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| Images copyright MARVEL COMICS |
MARVEL TALES lasted an astounding 30 years, from issue #1 in 1964, right up to #291 in 1994. Like MARVEL COLLECTORS' ITEM CLASSICS, it reprinted some of the earliest tales of the most popular heroes from 'The House Of Ideas'.
But, hey - you're not here to read me wittering on in my typically boring, long-winded fashion. So why don't I just cut to the chase and show you the covers of the first 14 iconic issues? You'd like that? Well, I have to confess I'm a tad disappointed you never took any time to think over that proposition, but who am I to argue with all you crazy cavortin' Crivvies?
So here they are! Any happy memories of any of them? Then feel free to share them in the comments section.
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| I obtained my original copy of this issue in Blackpool in 1973 or '74 |
Marvel Tales #11 was one of my very first comics and introduced me to the greatness of Ditko and to Daredevil's first outfit. These reprint mags from Marvel at this time were crucial to a new fanboy like me because it gave me a good look at the very beginnings of the Marvel Age which had just started a mere five years before I jumped aboard the Stan and Jack express.
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Marvel Tales #3 was my very first actual Marvel Comic. "Mark's Newsagents" was the shop. Malta was the place. Why he suddenly had those Marvel reprints, also Fantasy Masterpieces etc. I don't know. I was buying Fantastic and Terrific at the time (with that additional charge you will have always ignored on the front cover, but which was costly to us RAF kids)! So how excited was I? Marvel was scarce even when returning to Blighty, until the early 70s.
ReplyDeleteThese mags were great for catching up on early Marvel strips that readers would probably have missed in their original presentations, RJ, both in the UK and US. If only they hadn't eventually added those big 'arrows' at the bottom of the splash pages, containing the info of where they'd originally appeared.
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I later wondered if Marvel mags had seemed scarce because, perhaps being so popular, they sold very quickly, or because they were few and far between when it came to distribution, S4. As for Fantastic and Terrific, I've got complete sets of both and am instantly transported back to the '60s on sight of them. Happy days.
S4A :I've always wondered what my first Marvel comic might have been and strangely it's something that I think about from time to time Although I have a few contenders in mind I'm not 100% sure.
ReplyDeleteLet's us know what your contenders are, McS.
ReplyDeleteMcScotty: I found it easy as they were a rarity in our house. My eldest brother loved the DC comics of the early 60s and I don't think he ever bought Marvel, if they were around where we lived at the time (Cambridge, UK).
ReplyDeleteThanks for replying to McS's comment, S4A. Nice to see such courtesy between commenters.
ReplyDeleteLoved those reprints.. They actually have a character all of their own... the double size, the quality of the reprints... the smell(might just be me!)... the foresight of Stan to reprint so quickly, it was either foresight or arrogance, or maybe both! It was almost certainly a business move. Plus the quality of the package, rich sharp colours and the fact that so many were printed in the silver Age... fantastic. Happy New Year to everybody and great to see my favourite Spidermans again. #4 Sandman, #6 Lizard, #9 Electro, #10 Enforcers, #13 Mysterio and #15 Kraven! Ps look at the amount of Ditko panels in #9 and #10 and the 1st 3 pages of #13... Brilliant! Great Post Kid, always makes me smile with nostalgic throwbacks to times past but still remembered! Well done you mate!
ReplyDeleteAnd well done you, Triple F, for recognising my greatness. (Hey, what's with the bricks, Crivvies, I was joking?!) On the subject of 'smell', yeah, I loved the smell of those newsprint mags myself, even when they were new. For all their superior printing and better, glossier paper, modern mags just don't have the charm of the older ones, do they? Hope you had a great Christmas and have an even better 2022. Thanks for dropping in.
ReplyDeleteIn not 100% what the first Marvel comic was that I bought Kid as my brother sometimes bought them ( like S4 he was more a DC fan at this time) and Marvel characters appeared in Power comics and Alan Class mags etc so that confuses things for me a bit. But I think it may have been Sgt Fury and his Howling Commandos Annual number 5 or Capt America issue 122 , Amazing Spiderman issue 80 or Hulk 136. It would have been around 1969 to 1970/1...I think.😁 Sgt Fury's the main suspect!
ReplyDeleteI'll dig out the ones I suspect included my first US Marvels, McS, then I'll be able to give you the issue numbers. Trouble is, I can't recall the exact sequence I got them, but there were at least three of which one issue has to be the first. I'll add them later when I get a mo.
ReplyDeleteThat would be interesting to seev the ones that started it all lol.
