LOOK WHAT I DID - CLEVER ME...

My Batman on the left, Internet Batman on the right.  Same goes for photos below

Recently, to almost no response from clearly uninterested Crivvies (except for CJ), I showed you my newly acquired Marx Toys Twistable Batman figure.  (I already own one, but the new one is in better condition, with its original bat emblem and utility belt, though no bat-a-rang.)  When I made a new belt and bat-a-rang for my other figure around 30 years back, I didn't have a good picture of the bat-a-rang, so I made it entirely from memory.

This time round, I had a fairly decent photo (on the right) of the missing item to refer to, so I made one that strongly resembles the original.  Truth to tell, the original wasn't entirely symmetrical, so I took a few minor liberties in order to compensate for that.  Thought you might like to see it, even though it still needs a little 'fine-tuning'.  Anyone impressed enough to leave a comment?  Go on, ya lazy apathetic buggahs - force yourselves!

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO...?

Two once-regular commenters to Crivens were DS and TC, though it's been a handful of years now since they last appeared - making me wonder what happened to them.  Did they die (hope not) or just get fed up with the blog?  If you're still out there, lads, why not let the other Crivvies know that you're okay?  It'd be appreciated.  Your comments were always interesting and worth reading and Crivens isn't quite the same without you.

BABE Of The DAY - STEPHANIE POWERS...

April Dancer, as played by

Stephanie (it was moider) Powers.

A spin-off show from The Man From

U.N.C.L.E., the only thing I can remember

about it is Stephanie was a complete babe,

nothing else.  (So couldn't have been

much of a show then, eh?)

The MARX Of The BAT - Can YOU Help BATMAN?

Copyright DC COMICS

This blog (Crivens, in case you forgot) has helped me secure two sought-after and hard-to-come-by collectables over the last few years.  The first was a Marx Yogi Bear on a scooter and the second was an LP Toys Space Blimp Of Christmas, both of which I mentioned on the blog and asked if anyone had either of them.  That led to two sellers getting in touch and us coming to some financial arrangement via eBay.  It's safe to say had I not operated this blog, I'd likely never have seen either of those toys from my childhood again, so despite the occasional stress that comes from having a blog, in the main it's worthwhile.

So maybe I'll get lucky again this time.  I recently bought another Marx Toys Twistable Batman, but though it had its original utility belt and bat emblem, the bat-a-rang was missing.  I'd bought my first replacement around 30 years ago and made a bat-a-rang, bat emblem, utility belt and new cape - though the original cape was present but a little worn - and regular readers will have seen the toy on this blog a number of times over the years.  (Not too long ago, I replaced my homemade belt with one from a different Batman figure, and it's now on to its third bat emblem, taken from Adam West's TV costume.)

So, does anyone reading this have an original bat-a-rang for this toy, or know where I could get one, or know anyone who has one who'd be prepared to sell?  I won't make them rich beyond the dreams of avarice, but I'll part with a fair slice of dosh to anyone who can help me out.  And an original Marx utility belt wouldn't go amiss either.  Go on - help out an impoverished Marx Toys Batman today and feel astonishingly virtuous.

BABE Of The DAY - IMOGEN HASSALL...

Stunning actress Imogen Hassall 

appeared in movies and also TV shows such as

The Saint, The Champions, The Persuaders,

The Avengers, Jason King, etc., and tragically died

of an overdose in 1980 at the relatively young age of 38.

I'm currently awaiting the arrival of a biography of her,

the cover of which you can see below.  Available

on eBay, should anyone be interested.

PART TWO Of MARVEL'S CONAN SAGA COVER GALLERY...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS and CPI

Okay, peeps, I've kept you in suspenders long enough, so here's the second slice of covers from Conan Saga, a reprint title featuring previously published b&w tales from Savage Sword Of Conan monthly.  I recall having some covers from the UK edition of SSOC on my room wall back in the late '70s and early '80s, so contrary to my previous impression, I couldn't have given away all of my issues to a friend, unless he didn't mind having them in a cannibalised condition.

