THOSE WERE THE DAYS, MY FRIEND...

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I often wonder how many people are as happy or satisfied with their present circumstances and experiences as they are with their past ones.  Things change as time unfolds and there are places and periods from my past I wish I could still access in reality as opposed to just memory.  Let me tell you about one of them.

When my family moved into a new (to us, though truth to tell, it was only two or three years old) house in 1965, a new church was in the process of being built across the road.  When it was completed, whenever they held a jumble sale or church fayre, I could be found the night before as the stalls were being set up (more on that in a moment), looking for second-hand toys, annuals, and bagatelles that probably wouldn't have been affordable to me brand-new, but certainly fell within my budget as 'pre-used' items.

We lived in that neighbourhood for 6 years and 7 months, and when we moved to my present domicile, I would still stroll along to see what goodies could be had to add to my stash of possessions that other people had relinquished.  My mother still attended that church even after we'd flitted and she continued to receive requests from organisers for tins of food, unwanted bric-a-brac and the like, as donations to any upcoming jumble sales or fayres.

She would give them to me in a carrier bag to take along to the church building, which I was only too happy to do as it gave me unquestioned access to other contributions, and those in attendance who were arranging the presentation of said items had no objections to selling me any comic, book, or toy that took my fancy.  These events invariably occurred on a Saturday, so I'd plod along on a Friday evening with some donations and then take my pick of what was on offer and thereby beat the Saturday melee, though I'd usually still attend that just to soak up the atmosphere.

Even when we flitted again in 1983, I continued this custom, and I yet own quite a few things today that were obtained in this fashion.  When we returned to my current house in '87, the practice continued for a few years until the church was demolished and a new one erected in its place.  Again, I still attended with a carrier bag of donations two or three times a year, until someone from the church started calling at our front door for them after a suitable advance warning/request for any unwanted goods.  ('Twas the same for every member, not just us.)

And so my advance visits came to an end, but I have many happy memories of such occasions and wish I could yet indulge myself - even though the reality of being able to do so might no longer afford the same excitement and satisfaction (and hoard of goodies) as was once the case.  (I miss the original building, demolished over 30 years ago.)

And what about you Crivvies?  Do you have any moments from your past that have expired over time that you wish you could resurrect and once again experience a cherished, halcyon period from your childhood or teenage years?  If so, let's read all about them, and maybe be reminded of our own long-gone days of yesteryear.  The comments section awaits.

The above Shazam! book and Knockout Annual (a replacement for my original '70s copy) are two of the items I acquired this way over the years.  These two were obtained circa 1984 or '85.  Another item bought at the same time is a Coca Cola mirror and small table, not counting (or showing) various books and ornaments.

(BOND) BABE Of The DAY - JULIE EGE...

I intended to write an interesting,

educational, erudite post which would

amaze and astound you, but then realised

I could create the same effect by simply

showing you a photo of Julie Ege.

The DISAPPEARING PEN Affair...

Copyright relevant owner

Back in November of last year I published a Man From U.N.C.L.E. Annuals Cover Gallery, in which I mentioned my brother owning an invisible ink fountain pen (acquired in either Kinghorn or Ayr I think, around the mid-'60s), which I somehow lost while crossing a playing field one day.  Well, it's only taken me around 60 years, but I've just received a replacement for it, which I bought after seeing it on eBay recently (arrived today, along with my glow-in-the-dark skull).

Will I be giving it to my sibling to replace his long-vanished writing implement?  (That means 'pen', Melvin.)  Hey, stop being so silly - of course I won't.  It's mine!  Any older Crivs ever own such a pen?  Open Channel 'D' and relive your childhood memories in our comments section.

The SKULL COMES HOME... (Updated)

It was 1977 or '78.  Once, I could have told you precisely what year, but my memory is in decline, alas.  I'd been in Glasgow for the day and purchased a Revell life-size human skull model kit.  I have a notion I got it from Miller's Art Store, but that may just have been the bottle of luminous paint with which I covered the skull once I'd built it back home.  I remember there was an episode of Mind Your Language starring Barry Evans on TV as I perused the contents of the box to familiarise myself with the parts.

