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| Images copyright MARVEL COMICS |
Well, we're very nearly there. In our next cover gallery post in this series, we'll feature the first Birthday issue of The MIGHTY WORLD Of MARVEL (#53) as the comic celebrated a year of publication. The early issues had been impressive, with their spot and full-colour pages, and reprints of the best classic stories that STAN, JACK & STEVE had to offer. However, the later issues, with their sombre grey tones, weren't such a visual delight, but I continued to buy them like the good little Marvelite I was.
Cop a gander at the cover of #51: This is one of my favourite covers, as it has its own personal associations for me and because it's an extremely evocative illustration in its own right. But take a closer look at ol' HULKIE. He appears to be stuck in mid-transformation and not quite as 'incredible' as he should be. He looks just like a powerfully built, normal human (one with green skin, I grant you) and not the 'hulking' seven foot creature with which we're all familiar. Still a good drawing though.
Anyway, feel entirely free to share your own memories of these early British Marvels in the comments section. Most of the responses are a good deal more interesting than the posts which inspire them, to be honest with you, so put your digit to keyboard and get typing.
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| Oh dear, what a terrible 'paste-up' job. Even allowing for foreshortening and his crouching position, The Thing looks as if he's only about four foot tall |
Dr Strange as back up strip to the Avengers.... Personally I'd have opted for Giant Man & the Wasp which had a similar short page count per issue.
ReplyDeleteAvengers, Doctor Strange, Giant-Man & The Wasp - throw in Sub-Mariner, Chris, and you'd have 'Terrific' from the '60s.
ReplyDeleteI hope you post the FULL journey of TMWOM ,including "MARVEL COMIC". It's interesting seeing how it changes.I think the dodgy inking and gaffes give it a kind of innocence. Marvel UK certainly did have to learn from scratch. It's such a pity that DC UK didn't try as well, managing only 2 weeklies (short-lived), one monthly and 2 digests to my knowledge.
ReplyDeleteI'll be able to post examples, JP, but unfortunately not the full run. I've got all of the paper covered MWOMs, some of the glossy covered ones, and the first few issues of when it was renamed Marvel Comic. I'll have to dig out my 1976/'77 Captain Britains - some nice covers on them.
ReplyDeleteDougie said the following, but I had to edit out an address, so here's a cut and paste of the relevant bit.
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Dougie said...
Ah, the Space Parasite! One of the earliest Hulk comics I ever owned- again, one that turned up in Strathaven about 3 or 4 years after it had been published.
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Dougie, I've actually got the original U.S. issue as well, plus its reprint in Fantastic.
Most of the MWOM covers are drawn by Ron Wilson and inked by Giacoia and/or Esposito. I'm not sure if Wilson drew the cover of #51 though. It may be another artist, although the inks are by Giacoia.
ReplyDeleteAs you say, Nick, the others look like Ron Wilson. Not sure about #51 myself.
ReplyDeleteKid, yes please, I look forward to the Captain Britain covers, but can you show us some of the insides as well?
ReplyDeleteI'll see what I can do, JP.
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