PART TWO Of The BATMEN From SPACE - A FIREBALL XL5 ADVENTURE...

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TV CENTURY 21, at its peak, was probably the best-selling comic of the '60s.  I doubt that any weekly comic afterwards ever came close to matching it in terms of sales.  It was the last great boys' paper of its kind and it's extremely unlikely that anything will ever eclipse the impact it made on its youthful readers of the time.

The reason for its success was obvious - mainly full-colour adventures of TV favourites seen only in black and white on relatively small screens in the corners of Britain's living-rooms.  What young lad wouldn't thrill to reading about MIKE MERCURY, STEVE ZODIAC, TROY TEMPEST, and the rest of the GERRY ANDERSON pantheon of puppet heroes in exciting weekly episodes in their very own paper periodical?

  

Add to that mix, just for good measure, the metal-clad mutants from SKARO - The DALEKS - and the deal was sealed!  There was hardly a boy in the country who wouldn't brave hell or high-water in order to get his hands on a copy of the colourful, cataclysmic comic of the future.

STINGRAY was undoubtedly the real star attraction of TV21, as it was then the newest SUPERMARIONATION success on TV.  However, plans were already afoot for the as-yet-unseen THUNDERBIRDS to take over the prized double-page centrespread, with LADY PENELOPE laying the groundwork for the upcoming great event.

My favourite strip though (along with The Daleks), was probably FIREBALL XL5, especially the episodes drawn by MIKE NOBLE, who took over from original artist GRAHAM COTON from issue #6.  However, the first five instalments by the aforementioned Mr Coton had an undeniable charm and atmosphere, which made a great impression on me as a mere youngster.  As mentioned in Part One, these stories have never been reprinted* in any comic, magazine or book since they were first published an astounding 48 years ago.  (I'm hoping SIGNUM BOOKS will remedy that situation in one of their upcoming magnificent CENTURY 21 volumes of reprints.)

*Update: Until they appeared in the Fireball XL5 60th Anniversary Comic Anthology in 2023.

So until then, enjoy reliving your past with these posts.  Or, if you haven't seen the strips before, welcome to the future.  We may now be living in the early stages of the 21st century, but TV21 was dated a hundred years ahead - 2065 - so it'll be another 52 years before these stories can be considered contemporary comics classics.

  

PART EIGHT Of SPIDER-MAN COMICS WEEKLY COVER GALLERY...

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

For all those reliving the early '70s through the pages of SPIDER-MAN COMICS WEEKLY, here's another instalment in this sensational series to thrill and amaze you.  Personally, I was a very happy chappie when SMCW #23 went on sale, as it contained a titanic tale I'd first read in the pulsating pages of the FANTASTIC Summer Special 1968 - "SPIDER-MAN Meets DOCTOR STRANGE!"  The mighty STAN LEE and awesome STEVE DITKO at their finest, and no mistake!

Each presentation of the story has it's own distinct set of memories and association for mes.  When I look at the resized b&w Fantastic Summer Special, I'm once again back in the '60s, in the house and neighbourhood where I lived at the time.  However, when I see SMCW #23, it conjures forth images of the '70s and the house and area in which I yet reside today - as well as recollections of the initial act of remembering having read the earlier version of the tale.  Like looking through a window into a room with another window - through which you look into another room,  if you know what I mean.  (And if you do, explain it to me.)

       

At the time, the five year gap between the two comics seemed like an immense gulf in some ways, whereas, nowadays, five years seems like only a heartbeat away.  In fact, sometimes I find it hard to believe I'm actually living in the 21st century.  However, enough of my self-indulgent sentiment - hopefully you too will experience the joy of revisiting yesteryear, when the future was yet an undiscovered country and childhood stretched ahead into the far distant horizons.

  

BLIMEY! BIG, BRUTAL, BATTLIN' BRUISER Of A RAMPANT, RECKLESS, RUTHLESS And RAMPAGIN' ROBOT, TRYING To MERCILESSLY MAIM, MANGLE, MUTILATE And MURDER A JADED-BUT-JAUNTY, JUMPIN', JYNX-RIDDEN JOHNNY FUTURE - PART THREE. (Now Try Saying That Fast Five Times!)

