CHERILEA DALEKS - OR ARE THEY?

Copyright BBC TV and the Estate of TERRY NATION

I won't keep you in suspense - one is, and one isn't.  Approaching 11 years ago, I bought the gold Dalek on the left of the pic, which is an original Cherilea available solely from Woolworth's back in the '60s. 'Swoppets', they were called, due to the fact they were comprised of three sections that pulled apart, allowing the owner to swap pieces from one to another - or various others in fact.  They came in a variety of colours so you could create an army of 'rainbow' Daleks to your own colour preferences.  Not exactly accurate and imperfectly fitting, but they were inexpensive and could keep a kid entertained for what seemed like hours.

The head came in two versions as the first one was amended to make it more robust (I assume).  If you made the mistake of fitting the head over the 'peg' too tightly, when you pulled it off, the head 'rings' could separate, leaving you with two or three head-parts instead of one.  So Cherilea remade the head with no gaps between the rings so that it stayed in one piece when removed from the rest of it.  The Dalek on the right has the amended head, though it's not an actual Cherilea, but a 'ringer' with a few alterations.  Someone made and sold resin replicas of the original design a few years back on eBay and recently decided to make a 'phase two'.

The most recent version has a choice of two midriffs - one with 'slats' and the other with the disc on the back - plus a base more in keeping with the movie Daleks of the '60s.  They also come in a variety of colours - blue, purple, white, yellow, black, and grey.  There's only eight remaining, and once they're gone, they're gone, as the seller won't be making any more.  I think they're a great addition to any collection and something that all Dalek-lovers are likely to want, so don't let them slip beyond your grasp - get over to eBay and buy one now!

If you had a Cherilea Dalek as a kid, Crivs, share your reminiscences in the comments section.  (I believe they made Mechanoids as well, also known as Mechonoids, but I never had one.)

E-MAN Cover Gallery - The CHARLTON Issues...

Copyright relevant owner

A staggering 40 years ago (my senses spin at the realisation) I bought First Comics 7-issue series of Charlton's E-Man, originally published in 10 bi-monthly mags back in the '70s.  I remember my father buying me Charlton's first issue in an 'atmospheric' (dingy if you prefer) newsagent's around the corner from Glasgow's famous Barrowland market ('The Barras'), and me reading it on the bus on the way home.  (This would perhaps have been near the end of '73 or sometime in '74.)  I think I may've got #2 from a shop in my home town sometime later, but I never saw any subsequent issues (that I recall) until the reprint series in 1985.

As far as I remember, the 7 reprint issues didn't contain the original Charlton back-up strips (not at hand to check), which included The Knight, Killjoy (by Ditko), Travis In The Dragon Killer, Liberty Belle (Ditko again), and Rog 2000 (Byrne).  Rog had first appeared in a fanzine called CPL and his strip in E-Man #6 marked John Byrne's professional debut and first work published in colour.  The mag lasted for two years, from 1973 to '75, and it's strange to think I was yet a mere schoolboy when it first came out, and a working lad when it finished - even though I was unaware of its schedule or lifespan at the time.    

And now, 40 years later, I've only gone and bought the original 10 comics in one go (at a bargain price), even though I obtained a replacement for my '73 first ish a number of years back, meaning I now have two copies of that premiere issue.  (It's always handy to have a spare.)  So why lumber you with this information you may be wondering.  Obviously, I'm paving the way for this E-Man cover gallery, necessitating a certain amount of preamble beforehand (well, preamble would be out-of-place afterwards).  So enough waffle from me, as I unleash 10 cataclysmic covers (and a Nova 'pin-up') from yesteryear just for you.

Was E-Man one of your favourite comicbook characters back in the day?  Then be sure to share your reflective reminiscences in our potentially captivating comments section.  (It needs you!)  Oh, and here's another question for you.  Pretty as these pics are, do you think speech balloons on all 10 covers (and not just #s 2 & 3) would've made them more interesting to potential buyers or are they better with none?

******

(Note how the UK price almost doubles in two years - from 6p, 7p, 8p, to 10p in just 7 issues.  Interestingly, the UK price on #s 3 & 4 - printed on the covers under the 8p stickers - is only 6p.)  I've also just noticed there's a 6 month gap between the 2nd and 3rd numbers, which perhaps explains why I recall only the first two issues (and #2 only vaguely, if I had it at all - think I did).  

DISAPPEARING COMMENTS, EXPIRED FRIENDS, DILUTED AND DIMINISHED MEMORIES...

