PART SEVEN Of FOOM COVER & IMAGE GALLERY...

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

Well, here we go with yet another whistle-stop-tour through a couple of issues of FOOM - this time #s 15 & 16, the latter of which features an interview with Mirthful MARIE SEVERIN, sister of JOHN and power-packed penciller, inker, and colourist in her own right.

As you can see, there's not a lot of images from #15, but, truth to tell, some later issues of MARVEL's Magazine for fans don't really have too much that's worth posting (in my opinion), so it's going to be a bit of a mixed bag, contents-wise, in future instalments of this series.

However, as there are only 6 issues to go before you've seen all 22 mags anyway, I'm sure we'll find something of interest to make up a post or three.  Keep watching or you might miss something!

  

The DEMON COVER GALLERY - PART ONE...

Copyright DC COMICS

I never had too many issues of The DEMON when it was originally published back in the '70s.  I remember buying the first one from a newsagent's in the old village quarter of my town, and I may have had a few of the later mags, but I never had the complete run.  In fact, as far as original issues go, I still don't - though I do have the collected edition that DC COMICS issued a few years back.

However, I've also got the first five original comics, acquired many years ago from some forgotten source or other.  (At least, I'm not sure where I bought my replacement of #1, but I think I got #s 2-5 from the late PETE ROOT's place in Glasgow, when he rented space in a comics shop in Buchanan Street.)  So these five covers are from the actual comics - and, depending on whether I can scan from the book without cracking the spine, any future covers in the series will be from the collected edition.

In the meantime, let's just enjoy some atmospheric JACK KIRBY cover art, from a time when his sojourn at DC hadn't yet soured.

TREASURES REUNITED...

Here's a question for you:  If, on a visit home to your parents one day, they opened a cupboard and showed you every toy and comic you'd ever owned as a child right up to your teenage years, and said:  "We thought we'd keep them to remind us of when you were young - and just in case you should ever want them!", what would your response be?

Would you be delighted at being reunited with all your childhood treasures; would you pick out one or two items and tell them to give the rest to the local charity shop - or would you grab everything and sell it all on eBay?  And, if the latter, would you split the profits with your parents or keep all the dosh for yourself?

Spill all in the comments section - honest injun now, no porkies.

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If you're parents are no longer around, just imagine you found a letter from them, revealing where all your goodies from childhood were safely stored.  Obviously splitting the cash wouldn't apply in that scenario, but what would matter most to you - the financial or the nostalgic aspect of your wondrous windfall?

CAPTURED - ONE OUTLAW!

Copyright relevant owner

I recently acquired both of these JUST WILLIAM Annuals on eBay - for next-to-nothing too, which naturally warms the cockles of my frugal Scottish heart no end.  I know I definitely owned the 1978 book (issued in '77) way back when, but no longer recall whether I had the next one or not.  Never mind, I've got both of them now.

Being a huge fan of RICHMAL CROMPTON's series of books (which I started reading at around 11 years of age - or close to it), it was natural that I also watched the '70s television show based on the rebel schoolboy's antics, so having the Annuals connects me to that particular point in my past and brings it all back to me with startling clarity.

As I've said before, when engrossed in a book or comic that you read years ago as a youth, when you lift up your head from its pages, it's often surprising not to see everything around you exactly as it was when you first read it - especially if you now live in a different house.  (I'm still in the same one, but I did wonder what had happened to all our old furniture for a split-second.)

Anyway, these two Annuals, published by WORLD DISTRIBUTORS, are interesting curios from an age now long past (and in a different century to boot), but are well worth having for those who keep the spirit of childhood alive within themselves, and who refuse to ever fully grow up if they can possibly help it.  (Just like myself, in fact.)

If you were a fan of the TV series back in the day, these Annuals are extremely nice collectables to have - although obviously nothing  really compares to the original books by Richmal Crompton.  Is there anyone else out there who wishes they were 11 again?  Feel free to comment.

SIXTH And FINAL PART Of CURSITOR DOOM & The CASE Of KALAK The DWARF...

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Hold onto your hats, heroes, as we plummet pell-mell into the frantic and final episode of CURSITOR DOOM's bombastic battle against the evil KALAK The DWARF.  Illustrated by master of mood and menace ERIC BRADBURY, this atmospheric encounter brings to a close this classic adventure from the pages of SMASH!, one of Great Britain's premier comics for boys back in 1969.

If you've enjoyed this epic escapade and would like to see more of ol' Cursie's and Angus's confrontations with the sinister forces of evil, be sure to let me know in the comments section.

S&K - NO, IT'S NOT A SEXUAL FETISH...

Images copyright DC COMICS

I recall buying this comic when it came out in the '70s (the one above is a replacement from some years ago), and though I wasn't particularly a BOY COMMANDOS fan, I appreciated the opportunity of adding a few more older stories to my collection.  I wonder how KIRBY felt about it, as - having left MARVEL to avoid playing second fiddle to STAN LEE - here he was (once again) with second billing to JOE SIMON.

