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| Copyright REBELLION |
As promised, here's the second part of WHAM #1, published by ODHAMS PRESS back in June 1964 as a direct competitor to D.C. THOMSON's The BEANO. The comic lasted for around three-and-a-half years, The Beano is still with us today, so you can make up your own minds as to which of the two weeklies came best in that particular circulation battle. However, it was a brilliant periodical during its lifespan and is still fondly remembered today. (Mainly by decrepit old farts like myself, it has to be said.)
And you now have the complete first issue in your comics collection, you lucky Criv-ites - am I good to you or what? (Did someone just say "What"?)
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And here's an ad for the upcoming launch of the first issue...
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Do you think that one day people will think of comic book collecting like we think of stamp collecting? Once very popular, but stamps collecting is NOT what it once was.
ReplyDeleteSo kid, do you have any theories why Wham! only lasted for three years ? I started reading comics in the early '70s with The Topper and The Beezer and I'd never heard of these Pow, Wham, Terrific comics until a few years ago - I also didn't know that Marvel characters had appeared in the UK before MWOM #1. My favourite character in those pre-Marvel days was secret agent Nick Kelly and his assistant Cedric but I can't remember whether he was in the Topper or Beezer. Strangely, I only got The Beano as annuals and I never read The Dandy at all either as a comic or an annual. I continued to get The Beezer, Topper and Beano as annuals for several years even after I'd switched to reading Marvel.
ReplyDeleteI hope not, Barry. If that were to happen the world (my world anyway) would be the poorer for it.
ReplyDelete******
It's difficult to say, Col, because there were loads more comics to choose from back then. It might simply have been because there was too much competition (and some were cheaper).
Nice to see Wham celebrated on a few sites this week, but getting the entire first issue is excellent. I really am struggling to come to terms with it being 50 years since issue one as I do vividly recall getting this book (although it was probably bought for my brother as I would only have just been 5 years old) - my dad would get us 3-5 comics on a Saturday and we would share them but a first issue with a free gift was always coveted - but 50 years ago yikes indeed!!! I think the Power comics failed only as they were a bit more costly than other books and didn't have as much content (under Odhams) as Fleetway/IPC and DCT had in their books. It was also a bit more off the wall (which always attracted me to them)with manic strips by Ken Reid (The Nerves) I recall my mum thinking that was a bit "gross" and Frankie Stein was dark and of course the Marvel reprints were not as popular then as they are now - Incidentally Colin, Nick Kelly originally appeared in the Topper comic -
ReplyDeleteWhen I started buying Wham!, McScotty (with the start of the FF reprints), it had only around 16 months left to run, which astounds me now because, in retrospect, it seems as if I was buying it for far longer. I therefore completely missed its photogravure issues (although I've got some now), which some people might regard as its best days. When it first came out, the comic was priced 6d, but when I was buying it, it was 7d - which (unknownst to me) was a clue that circulation was in decline.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see these - anything WHAM! related or Power comics in general always gets my attention. Been touring Europe for the last 4 weeks and haven't driven a car or touched a computer (it can be done) - do I have a lot to catch up on now though!, especially at the rate your posts go up.
ReplyDeleteWell, it saves sitting around and counting my money all day, PC, so I'm glad you enjoy the posts. Hope you had a good holiday.
ReplyDeleteI honestly cannot remember if I got #1 or not ( shame on my memory ). If not, it wasn't long after. But I've sure as heck got it now, so a great big THANKS from me too for posting it and lovingly cleaned up too! Your generosity knows no bounds!
ReplyDeleteShucks, you made me blush, JP. Glad you enjoyed seeing Wham! #1.
ReplyDeleteAnother memory comes back seeing that ad for stamps from Broadway Approvals. A couple of years proir to this , like many other lads in our class, I sent off for and started collecting these. Then one day 2 school chums came in with satchels full of DC comics - the first time I had ever seen them. " Where did you get THOSE from?" I asked!
ReplyDeleteAlmost instantly, philately was forgotten.
That's astounding, JP - there was a boy called Phil Atley in my class, too!
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