ReplyDeleteIt was The Hulk reprints in Smash! and The Fantastic Four (their origin being reprinted in both Smash! and Wham! at the same time for some reason) that first acquainted me with Marvel, McS - though obviously I didn't know they were Marvel at the time. In fact, for a while I thought they were ripping off Odhams (thicko that I was).
ReplyDeleteNo need to say what MY first Marvel comic was, Kid, as I've mentioned it often enough :D
ReplyDeleteAh, but we're talking specifically about what our first US Marvels were, CJ, not UK ones. (Which, if I recall correctly, was POTA #4.)
ReplyDeletePOTA #5.
ReplyDeleteAs for my first US Marvels, I bought TEN during a school day-trip to Bristol Zoo in July 1976 (they cost 10p each so I bought 10 for £1). Of the ten, the one I recall most vividly is Conan The Barbarian #62 - on the cover Conan grapples with a warthog while the obligatory half-naked cowering female watches (she's black on this occasion for a change) and a skull hovers above the scene with the title "Death In The Land Of Dagon". The story inside involved Conan setting out to rescue Belit who has been captured by Amra, a sort of Hyborian Age version of Tarzan.
POTA #5 - of course. Why do I keep thinking it was 4, despite you reminding me? I'll need to get Volume 5 of the CTB Epic Collection so that I can read that ish, CJ.
ReplyDeleteOkay, McS, the first US Marvels I remember buying are FF #58, Tales To Astonish #88. and Sub-Mariner #14, all bought separately. I suspect that the FF ish was the actual first, but I couldn't swear to it. Anyway, my first ish was one of those three if my memory's working these days.
ReplyDeleteThe only other US Marvel comic I can recall from that first batch of ten was an issue of Daredevil where DD teams up with famous spoon-bender Uri Geller. In the comic Geller claims he saw a UFO when he was four and then he got his powers soon afterwards, implying a connection with the UFO, but I don't know if he says that in real life.
ReplyDeleteI think he does say something like that in real life, CJ, so he talks p*sh in reality and fantasy equally well. Can't recall whether I ever saw that issue or not.
ReplyDeleteVery nice selection of first Marvels there Kid. I wasn't 100% if one of my first Marvels was Sub Mariner issue 21 or if I bought this later (which I think I did) - if not it was certainly Sub Mariner issue 27 which would have been one of my firsts along with Silver Surfer issue 12 - but I think my aforementioned issues were purchased before them.
ReplyDeleteColin that's a great issue of Conan (I still have my copy) I still remember that last panel with clawed hands coming out of a swamp - very exciting to a teenager back in the day.
Talking of Conan, McS, have you got your facsimile of #1 yet? And you can get #25 from Silver Acre for £9.99.
ReplyDeleteI know I also had a few Marvel Collectors' Item Classics as well, but I can't recall which I bought first, so I'm slightly guessing. After so many decades, the comics all sort of run into one another, don't they, time-wise? At least I can remember what would've been the first wee group of US Marvels I bought, though purchased separately. FF #58 is the one that stands out for me though.
I'm pretty certain I may have had another first Marvel and just forgot about that but those were the ones I remember. I can recall with more clarity the first Silver surfer , Avengers Hulk, DD etc. that I bought but the first actual Marvel comic (even if one of them was the first) is more difficult.
ReplyDeleteI've not had time at present to pick up CTB 1 / 25 as really busy with work and family things - money is a bit of a premium after Christmas and we also have family staying with us from overseas so you can imagine. Got a few book tokens for Christmas so that's my first spend when I get time. I will no doubt see CTB 1 (facsimile) in A1 comics or Forbidden Planet in GLasgow once travel is easier after COVID slows down a bit. Conan 25 is still on my radar when £ allows on pay day in a few weeks :) .
I hope CTB #1 is still available when you go to buy one, McS, 'cos greedy buggahs everywhere might be snapping them up. (I should know, 'cos I bought 11 of them from 3 different dealers. Why? 'Cos I just love it. I'd have bought more if those dealers hadn't sold out.)
ReplyDeleteJust to avoid confusion (though I'm pretty sure you know what I mean), the #25 I'm referring to is the '70s one, not the recent 25/300. £9.99 is a good price 'cos it usually goes for far higher than that. It won't be pristine of course, but I now that's not a priority with you.
11 copies?! Errrr wow lol.Yeah as long as a comics in ok condition in fine I will check it out tonight.
ReplyDeleteI ended up buying more than I originally intended, because half of my original 4 had inherent printer's vertical paper creases on one side of the cover. (A dodgy ream was obviously used.) Out of the 11, there's only 5 that are perfect.
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