Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon.
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It seems that September 1976 was an exciting month for all lovers of talking frogs, amorous pigs and indeterminate crow-like creatures because it was the month in which The Muppet Show was broadcast for the very first time.
To be honest, I was never a fan of them. They were far too energetic and positive for my liking and kept bursting into song at every opportunity.
Fortunately, there was one group of characters in my life who could never be called a bunch of Muppets.
And those were the heroes of Marvel!
I genuinely have no idea what happens in this one, other than from the cover giving me the impression that a brand-new lineup of Avengers is being introduced - possibly to be selected by a mass punch-up!
To be honest, I was never a fan of them. They were far too energetic and positive for my liking and kept bursting into song at every opportunity.
Fortunately, there was one group of characters in my life who could never be called a bunch of Muppets.
And those were the heroes of Marvel!
I genuinely have no idea what happens in this one, other than from the cover giving me the impression that a brand-new lineup of Avengers is being introduced - possibly to be selected by a mass punch-up!
Perhaps more importantly, the internet informs me that this tale contains the first appearance of Wonder Man since his death in the book's early days.
I believe this is the lead-up to the tale in which Conan, Red Sonja and Bêlit scrap it out for ownership of the dreaded Book of Skelos. Only for Kull to somehow get dragged into it all.
But that's for the future. I suspect that, right now, Conan and Bêlit get to fight each other. Presumably as a result of some sorcery or other.
I believe I've never read this epic and can, thus, voice no opinions upon it but I do know that Brother Wonderful is in it, even though I have no idea who that is.
Hooray! Torgo's back - and so are the Skrulls - as the Fantastic Four strive to find a planet for Galactus to eat instead of Counter-Earth.
And Psyklop is more than back in a tale that I suspect can only mean bad news for Jarella.
However, that is the total sum of my knowledge of this adventure.
And I know nothing at all about this one, other than it not only featuring the return of the Controller but, also, appearances by the Scrounger, the Blood Brothers, Harry Key and Michael O'Brien, which is more threats than you can shake a stick at!
The Tinkerer is back - and with a cover that clearly owes much to the front of Amazing Spider-Man #98, as we encounter the tragic demise of the Spider-Mobile.Even more tragically, I do believe this issue claims the Tinkerer isn't an alien and that he was just pretending to be, during his first appearance.
Needless to say, this is a development of which I cannot approve.
I don't know what it is. The thunder god just can't stop getting into clashes with the goddess of death.
This time, it's down to him looking for the missing Odin in to a quest that leads him to the depths of Hel itself!
A threat on a much lower level is encountered by Daredevil when the Jester reappears.
However, not having read this one, I cannot say just what the villain's plan may be.
The GCD informs me that this issue features a letter from the Amazing Randi, claiming that Uri Geller doesn't have genuine magic powers!
And it also features a letter from Geller insisting that he does!
High controversy indeed!
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20 comments:
A lot of Kirby covers, this month!
Phillip
I love Jack K’s work. I grew up with it. Not that these covers are bad but they just don’t do it for me. Anyone else? CH 47
Steve? I dare say I may have finally earned a “Steve Does NO PRIZES?!
You talk about Spider-Man 160 owing much to Spider-Man 98. However, Spider-Man 98 has the green goblin in the background whereas Spider-Man 160 has the Spidey mobile!
Clearly, Charlie has caught an error in an otherwise near flawless Steve Does Comics post?
Statler & Waldorf weren't positive - anything but!
Phillip
Charlie, I think observational powers that acute definitely deserve a Steve Does Comics No-Prize.
I bought all of these that month.
This is Steve Englehart’s last issue of the Avengers. His account of why he left the book is very different from Gerry Conway’s version of the events. It sounds like they had a dick-swinging competition behind the scenes which ended with Englehart either quitting or being fired by newly-anointed Editor-in-Chief Conway. The truth might be somewhere in-between.
Steve, IIRC Red Sonja only shows up on the very last page of CTB 66. Technically the story continues in MARVEL FEATURE 6, but that issue ALSO ends with Red Sonja running into Conan and Belit only on the very last page. Belit and Red Sonja do end up having a (very short and inconclusive) sword-fight in CTB 67. Alan Stewart had a great write-up of this disappointing multi-issue “Battle of the Barbarians” on his blog ATTACK OF THE FIFTY-YEAR-OLD COMIC BOOKS a few weeks ago.