In February '26 it'll be three years since my pal Moonmando passed away.  He commented on the blog quite regularly and sometimes, when I'm re-reading a post and see a comment from him, it's almost like he's still alive and left it only moments before.  Obviously, I don't recall off-the-top-off-my-head every comment he ever made, which lends to the illusion, but one I do remember is when he responded to my Gordie Goose strip which was published in The Boots News back in 1976.  He complimented me on the likeness of the cartoon incarnation (in the final panel) of my mother, but his remark now seems to have disappeared, which is a shame, as his 'voice'  on the blog has now been diluted to some degree.

Which got me thinking - something I do quite a lot, believe it or not.  When I was a first year pupil in Secondary school, in art class one day, we were given a small lump of clay and tasked with creating something.  Lazy as always, I fashioned a tapering, eight-sided figure, which was covered (by teach) with a ruby glaze then fired in a kiln.  It had two eyes like a Corgi or Dinky toy car's 'diamond' headlights, though I no longer recall whether they were added before or after firing.  There was a two or three millimetre gap between where the glaze and the bottom of the figure ended, to prevent (so I was told) the glaze cracking when it was removed from the kiln-tray.

I didn't have the figure for long, perhaps two years at the most, but I never forgot it, assuming I'd be the only person who remembered it.  Imagine my surprise then, when my late pal Joe (he was alive at the time, obviously) mentioned it to me over 40 years later, describing it with surprising accuracy.  I didn't even recall ever showing it to him, but obviously I must have done at some point.  This shared 'connection' to an item from my early teens reinforced my own memories and confirmed the figure's existence outside of my own experience.  I'm not sure why it mattered to me, but it was good to know it had made an impression on someone other than myself.

Now that he's dead, I'm the only person who remembers the ruby-glazed diamond-eyed figure, the memory of its existence 'halved' in some way, as there's now only one person who recalls it, not two.  It was a bit like having a 'back-up' in case I ever forgot.  That make any sense to anyone?  I likewise wonder if I'm the only person who recalls Moony's vanished comment?  I'd say it's extremely likely - or is there someone out there who can prove me wrong?  I hope so.

NEWSFLASH!  Hooray, I found Moony's comment on a post entitled 'I'm Desperate To 'Strip' - Four Times Over...'  Callooh Callay!

BABE Of The DAY - 'DOLLY BIRD'...

Nah, dunno her name, saw the pic

on eBay and decided to share it with you

Crivvies.  After all, we need something to

warm us up on a cold day like this.  (And

 she looks like she needs a cardigan.)

MYTEK The MIGHTY Volume Four...

Copyright REBELLION

I daresay most of you will know that the fourth book of Mytek The Mighty is now available (and has been for around a week) from Bear Alley Books (see sidebar).  It completes the four volume set of all Mytek strips published in Valiant and if you have the first three, you'll also want this one.  There's an interesting intro/bio on artist Mike Lacey, written with the kind of attention to detail that editor/publisher Steve Holland is renowned for, though I think Mike Lacey's wife Lily deserved to be named in the body of the text (as other members of his family were) and not just as a seeming afterthought in a footnote, but I suppose that's a minor quibble.

One not so minor quibble is the placing of editorial captions along the side of the text as opposed to under the intro's illustrations as it impedes ease of reading, requiring turning the book on its side and back again, which I find irksome.  Sometimes the 'sidenote' is in a separate column and not even next to the illo it's intended to accompany, and when it's near the spine, it's easy to miss if you're trying to avoid cracking said spine by not opening the book too wide.  Steve - stop it!  I don't want obstacles to my reading experience, and these sidenotes I can do without - so stick to proper traditional footnotes.  (Please.)

Having said all that, the book is well-worth the price for the classic strips contained within, and you'll be stoked to have it in your collection.  

(BOND) BABE Of The DAY - MADELINE SMITH...

"Come on," says Maddie, "I stripped

down to my swimming cozzie, so now it's

your turn, Kid.  Or better yet, get 'em all off!"

The girl is insatiable when it comes to manly-

man hunks like myself, and who can blame

 her?  Her taste in men is impeccable.

MOVIE MONSTER COMICS TREASURY...

Here's a book I got via eBay recently, not from the publisher, but it's an interesting tome.  The stories are apparently in the public domain, and having just looked at the website, they're 'print-on-demand' and very reasonably priced, overseas postage being a mere $5 - though that makes me wonder how they're wrapped.  (Hopefully not in flimsy poly envelopes or they'll most likely get blootered in their journey through the post.)

There's quite a selection, with some being available in softcover and hardback, full colour or b&w (you have a choice), and the quality of the scanned pages will obviously depend on the condition of the originals, but there's some good stuff to be had.  Regarding the back cover notes, for 'a collection of six comics, each starring one of the famous monsters from the Universal horror movies', read 'five starring one of... etc.,' though it clarifies the correct number further on.

