BATMAN - FULLY PAID-UP MEMBER Of The WORLD ADVENTURE LIBRARY...

BATMAN copyright DC COMICS

While my computer's in for repair (I'm using someone's spare one at the moment) I'm rather limited in my choice of images for use on the blog, but I figure you can stand a little repetition for a couple or so days 'til things are back to normal.  So until then, here are the front and back covers of the first two BATMAN! World Adventure Libraries from the swinging '60s.  Bring back any memories at all?

JIM REEVES - O LITTLE TOWN Of BETHLEHEM...

As it's getting near to Christmas, here's a nice relaxing

Yuletide-themed song to start the ball rolling.  This'll take you

back to your old school hall when you and all your classmates

sang such yuletide hymns at Christmas.

BABE Of The DAY - RAQUEL WELCH...

Brrrrrrr!  It's freezing today, so here's

a pic of ravishing RAQUEL WELCH to warm

the cockles of your heart.  Any other body parts

affected are purely a pleasant bonus.  Aren't I

good to you, Crivvies?  (O yes I am!)

RECOMMENDED READING: AVENGERS EPIC COLLECTION VOLUME TWO...

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

Not long now 'til Christmas, so if you're looking for an idea for a prezzie for a loved one (in my case that's me), you could always buy this zing-zang-zowie AVENGERS EPIC COLLECTION Volume Two.  Who cares if your girlfriend or wife doesn't read comics - it kills two birds with the one stone by fulfilling your spousal duty to give a gift, while at the same time providing you with something to read.  Result!  So rush around to your local comicbook store and buy your very own copy today.  (No reading it 'til Christmas Day mind - when she flings it back at you 'cos it isn't chocolates or jewellery.)

WARLORD #1...

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

By all rights I shouldn't have bought WARLORD.  I wasn't into war stories, and it must purely have been the fact that it was a new comic I could collect from number one which appealed to me, rather than the theme of the comic itself.  (It was the same with football: I was never into it, yet I bought SHOOT, SCORCHER, and SCORE when they first came out as well.)  Launched in September 1974, it survived until 1986, and inspired IPC to publish their own version, called BATTLE PICTURE WEEKLY.

Warlord was first though, so for all of you who bought it at the time, here's a little pictorial reminder of the debut ish to whisk you back to the days of your childhood faster than you can say "Hey, where did my life go?"  Feel free to share any reminiscences in our ever-lovin' comments section.  After all, it's what it's there for.

BABE Of The DAY - TIA CARRERE...

The beautiful TIA CARRERE wakes up and wonders -

"Who pinched all the blankets?"  (Hee-hee, it was me!)

SPECTACULAR SPLASH PAGES #13...

Image copyright MARVEL COMICS

Why is this a spectacular splash page?  Because it's by JIM STARLIN, it features WARLOCK (formerly known as HIM), and, er - because it's got a hot babe with a body to die for.  What?  Me, sexist?  Perish forbid.

The STRANGE WORLD Of STEVE DITKO...

Read an extremely interesting article  about SPIDER-MAN and Dr. STRANGE co-creator STEVE DITKO the other day.  I accessed it via a link on MARK EVANIER's blog, and it was such an eye-opening read that I thought I'd link to it here as well, so you can all see it for yourselves (if you haven't already).  Click here.

The WIZARD RETURNS...

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

Now here's a blast from the past.  The WIZARD #1 from February 1970.  I was yet a primary school pupil when I first bought and read the comic 46-odd years ago.  Today, I acquired this replacement, and although I haven't yet re-read it, I plan to before I get very much older.  It's always nice when a little piece of the past pops up in the present.

The comic was, in actual fact, a revival - in name at least - of a story paper that first saw the light of day in 1922.  Amazingly, it survived until 1963 - a staggering 41 years.  The revived title didn't manage quite as long as that, bowing out for the final time in 1978.  Note that publisher D.C. THOMSON still weren't calling the weekly periodical a 'comic', preferring to refer to it as a 'picture story paper for boys'.

Want a taste of the contents?  Be my guest.

And, below, is the cover to #1 of the first incarnation from 1922.

BABE Of The DAY - DANA GILLESPIE...

Dynamic DANA GILLESPIE again,

but this time without the annoying bloke

in the beret (I'm very happy to say).

RECOMMENDED READING: Dr. STRANGE MYSTIC APPRENTICE #1...

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

I'll keep this short, 'cos if you hurry, you may still have time to race around to your nearest comicbook store and purchase this great one-shot comic.  It has a brand-new story, plus reprints of Dr. STRANGE's debut and origin (two separate tales), and you'll absolutely love it, hug it, and call it 'George'.  (Don't worry about me - the meds will kick in soon.)

SPECTACULAR SPLASH PAGES #12...

Image copyright MARVEL COMICS

Another cracking splash page to amaze your awestruck orbs, faithful ones.  This is the first one by STEVE DITKO to feature in this series, but it was well worth waiting for, I'm sure you'll agree.  The first titanic team up between SPIDER-MAN and Dr. STRANGE, it's a page that promises much in a tale that delivers even more.  Feast your eyes, effendis, on the work of one of the all-time comicbook greats, and don't forget to return for more of the same soon.

(BOND) BABE Of The DAY - JULIE EGE...

Here's lovely JULIE EGE, inviting me

to sit beside her on the sofa.  Stuff that, hen,

I want it all to myself so's I can have a sleep.

Now shift your beautiful @rse!

DENNIS The MENACE COVER GALLERY OMNIBUS...

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

I've shown these DENNIS The MENACE Book covers in six separate parts some time ago, but thought it might prove more convenient to include them all in one single post and thus enable you to forego having to trawl through the blog in search of them.  So here they are!  Where there's only one image for a book, it's because the back cover was the same as the front and therefore redundant.  In a few instances, some covers would not display side-by-side, so, as with the single covers, I've enlarged them in order to maintain an even layout.  (Presentation is paramount!)

You now have all 39 Dennis book covers ever published over a period of 55 years - all scanned from my own personal collection.   How many did you have as a kid?  (Incidentally, there weren't any books between the ones for '78 and '83.)

(Click on image to enlarge, click again for optimum size.)