CRIVENS! COMICS & STUFF!: SOMETHING (COMPLETELY) WICKED THIS WAY COMES... (BUT DOESN'T HANG AROUND FOR LONG!)

Monday, 1 May 2023

SOMETHING (COMPLETELY) WICKED THIS WAY COMES... (BUT DOESN'T HANG AROUND FOR LONG!)

I don't recall even knowing about this comic back in 1989, so it was a surprise when I saw it on eBay recently. A Marvel first issue is usually not to be sneezed at, so I've now added it to my collection and thought you might like to see the complete contents. It lasted for only 17 issues, but it doesn't impress me enough to make me want to track down the other 16. What do you make of it, fellow Crivvies?

As you can see, some of the pages have a sparsity of panels and the lettering is too large, leading me to wonder if they were originally intended to be for a digest-sized periodical. (Think DCT's Commando mags or early issues of IPC's Nipper comic.) Would you have bought this publication 34 years ago if you were in the age range it was aimed at? (Or even today, in fact.) Let rip in the comments section.

(Click on images to enlarge, then click again for optimum size.)

10 comments:

McSCOTTY said...: I remember seeing this comic in W H Smiths at the time. I looked through it but even for a kids comic, it looked pretty bland, tame and dated. I assume they were counting on Slimer selling the book.; 2 May 2023 at 07:54
Kid said...: I reckon so, McS, as it looks like Slimer was included to compensate for the other the strips, which, as you say, were 'bland, tame, and dated'. And too many pages looked just too bare, containing what was really only half a page of material.; 2 May 2023 at 10:13
McSCOTTY said...: Imagine folk like Ken Reid, Leo Baxendale etc working on those strips how amazing would Ken Reids "Slimer" art look?; 2 May 2023 at 10:25
Kid said...: Yes, that would've improved it no end, McS. And Reg Parlett too.; 2 May 2023 at 10:40
Colin Jones said...: Wow, Marvel UK had certainly changed since the days of MWOM, SMCW and POTA.; 2 May 2023 at 14:12
Kid said...: And not necessarily for the better, eh, CJ?; 2 May 2023 at 15:26
John Pitt said...: I often used to pick up any "alternative" comics that I came across around that period, but I too never saw this one. I have heard about it in more recent times on the Starlogged blog (and possibly Two Headed Thingies as well?).
Marvel UK was well and truly on its last legs by this time. Sad days in the comic world with the US DC's and Marvels disappearing from our newsagents as well.; 2 May 2023 at 17:13
Terranova47 said...: Thank you for posting this. I had no idea that Marvel UK ever produced a typical 'British Funny' as opposed to reworking US superheroes. Even their Captain Britain wasn't a 'British Style' comic.; 2 May 2023 at 17:55
Kid said...: It would be interesting to see whether I ever lettered any strips for this comic and have simply forgotten, JP, as I lettered some for The Real Ghostbusters every now and again. I think Helen Stone was the editor for that one as well.

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I don't remember the comic at all, T47, unless I've simply forgotten it. Like I say above, I could even have lettered some pages, but I wouldn't necessarily have known what comic they were intended for. I suppose Marvel UK have to be given credit for trying something different (for them, that is).; 2 May 2023 at 19:11
Kid said...: In my first response to McS, it should read 'to compensate for the other strips', not 'to compensate for the other the strips'.; 14 September 2024 at 14:38

About the artist:

From 1985 to 2000 A.D. (little joke there), I contributed to a variety of high profile comics and magazines for various companies.

For IPC/FLEETWAY/EGMONT, I freelanced as a lettering and logo artist on various weekly comics and monthly magazines, and also as a resize comic artist and spot illustrator on pocket books, summer specials and annuals.

For MARVEL U.K., BLACK LIBRARY, REDAN and USBORNE BOOKS, I again freelanced as a lettering artist, also working as a restoration artist for MARVEL U.S., restoring and re-creating certain pages of JACK KIRBY art for their MARVEL MASTERWORKS editions.

I also lettered the MARVELMAN sample pages submitted to MARVEL U.S. when they were considering acquiring the character, which - as we all now know - they DID.

Supplied comic strips, cartoons and illustrated advertisements for local business campaigns and newspaper publication on a professional basis since the age of 16. Did my first paid art job for publication at 14 or 15 for Lanarkshire Education Board.

Have also made TV appearances as a collector of memorabilia.

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Just some of the titles I worked on are:

2000 A.D. * JUDGE DREDD MEGAZINE * DICEMAN * SONIC The COMIC * JUDGE DREDD, LAWMAN Of The FUTURE * CRISIS * REVOLVER * EAGLE * TIGER * BATTLE ACTION-FORCE * BUSTER * WHIZZER & CHIPS * WHOOPEE * NIPPER * SCHOOL FUN * ACE VENTURA, PET DETECTIVE * The REAL GHOSTBUSTERS * DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE * COUNT DUCKULA * RUGRATS * The TRANSFORMERS * DEATH'S HEAD * THUNDERCATS * GALAXY RANGERS * DRAGON'S CLAWS * SINDY * MARVEL MASTERWORKS * The TROLLS * LOADED * INFERNO * WARHAMMER * ROSE BLACK.

Copyright Notice:

Images remain the property of their respective copyright owners and are used here only for the purpose of review, promotion, and nostalgia.

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In the case of images culled from my own collection where copyright of an item isn't mine, I impose no copying restrictions on fellow bloggers.

(Although, if you don't allow copying on your own site, then you really shouldn't be copying from others, should you?)

And while you can credit this blog if you like, it's not mandatory. Who has time to make notes of every casually visited site during an idle browse of the internet?

In the case of anyone copying images of my own artwork and calligraphy, I affirm my right to be identified as the creator, and any such copying should not be for the purpose of monetary or material gain. (Unless it's mine.)

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Please also note that this blog is not sponsored by, affiliated with, or connected to, any organisation, business, or group, and is wholly independent.