CAPTAIN BRITAIN COVER, SPLASH PAGE & IMAGE GALLERY - PART THREE...

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

Time again to turn back the clock to 1976 and gaze once more upon some iconic images from the pulsating pages of CAPTAIN BRITAIN, as published by The Merry MARVEL U.K. Bullpen.  Okay, the comic was actually prepared Stateside, but 'twas printed over here and had some input from the British editorial team, minor as it was.

Looking at the comic now, it has to be said that it was quite a slick publication, considering that some of the other U.K. Marvel weeklies often had a makeshift appearance to them.  Apart from his origin perhaps, there was really nothing original about the good Captain's tales, which were fairly generic superhero fare, but Marvel has to be given credit, at least, for trying to give us Brits a hero of our own.

Okay, peeps, don't forget to return for part four.

BABE Of The DAY - CARLA GUGINO (AGAIN)...

Oh, go on then - let's have another babe.

Once again - CARLA GUGINO.  Drool!

KEN REID'S LAST EVER FRANKIE STEIN...

Copyright relevant owner

KEN REID, the original artist of FRANKIE STEIN, returned to the character one more time, a whopping 17 years after having last drawn him in WHAM! back in 1967.  The six page strip appeared in the MONSTER FUN Annual 1985 (issued in '84), and it's odd to think that many readers, more used to Frankie from his 1970s revival as drawn by ROBERT NIXON, may well have been disappointed by Ken's version and hankered after what they saw as the 'real' Frankie.

Sadly, Ken's art was no longer as vital and spontaneous as it had once been, so it's even possible that those brought up on his original incarnation may have thought the same thing.  However, Ken Reid at his 'worst' is still better than many other artists at their best, so I thought it was worthwhile showing his final Frankie strip for anyone who may not have been aware of it before.

And below is the captivating cover of the Annual itself...

BABE Of The DAY - DIANE YOUDALE (AGAIN)...

DIANE YOUDALE - looking like

every man's fantasy.  (Unless that man

is Graham Norton or Alan Carr.)  A

different babe nearly every day.  I'm so

fickle, but hey - who's complaining?

CANDY'S THUNDERBIRDS...

Here's an odd one for your consideration.  From CANDY #14, April 22nd 1967, published by CENTURY 21, comes THUNDERBIRDS as you've never seen them before.  (Unless you bought the comic back in the day, that is.)  Candy was a nursery comic, and at 9d, seems rather expensive for a 20 page periodical.  I must confess to being surprised that it managed a 154 issue run, as well as numerous Annuals and storybooks.