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Here we are with Part Three of JOHNNY FUTURE's epic encounter with the KILLER ROBOT, as masterfully rendered by ace Spanish illustrator LUIS BERMEJO.  As you should all know by now, JF appeared in a weekly periodical called FANTASTIC back in the 1960s, published by ODHAMS PRESS.  Isn't that artwork something else?  (Well, I mean, it is artwork, but it's something more than just your average, run-of-the-mill, everyday type of artwork.)

Like to see more?  Then let me know in the comments section.  I need to know that there's an audience out there who appreciates all these scintillating strips from the swingin' '60s.  Don't be shy now! 

The BATMEN Versus The SIGN Of The ZODIAC...

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Back in the early '90s, I was chatting on the 'phone one day to legendary editor, the late ALAN FENNELL, about the FIREBALL XL5 reprints from TV CENTURY 21 in one of the comics he was then responsible for.  "Why didn't you start the stories from the first-ever episode?" I enquired of him.  "Because the artwork wasn't good enough!" was his frank reply.

I must confess that I was a little surprised by Alan's assessment because, although MIKE NOBLE is the Fireball artist in the minds of most readers of the time, his predecessor on the first five instalments in the series, GRAHAM COTON, turned in a very atmospheric job, I thought.  To date, the strips have never been reprinted* in any book, comic, or magazine, so I thought I'd present them here on my blog for anyone wanting to relive their childhood, or to read them for the very first time.

So, enjoy Part One - the rest will follow at fairly regular intervals.

*Update: In 2023, Coton's strips were included in the Fireball XL5 60th Anniversary Comic Anthology, which reprinted all the XL5 strips from TV21 and Countdown.

And below is the cover to the very issue that the above strip appeared in.

R.I.P. CARMINE INFANTINO - MAY 24 1925 - April 4 2013.

The world's greatest FLASH artist, CARMINE INFANTINO, has passed away aged 87. Carmine held the position of publisher at DC COMICS between 1971 and '76, and was responsible for hiring JACK KIRBY away from MARVEL in 1970. Others will no doubt supply more detailed accounts of Mr Infantino's life and career, but in the meantime, here is one of the most iconic BATMAN & ROBIN images from the '60s (pencilled by Carmine and inked by MURPHY ANDERSON), in tribute to a truly remarkable artist.

Copyright DC COMICS

WHERE WERE YOU IN SEPTEMBER 1967?

"Looking back to those days of old ere the gate shut to behind me..."

 From 'The Golden Age' by Kenneth Grahame.

******

The above photo was taken in September 1967 by departing teacher Mrs. TIGHE (not sure about the spelling, to be honest), in front of the annexed huts in the grounds of my primary school.  I can actually recall the photo being taken, and can only assume that Mrs. Tighe wanted a memento of her 'angelic' pupils to look back on in later years.  Maybe she was just trying out for a career as a photographer though, as she made copies available (can't recall whether she charged us or not) to those of us who wanted one.

The image is off-centre, as you can see, but I decided to leave it uncropped in order to make an ego-feeding speculation.  The exact middle of the photo lies between myself (I'm wearing my blue jumper, but that wasn't the day I was at the zoo with DOUGAL and FATHER TED) and DAVID DRUMMOND (on my left), and I can't help but think that Mrs. Tighe naturally gravitated towards me as the most obvious centre of attention.  (I know what you're thinking, but I prefer my version.)

The blond boy on crutches further along in the same row is GAVIN REID, alas now sadly deceased.  He had his right leg strapped up behind him all through primary school (due to some medical condition), and it came as a surprise when I later saw him in secondary school walking normally without the crutches.  He started secondary the year after me, so he may have discarded the crutches in his last year at primary, or in the school holidays between changing schools.  He was killed in a motorbike accident, aged only about 18 or 19, I think, in the late '70s.  (Update: ROBERT BAIRD, next to him on the left of the picture, died of Covid in January of 2021, and ALAN BOWIE, far left, end row, died of cancer in January of 2013, though I didn't learn of his demise until over ten years later in September of 2023.)

