BEARS Of The DAY - TEDDY & His TEDDY...

Saw the above pic on a digital screen in the window of the local Job Centre office as I was passing one day and decided to take a photo of it.  (Lucky I had my camera on me.)  I think it's cute and thought you might too.  Any Crivs still got their childhood teddies?  Just wondering.

HAPPY 53rd BIRTHDAY MWOM #1...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

I've posted before about the Anniversary of The Mighty World Of Marvel #1 (several times over the years), so I'll spare you a repeat of what I said on those occasions and just show the cover of the comic that hit newsagents' shelves on September 30th 1972 - 53 years ago - to mark the event.  Honest, I recall buying it as though it were only yesterday.  Did you have this comic back in the day?  Then share your memories in the comments section.

LOOPY LAPSES IN LOGICAL THINKING...

Is the world going crazy or is it just me?  Apparently, there are moves afoot to decriminalise prostitutes selling sex and instead make it illegal for 'customers' to buy it.  That's just like decriminalising dealers selling drugs, but making it illegal for addicts to buy them.  What's wrong with it being illegal to buy or sell sex and drugs and thereby have a two-pronged approach to wiping out both of these societal ills?  After all, if it were illegal to buy sex (or drugs) what would be the point of it not being illegal to sell them?  What am I missing here?  This proposal just doesn't add up and, hard as it might be for you to believe, I'm a reasonably intelligent person.

And before anyone says drugs should be legal so the government can tax them and take them out of the hands of criminals, that's an example of woolly thinking.  Making drugs legal and taxable would only give criminals a 'lawful' business by which to launder the proceeds from their other criminal activities.  And as for taxing the proceeds of prostitution (if punters were still allowed to use the 'service' that is), do we really want our government (of whichever political party) to be little more than pimps?  It wouldn't necessarily make it safer for prostitutes as has been claimed, as there are always those who would avoid paying tax by operating outside of the 'system'.

Like I said - just how could it be illegal to buy something that wasn't also illegal to sell?  Any thoughts (intelligent ones), then feel free to comment.

(No comments?  Nice to see that everyone obviously agrees with me.)

The DALEKS Are No MUGS. (Oh yes they ARE!)

Copyright relevant owner(s)

I readily confess I don't really need another mug - I've got loads of them.  Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Yogi Bear, etc., but I simply couldn't pass this one up.  I spotted it on eBay a few days back and thought it was a 1960s mug, but it can't be that old because BBC Worldwide only came into existence in 1995, being BBC Enterprises from 1979 up until then.

The Daleks are drawn by illustrator Roger Hargreaves (creator of The Mr. Men) and if you look at the Dalek on the left, he looks as though he's smiling.  A nice little collectable I've never seen before, though I do have other Dalek mugs (and eggcups).  Any Crivs got any collectable character merchandise?  Tell all about it in the comments section.  It's good to share.    

CLOBBERIN' TIME With The FANTASTIC FOUR...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS.  Published by PANINI

The latest issue (#4) of Panini's new Fantastic Four UK monthly mag went on sale a couple of days ago, so here's the cover and centrespread poster, Crivs, just to give you a wee visual treat on which to feast your eyes.  Below that is a variant cover for a mag which I showed you back in July, but I recently bought the Alan Davis & Morry Hollowell version and decided to share it with you.  Ain't I good to you all?  Any of you Crivs buying either of these two mags?  Do tell!

BIG-BAD-BOLD-AND-BONKERS ROBOT ARCHIE...

Copyright REBELLION

Our memories of certain things from our past don't always stand up to critical evaluation years after the fact, do they?  Almost 30 years ago, there was some kind of TV Anniversary series where old shows were re-broadcast in an indulgence of nostalgia for those who had originally watched them back in the '60s.  One such programme was The Arthur Haynes Show and, by gawd, it was utterly awful.  Did my parents, myself and older sibling actually find it even remotely funny back in the day, to say nothing of the nationwide TV audience?  It was pure sh*te, though I suppose there's always a chance it wasn't a typical example and other episodes were funnier.  Perhaps this one had been chosen at random and hadn't been viewed in advance of being broadcast, but poor old Arthur must've been spinning in his grave.

It's the same with old British comics (we're talking paper periodicals now, not comedians), as although the art in such publications was usually top-notch and of a higher standard than a lot of comics today (in my view anyway), the stories themselves (especially humour strips) weren't always what you could call 'classics'.  Having said that, the latest Robot Archie volume from The Treasury Of British Comics (Rebellion) is a proper treat, and a good laugh to boot.  Most of my exposure to Archie was from when he appeared in Vulcan in the '70s and I don't remember those tales as being particularly memorable (though most of them were reprints from a Dutch comic if I recall rightly), but I had a hearty chuckle at Archie's shenanigans and 'patter' in the three stories presented in this terrific tome and thoroughly enjoyed them.

