Thursday, 31 July 2025

August 2nd, 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
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We all know there's no greater pleasure to be had than can be found in a good old dose of ageing horror.

And, therefore, one of my happiest memories from childhood is of watching a Cabinet of Dr Caligari/Quatermass II double bill on BBC Two, one Saturday night.

Friends, that Saturday night was August 2nd, 1975, and it happened in Blackpool!

It's true. I was on that year's summer holiday. And that means it took a coach trip for me to get there.

And what do I recall from that coach trip?

I recall the coach seats having shiny metal ashtrays on the back of them, that you could dismantle and put back together again.

I remember Don Estelle and Windsor Davies singing on the coach radio. I remember The Bay City Rollers singing on the coach radio.

I also recall plenty of Alan Class being consumed on the journey - involving a tale of a man who gets turned into a totem pole, something to do with a Mexican cliff diver, a scientist who's attacked by plants, and something called They Drive By Night.

But, most of all, I recall reading several of the comics below.

Spider-Man Comics Weekly #129


I definitely recall reading this one on the coach.

But how could I not? It's the senses-shattering return of the Green Goblin!

And it's the start of the legendary drugs story that changed the history of American comics, as, freshly back from England, Spidey saves a youth who's decided he can fly from rooftops while under the influence!

In South-East Asia, Iron Man's got problems too, when Half-Face summons Titanium Man to do battle on his behalf.

And, then, Thor must confront Galactus, as the huge-helmeted heel makes a bid to swallow Ego.

But never to swallow his own ego.

Marvel UK, Avengers #98


Bizarrely, I've no memory at all of the Butlin Super-Joker feature and shall, therefore, conclude that I was not a Butlin Super-Joker.

I also have no memory at all of a robot pterodactyl showing up in this week's Avengers tale, nor of a real one appearing in Conan's strip. I, therefore, suspect this cover may be somewhat taking liberties.

As for what does happen inside this mag, I do believe the barbarian's in some tunnels and having to fight a big black dog, as his involvement in the Siege of Makkalet continues.

The Avengers, meanwhile, enter a whole new chapter of their lives, thanks to being introduced to a robust new metal called Adamantium, and the Vision starts to act oddly before disappearing.

Both these strips are drawn by Barry Smith. Only two weeks ago, Dr Strange's strip was drawn by Barry Smith. That's how close we came to experiencing an all-Barry Smith issue of this mag.

Speaking of the strangest of doctors, I do suspect the sorcerously supreme surgeon's still in some caves and on the search for that serpentine scumbag Sligguth.

Mighty World of Marvel #148, Hulk vs Namor

Unless I miss my ever-loving guess, the newly assembled Defenders complete their first mission when they successfully marmalise Yandroth's Omegatron in a lighthouse.

Daredevil's still trying to smash Captain America's head in, during a charity boxing match but, as a hefty dose of radiation poisoning starts to wear off, the man without fear starts to wonder just what he's fighting for.

Elsewhere, it's a big day for the Fantastic Four when Sue Richards discovers she's pregnant!

But it's not good news for everyone - because a virtual army of FF supporting characters are about to come into conflict with no lesser menace than Psycho-Man!

Marvel UK, Dracula Lives #41


I know this is meant to be a supremely dramatic cover but Dracula's pose does create the impression that he's having a seriously intense session with his psycho-therapist.

Despite that cover, Dracula and Rachel van Helsing are having to cooperate with each other in order to survive, having been stranded in the frozen Alps.

But, now, they must overcome an attack by the deadliest predator those peaks can throw at them.

A mountain goat!

And, in another clash some of us never saw coming, the Werewolf by Night must survive an encounter with the Hunchback of Notre Dame!

Meanwhile, Frankenstein's Monster and the Berserker are attacked by a veritable horde of little people in the woods - a battle that proves terminal for the Berserker.

Marvel UK, Planet of the Apes #41

Things threaten to get overheated in the latest episode of Beneath the Planet of the Apes due to Brent being subjected to questioning by a bunch of mutants who worship an atom bomb!

Following that, The Day of the Triffids continues.

And we encounter a five-page tale called Hey Buddy, Can You Lend Me a..., as brought to us by Mike Kaluta and reprinted from 1971's Scream Door #1 - a publication with which I could not claim to be familiar.


Marvel UK, Super-Heroes #22, the Silver Surfer

I do believe the Surfer's still having a not-too-happy reunion with Shalla-Bal.

And, judging by that cover, he's also having a not-too-happy reunion with the military as well!

Elsewhere, Professor X has tracked down Lucifer - the foe who cost him the use of his legs. But things are complicated by the fact that his quarry's heartbeat is rigged to a giant thermal bomb!

And, somehow, this all leads to a fight between the X-Men and the Avengers!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Scream Door #1 is a bit of an obscure one, Steve. It was basically a one-off fanzine that published some unused comic stories originally intended for the short-lived Web of Horror, a b&w comic magazine put out by Major Publications - whoever they were - that briefly competed with Warren in 1970.

https://comicattack.net/ink-stains-53-scream-door-1/

The Marvel connection is that Kaluta's 'Buddy Can You Lend Me A...' was reused in Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction #1. Presumably Kaluta owned the rights to it, but as with Jan Strnad & Richard Corben's 'Encounter At War' - reprinted in UWoSF #4 after appearing in the underground Anomaly #4 - I haven't a clue what the arrangement with the House of Ideas involved.

Not sure what's going on with that Super-Heroes cover (originally from Silver Surfer #10 iirc). It looks like theres a giant Surfer in the background...?

-sean

Anonymous said...

sean:
I think the giant Surfer is meant to be symbolic. The guy in green, wearing sunglasses and a dapper hat is the Surfer in disguise. I don’t remember WHY he’s in disguise, though.

Steve:
Alliteration has been in such short supply here lately, I was happy just to see “Huge-helmeted heel”, and then a few paragraphs later, we get carpet-bombed with a stupendous string of senses-shattering sibilants! SWEET.

b.t.

Colin Jones said...

Those sci-fi/horror double-bills on BBC2 were an essential part of summer!

Colin Jones said...

Apparently astronomers have now concluded there's probably no life on the planet K2 18b after all so it's back to square one in the search for life beyond Earth. Those bloody astronomers led us up the garden path for months only to change their minds and the next time they announce the discovery of life on another planet I won't be so naive as to believe it.

Anonymous said...

Is Reed Richards the one who actually impregnated Sue who begat Franklin. It’s been nearly 60 years and Charlie figures Von Doom must be the actual progenitor by now?

Btw… I think there are additins to the Richard’s family. I was in my LCBS and picked up an FF and it appears Franklin is now an adult and had sibs of some sort. Hell, he might even have a significant other himself.

Too much water under the bridge… Make Mine Reprints from the 1960s!

Colin Jones said...

Charlie, Reed and Sue later had a daughter called Valeria.

Colin Jones said...

I heard yesterday that the satirical songwriter Tom Lehrer has died aged 97 which was news to me as I didn't realise he was still alive and the singer Cleo Laine has also died aged 97 which was genuinely puzzling as I could have sworn I'd already heard about her death several years ago.