BABE Of The DAY - WONDER WOMAN...

Here's a nice pic of Wonder Woman

for all you Crivs to salivate over.  Aside from

Denny O'Neil's run on the character, I wasn't

much of a fan of comicdom's Princess Diana,

though I appreciated the 'good girl art' whenever

it appeared in her mag.  What about the rest

of you - did/does she ring your bell?

The DALEKS - MONEY In The BANK... (Updated)

It was Friday 6th October 1972 and I was in Hamilton with my father as I was off school that day because I was ill.  Too ill for school, but obviously not too ill to go to Hamilton.  (I'm talking about the Scottish town, not the musical, which didn't exist then.)  On that day I bought two items; a second copy of The Mighty World Of Marvel #1, and The Fantastic Four #126 - both from the same newsagent's shop.  It was nearly three items, but I decided against buying the third because it was not the finest example of its kind.

I saw it through the window of a shop similar in appearance to The Tinkerer's repair shop in The Amazing Spider-Man #2.  The premises were still there when I was last in Hamilton a few short years back, though the shop itself wasn't and the building was empty if I recall correctly.  And what was the item?  'Twas a Cowan de Groot Dalek Money Box (said box on the box, though I'd have called it a bank), and it wasn't what could be described as a totally accurate representation of Dr. Who's greatest enemy.

This was a toy from the 1960s, so in 1972 it was clearly old unsold stock and I was unaware of what a collectors' item it would become if it wasn't already so, therefore decided to pass on it.  It was clearly based on the Marx friction-drive Dalek, and I've seen a plate with a picture of the same design shape, so maybe that had an influence also.  (I'm not sure which came first, the plate or the bank, but either way, they both came out in '65.)

Anyway, I didn't buy it, but over the years/decades, I grew to regret that decision as the toy bank always reminded me of that day out with my father and what I believe was my first visit to Hamilton.  Bet you know where this is going, eh?  I recently saw a boxed example in an eBay auction and guess what?  I won!  I should receive it tomorrow, but rather than wait to take my own photos, I thought I'd just show you some of the selller's and save time.  Yes, it's a weird shape, but it's good to finally own something I should've bought 54 years ago.

I've owned replacements for MWOM #1 and FF #126 for decades now, so when tomorrow comes, it'll give me an immense sense of satisfaction to finally add the Dalek bank to what should've been its two companions, back when I was a schoolboy on a jaunt to a neighbouring town all those years ago.  Any of you ever own this bank, Crivs?  If so, what did you think of it, and what does your grown-up self think of it now?

******

And in case you were wondering what the plate looked like, that's it below.

Update: The little chap arrived today so below is a couple of pics of him on my table.  The seller had mentioned he'd never removed the head because it was stiff and he didn't want to risk breaking it, but a little touch of WD-40 soon fixed that.  Also, in the seller's photos above, the appendages are not fitted all the way in, which leads me to believe the bank has never been used.  I slightly widened the holes with a small file (don't panic, no damage) and now the eyestalk, sucker arm, and gun all fit perfectly.  Didn't I do well?  The Dalek's 'slant' to its body is the wrong way round in relation to the head, and though it's the same size as the small Marx friction-drive toy, the eye orb, blue base and inner head indicate that it was the large 'Bump 'n' Go' it was modelled after (roughly).

RED Into GOLD - 4 Into 5...

As most (if not all) of you already know by now, Corgi's 261 Aston Martin D.B.5 was created from an amended mould of an existing D.B.4 (218) in order to meet the Christmas market of 1965.  Apparently it was quicker to customise an existing mould than create an entirely new one from scratch, and three designers/engineers were tasked with adding the car's three working features.  Although the Bond version says D.B.5 on the base, the tail lights give the game away, but at least Corgi changed the headlights into D.B.5 ones.

Anyway, I decided I'd like to own the earlier version so bought one on eBay.  I also purchased a repro box on the same day (from a different seller) and both items turned up together.  The D.B.4 is 'playworn', but I'll give it a colour touch-up in places to improve its cosmetic appearance.  So there you are, Crivs - the source of  one of the most iconic diecast toy cars of the '60s.  And as you can see on the box, the car has an opening bonnet.  Nice, eh?

SUPER PIC Of SUPERMAN...

Copyright DC COMICS

Once again, I don't know who the artist is of this pic, but ain't it bloomin' brilliant?!  It's almost as if the artist has copied my drawing style and replicated it perfectly.  (Relax, I just threw in that last bit to give you all a laugh.)  You'd believe a drawing could fly, eh?  So where do you think Superman's off to in such a hurry, readers.  Easy, he's heading back to the Daily Planet so he can read the latest Crivens blog post on his computer!  (Oh, yes he is!)