Not long before Gavin died, my parents told me that someone had asked them if they were "Gordon Robson's mum and dad" as they waited at a bus stop, and when they confirmed that they were, asked them to pass on his regards.  "Gavin Reid was his name" they said, recounting the incident to me when they got home that night.  Poor Gavin.  To endure a childhood infirmity for so long, and then be cut short in his prime.  He used to play football in the playground, using his crutches for support as he kicked the ball around, or sometimes using one of them to blooter the ball between the 'goalpost jumpers'.  I can still see him in my mind's eye to this day, hopping around as fast as any jackrabbit ever could.

Returning to David Drummond, he used to trot along to my house on November 5th for two (maybe three) years in a row, in order to partake in our 'Bonfire Night' celebrations.  Lest you think we indulged on a grand scale, let me disabuse you of any such notion by revealing that it consisted mainly of waving sparklers around and setting off a couple or so bangers, with a handful of rockets from the smallest box of fireworks available.  Nothing grand by any means, but David's parents didn't observe the 'Fawkes festivities', so he shared in our meagre show held within the perimeters of our back garden.

A 2023 replacement for the Santa Raymond gave me

Three along from me on my right is RAYMOND BENNIE, who emigrated to Australia around '68 or '69.  I haven't seen him since and sometimes wonder what happened to him and whether he's ever been back to visit.  On the only occasion I was ever in his house, he gave me a stuffed Santa (which may have been a cat's toy) and I have fond memories of me and my brother playing 'dodge it' as we tried to  hit each other with poor ol' Mr. Claus from opposite sides of our bedroom on Saturday or Sunday mornings. 

At least two other people in the photo (AUDREY HAMILTON and GORDON FAIRBAIRN) also emigrated Down Under in later years, Louise/Audrey around 1983, and Gordon in '88 or '89.  I know Australia's a big place, but I'd like to think that they run into each other on occasion and reminisce about happy days gone by.  Just imagine that, in the fullness of time, everyone in the photo (apart from myself) were to emigrate over there - I wonder if they'd even remember me?

Ah, so many familiar faces, so many meandering memories.  Funny how events from around 46 years ago can sometimes seem as fresh and as close as what happened only yesterday.

******

26 years ago, I returned to the playground with a framed copy of the photo from 20 years before, and snapped myself beside it on the same spot.  The annexed wooden huts had been gone for some years by then.  The school will follow them into oblivion in a few months from now.

Me, with photo to my right, in front of the former site of the huts sometime in 1987

MISTER, WE NEED A MIRACLE - PART ONE...

Images copyright DC COMICS

Of all the mags JACKY KIRBY produced for DC COMICS during the early to mid-'70s, my personal fave is SUPERMAN'S PAL JIMMY OLSEN.  Not because I was a particular fan of young Mr. Olsen per se, but because it was good to see the 'King's' take on the character of the mighty MAN Of STEEL.  Having said that, however, Jack did manage to imbue Jimmy with something he'd never had before - serious entertainment value.  Before Jack took the reins, Olsen's tales were all rather whimsical and twee, and young 'Red' was a bit of a one-dimensional milksop.

But it's not Jimmy Olsen we're here to talk about today - it's SCOTT FREE (yup, corny name), otherwise known as MISTER MIRACLE.  After Jimmy's mag, Mister Miracle was the one Kirby Komic (in my view) that deserved a title of its own.  The FOREVER PEOPLE and NEW GODS seemed more like supporting characters to me, without the requisite clout to carry their own books.  However, MM was something else entirely, and the concept of an escape artist (either with or without the NEW GENESIS/APOKOLIPS connection) had wagonloads of potential.

Mister Miracle was the longest-running FOURTH WORLD title, managing to last 18 issues before cancellation, freeing up Jack to move onto other projects.  Kirby's most successful DC mag - in terms of longevity - was KAMANDI, and it's doubtful we'd ever have seen it if Jack's earlier books had survived.

