Fifty years ago today - September 1973.

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

***

It is time to collapse into the ever-swirling Time Vortex that has filled my living room and see just what strange shores we land upon.

And we land upon the strange shores of the West Midlands, as the world's mightiest super-team visit central England and discover that the area which gave us Slade, ELO and Duran Duran is actually inhabited by homicidal troglodytes who the gang have a baffling amount of difficulty overcoming.

We all know you can't go wrong writing a tale that features giant spiders.

Sadly, I suspect the Yellow Claw does go wrong with them and that Cap and his plucky sidekick will, ultimately, win the day.

I've not read this one but I gather Conan helps the Turanian army against the legions of someone called Munthassem Khan.

But does the title mean it's an adaptation of Robert E Howard's The Hand of Nergal?

I read this one on holiday in 1978. After all those years of Gene Colan and Tom Palmer, suddenly being exposed to Don Heck at his less-than-finest convinced me it was the moment Daredevil as a strip had died.

Fortunately, I was wrong. I'm glad to say the strip recovered and had many a happy year ahead of it.

As for what happens this month, boy reporter Peter Parker visits San Francisco to interview Daredevil and the Black Widow but Ramrod attacks their house, and the trio of heroes must join forces to stop the brutal battler.

The Miracle Man returns but can't get what's left of the Fantastic Four to take him seriously.

But, then, with a twist that could stagger the gods themselves, it turns out he now has actual real super-powers - and he's not afraid to use them.

And that's bad news for Wyatt Wingfoot's tribe whose land he's rudely decided to take control of.

It's good news for Betty when her father returns from his Russian captivity.

But it's not such good news when he has to tell her her husband Glenn kicked the bucket rescuing him.

Needless to say, this all puts Betty in a psychiatric institution.

And that's when MODOK shows up, looking to use her as an instrument of vengeance.

Apparently, Whiplash steals Tony Stark's latest Micro-Power Cell and then destroys every single one of Shellhead's weapons.

Fortunately, our hero then hits upon the genius idea of taking his whip off him. At which point the fight's over.

Everyone's favourite astronaut John Jameson is back from the moon but now has a gem stuck to him that turns him into a yellow-clad werewolf!

And, for some reason, that werewolf has it in for his own father!

I believe this is the one where Thor fights a giant, stroppy space crystal that's holding Sif and Karnilla captive.

Fortunately, the thunder god has the help of the ever-mercurial Mercurio.

That's Marvel accounted for but, for comparison's sake, what was a random selection of DC books bearing that same date offering us?

It's an iconic cover for a famous issue, as the Joker returns to cause mischief and mayhem for Gotham's finest. If I remember right, the villain sets out to bump off some of his old henchmen and it all climaxes with a shark fight and a wheelchair.

Mike Kaluta provides the cover and Jim Aparo provides the innards when DC's premier man of mystery meets Mary Shelley's man of many parts in a tale of demonic possession, big houses and blood-thirsty vendetta.

History's made when America gets its youngest-ever president, in a short-lived series that's either groundbreaking satirical genius or total cobblers, depending on who you ask.

It's the only issue of Shazam I ever owned and I'm struggling to recall anything that happens in it but I do recall liking CC Beck's artwork.

Apparently, a leprechaun and a boy who wants to be the world's toughest guy feature in the issue's first two tales.

And there's even room for Captain Marvel Junior to launch himself into sensational solo action.

Excitement greets us all, as Timber Wolf returns from the dead.

Not that I'd previously been aware that he was dead.

Nor had I previously been aware that he'd ever existed.

Still, his return proves to be big news, with potential assassination involved and plenty of Dave Cockrum magic. Not to mention a classic Nick Cardy cover.

I've no idea what goes on in this one but it's a cover that demands I buy it.

Apparently, writer Robert Kanigher is credited as Charles Moulton in this issue. I can only assume there's a Bob Kane style situnario underway.

September 1st, 1973 - 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. 

***

It seems there was no stopping Donny Osmond, this week in 1973, as he retained the UK Number One spot he'd claimed the week before, thanks to his resolutely unthreatening single Young Love.

Equally unstoppable but, doubtless, more potent was Rod Stewart who that week, claimed the pinnacle of the British album chart, with his latest platter that mattered, the album the world knew only as Sing It Again, Rod.

To be honest, that's not an LP I could claim to have ever heard of but it was clearly making its mark at the time.

Once more, despite the cover's boast that the comic stars the Incredible Hulk, the Avengers are granted the lead strip in Marvel UK's flagship.

It seems the team feel responsible for whatever peril the Hulk may pose since he left their ranks and, so, they go in search of him.

