Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon.
***
There's nothing as moving as a movie. So, what cinematic treasures were waiting to enchant, delight and thrill us, as we entered a picture house in June 1975?
These cinematic treasures were awaiting us: Nashville, Night Moves, Jaws, Rollerball and Race With the Devil.
Classic films all. But, of course, all of them paled into significance besides one blockbuster movie that was awaiting us.
And that was Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze.
How we thrilled as Ron Ely and his friends foiled an evil villain with a beard and reformed him with the aid of well-judged brain surgery.
And how we looked forward to the sequel we were promised by the film's closing credits.
Fortunately, help is at hand, thanks to the Son of Satan, Daredevil, Yellowjacket, Clea and Luke Cage!
And I suspect this issue sees the introduction of no lesser talent than Gamora!
In this mighty tome, the mighty god's in mighty reprint action when Loki revives the Destroyer, in a bid to wreck the Asgardian Olympics while Odin has one of his epic power naps.
Following that, we're treated to a reprint of Thor's first encounter with Hercules, within the very boundaries of Olympus itself.
And then Lee and Kirby remind us of that time When Heimdall Failed!
What the difference is between a Treasury Edition and a Special Edition, I have no idea but, from that cover, I think we can guess our hero's having his first-ever tussle with the Sinister Six.
Come to think of it, has he ever had a second tussle with them? I'm struggling to think of one.
Following that, he has his first-ever tussle with the Lizard.
And then he has what I think is his second tussle with the Molten Man who's been newly released from jail and, like anyone who's been through the Marvel Comics prison rehabilitation process, is determined to go straight...
...back to his life of crime.
And that's followed by Betrayed by the Ants!! a Lee/Kirby tale in which a scientist is hired by crooks to defeat Ant-Man. I think that scientist might be Egghead but don't quote me on that.
And I think we even get a map thrown in for good measure!
Monsters Unleashed may have met its demise and is, thus, very much Monsters Disunleashed but that's not preventing it from having an annual!
Sadly, apart from the not-great cover, it consists entirely of reprints from that defunct publication.
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'Astonishing Tales' # 180
For me, 'Astonishing Tales' # 180's sentimental value is considerable. I first encountered Warlock in that story, after all! 'Star Wars Weekly' # 53 was where I read it (about 6 pages.) A preceding issue (equivalent to 'Astonishing Tales' # 178), I picked up, shortly afterwards.
Imagine your first Adam Warlock is 'Astonishing Tales' # 180...
At the start, according to the “intro rectangle”, Adam Warlock's abilities include the power to “levitate”, plus “paranormal reflexes and perceptions”. To a 9 year old, this being promising, is an enormous understatement!
Is our protagonist, here, a usual Marvel superhero?
- Clearly not.
Jim Starlin provided Captain Marvel. But Dr.Strange, or Dracula, resonate with Warlock. The clasp for Adam Warlock's cape's a small, vampiric skull. A goodie-two-shoes superhero wouldn't wear such a clasp (Dracula might!) Is Warlock a vampire – or a cosmic dark avenger? Adam's no ordinary character, new readers clearly see. In fact, on pp.10-16, Warlock's depicted like a Byronic figure, brooding in lonely grandeur. And it only gets better...
Flying between skyscrapers ( Warlock's power of “levitation”?), Adam hunts the Matriarch. Those skyscrapers aren't in New York ( not in the present day, at least ) however. This dystopian city's more like something out of 'Blade Runner', or '1984'. Its lobotomized citizens have telescreens ( like George Orwell's ) monitoring public behaviour.
In 'Astonishing Tales' # 178 (a couple of issues earlier) Starlin's inspiration in Moorcock was crystal clear.
A girl brought back from the dead, by Adam, resembles a 'Stormbringer' scene, in which Elric interrogates a demon brought back from the dead, to discover Zarozinia's location.
