OPEN CHANNEL 'D' - The MAN From U.N.C.L.E Annuals COVER GALLERY...

Annual for 1967, released in '66.  Copyright relevant owner

I don't think I ever read, never mind owned, any The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Annuals back in the day.  Many years later - more years than I care to recall or am actually able to - I acquired the first in the series of four, though I didn't know it was the first as, until fairly recently, I wasn't aware of how many there'd been.  Anyway, numbers two-to-four were obtained only in the last week or two, so I now have a full set which I gladly share with you here.

There was a fair bit of merchandise for the show, from Aurora plastic model kits, Gilbert action figures, MB card games, A&BC card sets, Corgi and Husky diecast cars, badges, ID cards, attache cases, fountain pens (with invisible ink), and a whole host of other things.  Personally, I have the Corgi Thrushbuster, the World Distributors Annuals ('natch), and used to have the cheaper cardboard attache case, which an aunt gave me for Christmas back in the '60s.  (I still own one of the bullets.)  My brother had the fountain pen, though I dropped it walking over a playfield one day with my sibling and one of his pals, and the pen was never seen again.

Anyway, included here are the four Annual covers along with their rear illustrations, to allow you the joy of reliving an aspect of your past if you're old enough to have had them when you were a kid.  (And I've included a few bonus items just for you!)

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If you're the kind of reader who prefers more 'meat and potatoes' than my rather superficial posts, you can learn more about The Man From U.N.C.L.E. by clicking this link.

Annual for 1968, released in '67

Annual for 1969, released in '68

Annual for 1970, released in '69

BONUS U.N.C.L.E. ITEMS...

Wasn't Napoleon senior to Ilya?  Then why was the former
number 11 and the latter number 2?

Who knew that Prisoner 'John Drake' was also a member of U.N.C.L.E.?

Replaced my yellow membership ID card a few years back and
acquired a white version at the same time.  Prefer the yellow one

This is one I no longer have, alas.  Image 'borrowed' from Internet

BABE Of The DAY - DENISE MILANI...

Because I'm such a handsome chap,

women regularly have a go at chatting me

up when I'm out doing my shopping.  Saying

things like "Can you move out of my way please"

or "Will you please stop following me?!", I know

it's just an excuse to strike up a conversation with

me as a prelude to asking me out.  So what's that

got to do with Denise Milani?  Well, nothing,

but I thought you might like a pretty gal to

 look at while you're reading my p*sh.

COLLECTED SECRET ORIGINS...

Copyright DC COMICS

Can't recall whether I showed you this book before or not, Crivs (only bought it a few months back), but it's one worth having.  Published in 2012, it's a hardback collected edition (with dustjacket, though it's probably also available in softcover format) of the replica editions of the first two Secret Origins Specials from 1961 & '65 plus Even More Secret Origins (a retro Special from 2003 in the style of the two '60s issues) and, capping it off from 2004, Weird Secret Origins - not that any 'origin' is ever exactly normal, is it?  Anyway, I already have the individual issues, but I'm usually a sucker for deluxe collected editions and thought some of you might be, too.  If so, the book should be easily available via eBay ('cos that's where I got mine).

SPARKY BOOKS (For Boys And Girls) MINI COVER GALLERY (Updated)...

Copyright D.C. THOMSON & Co., Ltd

You can thank (or blame) regular reader CJ for this post, Crivs, as he asked me in the comments section of The Complete Sparky #1 (back in August) whether I'd be showing the covers of my Sparky Books.  I only had three at the time, but now I have five (the first five) so here they are*.  There were 15 in all (though the last one was a combined Topper & Sparky Book), so that means I have a third of them.  Will I ever bother to track down the remaining ten?  Time will tell, Crivvies, time will tell.

Okay, so you've got the covers to look at - anyone interested in seeing any of the contents?  Let me know in the comments section.

*(Update: I've now added the Book for '72, so that's six I have.  They came out when I lived in one of my former houses between 1965 and '72 so that's that aspect of my life covered as far as Sparky books go.  I never had any of them at the time, but somehow it now feels as though I did.) 

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It's interesting to note that the weekly Sparky comic came out at the beginning of 1965, meaning it was probably prepared sometime in early or mid-'64 (unless it was a rush job to compete with TV Century 21), so DCT must've been waiting to see how well it sold, for them not to have the first Book all ready to go for Christmas '65.  The '67 Book would've been on sale in August/September of '66, but that means it was likely in preparation at the start of '66 if my own experience of when IPC Annuals were put together is any indication.  I remember working on the 2000 A.D. and Judge Dredd Annuals for 1986 not long into 1985.  As I was lettering finished art, they must have been drawn weeks or months earlier.

