FANCY SOME MARVEL UK BULLPEN BEDLAM? THEN READ ON...

Copyright relevant owner

Okay, who remembers the MARVEL UK weekly comic The ORIGINAL X-MEN from back in the early '80s?  If you're a longterm reader, you should at least be familiar with it, as I did a cover gallery of the title on the blog only a few short years ago.  Back then (in the '80s I mean), most British Marvel comics usually contained half-page strips by TIM QUINN & DICKY HOWETT, which were invariably hilarious (I thought) and added something extra to what were mainly reprint comics.

Anyway, I was poring through some back issues of The Original X-Men earlier and re-reading some of the Quinn & Howett lunacy, and thought I'd share a couple of them here.  Hope you enjoy them, and I'd say it's well-past time PANINI (if they own the copyright and haven't done so already) considered colouring the strips by the pair and releasing them in a nice Special Collected Edition.  What say you all?

ALLY SLOPER - FOURTH & FINAL ISSUE...

Copyright relevant owner

Just over 6 years ago, I decided to feature the late DENIS GIFFORD's 4-issue monthly ALLY SLOPER magazine, but I've just noticed that it seems I only ever showcased the first 3.  So back into the cupboard for me it was, to dig out #4, acquired way back in 1976/'77 when the title was new.  There was a 5th issue intended, but low sales meant the title was cancelled before #5 ever saw print.  Given how long a mag is prepared in advance, it's likely that the 5th ish was completed even if it was never published, so it would be nice if the contents were to turn up somewhere and finally see print 40-plus years after the fact.

Anyway, enjoy a peek at some of the pages from #4, including JACK KIRBY's take on Ally Sloper - SLOPERMAN!  The 'King' himself even makes an appearance, drawn by HUNT EMERSON, in the form of CAPTAIN KIRBY.  Jack made Ally a superhero and Hunt did the same in Jack's case.  Great stuff!

(There's always a slim possibility that I did actually feature this ish in a blog post before, but, if so, I can't find it, so perhaps I inadvertently deleted it without realising it.  Anyway, never mind, it's here now and that's what counts.  If you remember buying this short-lived 'series' back in the day, feel entirely free to reminisce about it to your heart's content in our far-out and groovy comments section - it needs YOU!)