Well,'Stormbringer' influences 'Astonishing Tales' # 180, too. We learn of Adam's total dependence on his Soul Gem ( Elric's dependency on 'Stormbringer' is the same.) Is Warlock's small, vampire-skull cape clasp an objective correlative for the Soul Gem's hold over Adam? Maybe so.
And did other Stormbringer themes & motifs inspire Starlin? In 'Stormbringer' (using the narrative technique of 'central intelligence' ? ), we get:
“Love and hate; they had led him to kill Yyrkoon who deserved death and, inadvertently, Cymoril, who did not. Love and hate.” ( p.22, Grafton Edition, 1987.)
Love and hate are motifs in 'Astonishing Tales' # 180, too. According to the Matriarch, Adam either loves passionately or hates viciously, with no middle-ground for his emotions.
Oh, there are plenty of Sinister Six returns, Steve, and even some Sinister Xs with X>6.
Next appearance is a six parter ASM somewhere in the mid 300s with Hobgoblin in place of Kraven.
And not long after that there's a six parter in adjectiveless Spider-Man still with Hobby for Kraven but also with Sandman replaced with that alien that drowned in quicksand in the savage land in ASM #103-104.
I actually bought all those 12 comics. Erik Larson art in all 12 issues.
A dominant woman, is the Matriarch “playing hot & cold” with Adam? Or, is there more to her?
Obviously, “Matriarch” = female ruler; but the word “mater”, Latin for mother, is also evoked. Does the term “Matriarch” resonate with Adam's dysfunctional family structure?
Adam's little more than an infant ( in chronological years) despite appearing about 35, and making profound utterances! Warlock's birth happened in the High Evolutionary's cocoon. Thus, he is not “of woman born” ( like Malcom, in Macbeth.) Might the Matriarch (c.f. Mater/Mother) fill this gap in Adam's psyche? The Magus (Warlock's future self), & the Matriarch, as “foster parents”, could complete Adam's missing family structure. A Freudian nightmare! ( Adam killing the Magus is thus slightly Oedipal! ) “Matriarch” gets an added connotation, within that context!
Thought experiments notwithstanding...we later learn, however, that the Matriarch's a former courtesan, of unbounded ambition. Unable to kill the Magus (with his god-like powers), the Matriarch plans Adam's demise instead, to ensure the Magus is never born. “Every messiah needs his Judas,” as the Magus later declares.
With a bunch of young disciples, Adam was a Christ-figure, in Marvel Premiere. That makes 'Astonishing Tales' # 180's Grand Inquisition scene ( 'Star Wars Weekly' # 53's page count doesn't get that far! ) particularly interesting. Jesus met the Grand Inquisitor of the Spanish Inquisition, in Ivan Karamazov's strange poem (relating to protagonist, Aloysha), in Dostoevsky's “The Brothers Karamazov”. The film version starred William Shatner, in 1958. Could Starlin have known this? Maybe not....
( Incidentally, shadow-play on the Matriarch and Adam's faces, conveying their inner emotional states, is masterful, in Warlock # 180! Likewise, Gamora, later on. )
Speaking of Gamora, did 'Stormbringer' ( Warlock questioning a dead girl brought back to life seems rooted in Elric interrogating a demon brought back to life, in 'Stormbringer' ) inspire her creation, too? Probably not. But a green woman's referenced in 'Stormbringer'. In Elric's astral dream, amongst past Melnibonean emperors, he sees “Terhali, the Green Empress....Her longevity and green-tinged skin and hair had marked her out.” ( 'Stormbringer' p,205, Grafton edition.) Maybe a coincidence – but not totally beyond the realm of possibility!
And having mentioned Shatner's “The Brothers Karamazov”, risking stating the obvious, Kirk's green women encounters would inspire anybody! The actress who played Batgirl, alongside Adam West, playing one Star Trek emerald Esmerelda!
And I haven't even touched on Starlin's anagrams!
Phillip
P.S. For Defenders # 24, see my Speak Your Brain review! Needless to say, for me, this is a brilliant comics month!