It was only fair, I suppose, as S&K's other reprints had appeared under the banner  of 'A Kirby Classic' in the back of Jack's 25 cent mags, with no mention of Simon apart from his original credit in the tales themselves.

What I like about this cover is that it's a reprint of the cover used on the 'first' first issue of BC back in the '40s (though the background colour was red, if I remember correctly).  What I can't recall (and I'm too lazy to check) is whether the newer comic contained any of the original tales from the earlier one.  Anyone know?

Anyway, here's a nice pic of some Simon & Kirby art to help you get through the day.

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Oh, lookee here - found a pic of the original one.

JIMMY OLSEN - PERFECT PROOF THAT A FRIEND IN NEED IS A PEST...

Images copyright DC COMICS

What can be said about JIMMY OLSEN?  Not much as it happens.  The only time he was ever interesting was when JACK ('King') KIRBY produced 15 issues of 'SUPERMAN'S PAL' back in the early '70s - and even then, it has to be admitted, Jimmy himself still wasn't that interesting as a character.

Although JK's stint at DC didn't really create the kind of impact expected at the time, echoes yet reverberate to the present day, and other writers and artists keep alive some of the Kirby-Koncepts they thrilled to as mere striplings - as testified to by the LEGENDS Of The DC UNIVERSE issues on view in this very post you're now reading.

Also shown are random covers from the days when young Jimmy was no more than a one-member Superman fan club.  Surely his obsession with Supes was just a little unhealthy?  In fact, when you take time to think about it, the whole idea of 'Superman's Pal' and 'Superman's Girl Friend' somewhat defeated the purpose of The MAN Of STEEL having a secret identity to begin with.  (Which was to protect those close to him from being targeted by his many enemies, out for revenge.)

Anyway, don't let my cynicism prevent you from enjoying all the pretty piccies.

   

The PERILS Of EBAY...

I occasionally purchase the odd collectable item or three via eBay if I can obtain them at a reasonable price.  It's usually a good way to acquire things I might otherwise never see in a month of Sundays.  However, there are perils involved in negotiating the waters of eBay that one must be aware of to avoid being shipwrecked on the rocks by unscrupulous or inconsiderate dealers.  Let me now tell you of one such instance that recently happened to me.

There they were - two MARX ROLYKIN DALEKS just begging for a bid.  I won them for a mere £13.30 and immediately paid the seller - Mr. TERENCE HALFORD (who operates under the name of CAMERAGUY59) from Cinderford in Gloucestershire.  I felt kind of sorry for him, as it must've been painful having to part with two such collectables for such a relatively paltry price.

The items failed to turn up by the estimated date (which curiously increased by a couple of days after purchase), so I tried to send the seller a question about the current state of play.  Normally when I do this, I use the 'other' option to phrase things in my own words, but this time, I chose one of the preset questions as it said exactly what I wanted to ask.

Unless I clicked the wrong option, this seemed to automatically 'open a case' - which hadn't been my intention - but I persevered in the hope I could bypass that action along the line.  When I received an email confirming that a case was now open, I immediately informed eBay that I was only trying to contact the seller, not complain.

Obviously the seller wasn't too happy, though I explained the circumstances.  Anyway, to cut a long story short, when I requested a refund, he claimed to have 'proof of postage' and supplied me with a number that the ROYAL MAIL subsequently informed me was totally redundant.  When challenged, he said he would issue a refund when he had received one from the post office.

As my money was sitting in his account and as he was the one claiming the post office (or so he said), I felt that this was unreasonable and, as I had paid instantly, my refund should be immediate.  (This was days past the forecast arrival date.)  In subsequent emails he said he was going to issue a refund as the items hadn't arrived, then I would receive yet another email asking if they'd turned up yet.

It did occur to me to wonder if the items had ever actually been sent, especially after being supplied with a useless 'tracking number', and whether his constant enquiry about arrival was mere posturing for eBay's benefit to create the impression he had expectations of delivery.  I can't prove that the items were never posted, of course, but I obviously have my suspicions.

I also wondered if he was messing me around out of mere spite, as some kind of payback for having accidentally opened a case.  Instead of telling me - once - what he was going to do and then acting on it, he kept repeating himself over the course of several days, which suggests he was just stalling for time in order to inconvenience me for as long as possible.

In the end, I escalated the case I had inadvertently started - and won, receiving a transfer of the full amount back into my account.  Frustrated at my victory and validation, he falsely used the 'positive' option to leave me negative feedback, demonstrating that he is not beyond using deceit for his own purposes.

I leave you to draw your own conclusions, but should you ever be tempted to buy anything from this seller on eBay, it might be an idea to bear in mind my experience of this particular individual - it could well spare you an equal measure of disappointment and disillusionment in the long run.

