Farewell to Draconia.

And we finish the issue with a yarn that goes by the unlikely name of PARTS vs. Zarts, GIA, HF, the Mob, Etc, Etc, and is the creation of Dave Harper and Barry Kitson.

Can it be true?

Yes, it can!

Such is the madness of the world that we get an issue dedicated to The Mark of the Rani!

I think it's what we've all been praying for.

This means there are interviews with the serial's director, writers and designers.

And there's a full-colour poster of Kate O'Mara!

Beyond that epic adventure, we find a conclusion to the comic strip Funhouse, a story-writing competition and a selection of reader's artwork.

August 30th, 1975 - 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. 

***

What was afoot upon the UK singles chart, this week in 1975?

This was afoot. The top spot was being held by the Stylistics and their song I Can't Give You Anything (But My Love) but, for the first time in several weeks, that band didn't also wear the crown on the accompanying album chart. That crown was now being worn by Roderick Stewart, thanks to his latest LP Atlantic Crossing.

Speaking of transatlantic ventures, what news was there of Marvel UK?

According to the cover blurb, there are four Raleigh bikes to be won!

They'd better be Choppers. It's 1975 and I won't accept any bike that's not got impractically high handlebars, a banana-shaped seat and a gear lever that'll destroy your chances of ever having children if you brake too suddenly.

But I suspect Spider-Man doesn't care about any of that, because he's got his hands full with the return of the Green Goblin and with his flatmate's lapse into drug addiction.

And that means Peter Parker decides to take it out on Harry's drug dealer who looks strangely like Stan Lee.

Iron Man's got problems too. His amour's been turned to stone by the Grey Gargoyle, rendering him completely immobile. And, now, Tony Stark's ne'er-do-well cousin Morgan is about to deliver him into the hands of the Maggia and their assassin Whiplash.

And I do believe Thor's about to have an encounter with the forces of Pluto. One that'll lead to the thunder god's first encounter with Adam Warlock who's still going by the name of Him!

I'm going to assume this is the issue in which Conan recruits the help of the newly-introduced Red Sonja, in order to kill the man the world knows as Mikhal Oglu - apart from the parts of the world where they know him as... ...The Vulture!

Elsewhen, Sal Buscema takes over the art chores, as the Avengers continue their seemingly hopeless battle with a now-indestructible Ultron who's now planning an attack on the United Nations!

And Shang-Chi's still having trouble with the Snowbuster in what'll be his last appearance for a while.

I can say, from personal experience, that it's never a good sign when a floating, glowing, bright red skull-head-thing appears in your life.

And so it proves not to be for our heroes, as the apes invade the mutant city, and Nova gets shot dead.

I think Captain Marvel may still be fighting the Kree Sentry at that military base that's become his adopted home.

And there are Slow Glass shenanigans underway with the Robert Shaw inspired tale Light of Other Days. A story I couldn't really understand at the age of eleven and might not be able to understand now.

What's this nonsense on the cover? I've now checked the dictionary and it tells me that, "Dracula," doesn't spell, "Death," at all. It spells, "Dracula." Imagine the fool I'd have made of myself if I'd believed them.

As for that foul fiend, I do believe he's fighting Lucas Brand who's working for Dr Sun - and Dr Sun's genius plan goes so well that his entire secret base blows up!

Then, Jack Russell's in a life-or-death scrap with his next door neighbour, allowing the villainous Ma Mayhem to kidnap his sister!

Next, the Living Mummy's getting grief from the police on the streets of New York.

And there's a brief look at the life and works of Ray Harryhausen.

My eyes detect that we've reached the epic in which the paralysed Leader takes over the mind of the Rhino, in yet another revenge bid against the Hulk.

And, despite having super-strength and a super-intellect, he still manages to lose.

Otherwhere, Benjamin J Grimm is still evil, thanks to the Machiavellian machinations of the malevolently murderous Mad Thinker and is still in chaotic conflict with his troubled teammates.

And the crisis deepens for Daredevil, as his latest punch-up with the Jester leads to the Man Without Fear being captured by the police and incarcerated under suspicion of homicide!

Look out, London, because a bunch of witches have brought the Abomination back to this world and have unleashed him upon the streets of London. There'll barely be a red phone box, post box, double-decker bus, cobblestone, bowler hat or gas lamp still standing by the time he's finished

That's assuming, of course, that the Silver Surfer can't stop him.

Doc Savage is having trouble with The Coming of the Silver Ziggurat.

And the X-Men are continuing their first battle with the Sentinels.