Which is my legendary long-winded way of saying if you haven't yet bought this book, snap one up right away, settle back in a comfy armchair and lap up the awesome adventures of Archie as he cuts a swathe of devastation and destruction through evil aliens and World War I German soldiers in a trio of time-travelling tales that'll have you looking forward to volume three and placing an order for volume one if you don't already have it.  Highly recommended.

Incidentally, I previously showed you the softcover version in an earlier post, but the one that kicks off this post is the hardcover edition with an exclusive cover which costs a few measly quid more.  Undecided as to which one to buy?  Then do what I did - get both!

BABE Of The DAY - SHADO GIRL...

Nope, don't know her name, only that

she was one of the Shado gals who graced

Gerry Anderson's live-action TV show back

in the '70s, UFO.  That's certainly not some-

thing anyone would ever say to her, is it?

(Not unless they're totally bonkers.)

(Well, whaddya know?!  It's Michael Caine's wife, Shakira,

though I don't think she was married to him at this time.)

YET MORE CASTEL CRIVENS ACQUISITIONS...

Characters and images copyright relevant and respective owners

September 30th is the 60th Anniversary of Thunderbirds being first broadcast on UK TV so there's quite a bit of merchandise around at the moment - diecasts, model kits, and books, etc.  The tome above, though featuring comic strips that have been reprinted before over the years, is probably the best yet and contains some interesting articles.  Sadly it misnames TV Comic's Bill Mevin as Bill Melvin, and describes TV Century 21's Supercar strip as consisting of one-page, though it was actually one-and-a-half (to begin with anyway).  I've only had a cursory look so far (just arrived this afternoon) so there'll likely be other errors in the text as is usually the case in such publications.  Anyway, still nice to have and roll on volume two. 

Being a lazy buggah, I'm usually inclined to take shortcuts, hence my inclusion of the back cover, above, which gives the publisher's spiel about the contents, saving me from having to go into any detail about them myself.  That should give you a fair idea of what to expect should any of you decide to add this heavy volume to your own collections.  Hefty books come at a hefty price, but it's worth it to recapture a piece of your childhood - if you're as old as me, that is. 

As you'll all know by now, Marvel is reprinting the first dozen issues of The Fantastic Four in Facsimile Editions and the most recent one is #9, above.  I've so many various memories of this tale associated with its different reprintings down through the decades - Wham!, Marvel Collector's Item Classics, The Mighty World Of Marvel, The Complete Fantastic Four, etc., that it's almost like I've lived several lives, of which each incarnation of this tale (b&w, full colour, spot colour, Zipatone) is separately associated.  Yeah, we're all familiar with the story, but it's nice to have in an individual issue fashioned after its original printing. 

The first of the trio of tales included in the fourth issue of Fantastic Four Fanfare is an absolute belter and not to be missed.  And the other two strips ain't bad either so grab it while you can.  Susie is presented as probably the most powerful member of the team - by a long chalk - and that's okay with me as I still fancy her from when I was a lickle kidlet.  Sincerely, don't let this one get away from you.  Well, that's all for now, I'll keep you updated on anything I think you should know about.  Excelsior!

NEW THUNDERBIRD 4 By CORGI...

Copyright relevant owner(s)

Here's the latest 60th Anniversary diecast release by Corgi - Thunderbird 4 in a similar size to that of their TB2.  All they need do now is issue the aforementioned craft in a scale that will accommodate the seagoing underwater vehicle, but it's unlikely as it would cost a veritable fortune to buy.  Next out is TB5, which will allow their TB3 to assume a docking position with it, meaning the forthcoming spacecraft will also be a larger-than-usual model.  Yup, I've pre-ordered it and will show the International Rescue space station when it arrives at Castel Crivens.  Any other Crivvies interested in these collectables or am I the only one?

(No comments so far - guess I am the only one.)

CASTEL CRIVENS ACQUISITIONS...

All images and characters copyright relevant and respective owners 

Here are a few fairly recent Castel Crivens acquisitions for your perusal, loyal Crivvies.  I know most of you are always looking for recommendations on which to spend your money because you're all rich, so hopefully you'll see something you like the look of and rush out and buy it/them.  Now, I have a confession to make - the two Alan Class Creepy Worlds mags at the bottom of the post I already have, but I decided to buy superior condition copies - even though they cost far more than they're really worth and what I usually like to spend.  However, I got around a £50 discount and I decided to take the plunge, as it's unlikely I'll see such good clean condition copies going cheaper anywhere, now or in the future.

So let me ask of you - which of these publications would you purchase, either for yourself or as a present for someone?  Remember, Christmas isn't very far away - only 3 months in fact.

The interior colours seem too dark, so I'll have to compare with some old Look & Learns as I feel they should be brighter

SEPARATED AT BIRTH...?

