ACTION COMICS #419 - The HUMAN TARGET TAKES A BOW...

Art NEAL ADAMS.  Copyright DC COMICS

You're correct, Crivvies, I've shown the above cover before, but it was 'borrowed' from eBay.  This time it's my own copy, newly arrived this evening (19:19 pm to be precise) from the US.  I'm pretty sure I had it back in the day, though for some obscure reason never kept it.  The regular back-up story in Action Comics had been Metamorpho since #413, but with this issue The Human Target made his debut, with Morphy moving over to World's Finest Comics.

In the '60s, artist Curt Swan drew Superman with quite a high forehead, making him look older, but come the '70s, Swan gave Supes and Clark a lower hairline, bestowing on him a younger appearance.  This, I imagine, was an editorial decision, as Superman's official age at the time was 29, but he previously looked as though he was at least in his mid-30s.  Anyway, I'm glad to have this one back in the fold, and I'm going to love it and hug it and call it 'George'.

Any memories of this issue, readers?  Feel free to wax lyrical in the comments section.  

BELLAMY Versus NOBLE And EMBLETON...

Art FRANK BELLAMY.  Characters copyright relevant owners

Every serious comics aficionado of a certain age knows the name Frank Bellamy.  I learned only relatively recently that apparently, Alan Fennell, editor of TV Century 21, originally wanted him to illustrate the Stingray strip for the new weekly, but he was still involved with Eagle at the time and had no room in his schedule so the job went to Ron Embleton instead.  All I can say is - phew, thank goodness for that.

Now there's no question that Frank was a skilled artist, but I was never too impressed by his Thunderbirds pages when he eventually joined TV21 in early 1966.  Sure, he painted pretty skies, but his Thunderbird craft didn't always match their TV counterparts, and his reference material for TB2 seemed as though it might've later included the Dinky toy, which wasn't a totally accurate representation of the vehicle.

Art MIKE NOBLE

Then there was the 'style' he used, similar to John Burns' artwork later published in Countdown.  You know what I mean - figure details filled on only one side, with the other rendered in coloured 'shadow'.  Maybe Bellamy had too much work at the time and had to rush his TB pages to meet deadlines, but I think they were less impressive than Mike Noble's art on Fireball XL5 and Ron Embleton's on Stingray.

Every panel by Noble pulled the reader into the action, and Embleton's pages were objects of beauty that were a delight to gaze upon.  (He was no slouch in the action stakes either, though Noble had the edge.)  Bellamy's pages came a poor third to those of his artistic stablemates and were less involving.  With Noble and Embleton, you had front row seats, with Bellamy it all seemed to be happening at a distance.

Art RON EMBLETON

Of course, that doesn't quite cover things as it's likely more complicated than that, but I find it difficult to articulate precisely what I mean, though it's the best I can do given my ongoing brain-fog.  What do you think, readers - am I being too harsh on Bellamy or do you agree with my assessment?  Feel entirely free to record your thoughts, theories, and fancies in our (hopefully) controversial comments section.

BABE Of The DAY - CHRISTEL BODENSTEIN...

Ah, Christel Bodenstein - a good

old British name if ever there was one!

Anyone remember her from The Singing

Ringing Tree ?  I first saw this classic 60

years ago, which makes me feel very old,

even though I look only around 40.  (In

my fevered imagination anyway.)

GOODBYE GERRY - REST IN PEACE...

                                           Oh remember when we thought we had forever,

                                           didn't it make you feel secure?

                                           We used to think that we had forever,

                                           now I'm not so sure.

So begins the theme song at the end of the 1976 Likely Lads movie, based on the hit BBC TV comedy series.  There's a time in our lives when we feel, without ever really thinking about it, that we're immortal.  Time, alas, eventually disabuses us of the notion, and I was reminded of that today when I learned one of my friends, Gerry Whyte, died on the 11th of this month.  After 5 years of illness and pain, he learned he had stage 4 cancer throughout his body, and he was earmarked for treatment to see if his tumours could be shrunk by chemotherapy once the NHS could pencil him in for it.  Unfortunately, time was not on his side.