WOW! CURSITOR DOOM Versus KALAK The DWARF - PART FIVE...

Copyright relevant owner

We're nearing the end of the first CURSITOR DOOM adventure, where he faces the centuries-old evil of KALAK The DWARF.  If there were any justice in the world, Cursitor would be a superstar in the world of comics these days, as opposed to a half-forgotten character from yesteryear.  Those who yet remember him do so fondly, but it would be nice to see ol' Cursie team up with Dr. STRANGE or Dr. FATE in current comics crossover continuities, don't you think?

Created by SCOTT GOODALL (who more than likely wrote the above episode) and drawn by the amazing ERIC BRADBURY (sounds like a great story-title in itself, if you ask me), Cursitor Doom graced the pages of the revamped SMASH! back in the late '60s and early '70s.  If you weren't around back then, now you can see what you missed.  And if you were, allow me to reintroduce you to an old friend.

Don't miss the conclusion of this amazing tale - coming soon!  

WANTED - MORE ISSUES, MORE TIME... (Updated)

Images copyright DC COMICS

Here are the first three covers of WANTED, published by DC COMICS in 1972.  There were nine issues altogether (the series ended in '73), 'though I can only recall buying the first few issues way back when.  I acquired these replacements a number of years ago and one day I may even get around to obtaining the remaining issues - hopefully before I fall off the twig.  Wanted - more time - it's running out far too quickly.

(Update: And no doubt you'll be glad to know that I eventually nabbed the final six issues, plus the two previous DC Specials that introduced the title's concept.  Now added.)

LET'S HAVE SOME LIGHT AROUND HERE...

Here's a funny thing.  ("About time!", you cry.)  No, I mean 'funny-peculiar', not 'funny-ha ha' - although it is about time, so to speak.  You know how, when you associate a particular item with a specific place and period in your past, the association sometimes seems 'all-inclusive', whether it actually was or not?

"Good grief!  What's he wittering on about now?" you may be asking yourselves - so I'll tell you.

On my living-room ceiling are two circular fluorescent lights, which were first acquired in a previous house back in the 1960s.  I know we didn't always have them as I remember my father bringing them home one night and having to return one for a replacement the next day (or was it the next week?) because it was broken*.

We'd moved into the house in 1965, but it could've been anytime between 1966 and '67 at the earliest (maybe even '68?) before the lights assumed their place on the ceiling.  I can't remember the exact year we got them, but I now associate them so strongly with the house that, whenever I think back, it seems as if we had them the entire period we resided there, even though I know it isn't so.

Over 20 years ago, I visited my old home for the very first time since leaving 16 years earlier, and was surprised to see patches had been pasted over our old paper on the ceiling where the lights had once been.  (The patches were still there a few years later and perhaps might yet be there now, for all I know.)  Anyway, seeing that the lights had left their mark for so many years afterwards only reinforced their connection to the house in my mind.

And it's the same with toys and comics.  Over the years, I've been fortunate enough to re-acquire many items I once had as a child and have now owned them for far longer than I ever had the originals.  Some I originally maybe had for only a few weeks or months, others a year or three - and, as is the way of such things, some were consigned to history long before others made their appearance - yet somehow I seem to remember possessing each and every one of them concurrently and for the same duration.

One example I spoke about in a previous post is the first issue of the revamped SMASH! from March, 1969.  I only had it for around four days before selling it on to a classmate (it was my intention to buy another copy the next day, but I couldn't find one).  However, every page had embedded itself in my memory with such clarity that, when I tracked down a replacement copy over 15 and a half years later, it was instantly familiar - as if I'd last seen it only a few weeks before.

Here's the kicker though - whenever I leaf through its pages, I'm instantly transported back to the living-room of the house I lived in at the time.  What's more, it seems to conjure up every aspect of that house and all the years I lived there, even though I only had the comic for a mere four days.  Uncanny!

So, I don't know about you, but I find it exceedingly strange that some items inform our recollections of a place to such a degree that they seem to represent the entire 'picture' as opposed to only a part of it (if that makes any sense).

If you've any thoughts on the subject, feel free to express them in the comments section.  (And if you can tell me what I've just been talking about, I'd very much appreciate it.)

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*It's just this moment occurred to me that I've subconsciously always regarded both lights as being the ones my father brought back on that particular night and which have adorned our ceiling(s) ever since.  However, as related above, one was returned because it was broken, so its replacement was essentially a 'ringer'.  It reminds me of when it was eventually revealed that the first BLUE PETER pup died a few days after his debut appearance, and was hastily substituted with a doppelganger (later christened PETRA).  For many years, viewers believed that the dog they'd watched grow up on TV was the same one they'd first been introduced to, but such was not the case.  I feel sorry for the poor puppy that died, but I suddenly find myself feeling a little sad for the broken light that had to be returned.  Yes, you're right - I'm bonkers.