THE BAXENDALE LETTERS - PART THREE...

I'm lucky enough to have acquired the third WILLY The KID book a few years back, thereby completing the set, but before I managed that, I'd written to LEO BAXENDALE in 1995 to ask him whether or not it had ever actually been published.  Above is his interesting response.

COMING ATTRACTIONS ON 'CRIVENS!'...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

Guess what, Crivvies?  When I posted the previous piece about the SUB-MARINER King-Size Special #1, I'd never seen the second issue and wondered whether it had ever actually been published, despite readers being advised in the first issue to look forward to it.  (After all, plans sometimes change.)  While searching for confirmation that SAL BUSCEMA had illustrated the first cover, I discovered that #2 had indeed been printed, so I searched eBay and bought one for a few paltry quid.

Look at the great BILL EVERETT art, above!  It'll be a few days until the mag arrives, at which time I'll show you the cover again, as well as some of the contents.  That's the seller's photo of the very issue I purchased today, so I can't wait until I get my grubby hands on the actual comic and place it next to its predecessor.  It may have taken 43 or 44 years to get the next ish, but it really does seem like only a short while ago since I bought the first Special all those years ago.

I hope you crazy Crivs are all at least half as excited as I am about it, 'cos then I'll be twice as excited as you!  Excelsior!

BABE Of The DAY - VERONICA CARLSON...

I'm not quite sure what the lovely

VERONICA CARLSON's doing, but

regardless, she sure looks good doing

 it.  That's good enough for me!

FAVOURITE COMICS Of The PAST PART FORTY-SEVEN - SUB-MARINER KING-SIZE SPECIAL #1...

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

I well remember the day I bought this KING-SIZE mag sometime in 1972 (or '73) as it was a particularly sunny one.   Can no longer recall whether it was a Saturday or a weekday during the school summer holidays, but I believe I purchased it from a local R.S. McCOLL's in the main shopping centre of my home town.  From there I made my way along to another newsagent in a neighbouring area, and I remember walking the stretch of road between the two precincts, and the hot sun beating down upon me on the journey.

As for the contents, I'd first read these stories in the pages of TERRIFIC back in 1967, although, at the time, it seemed a far longer period than 5 or 6 years between 'then-and-now'.  Poor VINCE COLLETTA is much-maligned in some fan circles nowadays (due mainly to poor quality reprints), but his inking over GENE COLAN's pencils on the strip was excellent, and easily the equal of his inks on JACK KIRBY's THOR tales.  And add to that a superb SAL BUSCEMA* cover and you've got yet another of my 'favourite comics of the past'.

(* I think I can see a hint of MARIE SEVERIN  in there as well.  Couldn't swear to it though.)

Incidentally, Gene was originally named in the credits as ADAM AUSTIN, but this was altered for this King-Size re-presentation of these SUB-MARINER tales.

Any momentous memories of this mighty MARVEL-lous mag, frantic ones?  Then don't be shy or selfish!  Share your rambling reminiscences with the rest of we cavortin' Crivvies in our cataclysmic and sometimes controversial comments section.  Go on!  (Right after you've ogled the awesome art of course.)

THIS HOUSE IS HAUNTED...

It's MEL TORME, singing about the 'echo'

 of her 'last goodbye'.  Hey, we've all been there.

(This is an absolutely brilliant song, honest!)

HUNK Of The MONTH - MOI...

Here's my manly self outside my old secondary school a few years before it was demolished.  And below is a wider shot taken a few seconds after I'd turned invisible.  Good ol' cosmic rays!  The mural you can see was by William Crosbie (no relation to Bing), and was chosen over a swimming pool.  True.

BABE Of The DAY - VICTORIA VETRI...

VICTORIA VETRI also went by the

name of ANGELA DORIEN, but she's a

total Babe whatever appellation she's using.

And in case you were all wondering what she's

looking at with such palpable lust and longing

- it's me of course, innit!  (In my eye-catching

 baggy YOGI BEAR pants, no less.)

KLASSIC KOMIC KOVERS - VULCAN #1...

Copyright relevant owner

Y'know, the dreaded Poll Tax wasn't the only thing visited upon Scotland before the rest of the country.  More welcome however, was VULCAN, which appeared on February 22nd 1975 (cover-dated the week ahead), nearly 7 months before the National edition debuted on September 20th (cover-dated 27th).  More like an American comicbook in size, it sadly managed to survive for only 58 weekly issues (30 Scottish and 28 National), but it was great periodical while it lasted.

