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| Copyright MARVEL COMICS |
In just a little over a fortnight, it will be (gasp) a whole 40 years since MIGHTY MARVEL unleashed their brand-new frantic fan club upon the waiting world. Those who became a Friend Of Ol' Marvel back in February 1973 received various goodies along with the first ever issue of FOOM magazine. There was a giant-sized poster by JIM STERANKO, a half dozen or so FOOM labels, and a gold-backed membership card, which all came in a specially designed envelope featuring the HULK (not one of Jim's better drawings, it has to be said).
For those of you who weren't lucky enough to be around at the time, or who weren't smart enough to hold onto their own classic collectable kit, here's a pulsating pictorial presentation of what was included. You can see the cover of the first magazine by clicking here.
...or who weren't smart enough to hold onto their own classic collectable kit...
ReplyDeleteWhy are you looking in my direction when you say that? Don't twist the knife! :)
I'm looking in my direction as well - because I wasn't smart enough either.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I was smart enough to obtain a replacement a number of years later.
When I signed up for FOOM, Marvel UK seemed to be having problems importing the goodies. The first issue I received was #2, with that awesome Steranko cover, but without the Hulk envelope which was apparently out of stock. I didn't receive another issue until #6, after which they had it sorted and posted me the rest of the run at very erratic intervals.
ReplyDeleteMy FOOM stickers, of course, were all stuck on to things that are long gone, my membership card somehow got mangled... but... I've still got the poster! It adorned my bedroom wall for nearly 20 years and the fact that I looked at it virtually every day for two decades probably explains my lifelong Steranko obsession :-)
Funny thing about that poster is that I consider it very far from Steranko's best work. His Hulk figure is far too small for a start and also seems a tad skinny. The envelope illo is very poor, and makes ol' Hulkie's face look like an inflatable sex doll. I'm surprised that Stan didn't request revisions. Still, what do I know?
ReplyDeleteKid, if you happen to have that FOOM envelope to hand (the one with the Hulk pic on the front), could you tell me the postage date printed on the envelope? I'm trying to nail down exactly when I received the issue myself, which is probably within days of yours. Ta.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I now have a full set of F.O.O.M., B, I was late in sending away my 50p and therefore the first issue I received was #3. I bought the kit with #1 from someone I know around the early or mid-'90s, I think, but I don't recall offhand where the brown envelope is that he kept it in (which would've been the one it came in). I'm pretty sure I still have it though, and I'll get back to you when I find it again. Assuming you joined right away (sometime in February), I'd say it's a pretty safe guess that you'd have received it sometime in March, April at the latest.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kid. Much appreciated. No urgency on finding the date on the envelope - just part of documenting my own personal "timline". :-)
ReplyDeleteI've remembered where it MIGHT be, so I'll take a look as soon as I can over the next couple of days.
ReplyDeleteJust to let you know, B, that the Steranko F.O.O.M. envelope is dated 21st March 1973 on the other side of the Hulk pic shown on my blog. The guy I later acquired it from would've been pretty quick off the mark in ordering it, so if you were the same, then yours would've been posted around the same time, I'd guess.
ReplyDelete