RUMINATING REPOST: OVER THE HILL (AND FAR AWAY)...

One of the odd things I've noticed about myself as I get older is that my sense of distance is greater, and that places seem farther away from me than they once used to.  I don't mean visually, but geographically.  For example, the environs of my old neighbourhood once seemed, in my subconscious mind, to be so close that if I looked out of my window, there they would be for me to gaze upon as though I actually still lived there.

This feeling was no doubt made more acute by the fact that, when I first moved from my previous abode, I returned every weekday to attend the school across from my former home.  After school, once I'd had my tea, I would visit pals in the area and, truth to tell, I was along there so often that it probably never quite registered that I no longer lived there and was merely a visitor.

The distance between the two neighbourhoods seemed practically non-existent back then, and, to me, was no greater walk than the local shops at the end of my street.  It was the same with most locales I was familiar with - they seemed no farther away than the time it took me to think of them.  My house was like the TARDIS - outside its doors was any location I wanted to visit.  All I had to do was walk through them and I'd be there.

Nowadays my perceptions are strangely different.  My old neighbourhood seems as distant as MORDOR, and a lifetime away to reach.  What was once a brief walk now stretches before me like an arduous trek from which I may not return.  Whereas I never before felt far removed from any familiar childhood place, I now feel remote and isolated from them, and they seem to be as difficult to reach as the fabled BRIGADOON. 

I suppose that's as good a definition of 'over the hill' as it's possible to get.  Funny how I never before realised how literal a description of advancing years it actually is.  When you're over the hill, once-familiar 'places' on the other side are far more difficult to access - and it's an uphill struggle to even attempt the task.

******

"Ah, sweet boyhood, how eager are we as boys to be quit of thee, with what regret do we look back on thee before our man's race is half-way run!"  J. Meade Falkner.

THE FANTASTIC FOUR MAGS THAT NEVER WERE - (COVER GALLERY) PART ONE...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

Okay, the title is slightly misleading in order to attract your attention and pique your curiosity, but there's a strong element of truth to it - from my perspective.  You see, out of 54 Fantastic Four mags whose covers you'll drool over in this two-part post, I never bought, owned, or read most of them when they were first published back in the 1970s.  I started to acquire the previously unknown issues (unknown to me, that is) only recently in order to fill in the gaps in my existing collection, none of which are the original copies I had at the time, but replacements I've mostly had for decades now.

That perhaps requires qualifying.  For instance, I originally bought FF #126 on Friday 6th October 1972 from a newsagent's shop in Hamilton, Scotland, but the three replacements I own today were purchased (separately, by mail order) probably around 30 or so years ago.  I acquired 127 and 128 around the same time, though never had them when they were first published or anywhere near to it.  The ones I did own as a teenager, starting from #126 (which was the first then-current issue I bought while living in my current abode), were 133, 150-153, 158-176, and perhaps, maybe, possibly 200 - though I suspect I got that as a back issue long after the fact - possibly around the time John Byrne became writer/artist on the title.  (Sadly, my memory's not what it was - today that is, though it might be less vague on another day.)

Anyway, not counting #200 due to my uncertainty, that's 25 issues of the FF that I bought brand-new when first published (or at least when they turned up in Britain), which isn't a lot of comics in the scheme of things.  And I have to take my failing memory into account and consider the possibility of there being the odd issue in that lot that I didn't actually own (but think I did because I've confused the original covers with those of the UK Complete Fantastic Four weekly reprint comic), as well as there being one or two I did own, but don't remember doing so.  (Yeah, confusing, isn't it?)

Luckily, I possess the first 14 or 15 issues of the Marvel Masterworks FF volumes (as well as quite a few original issues featured in them), which takes me up to #150 (and a bit beyond perhaps), so I decided to acquire any missing issues between 150 and 200, plus 201-203, which amounts to 54 issues in all, 23 of which I once owned back in the day and had since replaced.

I should add that there were times in the '70s when I bought earlier issues of the FF drawn by Jack Kirby, but although they were purchased 'brand-new' from spinner-racks at cover price, they were mostly obtained in seaside resorts, which always seemed to have a plethora of older issues not available elsewhere.  Whether they'd had them in stock for years or they were recent warehouse finds of what had once been ballast on ships I couldn't say, but they were welcome acquisitions nonetheless.  However, I'm not including them here as I think I covered them in a previous post or two.  (Never say never though; I might feature them again someday.)

Anyway, that's my usual long-winded fashion of preparing you for a visual treat.  Before you get to the 'meat and potatoes' though, I feel bound to point out that the Jack Kirby covers are the weakest of the bunch when it comes to quality - though they still retain a certain visual impact.  Sadly, Kirby's skills had deserted him by this stage of his career and there's a lot of 'dodgy drawing' going on in his covers, which even the inking of Joe Sinnott couldn't quite dilute or disguise.  A shame, but there it is.  I'm sure you'll enjoy seeing them (again) anyway.