Once painted, it looked like a real skull, and my friends and me had a laugh when walking along the street, taking turns to hold it under an arm - it certainly received quite a few double-takes.  With the ignorance of teenagers we thought observers must have believed it to be genuine, but they were probably just thinking "Who are these d*cks with a toy skull?".  In the fullness of time, I passed it on to my pal Joe, who later gave it to one of his friends, who somehow managed to lose the jaw and four front teeth and a rear molar.

I didn't lay eyes on it again until decades later after Joe had re-acquired it from his careless friend, and that's when I first learned of the damage it had suffered.  He asked me if I wanted it back, but I declined as it was now in less than pristine condition.  More decades passed and eventually so did Joe, and while round in his flat helping to pack his possessions away for disposal, I finally reclaimed the skull from my teenage years and brought it back home with me, rather than abandon it to be binned by his family.

It needs a little work, as some of the luminous paint has flaked off, but it's not a priority as I have so many other things to do first.  Funnily enough, not long after bringing it home, I was examining it and there was a repeat of an old episode of Mind Your Language on TV.  I've no idea if it was the same one I watched back in the '70s on the night I first acquired the skull, but wouldn't it be something if it was?  Or do those ironies only ever happen in books and movies?  However, that's not the end of the story.

I recently saw a boxed, sealed example of the same Revell skull on eBay and decided to buy it for old times' sake.  It has one significant difference to my original, in that it's a 'glows-in-the-dark' version, meaning I won't have to apply any luminous paint to it.  Sure, I don't really need it, but it's a way of reliving a long ago moment, as well as having a complete model of the skull with a full complement of teeth along with its lower jawbone*.  The sentimental among you needn't fret though, I'll still retain its predecessor.

(*Maybe I'll even get them 3D scanned and printed, and repair the original.)

Ever owned anything you eventually gave away, only to be reunited with it decades later?  If so, all your fellow Criv-Kids want to read about it so get typing.

Wait, there's more.  (Just remembered.)  Before I gave the skull away, sometime in the late '70s I drew a head and shoulders portrait of myself with the skull just at the back of me.  The idea was to suggest a skeleton was standing behind me looking over my shoulder, symbolising the fact that death is always present.  I no longer have the original lightly-shaded pencil drawing, but somewhere up in the loft is a poorly-reproduced dark photocopy of it.  Whenever I find it (won't be anytime soon) I'll add it to this post.  I've looked at that pic many times over the decades, but I'd forgotten I used the Revell skull as reference until this moment. 

BABE Of The DAY - JANE RUSSELL...

From Picture Show Annual 1951

comes delectable Jane Russell, one of

my top babes of all time.  It's been said that

gentlemen prefer blondes, but surely not

when jaw-dropping Jane's around.

CASTEL CRIVENS NEW ACQUISITIONS... (Updated)

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Arrived yesterday, The Legend Testers from Smash! (60th Anniversary) - though for some odd reason, it doesn't contain the strips from the Annuals, which previous collected editions of various strips published by The Treasury Of British Comics have done.  Where else would they print them?  Bit of a mistake in my view, but maybe they'll eventually do a second edition and rectify the oversight.

Arrived today, two facsimile editions of Superman Vs Spider-Man (50th Anniversary), by DC and Marvel, each with a different cover for the indecisive among you - and square-bound, just like the '70s original.  What can I say?  Buy 'em both now!  (And before you ask what happened to my recently declared intention to cut back on my buying, I pre-ordered them yonks ago before I arrived at that decision.) 

Below, available in February, the 2nd team-up between Supes and Spidey, with the original cover by Bob Larkin and a variant by Brian Bolland.  Better get your orders in now, Crivvies!  (Have to say I think Bolland has made Superman rather 'anaemic'-looking and hasn't quite captured Spider-Man's mask in profile.)

JUST WILLIAM - AND JOE...

Copyright relevant owner

Back when I was a mere boy circa 1970 or thereabouts, a friend told me about the 'Just William' books by Richmal Crompton.  (It seemed like decades before I learned Richmond was a woman and not a man.)  "They're hilarious" he said - and he was right.  He also told me about 'Alfred Hitchcock & The Three Investigator' books by Robert Arthur, though I'm uncertain as to which of the two series of books he recommended first.  I'd actually already read 'The Mystery Of The Green Ghost', but I'm unsure as to whether I was aware there was more than one, but I was soon devouring them with relish.