But, when they find him, it causes the Hulkster to join forces with the equally anti-social Sub-Mariner, and a punch-up can only be mere moments away.

In the back-up strip, the Fantastic Four are still battling the Mole Man after his subterfuge led them to inadvertently seek out his island, in an attempt to escape their annoyed neighbours.

But we've got far bigger problems than even the FF have. The disastrous news is it looks like this is our last chance to win that one year's pocket money of which we've all been dreaming!

And it's bad news for Spidey too when the Molten Man's released from jail!

The vulcanised villain swears he's going to be smarter when committing his future crimes but that doesn't prevent our hero from quickly putting an end to his schemes.

And it's a rare case of joined-up thinking by Marvel UK's editorial staff, as our Thor tale ties directly in with the events of this week's Mighty World of Marvel. The thunder god bores a bunch of kids to death by telling them all about the fight between him and the Hulk that's briefly alluded to in that very mag. This is in response to their question about which of the pair is strongest.

As far as I can recall, we never get an actual answer to that question.

Which suggests to me that it's the Hulk because, if it was Thor, there'd be no reason for him to be coy about it.

But here comes a Steve Does Comics public service announcement. I should give a quick plug to Mark A Wilson's The Power of the BeeSting site which also covers what each Marvel UK weekly was up to fifty years ago but does so with far more detail and knowledge than I can ever manage to muster. It is definitely worth a look.

Speak Your Brain! Part 61. Your favourite villains - and memories of 1979.

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

***

Image by Tumisu
from Pixabay

And, so, another month approaches its doom.

But there is one thing that never dies.

Like Boris Karloff wrapped in bandages in an Egyptian tomb, it always returns from the far banks of the Styx to wreak more havoc in a strangely shuffling manner.

That thing is the feature the world knows as Speak Your Brain, a dread experience in which the first person to comment gets to set the topic of the day.

But what shall be that topic of the day?

That, I cannot say.

It is known only to the gods - and to you.

August 1983 - 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. 

***

I'll have a, "P," please, Bob.

It's true. Those legendary words were first uttered (possibly) exactly forty years ago, as August 1983 saw the launch of ITV's legendary quiz show Blockbusters, hosted by none other than Bob Holness.

Holness, of course, had two previous and unlikely claims to celebrity. One was that he was the first person in Britain to ever play James Bond. And the other was that he played sax on Gerry Rafferty's classic Baker Street.

Of course, as all true music lovers know, that second claim is a popular urban myth and has no truth to it at all.

It was, in fact, Hazel O'Connor's Will You? that he played sax on.

And Foreigner's Urgent.

And The Logical Song.

Sadly, Blockbusting Bob was nowhere to be seen on that month's UK singles chart, where the top spot was initially held by KC and the Sunshine Band's Give It Up before that was supplanted by UB40's cover of Neil Diamond's Red Red Wine. 

Bob Holness had, of course, previously played sax on UB40's breakthrough hit Food for Thought.

And Dexys Midnight Runners' Geno.

Over on the accompanying album chart, August kicked off with The Very Best of The Beach Boys at Number One before that was dethroned by Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five's 18 Greatest Hits.

The observant reader will, no doubt, spot that Star Wars Monthly is no more.

Fear not. It has not suffered a shock demise at the peak of Return of the Jedi Fever. It's merely reverted to its original weekly format. A fact that means it now falls outside the purview of this feature, what with it no longer being a monthly.

However, The Daredevils is still going strong and, in Captain Britain's strip, the Fury's made it to our Earth and has already started killing people.

Elsewhere, Night-Raven finds himself involved in an adventure called The Snow-Queen.

And Daredevil tries to figure out why the Mauler's out to bump off his old boss. I assume that's the Mauler's old boss. Not Daredevil's old boss.

My knowledge of this one's limited but, from the cover, it's clear it's a convention special and reports on said convention's guests, monsters, motor cars and panels.

In our main story, on the X-Men's night off, Kitty Pryde's left home alone on Christmas Eve, only to find herself having to single-handedly battle a N'garai demon that's showed up uninvited.

Elsewhere, the Vision and Scarlet Witch are having trouble with the Grim Reaper.

But what's this madness? Just why is Wanda blonde on that cover when, in the original comic, she appears to possess her normal hair colour?

Tragedy hits the nation, as the mag dedicated to the world's favourite space outlaws hits its last ever issue, cunningly labelled a, "Collector's edition."

I can't find a single copy of it on eBay. So, I'm going to suspect that not that many people actually collected it.

Sadly, I can't say anything much about the contents, other than that it contains a five-page picture strip called The Omen.

Blake's 7 may have shuffled off this mortal coil but Marvel UK's oldest monthly's still going strong - now reaching its 70th issue.

