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We were on holiday in Rothesay, Isle of Bute, in 1970. I still recall the comics I bought that year (which you can read about here and here) in the little seaside town, and also a comic purchased by my brother - The FLASH #190. I remember him enthusing over the story: Flash is injured and confined to a wheelchair, unable to walk or run. So he constructs some miniature transistor circuits and affixes them to the inside of his inflatable Flash uniform which he operates by remote control from the comfort of his wheelchair - whilst, invisible to the naked eye, he propels it around at super-speed. Unlikely, but entertaining nonetheless.
I recall that holiday for another reason also. The CHAMPIONS cards, issued as collectables related to the ITC TV series from a year or so before, were no longer available in my own neck of the woods, but were still on sale in one little newsagent's near Rothesay. I bought myself another set of them (disposing of the disgusting confectionery that accompanied them) and, once back home, I perversely cut off the white margins on the cards, which lay strewn about the insulation in my loft for a couple of years. When we moved house in 1972, on a last minute whim, I collected all those that I could see and deposited them in the loft of our new home, where they likewise lay around for many a year.
I should explain that when I say Rothesay, I use the name inclusively for Port Bannatyne also, as back then, I was unaware of the distinction. To me (accustomed to the longer walking-distances of a new town), they were only a short stroll apart and I, in my ignorance, would have regarded them both as the same place. Our holiday home that year seemed to lie somewhere between the two. (For the statisticians amongst you though, Port Bannatyne lies two miles north of Rothesay on the same Isle.)
Anyway, as with most of the comicbooks I have, I've now had the replacement for this issue far longer than either myself or my brother ever owned the original. One glance is all it takes me to return me to an enchanted fortnight on a beautiful Scottish Isle over 50 years ago. If you have any memories associated with this particular comic, feel free to share them in the comments section.
12 comments:
Looks like a Joe Kubert cover to me. Always thought that Kubert was a bit inconsistent- when he was good he was fantastic, but his stuff looked sketchy and incomplete to me at times.
Yeah, I'd say it's Kubert as well, DS. And I also agree with you on what else you said. His art did look a bit sketchy at times.
The Isle of Bute sounds like a nice place to visit but so many people are obsessed with foreign holidays nowadays. As soon as the pandemic is over they'll be flocking back onto the planes again no doubt.
Indeed, CJ. I don't see the attraction of foreign holidays, as it's not my idea of fun to lie baking by a pool all day and to eat food I can't pronounce the names of. (Unless they do British fry-ups.) Farthest I've been is the Isle Of Wight. You should visit Rothesay and Largs before you die if you're into quiet, non-eventful holidays where you can just chill out and live life at an uneventful pace.
I love Joe Kuberts art although I get the sketchy comment. He wasn't best suited to superhero comics but what a great artist in general particularly on historic and war comics. Bute used to be a great place (from old film footage in the 50s and 60s it was an amazing place)but it's really drab and run down now but scenery is lovely. Largs is a lovely seaside town but for a day trip only. Not all foreign holidays need be to the beach kind Kid there are some great city breaks or even to cooler places in the likes of the Netherlands, Scandinavian countries, Belgium etc and their food is great (fry ups seriously lol). Have you honestly never been out of the UK? Saying that I'm not travelling outside UK this year it'll be a break in Scottish Highlands or the Lake District in England.
Never even been on an aeroplane, McS, Isle Of Wight is the farthest I've travelled - and most of the shops were 'closed' 'cos it was half-day Wednesday (this was back in 1981). Of course, I know that there are other options, but it seems as if most Brits just want to lie by a hotel pool and get pissed and sunburnt. Not my idea of fun. Incidentally, I liked Kubert's Hawkman, but you're right that, generally-speaking, he wasn't best suited to superheroes.
I think you would love a city break as well to places like Brugge or Amsterdam very comic book influenced cities with great history and lovely friendly folk etc. I know what you mean as i never liked just sitting on the beach my worst holiday nightmare in some ways, I would leave my pals on the beach if on holiday with them and head to the local town or on a sightseeing tour to take in the history of the place. I've never been to the Isle of Wight myself but love the South coast of England (it's not far from there I think) place like Brighton etc
I'd love to holiday in Oxford or York and places like that, McS, where I could visit old bookshops and the like. I was staying in Southsea for a few months in 1981, which is when I visited Wight, and Southsea/Portsmouth has a lovely 'old world' charm. The last time I was there was around 1985 or '86 - hard to believe it was around 35 years ago. If I had the time (and the dosh), I wouldn't mind visiting places like Switzerland and Austria and spending a wee bit of time there.
I was never a Kubert fan, I felt his art always looked like-hey you didn't erase the lines. He was good on westerns and war comics, the gritty stuff. While I loved silver age DC as much as the next guy, by the time this comic was out. these type of stories just weren't doing it. I remember getting those 100 pagers and enjoying the earlier Infantino stories much more.
Strangely I never made it to Scotland but would love to go. Loch Ness here I come! I'm buying all your cheap souvenirs.
I know what you're saying, PS, his style really didn't fit superheroes. Did he ever draw an entire Batman comic? His style might've fitted 'the creature of the night' Batman. Cheap souvenirs? That's not how you make money from ripping-off the tourists. Always charge at least double what something is worth.
Like many commenters, I did not like Joe Kubert's style at all back in the 1970s. He did do a number of Batman Detective covers back in the mid-sixties, and perhaps was one of Infantino's preferred cover artists before Neal Adams took on that role circa 1968, but I do not recollect him ever doing a complete Batman story. The first time I really took the time to appreciate his work was the Graphic Novel "Sgt Rock - Between Hell and a Hard Place" (Nov 2003), written by Brian Azarello, and I really got turned on to his stuff. I was lucky enough to sit in on a drawing masterclass he conducted in New York back in 2009 (I am not an artist) and was so impressed by his ability to work with an audience to tease out a story and then draw it with a sharpie in real time on a large piece of paper. Obviously he was a great teacher.
But back on topic.....your discussion of the Isle of Bute brings to mind all of the holidays I took with my parents on the Isle of Wight and in North Devon in the sixties and seventies. I loved going to these old seaside towns when the spinner racks only got wheeled out for the summer seasons and old gems were to be picked up if you were lucky. I can still remember picking up an immaculate Detective Comics #355 (from 1966) in a seafront gift short in Ventnor in the summer of 1972, or Brave and Bold #92 (1970 - who remembers the Bat Squad?) from Tiverton in 1973. And many others.
I'd always assumed that the spinner-racks in seaside towns were out all year round, B, but if they only came out 'in season', that would explain why I could get brand-new late '60's FF and Silver Surfer comics in Blackpool in 1973 & '74. At no more than the price of contemporary comics either. As for Kubert, I think his work was more suited to Sgt. Rock and Tarzan than superheroes, though he did all right with Hawkman.
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