   

CASTEL CRIVENS ACQUISITIONS...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

Okay, peeps, time to squeeze my brain and see what I can come up with that you might just find a teensy-weensy bit interesting.  What do you fancy?  How about some of my recent comicbook additions to my immense accumulation of goodies?  You'd like that?  Good, 'cos I've already scanned the ones I'd earlier decided to show you, thereby revealing that my apparent offering of choice was anything but.  However, I don't want any complaints or moaning, 'cos you didn't have to pay to get in here so I expect you all to take what you get and be grateful for it.  (Oh, I impressed myself by how masterful I was there.)

First up, above, are two Sub-Mariner comics - #s 59 & 61 - which I don't think I've ever seen before, which is why I decided to buy 'em.  The first one is perhaps a little misleading as ol' Goldilocks only appears in 7 out of 20 pages, but for some reason this issue is regarded as a bit of a collectors' item.  Don't believe me?  Then check out some of the crazy prices several sellers are asking for high-quality condition copies on eBay.  Sam Kweskin, an artist whose name I've never previously heard of (that I remember) did the layouts and John Tartaglione did the finished art and the result is perfectly acceptable.

Haven't read The Incredible Hulk #227 yet (or ever), but the cover grabbed me due to the '60s Avengers adorning it so I simply had to buy it.  It reminded me of just how much I liked the line-up of The Avengers at this time in their history, when I first read about them in the pages of the late, lamented UK weekly periodical entitled Terrific - and it was!  There's a Cover Gallery Omnibus of all 43 issues on the blog, which you can see by clicking the following considerately-provided link.  Wait'll you finish this post first though.

I was taking a chance with the above two Thor comics (#s 252 & 253) as I couldn't recollect whether I already had them or not, but I wanted to add to my collection of '70s Marvel Jack Kirby covers and they weren't in any way expensive.  Kirby was well-past his best by this point in his career and 253 is positively awful, but they still have a certain charm about them which makes them appealing to have.  Out of the two covers I think that 252 is better, though I'd say it would've been better yet had Vince Colletta inked it.  Feel free to disagree - I don't tell people to f*ck off for doing so, unlike some other overly-sensitive bloggers.

Above, a collected edition comic of all 3 Marvel Super Hero Contest Of Champions tales, which was purportedly one of the inspirations for Secret Wars.  I actually already have the original issues (which you can see here), though can't recall whether I've read them or not, but having all 3 tales in one handy-dandy mag means I don't have to dig through boxes or filing cabinets should I ever decide to read (or re-read) them one day.  I always like to be prepared, so this issue is a very welcome addition to my vast hordes of decades-spanning comics.  

Copyright relevant owner

Lastly, above, is a comicbook adaptation of Hanna-Barbera's very first big screen animated feature - Hey There, It's Yogi Bear.  I own the film on DVD, so it'll be interesting to compare the mag against the movie to see how faithful the comic is, but no doubt some liberties will have been taken.  And winging its way to me as I type is The Man Called Flintstone comicbook adaptation, so it'll be good to have both of H-B's films in comic strip form.  I'll show you that mag when it arrives, but in the meantime, do you have a favourite cover among this lot?  Then feel free to say so in our eager-to-hear-from-you comments section.  (Or not, as seems to be the case.) 

CAN YOU 'STAND' ANOTHER POST ABOUT MY MARX TOYS BAGATELLES?

Characters copyright relevant and respective owners

Bear with me, Crivs, it'll soon be over.  Although my two Bagatelles came from different eBay sellers, they were bought and arrived on the same day.  (No, they didn't arrive on the day I bought them - both were purchased on the 12th and arrived on the 18th.)  Fireball XL5 came with its box but no stand, and The Daleks had its stand but no box.  Unfortunately, the stand had been broken in two and glued together at some point, but wasn't in one piece when it reached me.

The two pieces restored to one via superglue

The stand had holes for fingers so that the Bagatelle could be held in place when played with, but I suspect the holes compromised the stand's 'structural integrity' which is likely why it broke.  That'll perhaps be why the stands are usually missing from these Bagatelles, they were probably broken then thrown away, and I suspect that most kids then played with these toys on their laps, not upright on a table.  This Kid is a different bag of spiders though.

Not too shabby, eh?  And yes, they are removeable

I made two new stands, but didn't bother with holes for fingers as they're just as easy to grip by the sides to prevent the Bagatelles moving while in use.  That's not why I made them though, I did so merely because it enables me to better display the items in my room.  I've enclosed a photo of the repaired original stand (which still needs cleaned up a bit) as well as my replacements, which were made from a stiff cutting mat, then sprayed silver to enhance their appearance.

So what do you think, Crivvies - didn't I do well?

