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| Images copyright DC COMICS |
JIMMY OLSEN was never a regular buy for me when I was a kid, though that changed when JACK KIRBY took over for 15 issues back in the '70s. One that sticks in my mind however, is the above one - #97 - bought by my brother during my family's holiday in Largs in 1968. He also purchased FANTASTIC #70, featuring the first half of the origin of The INCREDIBLE HULK. This was the first time ODHAMS had reprinted the tale, having begun with issue #2 when the strip debuted in SMASH! in 1966. However, the GARGOYLE part of the tale had appeared back in Smash! #27, cover-dated August 6th 1966, as a self-contained story, out of sequence with, and seemingly unconnected to, The Hulk's origin tale.)
To digress for a moment, this was a peculiarity of Odhams: They didn't bother with SPIDER-MAN's origin from AMAZING FANTASY #15, instead starting with ASM #1 when the series appeared in POW!. Nor did they commence with DAREDEVIL's origin in Smash!, reserving an abridged version of the tale for the 1968 Fantastic Summer Special. I'd have to check, but I don't think they published the first-ever AVENGERS story either, though I could be wrong on that one. As far as I can remember, the only characters that they definitely printed from their very first issues were The FANTASTIC FOUR, THOR, IRON MAN, X-MEN and DOCTOR STRANGE.
On that '68 holiday, I also acquired a bendy CAPTAIN SCARLET figure and a STEVE ZODIAC & ZOONY The LAZOON on a jet-mobile toy. Whenever I look at my replacements of either the Jimmy Olsen or Fantastic comics, or the Steve Zodiac toy (I haven't got 'round to replacing Captain Scarlet yet), I'm instantly transported back in time to our holiday residence for that year, which was the ground floor flat of what was essentially a Glasgow-type tenement, complete with the 'luxury' of an outside toilet in the back courtyard.
One day, my brother bought a trick dog-poo, which we placed on the pavement outside the front of the building, then stood around trying to look nonchalant so that we could register the looks of disgust on the faces of passers-by. It went largely unnoticed, to the extent that somebody accidentally kicked it as they passed, sending it skiting along the path. 'Twas my idea to pour some water over it, to give it the appearance of a more realistic, freshly-deposited doggie-jobbie, but that failed to attract any more attention than before.
We were to return to Largs two more times, in 1969 and '71. No doubt I'll regale you with the background to some of the comics and toys I bought on those occasions at a future date. (You lucky 'Criv-ites', you! I really shouldn't spoil you so much.)
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| Image copyright MARVEL COMICS |
Since first posting this, I've been back to Largs, and below is an example of the type of tenement we stayed in, where me and my brother perpetrated our doggie-poo trick. Ah, memories!
With regard to the way Odhams always seemed to miss out the first few issues of a reprint series - that used to annoy me too. I've still got Terrific #1, one of the few "Power Comics" I still possess (I didn't buy it when it came out, but I sent off for it as a back-issue, which is probably why I've carefully hung onto it ever since. I've still got my iron-on Iron Man T-shirt, too). The Avengers story in that issue is "Masters of Evil", which I think was from Avengers #6. So you're right, they didn't start with #1.
ReplyDeleteI've still got my Iron Man transfer too, Andrew - great gift, wasn't it? I wonder if that's what gave the idea to Marvel UK for their Hulk and Spidey iron-on transfers in their comics?
ReplyDeleteYou're right - it was Avengers #6 (the first half anyway) in Terrific #1, but Avengers #2 - The Space Phantom - was printed in an earlier issue of Smash! I don't remember them doing the origin tale 'though. I'll have to check my back issues when I have time.