For 5 years his doctors had dismissed his illness as being caused by 'really bad piles' - which just goes to show how deficient doctors can sometimes be.  Gerry's situation resembles that of my late pal Moonmando - Matt Caldwell - who died back in 2023 of inoperable liver and bowel cancer, initially missed by doctors when he first approached them to see why he was ravaged by pain.  They gave him several weeks off work then sent him back when they found no reason for his condition, and when he went back to them not too long after, it was too late to do anything.  I'd known Matt for around 50 years, and knew Gerry getting on for 35 years or so.

Gerry, fearing he might not have long, came to visit me around 3 weeks ago and we spent an hour or two chatting about this and that, and nothing in particular.  He'd hoped he would see me again, but unfortunately it wasn't to be.  We sat in my living-room and then out in my back garden for a while, and when he left he embraced me and kissed me on the cheek, just in case that was the last we saw of each other.  I'm not a very tactile person, but I hugged him back, wished him well, and hoped against hope he might come through his ordeal.  At least he got to attend his daughter's wedding a month or two before, which I know was important to him.

Anyway, I couldn't let his passing go without mentioning it, even though you Crivvies didn't know him.  So here's to Gerry, long may he live on in the hearts and minds of his family and friends.  Rest In Peace, old friend - I'll see you again, and I know you'll know what I mean when I say I hope it isn't for a good long while.  (It'll pass quick enough, however long it may be.)  Oh, and Happy Birthday - you'd have been 62 today (Monday), so I'll buy a wee pineapple tart tomorrow and pretend it's a piece of your birthday cake as I scoff it.

RECENT CASTEL CRIVENS ACQUISITIONS...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

Recent deliveries to Castel Crivens include this trio of mags, Crivvies.  The Adventure Comics #210 Facsimile Edition consists of a lot of scans, though of better quality than usual, but the Superboy tale is from sharp new proofs, coloured after the original printing.  And FFF #2 is worth buying for the cover alone - just look at sensational Suzie - wowza!  As for FF#49 FE, well, it speaks for itself and doesn't require any hard-sell from me!  Buy 'em now!

Copyright DC COMICS

BOB Of The DAY - BOB HOPE...

My favourite comedian, Bob Hope.

I met him in person twice, ten years apart,

and he graciously autographed several items on

both occasions - and also sent hand-signed photos

from the US.  He actually owned a piece of my art

(a colour caricature of himself) which I'd sent him

as a thank you circa 1984/'85.  So thanks for the

memories, Bob.  Now can anyone identify

the pretty blonde burd for me?

SUPERMAN Vs. SHAZAM! FACSIMILE EDITION...

Copyright DC COMICS

I returned to the '70s earlier today for a short spell with the arrival of DC's Limited Collectors' Edition C58 - Superman Vs Shazam!  Never had it at the time, but I would've seen it advertised in 1978 so that's when I think of now that I own this Facsimile Edition.  It won't be an exact facsimile as the internal colours will likely be different and a modern copyright notice has been added to the splash page which it wouldn't have had originally.  (You know the one... Blah, blah... By Special Arrangement With The Jerry Siegel Family.)

The story is reprinted in a softcover book I own, though I've never bothered to read it before.  I have now, and I'm glad I waited 'til I had a facsimile in more-or-less the original dimensions.  I've lost count of how many of these Collectors' Edition facsimiles I own, but they're quite impressive and I'm glad to have them.  Anyway, if you had this 'comic' back in the day and want to return to the '70s for a visit, you should be able to track one down in your local comics shop or obtain it via eBay like I did.  So what's keeping you, culture lovers?  Grab one while you can!

DESERT ISLAND ALBUMS & MOVIES...

The previous post is still open for business, Crivs, but striking while the iron is hot, which 10 albums would you choose to take to a desert island?  Is that an easier or a harder task?  In fact, let's add DVD movies - which ones would you choose?  And don't worry, you'll have the required solar powered equipment you need in order to play them.

