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| Copyright MARVEL COMICS |
Here's a few issues I didn't cover last time, Crivvies, all taken from my own personal collection and every one of them the original I bought at the time, not a replacement. Do you remember them all? Did you buy them all (or any)? And do you still have any of them all these years after the fact? As in part one, I've included three monthly mags with the weeklies, just so you can't say that I'm short-changing you. Right! That's more than enough waffle from me - let's have your memories, and don't forget to say which were your favourites.
(Note for nitpickers: Yeah, I know there were a couple of other early '80s weekly mags [Hulk, and Fantastic Four] that I haven't included here, but they're tucked away somewhere and I haven't had a chance to scan them. Another day, effendis.)
I had pretty much stopped reading UK Marvel at this time on a regular basis. Of the comics here I only picked up Marvel Comic, Spider-Man comic and Mighty World of Marvel. I wasn't aware of Marvel Action Hour at all and only heard of some of the other titles a few years ago like Marvel Super Adventure and the Thing is Big Ben ( strange title). I did read the odd Daredevils and Captain Britain mag around then but had pretty much stopped UK titles and only picked up a handful of US comics.
ReplyDeleteI was still buying at least the first three issues of the weeklies, McS, but if they failed to impress me by then, I gave up on them. I usually gave the monthlies more of a chance - unless they were dreadful.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure I had the Marvel Super Adventure issue - I seem to remember it contained that weird Kirby Black Panther story with the frog-shaped time machine - and possibly the Spectacular Spider-Man one, but I'm really not sure.
ReplyDeleteMcScotty- I wonder if the "Thing is Big Ben" title was some way for Marvel to contest copyright on the Big Ben character in Dez Skinn's Warrior. Or maybe just some piece of gamesmanship to attract attention away from Skinn's character. Maybe someone at the Annex of Ideas, as Marvel UK was called, had some gripe against Dez? Or maybe I'm putting 2 and 2 together and coming up with 22.
Ps - got to love the cover copy on the issue of Marvel Comic that promises the Hulk, secret agents, dinosaurs, vampires and pirates! What else could a healthy young reader want!
ReplyDeleteI do wonder if they reprinted Skull the Slayer in that issue, as that would probably tick at least three of those boxes!
Yes, I'm pretty sure it had King Solomon's Frog in it, DS. (I can't check at the moment ,cos it's tucked away somewhere.) As you suggest, the title of Big Ben was probably to stop another publisher coming out with a similarly-named mag (and Dez did have a character by that name so your speculation could well be correct), but it could also be because it was a more friendly sounding name.
ReplyDeleteAnd Skull The Slayer was indeed in Marvel Comic.
Marvel Comic and Spider-Man Comic was the moment when the Marvel weeklies went downhill.
ReplyDeleteThat's because you lived at the bottom of the street from the newsagent's, CJ, and the paperboy had to walk downhill to deliver them to you.
ReplyDeleteAs I went down the comments list I made a point of looking for Colin’s comments first on that Marvel 330 comic (or Marvel 1 as some know it). A terrible, terrible Saturday at the newsagents)
ReplyDeleteThing is, CN, because it followed the pattern of 3 of the old Power Comics (Wham!, Smash!, & Pow!) in that it resized 2 US pages into 1 UK one, I didn't really mind the change at the time, though when I look at the issues now, I tend to think it was a step too far. Incidentally, I just bought MWOM #329 from ebay the other day so I've now got the last issue before the change.
ReplyDeleteI was in Paisley yesterday picking up my new ( well "pre loved" ie second hand) car and popped into a antique type shop ( more a second hand shop) and picked up half a dozen UK Marvel (Titans, Super Spider-Man and MWOM) all in very nice condition for £1
ReplyDeleteNew car, six Marvels - so that was a tenner you spent in all, eh, McS?
ReplyDeleteSome Panini Marvel comics are back in the shops, Kid, but you don't feature them on Crivens any more. There's one called The Amazing Spider-Man and an X-Men one.
ReplyDeletePanini used to supply me with the info and images every month, CJ, but stopped when they weren't producing much (if anything) during the pandemic. Maybe they'll start sending me the info again, who knows? However, I did feature the 1st issue of their new Spidey comic on Crivens and I think you even commented on it.
ReplyDeleteThe Spidey comic feels like a proper comic by which I mean it has a paper cover and staples rather than Panini's CE line which had those stiffer card covers and the spines were glued.
ReplyDeleteIf it came out a few months back then that's the one I featured on the blog. It has a glossy paper cover, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteJust checked, CJ - I featured it on the 26th March and you left a comment.
ReplyDeleteSome of those Panini books are about £7 a pop ( although the monthly Spider-man is only about £2.50 ) but seems a high cost to attract casual or new readers. Saying that they are good value for money as lots of pages but I can only sees these attracting established comic fans. Meant to add that second hand shop had lots of old toys comics and games if your ever in Paisley . Lots of old glossy covered UK 1970s UK Marvels, I even got an 1963 Archie comic ( Seymour) with Dan De Carlo art for £1 ( I like De Carlos art).
ReplyDeleteI suppose it's the old story of established buyers having to pay a higher price for a magazine in order to compensate for low sales, McS. The Beano (as an example) was only pennies when it sold in its millions, but is lucky if it sells between 40 and 50,000 per issue these days I guess - hence the price. But it's Catch 22: A higher price to make it worth producing, but that will inevitably, eventually scare away some buyers. Next time I'm out, I'll see if my driver fancies a run to Paisley.
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