PART FIVE Of TERRIFIC'S COVER GALLERY...

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

I know how hungry you all are out there for your regular fix of comics from the past, so I'm not going to deprive you of the latest batch of TERRIFIC covers from the '60s for another nano-second.  Here are issues 17 to 22, along with their back-page pin-ups for you to stare at, glassy-eyed, while you drool all over your computer.

Were you a reader at the time these comics were printed, or did you instead have to make-do with more anaemic publications?  Never mind, we won't hold that against you - you've obviously been punished enough and are now a little wiser for your deprivation.  Therefore, don't be shy - YOU, also, are permitted to cast your peepers over these ten awesome POWER PACK publications, presented here in all their monumental and mighty MARVEL magnificence.

Don't forget to tune in again soon for yet another titanic instalment of TERRIFIC COVER GALLERY - only here, on Kid's Cataclysmic bloggy-thingy-doo-dah! 

PART TWO OF SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN COVER GALLERY...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS and CPI

As stated last time, MARVEL U.K.'s SAVAGE SWORD Of CONAN weekly from 1975 only lasted for eighteen issues.  We've already seen the first six covers from the short-lived series in a recent post, so here are issues seven to twelve to cast your appreciative peepers over.  The last batch will follow shortly.

See part three here, and part one here.

LAST TRAIN TO CLARKSVILLE...

To be honest, I was never much of a MONKEES fan.  Sure, I watched the TV show (sometimes), the same as everyone else of a certain age in the country, but - on reflection - it seems to have been a programme aimed more at teenage girls, so it was really a bit lost on me.  Years later, once the nostalgia factor had kicked in, I came to recall the programme with a certain degree of affection, as it represented a specific period in my past from which I could never quite escape.  (Not that I wanted to.)

Now, as an adult (allegedly), I actually quite like a few of the songs that The Monkees were responsible for - albeit, I have to admit, mainly because when I hear them I'm a boy once more, living in the 'swinging '60s' when life seemed to be simpler and more carefree than it is today.

So I'm actually saddened to hear of the death of ENA SHARPLES' grandson - alias Monkee DAVY JONES - at the far too young age of 66.  Never knew nor met him, so obviously my feelings are selfish ones, resulting from seeing yet another part of my childhood being entered into the great 'lost property' catalogue in the sky.  His passing serves to remind those of us who lived through the '60s of our own fragile and ever-diminishing mortality.

I only wish I knew when my 'last train' was due - I'd try and lose the ticket.  (Or at least swap it for the first available 'return'.) 

PART FOUR Of FAVOURITE COMICS Of The PAST - TV ACTION...

Copyright relevant owner

As I lay in bed on that lazy March or April mid-morning in 1972*, I was likely unaware that, before too long, I'd be moving house for the fourth time in my thirteen and a half short years of existence.  Through the slightly open window the sound of kids in the playground of my old Primary school at the foot of the road reached my ears, as I sipped American Cream Soda and enjoyed not having to attend the local Senior Secondary educational establishment a couple of streets away.

(*Might even have been in June, in which case I'd have known we were flitting.)

Surrounded by a monumental mountain of comics, the inconsequential illness which had kept me from school was soon forgotten, as I luxuriated in the privileged status of idle absenteeism while my classmates busied themselves with the enforced academic application that such scholarly study demands.  Looking back, it's strange to realise that, were it not for the date on one particular comic establishing almost the exact moment in history, my recollection of events would suggest them as having occurred many months before their actual point in time.

The comic in question?  The 59th issue of COUNTDOWN, which also happened to be the first issue relaunched under the new title of TV ACTION.  Cover-dated April 1st, it had gone on sale on March 25th, and perhaps some of the subsequent issues may even have been in that pile of comics on top of the blankets.  I'm not 100% sure, hence my hesitation in pinpointing the exact month of that school 'sickie' all those years ago.  All I know is that it must've been sometime between the end of March and the beginning of June.

However, as I said - that was only a mere handful of weeks (or days) away from moving to a 'new' house in another area.  I was blissfully unaware of (or had forgotten) the fact, though no doubt my conspiratorial parents had been making arrangements for some time.  I was only told of the move about a fortnight in advance, which, with hindsight, I'm actually glad of, as the knowledge would probably have spoiled the last occasion I had a day off from school in the house I'd lived in since I was seven years old.

