MARVEL MEMORIES - 40 YEARS AGO TODAY...

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

Forty years ago today (1972), October 7th was a Saturday, not a Sunday.  It was also the day that the 2nd weekly ish of The MIGHTY WORLD Of MARVEL went on sale, and I was down at the newsagent's at the crack of dawn (well, shortly after it opened) in order to buy my copy.  Featuring the early tales of The INCREDIBLE HULK, The FANTASTIC FOUR and The AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, as well as fabulous full-colour pin-ups and a Spidey iron-on transfer, it was an absolute bargain at a mere 5p.

   

The above page is from the Hulk's first appearance, continued from the previous (debut) issue of MWOM.  Given the jade giant's skin hue, green was an ideal spot-colour for this story, although it was perhaps not quite so apt for the FF and Spidey.  (Though, speaking for myself, I thought it worked quite well.) 

The above pin-up originally appeared in FF #2.  Personally speaking, I always preferred the THING's original dinosaur-type epidermis, as opposed to his later rocky appearance.  I was over the moon when, years later, JOHN BYRNE transformed ol' Benjy back to his pre-evolved state for several issues.

One of the great things about those early MWOMs was the use of original covers to first issues being utilised as pin-ups for the mag.  The week before, we had seen the cover artwork to FF #1 - now it was the Hulk's turn to be accorded the same treatment.  Spidey was to have a slightly different honour bestowed upon him - as we shall shortly see.

   

Above is the free iron-on transfer given away with the comic.  Worth the price of 5p by itself, thousands of burgeoning Marvelites were doubtless soon running around sporting Spidey on the back of their tee-shirts, Hulkie from the first issue adorning the front.  Thousands more kids (the rich ones from the posh estates) probably awarded these transfers a tee-shirt each, but I wouldn't have been allowed to 'ruin' more than one. 

The MOLE MAN makes his first face-on appearance in the above page, with the addition of an added caption in panel five which wasn't present in the original printing of the tale.  Quite a few 'editorial changes' were made in early issues, and not just the usual revisions from U.S. to U.K. spellings.  Story pages were sometimes discreetly edited out due to lack of space.

Above is the artwork from the cover of FF #2, featuring The SKRULLS From OUTER SPACE.  Another great pin-up, the removal of which to hang on a wall surely ruined many an issue of these classic British mags.

I just had to include this ad - ACTION MAN was still selling in the millions when the above page first saw print, and it's a real 'slice of life' from the '70s which many of you will surely appreciate for the memories it brings.  Okay, hands up - who had a 'soldier doll' when they were a kid?  The correct answer is 'nobody' - because, as we all know, boys don't play with 'dolls'.  They're called 'action figures' - got it?

Sharp-eyed readers will have noticed that some of the speech balloons in the above page (in the first two panels) have been re-lettered.  DAVE GIBBONS is reputed to have made certain corrections and revisions in early issues, but I'm unsure whether these ones were made by him or done in the States. 

JACK KIRBY's cover from AMAZING FANTASY #15 was never utilised as a pin-up - that accolade went to STEVE DITKO's unpublished cover, which saw full-colour print in a Marvel mag for the first time on the back page of this issue of MWOM.  (The artwork had been seen previously in black and white in an issue of MARVELMANIA #2, I believe, but that was an 'outside' publication, not a Marvel one.)

And there you have it - a short trip back in time to forty years ago.  Tune in again soon. 

JAMES BOND AT 50 - STILL LOOKING GOOD...

Images copyright relevant owner

How time flies, eh?  I remember, back in 1974, a friend informing me in school one day that the back catalogue of JAMES BOND movies had just been sold to ITV for showing on British television.  It wasn't until 1975 (after I had left school) that the first film - DR NO - made its small screen debut, and I recall watching it and reliving my memories of having first seen it in my local cinema around three years earlier.

So, what has that to do with the price of cheese?  Just this - October 5th was the 50th anniversary of the premiere of Dr No back in 1962.  Apparently, ITV's contract to show Bond movies on U.K. TV also expires this month, with SKY now having the rights in that department.  I find that rather amazing - the fact that an agreement first set up when I was still a mere schoolboy is only just now coming to an end, 38 years later.  In that period of time, five different actors have played Bond... James Bond, and the latest - DANIEL CRAIG - has just signed up for another two movies in the ongoing blockbuster franchise.

On November 25th, another anniversary takes place - the 40th anniversary of the first time I saw agent 007 (in the person of big TAM CONNERY - SEAN to you) go through his paces on the largest cinema screen in Scotland.  He had a licence to kill, chill and thrill - and the world's favourite secret agent is still going strong umpteen years later.

The latest movie, SKYFALL, is due in U.K. cinemas from October 26th, and U.S. cinemas from November 9th.  Don't dare miss it - 'cos NOBODY DOES IT BETTER THAN BOND!