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Since buying Action Comics #414 recently, I decided to purchase the previous issue as it was the last of the 52 page comics in the series and because I remember owning it back in the day. Not so with First Issue Special's debut, but I do recall browsing through it on the spinner-rack of a local R.S. McColl's newsagent's in my Town Centre one day, before deciding that it wasn't up to much and that Jack Kirby had passed his best. Looking at that top cover line (lower half of the post), it seems to me that 'Is He Man Or Legend?' would read better than 'Is He Legend Or Man?' - anyone else agree? (Not that it matters I suppose.)
I have a reprint of the ish in a Kirby Omnibus volume, but nothing beats having the original, so because the comic reminds me of that long-gone shop, I decided to reverse my decision of 47 years ago and add it to my collection. In memory, it seems that there was a light rain falling outside and the street lights were on as it was getting dark, but I could be confusing that particular evening with any number of other similar occasions in that McColl's during the '70s. Again, not that it matters, but I prefer to remember the events of that moment so many years ago as rainy and dark, so who's to say me nay?
Action Comics #413 came out in 1972, and First Issue Special #1 in 1975, and I associate Action with the same McColl's, albeit a few years earlier. I certainly recall looking at a Metamorpho strip in the shop, so it could easily have been this first instalment as much as any of the later ones, though I prefer to think it was this one. The only thing that gives me cause for doubt is that the first two Element Man strips in #s 413 & 414 weren't drawn by Ramona Fradon, who I automatically think of as the artist on the character, so my increasingly 'come and go' memory may be letting me down in the recollection stakes.
But enough of my self-indulgent rambling, let's look at some nice pictures instead. Ready? Let's go - and if you remember either (or both) of these two comics, then share your memories and impressions of them in our ravenous comments section.
I do not think that I've read those issues since I first picked them up in Albert Rd, Southsea in the 70s, so I shall fish out the reading copies I've picked up in recent years of both the Actions and 1st Issue Special, Kid. I see that your copy of 1st Issue Special #1 is sporting one of the "5p" half-price stickers that T&P put on old stock in an effort to shift it in mid-1975, when apparently they had a large backlog of stock and ceased to import new comics for about 3 months. I remember this was a major concern for me and my pals, starting to dawn on us that the only way to get new comics was to pay 25p for imports from the London dealers.
ReplyDeleteAh, Albert Road, Southsea - I walk its streets in memory yet, B, though it's been around 35-odd years since I last did so 'in the flesh'. I wonder if there are any shops left that I'd recognise? Regarding FIS/Atlas, I believe that's the first time I've seen that particular sticker, so I'll be leaving it on and not trying to remove it.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I despair about new comics of today, I console myself with the knowledge that there are still so many old ones I need to re-acquire. I'd better be quick - time is racing away.
This is one of my favourite Superman Action comics (only bettered for me by issue 206). While were talking newsagents I picked this comic up in Birrel’s (who I think were linked to R S McColls) in Cambuslang. The First Issue special I bought in a newsagents in Blantyre , both no longer exist (the newsagents, the towns are still there) . Like yourself I was sad to see Kirby’s decline at this point but at the time it was one of his better efforts (lets just ignore the Dingbats)of DANGER Street form issue 6).
ReplyDeleteWas it Birrells or Burrells, McS? There are still Burrells (or is it Burrell's with an apostrophe?) newsagents today, but I'm not sure if that's the one you're thinking of. In Scotland, Martin is connected to McColl, so they're sometimes known as Martin McColl (or McColl's). There's loads of shops I miss from my youth and early adult years - such a shame they're not around anymore. As for Kirby's Atlas, he never showed up again (as far as I know) in his own Kirby comic, so I think it's safe to say that readers found the concept completely underwhelming.
ReplyDeleteOh I don't know Kid, I always thought it was Birrells but if there are still Burrells shops it must be that. There are none of these in my area now so I can't confirm. Yeah I think this was Atlas' only appearance at this time but I think he was used a few years ago in a DC comic as I seem to recall an Alex Ross cover with the character fighting Superman. I still miss Johnny's newsagents in Rutherglen and some old record shops.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was Birrells as well, but I can only find mention of Burrells online, McS. Ah, Johnny's - now that was a newsagent's that deserved to be around forever. Come that Lottery win and I'll reopen the place.
ReplyDeleteI bought Action 413 and 414, I think, at the same time. I had seen Metamorpho in JLA 100 and it just happened that the store I shopped still had both issues of Action on the shelf. I didn't buy a lot of Superman product (and I think those were the last couple I bought for probably four or five years), but I picked up a lot of the over-sized ones during the year DC was doing the big sizes. I did like the Swanderson combination and seems like not long after that, Anderson left. Superman never interested me as much as many of the other DC heroes.....maybe because he was so strong and invulnerable for the most part.
ReplyDeleteMy store didn't carry a lot of the 1st Issue Special series, I only picked up a few here and there. I don't think I ever saw any of the Kirby issues. I was late coming to the Fourth World series.....they were hard to track down, too, but I got on board with Kamandi around issue 9 or 10 and enjoyed it. It was about right for my age at the time, I guess.
DC had tried to address Superman being too powerful in the 'Kryptonite Nevermore' series, G, which lasted around 9 issues or so from #233 onwards - a brilliant run of comics. Kamandi, as you'll know, was Kirby's most successful series at DC, lasting around 40 issues or thereabouts, but personally I preferred his 15 ish run on Jimmy Olsen. JK had some good ideas, but without Stan Lee, there always seemed to be something missing. The old Jack Magic wasn't quite so potent on its own.
ReplyDeleteGoing back and reading those Fourth World Series, it just seemed like he had ideas running out of his ears…..there was just so much coming at you at one time. I was able to find a couple of Jimmy Olson comics via swapping with friends and I did like them, though they were both just part of a bigger story I wasn’t familiar with. DC didn’t seem to treat him particularly well, from what I’ve read, but they managed to get an awful lot out of the concepts he introduced.
ReplyDeleteWell, they paid him more than Marvel and allowed him a limited degree of autonomy, but he didn't get what he was expecting. Could be he expected too much? I grew to like his Fourth World stuff to a degree, but I don't think it was the masterpiece that some Kirby fans do. His real glory days were at Marvel during the '60s.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've ever seen comics on a spinner-rack - my local WH Smith's always displayed comics on shelves and in more recent times Forbidden Planet and my local comics shop also put their comics on shelves.
ReplyDeleteNot seen comics on a spinner-rack, CJ - gasp! You haven't lived, you poor soul.
ReplyDeleteKid, my local comics shop does have a spinner-rack but it only contains graphic novels if that counts as comics.
ReplyDeleteI suppose it does, CJ, as 'graphic novels' often include collected editions of monthly comics.
ReplyDelete