POOR LITTLE FOXY - R.I.P.

My back garden is huge - to such an extent that another house could probably be built on it and still have a bit of garden left over.  Because of its size, foxes like to play in it and lounge about on hot days, having the occasional snooze.  I usually feed the foxes and some of them will actually take food from my hand, though others do a runner on sight of me.  I haven't fed many lately because I haven't seen much of them, and if I put food out when they're not around, the gulls, crows, and magpies scoff it in pretty short order.  I therefore started waiting until I spotted some foxes in my garden and then went out and put food in their dishes.  I always make sure their water bowls are filled so that they don't go thirsty, but maybe someone else is supplying them with a better quality of food than I do, so they've gone elsewhere.

A few years ago there was one fox in particular who'd take food from my hand and then lie down a couple of feet from me and take a kip when I was resting from filling the bird feeders.  I imagine that fox has gone to meet his maker, but the thought that he enjoyed my garden and saw it as a pleasant place to frequent gave me a quiet pride.  Last week when I went out to feed the birds (tuppence a bag), a dead fox was lying on the lawn, looking for all the world like he was sleeping.  He looked as though he may have been attacked, but it was hard to tell because it was raining and his fur was all matted and wet.  I hope he wasn't poisoned because that means other animals are also at risk if he was, but whatever caused his demise, I was touched by the fact that he seemingly sought out the sanctuary of my garden in which to breathe his last.

I considered burying him out there, but then thought better of it in case he was diseased, so I called the Environmental Health Department, who came and took him away to be disposed of.  It was sad to see his corpse, and I wondered if he may have been the baby fox (yes, I know they're called cubs) that I photographed in my garden last year.  I sincerely hope not, and that he (or she) is enjoying life to the full somewhere with other foxes.  As for the dead fox, I hope he enjoyed whatever span he had and that he didn't suffer before his end came.

FANTASTIC FOUR #7 FACSIMILE EDITION...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

This is one of my all-time favourites, though I readily confess that nostalgic association likely plays a large part in its exalted status in my estimation.  I first read the tale in 1967 in a UK weekly comic called Wham! and not too long after (around 1968 or '69) in a US issue of Marvel Collectors' Item Classics.  Then it popped up again in The Mighty World Of Marvel in 1973 and The Complete Fantastic Four in 1977, as well as various reprintings of the tale in collected editions down through the years.  Oh, and lest I forget, it also appeared in Panini's monthly Fantastic Four Adventures in 2006. 

The latest is this excellent Facsimile Edition, which includes the mistake in the final panel, where Reed Richards refers to 'reducing gas' when he should've said 'enlarging gas'.  It was corrected in subsequent presentations until Marvel decided to go with a more archival approach and leave the mistakes in instead of correcting them.  In fact, in some instances, they had to restore some errors due to them having been 'fixed' and there being no uncorrected proofs available for printing from.  That meant 'whiting out' the correction and having someone re-letter the original goof, though not always in an unobtrusive way.

The memories this tale conjures up in my memory banks span all my early encounters of this classic adventure.  I even associate it with the street I used to live in three years before I ever laid eyes on Stan & Jack's imaginative story, due to having the issue of Wham! with me on a family visit one night to former neighbours in the area in which we'd previously resided.  However, I'll rein in my reminiscences as I'm sure you'll all have your own recollections concerning The Fabulous FF's journey into action and excitement on Planet X, and their confrontation with Kurrgo, its self-appointed Master.  So let's read 'em!

(Incidentally, Panini have just launched a 'new' FF monthly mag, no doubt hoping to capitalise on the new movie featuring the Cosmic Quartet.  It should be available now from all good newsagents and comics shops.  If not, don't blame me.)

Oh, one last thing.  The three UK weekly mags mentioned in the first paragraph reprinted the tale (and others) in two parts over two issues.  It was the first part I had with me when visiting our old neighbours back in '67.  It pays to be precise.

******

One thing that always bothered me about the tale is that if Planet X is light years away from Earth, would Kurrgo be able to view the FF in real time on his monitor?  Surely the images would take centuries (or ever such a long time) to reach him?  Same goes for the spaceship he sends to our solar system to collect the four and deposit them on X - wouldn't the asteroid have destroyed the planet in the time it takes to make such a journey?  Obviously some space and time warps would be required, but there's no mention of them.  Or am I overthinking things again?  