However, that's neither here nor there, so feast your eyes on another 16 painted images and wish you could 'pull' some of those gorgeous females who always seemed to be clinging to Conan's leg (or nearby).  A sweaty man seems to be irresistible to attractive women in the Hyborian Age, so why's it not the same today?  I'd be fighting 'em off with a short soft bendy stick if it were.  Feel free to comment - in fact I insist.  And be sure to keep your peepers peeled for Part Three.

BABE Of The DAY - YVONNE CRAIG...

The lovely Yvonne Craig poses for

our pleasure in a publicity shot as Maude

Waverly in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. TV

show, back in the '60s.  Don't be alarmed by the

gun she's totin' as I happen to know it's only a

water pistol she uses on her flowerbed.  So -

"Come into the garden, Maude."

RECENT ARRIVALS Of FACSIMILE EDITIONS...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

Not long arrived here at Castel Crivens (though pre-ordered some months back), four great Facsimile Editions - one a doubler - including Silver Surfer #1, and Action Comics #242 & #419, the original of which I bought around 9 months ago.  As well as the normal version of SS #1, I got the variant foil edition, though I'm not sure it will scan properly due to its silvery sheen.  If it's not included in the following images then it clearly didn't.

Glad to see Marvel have gone for the square-binding of the '60s ish, instead of staples, which diminishes the historical integrity of such publications in my opinion.  Hopefully, they'll reissue previous stapled reprints in their original format in the future.  Good to see the foil edition has no barcode box on the front cover, instead being relegated to the back as DC now do with all their facsimiles.  Wish Marvel would adopt the same approach with future standard reissues.

Also, the reproduction of the ads in the DC mags is spot-on, not having the wishy-washy, faded look to them of some previous facsimiles.  Looks like they're finally getting the hang of it.

Anyway, if you don't already have these titanic titles, rush round to your nearest comics shop or get on to eBay and nab 'em for your collection.  Incidentally, if you were thinking of not buying the SS #1 reprint because you already have the Fantasy Masterpieces presentation from the '70s, be aware that this issue had a few pages omitted and isn't complete.  It was edited in such a way as not to be obvious, but I'm sure you'd prefer to own the complete story.

Anyway, feast your eyes on these covers.

Copyright DC COMICS

Copyright DC COMICS

As I suspected, the variant foil cover wouldn't scan properly (just came out black), so I photographed it at an angle so that you could get a better look at it.

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

BABE Of The DAY - VERONICA CARLSON...

I've never cared much for the name

Veronica - sounds too much like 'verruca'

to my ears and there's nothing attractive about

one of those.  This little lady, however, is as pretty

as a picture, which is exactly what I'm giving you

as I'm keeping the real gal for myself.  (She

deserves only the best and that's me!)

DC SUPER SPECTACULAR LOVE STORIES...

Copyright DC COMICS

The original 1971 publication of the above Replica Edition from 2000 has various asking prices on eBay, from just under £100 all the way up to over £1,500.  Even some of the replicas are pretty heftily priced in my opinion.  However, I got mine for a far more reasonable amount, which didn't even come close to breaking the bank.

What interested me about this mag, which is unashamedly aimed at the girlie market, is the roster of artists whose work it contains.  Are you ready for this?  In either a pencilling or inking capacity, Jay Scott Pike, Bob Oksner, Morris Waldinger, Win Mortimer, Art Saaf, Vince Colletta, John Romita, Tony Abruzzo, Ric Estrada, Wally Wood, Norman Nodel, Mort Drucker, Bob Lander, Mike Sekowsky, and Bernard Sachs.  The stories are written by Robert Kanigher and Jack Miller (one strip in two parts) and do the job, though you won't be on the edge of your seats while reading them.