Comprised of reprints of classic U.K. strips like KELLY'S EYE, The STEEL CLAW, The TRIGAN EMPIRE, The SPIDER, MYTEK The MIGHTY, ROBOT ARCHIE (taken and translated from Dutch comic SJORS), etc., the title merged into VALIANT on April 3rd 1976 (cover-dated 10th).  Sadly, Valiant ended after only another 6 months, though Vulcan's name had vanished from the masthead the previous issue. 

Was Vulcan one of your favourite comics?  Then tell your fellow Criv-ites why in our comments section.

BONUS:  Below, the covers of the Holiday Special and Annual.

BABE Of The DAY - GILLIAN DUXBURY...

Gorgeous GILLIAN DUXBURY

graces us with her alluring beauty today,

Crivs.  Wotta stunner!  And she worships

the very ground I walk on.  (Doesn't

 care much for me though.  Sigh.)

WHO WANTS A REVOLUTION?

Image copyright MARVEL COMICS

You've got one anyway, like it or not.  And it all starts

on August 11th.  Personally, I'll just be eating some cake

(if they'll let me).  A French Fancy most likely.

BABE Of The DAY - ELKE SOMMER...

Wish I had a flat stomach like

ELKE SOMMER.  In fact, wish I had

a girlfriend the double of Elke.  Maybe

l'll get one for Christmas.  I'll write my

 list to SANTA right now.

RECOMMENDED READING: The MIGHTY WORLD Of MARVEL #28...

Image copyright MARVEL COMICS

The MIGHTY WORLD Of MARVEL is a comic mag that's been around for a large slice of my life.  First issued (as a weekly) near the end of 1972, after seven years it was renamed (twice), becoming a monthly with its third incarnation.  In 1983 it returned as a monthly with its original title, but it was short-lived, alas.  We'd moved to a new house after the first '83 issue, then returned to our former abode just over four years later.  In 2003, the mag was relaunched, meaning it's been published in one form or another since I was 14, in all three houses I've lived in since then.  (One counts as two, remember.)

I hope I never have to live anywhere else, but if fate dictates that it has to be so, I trust MWOM will still be around to provide a reassuring bit of continuity, even to the end of my days.  As I'm planning to clock up another couple of hundred years (at least), the periodical may well be available for a long, long time.

Buy the latest issue today, and contribute to both my longevity and also The Mighty World Of Marvel's!

BABE Of The DAY - GILLIAN DUXBURY...

She's leaning on a lamppost at

the corner of the street, watching all

the boys go by - 'til she sees me that is.

GILLIAN DUXBURY sure knows a

real man when she sees one, and no

mistake.  (She'll do for me!)

TOPPS 1966 BATMAN CARDS - PART NINE...

Images copyright DC COMICS & TOPPS

And now, the final half-dozen BATMAN cards in the first series of 55 released in 1966 by TOPPS.  There were three sets altogether and perhaps, in the fullness of time, I'll get around to showing you the other two.  For the meantime though, that's your lot, Bat-fans.  For details of artists, etc., check back on previous posts.  Any observations you'd like to make, then the comments section awaits.

  

RECOMMENDED READING: MACHINE MAN: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION...

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

Here's the latest COMPLETE COLLECTION volume from MIGHTY MARVEL, folks - MACHINE MAN!  Not exactly JACK KIRBY and STEVE DITKO at their artistic best, but solid entertainment from the sizzlin' '70s, when people of my age group were younger, more innocent, and had more time ahead than behind them - no longer the case, alas.  But let's not end on a sombre note.  Relive the happy days of your youth by buying this bombastic book today.  Your local comics shop awaits your visit.

KID KLASSICS: THIS SURE TAKES SOME LICKIN'...

It was back in the late '60s, in Room 7 of my primary school one day, that I espied the magnifying glass.  It was in the hands of one of my classmates who was using it for the purpose for which it was designed.  (No surprise there, really - what else is a magnifying glass for?)  I was fascinated - it was such a small magnifying glass, and I immediately wanted one for myself.  "Where did you get it?" I enquired of him.  "I got it as part of a free stamp collecting kit I sent away for" was his response.  That was the magic word for me - "free".  I had seen the ad for such stamp kits in the comics I bought, but had never paid them too much attention before.  I decided there and then that I would send away for such a kit the first chance I got.  Nothing would deter me, my mind was made up.  I wanted a mini-magnifying glass of my very own and, by thunder, I'd have one.

