A QUESTION Of RACE - WHO'S FASTER, SUPERMAN Or The FLASH? CAVORTIN' COVER GALLERY...

Images copyright DC COMICS

So, who's faster - SUPERMAN or The FLASH?  In the Silver Age, they were presented as equals in the speed department, but with the passage of time, continual reboots, power levels being redefined and whatnot, The Flash is currently (unless DC changed things yet again as I typed this) considered to be the fastest man alive!  (Not that there's any fast dead ones as far as I know.)

So, in celebration of the several races that various incarnations of both superheroes have had over the years, here's a cover gallery showcasing their super-speed spats, including the covers of a couple of collections of their combative competitions! (Incidentally, in case you didn't already know, the two speech balloons on the above cover were inadvertently attributed to the wrong characters - they should be in reverse order.)

Don't say I don't spoil you - because I do!  Enjoy!

THIS IS SURE TO MAKE YOUR MOUTH WATER (IN-JOKE)... (Updated)

There I was, talking about the ESSO MAN keyring from the '60s in the comments section of a recent post, and whaddya know?  One was on offer on eBay.  This little fella will be winging his way to join me and my other collectables before you can say Esso Blue!

******

(Update 2024: Astoundingly, in a couple of months it will be 10 years since I bought this wee fella!  The realisation that I've now had him for far, far longer (by many years) than I ever had my original is a painful reminder of just how quickly time passes when one is of a certain age.  Brrrr!  It only seems like a couple of years since I first published this post.)

FRANCIS MATTHEWS - ALIAS CAPTAIN SCARLET - PASSES AWAY...

It would've been nice if actor FRANCIS MATTHEWS could've been as indestructible as his puppet persona CAPTAIN SCARLET, but, alas, 'twas not to be.  Mr. Matthews died today at the age of 86, and, to his family and friends, the world is suddenly a sadder place - as well as to those who grew up watching GERRY ANDERSON's supermarionation programmes on TV.

Today, Spectrum is blue.  A fine actor has returned to 'Cloudbase', but his legacy is surely indestructible.

FRANKIE STEIN SUMMER/HOLIDAY SPECIAL COVER GALLERY...

Images copyright relevant owner

Welcome to our freaky cover gallery of eight FRANKIE STEIN HOLIDAY SPECIALS, published by IPC from 1975 to 1982.  Incidentally, the '77, '78, '80 & '81 issues are IPC file copies, gifted to me by Bouncing BOB PAYNTER (Group Editor of the Youth Group's humour division) - in response to my greedy request, it has to be said.  (You don't ask, you don't get.)

AMIABLE AL'S MARVEL SILVER AGE BLOG - DON'T MISS IT...

If you're not already aware of it, former 2000 A.D. (and various other titles) writer and editor ALAN McKENZIE has an excellent blog that you really all should be visiting on a regular basis.  It's called MARVEL In The SILVER AGE and you can access it by clicking the name.  In fact, it's so good, I fear that some of you may not want to come back to CRIVENS! once you've seen how magnificent Amiable Al's site is.  Highly recommended!  (The site I  mean, not the bit about not coming back here.)