ONE YEAR ON - REMEMBERING GERRY...

It's been one year to the day since my pal Gerry passed away.  To think I've neither seen nor heard from him in over 12 months is a startling wake up call as to the fleeting nature of time.  It only feels like a month or so at most since we sat out in my back garden on what was his final visit to me, on a nice sunny day as though neither of us had a care in the world.  He knew he was dying of course, but he continued to put on a brave face.  Anyway, here's to Gerry.  I think I'll print out the above photo from his Facebook page, frame it, and hang it in my living-room somewhere.  That way, he won't seem so far away.  Cheers, Gerry.

MINI MIGHTY MARVEL MASTERWORKS - The MIGHTY THOR...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

Bought the above limited edition book on eBay recently (arrived today), mainly because I love the cover of Journey Into Mystery #83.   At around an inch smaller than the usual Marvel Masterworks volumes, the internal pages are still readable without straining my eyesight and, as I say, it's primarily this 'variant' cover I wanted it for just so I could enjoy looking at it.

Having said that, it doesn't seem quite right, does it?  Thor's left arm appears to be growing out the side of his torso, and his hands aren't the best ones Kirby's ever drawn.  Add to that the fact Mjolnir's handle is curved and that it doesn't look physically possible to swing it around himself in the way it's depicted (a continuous arc), I'd say it's not exactly Kirby at his best.

But, boy - it sure has visual impact, doesn't it?!

The THREE AMIGOS...?

Copyright DC COMICS

Well, Robin, the Boy Wonder (I wonder if he's a real boy) sure looks happy enough to see Superman fly overhead, but look at the expression on Batman's kipper.  It seems to suggest he's thinking what a show-off Supes is, or he's annoyed because Robin never smiles as warmly at him.  H'm, could Wertham have been right in his speculations about the Dynamic Duo?  Great piece of art, isn't it, but I don't know who the artist is, unfortunately.

BATMAN & ROBIN - LOOKING GOOD...

Copyright DC COMICS

Don't know who the artist is, unfortunately, but isn't this just an absolute belter of a painting?!  West and Ward as Batman and Robin never looked so good as they do here.  If they'd only been so dynamic in real life, then the Caped Crusaders' TV show back in the '60s might have lasted a few more seasons than it did.  I can only wonder what this ace artist's rendition of Catwoman and Batgirl looks like.  Would love to see what he does with them, art-wise.

CORGI's ASTON MARTIN 270 - IN TRIPLICATE...

Sat on top of my bed, hence being a bit squint

Crivs, if you're around my age, take a wee ponder and say what you regard as the best toy ever produced in the 1960s.  Was it Palitoy's Action Man, Corgi's Aston Martin D.B.5, Batmobile, Dinky's Thunderbird 2, FAB 1, or some other toy entirely?  You can even consider ones I haven't yet listed, like, say, Marx's Johnny West, Bump 'n' Go Daleks, Mattel's Major Matt Mason, and whatever else you can think of  (Ideal's Zeroids even).

One that's certainly a main contender (and probably the greatest diecast toy from that period) was the D.B.5 (261), with its extending overriders and front machine guns, ejector seat, and bulletproof shield, first going on sale in 1965, with an updated, retooled version (270) hitting the shops in 1968.  As well as the original working features, it also had front and rear revolving number plates and rear tyre-slashers, though later releases of this model lacked the latter two additions.  (An even larger version appeared 10 years later.)

Incidentally, all three cars are the same size...

There was only one problem with both incarnations of this model and that was the fact the hatch seldom sat flush with the roof (see fourth photo), often projecting beyond where it should naturally have settled.  Most of the ones you'll see on eBay today have the hatch not quite closed, with a gap where it should meet the roof.  There was no real reason for this, apart from two internal pieces not quite meeting where they were meant to, and could easily have been fixed by Corgi had they been of a mind to.

When the hatch was closed, a downward protruding bar was meant to be held in place by a piece of plastic behind the driver's seat pushing against it, but this had not been executed with the required precision.  Corgi must've addressed this oversight at some stage, as one of my three 270 models has a perfectly flush hatch, another being just about flush.  I acquired my first replacement for the one I had in the early '70s around 35 years ago, though I had to drill out the rivets to make some repairs, before using epoxy steel resin to affix the base back in place, disguised by false rivet heads.