It also describes itself as a hardback, but it's actually a softcover, and the website only mentions a softcover for this edition, though with other books there's a choice between the two formats.  I assume the error could be an oversight, or perhaps it was originally intended to be available in both editions like some of the others.  Anyway, if this is the sort of book that rings your bell, tell your fellow Crivvies in our ever-hungry comments section.

******

Update: I've since learned the book does exist in hardback, same cover but with a different background colour.  Obviously, when they did the paperback, they forgot to change 'hardback' to 'softback' in the cover notes.  Although Retro Comic Reprints are, I understand, print-on-demand, I daresay a few are published in advance of being ordered just to have some ready-to-go or perhaps supply to bookstores.

Below, the hardback edition.  Note the Mummy and Wolfman covers have swapped places.

CONAN Versus The ROYAL MAIL... (Updated)

Cover A.  Copyright CPI

Call me cynical, but I'm a suspicious sort of critter.  Royal Mail gets hit with a 21 million pound fine for not fulfilling their delivery obligations and I get a card through my door (which is a neat trick, 'cos I don't have a letterbox - har-har, only kidding) saying I owe a £7 surcharge on a parcel as the sender didn't pay the full postage.  Which is nonsense, as he took it into his local Post Office to have it weighed and labelled and paid what was asked of him.  Something sure smells fishy in Denmark I thought.

Anyway, paid the £7 and collected the parcel, which had no postage label on it, meaning it had either been removed or never put on to begin with.  I asked the seller to send me a copy of the receipt, which he did, and claimed the money back from RM as I could supply the PO reference number.  Well, that's not quite true as regards the dosh - they're sending me a book of stamps worth £13.60 as reimbursement, which I don't mind as Christmas is approaching and it covers the stamps for any cards I send.

The item in question?  Savage Sword Of Conan Reforged #1, which contains coloured strips originally published in b&w, and the colouring is more 'natural' and not quite so garish as some of the Dark Horse reprints of Marvel material were.  However, at the risk of accusations of being pernickety, there's something that slightly irks me about the mag - a minor thing, but irksome nonetheless.  The page number boxes have been cut (which is okay when it's done skilfully), but some have been overlooked.

Whatever happened to consistency?  Three instances in "The Frost Giant's Daughter" (one number 'box' left in but without the number, two blacked out), and the number 7 box overlooked in "The Tower Of The Elephant".  I hate this sort of carelessness and there's no excuse for it.  I hope Titan get their act together and either leave the boxes in or delete all of them less clumsily.  However, that apart, it's well-coloured and Conan fans will be sure to love it, whether they already own the b&w originals or not.

Any of you Crivs buy this mag, and if so, what did you think of it?

Cover B

FANTASTIC FOUR #11 FACSIMILE EDITION...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

Saddo that I am, when I was a kid I cut out the piccie of Susan Storm from the splash page of The Impossible Man story (as reprinted in Wham!) and kept it in a little chequered and zipped pencil 'case'* with other various cut-outs.  I would sometimes just stare at Susie for what seemed like hours (but probably wasn't), totally captivated by that one wee pic.  Amazing the power a 'mere' drawing can have, eh?

Anyway, I own various reprints of the tale, but I still had to have the Facsimile Edition of Fantastic Four #11 as it's good to possess the two-taled issue as an individual comic, as opposed to part of a collected edition.  Next one out is #12, then the series draws to a close (for now anyway), allowing dyed-in-the-wool Marvel fans to own the first dozen issues of the fabulous FF.  Buy it while you can!

I just wish Marvel would follow DC's lead in placing the barcode on the back cover as opposed to the front.  The unnecessarily oversized box is far too intrusive and compromises the aesthetic appeal of Jack Kirby's art.  Anyone else agree?  And surely the 'visit with' tale should be the back-up story, and The Impossible Man the lead-in strip?

(*If I recall correctly, I also kept some pics in a spectacle case, but I no longer remember whether it was before, at the same time, or after I got the pencil case.  Likely before, I'd imagine.)

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE...

Interesting to see a photograph I took in 1991 being attributed to someone else on the death of his business partner recently when it was used on a comics news site.  Whereas I don't really bother whether I'm credited or not when people 'borrow' images from my blog, it irks me when I see them being seemingly credited to others by use of the phrase 'courtesy of' - especially as the photo has been on my blog since 2014.  My photo, taken by me, with my camera, sourced from my blog - if it's courtesy of anyone, it's courtesy of me.  Are some people trying to airbrush me from ownership of the photo, or is it just an oversight?  Either way, the copyright belongs to me.  Ah, well - never mind, I'll live.  No need to comment on this one, Crivs, I'm just venting.  