I learnt about this mag only recently, and it was quite a surprise when I realised the replica itself is 26 years old, and the original a whopping 57 years old.  Some of the strips look as though they've been resized and had panels extended, but it's been done reasonably well, in the main.  Of course, I know all you male Crivs are far too manly to be interested in the subject of soppy romance and (ugh) love, but I thought you might have some wee sisters who might be.  As for myself, I only bought it to use as material for the blog as, like you, I'm also far too manly for such stuff.  (As my close friend and constant companion Cyril will testify.)

Unfortunately, the square-bound spine is just a little too tight to open the mag wide enough to scan the interiors flatly, so you'll just have to take my word in regard to the quality of the art, which ain't half bad in my opinion.  Comments, anyone?

MARVEL'S CONAN SAGA COVER GALLERY...

Conan characters copyright CPI

If events truly occurred as I remember them, I bought the first issue of Conan Saga in Glasgow, maybe in AKA Books & Comics, in 1987.  The mag is cover-dated May, which means it went on sale (in America at least) around February.  If it was an advance copy (one the UK customer paid a little more for), it was likely available in Britain around the same time or thereabouts.  It started with the Barry Smith illustrated tales and worked its way through later adventures by other artists in sequential order.  The mag lasted for 97 issues until 1995, which was a good long run for a reprint publication.  I can only assume it became difficult to get in Scotland as I didn't last the course and gave up after missing a few later issues.

Anyway, there must have been a problem with the trains that day, because I got a bus home, which is unusual for me as I don't like travelling by that mode of transport if I can help it.  As I was sitting leafing through the mag, who should board the vehicle but my ol' night-school chum Hugh, who sat himself beside me and we nattered away throughout the journey.  Regular readers may have read my post entitled 'Hugh And I', in which I mentioned him being sadly and untimely killed by a bus a few years later.  Whenever I look at the BWS cover of the above debut mag, 'tis Hugh that springs to mind.  He was a nice lad, who, ironically, was hit by a bus, and I intend no humour in that remark in the slightest.

I dug my collection of this title out of my cupboard a few months back to check just how many I had, and noticed it petered out around #64, though there were a few missing for some forgotten reason.  I know I didn't give any away so I must've been unable to acquire them at the time.  Problem soon solved  via the auspices of eBay and I now have every issue up to and including the 64th.  Will I ever track down the remaining 33 and complete the collection?  I haven't decided yet, but never say never, Crivs.  Anyway, I've been threatening to do a cover gallery for a while now, so here's the first instalment of four for your perusal.  If you've got a favourite (or favourites), share it with the rest of us in the comments section.

******

Incidentally, I was living in another house when Conan Saga first came out, but we moved back to our previous residence just a few months later.  I tend to associate the mag with that other house, even though I'd only have bought 5 or 6 of them at the very most before returning to my present abode, the rest of them being acquired subsequently.  So I got most of them here, but associate the title with there.  (What am I like?!)  One more thing: The first 9 issues sported all-new covers specially produced by Barry Smith as they contained his Conan tales, though #8 also contains two stories illustrated by John Buscema and Neal Adams respectively.

RECOMMENDED READING: TWO DC FACSIMILE EDITIONS FOR YOUR COLLECTION...

Copyright DC COMICS

A couple of recent releases, Crivs, that some of you may be interested in.  First up, above, is the Facsimile Edition, of Secret Origins [of] Super Villains, which is one I'm pretty sure I had, as many of the interior pages seem familiar to me, with the exception of the Batman/Red Hood story, which I don't recall from this mag.  I know the story from a Giant Batman issue I bought in Rothesay in 1970, but if I recognised it again in the above mag at the time, I've since forgotten, unusually for me.

Next up, below (yes, I'm aware that's a contradiction-in-terms), is the first ish of the two-part Alan Moore story that brought to a conclusion the Silver and Bronze Age eras of Superman, before John Byrne (and others) launched a new direction for the character, in the wake of Crisis On Infinite Earths that revised the entire history of the DC Universe.  I still have my original issues, and it's quite a jolt to realise they're now 40 years old.  Rush out and buy these great facsimiles today.