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Surprisingly, although both original stands would've been the same size and shape, they couldn't have been interchangeable, due to the guides they slide into being ever-so-slightly different on each Bagatelle.  There are little 'bumps' which the stands clip onto (see indentations on original), and they're not quite in the same place from one to the other, something I had to take into consideration when making the replacements. 

LIFE IS A BAGATELLE, OLD CHUM... WHAT'S THAT - CAROUSEL, YOU SAY? OH WELL, SO MUCH FOR MY CHOICE OF BLOG TITLE...

Characters copyright relevant and respective owners

Yippee!  My Fireball XL5 and Daleks Bagatelles arrived today, so I'm happy as a pig in sh... erbert!  Off to give them a little polish.  Now, what's the next set of goodies on my list?  I'd better be quick 'cos I'm running out of time.  (But then, aren't we all, 'cos none of us are getting any younger.)  Feel free to tell me how envious you are, Crivs.  (Don't deny it.)

(Update: And 'you' were wrong anyway.  As CJ pointed out in the comments section, it should be 'Cabaret'.  That's the last time I listen to 'you' - whoever 'you' might be.)

RECOMMENDED READING: BOB The ROBIN By TONY PUTMAN...

Photographs copyright TONY PUTMAN

Unfortunately, I no longer read books as often as I used to when I was younger.  When I try to read a book nowadays, I find my mind wandering off a few sentences into a paragraph, requiring me to go back and read it again in order to grasp what the writer is saying.  I suspect it's the 'brain fog' that assails me from time-to-time, when my mind essentially starts to close down and it's almost like I'm in a trance.  (Happens when I'm speaking as well sometimes.)

Same with some blogs.  There's an excellent site in my blog list, where the writer does exhaustive research and presents highly detailed, fact-filled posts about Marvel in the Silver Age.  Trouble for me is that there's just so much information in each post that I find it difficult to assimilate all of it, and by the time I reach the end, I've forgotten everything but the last couple of paragraphs.  They're quite lengthy posts too, so re-reading them doesn't really help much.  Haven't commented for quite a while because I was beginning to sound like a broken record, my remarks consisting of not much more than "Well done on another fascinating post."

However, that's by-the-by.  I saw mention in a newspaper last week of a book titled Bob The Robin, which tells the heartwarming tale of a gardener named Tony Putman and his friendship with various Robins, in particular the Bob of the title.  I forgot about it almost immediately, but when I was leaving a bookshop a few days later after popping in to check out the graphic novels and comics collected editions, I happened to see the Bob The Robin book on a table as I passed and promptly stole it.  (Nah, just checking to see if you're paying attention.)

It had £2 off so I bought it immediately - what Scotsman can resist a saving like that?  (Though it would probably have snared me at 2p off.)  Anyway, it's not an overly long book, it has fairly large type, but is very well written with some great photographs.  More importantly, I could read it in short bursts when I felt like it, so my mental energy wasn't compromised and I didn't find myself falling asleep a few paragraphs into each chapter.

The point of this post?  It's an emotionally rewarding book that will enrich your heart and make you appreciate nature a little more than you perhaps already do (however much that is), so I have no hesitation in recommending it to you for your own bookshelves, Crivvies.  Only £16.99 and worth every penny.  Buy it today, either for yourself or someone you love.  (I bought mine for the someone I love most in all the world - me!)

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Incidentally, a few months back, a fearless little Robin would alight on a branch inches from me when I was out in the back garden filling the bird feeders.  It once alighted on my hand for a second to snatch some bird seed and I have to say I felt enormously privileged, almost as though I'd won a Blue Peter Badge.  Sadly, I haven't seen him or her in a while (though have seen other Robins) and find myself hoping wee Robin is okay.  Below is Tony Putman's YouTube channel about Bob.

MAJOR MATT MASON'S MOON SUIT ARM PAK...

If you're a fan of Mattel's Major Matt Mason and own the classic '60s Moon Suit, its rubber arms may have perished - as they were prone to do after a few years.  I've already replaced the arms on my pair of Moon Suits with thicker rubber ones with wire inside that allows them to bend into different positions for display purposes.  I'm perfectly happy with them, but I thought I'd buy the above arms because they work in exactly the same way as the originals, via the 'bellows' pump that fits into the suit.

They're quite expensive, but a lot of work goes into them to get them just right (though they have an extra ridge in them to distinguish them from originals) and it saves having to buy another Moon Suit, which would be even more expensive.  So if you have a Moon Suit and want to restore it to its former glory, they can be obtained from joey-s on eBay.  Go on to eBay, click 'Advanced' and type his name into the 'Sellers' box.  Then message him for details.

This has been a Crivens Public Service Announcement.

BABE Of The DAY - GAIL McKENNA...

