PART EIGHT OF 'NEW' SUPERMAN COVER GALLERY...

Images copyright DC COMICS

Another bunch of SUPERMAN covers, from a time when Supes was looking distinctly like a hippy.  Man, are these tales going to look dated when DC get around to reprinting them.  As you can see, they're not completely consecutive, but don't let that spoil your enjoyment.  Anyway, let's forego my usual woeful waffle and get straight into the pretty piccies.  Enjoy.

   

...'cos he wouldn't get his hair cut

ALSO BARKED ZARA THUSTRASIA...

My dog has a fine pair of balls - which belonged to her predecessor

On this very day 30 years ago, my dog ZARA was born.  I brought her home on July 12th, and the first thing she did was take a dump on the living-room carpet.  Took me ages to get her house-trained, but she had a very placid nature.  I could take bones from her without incident and she never bit anyone in her 12 and a half-odd years of life.  I took loads of photos of her over the years so I thought I'd show some of them here to mark her birthday.  She was registered with the Kennel Club under the name of ZARA THUSTRASIA, which was a feminization of the name ZARATHUSTRA, as in 'Also Sprach...'

So enjoy the photos and then give your own dog a pat on the head to show how much you love and appreciate it - just like it does you.

"What did you wake me for?" she's asking

The bold Moonmando and Zara

Ain't she sweet?

An old classmate from primary school gets a warm (but wet) welcome

"What do you mean 'Get down Shep'?  Who's Shep?"

Don't worry about me - I'm winning!

"What're you looking at?"

"Hey, it's snowing!"

Zara, with my old primary school in the background

Zara and me on the family estate.  (Cough!)

Having fun in the back garden

"I'll just pose here for a minute!"

Zara Thustrasia - 1986 - 1998

DON STARR In The DRAMA Of DOOM - PART FIVE...

Copyright relevant owner

Two episodes of DON STARR's awesome adventure, The DRAMA Of DOOM, this time out, folks.  That's four pages from yesteryear to thrill and enthral you, first published in TERRIFIC back in 1967.  I'm unsure whether it was reprinted from an earlier comic, but the pages were certainly originally drawn for a traditional U.K.-sized weekly, as you can see (if you look closely enough) that they've been re-sized to fit Terrific's different dimensions.  Enjoy!

'NEW' SUPERMAN COVER GALLERY - PART SEVEN...

Images copyright DC COMICS

A mixed bag of covers for you this time around, fellow Criv-ites.  Only the first two are consecutive, the others being isolated issues I bought at irregular intervals.  Love the above one though, which is a nod to JACK KIRBY's debut JIMMY OLSEN ish (#133).  The one directly below is likewise a corker, with JERRY ORDWAY demonstrating why he's one of the finest artists ever to grace the comicbook medium.  Incidentally, number 50 is based on the famous AURORA model kit from the 1960s, though the head is more like the MPC reissue.

Got a favourite?  Leave a comment saying why you're a fan of 'The Ordster' - you never know, he may even see it.

BABE Of The DAY - LEE MERIWETHER...

Lovely LEE MERIWETHER looking

just a tad like a young JOAN COLLINS in

this pic.  To be honest, Lee just steals it for

 me though.  What say the rest of you?

PART FOUR Of DON STARR In The DRAMA Of DOOM...

Copyright relevant owner

It's been a while, but I haven't forgotten DON STARR in The DRAMA Of DOOM, so here's part four.  Originally published in TERRIFIC back in 1967, it was an odd-but-welcome fit alongside the MARVEL superhero reprints which filled the weekly periodical.  Any memories, frantic fans?  Feel free to share.

  

ASTONISHING TALES COVER & SPLASH PAGE GALLERY...

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

ASTONISHING TALES was a great little comic, lasting for 36 issues from 1970 to '76.  JACK KIRBY had some of his last work for MARVEL published in the first couple of issues (before departing for DC - though he would later return), and WALLY WOOD's last regular strip for 'The House Of Ideas' featured in numbers 1-4.  Let's face it, with artists like Kirby and Wood, as well as BARRY SMITH and GEORGE TUSKA, the mag got off to a flying start.  Here are the covers and splash pages from the first five issues for your consideration and enjoyment.

Incidentally, when Wally Wood heard that Jack had defected to DC, he contacted them to offer his services as inker of Jack's new mags - only to be told that VINCE COLLETTA had already been given the gig.  Now, I actually like Colletta's inks over Kirby's pencils, but can you imagine how great the FOURTH WORLD mags would've looked had they been inked by Woody?

Thoughts, theories, and observations can be recorded in our captivating comments section, o cavorting Criv-ites.  So what are you all waiting for, frantic ones?  Get typing!

  

DUDLEY D. WATKINS' LAST BIFFO...

Image copyright D.C. THOMSON & Co., Ltd

When DUDLEY D. WATKINS, D.C. THOMSON's top artist, died on August 20th 1969 of a heart attack at his drawing board, he left a pencilled page of BIFFO The BEAR on which he'd been working.  DAVE SUTHERLAND inked it and it was published in The BEANO a couple of months later in #1423.  Dave then took over the feature, being extremely adept at imitating the styles of other artists, like LEO BAXENDALE, PADDY BRENNAN, and, not long after, DAVEY LAW.

Had it not been for this remarkable artist continuing various features in the styles of others, it's doubtful whether they would have maintained their popularity for as long as they did.  DCT owe him a debt of gratitude for his many years of service.