DESERT ISLAND DISCS, COMICS, AND BOOKS...

Occasionally, I find myself listening to Radio Four's Desert Island Discs, and I always wonder whether the guests feel frustrated at being permitted to choose only 8 records.  I don't think I'd be able to limit myself to a mere 8, so what I'm about to ask of you is perhaps a bit cheeky.  However, let's make it 10, and let's also include comics and books as well as single records.  That's 10 of each by the way, so 30 items in all.  (I'll maybe do LP albums another time, but for the moment it's singles.)

So, Crivvies, were you to be told you were going to be exiled on a desert island (no, I don't mean Millport), what 10 records would you choose to take with you, and the same goes for which 10 comics and which 10 books you'd pick for your time on the island?  Don't worry, there's a solar powered record player waiting there for you.  Oh, wait, there's another aspect, isn't there.  If you could only have one item from each 10, which one would it be?  (That's even tougher to decide, eh?)  Give it a think and then let loose in the comments section.

HAPPY 53rd ANNIVERSARY...

Today marks 53 years since I first moved into my current home in June of 1972 so I felt a few words were in order.  ("Make it just a few then, eh, Kid?" I hear some of you say.)  Earlier today, as I sat in an armchair on the lefthand side of the fireplace, it didn't seem so very long since I, as a 13/14 year-old youth, was in the habit of doing the very same thing, especially on a Saturday when I usually bought whatever comics I was getting at the time.

I've used this 'analogy' before (not one I originated), but it really does feel like I went to bed last night as a teenager and woke up this morning as the decrepit pensioner I now am, though in my mind I still think of myself as a teenager.  53 years gone in a blink, it's hard to come to terms with.  Back in the '70s the future seemed a long way off and I erroneously believed it was so far away that it would take 'forever' to get there.  Boy, was I mistaken about that.

Honestly, it doesn't seem too much of an exaggeration to say my first day in this house was only yesterday or last week at the most, so quickly has the time passed.  Part of the reason may be because I'm in the same house now as I was then and nothing much at all has changed in my day-to-day life; no wife, no kids or grandkids, everything seemingly the same-old-same-old, with nothing of note to mark the passing of the years.

I often wonder if it's different for those who've lived in various houses and neighbourhoods over the decades.  As they've experienced nigh-countless events and met many more people, and lived in several other places, do their lives seem fuller and more enriching due to having packed so much more into them than me?  I've lived quite a tame life in that I've never been abroad or stayed elsewhere for any length of time, so there aren't so many 'landmarks' in my life as in theirs.

Or does it really make a difference?  Even to those who've lived exciting, cram-packed lives in numerous towns or cities, perhaps their lives don't seem any longer at the end of the day, despite all the rich and varied experiences they've tasted over the years.  Whether you run through life, partaking of every opportunity there is to be had, or casually amble through it without doing much at all, maybe one lifetime seems just as long or as short in one's twilight years as the other.

What do you think, readers? 

NEW MARVEL & DC FACSIMILE EDITIONS...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

Here's a trio of covers from recent Facsimile Editions for your viewing pleasure, Crivs.  I can't remember when I last bought a new comic - I tend to buy mainly reprints and facsimiles these days, even when (in the case of FF #6) I already have various representations of it in a number of collected editions.  I'm looking forward to FF #7, Kurrgo, The Master Of Planet X, as it's one of my favourite early FF tales.  If you were only going to buy one of these mags, which issue would it be - and why?  The comments section awaits.

(Incidentally, take a look at Doctor Doom's left arm, which seems to be pointing slightly away from him to his left.  Yet the beam emanating from it seems to be exploding to his right, behind The Thing, who is far too small in relation to the other characters.)

Copyright DC COMICS

TYPHOONS AND HURRICANES, WITH A TIGER THROWN IN FOR GOOD MEASURE...

