JOHN BYRNE'S FANTASTIC FOUR COVER GALLERY - PART FIVE...

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

In answer to hundreds of requests (I was up all night typing them), here's the 5th batch of Jumpin' JOHNNY BYRNE covers from his '80s run on The FANTASTIC FOUR.  Fans of the series who no longer own the original issues could do worse than spend their hard-earned shekels on the two-set MARVEL OMNIBUS volumes containing all of JB's Fabulous Foursome adventures.

For any of you who may be interested in purchasing them, here's the necessary information:

Volume one - ISBN # 978-0-7851-5824-0

Volume two - ISBN # 978-0-7851-8543-7

Both editions contain loads of great extras and should prove welcome additions to any true Marvelite's bookshelves.  Why not check out your local comicbook store for them at the earliest opportunity?!

LEGOMAN BREAKS LOOSE!

Copyright DC COMICS

Given the huge success of the recent LEGO movie, you can bet your bottom dollar that there'll be more of them.  I haven't seen the film yet, but one Lego-related image that appealed to me when first I saw it was the above homage to the famous NEAL ADAMS cover for SUPERMAN #233.  I thought that you might enjoy it too, if you haven't already seen it - so here it is.  (Along with the original.  My generosity surely knows no bounds.)

Neal drew both covers by the way.

PART FOUR Of The SENSATIONAL '60s HERO, JOHNNY FUTURE...

Copyright REBELLION

Sharp-eyed readers who own any issues of FANTASTIC that these JOHNNY FUTURE instalments originally appeared in, may have noticed that they've been 'tidied up' slightly from the published versions.  The process involves removing prominent printing blemishes and age-discolouration to make them appear as fresh and new as if they were issued only yesterday, rather than 47 years ago.  After all, LUIS BERMEJO's spectacular art deserves nothing less than the best , I'm sure you'll agree.

Incidentally, I post these stories merely to maintain interest in the character and, even though I have all the original issues, I'd buy a deluxe, hardback Omnibus edition of the tales if one were to become available.  I don't financially profit in any way from presenting JF's adventures, so therefore I'm not depriving whoever may own the copyright of any money.  On the contrary, by helping to keep alive interest in the character, I may well be creating a ripe field for harvesting should the copyright holders ever get around to producing a collected edition.

So, hands up - who'd buy one if it were to become available? 

PART TWO OF NEAL ADAMS' BATMAN COVER GALLERY...

Layout by CARMINE INFANTINO, inks by NEAL ADAMS.  Copyright DC COMICS

Of the last few posts I've published, by far the most popular has been the first part of this NEAL ADAMS' BATMAN cover gallery series.  So, being smarter than the average bear, I figure that means there's quite a few of you out there who won't be averse to seeing a few more of Neal's Dynamic Covers from way back when.

Well, whaddaya know, Criv-ites - here are some right here, right now, to whet your appetite.  Talk about timing, eh?!

Pencils & inks by NEAL ADAMS

Pencils & inks by NEAL ADAMS

Pencils & inks by NEAL ADAMS

Pencils & inks by NEAL ADAMS

Pencils by NEAL ADAMS, inks by DICK GIORDANO

Pencils by NEAL ADAMS, inks by DICK GIORDANO & VINCE COLLETTA

Pencils by CURT SWAN, inks by NEAL ADAMS

Layout by CARMINE INFANTINO, inks by NEAL ADAMS

PART SIX OF SMASH! COVER GALLERY...

Copyright REBELLION

As I gad about the glorious streets of Glasgow, mingling with ordinary people and bathing in their silent but obvious admiration (egotist?  Nah!), one thought is constantly on my mind: "What can I share with my blog members next!"  Yes, hard as it may be for you to believe, you're never far from my thoughts as I strive to bring you the very best pictorial presentations and nostalgic nick-nacks that my vast and voluminous, captivating collection encompasses.  (Don't you just love awesome alliteration, even when it's mostly redundant?)

Of course, there are times when any old tat will do - but fear not, Crivvies, this isn't one of those occasions.  What you see before you is another half-dozen covers from one of the best-loved periodicals of the 1960s - SMASH!  Perhaps you need to have experienced them first time around to truly appreciate their charm, but for those of you who did, I'm sure you'll be truly grateful to be reunited with these fondly-recalled covers from childhood.  Just make out the cheques to...

Another six coming soon!

FABULOUS FLASHBACKS - COUNTDOWN TO TV ACTION ANNUAL...

Copyright relevant owner

Launched in 1971, COUNTDOWN was, to all intents and purposes, an attempt to duplicate the former success of the now declining TV21.  With the inclusion of GERRY ANDERSON related content and (instead of The DALEKS) DOCTOR WHO, the fact it was edited by TV21's former art editor DENNIS HOOPER made comparison between the two periodicals inevitable.

Initially, I ignored the comic - until it started reprinting (usually in black and white) strips from TV CENTURY 21.  Even as a boy, I had an overdeveloped sense of nostalgia, so the comic suddenly became a 'must-have' for me.  Truth to tell though, my strongest memories of the paper are from when it metamorphosed into TV ACTION with #59.

Something else I ignored was the hardback Annual incarnation of the weekly.  In fact, I'm not even sure if I was even aware of them at the time they were published. However, a year or two back, someone gifted me the first two, and I recently acquired the third and final one via eBay, thereby completing my collection of them.  The first is simply titled COUNTDOWN, the second, COUNTDOWN For TV ACTION, and the third, TV ACTION.

Being a rather generous chappie (somewhat against the Scottish stereotype of tight-fisted meanie), I thought I'd share the covers and some of the contents with you in this post.  So, if you had these Annuals when you were a youngster, you can relive precious moments from your childhood or teenage years.  Or if you're clapping eyes on them for the very first time, it lets you see just what sort of books that boring old farts like your dad may've been reading over 40 years ago.  Either way, you're a winner!

NEAL ADAMS' BATMAN COVER GALLERY - PART ONE...

Pencils by CARMINE INFANTINO, inks by NEAL ADAMS.  Copyright DC COMICS

Raise your hand if you like the art of NEAL ADAMS.  Wait 'til I count 'em - one, two, three - h'mm, the pubs must still be open.  Never mind, I'll just assume that everybody likes Natty Neal's awesome artwork and present a series of covers either pencilled and inked by him, or inked by him over another's pencils.  That way, we get the absolute best of both worlds.  Ready?  Then away we go!  (See?  Who says intros have to be long and boring?  Sure wasn't me!) 

Pencils & inks by NEAL ADAMS

Pencils & inks by NEAL ADAMS

Pencils and inks by NEAL ADAMS

Pencils & inks by NEAL ADAMS

Pencils & inks by NEAL ADAMS

Pencils by NEAL ADAMS, inks by DICK GIORDANO

Pencils by NEAL ADAMS, inks by DICK GIORDANO

The DOCTOR IS IN - TV COMIC (PART THREE)...

Copyright BBC TV.  Art by NEVILLE MAIN

Coloured for DOCTOR WHO CLASSIC COMICS #2 in 1993, here are another two episodes of The Doctor's comic strip from TV COMIC #s 676 & 677, cover-dated November 28th and December 5th 1964 respectively.

Maybe one day, someone will get around to tying in JOHN and GILLIAN with regular TV continuity (if it hasn't been done already).  Were they the brother and sister of SUSAN?  Does TV Comic's Doctor, seemingly like PETER CUSHING's, come from an alternate reality?  We deserve to be told - so someone please tell us before we get much older.

In the meantime, however, enjoy these pages from the start of the Doctor's comic strip career.