In the late '70s I avidly watched the Just William TV show and a few years ago bought the DVD box set, which, one night, I took round to the flat of the same friend who'd first told me about the character and we watched a few episodes together.  At some point he bought the two '70s Annuals from a charity shop (might've been before I bought the DVDs, might've been after), which prompted me to buy them from eBay as I'd certainly had the one for 1978 as a teenager, though I'm not sure about the one for 1979.

The friend was Joe, who died back in October, and I've been helping (in a small way) to pack up his stuff to be dispersed to charity shops, the local dump, and to anyone who wants any of it, his friends having had 'first pick' of what was available.  Most of the items I picked were comics I'd given him going right back to the late '70s, though there was a few things which were new to me.  Three or four days ago, I brought round to my house a bunch of books, a couple of which were the same two Just William Annuals he'd acquired a few years back.

And so the circle is complete.  It was Joe who told me about the irrepressible William Brown nearly 60 years ago, so it seems rather fitting to now have his William Annuals in my possession to sit alongside my own.  Do I need two copies of each book?  No, but I somehow don't have the heart to dispose of them as being surplus to requirements.  I'm sure Joe would approve.

Has a friend of yours ever recommended anything (movies, albums, or books) to you, which you were glad of, and which has added immense pleasure and enjoyment to your life that you might otherwise never have experienced?  And which when you look at, listen to, or read, reminds you of them?  Do tell if you'd be so good.

JACK KIRBY'S FOURTH WORLD FIASCO?

Copyright DC COMICS

Nowadays, DC Comics' Fourth World saga is sometimes hyperbolically (surely) described as 'Jack Kirby's Masterpiece', usually on the dust-jackets of books reprinting (yet again) his '70s series, and/or by rabid JK fans who think the 'King' could do no wrong.  However, not only isn't it a masterpiece by today's standards, it wasn't one back in the day either.  Some readers are prone to imbue things with a depth that simply doesn't exist, solely because there are aspects of the subject matter they don't fully understand and therefore assume must be profound, but vagueness doesn't necessarily equate with value.

Add to that, if they first read the various series back in their youth, the stories inevitably become entwined with memories of their lives at the time, and it's difficult to view things objectively if one's childhood or teenage years are involved - it's almost impossible to separate one from the other.  However, facts are facts!  Many of those who followed Jack from Marvel to DC soon returned to Marvel because Forever People, New Gods, and Mister Miracle failed to capture their interest.  In my view, only Jimmy Olsen's mag had any merit, and it was probably Superman's inclusion that swung things in its favour.

As for the other three - convoluted plots, uninteresting and uncharismatic characters, clunky dialogue and dry exposition, well, they didn't exactly make for a satisfying read guaranteed to bring readers back for the next issue.  Nowadays it's asserted in certain quarters that the sales figures weren't actually as bad as was later claimed, but why would DC cancel mags that were making money?  Remember, Kirby was being paid slightly more than the usual rate and he had two assistants to pay (out of his own pocket), so one inarguable fact is that DC wouldn't have 'suspended' the Fourth World comics if they were selling well and making a profit.

Did DC hope that by employing Kirby, Marvel would flounder without him?  It must've occurred to them if they believed the rumours that Jack was behind every good thing at Marvel and Stan Lee was merely a hitch-hiker, but the one thing Jack proved with his DC mags was just how essential an ingredient Stan was to the recipe.  One thing to remember is that comics were regarded as ephemeral entertainment for kids and teens, not classic literature.  Has there ever been a superhero series of comics that could legitimately be described as a 'masterpiece'?  Well, I suppose that's debatable, but Kirby's Fourth World definitely wasn't it.

PLASTON TARDIS TIMES TWO...

As a kid, I had what I now realise was an inadvertently destructive habit of removing stickers and labels that weren't positioned properly from newly acquired toys, and then trying to replace them in a neater, more symmetrical way than when they'd left the factory.  Matchbox Flying Bug?  If that 'cross' on the bonnet was in any way squint, off it came and was reapplied.  Same for the Bat emblem on my Marx Poseable Batman and any other plastic or metal toy you care to name, such as Dinky's TB2.  Trouble is, of course, they didn't always come off in one piece, and even if they did, they'd probably be creased and wrinkled and tend to curl when replaced, leading me to dispensing with them entirely.  So why mention this now, you may be wondering.