Copyright REBELLION

I remember first seeing Typhoon Tracy sometime around the mid-to-late '60s in a comic in my primary school classroom during a break one day.  Couldn't tell you if it was an old copy of Hurricane or a then-current issue of the merged title of Tiger and Hurricane, maybe even an Annual or Summer Special, but whichever publication I saw him in was a classmate's and not my own, which is why I no longer recall (if I ever did) precisely which printed weekly or yearly periodical it was where I first laid my baby-blue eyes on him.

Hurricane lasted only 63 issues, from February 1964 until May '65, though the Annuals continued until 1973 (for '74), so it had a good long run past the life of its weekly counterpart.  Typhoon Tracy was the star, similar to Valiant's Captain Hurricane, though Tracy was a sailor, not a marine.  Close to 30 years ago, I obtained numbers 1 and 3 and they've sat in a cupboard for all this time without me ever reading them.  "Must get #2" I often thought, as I later normally bought #s 1-3 of most new titles, even if I never continued with them.

Anyway, before I bore you all to death, I recently acquired #2 and finally completed the trio, so I thought I'd show you the covers of them, along with a combined ish of Tiger and Hurricane, which hopefully you'll appreciate seeing.  Did any of you Crivvies (the older ones obviously) ever buy Hurricane back in the day, and if so, what did you think of it?  Start typing those comments now - every one gratefully appreciated, not just by me, but by your fellow Crivvies too.  So who's going to be the first to take the plunge?  (And say if you'd like to see some contents.)

BABE Of The DAY - POISON IVY...

Art NATALI SANDERS.  Copyright DC COMICS

Write your own captions, Crivs -

I'm far too busy swoonin' and droolin'.

(And I don't usually like redheads.)

PLAYMOBIL JAMES BOND 007 ASTON MARTIN D.B.5 - GOLDFINGER EDITION...

Well that sure didn't take long.  Ordered on Friday evening, delivered early this afternoon, yet another incarnation of the James Bond Aston Martin D.B.5., this one by Playmobil.  No point me wittering on about it when I can simply show you some photos taken with my own trusty camera.  Perhaps I should just point out that although it's got various features, only the ejector seat is operated by a lever (the exhaust - on the correct side, unlike the Corgi Toys version) at the back.  The bulletproof shield, machine guns, front and rear overriders, and four tyre-slashers are 'operated' by pulling them out manually, or in the case of the number plates, revolving them.  Love it to bits, though I'd say 007 definitely needs a haircut.  (And thanks to reader and commenter Monty for the heads up about this wonderful toy, which first came out in 2021.)

So what do you think of it, Crivs?  Is it the kind of thing you'd have if you were a great big wean like me?  Never mind with answers on a postcard, save yourself the price of a stamp and say what you think in our ever-hungry comments section.  Fame, hordes of beautiful, screaming, adoring females, and untold riches are likely to be yours if you do.  (You think I'd kid about a thing like that?)  The car is approximately 10 inches long and is as light as a feather - a joy to gaze upon.

MARVEL'S HOWARD The DUCK The COMPLETE COLLECTION Volume Four...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

I finally managed to obtain volume four of Howard The Duck The Complete Collection at far more than it has a right to cost, but it was bugging me that I only had the first three.  Why's it so difficult to obtain at a reasonable price?  Was it a small print run, was it withdrawn from circulation for some reason, or is it due to other circumstances entirely?  On Amazon it's priced at £784.99 and I've seen it at not much less elsewhere.  Fortunately, I managed to get my copy for nowhere near those extreme prices, though it was still a bit more than I'd have preferred to pay.  However, I felt compelled to complete the quartet so stumped up what the seller was asking for, then had to pay p&p charges from the States.  The preceding three books can be purchased for around their original price (or less), so why this one commands such huge sums is a mystery.

Anyway, just in case you've been looking for this volume but couldn't find or afford it, I thought I'd share the front and back covers with you.  If you ever manage to track down a copy at a reasonable price, consider yourself very lucky and snap it up right away.  In fact, I wish I'd bought this when I first saw it several months back, as it was around £20-£25 cheaper from the same seller.  Ach, well - you win some, you lose some.

