BORIS SAYS "BOO!"

 

 

Whooooooooo!! It's HALLOWE'EN tonight, and happy memories spring

to mind of when I was still young enough to go out 'on the scrounge' every

October 31st. As well as the usual assortment of monkey nuts, apples,

oranges and stuff to look forward to, there was also a tidy pile of cash to

be reaped from grown-ups who couldn't be bothered to get fruit in for the
'guisers' who came to their door. We'd give them a verse or a song, and
a shilling (or two) would be quickly pressed into our eager little hands

before the door was hastily shut so they could get back to watching

CORONATION STREET on the telly.

 

We Brits were more innocent in our approach to All Hallows' Eve than

our Stateside counterparts. Essentially, we were begging - but we also

offered a few minutes of entertainment in return for the treats and cash

pressed upon us. In America, it was extortion, pure and simple. "Trick or

treat!", these masked terrorists would proclaim, threatening to inflict some

form of mischievous retribution upon any poor householders who didn't

meet their demands. Well, I don't know about you, but I know which

version of the age-old tradition I prefer.

 

I couldn't quite think of a suitable picture to accompany this post, so in

the end I decided to feature film-fandom's favourite fright-meister, BORIS

KARLOFF! However, just to be different, here he is not as the Monster or

the Mummy, but as simply - himself. 

 

Happy Hallowe'en!

VALIANT - THE FIRST ISSUE...

 

 

VALIANT #1, cover-dated October 6th, 1962, was an anthology title

published by FLEETWAY PUBLICATIONS which managed an impressive

fourteen year run before being merged into BATTLE PICTURE WEEKLY

in 1976. In its time, it had consumed quite a few comics itself, including

KNOCKOUT, SMASH!, TV21, and LION.

 

Some of the famous strips featured in its pages over the years
were CAPTAIN HURRICANE, THE STEEL CLAW, KELLY'S
EYE, MYTEK THE MIGHTY, THE HOUSE OF DOLMANN,
THE CROWS, THE NUTTS, and BILLY BUNTER.

 

Here, for your reading pleasure, are just a few of the strips from the very

first issue. Keep your eyes peeled for the final issue, coming up soon.

 

THE FIRST JUDGE DREDD...

 

 

As a pre-Hallowe'en treat, here's the first published (but not the first

produced) episode of JUDGE DREDD from 2000 A.D. #2 in 1977. (JD

had appeared in number 1, but only in an ad for the next issue.) Note how

Dredd was somewhat scrawny (if not downright puny) in this early version,

and not quite as imposing as he would later become. Makes me wonder if

the citizens of MEGA-CITY ONE made comments to themselves about cops

looking younger and younger. This story was written by PETE HARRIS &

PAT MILLS (who extensively rewrote Harris's original submission) and

drawn by MIKE McMAHON. Dredd was created by JOHN WAGNER and

CARLOS EZQUERRA (who designed the look of the character), with

input from Mills as to how the strip should be developed.

 

Anyway, enjoy ol' Dreddy's first appearance - 'cos he is the law! 

PART TWO OF THE THING FROM THE SWAMP...

 

 

PSSSTT!! Wanna see some pretty pictures? Then you're in luck, 'cos

here are six li'l beauties to feast your peepers on. This was the second

series to feature ol' SWAMPY, published way back in the early '80s when

BRUCE FORSYTH was merely old, but not yet ancient. (Word is, Brucie

was on board the Ark, but when asked whether this was true or not,

 family friend and spokesman, NOAH JUNIOR, refused to comment.) 

 

Anyway, enjoy these dazzling drawings by TOM YEATES, which evoke

the spirit of BERNIE WRIGHTSON without being a slavish imitation of his

style. And remember to feel free to express your opinion on these covers

in the comments section, if you so wish. 

GREAT COVER - SHAME ABOUT THE INSIDES...

 

 

When Marvel 'officially' established itself in the U.K. with THE MIGHTY

WORLD OF MARVEL in 1972, they had a good-looking product on their

hands that readers responded to. Forty pages, six of them in full-colour,

the remainder in spot-colour and/or Zipatone (as it was called in America,

Letratone in Britain) - and all for only 5 pence. With issue #5, the full-

colour pages were increased to eight per issue, which lasted until #19,

with only four in #20 from that point on.

