A PHOENIX From The ASHES? NEEDS SET ALIGHT, IS WHAT I SAY...

Will this cover be remembered in 60 years?  I doubt it!  'The Weakly story comic' would be more apt

I'd like to say something positive about The PHOENIX, I really would, but the words just won't come.  I noticed the other day that it's now on sale in WHS and browsed through an issue, but aside from a few nicely illustrated pages, I was singularly unimpressed.  One particular artist's style dominated the issue, making it look like an amateur publication for infants by infants, and even the lettering on the few good pages is, in the main, not up to snuff, with some very dodgy balloon shapes.

Wait a minute, you cry - kids love it and it's now been around for over 200 issues, so it must be doing something right.  All I can say is that when people are starving, I guess they'll eat just about anything and the same goes for what they read.  Kids are hardly spoilt for choice when it comes to weekly comic strip reading material, so the mag no doubt fills a void to certain extent, but I can't help but feel that, on the evidence of the issue I looked at, today's kids are being short-changed for their £2.99.

Wouldn't I be better just shutting up if I don't like something, instead of being negative?  I know that's what some people think, but I've got a blog to fill and you never know - perhaps if someone punctures the bubble of complacency (if not outright smugness) surrounding the periodical, it might improve.  Believe me, in the opinion of someone steeped in over half a century of comics reading and collecting, it could certainly stand improving.  When I was a kid, when it came to comics, my generation were fortunate to feast on 'steak' - today's kids snack on 'Spam'.  If only they knew, eh?

So you can say what you like, but I'll take reprints of KEN REID's and LEO BAXENDALE's magnificent art over someone like SAMIE JART's any day.  The decline continues, alas!

Now this is what I call a cover!

A LITTLE BIT OF PUSSY IS PRICELESS...

Copyright relevant owner

But then again, MOWSER the puss is always priceless when it comes to raising laughs, mirth, and merriment.  Illustrated by REG PARLETT, Mowser was one of the comedy stalwarts from LION comic, this page being from the - yup, you guessed it - LION & THUNDER Holiday Special from 1971.  As you can see, the panels have been extended in height, revealing the strip to be a reprint from an earlier weekly edition of a few years before.

What's that you say?  You thought the post's title was a little bit suggestive?  Hey, I'm as pure as the driven snow - you're writing your own jokes, you smutty-minded bunch, so don't blame me.

BLACK MAX From LION & THUNDER 1971 HOLIDAY SPECIAL...

Copyright REBELLION

One of the more bizarre strips ever to appear in UK comics was BLACK MAX, which first saw the light of day in THUNDER in 1970.  It featured BARON VON KLORR, a WWI German air ace who had a giant killer bat, with which he waged war against the British forces.  Not having read any of the strips (illustrated by ALFONSO FONT) in years, I have the impression that he at first had a battalion of bats, but I mainly recall just a single giant 'pet'.  (I really should do some research before I write these posts, eh?)  If anyone remembers, please let me know.

(Update: Having since bought Vol. 1 of the REBELLION collected edition, I see that Max had quite a number of giant bats.  Also, it was ERIC BRADBURY who illustrated the very first episode.)

I wonder if this was one of the strips that was originally produced for BLACKJACK, a proposed comic for which CURSITOR DOOM and The PILLATER PERIL were intended, before ending up in the revamped SMASH! of 1969 when Blackjack plans were abandoned?  If anyone knows, you can let me know about that as well.

In the meantime, let's read about a man who truly does have bats in his belfry.  (Hey, I'm writing this at half-three in the morning - it's the best I can do.  If you're not happy, write your own bad puns!)

    

BATMAN ANNIVERSARY ISSUES...

Images copyright DC COMICS

Going through some comics, I discovered these two BATMAN Anniversary issues - 25th and 30th.  Seeing as how I recently posted some DETECTIVE COMICS Anni-versary issues, I thought these two would nicely round off the theme.  I've doubtless got a few others, but my collection is in some disarray at the moment.

Will post more as and when I find them, Devoted Criv-ites.