The cover of IRON MAN 90 is one of the few times Jack Abel inked Jack Kirby — I like it a lot. Abel also inked George Tuska’s pencils inside the book, and I think that combo looks great too. SO much better than Tuska / Colletta or Tuska / Esposito.
b.t.
STEVE - at this Point in time is it fair to say that only Sean And I have a “Steve does Comics no prize?”
My wife doesn’t quite believe me so would you be willing to send me a No-Picture too?
JP
Steve, The Fall And Rise Of Reginald Perrin debuted on September 8th 1976.
Mao-Tse-Tung died on September 9th 1976.
ABBA's Dancing Queen was No.1 in the UK for the entire month of September 1976.
Starting next week the Bayeux Tapestry will be on display in the British Museum! About 30 years ago it was claimed that the tapestry is a fake, produced in the 18th Century - did anyone else hear that story?
Why is salmon so expensive? A little tin of John West red salmon costs £5.50 in Tesco but a small tin of tuna costs only 60p.
I finally investigated the ice lollies in Tesco but the "choice" was pathetic as the freezer was almost empty!
Colin, I've never heard that claim about the tapestry.
JP, I have no idea how many people have a Steve Does Comics No-Prize. It's probably a state secret or something. Here's a No-Photo of your No-Prize to show your wife.
Bt, thanks for the Conan, Red Sonja, Bêlit info.
Phillip, Statler & Waldorf are clearly the true heroes of The Muppets.
Steve, Brother Wonderful was one Abner Doolittle; not to be confused with Abner Little, the Collector searching for King Solomon's Frog in Jack Kirby's Black Panther run, he was the leader of the Night People, lunatics who'd escaped from an asylum on Zero Street to a nearby pocket dimension, where they were involved in a conflict with alien rock monsters.
He kidnapped Leila Taylor so the Falcon would come and - after a bit of electro-shock therapy to turn him into a Night Person - help them out. Which was possibly not the greatest plan ever, but in fairness Doolittle was an escaped mental patient.
After getting caught up in Captain America's ensuing encounter with Agron the energy vampire from the future inhabiting the body of an eyeless zombie in a SHIELD psychiatric unit, he made a return appearance in an issue of Marvel Two-in-One as the inventor of a device that could transport Thundra back to a Femizon-ruled Earth.
You're welcome. Anything else you want to know, feel free to ask.
-sean
More or less agree with Charlie about Kirby's 70s Marvel covers.
I say 'more or less' because there seemed to be a difference between the comics that he actually worked on, and the 'bait and switch' ones where he was just the cover artist.
So for instance this month the Cap cover is intriguing. But the rest...
Clearly Marvel were more interested in Kirby revisiting the FF and Thor than the king himself was. I mean, Hela was one of his greatest 60s character designs, but on Thor #251 even her headgear looks unusually unimpressive...
-sean
To celebrate the arrival of the Bayeux Tapestry BBC Radio 4 is devoting much of its' programming on Sep 3rd to the Normans and their legacy. Thanks to BBC Sounds I've already listened to a play about the creation of the tapestry which claims that King Harold was a pagan and also implies that pre-Norman England was a kind of pagan idyll which is total bull as the whole of Britain had become Christian long before 1066.
Do any SDC readers feel under threat from Russia? Apparently World War III is imminent and Russia is about to invade us at any moment even though the Russian army couldn't punch their way out of a paper bag as they've ably demonstrated in Ukraine for the past four years. Should we ignore the doom-mongers gagging for war or should we start stocking up canned food for the coming apocalypse?
Colin - I stockpile canned food, to a certain extent, regardless. It's vital, even if you twist your ankle! Russia lobbing ballistic missiles at UK weapons factories is more of a concern.
Phillip
Where is the Watcher when you need him?
You're ahead of the curve, Phillip! The government is advising us to stock up on canned food and bottled water.
Charlie/Joe, my local Tesco is selling pumpkin-flavoured latte and pumpkin-scented tealights.
Sean, thanks for all the Brother Wonderful info. I now feel like I know him better than his own mother does.
COLIN - you have my sympathies LOL. Actually i know many like the Pumpkin Spice. But like everything in America it gets grossly overdone.
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