Glorious Gail McKenna delights in

her sheer beauty - as do we Crivvies too,

it has to be said - and now has been.  (No,

I'm not saying I'm a 'has-been', I'm more

like a 'never-been'.  Anyway, never mind

 all that, just enjoy looking at Gail.)

TOYBOX TREASURES Of The PAST - IT'S IN THE BAG (ATELLE)...

Images copyright relevant and respective owners

Finally acquired a couple more items from childhood I was beginning to think I'd never own again, but bought them both today from two eBay sellers (one item each, obviously).  I'm using the sellers' photos (I'm sure they won't mind), but I'll add my own when they arrive, hopefully before the end of the week.  The Daleks Bagatelle isn't boxed, though the artwork is the same in either case, whereas (as you can see) the Fireball XL5 box has a different illustration to the toy itself.  Ah, what can I say?  I'm a kid again.  Can't be too many items to replace now.

Any of you Crivs have either of these '60s toys when you were bairns, or did you have a deprived childhood?  (Well, compared to mine, anyway.)  Truth to tell though, the ones I had back then were obtained 'pre-owned' (or secondhand as we used to say) from jumble sales.

RIP JAGGY'S NO-GO...

He's a bit of an 'intellectual acrobat' himself, especially
when defending his opinion.  Copyright relevant owner

Hi, my name's Rip Jaggy (named after an obscure comics character, which fits me to a tee) and I have a wunnerful blog named Rip Jaggy's No-Go.  So named because when I state an opinion on anything, I brook no dissent and won't tolerate anyone disagreeing with me if, in so doing, they demonstrate that I'm talking outta my @ss.  I mean what I mean, regardless of whether what I say can mean more than I meant it to mean, so don't comment if you're going to take anything I write to its logical conclusion and reveal my woolly thinking.  On this blog I'm king and I want you peasants readers to know your place.

Your only purpose is to make me feel good by agreeing with everything I say, and if you don't, I'll take a huffy fit and tell you to f*ck off!  I know I'm an insecure, ineffectual, inadequate individual so I don't need reminding, thank you very much.  In fact, the reason I hate Donald Trump so vehemently is that he reminds me so much of myself.  Now, you know the rules, so don't bother commenting if you're not going to obey them.  Now where'd I put my liquor?

TOYBOX TREASURES Of The PAST - HERTS DALEK And PLASTON TARDIS...

Characters copyright relevant & respective owners

As you get older, some events in your personal history become harder to tie down to their specific points in time.  Case in point, was it near the end of 1965 or sometime after the beginning of 1966 that I saw a Plaston Tardis money bank hanging on a peg near a cash register in Safeway as my parents queued up to pay for their shopping?  Regardless, they bought it for me (it wasn't expensive) and on the way home, we (including my brother) dropped in to a cafe midway between the main town centre and the neighbourhood in which we lived, having moved there only relatively recently.  I seem to recall that the toy was in a poly bag with a header card, but the versions on the Internet I've seen were in a shrink-wrapped open cardboard container which seems familiar to me.  Maybe it was both.

Same goes for my Herts Plastic Moulders Dalek.  (That's me above with my original.)  Was it purchased in Woolworth's in Rutherglen or another Woolworth's when we were on holiday one year?  As it was only sold in Woolies, it could've been both as I seem to remember having more than one, though maybe not at the same time.  However, you won't be interested in any of that as you'll have your own set of memories associated with these toys - if you were lucky enough to have them when you were a kid, that is.  The Dalek isn't an entirely accurate representation, but not many '60s Dalek toys were, whether it was by Marx, Cherilea, Herts, or just about any manufacturer of Dalek merchandise.  Perhaps the one that came closest was the Codeg clockwork Dalek, but I never had one as a boy so it's not high on my list of things to acquire.

I mentioned in a previous post back in 2016 that I eventually slit open the doors of the Tardis so that I could insert my Marx Yogi Bear, detached from the yellow friction-drive scooter he sat on.  I snapped a photo of him (a replacement) next to a different, more contemporary Tardis, but now I include another pic of the bold bruin alongside the Plaston one, to more precisely capture a memory of bygone days in the mid-'60s.  And thus do I live out whatever time I have left to me; re-creating my childhood by the acquisition of toys that were once (and still are) dear to me.  This time, though, they're simply ornaments, signposts to an earlier era, not playthings.  I like to sit and just look at them from time-to-time, remembering what was but can never be again.  Outside of a memory and an old photo, that is.

Any of you Crivvies ever think about some of the toys you used to have and thought so much of, or do they seem like a dream of a distant land you're not quite sure you ever visited?  Do tell, if you'd be so kind.  Oh, and don't worry, unlike some insecure bloggers who resent someone expressing a different opinion to them, I don't regard honest comments as 'trolling'.  (Such an infantile word, don't you think?  The first resort of infantile people - especially when they're wrong!)