The other two I bought only around a week ago and they're probably two of the finest examples you'll ever see, aside from unopened and unplayed with models that have lingered in a drawer or display cabinet for decades.  The Corgi Model Club recently reissued replicas of the 270, but though it looks nice, it's a poor replacement for the original.  The hatch, which is narrower than it should be, sits flush, but in order to achieve this, the ejector seat doesn't extend as high as it should and the passenger therefore sits lower than his '60s counterpart when the hatch is open, and barely clears the hatch when ejected.  Lovely to look at in its packaging I suppose, but not such a great plaything when compared to its iconic predecessor.

...it's the perspective which makes them look different

Anyway, with the application of a little clear epoxy resin to the top of the hatch bar to increase its thickness where needed, none of my three original models sport that irritating unclosed hatch, and I can always pick the resin off should I ever want to restore them to their unaltered state.  All CMC had to do with the reissue was make the hatch bar slightly higher and the plastic part that secures it slightly thicker and there'd have been no problem, but it never seemed to occur to them, which makes me wonder why.  After all, it would have been a simple fix and retained the 'reach' of the '60s model's ejector seat.

Originally, the replicas were made in China, but their recent release of the Heinkel Bubble Car was made in Bangladesh, and the suspension doesn't seem to work as it should, with many buyers referring about it on the CMC review page.  The two I received should never have left the factory, and I've been receiving far too many imperfect models over many months so I've resigned from the club.  It seems they've even given up trying to be helpful in such instances so it's 'Adios Amigo' as far as I'm concerned.  Their quality control department appears to be non-existent.

However, never mind all that, just look at the above three original beauties on display for your appreciation - but remember - they're mine.

Photo borrowed from Internet - note the ill-fitting hatch...

...compared to one of mine.  Superb. eh?

MAN In A DVD CASE...

Back in September 2020, I bought the Man In A Suitcase DVD box set (by Network), and I thoroughly enjoyed working my way through all 30 episodes.  Today, I received (via eBay) one of a limited number of promo cards hand-signed by Richard Bradford when he was conducting interviews for the DVD release in 2004.  Sadly, both the actor and the company Network are no longer around, but Richard's name lives on - and I've got it, now securely ensconed within the DVD case (so these are the seller's pics).  RB was a Terrific actor, I thought.  If you'd care to refresh your memory on what I wrote about the box set nearly six years ago, click here. 

SUPERMAN In The SEVENTIES...

Copyright DC COMICS

I managed to get the above new presentation of Superman In The Seventies from HMV on Saturday, even though I've got an earlier edition given to me by the late Moonmando when his grown-up son (Scott) was having a clear-out.  The book was first published around 2000, so it's odd (though satisfying) to have new 'first printings' of books which are more than a quarter of a century old.  The new editions are slightly slimmer, having thinner (though better) paper, but still containing the full contents of ealier versions.

I've now read both this and the Batman volume, obtained the day before the Superman one, and I have to say that they were enormously good reads.  They were each part of a series (In The '40s, In the '50s, In The '60s, etc.,) though I don't think I'll bother getting the others - though never say never, 'cos that money has to be spent somehow.  Right, you lot - straight down to HMV (or get on to eBay) and buy your own copies if you don't already have them on your bookshelves.  They'll look great alongside your other comics collections.

BATMAN In The SEVENTIES...

Copyright DC COMICS

Above, is a book I bought in HMV yesterday (Friday), and though I already have most of the stories, I thought it would be handy to have them all in the same volume.  This is a new edition of a collection published quite a few years ago, and though I already have the Superman companion book, I think I'll take another look in HMV later today (Saturday) and see if they have a new edition.  Too tired to tell you what this one contains, but think of the thrill of discovery when you see for yourself as you're flicking through the pages the next time you're in your local HMV or comicbook shop.  Happy hunting.

The front cover is a reversed image of a Neal Adams drawing, with a hitherto out-of-sight foot drawn by someone other than Adams by the look of it.  This is one of these times when a reversed image doesn't look quite right, and Batman's right leg (previously his left) seems misshapen.  Take a look at the last image to see what it originally looked like.

BABE Of The DAY - SIGOURNEY WEAVER...

 Here's a 'hot' pic of Alien actress

Sigourney Weaver.  Could that be a

cheese & onion sandwich stuffed down the

front of her panties?  She should wear a hat

for that sort of thing, like Paddington

 Bear does for his marmalade ones.

RIP-OFF CITY STARTS HERE...

Remember a post I wrote a few years ago about an eBay seller who sold me a comic he said had no pen markings, yet when it arrived, the cover had parts coloured in with a red marker?  The same guy is selling the above page for £99, even though there's no way to prove its source as most, if not all, back covers on Marvel mags that month would have carried the same ad.  Do you get the impression the guy's a bit of a chancer?  He's sure got a brass neck!  And in the highly unlikely event that single pages can sell for up to £4,000 (as he claims), it would be a story page, not a back page ad which shows no indication as to which issue it's from.  You can actually buy complete issues of Journey Into Mystery #83 in decent condition for around four grand, and maybe even a page of original art for that price.  To me, this just shows he regards his potential customers with contempt.  What do you say, Crivvies?