The WONDROUS WORLD Of DOCTOR STRANGE SPINS MAD... (Updated)

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

So where were we...?  Ah, yes, the Tricorn Centre in Portsmouth, sometime in 1981, which is where I associate two books in particular.  Namely, the Simon & Schuster (Fireside) volumes The Amazing Spider-Man (which we saw in a previous post) and Doctor Strange Master Of The Mystic Arts (above), both originally published in 1979.  I think I was already aware of these books, having noticed them in a shop in Glasgow (possibly Second Foundation in Candleriggs or/and the Virgin Megastore in Union Street), but my association is stronger with Portsmouth as I actually leafed through them when I spotted them on, I think, a spinner-rack in a shop in (or alongside) The Tricorn.  I likely saw them again later back home, but I only recently decided to take the plunge and buy them, though there's a story behind the Doctor Strange softcover, with which I may regale you at a future date.

Click to enlarge, then click again for optimum size

Like its Spider-Man, Captain America, and Fantastic Four companion volumes (the latter two already in my possession when I saw Spidey and the Doc publications), this is a relatively slim book, though it has some nice stories contained within.  My favourite one is probably 'The Wondrous World(s) Of Doctor Strange', which I saw for the first time in the 1968 (Smash! Pow!) Fantastic Summer Special given to me by a classmate around 1969.  The Special presented the tale in a resized b&w format more appropriate to its larger dimensions, so the book was the first time I'd seen the story in colour.  It had been newly coloured and didn't reproduce the original pallette (apart from the main two protagonists' costumes, obviously) and it looked very atmospheric.  Update: Contrary to what I feared when I first published this post, I was able to scan the splash pages from the book and have now replaced the previous images.

The cover wasn't in the S&S book, I threw it in as a bonus.  The splash page is from the book

I later mildly regretted not buying the books in 1981, but the Spider-Man and Doctor Strange team-up reappeared in an issue of Marvel Tales around the mid-'80s, so I obtained the story that way.  Then there were Marvel Masterworks and Omnibus editions, etc., which also reprinted it over the years, so I've got it several times over now.  The other story that's worth having is the Barry Smith illustrated 'While The World Spins Mad!', though it never particularly impressed me at the time.  Like the other one, I now have various reprints of that tale too, one at least in an individual issue (Marvel Milestones) and also in various collected editions.  At that time (1972) it was the last Doctor Strange story ever scripted by Stan Lee (plot was by Smith) and what follows after the pics is what he had to say about it in his introduction.

This cover wasn't in the book either (another Crivens bonus).  The splash page is from the S&S book

'It marks the very last Dr. Strange story that I ever wrote.  As a matter of fact, I had already stopped writing the awesome adventures of our peerless prestidigitator a few years earlier, but for some reason, I very much wanted to script this particular yarn.'  In 2006, Stan returned to Doctor Strange for an issue of a limited series called Stan Lee Meets, wherein he met several Marvel superheroes, each new tale scripted by Stan himself, with a reprint of an earlier tale by Stan as a back-up.  The Smith-plotted and illustrated tale was the back-up in the Strange issue, so if you want the last two Doctor Strange stories scripted by Stan (in one issue too), that's the one you need to seek out on eBay if you don't already own it.  The new Stan Lee Meets stories were reprinted in a collected edition, though not the back-up tales.

And, as far as I know, Stan Lee's very last Doctor Strange strip

Anyway, Crivvie chums, I rabbited on for longer than I intended so I'll take my leave of you for now.  As ever, don't forget where the comments section is if any of you have something interesting to say - and even if you don't.  (Hey, when have I ever let it stop me?!)

SPECTRUM IS STILL GREEN...

Just had to show all you mad, mental Crivvies another of my recent acquisitions - a life-size Captain Scarlet pistol that looks great.  It's only a display model and doesn't fire any bullets (a bit like myself these days), but I love it.  In fact, I'm going to hug it and love it and call it George, and might even have its babies.  Anyway, remember - Captain Scarlet is indestructible - you are not!  So whaddya think, Crivs - would you like one of these guns?  Then straight to the comments section with you and tell us all why.

Update 9-9-'25: There's one currently on eBay so get over there right away by typing 'Captain Scarlet Spectrum Pistol - Gun' into eBay's search box - bidding ends on Wednesday at 18:38. 

DOCTOR STRANGE & CONAN - An Unlikely Mix - (To Say Nothing Of The AVENGERS & SHANG-CHI, MASTER Of KUNG FU)...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS and relevant parties

Decided to buy a handful of Avengers weekly comics from eBay recently, just so's I could show you the covers, Crivs.  (After all, can't publish any posts if I've nothing to illustrate them with.)  The second last one (#95) is the first combined ish of The Avengers and The Savage Sword Of Conan weekly, which was merged into the older mag after 18 issues in its own series.  Obviously, UK kids weren't much into sword and sorcery at the time, but I suppose the subsequent success of the monthly mag of the same name suggests they developed a taste for it before too long.  If you recall any of these issues, feel free to share your memories of them in our comments section.

Conan's legs are seriously dodgy on this cover, particularly his right one