CRIVENS! COMICS & STUFF!: BLIMEY! THE THING IS BIG BEN COVER & IMAGE GALLERY

Friday, 5 September 2014

BLIMEY! THE THING IS BIG BEN COVER & IMAGE GALLERY - PART FIVE...

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

As I trot tantalisingly about town spreading joy and happiness amongst my fellow Caledonians (by virtue of my fair and friendly countenance and beaming disposition), I still sometimes can't help but wonder if I do enough to alleviate all the pain and suffering in this wide world and whether it might just be possible to do more. Then I remember this bombastic blog and realise what a herculean effort I put into making this planet a far better place, and feel foolish for doubting my awesome altruism. In fact, I get so embarrassed about being such a wonderful person, that I very often feel like punching an orphan just to attain some kind of balance in my everyday life.

Anyway, enough of the problems of veritable sainthood - you're not concerned with such minor matters, I'm sure. Instead, let's focus on the final four issues of MARVEL U.K.'s weekly periodical from the mid-'80s, The THING Is BIG BEN, which shuffled off this mortal coil with its 18th issue. I've also included the Summer Special to complete the collection, as I just can't help but give, give, give! ('Scuse me while I polish my halo.)

So, all you cavortin' Criv-ites, I've done my part, 'tis now time for you to do yours - by savouring the varied visuals which I've laid out before you. Should you then wish to leave a comment thanking me for my genial generosity and bountiful benevolence, I'll read them with my customary modesty at what a super human being I happen to be. Although, it's hard to be humble when you're as magnificent as I am, as I'm sure you can all appreciate.

5 comments:

moonmando said...: Punching an orphan! Sainthood becomes you Kid. Lol; 5 September 2014 at 16:21
Dave S said...: Kid, all your talk of altruism may be tongue-in-cheek (then again, it may not), but I do a job that is often quite stressful, and I often spend my teabreaks reading through a few blogs that I follow, this being one of them. I look forward to my twenty minutes of escape, entertainment and nostalgia that the blogs give me, and this post today was a cracker: a couple of pages from (a reprint of) Marvel Two In One 100, which I think I burbled on about in a comment the other week, some Big Ben covers which I vaguely recognise from my youth, and that Marvel Girl feature, which was also reprinted in 1977's Titans annual, a book I remember buying at a primary school jumble sale, along with the 1978 Rod Stewart annual, both of which I still have!

Great post, thanks!; 5 September 2014 at 19:22
Kid said...: You know me, Moony - I was understating. I'd try and punch at least three.

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DD, most of what I write is tongue in cheek, but if I had my tongue in cheek as I typed that, then you can't quite be sure if what I've just said is meant to be taken seriously or not. Doh! My head hurts. I remember buying the 1977 Titans Annual at the end of '76 - from Woolworths, I think. Glad you enjoyed the post.; 5 September 2014 at 20:29
John Pitt said...: I didn't have the summer special . How did miss that? Thanks for all these images. You joke about your generosity, but we at the other end do appreciate it.
I recognize that Marvel Girl pic from somewhere far earlier, but I'm not sure where.; 5 September 2014 at 21:30
Kid said...: That Marvel Girl story first appeared in X.Men #57, JP, was reprinted in Giant-size X-Men #1, Titans Annual 1977, and various other places since. In some reprints it had a page edited out for reasons of space. It goes without saying of course, that I appreciate your appreciation.; 5 September 2014 at 22:55

About the artist:

From 1985 to 2000 A.D. (little joke there), I contributed to a variety of high profile comics and magazines for various companies.

For IPC/FLEETWAY/EGMONT, I freelanced as a lettering and logo artist on various weekly comics and monthly magazines, and also as a resize comic artist and spot illustrator on pocket books, summer specials and annuals.

For MARVEL U.K., BLACK LIBRARY, REDAN and USBORNE BOOKS, I again freelanced as a lettering artist, also working as a restoration artist for MARVEL U.S., restoring and re-creating certain pages of JACK KIRBY art for their MARVEL MASTERWORKS editions.

I also lettered the MARVELMAN sample pages submitted to MARVEL U.S. when they were considering acquiring the character, which - as we all now know - they DID.

Supplied comic strips, cartoons and illustrated advertisements for local business campaigns and newspaper publication on a professional basis since the age of 16. Did my first paid art job for publication at 14 or 15 for Lanarkshire Education Board.

Have also made TV appearances as a collector of memorabilia.

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Just some of the titles I worked on are:

2000 A.D. * JUDGE DREDD MEGAZINE * DICEMAN * SONIC The COMIC * JUDGE DREDD, LAWMAN Of The FUTURE * CRISIS * REVOLVER * EAGLE * TIGER * BATTLE ACTION-FORCE * BUSTER * WHIZZER & CHIPS * WHOOPEE * NIPPER * SCHOOL FUN * ACE VENTURA, PET DETECTIVE * The REAL GHOSTBUSTERS * DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE * COUNT DUCKULA * RUGRATS * The TRANSFORMERS * DEATH'S HEAD * THUNDERCATS * GALAXY RANGERS * DRAGON'S CLAWS * SINDY * MARVEL MASTERWORKS * The TROLLS * LOADED * INFERNO * WARHAMMER * ROSE BLACK.

Copyright Notice:

Images remain the property of their respective copyright owners and are used here only for the purpose of review, promotion, and nostalgia.

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In the case of images culled from my own collection where copyright of an item isn't mine, I impose no copying restrictions on fellow bloggers.

(Although, if you don't allow copying on your own site, then you really shouldn't be copying from others, should you?)

And while you can credit this blog if you like, it's not mandatory. Who has time to make notes of every casually visited site during an idle browse of the internet?

In the case of anyone copying images of my own artwork and calligraphy, I affirm my right to be identified as the creator, and any such copying should not be for the purpose of monetary or material gain. (Unless it's mine.)

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Please also note that this blog is not sponsored by, affiliated with, or connected to, any organisation, business, or group, and is wholly independent.