INVADERS 1 - a watershed moment for all us golden-age freakazoids. Between that and the SHADOW, life was good for Charlie.
Dis we cover the issue of Marvel Premiere with the Marvel golden-age second bananas that preceded this?
I don't know anything about these comics except Warlock, but damn - Jaws, Night Moves and Nashville!
Matthew - Night Moves is my all-time favourite Hackman film - it's certainly got the coolest theme music!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdlLWziBggM
Phillip
Me too. He’s effortlessly brilliant in it.
I didn’t see JAWS in the Summer of ‘75, but fortunately, it was still playing in theatres a year later, so I saw it then. I DID see DOC SAVAGE on opening day in June of ‘75! I was the only person in the theatre :)
GIANT-SIZE AVENGERS 4: The end of the Celestial Madonna Saga! Instead of saying ‘It’s about frickin’ time’ or harping on the sad, super-rushed-looking art, I’ll just point out how utterly weird and silly I find it that the senses-shattering double-wedding is officiâted by Immortus. Did The Watcher have a prior engagement?
The CONAN TREASURY is a thing of Beauty. I could be wrong but I believe it’s the only time ‘Red Nails’ has ever been printed with Barry’s own inks on those four or five pages that were inked by Pablo Marcos.
b.t.
Charlie, you may be thinking of the two-part story in MARVEL PREMIERE 29 and 30 featuring the Liberty Legion, but that came a bit later, in April and June of ‘76.
b.t.
Phillip:
You probably remember that Moorcock’s Terhali the Green Empress guest-starred in CONAN 14 and 15. As drawn by Barry Smith, she’s gorgeous but also VERY creepy.
And speaking of “gorgeous but creepy” ladies, I’m sure you’re also aware that Judo Jim Starlin based Gamora’s design on a character drawn by Esteban Maroto in the story “A Stranger In Hell” in Warren’s EERIE 38.
b.t.
So much good reading on the stands this week (that week)! Great Defenders story, excellent Warlock tale, reasonably decent Avengers giant.
A truly Spectacular Spider-Man Spectacular; and the first time I had the pleasure of reading that Sinister Six epic. Magnificent; but was inspired to acquire the original Spidey Annual 1 for all the bonus features (wish I'd kept that one...).
Yes, the Conan Treasury is a big winner too. Love the detailed color workover. And as Roy Thomas mentioned in his notes, BWS reinked a bit here and there I also have both issues of Savage Tales in which Red Nails first appeared, and I''ve attempted to compare the two printings in search of those touches. Haven't found any yet; perhaps one of you fine folk have identified a few...
Summer 1975 found me, along with countless others, at the cinema watching that giant shark. And reading the book. And buying the soundtrack album. And avoiding any large bodies of water.
Steve:
Some other comics from June 75 that you haven’t mentioned:
There were 3 Ditko-drawn comics published that month. One of them was DC’s odd little sword and sorcery comic STALKER #1, with script by Paul Levitz and inks by Wally Wood. It’s not great, but I do like it. I especially appreciate that it’s not following the typical “Conan template”.
I’ll hold fire on the other two for now — don’t want to step on your toes in case you have another of your Atlas Spotlight posts in the next few days.
But meanwhile …
In what had to be some kind of record, there were no less than SEVEN (!) Kung Fu comics published that month:
HANDS OF THE DRAGON 1
DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU 13 (Shang-Chi and Sons of the Tiger)
GIANT-SIZE MASTER OF KUNG FU 4 (guest-starring an un-funny Groucho Marx lookalike)
MARVEL PREMIERE 22 (Iron Fist)
RICHARD DRAGON, KUNG FU FIGHTER 2
YANG 8
MASTER OF KUNG FU 29
MOKF 29 is by far the best of that lot. Moench and Gulacy decided to give Fu Manchu a much-needed rest and began a series of multi-part espionage adventures very much inspired by the James Bond novels and movies (mostly the movies). Gulacy especially hit his stride with these mini-epics. As a bonus, he inked his own pencils on that issue and his work had never looked as dynamic and polished before.
b.t.