Speak Your Brain! Part 108.

Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon. 

***

Image by Tumisu
from Pixabay

Once more the entire world descends upon this site to discover just what it is I'll be blathering on about next.

But the truth is I don't know what I'll be blathering on about next.

That's because it has yet to be decided.

You guessed it. Mostly because it says so in the post's title. It's the return of a feature that's become so revered that I wouldn't be surprised if the whole of humanity starts to spontaneously worship it.

It's the feature in which you The Reader get to decide the topic of the day.

And that means all you have to do is post a subject you wish to see discussed, in the Comment Section below, and, lo, that topic shall be born!

2000 AD - July 1987.

Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon. 

***

There were so many well-known movies released in July 1987 that it was almost enough to make a man or woman's head spin.

For instance, it saw the unveiling of Adventures in Babysitting, Innerspace, Full Metal Jacket, Jaws: The Revenge, Rita, Sue and Bob Too, RoboCop, La Bamba, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, The Living Daylights and, of course, The Lost Boys.

I am, to the surprise of no one, going to nominate Adventures in Babysitting as my film of the month, if only for the fact that it has Thor in it.

But what's this? Things were also happening in the world of television?

It would appear so because that August also saw the first broadcast of a TV movie based on Will Eisner's The Spirit. One starring Sam J Jones of Flash Gordon fame.

But that's enough of movies. What about music?

It was a month which kicked off with the Pet Shop Boys' It's a Sin standing astride the summit of the UK singles chart. But soon that had to subside before the power of Madonna's Who's That Girl? which then had to recede before the might of Los Lobos and their cover of La Bamba.

Over on the parallel album chart, July launched with Whitney Houston's Whitney on top before it was shoved aside by Introducing the Hardline According to ... by Terence Trent D'Arby which then had to make way for Various Artists' Hits 6.

And what of the galaxy's greatest comic?

It was still serving up a familiar diet of Anderson: PSI Division, Tharg's Future-Shocks, Rogue Trooper, Judge Dredd, Mean Team and Strontium Dog.

But there was also less-long-established fare, in the from of D. R. & Quinch's Agony Page, Ro-Jaws' Robo-Tales and Tales From Mega-City One.

August 23rd, 1975 - 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. 

***

Vikings. They weren't just savage brutes who trashed everywhere they encountered. They also discovered the planet Mars.

At least I assume they did, as, this week in 1975, NASA launched the Viking 1 planetary probe at that very world. A year and a half later, Mars would be part of the Danelaw and would never be the same again.

But, on TV, a whole other level of history was being made. That's because, on August 23rd, 1975, BBC Two showed a never-to-be-forgotten late-night double-bill of Barbarella and This Island Earth.

It was the first time I'd seen either film and, on first viewing, they both seemed like masterpieces.

Sadly, these days, only This Island Earth still appeals to me, as Barbarella now feels like a joke that only the director got.

This Island Earth, on the other hand, features a mutant with its brain on the outside of its head. And that's quality entertainment in anyone's book.

As I think we can all spot, Spider-Man's still battling the Green Goblin, and Harry Osborn's still losing his battle with drugs.

Can these two facts be related to each other?

And can our hero use one of them to put a stop to the other?

Despite what the cover claims, I do believe it's the Grey Gargoyle who's battling Iron Man, this week, and that Whiplash will have to wait at least another seven days before making his metal-shredding debut.

Meanwhile, Thor's still in the process of discovering the origin of Galactus.

Apparently, this week's cover was drawn by 

Paty Cockrum. As far as I know, this makes it the only artwork by her that I've ever seen.

I do believe we kick off this issue with Conan still mixed up in the siege of Makkalet and on course to have an encounter with ace swordsman, assassin and wearer of cardboard wings, Mikhal Oglu. Otherwise known as The Vulture!

Following that, determined to make amends for unleashing an indestructible Ultron upon the world, the Vision confronts the fiend but, just as the Avengers had done before him, fails to bring a halt to his plans.

And Shang-Chi's involved in the adventure the world knows as Snow Buster, a story I recall the title of but whose plot is more than a little opaque within my mind.

Yet again, the Defenders prove triumphant, as they thwart Dormammu's dastardly plan to rule Vermont!

Meanwhile, wanted by the police, for the murder of the Jester's everyday alter-ego, Daredevil must take to the streets and hide in the form of Matt Murdock.

But is he about to have a fateful encounter on an underground railway?

And Reed Richards and a world-renowned scientist strive to find a cure for the Thing's condition.

But one of those two men is actually the Mad Thinker in disguise!