BABE Of The DAY - BECKY RULE...

Apparently, the lovely Becky Rule

'plays for the other team'.  I'm not quite

sure if that counts as a disappointment

or not.  What do you say, Crivs?

The GALACTUS TRILOGY FACSIMILE EDITIONS...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

Not long arrived at Castel Crivens, the Facsimile Edition of Fantastic Four #50, the third and final part of what's collectively referred to as The Galactus Trilogy.  I've actually got the original '60s issue of this number, but these facsimiles are hard to resist.  In reverse order, I've also thrown in #s 48 & 49, even though I've shown them previously.  It just seemed a shame to separate them, which is why I've include them all together in this post.  Did you read these issues back in the day, Crivs, and if so, just what did you think of them?  Reminiscences welcome.

WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS COVER?

Copyright DC COMICS

The above cover is from an issue Baggsey from Super Stuff In The Bronze Age listed in my Desert Island Comics post - in fact he considered it the best Batman tale ever written.  Well, I had to see what it was all about, so I promptly bought a copy via eBay and it arrived today.  Before I show you its interior splash pages, study the cover and see if you can spot what I consider to be a glaring error.  I'll fill you in on what it is after the following impressive images.

First, however, it's interesting to note that the words 'nigger' and 'spade' are used in the main tale, something that most likely wouldn't be allowed nowadays.  The first word is used by a black man, the second by a white, but they're used in the context of demonstrating (not condoning) the racism that existed at the time.  It probably wasn't really necessary to introduce the subject, but writer and artist Frank Robbins doubtless wanted to make a point and it isn't too laboured.

Anyway, ready for the pretty piccies?  Then let's go!  (And don't forget to spot the cover mistake.)

Did you spot the cover gaff?  The large scissors are completely unnecessary.  If they wanted to drop Batman to the ground below, all they need do is let go off him, not cut his cape!  Simple, eh?

UNCANNY X-MEN FACSIMILE EDITIONS MINI-COVER GALLERY...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

Just to alert you to a couple of recent Facsimile Editions from Marvel, Crivvies, which you might be interested in adding to your collection - namely The Uncanny X-Men #s 135 & 136.  However, I'm going to start by showing some of the previous X-Men facsimiles which eventually lead up to Jean Gray's death in #137.  I don't think I ever had any of the original issues in this run, though I believe I read some black and white reprints in Marvel Superheroes, a UK monthly from back in the late '70s/early '80s.  The 137 facsimile is one I bought in 2019, but it's being reissued later this month, and yes, I have actually pre-ordered it.

Anyway, enough waffle from me, enjoy the pretty piccies presented for your palpitating pleasure.  And if you'd like to leave a comment, well - I won't try to stop you.  (Incidentally, I scanned these mags while still in their poly bags, so there might be a spot of dust visible in one or two places.  And I may've shown some of them before, but I can't recall which ones.)

Any memories of the original printings way back when, Crivs?  Then recount your recollections to your fellow readers, esteemed ones, and prompt some pleasant nostalgic notions.

R.I.P. - JIM SHOOTER...

Jim Shooter was a prominent if controversial figure in the world of comics, and now that he's sadly died from cancer at the age of 73, you'll be able to read about his life and career on loads of blogs - who'll tell you all about him far better than I ever could.  However, he did a lot for comics and their creators and that should never be forgotten, whatever else might be said about him.

ACTION COMICS #419 - The HUMAN TARGET TAKES A BOW...

Art NEAL ADAMS.  Copyright DC COMICS

You're correct, Crivvies, I've shown the above cover before, but it was 'borrowed' from eBay.  This time it's my own copy, newly arrived this evening (19:19 pm to be precise) from the US.  I'm pretty sure I had it back in the day, though for some obscure reason never kept it.  The regular back-up story in Action Comics had been Metamorpho since #413, but with this issue The Human Target made his debut, with Morphy moving over to World's Finest Comics.

