1974 MARVEL U.K. POSTERS...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

Back in September 1973, MARVEL U.K. (as it eventually came to be known) launched their third British weekly title - The AVENGERS.  The first issue contained a free gift of four mini-transfers, which, small as they were, featured absolutely amazing artwork by Spanish artist LOPEZ ESPI.  I remember being so impressed by them that I wrote to Marvel, suggesting that they release these masterpieces as posters, and guess what?  They did!  I'd love to take credit for giving them the idea, but I doubt I was the only reader who wrote to them on the matter.  (Nah, scrap that - it was all down to me.)

For some odd reason, I never actually got around to sending away for them when they became available, something I now regret.  However, thanks to a generous contributor, I can now feature these amazing six posters to show you all what you missed if you weren't around in 1974.  And thanks to regular Crivvie McSCOTTY for motivating me into tracking down some half-decent copies of these collectors' items to share with you.

Click on images to enlarge, then click again for optimum size.

  

Below, the ad for the six posters above.

Below, a CONAN poster by the same artist, but

not included in the set above.

Copyright MARVEL COMICS and CPI

Below, the cover of AVENGERS #1, which included four

mini-transfers featuring artwork used on the above posters.

And here's another version of each of the original

six posters for you.  Am I good to you, or what?

MIGHTY MARVEL COVER GALLERY - PART TWENTY...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

Y'know, sometimes, when I'm scanning these comics for your appreciative perusal, it seems as if I only acquired them fairly recently.  Then it hits me - over 40 years have passed since I first bought them.  Man, that's an extremely scary thought, and one I often have a hard time getting my head around.  I was but a mere schoolboy when they came into my possession, and I can still see the classrooms of my old school and myself sitting, during a break, reading the odd issue I'd bought on the way in on a morning, having missed it for some reason at the weekend.  Then I remember that my school was demolished some years ago and is now a housing estate, and the gulf between then and now seems even greater, due to the fact that one of the tangible points of connection no longer exists.

But enough of my philosophical musings, that's not what you're here for. So enjoy these images from 1973 and cast your mind back to when you first read them.  Then, if you'd care to, let's hear your reminiscences about what they mean to you, and about the times, places and people you associate with these cataclysmic comics from so very long ago.

Note how the statue's name changes from DRALLA to DRALLAS in THE STONE MAN story below.  You'd think someone would've noticed and corrected it, eh?

PART THIRTEEN OF SPIDER-MAN COMICS WEEKLY COVER GALLERY...

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

I reckon we're long overdue for yet another instalment of SPIDER-MAN COMICS WEEKLY cover gallery, so here are another five issues from 1973 for you to drool over.  Number 47 was the final paper-covered copy of SMCW, as it switched to a glossy cover with the next edition.  And now the bad news: I don't have every single copy of the comic that was ever published, so therefore I can't feature them on the blog.  However, I do have various issues from its glossy-covered run, which I'll post from time to time as I remember where I put them - so that's something for you to look forward to (I hope) at least.

Anyway, that's enough waffle from me, enjoy the images ahead.

PART NINETEEN Of MIGHTY MARVEL COVER GALLERY...

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

A shorter than usual MIGHTY WORLD Of MARVEL cover gallery this time around, I'm afraid.  That's because I need to scan some more issues before I can present them for your eager appreciation, which I intend do to at the earliest opportunity.  Number 53 was the first birthday issue, while #54 was the last issue to have 40 pages, reducing to a meagre 32 with the very next edition.

Sadly, the best days of MWOM were behind it (although it made a slight recovery around '74 or '75), so savour these images from a time when the title yet retained a glimmer of the Mighty Marvel Magic it had once contained in abundance.   

ROLL UP! ROLL UP! STARBURST COVER GALLERY - PART THREE...

Images copyright respective owners

Another half-dozen STARBURST covers completes the first couple or so years of a magazine started by British comics guru DEZ SKINN in 1978.  Issue #20 was the last one that Dez was officially involved with before leaving for pastures new in pursuit of other projects.

I'll feature further covers from sporadically-purchased later issues as I find them, so keep your peepers peeled for future posts.

PART TWO Of STARBURST COVER GALLERY...

Images copyright respective owners

Here are the next six covers in our STARBURST gallery, faithful Crivvies, bringing the total thus far to eighteen.  There'll be another six in a future post, frantic ones.  Looking at these covers today, doesn't it seem like the movies featured on them only came out a couple of years back, instead of the thirty-plus it actually was?  Oo-er, I'm beginning to feel old. 

ROGER MOORE As JAMES BOND - In 1964...

When did ROGER MOORE first play

JAMES BOND?  1973 you say?  You'd be

wrong.  Here's Roger as Bond in 1964.