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| Copyright REBELLION |
Smash! started life in February 1966 as a weekly publication by Odhams Press (becoming one of five 'Power Comics' after a little while, the others being Wham!, Pow!, Fantastic, and Terrific), but was relaunched by IPC as a Valiant-clone in March '69. (IPC had assumed responsibilities for the comic several weeks before while it still looked like an Odhams periodical. Then, later, one week it was the old Smash!, the next week the new one.)
Its first incarnation lasted 162 issues, its final form survived for 95 issues, before being merged into Valiant with the cover-dated April 3rd 1971 number. So, to celebrate 54 years since the new version first appeared (cover-dated March 15th), above is the cover to the first relaunch issue. Did you read Smash! back in the day? If so, what are your memories of it, fellow Crivs?
You can't keep a good comic down dept. Below is the 2020 Smash! Special published by Rebellion. Have you got yours?
14 comments:
Smash! was my favourite traditional UK comic(the Odhams and IPC editions).I sometimes drive through the town that I used to live in around 1969 and pass the shop I bought this issue in as a 9_ year old with my pals Alan and Stephen. Every time I pass that shop I think of that day (I don't drive there that often). My favourite IPC strip was Leo Baxendales "Swots and the Blots" amazing cartoon style but I do remember being disappointed they dropped Ken Reid's "Nerves" strip.
I did buy the Rebellion Smash! comic, it was a good attempt but it wasn't "my" Smash!
Yeah, it wasn't 'my' Smash! either, McS, but like you say - a good attempt. It was great to see the name again on a new issue though. Right, was just up for a wee - back to my scratcher.
I'd never heard of Smash! or any of the Odhams comics until I started reading Crivens but it's interesting to discover things from the decade I was born.
Don't you worry, CJ - stick with us and we'll educate you yet.
Smash as you know was my favourite comics until it got to number 90s when for some reason they decided to toss out a majority of the good strips and replace them with what I called rubbish. That then ended my time with Smash.
I wish they'd kept The Legend Testers and The Rubber Man in the line-up of the Odhams version, LH, but I have to confess that I liked Smash! even after those two strips disappeared. The new Smash! was different, but strips like Janus Stark, Simon Test, and Cursitor Doom were well-worth reading. How you been lately?
Did a strange but wonderful strip called "Moon Madness" appear in Smash!
Like you Kid I enjoyed all versions of Smash!
Yes, it did, McS. I have a vague notion that it started around issue #9, but I'd have to check to be sure. There might even be some pages of it on the blog, though again, I'd have to check.
The Odhams Smash! and the IPC Smash! are two different animals, both equally excellent. I had the original Smash almost from the beginning following a recommendation, believe it or not, from my English master! Loved it, especially Rubberman and Brian's Brain. But when the Incredible Hulk started it took it up to a new level!
The second incarnation was a ripping boys' comic and those were some of my favourite strips too. But the main thing in its favour was it was such value for money - there was so much crammed into it that it took ages to read it all!
So it was a 'Smash Hit' for you, eh, JP? (See what I did there?) Such a shame there are no weekly comics around today in the same mould. Would they sell if there were, do you think?
Not the greatest as I had a heart attack two weeks ago. So it's back into hospital early May for some minor heart surgery. Hope your fit and well as somebody better be......
Not the greatest myself, LH, still awaiting further tests for something, but keeping my fingers crossed. Hope everything goes well for you in May and that your surgery fixes things once and for all.
Kids of today do not appreciate or even understand the magic of comics.
Yeah, I know - shame, innit? At least, not enough of them do.
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