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| Images copyright MARVEL COMICS |
Beyond my window, the swiftly swirling snow bestows its sparkling splendour upon the stark and startling scene outside. Inside, I return to over 40 years ago to relive the heady days of my early teens, which were themselves a re-experience of an even earlier time in my boyhood. You see, dear reader, the tales contained within the covers you see here, I'd previously perused in the pages of the ODHAMS PRESS publications known as POWER COMICS, in this specific instance the weekly periodicals entitled WHAM!, SMASH!, and POW!
Although these stories conjured up recollections from an earlier period in my life (and the myriad associations which accompany them), I was not so over-familiar with them to be immune from a new set of memories being formed within my impressionable mind. As I once explained, that's why I can look at certain stories from my childhood and teenage years and have two distinct sets of recollections connected to the same tales, depending on whichever particular printing of them I'm pondering at the time.
But enough of such self-indulgent musings, let's look at the goods. JIM STARLIN awes us with two simply sensational covers to The MIGHTY WORLD Of MARVEL #s 6 & 7, inked, so I believe, by JOE SINNOTT. Issue #7's FANTASTIC FOUR adventure contained only one chapter from the cosmic quartet's first encounter with DOCTOR DOOM (from FF #5), so we were presented with a preponderance of pin-ups and puzzle pages to pad out the issue to the required page count. Not that anyone was complaining, mind you, as they lent themselves more to the usual contents of a 'typical' British comic. (Not that MWOM was ever really that, of course.)
Anyway, enjoy these iconic images from more than four decades in the past. As you immerse yourself in their spell, I return to the window to again recall the snow from a long-ago, but never-forgotten period of my life which, though behind me, is ever before me. Now beat that for a perplexing piece of paradoxical philosophical profundity.
Part Four coming soon.
Keep them coming KID!!! Marvel-ous!
ReplyDeleteLoads more to go, don't worry.
ReplyDeleteReally enjoying this series. The covers are so nostalgic. Whenever I think of unstable molecules- which is, let's face it, quite often- that's how I picture them.
ReplyDeleteUnstable molecules aren't dangerous - not once they've had their medication. Just thought you'd like to know. Watch for my SMCW cover gallery series, Dougie - coming in February.
ReplyDeleteKid,
ReplyDeleteMWOM # 8 is likely inked by omeone other than Sinnott, perhaps even Starlin himself. I also wonder if the Spidey by number is by Starlin.
It's great to see all the feature pages that were included in the weeklies. It reminds me of the Giant-Size Marvel's that came out in 1974 that also included many of the same reprints from the original Annuals. I fondly recall when the gallery of villains was featured in Giant-size FF and Spider-Man with additional copy (likely by Roy Thomas) updating fans on a few bits of info.
There was talk ofr continuing the gallery of villians features with new material when the reprints ran out, but that was abandoned and the GS titles only lasted 4-5 issues.
I'm not sure about some of the other GS titles from the '70s, Nick, but the FF one lasted 6 issues. I know 'cos I've got 'em. It's a shame they didn't go on for longer.
ReplyDeleteI never really looked at MWOM #8 too hard, but it may well be Starlin who inked it himself, as you suggest.