IT'S CHRISTMAS EVE - SO LET'S HAVE A BARNEY...

A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all Criv-ites.

KLASSIC KIRBY KOMIC KOVERS...

Image copyright MARVEL COMICS

Originally the splash page of FANTASTIC FOUR #51 (which I have), this great JACK KIRBY image of The THING now graces the cover of this new MARVEL 2 IN ONE first issue.  Superb stuff!  Unfortunately, there were a few fingerprints (none of them mine) on the cover which have lifted the colour, but I've digitally disguised them as much as I can.  Still a great pic though, eh?   

(BOND) BABE Of The DAY - ELKE SOMMER...

"That's AZDA price - ching, ching!"

DAN DARE IN "OPERATION PLUM PUDDING"...

Images copyright relevant owner

Originally published in the EAGLE Annual for 1955, this Christmas DAN DARE tale should give you a taste of just what Festive fare was served up to Eagle readers at Yuletide time back when your grandfather was a kid - unless, of course, you're old enough to have read it yourself back then.  To be honest, I think Dan belongs in the fifties - there was something about the tales that suited then-recent post-war Britain, and none of the attempts at updating him have ever achieved his original popularity, either proving uninteresting to contemporary kids, or not the 'real' Dan Dare to older readers.  Anyway, enjoy it for what it is, and a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all Criv-ites.

I may still be posting over the holiday period, but no promises - too many mince pies and fizzy pop beckon, so we'll see how I feel. 

DAN DARE FROM THE 1951 2ND CHRISTMAS EAGLE...

Images copyright relevant owner

Well, I did say that there'd be more Christmas images soon, Criv-ite chums, so - having shown the first Christmas EAGLE several days back, I thought it would be nice to show the second Festive edition from 1951 - and here it is.  The cover just reeks of Yuletide atmosphere, doesn't it?  As revealed here on a previous post, Eagle's DAN DARE was not the first hero of that name to grace a comic - no, that honour belonged to a private detective in WHIZ COMICS #2 (which introduced the original CAPTAIN MARVEL) in 1939/'40.  However, he's long-forgotten, while our Daniel continues to be fondly remembered to this present day.

Like I said last time, more Christmas images soon - keep an eye out for them.

PART TWO OF SMASH! #152 - COMPLETE CHRISTMAS ISSUE FOR 1968...

Images copyright relevant owner

Let's start with a bit of colour by placing the back cover first - in this case SAMMY SHRINK, who TERRY BAVE was now drawing in his own style rather than that of original artist DAVE JENNER.  Y'see, when Terry had first taken over Sammy, he'd drawn it in an almost indistinguishable style from Dave's, but was eventually allowed to introduce his own.  It's a shame that REBELLION don't have the copyright to these strips (update: they have now), as a collected edition of BAD PENNY would be a 'must have' on my list - and I already have most of them.  Right, you now have the complete Christmas issue of SMASH! #152 - if you've enjoyed seeing it again half as much as I have, then I'll have enjoyed seeing it again twice as much as you.  (There's no arguing with that, is there?!)

More Christmas images soon, comic chums.  

THOR copyright MARVEL COMICS