So, let's remember the JIM STERANKO-inspired (so legend has it) escapologist with a look at the covers of the series, starting with the first nine.  Part Two will feature the remainder of the run, so be sure not to miss it.  And if you have any thoughts or theories concerning the mag (or even personal reminiscences), feel free to share them in the comments section.

FREAKY FRANKIE FOULS-UP IN A FURTHER FABULOUS FOLLY-FILLED FEST OF FECKLESS FUN AND FRANTIC FRIVOLITY...

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Sometimes an evil streak, residing in the innermost recesses of my soul, manifests itself in the most sadistic way imaginable.  Having been asked to show more of the classic KEN REID strip, FRANKIE STEIN, I temper my acquiescence with a wanton act of perverseness, by showing you the first part of a story that continued the following week - and of which I don't have the next episode.  Does that make me a cruel bastich or what?  You'll just have to console yourself by enjoying the superb artwork.  So, here's ol' Frankie from WHAM! #13, 1964.

UPDATE: You'll be glad to learn that I now have every episode of Frankie, so the one after the above will probably be on the blog somewhere by the time you read this.

PART TWO Of JOHNNY FUTURE And The KILLER ROBOT...

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Are you all sitting comfortably?  Good, then I'll begin.  Once upon a time, in a long-ago age known as the 1960s, there was a weekly comic called FANTASTIC.  This particular paper periodical published a superbly drawn strip called The MISSING LINK, which wasn't much more than an INCREDIBLE HULK 'knock-off'.  After four months or so, the strip metamorphosed into JOHNNY FUTURE, featuring the awesome adventures of a radioactively-mutated Link in his new guise of a sensational superhero, with cape, cowl, costume and all.

LUIS BERMEJO was the accomplished Spanish artist who drew the strip, and it's mainly because of his awesome artistry that the feature is still fondly remembered today, so many years after it finally faded into the cavernous confines of comicbook limbo.

Now, thanks to my incredibly famous generosity (he said, modestly), you Crivs can re-read JF's incredible escapades, almost a frightening fifty years later.  Or, if you weren't around back then, experience them for the first time, o stupendous seeker after spectacular superhero stories.

If you're enjoying these power-packed re-presentations of Johnny's pulsating punch-ups, be sure to let me know in the comments section.  Or, manifest your gratitude in the form of cheques for extremely large amounts of dosh, which you can forward to my representative on 'The Floor of '64'.  Don't worry, he'll pass them on to me, minus his slice of 100 percent.  Do it now! 

   

HAVE A 'SMASHING' EASTER...

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Easter is upon us - and this is the first one I can remember in a long time where there wasn't at least a Cadbury's Creme Egg waiting for me to devour when I arose to greet the day.  I'll just have to pop out later and buy a choccy egg of some description before they're all sold out - if it isn't already too late.  Of course, for many people, Easter is regarded and celebrated as the religious occasion which founded their faiths, but for most of the rest of us it's just an excuse to gorge ourselves on lots of chocolate and watch a load of old movies on TV.

Once upon a time, it was also a day for a plethora of this country's cavorting comical chums to indulge in hilarious escapades involving giant confectionary eggs, which usually dominated the covers of paper periodicals such as BEANO, DANDY, BEEZER, TOPPER, SPARKY, BUZZ, BUSTER, WHAM!, SMASH!, POW!, WHIZZER & CHIPS, COR!!, KNOCKOUT, WOW, WHOOPEE, MONSTER FUN, SCHOOL FUN, SHIVER & SHAKE, TV COMIC and countless others I've no doubt neglected to mention.  Today, only one of those weeklies survives, to entertain us in isolation with the Easter exploits of DENNIS The MENACE and his bombastic battalion of Beanotown buddies.

So, in memory of the kind of Easters I remember from my boyhood (and up to only a few years ago too, to be honest), here's a selection of strips from the 1968 Easter edition of SMASH! #116, which you'll hopefully all enjoy.