One glance at the above comic and I'm once again lying in bed on that morning in 1972, listening to the faint noises from the street as they drift in through my inch-open window - the knowledge that one chapter of my life was about to end and another begin still concealed behind the enveloping cover of Time's cascading curtain.

******

Click here for Part Three.    

CONAN - EIGHTEEN AND OUT! SAVAGE SWORD Of CONAN COVER GALLERY - PART ONE...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS and CPI

March 1st, 1975.  That was the day MARVEL U.K. released two new additions to their regal roster of rampaging weekly publications.  You've seen the first three covers of one mag - The SUPER-HEROES - in a previous post, but now comes the time to turn the spotlight on its companion title, SAVAGE SWORD Of CONAN.

SSOC, as it was affectionately known (in my house anyway), only lasted for eighteen issues, and I still happen to have my original copies.  Therefore, it's not exactly a stretch to dig 'em out and scan the covers for all you rabid fans out there of ROBERT E. HOWARD's Cimmerian warrior, CONAN The BARBARIAN.

As well as Conan, the mag also featured KULL The CONQUEROR as a back-up feature, along with (on occasion) KA-ZAR, LORD Of The HIDDEN JUNGLE and THONGOR Of LEMURIA.  It was quite a decent little mag on reflection, and it really should have lasted longer than it did.  When it faded from the scene, it was absorbed by another British weekly publication, The AVENGERS.  (By the way, Look at the cover above.  Due to the colouring of the grey god's bracelet, at first glance Conan looks as if he has a reptilian tail.)

Although the weekly was relatively short-lived, the title was eventually revived as a monthly in 1977, lasting for ninety-three issues before coming to an end in 1985. However, that's a whole other story - for now, sit back and savour the first six covers of the weekly title from the '70s.

Remember to keep your eyes peeled for Part Two sometime soon, when we'll feature another six covers from the series.

See part two here, and part three here.

PART FOUR Of TERRIFIC'S COVER GALLERY...

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

It's been a while since we featured any images from the ODHAMS PRESS publication TERRIFIC, which lasted for only 43 issues back in the 1960s before being incorporated into sister paper FANTASTIC.   So, without further ado, here's another delectable half-dozen covers and pin-ups.  Don't be greedy now - savour them one at a time.

FOOTBALL COMIC WITH NO BALLS...

Copyright relevant owner

In 1992, new publishing kid on the block, TUNDRA, were developing a fortnightly football comic called GLORY GLORY, which they hoped would be the next big thing in the world of periodicals.  50,000 copies of a dummy issue were printed for promotional purposes, with the launch date of the actual first ish announced for September 9th, 1992.

However, after all the time, effort and money spent on producing the dummy, plans were hastily abandoned and Glory Glory succumbed to an inglorious fate - cancellation before it had even appeared on the newsagents' shelves.  So why was the decision taken to abort the project before fruition?  I'm not quite sure - as a contributor I was probably told at the time, but have long since forgotten the details.  Perhaps reaction to the dummy was less than positive, resulting in Tundra deciding not to risk losing even more money by going ahead with the launch, hence the plug being pulled at the last moment.

Luckily, though, I have one of the 50,000 dummies printed, and have decided to unselfishly share with all you Crivs the cover and a couple of interior pages - just to give you a taste of what might have been.

HAVE A LOOK AT BOB'S BEANO...

Copyright D.C. THOMSON & Co., Ltd

Once upon a time, there were two mighty comic empires in the U.K. which were in constant competition with one another.  Comics were always being developed in each camp to have something ready at a moment's notice to steal the thunder of any new title the opposition might launch.  However, these two rivals were at war not only with each other, but also any other publishers in the same line.

For example, did you know that D.C. Thomson's SPARKY came out the same week as TV CENTURY 21?  This was DCT's way of capitalising on any kid asking his mum to "Get that new comic for me while I'm at school".  Any parent asking for that in a newsagent's was just as likely to be handed The Sparky as TV21, especially if the latter was sold out.  And even if it wasn't, 7d for TV21 may have seemed a bit dear compared to The Sparky's more reasonable 5d - at least from a cost-conscious parent's point of view.

