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Ah, Rothesay, 1970. How it all comes back to me. The sound of the gulls, the smell of the sand and the sea - and Giant BATMAN (G61) #213. Emerging from the little side-street newsagent's clutching my prize, I was soon immersed in its pages as we (my parents and brother) strolled through the picturesque alleys of the Scottish seaside resort. (As I type this, I'm besieged by a nagging doubt as to whether my bruv obtained his copy of The FLASH #190 from the same source on the same day, or from another newsagent's on the early evening of a different day. On reflection, I think it was the latter.)
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If memory serves (it gets lazier the older I get), it was on this holiday that I also bought a cheap articulated figure with bendy rubber arms. I had the boots from a PEDIGREE CAPTAIN SCARLET action figure with me (having swapped an ACTION MAN for it with a pal some time before), and when I placed them on the cheapo figure (I steadfastly refuse to use the word 'doll'), so tight were they that when I pulled them off, the feet came off with them. A couple of nuts and bolts from a small hardware store soon rectified the problem, but so annoyed was I with those confounded boots that I threw them from the far end of the pier into the sea. Sacrilege! The boots alone would probably fetch a tidy sum on ebay nowadays.
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(Before we proceed, I should perhaps allay your horror at the above act by saying I now have two Pedigree CA figures, complete with boots, so I feel that - given what they cost me - I've now repaid my debt to society for my heinous crime.)
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Anyway, returning to the Batman, this big 30th Anniversary Special included a new version of "The ORIGIN Of ROBIN!", plus "HERE COMES ALFRED!", "The MAN BEHIND The RED HOOD!", "The CHALLENGE Of CLAY-FACE!", as well as a solo Robin adventure entitled "The GAME Of DEATH!" Essentially, most of them were origin tales, although I recall reading in a later issue's letters page that the Alfred story had been traced from the original published comic as proofs were unavailable at the time. Quite a few early Batman tales were re-created utilising this method, including his debut appearance from DETECTIVE COMICS #27, which was even used for the very first ARCHIVE EDITIONS of ol' Bats. I seem to remember that the Red Hood story also received this treatment, but I'm not 100% certain after all this time.
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So, let's have a look back at some of the pages from this landmark issue, purchased in the holidays between my transition from Primary school to Secondary. To me, it will ever scream "Rothesay, 1970!", but to you, dear readers, it will doubtless have its own sweet memories and associations. Why not take this opportunity to relive them now - and then share them with your fellow 'Criv-ites' in the comments section?
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Ah, Kid, you stole my thunder. I was replying to your previous post, and I happened to mention that I had bought a lot of DC comics while on holiday on the Isle of Bute in the late-60's and early-70's, although I got mine from the small newsagent in Port Bannatyne and not Rothesay itself. I was only allowed to buy one per day, so I ended up going home with fourteen in total. The most memorable one from that same year of 1970 was the June issue of Batman that featured 'The Beatles'. Mind you, as you pointed out, comics could reappear on the racks in those days, so it's quite possible I got it the following year when I went back.
ReplyDeleteAlso interesting to see Ross Andru's artwork, as I didn't know he had ever drawn Batman.
I had this issue, but I don't have any particular reminiscences about it. afair, I simply bought it and took it home and read it. I seem to remember staying up late and reading it, so it was presumably a weekend or holiday. I do remember the Joker's origin being mentioned in passing in World's Finest #159, and another WF issue (maybe #178) that alluded to Robin's background as a circus acrobat, but this was the first comic I remember that revealed the details. This was probably the first time I had actually seen any version of Clayface; the shape-shifter version may have been unique to the very early 1960's sci-fi era, which was a little before my time. BTW, I vaguely recall that 1970 Batman issue with the Beatles (or a parody of them). I never had that issue, but I either saw it on sale or saw an ad for it in another comic. I wasn't into rock stars when I was eleven, but I do remember the publicity over the "Paul is dead" rumor. -TC
ReplyDeleteI think it was a small newsagent's in Port Bannatyne where my brother got his Flash #190, GB. I remember an old deserted barge, I think, which lay at the quayside. It had been there on our first holiday to the place in 1965, and it was still there in 1970. It would be interesting to know when it was finally removed.
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I think I've got WF #178, so I'll take a look at it, TC. Don't remember the Batman/Beatles issue 'though. The Clayface story I saw again when it turned up in an ish of Super DC (by Top Sellers).
Batman/Beatles... reminds me of what Adam West wrote in his autobiography; that there were three important B's in the '60s :- Beatles, Bond and Batman and that he could have been part of 2 of them. West was of course the TV Batman, but he claims that Cubby Broccoli wanted him for the James Bond role when Sean Connery left and West turned it down because he felt that only a Brit could play it.
ReplyDeleteI just bought this comic on ebay a few weeks ago! Will get round to posting about Clayface one day...
ReplyDeleteI was pleased to see a mention of the newsagent in Port Bannatyne. I got issue 1 of the Levitz/Ditko/Wood Stalker there in 1975.
Good to hear from you again, Dougie. Regarding Ditko's Stalker #1, I think I got mine in RS McColl's in the town centre, but I always think of my grandparents' itchy red bed settee, where I sat and re-read it one Sunday afternoon on a visit, not long after acquiring it. I gave it away to a pal, who, 30 odd years later (2 or 3 years ago) gave the exact same issue back to me. (Still got it.)
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