In the '60s, artist Curt Swan drew Superman with quite a high forehead, making him look older, but come the '70s, Swan gave Supes and Clark a lower hairline, bestowing on him a younger appearance.  This, I imagine, was an editorial decision, as Superman's official age at the time was 29, but he previously looked as though he was at least in his mid-30s.  Anyway, I'm glad to have this one back in the fold, and I'm going to love it and hug it and call it 'George'.

Any memories of this issue, readers?  Feel free to wax lyrical in the comments section.  

BELLAMY Versus NOBLE And EMBLETON...

Art FRANK BELLAMY.  Characters copyright relevant owners

Every serious comics aficionado of a certain age knows the name Frank Bellamy.  I learned only relatively recently that apparently, Alan Fennell, editor of TV Century 21, originally wanted him to illustrate the Stingray strip for the new weekly, but he was still involved with Eagle at the time and had no room in his schedule so the job went to Ron Embleton instead.  All I can say is - phew, thank goodness for that.

Now there's no question that Frank was a skilled artist, but I was never too impressed by his Thunderbirds pages when he eventually joined TV21 in early 1966.  Sure, he painted pretty skies, but his Thunderbird craft didn't always match their TV counterparts, and his reference material for TB2 seemed as though it might've later included the Dinky toy, which wasn't a totally accurate representation of the vehicle.

Art MIKE NOBLE

Then there was the 'style' he used, similar to John Burns' artwork later published in Countdown.  You know what I mean - figure details filled on only one side, with the other rendered in coloured 'shadow'.  Maybe Bellamy had too much work at the time and had to rush his TB pages to meet deadlines, but I think they were less impressive than Mike Noble's art on Fireball XL5 and Ron Embleton's on Stingray.

Every panel by Noble pulled the reader into the action, and Embleton's pages were objects of beauty that were a delight to gaze upon.  (He was no slouch in the action stakes either, though Noble had the edge.)  Bellamy's pages came a poor third to those of his artistic stablemates and were less involving.  With Noble and Embleton, you had front row seats, with Bellamy it all seemed to be happening at a distance.

Art RON EMBLETON

Of course, that doesn't quite cover things as it's likely more complicated than that, but I find it difficult to articulate precisely what I mean, though it's the best I can do given my ongoing brain-fog.  What do you think, readers - am I being too harsh on Bellamy or do you agree with my assessment?  Feel entirely free to record your thoughts, theories, and fancies in our (hopefully) controversial comments section.

BABE Of The DAY - CHRISTEL BODENSTEIN...

Ah, Christel Bodenstein - a good

old British name if ever there was one!

Anyone remember her from The Singing

Ringing Tree ?  I first saw this classic 60

years ago, which makes me feel very old,

even though I look only around 40.  (In

my fevered imagination anyway.)

GOODBYE GERRY - REST IN PEACE...

                                           Oh remember when we thought we had forever,

                                           didn't it make you feel secure?

                                           We used to think that we had forever,

                                           now I'm not so sure.

So begins the theme song at the end of the 1976 Likely Lads movie, based on the hit BBC TV comedy series.  There's a time in our lives when we feel, without ever really thinking about it, that we're immortal.  Time, alas, eventually disabuses us of the notion, and I was reminded of that today when I learned one of my friends, Gerry Whyte, died on the 11th of this month.  After 5 years of illness and pain, he learned he had stage 4 cancer throughout his body, and he was earmarked for treatment to see if his tumours could be shrunk by chemotherapy once the NHS could pencil him in for it.  Unfortunately, time was not on his side.

For 5 years his doctors had dismissed his illness as being caused by 'really bad piles' - which just goes to show how deficient doctors can sometimes be.  Gerry's situation resembles that of my late pal Moonmando - Matt Caldwell - who died back in 2023 of inoperable liver and bowel cancer, initially missed by doctors when he first approached them to see why he was ravaged by pain.  They gave him several weeks off work then sent him back when they found no reason for his condition, and when he went back to them not too long after, it was too late to do anything.  I'd known Matt for around 50 years, and knew Gerry getting on for 35 years or so.

Gerry, fearing he might not have long, came to visit me around 3 weeks ago and we spent an hour or two chatting about this and that, and nothing in particular.  He'd hoped he would see me again, but unfortunately it wasn't to be.  We sat in my living-room and then out in my back garden for a while, and when he left he embraced me and kissed me on the cheek, just in case that was the last we saw of each other.  I'm not a very tactile person, but I hugged him back, wished him well, and hoped against hope he might come through his ordeal.  At least he got to attend his daughter's wedding a month or two before, which I know was important to him.