 

 

Over the course of the first year, the spot-coloured pages decreased as

the use of Zipatone became more prevalent, until, eventually, the interiors

of Marvel's U.K. weeklies became distinctly gray. Issue #42 was the last

one to feature green spot-hues, and when the comic was awarded a glossy
cover with number 67, the contents became little more than a muddy mess.
This wasn't confined to just MWOM, but was also a blight on SPIDER-MAN
COMICS WEEKLY and THE AVENGERS. (Although, truth to tell, as the
first British weekly Marvel comic to sport a glossy cover from issue #1,
The Avengers had always been cursed with that affliction.)

 

 

SMCW, launched in February '73, only ever had four full-colour pages,

the remainder featuring red and orange spot-colour - and Zipatone - until

issue #23, which was the last one to feature the crimson and amber hues.

With number 24, the comic became all-gray (apart from the full-colour matt

paper covers), but although the tones were a bit overwhelming, the art,

for the most part, was still discernible. However, with issue #48, everything

changed - and all for the worse. The comic was also given a glossy cover

and, overnight, became one monumental murky morass of dark gray and

pitch-black blotches. This deplorable situation lasted for months, and I'm

surprised that Marvel allowed it to go on for as long as it did.

 

 

Theoretically, it shouldn't have been a problem. After all, as far as I

can ascertain, the tones were applied to the pages by the same team

responsible for Marvel's black and white U.S. magazines - and they

turned out fine. It seems obvious, therefore, that the problem was as a

direct result of the cheap printing process utilised by the British printers

responsible for producing Marvel's U.K. weekly output. For far too long

a period, British Marvels were an unattractive and unappealing alternative

to the much more popular, cleanly printed (by comparison) IPC and D.C.

THOMSON periodicals with which they had to share newsagents' shelves.

It was surely only the unswerving loyalty of devoted Marvel fans that

enabled 'The House of Ideas' to turn any kind of profit. (Here's an

idea - get your printing sorted out, you thickos!)

 

 

Perhaps you think I exaggerate? Take a look at the pages illustrating

this post (especially the second Spider-Man one) and you'll see how

bad it really was. In fact, it wasn't just the tones that were awful - so
was the reproduction. Look at the Spidey splash-page - his webbing

is practically invisible. Thankfully, things eventually improved.

******

THE BEST LAID PLANS DEPT: When I first posted this, I thought I
was being original. However, I've just been browsing on STEVE DOES
COMICS blog and noticed that ol' Stevie-boy had already touched on this
subject (and this very comic) some time ago. What's more, I'd even left a
comment on it, yet I had absolutely no recollection of previously reading
Steve's post when I came to write my own. Spooky, eh? Has such a thing
ever happened to you?  

YIPPEEE! PART FIVE OF THE MISSING LINK...

 

 

When I was a much younger kid than I am now, people (usually teachers)

often told me that I had a 'great' imagination. Thing is, it wasn't intended as

a compliment, and carried with it the strong suggestion that I was tethered

to reality by only the most gossamer and fastly-fraying thread. Huh! What

do teachers know? (I should've called down my alien allies from the planet

XRILLFON to sort them out, but I knew they'd be busy.)

 

It seems to me, looking at the opening panel of the above artwork,

that GEORGE LAZENBY as JAMES BOND is looking out at us from the

left-hand side of the page. And isn't that the Saintly ROGER MOORE as

SIMON TEMPLAR helping a woman out of the car on the right? Or am I

just imagining it? What's that? You don't think it's meant to be them? All

I can say then, is that it's a much more interesting place in my world

than it seems to be in yours.

 

And here's me being generous to you by presenting the next episode

of THE MISSING LINK, as drawn by LUIS BERMEJO, for your reading

pleasure. It wouldn't have hurt you to agree with me, now, would it? Pah!

(Don't panic - it's only mock-indignation for comic effect. You're allowed

to disagree with me if you want to.)

 

Interestingly, I remember sitting in the 2000 A.D. offices one day in

the mid-'80s and looking through the ODHAMS PRESS bound file copies

of the first fifty or so issues of FANTASTIC (whence comes the saga of

The Missing Link). When my eyes fell upon the pages, above, I made

the same observation about the first panel to ol' THARGY's team of droids.

(I also speculated as to whether Bermejo may have used publicity photos

from Bond movie ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE, as I felt that

the girl in the pic bore a faint resemblance to DIANNA RIGG.)

 

Let me see now, that would have included STEVE MacMANUS,

SIMON GELLER, ROBIN SMITH and art assistant PAUL AILEY. (Paul had

worked on the old POWER COMICS, which is why he had these two bound

volumes in the bookshelf behind his desk.) If I remember correctly, Robin

Smith agreed that there was a similarity and also thought it possible that

the artist had used photographic reference.