DETAILED PICS OF PENETRATION...

Copyright relevant owner

Get outta here, ya dirty buggahs!  (H'm, maybe 'docking' would've been a better word?)  Received my new Corgi Thunderbird 5 today (yes, on a Sunday - DHL) and so I dug out my TB3 to connect it with International Rescue's Space Station.  Doesn't it look great - or perhaps I should say don't they look great?!  Incidentally, I just grabbed the first Corgi TB3 from several years back for the photos as the new super-detailed one is in its box in a cupboard and I couldn't be bothered moving things to get to it.  I'll maybe take new photos later.

And for all those who came here expecting something else, you should be ashamed of yourselves.  What would your mothers have thunk?!

Did any of you watch Thunderbirds as a kid?  If so, what did you think of it?  Was it the best series Gerry Anderson ever did - or did you prefer another one of his various TV puppet shows?  And do any other Crivs collect these great Corgi collectables?  Tell all in our comments section. 

Below - 'penetration' - all done in the best possible taste.

THREE ADVENTURERS TOGETHER - JUST OVER TWO YEARS APART... (Updated)

St. Mary's Church, Fratton, in 1978

Regular readers will perhaps remember when I published a post (in 2020) featuring photos of my time in Portsmouth in 1985.  I first visited the place in 1978 to be Best Man at a friend's wedding, then returned in 1981 at his invitation for a longer stay, though another friend (both knew one another through me) also came along as he fancied a break.  (His suggestion, not mine.)  The three of us had hung about together back home when we were younger and the pair were my oldest and closest pals, though that was destined to end before too long.

And again, in 1981

The two photos above are of Saint Mary's Church in Fratton, Portsmouth, the first taken in 1978, the second in 1981.  During my stay in 1985, I stayed in Shearer Road not far behind the church but never once thought to gain access and explore its interiors, though I've since seen inside via various images on the Internet.  The main doors were a perfect backdrop for photo opportunities and that's me below (hairy-but-handsome) in 1981, pic taken on my Hanimex 110 TF camera.  Not a particularly good snap, but 110 millimetre was never the best medium for photography.  I've cropped the photos to zoom in on us as we were far tinier in the originals.

G.I.R. in 1981.  Photo taken by Joe

Same site, but the photo below was taken in 1978 on my Prinz 110 camera (Dixon's own brand) and features the late Alan Bowie, who was in the Royal Navy at the time, having joined up in the summer of '77 while on holiday with his sister and her then hubby, though he didn't leave our home town to begin training 'til near the end of the year.  For some reason it never occurred to me to get my photograph taken in the same spot, but I managed to remedy that oversight in 1981 when I was down there with my aforementioned other childhood pal (the third member of 'The Adventurers'), who, alas, is also 'late', in that he passed away around a month ago.

A.A.B. in 1978.  Photo taken by me

And that's him below - Joe Beattie, who for some reason has adopted what seems to me to be a slightly 'girlish' stance - it certainly isn't 'Jack Kirby', is it?  Anyway, three friends in the same location, but not all at the same time, there being just over two years between the pics of Alan and Joe.  Okay, not much to this post, admittedly, just pure self-indulgent reminiscing, but I thought it a rather nice sentiment to reunite all three friends in the same place for one last time.  That makes me the 'last man standing' and I hope that situation continues for a good many decades.

J.W.B. in 1981.  Photo taken by me

You can't see it in any detail, but Joe's wearing a belt which I gave him in the late '70s 'cos he expressed a liking for it.  It had been given to me as a Christmas present in 1972 by an aunt and uncle and I wish I still had it today.  I've got a better photo of it somewhere, taken when me and Joe were either playing darts in a local pub in Southsea or in a shop just around the corner.  I might post it one day when I find where it is.  (Betcha can't wait, eh?!)

G.I.R., A.A.B., J.W.B. - alias The Adventurers!

HOUSE Of MYSTERY C-23 FACSIMILE EDITION...

Copyright DC COMICS

Here's a nice 'little' item I bought myself recently - a facsimile of DC's Limited Collectors' Edition C-23, The House Of Mystery.  I never owned the original back in the '70s, and even though these 'facsimiles' aren't always exact replicas in every detail (i.e. colour, image size, etc.), they're pretty nice to have in their own right.  Anyway, rather than subject you all to my weary wittering, I'll just show you some of the contents, eh?  You'd like that, you say?  Very well - here you are then.  Don't say I never listen to you.  And please feel free to leave a comment.

(There's a bit of a ripple on some pages due to the fact they're so large and because I didn't want to lean too hard on them while scanning in case I creased the spine by trying to flatten them out.)