UK readers will know that JAWS wasn't released here until the summer of 1976, a whole year behind the USA but that's how things were done in those far-off days. It was definitely a film worth waiting for though!
I bought the Conan Treasury Edition in August 1977 while on holiday in Burryport in South Wales. Strange how newsagents in those British seaside towns sold comics that were years out of date but I'm glad they did! Marvel's adaptation of REH's People Of The Dark appeared in the third Conan Treasury Edition which I bought in late 1978 but this time from WH Smith's in my own hometown.
b.t., Stalker #1 and Kung Fu Fighter #2 were cover dated July.
- you know who
b.t. - When I wrote that piece many weeks ago ( I've kept it on my desktop, ready to cut & paste, to SDC, when Astonishing Tales # 180 popped up), I wasn't aware Terhali featured in the Conan & Elric team-up, nor about Starlin's racy Maroto inspiration for Gamora. Inbetween times, I became informed, but left the piece as I first wrote it! Maybe Terhali could form a Marvel team, along with She Hulk & Jarella, entitled the Green Goddesses!
( A reference to a UK TV fitness instructor! )
Phillip
Oh - and Gamora as well, of course!
Phillip
You forgot Mint Julep, the green woman from Killraven, Phillip.
-sean
Redartz :
I haven’t done a side-by-side comparaison yet, but according to the GCD entry on ‘Red Nails’ in the CONAN TREASURY, Barry ‘re-inked the entire story, added additional details to splash page and elsewhere’ — which doesn’t really seem plausible to me. Maybe he ‘touched up’ every page, but I can’t imagine he re-inked the entire thing, from scratch. Why on earth would he do that?
It also mentions that he re-inked ‘the 2 pages at the end of chapter one that Pablo Marcos originally inked for the story’s previous B&W appearance in Savage Tales 2’. I did a side-by-side comparison of the SAVAGE TALES and TREASURY versions of those two pages a few ago, and to my eye it’s apparent that Smith didnt ink those two pages originally, and that he did indeed re-do the inks for the TREASURY.
b.t.
Phillip:
I wasn’t trying to ‘ding’ you for not mentioning Terhali’s appearance in the Conan/Elric crossover or Gamora’s ‘Secret Origin’ — just trying to add my two cents. It’s not as if your impressively epic essay was lacking any essential information :)
However….I will point out that Starlin’s Moorcockian Warlock stories appeared in STRANGE TALES, not ASTONISHING TALES.
b.t.
Jaws came to the UK six months after the US, apparently: the premiere was on Christmas Day 1975.
I was obsessed with it, as the marketing was mental: so much merchandise, and shark-related everything. I had a Jaws medallion, poster, underpants, t-shirt, rubber bath toy, ship in a bottle of the Orca and the shark tank.
And then all the unofficial stuff with sharks in it. I lived near the Kent coast and there were people selling little sharks teeth everywhere.
I was only 5 but I hassled my parents so much my mother eventually took me to see it as a surprise. Though she did try to cover my eyes for the shocking bits.
Uk guys- so these beach-side resorts selling years-old comics… would these same comics be there next year and the next until all were sold? Or would the book store just suddenly get a shipment of years-old comics from a distribution point?
Seems really weird. Back in the day, one might find comics a few months old in a drugstore or inter mixed with stuff in the spinner but that was more likely due to indifference on the workers part.
I used to live in a seaside town in the 1980s, and I think the newsagents varied.
One or two would get all the Marvel and DC comics every month without fail - and WHSmiths often did as well. There wouldn’t be back issues around when the next batch came, so I guess they were able to return their unsold copies.
Other places must’ve got some in the past at random and they’d sit there til they were sold: I could find comics that were 2 or 3 years old sometimes.
You have to bear in mind that in America the comic biz worked on sale or return - so why leave a title taking up space in the racks if no-one seemed interested? - whereas in the UK it generally didn't.