Anyway, I couldn't let his passing go without mentioning it, even though you Crivvies didn't know him.  So here's to Gerry, long may he live on in the hearts and minds of his family and friends.  Rest In Peace, old friend - I'll see you again, and I know you'll know what I mean when I say I hope it isn't for a good long while.  (It'll pass quick enough, however long it may be.)  Oh, and Happy Birthday - you'd have been 62 today (Monday), so I'll buy a wee pineapple tart tomorrow and pretend it's a piece of your birthday cake as I scoff it.

RECENT CASTEL CRIVENS ACQUISITIONS...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

Recent deliveries to Castel Crivens include this trio of mags, Crivvies.  The Adventure Comics #210 Facsimile Edition consists of a lot of scans, though of better quality than usual, but the Superboy tale is from sharp new proofs, coloured after the original printing.  And FFF #2 is worth buying for the cover alone - just look at sensational Suzie - wowza!  As for FF#49 FE, well, it speaks for itself and doesn't require any hard-sell from me!  Buy 'em now!

Copyright DC COMICS

BOB Of The DAY - BOB HOPE...

My favourite comedian, Bob Hope.

I met him in person twice, ten years apart,

and he graciously autographed several items on

both occasions - and also sent hand-signed photos

from the US.  He actually owned a piece of my art

(a colour caricature of himself) which I'd sent him

as a thank you circa 1984/'85.  So thanks for the

memories, Bob.  Now can anyone identify

the pretty blonde burd for me?

SUPERMAN Vs. SHAZAM! FACSIMILE EDITION...

Copyright DC COMICS

I returned to the '70s earlier today for a short spell with the arrival of DC's Limited Collectors' Edition C58 - Superman Vs Shazam!  Never had it at the time, but I would've seen it advertised in 1978 so that's when I think of now that I own this Facsimile Edition.  It won't be an exact facsimile as the internal colours will likely be different and a modern copyright notice has been added to the splash page which it wouldn't have had originally.  (You know the one... Blah, blah... By Special Arrangement With The Jerry Siegel Family.)

The story is reprinted in a softcover book I own, though I've never bothered to read it before.  I have now, and I'm glad I waited 'til I had a facsimile in more-or-less the original dimensions.  I've lost count of how many of these Collectors' Edition facsimiles I own, but they're quite impressive and I'm glad to have them.  Anyway, if you had this 'comic' back in the day and want to return to the '70s for a visit, you should be able to track one down in your local comics shop or obtain it via eBay like I did.  So what's keeping you, culture lovers?  Grab one while you can!

DESERT ISLAND ALBUMS & MOVIES...

The previous post is still open for business, Crivs, but striking while the iron is hot, which 10 albums would you choose to take to a desert island?  Is that an easier or a harder task?  In fact, let's add DVD movies - which ones would you choose?  And don't worry, you'll have the required solar powered equipment you need in order to play them.

DESERT ISLAND DISCS, COMICS, AND BOOKS...

Occasionally, I find myself listening to Radio Four's Desert Island Discs, and I always wonder whether the guests feel frustrated at being permitted to choose only 8 records.  I don't think I'd be able to limit myself to a mere 8, so what I'm about to ask of you is perhaps a bit cheeky.  However, let's make it 10, and let's also include comics and books as well as single records.  That's 10 of each by the way, so 30 items in all.  (I'll maybe do LP albums another time, but for the moment it's singles.)

So, Crivvies, were you to be told you were going to be exiled on a desert island (no, I don't mean Millport), what 10 records would you choose to take with you, and the same goes for which 10 comics and which 10 books you'd pick for your time on the island?  Don't worry, there's a solar powered record player waiting there for you.  Oh, wait, there's another aspect, isn't there.  If you could only have one item from each 10, which one would it be?  (That's even tougher to decide, eh?)  Give it a think and then let loose in the comments section.

HAPPY 53rd ANNIVERSARY...