With that in mind, editors kept track of all the titles the opposition produced, often having racks of their rivals' comics on display in their own offices to see what the 'other side' were up to.  And that accounts for The BEANO pictured in this post.  It was IPC's Humour Group editor BOB PAYNTER's personal copy, which he gave me to clear space on the rack along the side of his office wall.  Ol' Bob was good to me in that way, gifting me with a number of comics for my collection, including several FRANKIE STEIN Holiday Specials that he no longer wanted, plus the very last issue of TV COMIC.

So have a read at DENNIS's adventures above - and don't forget to thank Bob for it. 

AND NOW - A LITTLE 'ICE BREAKER'...

Someone once asked me what steps I'd take to dilute any possible negative influence or bad example comics might have on younger readers.  By way of kick-starting suggestions, I pondered the possibility of comics having a little warning on the editorial or letters pages, saying something along the lines of "Remember - Hyperman is indestructible, you are not.  Do not try to imitate him".  (Like Captain Scarlet used to have.)  Obviously, the message would be appropriate to the content.

This was met with scorn by the person who asked the question, saying that it was patronising to children.  I pointed out that many toys carry such advice, so why not something similar with comics?  These days the packaging on toy guns and bows 'n' arrows warns kids about the angers of aiming them at people's eyes, etc., which seems a perfectly sensible precaution to me.  At the very least, it covers the manufacturers if some kid decides to ignore the 'operating instructions'.

I was therefore interested to see the above panel from a copy of The Beano, after an episode in which Dennis and his pals went skating on a frozen pond.  Might've been better having it in the actual issue where the strip appeared, but better late than never.  Obviously, the person who took issue with me must think that it's 'patronising' to exercise a little social responsibility.  Thankfully, DCT are not in accord with his views in this instance. 

MARVEL ON A RAMPAGE...

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

Here's two of the comics mentioned, but not pictured, in the previous post.  The COMPLETE FANTASTIC FOUR lasted for 37 issues before being merged with The MIGHTY WORLD Of MARVEL (putting the good ol' FF right back where they started).  It was probably one of the better comics that MARVEL U.K. ever published, so it's a shame it didn't have a much longer run.  It has a modern day equivalent in FANTASTIC FOUR ADVENTURES, published by PANINI, but I hear that, sadly, the next issue (#28) is to be the last due to low sales.

RAMPAGE lasted around 34 issues before fading away, to be relaunched a couple of months later as a monthly, featuring black and white tales of The INCREDIBLE HULK.  Despite the weekly featuring The DEFENDERS and NOVA, this title always seemed a bit lacklustre to me, probably because it was overshadowed by its FF sister publication, which I thought was a great little magazine.  What's the old saying?  "A sparrow may look beautiful - until it stands next to a peacock."   Well, I guess TCFF was the latter in that instance, though it only lasted three more weekly issues than the former, so nothing to crow about.  (These bird allusions are writing themselves now, so I'm outta here.)

Enjoy the covers. 

MIGHTY MARVEL MEMORIES AND MAGIC...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS (and relevant owners)

I can only speculate as to the reasons why, but after launching their first three British periodicals (The MIGHTY WORLD Of MARVEL, SPIDER-MAN COMICS WEEKLY, and The AVENGERS) individually over a few months, MARVEL U.K. then adopted a somewhat different approach.  DRACULA LIVES and PLANET Of The APES were both released the same week - as were their next two titles, The SUPER-HEROES and SAVAGE SWORD Of CONAN.  Perhaps they felt that two new comics would make more of an impact on potential readers than one on its own.  Who knows.

Marvel U.K.'s next two new publications, The TITANS and CAPTAIN BRITAIN, were released individually with almost a year between them, although with RAMPAGE and The COMPLETE FANTASTIC FOUR in 1977, it was back to two at a time.  (I think that the next two British Marvel weeklies released together were the THOR and X-MEN titles in early 1983, which soon merged into one mag - making it even more like the Odhams Press POWER COMIC aptly known as FANTASTIC from the late 1960s.)

Anyway, here's a selection of covers from some of the comics mentioned, simply because they're nice to look at and also bring back a lot of memories for me.  I'm sure it's the same for you, too - so feel entirely free to indulge yourself in these images of yesteryear.