MOAN Of The MONTH...

Was just reading a comment on another site by an obvious moron, who used the phrase 'sort-after' when he should have said 'sought-after'.  Just where do these cretins come from?  I could crush a grape!  (So it's handy I have a pack of them in my fridge.)

SPOT The DIFFERENCE...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

Above is the cover from the second THOR KING-SIZE SPECIAL from 1966, below is a reprint from 1994 - which still carries the original indicia, but with the words 'second printing' appended to it.  Sharp-eyed readers will notice that ol' Goldilocks' right arm is different on the two versions, the first having been amended before printing, the second presumably featuring the cover as KING KIRBY originally drew it.  (Though there's a hint of JOHN ROMITA about it.)

The reason for this is pretty obvious: Marvel's file copies of artwork were usually photocopied before any alterations were made, hence many reprints down through the years sported pages as they'd originally been drawn, not published.  Thankfully, in recent years, Marvel has addressed this issue and striven to ensure that reprints are as close to archival quality as possible.

Thought you might enjoy seeing Kirby's original version.

But hold!  There's even more to the story!  Take a good look at this third version of the cover, below.

While thumbing through my hardbacked volume of THOR MASTERWORKS Vol 5 recently, I espied this amazing oversight.  Either the patch covering Thor's original arm has fallen off (which would mean that Marvel had access to the original art), or an art restorer re-created the new arm on a file photostat, but then simply forgot to delete the original Kirby limb it was intended to replace.  Who knows the truth behind this Marvel mystery?  Answers in the comments section if it happens to be you.

BABE Of The DAY - GAL GADOT...

No words are needed to accompany

this vision of loveliness, but you all know

what a chatterbox I am so I can't stop myself.

Crivs, I give you (a photograph of) sensational

Israeli actress Gal Gadot - like, wow!  (On

Gal's blog, she has a Hunk of the Month

feature and it's usually always me!)

CRIVENS RECOMMENDED READING...

Copyright DC COMICS

DC Comics goes from strength-to-strength when it comes to their Facsinile Editions, with Justice League Of America #75 being a shining example of just how to produce a near-perfect replica.  Nothing I can fault this one for, and it wouldn't be hard to mistake for the original comic.  Definitely one to buy and keep.

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

I bought this Iron Man mag (#2/Lgy682) because of its cover's retro look, but didn't spot the mock-aging in the thumbnail on the dealer's site.  I think it would've been better had Marvel omitted the 'weathered' effect (often seen in canvas reproductions) and made it appear brand-spanking new, but maybe that's just me.

Buy 'em now if you haven't already. 

TOYBOX TREASURES Of The PAST: The DALEK ORACLE...

Wow!  It's almost 10 years ago since I acquired The Magical Amazing Robot, which was a renamed reissue of The Amazing Magic Robot, but in every other way a doppelganger of the classic toy from childhood - if you're of a certain age that is.  There was a similar toy called The Dalek Oracle, and since I obtained the Robot version, I've quite fancied having the Dalek incarnation also.  (Someone gave me the Dalek figure back in 2019, but without everything else that went with it.)  Taa-daa!  Well, thanks to eBay, I've now bought the full kit and caboodle (also spelt with a k), though the photos you see here are the seller's as it'll be a few days 'til my new (pre-owned) game arrives at its welcoming forever home.

So Criv-Kids, did any of you have this fascinating game when you were a lickle kidlet, and if so, what are your memories of it?  Can you barely remember it, or do you yet pine for this much-loved item from childhood?  Tell your fellow readers now.  

 

BABE Of The DAY - GAL GADOT As WONDER WOMAN (HOT TOYS 2018)...

A recent addition to my vast accumulation of stuff is this great Hot Toys Wonder Woman 12" articulated figure, modelled after sensational siren Gal Gadot.  (Incidentally, the 't' isn't silent.)  This is described as the deluxe version (though surely that would be Gal herself) and is a figure I could look at for hours.  At least this way I can't get arrested for staring at the real Gal when I see her shopping in my local Farmfoods.  (Well, it looks like her.)

By the way, I can't wait 'til midnight, because when I utter a secret mystical incantation, then this 12" figure becomes a life-size, living, breathing goddess whose only purpose is to please me.  (First thing I'll do is get her to make me a cuppa and a bacon buttie - priorities are important.)  Am I in for a great time or what?!  (Even if it is only in my imagination.)