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I always thought that Fantastic, published weekly by Odhams Press in the late '60s, more than lived up to its name. Also, looking back through the mists of memory, it feels like it was around for a lot longer than was actually the case, but if my calculations are anywhere near correct, it only lasted for approximately a year and 9 months or close to it. 89 issues, one Summer Special, and three Annuals, and then it was gone. True, the name lived on in tiny letters on the covers of Smash! for roughly another 6 months or so, but that didn't really count as Smash! was more a 'traditional' British comic than Fantastic had been.
You've seen these covers on this blog before in episodic posts, but never all together and looking quite so good. I've applied computer technology to tart them up a bit (without going overboard), so that they now look cleaner, sharper, and brighter than in previous postings. Maybe I'll do the same thing with the back page Power-House Pin-Ups sometime in the future, but you'll have to let me know if there's a demand for them when you leave a comment. You will leave a comment, won't you, or how else will I know exactly what you think of this Power-House post?
All that remains for me to say is - enjoy! (Click on images to enlarge, then click again for optimum size.)
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Okay, I'll start things off. Thanks for placing all these covers in the one post, as it saves readers having to trawl through the blog looking for them.
ReplyDeleteForgot to say - I'm your biggest fan.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't really into all superhero comics at this time so this was never a comic (or its companion Terrific) that I bought. I preferred their other titles like Wham!, Smash! and Pow! for the funnies (..and Spidey who I did like). But I do recall picking up the first 2 issues of Fantastic for the free gifts especially the "scars" . I think I have issues 18 and 32 and the summer special from your collection..
ReplyDeleteOne of the covers near the end says "The Iron Man Blazes Into Action Again" which reminds me of a time when I was perusing the DVDs in WH Smith's and doing the same was a woman aged about 70 accompanied by a younger man (her son I assumed). She saw the DVD of Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr and said "The Iron Man - have we seen that?". The younger man just mumbled something and I thought to myself "It's Iron Man not THE Iron Man!" but obviously I said nothing.
ReplyDeleteLook after that Summer Special, McS, 'cos the asking price for it on eBay is usually sky-high. (I've got two of them.) The first issue of Fantastic that I actually bought was #7, but I acquired the previous issues in very short order.
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Funnily enough, CJ, there was a strip in Eagle in the '60s about a robot called The Iron Man, but it had nothing to do with the Marvel hero. And though the movie is called Iron Man, his full title (as we all know) is THE Invincible Iron Man, so the woman was partly-right.
You have done a great job in 'freshening' the cover artwork. When they were published I was always disappointed that the colour ink just bled into the paper having been used to the glossier stock for Eagle and TV Express.
ReplyDeletePlease do show your version of the back cover pin-ups.
Love this gallery. I love to spot the artwork being revised and reworked for new purposes. Some of the new coloring adds a freshness to images gone a bit dusty in memory.
ReplyDeleteAlthough not featured in these comics I hear that John Rpmita has passed away. 93 is a fair age but still sad, first and foremost of course for his family. One of my all time favourite artists.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to see the 'undoctored' pin-ups, T47, they appear on the series of cover galleries for Fantastic, which I posted years ago. However, I will get around to tarting them up and showing them again in the (hopefully) not too distant future.
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If you compare the cover of Fantastic #7 with the Tales Of Suspense original, RJ, you'll see some slight differences in the inking. I suspect that a published TOS cover was traced and re-inked, perhaps because the b&w stat had been misplaced.
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Just read about John Romita before I signed into the blog, McS. A great artist, whose name will live forever in the annals of comicbooks.
Only 89 issues? As you say, less than two years in publication, but that was a fifth of my lifetime at that point, of course, so it seemed much longer. As a matter of interest, did issue #89 indicate that it was the last issue? Also amazing that within five years, all the content would be reprinted in the Marvel weeklies.
ReplyDeleteYes, the Floor of 64 page announced the comic's demise and merger into Smash!, B. TV21 reprinted Marvel stories for a while (Spidey, Silver Surfer, Ghost Rider, etc.), so Marvel wasn't completely absent from UK comics before the arrival of MWOM, SMCW, etc.
ReplyDeleteIt is no trouble finding the covers on your blog any time I need to regresh my memory, Kidda. But nice to see one of my favourites all together again. I cannot really put into words how this comic changed my life. It was perfect and to start reading the Marvel strips from the start in chronological order turned me on to Marvel in a big way.I very soon started buying all five Power comics!
ReplyDeleteIt was my favourite comic at the time, JP, as those early Thor, Iron Man, and X-Men strips had a charm about them that was hard to beat. I too bought all 5 Power comics, though I no longer recall if I got all of them every week, or sometimes alternated between Smash! and Pow! due to pocket-money constraints.
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