PART FOUR Of 'A TOUCH Of CLASS'...

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The above cover holds two sets of memories for me.  The first one is when I initially read an earlier printing of this issue in the late 1960s when visiting family friends in our former neighbourhood.  I even remember most of the stories inside, especially NOMAN in The SYNTHETIC STAND-INS.  Cut to several years later, and I'm perched on the porcelain in a toilet cubicle of a local cafeteria (after enjoying a luverly cuppa char and a scone) with the latest incarnation of this ALAN CLASS classic (bought not from the hospital shop, but a town centre newsagent), reliving my previous recollections of the comic and creating some future ones at the same time.

The above issue wasn't one of the comics my friend returned to me many years later (as related in an earlier post), as he'd already returned it a little while after I gave him the rest of my Class collection.  It just held too many memories to discard so lightly, so I asked if I could have it back and it's remained in my possession all this time.  I now have the original TOWER COMICS issue as well, having obtained it several years ago.

I'm pretty sure that I probably first read the other comics on one of those visits to my old neighbourhood - that's what springs to mind anyway when I look at them.  Again, I have some (if not all - I'll have to check) of the original Tower versions of these issues, and it's great to see them in colour and with superior printing to the Class reprints.

I'm also fortunate enough to possess all six volumes (seven contains non-Tower stories) of the DC reprint series of the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. AGENTS ARCHIVES, though, annoyingly, they omitted the Tower logo from the covers.  They're still well-worth having if you're a fan of the characters though, and are no doubt far cheaper than a complete run of original issues.

  

Well, that wraps things up on this particular series of posts for now.  I hope you enjoyed them, and that some of your own personal reminiscences relating to these comics were rekindled by reading mine.  Even if that's not the case, the covers are worth looking at for the incredible WALLY WOOD artwork alone.  See you next time, pilgrims!

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COMING SOON:  Part Four of BUSTER, SON Of ANDY CAPP.  Don't miss it.

'A TOUCH Of CLASS' - PART THREE...

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A nice JACK KIRBY illustration (above) kicks off the latest instalment in our series of cataclysmic ALAN CLASS covers.  With the exception of the issue below, I have no memories associated with these comics beyond purchasing them back in the late '70s.  I assume I probably bought them in the hospital shop referred to in previous posts, but one or two of them may have been obtained elsewhere.  The issue below is a replacement, but my original copy was one I bought in the aforementioned shop, because I recall sitting on a bench to look at it (maybe along with a couple of others, though not necessarily any in this post) on the way home.  The cover is by Jack Kirby and DICK AYERS.

It's quite disconcerting to realise that, as we get older, our powers of recollection begin to fade in some instances.  Of course, it could simply be that some things don't make much of an impression at the time, which is why it's harder to recall anything in particular about them later.  I'm not used to looking at a comic cover without having a host of memories associated with it - but, with four of these five comics, the only memories they conjure up are of my room in which I read them all those years ago.  JOE SINNOTT performed the artistic duties on the one below.

The cover below is by a pair of comic greats from yesteryear - JACK KIRBY, who pencilled it - and STEVE DITKO, who performed the inking chores.  Two for the price of one - what more could anyone ask for?

I'll have to re-read the issue below - I find myself strangely intrigued by what the secret of "The ABYSS" might be.  I'm beginning to wonder if I actually read all of my Alan Class comics before giving them away to one of my pals, who returned them to me over thirty years later (with, as already noted, the exception of SECRETS Of The UNKNOWN #158).  Anyway, next time we'll take a look at four - count 'em - four WALLY WOOD T.H.U.N.D.E.R. AGENTS covers by Alan Class - don't forget to be there - by clicking here.