Right, pull back the curtains and let's look at the first 27 covers - the remaining 27 will be seen in part two once I receive a pair of replacement copies for ones that went missing in the post a couple of weeks back (had to buy them again from elsewhere, should be here in a day or two).  Comments welcome if you can be bothered.

Looks to me like Sue's head might've been redrawn or heavily retouched by other hands

THE PAST BECOMES THE PRESENT...

Copyright BBC TV

After publishing my recent Doctor Who Weekly cover gallery, I decided to add another issue to my collection, so I bought #42 to even up the numbers.  I'm glad I did, because it concluded The Dalek Tapes story from the previous issues I own and it's as if this comic from 1980 has travelled through the mists of time to the present day (and not just through the post, though it did that as well).  Just think - 42 years after it first came out, I finally bought #42 - cue Twilight Zone theme.  Yes, I'm talking my usual load of old pants again, but I can bear it if you can.  I'll be adding this image to the cover gallery to place it with its fellows, so no doubt they'll be doing some heavy partying tonight.

THE MIGHTY THOR KING-SIZE SPECIAL/ANNUAL COVER GALLERY...

Copyright MARVELCOMICS

Y'know, it's a funny feeling to dig out a familiar comic with the intention of re-reading it and then suddenly realise, despite thinking it's a fairly recent acquisition, that it's been in one's possession for 37 years.  Such was the case with The Mighty Thor Annual #13, which I would've sworn was nowhere near as old as it is.  Wasn't it only a few months ago - okay, let's be realistic - a few short years ago, that I took it along to a friend's house so that he could read it (under my careful supervision)?  Nope, it was almost four decades back, and I marvel at how swiftly the time has seemed to pass since then.

Which brings me to this very post.  I've recently obtained a handful of Thor Annuals - 5-10, to fill in some gaps in my collection and I thought I'd share them with you here.  I forget exactly at what point I stopped buying them after #14, but I'm sure there's a handful more after that ish stashed away somewhere, which will give me material for a future post.  However, as I've shown the earlier Annuals and King-Size Specials before, I thought I'd feature them in reverse order, to avoid a previously seen image at the start of the post deterring anyone from 'tuning in'.

Even better, I decided to start with a great John Buscema image of Mephisto from Annual #13, the interiors of which John pencilled and inked himself.  I'm still trying to get my mind around the fact that I bought this comic when I wasn't even half the age I am today by quite a margin, but looking at it now, it seems as though it was no more than a butterfly's sigh away, rather than the almost two-thirds of my life it actually is.  Now ain't that a kick in the head?!

So enjoy the images.  (Just a shame that Kirby's cover to #5 is awful.)

Number 14 came out 4 years after the preceding ish, below.  So does it qualify as an Annual?

No Annual for 1980, the previous one being 1979, below

 

This 'Annual' came out 5 years after the preceding one, below, though 3 & 4 weren't actually
called Annuals.  Kirby is clearly past his best here - too many squiggles, no real detail 

This issue's indicia is dated December 1971, so it likely went on sale in September...

...and this ish is dated January 1971, meaning it likely went on sale in October 1970 

THE HULK & HENRY - OO-ER...

"Whatcha all gapin' at?!  I was hooverin' my purple pants to give 'em a clean and forgot that my flies were undone, that's all!  It's not what you think is goin' on, so get outta here!"

******

If any of you Crivvies can think of a funny caption (not too rude please), then feel free to submit it.

FANTASTIC FOUR COVER GALLERY INTRO... (UPDATED)

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

Out of the 17 covers you see before you, only four or five were bought by me around the time of their publication or when they first turned up on British shores.  These issues are 106, 126, 130, 133, and 140, though the ones shown here aren't my original copies.  The rest I obtained years after the fact, some indeed only recently.  Some of them I acquired only a few years after publication, others decades, but because of the paradoxical nature of time, the issues I bought within a few years seemed much later, and the ones I bought decades after, well, it sometimes seems like I've owned them for far longer.  To reiterate, the ones I originally owned were supplanted by replacements years afterwards as I never kept their predecessors, but I've had them far longer than I ever possessed the originals.

Anyway, I'd already prepared part one of a Fantastic Four cover gallery post which will take us from #150 to 176, and part two will take us from 177 up to 203 or thereabouts, but I thought I'd give you a starter course of the post-Kirby issues I own from before 150.  Yes, I know - kindness and generosity are my middle names, but I just can't help myself from spoiling you loyal Crivvies (and even some of the not-so loyal ones).  Besides, it would be a sin to let these great covers go to waste, don'tcha think?

Did any of you have any of these issues - in fact, still have them?  Then why not tell all us nosy peeps your thoughts about them in our ever-lovin' comments section?  You know you want to.  And be sure to say which ones are your favourites and why.   

I recently found the figure below in a box so might as well throw it in as a bonus.  It came with a reprint of the Sub-Mariner issue (#67) wherein Namor first got his costume.  I recently bought the original issue and I'll maybe add both to the post when I can remember where I stashed them.  (Now done.)

The second cover is as it was originally drawn, the first is as it was published
after being amended to give Namor's new costume greater visual impact