Today marks 53 years since I first moved into my current home in June of 1972 so I felt a few words were in order.  ("Make it just a few then, eh, Kid?" I hear some of you say.)  Earlier today, as I sat in an armchair on the lefthand side of the fireplace, it didn't seem so very long since I, as a 13/14 year-old youth, was in the habit of doing the very same thing, especially on a Saturday when I usually bought whatever comics I was getting at the time.

I've used this 'analogy' before (not one I originated), but it really does feel like I went to bed last night as a teenager and woke up this morning as the decrepit pensioner I now am, though in my mind I still think of myself as a teenager.  53 years gone in a blink, it's hard to come to terms with.  Back in the '70s the future seemed a long way off and I erroneously believed it was so far away that it would take 'forever' to get there.  Boy, was I mistaken about that.

Honestly, it doesn't seem too much of an exaggeration to say my first day in this house was only yesterday or last week at the most, so quickly has the time passed.  Part of the reason may be because I'm in the same house now as I was then and nothing much at all has changed in my day-to-day life; no wife, no kids or grandkids, everything seemingly the same-old-same-old, with nothing of note to mark the passing of the years.

I often wonder if it's different for those who've lived in various houses and neighbourhoods over the decades.  As they've experienced nigh-countless events and met many more people, and lived in several other places, do their lives seem fuller and more enriching due to having packed so much more into them than me?  I've lived quite a tame life in that I've never been abroad or stayed elsewhere for any length of time, so there aren't so many 'landmarks' in my life as in theirs.

Or does it really make a difference?  Even to those who've lived exciting, cram-packed lives in numerous towns or cities, perhaps their lives don't seem any longer at the end of the day, despite all the rich and varied experiences they've tasted over the years.  Whether you run through life, partaking of every opportunity there is to be had, or casually amble through it without doing much at all, maybe one lifetime seems just as long or as short in one's twilight years as the other.

What do you think, readers? 

NEW MARVEL & DC FACSIMILE EDITIONS...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

Here's a trio of covers from recent Facsimile Editions for your viewing pleasure, Crivs.  I can't remember when I last bought a new comic - I tend to buy mainly reprints and facsimiles these days, even when (in the case of FF #6) I already have various representations of it in a number of collected editions.  I'm looking forward to FF #7, Kurrgo, The Master Of Planet X, as it's one of my favourite early FF tales.  If you were only going to buy one of these mags, which issue would it be - and why?  The comments section awaits.

(Incidentally, take a look at Doctor Doom's left arm, which seems to be pointing slightly away from him to his left.  Yet the beam emanating from it seems to be exploding to his right, behind The Thing, who is far too small in relation to the other characters.)

Copyright DC COMICS

TYPHOONS AND HURRICANES, WITH A TIGER THROWN IN FOR GOOD MEASURE...

Copyright REBELLION

I remember first seeing Typhoon Tracy sometime around the mid-to-late '60s in a comic in my primary school classroom during a break one day.  Couldn't tell you if it was an old copy of Hurricane or a then-current issue of the merged title of Tiger and Hurricane, maybe even an Annual or Summer Special, but whichever publication I saw him in was a classmate's and not my own, which is why I no longer recall (if I ever did) precisely which printed weekly or yearly periodical it was where I first laid my baby-blue eyes on him.

Hurricane lasted only 63 issues, from February 1964 until May '65, though the Annuals continued until 1973 (for '74), so it had a good long run past the life of its weekly counterpart.  Typhoon Tracy was the star, similar to Valiant's Captain Hurricane, though Tracy was a sailor, not a marine.  Close to 30 years ago, I obtained numbers 1 and 3 and they've sat in a cupboard for all this time without me ever reading them.  "Must get #2" I often thought, as I later normally bought #s 1-3 of most new titles, even if I never continued with them.

Anyway, before I bore you all to death, I recently acquired #2 and finally completed the trio, so I thought I'd show you the covers of them, along with a combined ish of Tiger and Hurricane, which hopefully you'll appreciate seeing.  Did any of you Crivvies (the older ones obviously) ever buy Hurricane back in the day, and if so, what did you think of it?  Start typing those comments now - every one gratefully appreciated, not just by me, but by your fellow Crivvies too.  So who's going to be the first to take the plunge?  (And say if you'd like to see some contents.)