Simply because I was too young and cack-handed to accomplish my attempted 'repairs' back then, but it's a different bag of badgers these days now I'm a grown-up (okay - allegedly).  Around a year or so ago, I obtained a Plaston TARDIS to replace the one I owned in boyhood, but the Police Public Call Box sticker was absent.  If I recall correctly, it went around the front and both sides (the back didn't have one to avoid covering he coin slot), but I was only interested in restoring the front part of the label, so I simply made one, using pics of one on the Internet as a guide.  (I can always add the side parts of the label at a future date if I want to.)

Talking of the coin slot, it would appear that the money bank was manufactured with an indentation of where the slot was meant to be, then cut by hand in the factory in none-too-neat a manner, leaving a lot to be desired in the aesthetic stakes (see seller's photo of my replacement, below).  Not only has it been cut squint, the surrounding area has also suffered some damage in the process (or perhaps by the original owner using a knife to remove coins via the slot) and doesn't look too pretty.  I decided to take a craft knife to it and tidy it up, by removing any excess plastic (which was already damaged, remember), and I think it's far more pleasing-to-the-eye than it was before my handiwork.  

Seller's photo, before.  Click to enlarge for more detail

That's the result of my modification below, which is now neater and allows for easier insertion of coins than it used to.  Did I regret it was no longer as originally manufactured back in the '60s?  Well, yes, to a degree, but I consoled myself with the fact that the previous damage was now absent and it looked more like it should've been done back then.  Guess what, though?  I recently bought another one on eBay (before my decision to try and cut back on my purchases), and though the coin slot was neater than its predecessor, it had no labels adorning it like it was meant to.  (Some other kid maybe removed then because they were roughly misapplied.)

Buyer's (that's me, folks) photo, after

It would've been relatively simple to photograph my first replacement and then produce similar labels, but I decided to make it more like it should've looked by creating more 'authentic' labels reflecting the TARDIS from the TV show.  So that's what I did, as you can see in the first photo at the top of the post.  Incidentally, Plaston later produced a more accurate version of the Time machine (though in a lighter blue), but as I never owned this one, I've decided to forego adding it to my collection.  However, I've included a few pics of it obtained from eBay so you Crivvies can see the difference.  Another company later released a copy of it in yellow - another one I'll be giving a miss.  (The design of the first one's back and sides didn't match the front.)

The coin slot on my 2nd TARDIS - as originally rendered

Anyway, admittedly nothing much to this post (crap, NB?), but I always feel compelled to give you Crivvies something to read, even when I have nothing much worth writing about.  Can't have you dropping in and have nothing to offer you, can I?  That would never do.  Anyway, feel free to comment, should you so desire.

BABE Of The NEW YEAR - JACQUELINE BISSET...

Happy New Year to all Criv-Kids.

See you again (hopefully) in 2026.

THE TIME TO STOP IS GETTING NEARER...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

Sadly, I'm compelled to conclude that my buying days, especially of old toys and vintage comics, will soon have to come to an end for one very good reason.  Namely, all of my friends who'd be interested in them are now dead, and there's not as much fun buying stuff when you can't share it with those who were around when you owned the originals as a child or teen.  Besides, I've got replacements for the vast majority of items I recall owning when younger so I'm running out of things to buy anyway.  To say nothing of running out of space to store things.  If only I had a TARDIS - or a much bigger house.

I suppose there'll be a few exceptions I really must have when I see them, but I don't think there are too many - yet, to be honest, I don't know if that's a good or bad thing.  That's because, on consideration, there's another reason that's just occurred to me.  Recently, one of my childhood pals passed away, and as he was a hoarder, emptying out his flat (I only played a small role) continues to be a mammoth undertaking and most of his belongings will simply be binned, which is a great shame.  He wasn't particularly adept at keeping anything in good condition, but he wouldn't like to see anything jettisoned.

I'd hate for that to happen to any of my stuff, so it's about time to subdue my collecting instincts and perhaps even thin down my vast accumulation of stuff.  Having said that, I recently purchased the above comic, even though I already have various reprints, but I've always loved the cover since I first saw it adorning Pow! #10, cover-dated 25th March 1967.  Any Crivs out there relate to anything I've said?  Comments welcome.

And now, a word from your host...

 A very MERRY CHRISTMAS to all CRIV-KIDS everywhere.

TOMB RAIDER...?

