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| Layout by CARMINE INFANTINO, inks by NEAL ADAMS. Copyright DC COMICS |
Of the last few posts I've published, by far the most popular has been the first part of this NEAL ADAMS' BATMAN cover gallery series. So, being smarter than the average bear, I figure that means there's quite a few of you out there who won't be averse to seeing a few more of Neal's Dynamic Covers from way back when.
Well, whaddaya know, Criv-ites - here are some right here, right now, to whet your appetite. Talk about timing, eh?!
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| Pencils & inks by NEAL ADAMS |
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| Pencils & inks by NEAL ADAMS |
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| Pencils & inks by NEAL ADAMS |
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| Pencils & inks by NEAL ADAMS |
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| Pencils by NEAL ADAMS, inks by DICK GIORDANO |
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| Pencils by NEAL ADAMS, inks by DICK GIORDANO & VINCE COLLETTA |
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| Pencils by CURT SWAN, inks by NEAL ADAMS |
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| Layout by CARMINE INFANTINO, inks by NEAL ADAMS |
12 comments:
Kid, I know you say that Britain was flooded with DC comics in the '70s (OK, OK I believe you !!) but I never saw any so I want to explain that when I said I was glad it was Marvel who came over here what I really meant was I was glad Marvel created Marvel UK. You must admit that Marvel made an extra-special effort for us British kids and it was only because Marvel UK brought out Planet of the Apes at exactly the same time as the TV show that I started reading Marvel comics. And it was only because of Marvel UK that I discovered Conan the Barbarian too. DC never bothered to create a UK division. Anyway my life-long loyalty has been to Marvel alone and that ain't gonna change now.
9 on the trot have been popular with me!!
World's Finest 180 is burnt into my head as the back cover of every issue of Super DC. Weird seeing it in the correct colours though : )
I wouldn't have used the word 'swamped', CJ, but DC certainly seemed to be more readily available than Marvel, especially in the '60s. Just goes to show how smart Stan (or whoever) was in realizing that there was a weekly market which could be cultivated to Marvel's ultimate benefit.
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9 more next time too, JP.
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I've got #178, AK, but I've yet to read the conclusion in #180. (179 was a non-related Giant issue.)
I had the cover of Batman #203 (long story) pinned up on my bedroom wall for many years, and still hold it as one of my favourites, gorgeous art.
My perception of the balance of DC and Marvel availability in the UK is slightly different. I think there must've been at lest one press distributor for Marvel in the UK, because they would appear like clockwork but only in certain locations, like resorts, they were readily obtainable in London too. DC an entirely different story, exclusively available via spinner racks in corner newsagents, nestled amongst the bulk buys and pulp. I suppose that means we can say the DC's arrived here via the proverbial 'ballast' route, I don't think I ever came across Marvel titles that way. There was a hefty price on the Marvels as well, often breaking the shilling barrier whereas the DC's were available for about threpence.
And now you can print it out and put it back up on your wall, AJ . Happy days are here again, eh?
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What year would that have been, DSE? I think things started to change some time in the '70s - at least in some parts. Marvel originally arrived here as ballast too.
Some classics in that batch from the mighty Mr Adams especially the Brave and the Bold issues - that Deadman B&B is one of my favourites and have the tattiest copy of that in my collections still - is the scanned cover you have here a special edition as it looks different to mine there's no number on it (its issue 79) the 12 cent price isn't there and the colours look very slightly different - Great seeing these covers again.
The source of these covers will be revealed in part three, McScotty. Glad to hear your enjoying seeing them again.
If you're whetting our appetite with these two posts, does that mean there's a lot more to come? —— I hope so.
During his golden period, I think I was lucky enough to buy every issue of note that Adams was part of for DC, and every one of them was bought in small newsagents in the West of Scotland (or Blackpool) - from Girvan and Ayr in the south, and as far north as Portree and Ullapool. Any time I was dragged off to visit relatives or went on holiday or was taken to watch my brothers play football, the first thing I did was search out one of those wee newspaper shops to see what might be hidden in one of the racks that were invariably lurking off in a corner. Sometimes, if I was lucky, the comics would literally be falling out of the racks, there were so many squashed into them.
Anything Adams worked on then was equally welcome, even if they only had him on cover duty - like B&B or JLA - but best of all were the ones with interior artwork, like Deadman, Batman and GL/GA. His work just felt much more exciting than what had gone before. Maybe if Marvel comics had been available at the time, his impact might not have been so great, but the fact is that before the British B&W issues came out, the only Marvel I was able to buy was Spiderman 84 (bought in Fort William, of all places) and Daredevil 100 (Stonehaven). Why I was able to buy Marvel in those small towns and not down in the bigger towns like Paisley and Glasgow, I have no idea.
Lots more to come, GB. Good to see what reminiscences little posts like this one can inspire.
Date wise I would say that state of affairs was from the late sixties to early seventies, I recall one particular shop near Portabella where you pick up Marvel titles on demand, from real early on. There was even a second hand scene round the corner or they could've been ballast Marvels because some of those had the circle price stamps.
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