And it does so with a tale featuring Andrax the Last.

Presumably, not to be confused with Andrex the Cylindrical.

Britain's favourite sci-fi mag gives us its own special take on the Oscars.

But it also interviews director Richard Lester about the Superman movies.

We have the chance to win a book about the life and times of Steven Spielberg.

And there's a celebration of Doctor Who.

August 25, 1973 - 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. 

***

For once, my awesome memory fails me, as, this week in 1973, there sat atop the UK singles chart, a track I have no recollection of ever having existed.

And that track was Young Love by Donny Osmond. To satiate my curiosity, I must hasten to the jam-packed pages of YouTube to discover just what this monster smash sounded like.

But, before I do, I must note herewithin that I do believe that man also had a hit with a tune called Puppy Love. If so, I'm starting to spot a formula at work when it comes to his song titles.

Over on the British album chart, the top spot was gripped, as it had been the week before, by Peters and Lee's We Can Make It. Just what unthreatening delights did that LP contain and just what was it they could make? I suspect we'd have to buy the album to find out.

The Space Phantom visits our dear old homeworld, in a bid to overcome the Avengers. After all, If he can destroy them, then nothing can prevent his people from invading!

It's weird how I must have read this tale at the time but have no recollection of ever having done so.

Also getting too big for his boots is the Mole Man who causes the Fantastic Four's neighbours to complain about their activities, so the team'll be keen on relocating to an island he's put up for sale.

Needless to say, when the quartet visit the island, the villain and his stick are there, waiting for them.

I do recall a later Fantastic Four tale in which the team inadvertently move into a house owned by the same miscreant. The lesson is clearly that you should never let the FF recommend a property to you.

But, even more importantly, this is the tale in which the Invisible Girl first develops the power to create force fields! Look out, villains, your days of kidnapping her are over!

And, more importantly than even that, we can still win £1 per week pocket money for a whole year!

It's nothing but high drama when Kraven dresses up as Spider-Man, in order to lure our hero into emerging for a rematch.

Needless to say, the rematch goes as well as the first match and Spidey promptly clobbers the wildlife-bothering fool.

Thor, meanwhile, is tackling Mr Hyde and the Cobra who've appeared, menacingly, at Jane Foster's bedside.

And, this time, their powers have been boosted by Loki!

Even more meanwhile, this issue's back page offers us the chance to buy three transfers featuring Thor, Spider-Man and the Hulk.

Speak Your Brain! Part 60. Consolation comics - the dregs.

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

***

Image by Tumisu
from Pixabay

Bitter is the disappointment that has greeted me in the Women's World Cup but, like a trooper, I must put that behind me, as I fling myself, face first, into the World Athletics Championships. Good God above, with all this sport going on, it's a miracle I'm not exhausted.

Still, I can take refuge within the latest installment of the feature the whole world is speaking of.

And that feature is this one. The one in which the first person to comment gets to decide the topic of the day!

But what shall that topic be? Shall it be about those aforementioned global sporting events?

Or do other incidents intrigue, bemuse, enthrall, banjax and entickle our readership more?

I cannot say.

You can say.

And you can say so below.

2000 AD - July 1985.

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

***

July 1985 gave us a choice that could test the wisdom of Solomon himself. We could spend our money going to the cinema or we could spend it going to Live Aid.

But which should we choose?

Well, let's see. The picture houses of the world were currently showing Back to the Future, Red Sonja, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Silverado, Day of the Dead, Kiss of the Spider Woman and National Lampoon's European Vacation.

They were also showing a thing called Dr Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam. I don't have a clue what the hell that was but, from that title, it sounds like a thing best watched with the assistance of vast quantities of mind-bending substances.

Live Aid, on the other hand, was offering us access to the world's greatest music stars and Nik Kershaw.

But Wembley and Philadelphia weren't the only places we could find music. After all, we could also find it on the pop charts.

The UK singles chart, that month, kicked off with Sister Sledge's Frankie at Number One. That was soon deposed by the Eurythmics' There Must be an Angel (Playing With My Heart) which was then overthrown by Madonna's Into the Groove.

Over on the British album chart, July arrived with Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA ruling the roost for three-quarters of the month before it was replaced by Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms.

But what of the galaxy's greatest comic while this smorgasbord of song was being unleashed?

As so often, it was offering us a diet of Strontium Dog, Judge Dredd, Sláine, Ace Trucking Co and Rogue Trooper, while Judge Anderson was still battling the Dark Judges. Judging by the covers below, the comic seemed to have developed a strange fixation with surfing but I don't know in which strips that fixation was manifesting itself.