Close to 30 odd years later, when I eventually got around to sending for it (quite a few years ago now), it could well have been from the very same stamp dealer as my long-ago classmate had acquired his - D. J. Hanson Ltd., Eastrington, Goole, East Yorks, England, DN14 7QG - who advertised extensively in British comics of the time (and is still going strong today).  Update: He passed away in 2015.

The much-coveted magnifying glass wasn't exactly the same as the one I remembered, but it was good enough for me.  I felt the satisfaction that comes from finally fulfilling some long-held purpose or ambition that should have been accomplished years before.  In fact, I wish I could sit in that classroom now, at my old desk, and employ my magnifying glass in the way I would've done back when I was a kid.  No, not to read tiny print in one of my school books, but to capture an errant sunbeam and direct it towards a patch of skin on someone's bare thigh (short trousers in my day, remember) and wait to see them jump.

Sadistic little bleeder, eh?

I do sort of collect stamps actually, but on an extremely limited scale: Christmas stamps, TV, movie, and comic characters, etc.  I couldn't fill a whole album, but I've got enough to keep me occupied for an hour or so, on cold, rainy nights when the wind is howling outside my window, bearing aloft familiar childhood voices and visions from so very long ago.

  

Typical stamp ad from the 1960s

HEY, I'M NEARLY FAMOUS! (STAT'LL BE THE DAY)...

What can I say?  This humble blog of mine seems to be getting

quite popular if the Blogger Stats are anything to go by.  (Please

tell me that they're something to go by.)  Of course, credit must go

to all you discerning Criv-ites, but I'd also like to thank the writer,

the director, the producer, etc.  So that'll be me then.

BABE Of The DAY - JANE RUSSELL (UP A CUP OF TEA FOR ME)...

Here she is, Crivs - the ravishing JANE

RUSSELL.  She got her big break in a movie

called The OUTLAW, and you can see why

she's definitely wanted!  (By me.)

GO ON - HAVE A BAT-LARF...

My mate MOONMANDO emailed

the above cartoon to me earlier tonight.

Now that's what I call funny!  Ha-ha.

PART SIX Of LION'S ROBOT ARCHIE: The JUNGLE ROBOT...

Copyright REBELLION

Another four pages of the very first ROBOT ARCHIE adventure from LION weekly, Criv-ite chums.  Unfortunately, I don't have the conclusion of this particular tale, but I do have another eight pages to post before we run out of steam.  If anyone can supply me with scans of the final 16 pages, I'd be ever so grateful, as would everyone else, I'm sure, who's been following the story up to now.

Are you a Robot Archie fan?  Why not tell us your memories of the mighty man of metal in the comments section?  Go on!

JIM REEVES GOES TO ROSA RIO (AND LEAVES HIS HEART THERE WHEN HE COMES BACK)...

Good song (ROSA RIO), great singer (JIM

REEVES) - what more could you possibly want?

(For nothing I mean.  Remember, this is all free!)

BABE Of The DAY - JUDITH RALSTON...

Here's a photo of winsome BBC

weather woman JUDITH RALSTON

to bring a bit of sunshine into all of our

lives.  (Phew, it's suddenly gotten very

hot 'round here, don'tcha think?)

PARKER... WELL DONE (AND YOU TOO, DARWYN)...

Images copyright IDW PUBLISHING

Something I discovered only recently is this series of books by RICHARD STARK (pseudonym of author DONALD E. WESTLAKE) and artist DARWYN COOKE, the latter having adapted and illustrated the former's novels about hard-as-nails master thief PARKER - not to be confused with LADY PENELOPE's chauffeur.

Graphic novels in the truest sense, Darwyn Cooke was initially contracted to adapt four books, which was then extended to five, but, alas, the fifth one never happened.  The four he did do though, are riveting reading, and I'm looking forward to starting the original novel of The HUNTER, for which he provided full-colour illustrations.  IDW intended that he'd illustrate all 16 Parker books, but disappointing sales of the first put paid to further editions.

Available from all good book shops, why not add them to your Darwyn Cooke collection today?