Copyright DC COMICS

You may remember me mentioning one of my childhood friends dying recently (October 21st), though we weren't exactly on talking terms at the time of his sad expiration from Lupus.  However, the pal of his who's been tasked with clearing out his flat invited me round to help myself to just about anything I might like or want that wasn't already taken, so I found myself in a place I haven't stepped inside in approximately 6 or 7 years, going through the belongings of the departed one.  Joe (for that was his name) was a bit of a hoarder, so it's going to be a huge undertaking for his pal to empty the flat as every room is filled to overflowing with stuff Joe had accumulated from diverse sources over his limited lifetime.

With an occasional exception I mainly restricted myself to things I myself had given Joe over a period of several years, but there was one item I'd recommended to him just before we'd fallen out (again) that caught my eye, which was the stonkingly huge Jack Kirby Fourth World Omnibus published a few years back.  Apparently, the first printing had a howling error, in that a Jimmy Olsen page had been printed twice, resulting in another page being omitted.  DC recalled the book and issued a second printing which was error-free and fired the person responsible for the blunder in the first version.  No, I don't know his name, but I'll bet he's kicking himself for his oversight.  Thankfully, it was the corrected edition Joe had.

I already own all the tales in their original form and also in previous reprints, but the book is an extremely impressive publication which I'm glad to have.  Death tends to wipe the slate clean when it comes to the 'trespasses' of friends, so I'm going to imagine the book is a Christmas gift to me from Joe as, out of all his friends, I'm pretty sure he'd prefer me to have it - and none of them were into comics anyway.  He was only 64, so died far too young as he should've had at least another 20-odd years ahead of him.  It would probably take that long to read the Omnibus - did I mention how stonkingly huge it is?  Anyway, Joe, thanks for the present and a Merry Christmas to you wherever you are.  Sadly, there's no point in wishing you a Happy New Year.

Below, Joe in 1981, sometime around February or March, in the front room of 103 Boulton Road, Southsea, Portsmouth.  This is the way I prefer to remember him, as the kind of life he led in the ensuing years sadly took their toll on him.  However, in memory he'll be forever young.

DOCTOR STRANGE #1...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

When it comes to Doctor Strange, the late Steve Ditko was, in my opinion, the definitive artist on the strip.  Other artists have, of course, worked their own illustrative magic on the Doc's mystical adventures, but if I had to choose between them all, it would be Ditko's iconic issues which would be accompanying me on my journey to that mythical desert island were I ever to become a castaway.

You'll all have your own preferences I'm sure, and here's another one to consider - the 'first' issue of a new series starring the Doc which you Crivvies may be interested in.  I was pleasantly entertained by it, but rather than tell you what it's all about, I thought I'd just hit you with some pages and see if they manage to pique your curiosity.  Now's your chance to get in on the ground floor - don't miss it!

Have you got a favourite Doctor Strange issue from the '60s or '70s?  Tell your fellow readers which one it is - and why.

CHRISTMAS With The SUPER-HEROES...

Copyright DC COMICS

Here's yet another DC Limited Collectors' Edition I didn't have at the time, but I've got it now - or at least a Facsimile Edition of it.  I've previously read two of the stories elsewhere, but the remainder are new to me.  I love such publications because, not only do they take me right back to the '70s when the originals first went on sale, but also because there's usually an interesting mix of reprints in them.  Plus, they also give me material for Crivens so that you lot have something to look at when you're not watching paint dry.  So what else can I say - feast your eyes on the images on display.  And if you had this one when it was first released, feel perfectly free to declare it to the world via our captivating comments section.

No comments yet?  What's the matter with you lot - don't like Christmas?

Sadly, only Gerry Conway of the seven people depicted here is still alive today

WOWZA! THRILLING ADVENTURE STORIES #2...

Copyright relevant owner

I can't help but wonder whether any other b&w magazine ever had such a magnificent line-up of top-notch artists as Thrilling Adventure Stories #2 by Atlas/Seaboard.  Adams (colour cover), Simonson, Starling, Heath, Severin, and Toth!  That was surely worth a dollar of anybody's money.  Anyway, I promised you Crivs I'd show you the mag when it arrived and I always try and keep my promise.  Why?  Because a promise made is a debt unpaid, that's why.

Don't remember having this issue back in 1975, though I definitely had (and now have again) the first ish.  There were only ever the two issues so I can legitimately claim to have a full set - can you?  Regardless, enjoy the dynamic drawings and feel free to comment on them.