With domestic comics, newsagents could calculate relatively easily how many to order each week, based on previous sales; but with the more inconsistent distribution of US comics - where a title might not even be imported regularly each month - it was harder to work out (actually, I'm fairly sure they just got job lots of American comics) and some could hang around for quite a while.
Having said that, my suspicion is that some old ones were imported, and the American publishers - or maybe distributors - were dumping their returns on us! There always seemed to be a few old issues of the Invaders on sale. And we were definitely still getting Atlas comics for a good couple of years after the company went tits up.
-sean
Steve, the film Blazing Stewardesses also came out this month. No, I haven't seen it either, and as far as I can ascertain it seems to be just what the title implies, a kind of American version of a mid-70s Carry On.
I'm just bringing it up here because the movie poster was drawn by Gray Morrow -
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071231/
Er, I would recommend just clicking on the poster image if you're interested, rather than watching that trailer.
I remember being quite keen to see Rollerball, but was a bit too young ):
Still, never mind - I got to read Death Game 1999 in Action the following year, which was a lot better anyway. In much the same way as Hook Jaw was better than Jaws.
-sean
PS There's a much better view of that Morrow poster here -
https://www.grindhousedatabase.com/index.php/Blazing_Stewardesses
-sean
SEAN - in proper military lingo it’s “tango uniform!” Steve runs a tight ship, here!!!
Charlie! On the subject of things going tango uniform, you might be interested to know - if you don't already - that this week is the anniversary of the British 1994 Chinook disaster (and accompanying conspiracy theories) -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_Mull_of_Kintyre_Chinook_crash
-sean
sean:
I too was interested in seeing ROLLERBALL but was also Too Young. Attracted by the re-purposed Bob Peak poster art, I bought what I thought was a novelization of the movie — which actually turned out to be a collection by the author upon whose short story the movie was based. I read the title story but none of the others. Was it any good? I don’t recall. To this day, I’ve still never seen the movie.
b.t.
I just read an online review of ROLLERBALL that says: “It has the theme but none of the verve, or even the convincing violence, of an exploitation movie; the high moral tone of the script ( and the classical music on the soundtrack) are ludicrously at odds with the film’s fundamental (but incompetent) voyeurism.” Sounds like we may have dodged a bullet, sean!
b.t.
JAWS is regarded as the first ever "summer blockbuster" movie.
b.t., I have seen Rollerball since, and that review sounds about right (although it doesn't capture how nonsensical the film is).
Mind you, it's entirely possible I might have liked it when I was 10. I mean, at that age I thought Dauntless Don McGregor would be recognized as one of the great literary figures of our time, just as soon as snooty critics stopped being so up themselves and started reading comics.
-sean
Sean - Regrettably i recall nothing of the UK CH 47 crash. Unfortunately helicopter crashes are not sooo uncommon and rather spectacular.
My guess is the pilots simply hit the mountain due to erroneous navigation in cloudy weather. Indeed my very good friend Glen Adams hit a mountain outside Stuttgart in 1988 under similar conditions.
And Charlie almost slammed into the side of a cruise ship coming out of port in Nice, France, in 1985 flying from Marseille to Genoa in a Chinook hotel in extremely foggy conditions along the Mediterranean.
Anyhow, helicopter pilots suck at flying in bad weather because they do not like transitioning to Instrument Fliying (IFR).
I’ve only recently seen Rollerball for the first time, and it’s a bit gobsmacking how hypocritical it is. The action sequences are exciting and visceral and gripping - which is completely at odds with the preachy anti-violence message.
I thought you might appreciate the Sir Paul connection, Charlie. Although 'Mull of Kintyre' doesn't seem to be as well known in the US as here...?
I don't think any of the conspiracy theories suggest McCartney involvement though.
-sean
Sean - i did definitely inagine the Chinook crashing into Paul’s farm. Oh the songs that would be forthcoming! What rhymes with Chinook or Charlie Horse 47! Lol!
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