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| Image copyright MARVEL COMICS |
This story had previously been reprinted in a couple of issues of SMASH! (in two parts), also around Christmas, and whenever I look at the cover and b&w pages within, I'm back in my home town as it was in 1967, and not the vastly changed place it is today. That's the thing about comics from yesteryear - they return us to the time in which we first read them, and which, if we're honest, we wish we could revisit far more often than we do. Am I right, or am I right?
The one that always comes to mind and I have mentioned in comments to such posts of yours in the past is Silver Surfer issue 5. That's a dead-cert time machine right there every time I unbag the actual issue, more so than the reprint, curiously enough,and browse through taking in Big John's art. Although, if I still had it, the one and only issue I ever had of Fantastic (issue 20) just brings back memories even thinking about it. I was more taken by the Johnny Future story than the Marvel reprints at the time and would look at the art often enough to know every stroke and cross-hatch with great familiarity. Funny how these things work.
ReplyDeleteFunny thing is, PC, I once did a post about Sub-Mariner #14 and my memories associated with it, along with Tales To Astonish (2nd series) #14, which reprinted SM #14; as I said at the time, when I look at TOA #14, I also think of SM #14 (being the same story), but it doesn't seem to happen in reverse so much. It's as if my memory can jump backward from one, but not forward to the other. Now, that's sort of the opposite to your situation with SS #5, but it's similar. Maybe it's because the reprint doesn't contain the ads that the original does, which are all part of the original experience, and that's why the reprint doesn't fully conjure up your earlier memories.
ReplyDeleteAs I'm sure you know, the cover of Fantastic #20 is on the blog somewhere, as is every episode of The Missing Link/Johnny Future strip.
I missed the Smashes with this in, but I certainly had this Terrific and indeed it was!
ReplyDeleteAnd I've also got it in colour in some Masterworks and Omnibus volumes, JP.
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