I'VE CRACKED THE CODE AT LAST...

Copyright relevant owner

I remember the event well, even after more than 60 years.  I was standing in our primary school playground and my older brother came over and handed me TV Century 21 #1 to take home with me at 3 o'clock as he didn't get out until 4.  Over the previous couple of days or so, he'd searched around various newsagents looking for a copy but without success (sold out), so I assume he'd obtained his new acquisition from a classmate.  This would've been a few days before the second issue hit the shelves, so we were in on the ground floor (by a whisker) when the iconic comic for boys first hit the scene.  Curiously, I became a regular buyer of the comic, whereas I don't think my brother ever bought another copy again.  (He read mine though.)

Although we now had the actual comic, we never owned (or even saw) the free gift.  I assume the original owner had kept it for himself, which meant the coded messages at the end of each story were a mystery to me when I started buying the comic every week.  Not that it much bothered me to be honest, and when I think about it now, it seems a needlessly contrived way of telling readers not to miss the next issue as some of these messages seemed quite long.  Over the passing decades though, I've often felt it would be rather nice to have an 'Identicode' to insert within one of my two copies of the first issue.  And guess what - now I've got one!

A tad expensive (don't ask) but great to finally have, it's probably one of the very finest examples of this free gift in existence - unfolded and unused.  (Might even be the finest example.)  Anyway, having turned the clock back 60 years for a short time and before I insert it into my #1 (why does that sound suggestive?), I thought I'd post it on the blog for all you Crivvies to see.  I'll be living on beans for a few months, but what the hey?!  A guy's got to get his priorities right and I just couldn't let this one get away.  If any of you have (or had) this gift back in the day, share your memories of it in our captivating comments section.

My next task is to use it to decode a few messages in the comic.  Hardly something to get excited over, but a guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do.

ANOTHER TV ACTION 12-ISSUE (Plus 2) COVER GALLERY...

Copyright relevant owner

In the previous TV Action cover gallery, I showed you issues 59-70, which represented all the ones published when I lived in my previous house.  Numbers 71-82 came out after we'd moved elsewhere, so I thought, just for balance, I'd show you them as well.  I'm unsure as to just how long I continued to buy the comic after 82, though I likely bought at least an occasional issue until it's subsummation into TV Comic, TVA's final issue being 132.

It was a fairly good comic, all things considered, and though I mainly associate it with my previous home, there are elements of the title (such as the announcement of the create a villain for Dr Who competition winner and the baddie's subsequent appearance in the strip) that remain firmly part of early memories of my current residence, first moved into in 1972.

Anyway, that's enough tedious waffle from me - enjoy the colourful images below and revive some of your own reminiscences of this relatively short-lived weekly periodical from the faraway '70s.

And while we're here, I may as well show you the last issue which carried the regular red-backed masthead, as well as the following issue which sported a slightly newer one incorporated (sort of) within the artwork.  This new masthead lasted until the final issue (132), and then it was all over for TV Action, aside from having second-billing as part of TV Comic for a while.  Feel free to share any memories or observations you have of this weekly title in the comments section.

ACTION IN TV COMIC...

Copyright relevant and respective owners

I treated myself to a sequential trio of issues of TV Comic recently, including the first combined number with TV Action.  Truth to tell, as Dr Who and Dad's Army had started in TV Comic, as had Droopy (if I recall rightly - so it was probably a reprint), it was pretty much the same as it had always been, apart from the inclusion of the TV Action logo on the cover.  One of my very favourite comic strips is Mighty Moth, created, written, and drawn by the mighty Dick Millington, who had been editor of TV comic between the years 1967 and '73.  So here's the three Mothy strips from my trio of issues - you're sure to get a laugh out of them, especially from the dialogue in the final panel of the second strip.

You didn't think I was going to leave you hanging in regard to the Tom & Jerry strip, did you?  Below is the second page to the cover story, which probably wouldn't be permitted nowadays because of the perceived levels of 'violence', cartoon violence though it is.