CRIVENS! COMICS & STUFF!: SEVEN SECRET ORIGINS (UPDATED)...

Tuesday, 23 April 2013

SEVEN SECRET ORIGINS (UPDATED)...

From 1973-'74, DC COMICS (then still officially known as NATIONAL PERIODICAL PUBLICATIONS) released a 7-issue series following on from their two 1960s GIANT-SIZE Specials of the same title - SECRET ORIGINS. Starting with a reprint of SUPERMAN's one-page introduction from ACTION COMICS #1 (not seen since 1938), The FLASH from SHOWCASE #4, and BATMAN from DETECTIVE COMICS #33, the short-lived run featured the origins of several of DC's top-tier heroes and vile villains.

It's a nice little set to have in one's collection, so just in case you're interested in tracking it down, here are the covers to help you identify them. Don't say I ain't good to you.

And, for completists, below are the two Specials that started it all. The first is from 1961, the second from 1965. Maybe I should change the title of this post to Nine Secret Origins? Or should that be 29, if I count the individual tales?

6 comments:

Unknown said...: These have now been added to my wants list.; 23 April 2013 at 14:18
Kid said...: Shouldn't be too expensive either.; 23 April 2013 at 17:49
Anonymous said...: An excellent collection of golden age (and silver age) reprints and great to see them all here (excelleent covers by Nick Cardy) I had most of these first time around and particularly remember issues 5 (the Spectre origin being a particular favourite with Bernard Bailey art) 6 and 7 - I also liked the WANTED series focusing on the origins/ first apearances of the super villians (again with covers by Cardy)- the 7mid 80s /early 90s Secret Origins series also had its good points but the original series was the best.Great stuff again. McScotty; 23 April 2013 at 22:41
Kid said...: I've got the first three issues of Wanted, so I'll post them at some stage. I've also got the '80s Secret Origins series and the replica edition of the 1961 Special - no doubt they'll appear here in time.; 24 April 2013 at 02:31
Dougie said...: It seems to me that early 70s DC really saw potential in four characters featured here: Kid Eternity, Spectre, Vigilante and Wildcat.

I get the impression that Bridwell really liked the Kid and of course, Spectre became infamous for his Adventure series ( which are largely just Golden Age stories with a touch of 70s sadism.

Vigilante had a few solo appearances and team-ups but I think Wildcat would have been very popular if he had been the third JSA member to join the JLA.; 27 April 2013 at 13:01
Kid said...: Curiously, Dougie, I seemed to enjoy the Vigilante reprints in the back of the 25 cent editions (or wherever it was) at the time, but the last time I looked at one it was kind of underwhelming. Maybe it was by a different writer and artist, I dunno.

Kid Eternity - that's what I'm aiming for. (See what I did there?); 27 April 2013 at 14:23

About the artist:

From 1985 to 2000 A.D. (little joke there), I contributed to a variety of high profile comics and magazines for various companies.

For IPC/FLEETWAY/EGMONT, I freelanced as a lettering and logo artist on various weekly comics and monthly magazines, and also as a resize comic artist and spot illustrator on pocket books, summer specials and annuals.

For MARVEL U.K., BLACK LIBRARY, REDAN and USBORNE BOOKS, I again freelanced as a lettering artist, also working as a restoration artist for MARVEL U.S., restoring and re-creating certain pages of JACK KIRBY art for their MARVEL MASTERWORKS editions.

I also lettered the MARVELMAN sample pages submitted to MARVEL U.S. when they were considering acquiring the character, which - as we all now know - they DID.

Supplied comic strips, cartoons and illustrated advertisements for local business campaigns and newspaper publication on a professional basis since the age of 16. Did my first paid art job for publication at 14 or 15 for Lanarkshire Education Board.

Have also made TV appearances as a collector of memorabilia.

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Just some of the titles I worked on are:

2000 A.D. * JUDGE DREDD MEGAZINE * DICEMAN * SONIC The COMIC * JUDGE DREDD, LAWMAN Of The FUTURE * CRISIS * REVOLVER * EAGLE * TIGER * BATTLE ACTION-FORCE * BUSTER * WHIZZER & CHIPS * WHOOPEE * NIPPER * SCHOOL FUN * ACE VENTURA, PET DETECTIVE * The REAL GHOSTBUSTERS * DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE * COUNT DUCKULA * RUGRATS * The TRANSFORMERS * DEATH'S HEAD * THUNDERCATS * GALAXY RANGERS * DRAGON'S CLAWS * SINDY * MARVEL MASTERWORKS * The TROLLS * LOADED * INFERNO * WARHAMMER * ROSE BLACK.

Copyright Notice:

Images remain the property of their respective copyright owners and are used here only for the purpose of review, promotion, and nostalgia.

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In the case of images culled from my own collection where copyright of an item isn't mine, I impose no copying restrictions on fellow bloggers.

(Although, if you don't allow copying on your own site, then you really shouldn't be copying from others, should you?)

And while you can credit this blog if you like, it's not mandatory. Who has time to make notes of every casually visited site during an idle browse of the internet?

In the case of anyone copying images of my own artwork and calligraphy, I affirm my right to be identified as the creator, and any such copying should not be for the purpose of monetary or material gain. (Unless it's mine.)

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Please also note that this blog is not sponsored by, affiliated with, or connected to, any organisation, business, or group, and is wholly independent.