 

What do the rest of you think?  

IS HE MAN OR MONSTER? OR...IS HE BOTH? (HE'S BOTH, ACTUALLY!)

 

 

Continuing our occasional series of DEAN WHITE's painted

extravaganzas for the softcover editions of MARVEL MASTERWORKS,

here's Dean's version of JACK KIRBY's illustration for THE INCREDIBLE

HULK #1. I happen to think that Dean's renditions of these classic covers

are pretty durn hot, but, surprisingly, there hasn't been much (if any, in
fact) comment, either for or against them, on the previous entries in the

series. Don't be shy - let everyone know what you think of these power-
house paintings NOW!  

MASKS AND MEMORIES - TO BOLDLY GO...

 

 

Memory is a funny thing, don't you think? Not 'funny ha-ha', but 'funny

peculiar'. I consider myself to have a good memory, but am sometimes

amazed when I'm reminded of things I hadn't even realized I'd forgotten.
Take these six STAR TREK masks for example. Had I merely been asked
if I remembered them on the back of KELLOGG'S CORN FLAKES boxes
way back in 1971, I'd probably have thought they sounded familiar, but
not been 100% sure whether I actually (if vaguely) remembered them
or only imagined I did.

 

However, when I recently laid eyes on this ad from the back of one of
my VALIANT & SMASH! comics, I recalled them immediately. I definitely

had the SPOCK one, and maybe even one or two others. Thing is, I hadn't
thought about them in forty-one years, and probably wouldn't have done
if not for seeing the ad again. Isn't it strange how it sometimes requires a
visual reminder of something for us to realize we'd forgotten it?

 

Who knows what memories lurk in the minds of men? (H'mm, that's a

good line - someone should have used it for something.) 

SHRIEK! PART FOUR OF THE MIGHTY MISSING LINK...

 

 

Here we go again, as Britain's answer to the HULK goes on the rampage

in the heart of London. Marvel at the might of the livid LINK as he shows

his magnificent mastery of the English language; gasp in gratitude as he

demonstrates just how tight trousers should be worn; stand still and be

startled by his animal magnetism and his uncanny ability to make women

swoon; dribble in disbelief at the amount of total tripe I can write in a

single paragraph. Whatever you do 'though, don't forget to notice the

amazing art of LUIS BERMEJO - it really is something to shout about!

 

 

A VALIANT ATTEMPT AT A SMASHING COMBINATION...

 

 

Three weeks after the amalgamation of LION and THUNDER (as
seen here), VALIANT and SMASH! succumbed to the same fate. It's
interesting to note how much more attractive and dynamic the cover to
the first combined issue of Valiant & Smash! is compared to that of
Lion & Thunder. To be frank, whichever editor was responsible for the

lettering on the cover of L&T was asleep at the wheel; he'd have been

better following the example of the editor of V&S, who obviously had

a much sharper eye for recognising what makes a good cover.

 

 

Take a look at the banner-blurbs over the mastheads (above) of the
first two issues of L&T; poorly executed, inconsistently spaced - and

completely unexciting. Now look at the one on the V&S cover at the

top of this post; neat, zippy, punchy, colourful - all the things that a

cover banner should be.

 

 

Well, now that I've vented about poor display lettering, let's take a look

at the first issue itself. Unlike L&T, V&S remained predominantly Valiant,

with nine strips consisting of a whopping twenty pages, whereas Smash!

was represented by only four strips totalling nine pages. Valiant stories

included CAPTAIN HURRICANE, THE CROWS, THE NUTTS,
BANGER & MASHER, RAVEN ON THE WING, KELLY'S EYE,
THE WILD WONDERS, THE GHOSTLY GUARDIAN, and BILLY
BUNTER. Representing Smash! were JANUS STARK, THE SWOTS
& THE BLOTS, SIMON TEST, and HIS SPORTING LORDSHIP.

 

 

So why were these two comics amalgamated? Declining sales
of at least one of them is surely a given, but what had led to such
a situation? A few months earlier, industrial action by printers had
resulted in the suspension of various titles for around twelve weeks.
When publication eventually resumed, many readers had been lost
along the way. This resulted in some titles being amalgamated in

an attempt to combine the circulation of two comics into one.

 

 

Anyway, that's more than enough waffle from me for one post.
Here's a few select pages from forty-one and a half years ago to

hopefully refresh fond memories from yesteryear. Enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

Remember to click on images to enlarge, then click again

for optimum size.