Needless to say, it all leads to the Thing - not for the first time in his career - becoming evil and turning against his teammates!

Marvel's adaptation of Beneath the Planet of the Apes is threatening to get explosive, what with the mutant humans deciding to prepare their doomsday bomb for use

But will even that be enough to prevent the apes from invading their city?

Elsewhere, Captain Marvel has plenty on his plate when the sinister Sentry decides to wake up and attack the military base at which Marv is now working.

And we close the issue with the Tony Isabella / George Pérez short tale War Toy which I remain convinced was at least a partial inspiration for the movie Short Circuit.

There's plenty at stake for Dracula who's been captured by Dr Sun, a communist blood-drinking brain-computer in a jar who, I think, wants to transfer Drac's mind into the body of Lucas Brand in an attempt to control the vampires of the world.

Or something.

Meanwhile, Jack Russell's having trouble with his homicidal cleaning woman who goes by the name of Ma Mayhem.

And he's having equal trouble with his next door neighbour who's turned out to also be a werewolf!

As for the Living Mummy, I do believe there's consternation in the museum because he's only gone and gone missing from it!

It does strike me, though, that isn't a, "living mummy," just a normal man wrapped in bandages?

Clearly, they should rename the strip The Normal Man Wrapped In Bandages. There is such a thing as The Trades Description Act, after all.

Readers of long-suffering and even longer-standing may be aware that, possibly, the first story I ever read which featured a Marvel character was the one in which the Silver Surfer must battle the Abomination, thanks to the activities of a bunch of witches.

And I read it in the summer of 1971, in the pages of TV21.

However, it's now 1975 and I have a chance to read it all over again!

Not that I do so, because, if it's available in my local newsagents, I never see any sign of it.

Meanwhile, in his strip, Doc Savage is involved in what can only be titled Savage Fury!

And the X-Men are about to have their first ever run-in with the Sentinels when a man called Dr Trask unveils the ruthless robo-bigots, on live television!

Apparently, this cover is also the product of Paty Cockrum.

This means I've now seen two pieces of work by her.

Speak Your Brain! Part 107. CGI and fish and chips!

Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon. 

***

Image by Tumisu
from Pixabay

It's amazing what you can find in caves.

However, you can't find this in caves.

That's because it's the feature that refuses to be hidden away.

It's the feature in which you The Reader get to decide the topic of the day.

That topic could involve almost anything on this world, within it, without it, or even beyond it.

Therefore, have no hesitation in launching that topic, in the comments section below - and we shall see just what might might be.

Atlas/Seaboard August 1975.

Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon. 

***

As we saw last month, we've entered a period in which Atlas/Seaboard is visibly receding from every shop that sells comics.

However, Chip and Martin Goodman are clearly not men to go down without a fight.

And so, this month, the venture brings us four more books to feast our eyes and minds upon.

Who could forget this issue?

Not me.

Not only does it carry articles about The Thing, Flash Gordon, Lon Chaney Jr and dinosaur-packed lost worlds, it also shares an exclusive eye-witness account of an encounter with the Loch Ness monster, in which the writer claims to have literally stepped on part of the beast, by accident.

To be honest, even as an eleven-year-old, I was sceptical of this claim.

You have to hand it to Vicki. She's survived where more ambitious Atlas protagonists have failed.

However, now even she meets her doom, as her fourth and final issue hits our spinner racks and does so with a bunch of tales reprinted from late 1960s Tower Comics' Tippy Teen issues.

"The World's Most Exciting Magazine!" smashes into the buffers with its second issue but does, at least, do so in style, thanks to a dramatic Neal Adams cover and interior action that everyone who's read it seems to have a fondness for.

Inside this not-so-death-defying issue, Archie Goodwin and Walt Simonson spin a yarn in which feuding samurais encounter trouble with giant spiders.

We also discover eight pages of The Kromag Saga which I'm struggling to recall the details of. I think it might be a Ka-Zar type thing.

Then there's action from Tough Cop. I think that might be a law-enforcement type thing.

Then there's an article about The Towering Inferno.

And we round the issue off with Town Tamer and A Job Well Done. Both of which stories, I have no recollection.

Doom is piled upon doom because the Destructor too has met his Waterloo.

His fourth and final outing sees Gerry Conway and Steve Ditko produce a thriller the world can only know as Doomsday -- Minus One. Exactly what it entails, I'm struggling to remember but it looks to involve cave action with someone called The Outcasts!

The Grand Comics Database informs me our hero gains energy powers in this story.

This is good.

Energy is useful.