SPOT The DIFFERENCE: The FANTASTIC FOUR #2...

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

Above is the cover of The FANTASTIC FOUR #2 as originally prepared (without the colour, which was added for a MASTERWORKS volume), below as it saw publication after STAN LEE decided it needed some revision.  What do you think, readers, were the changes an improvement or not?  Either way, what are the reasons for your view?  (Note that in the one below, part of the floorboards run into the wall.  Either the 'published' cover was re-created and the lines were missed when the floor was 'lowered', or the process white used to obscure them cracked and fell off.  Also, the end of JOHNNY'S speech balloon tail has been missed.) 

BABE Of The DAY - LESLIE BIANCHINI...

I know what's on LESLIE's mind

as she gazes over at me while I scoff a

fish supper.  "Give me one of your chips

you fat, greedy slob!" she's thinking.  No

chance - after all, I've gotta think of her

 figure.  (Easy job, admittedly.)

CALLING 'MY OLD COMICS' BLOG...

Image copyright MARVEL COMICS

JP over at MY OLD COMICS blog was looking for this ad,

so I thought I'd dig it out for him.  The rest of you are allowed

to look at it as well though, 'cos I'm a generous sort of guy!

FAVOURITE COMICS Of The PAST PART FIFTY-THREE - FANTASTIC FOUR #234...

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

'Twas on one of the upper floors of Glasgow's VIRGIN Megastore in 1981 that I bought the above issue of The FANTASTIC FOUR.  I couldn't say off the top of my head when I'd last read a copy of the FF, but it'd been a good while, probably back in the '70s.  This was the number that brought me back into the fold, and I soon tracked down the previous two issues (the start of JOHN BYRNE's reign) from a shop called WONDERWORLD in Bournemouth.

Altogether, John Byrne wrote and drew 62 issues (and plotted what would've been his 63rd if he'd not moved over to DC to reboot SUPERMAN), plus two annuals, and, in my famously humble opinion, the FF hadn't been so consistently good since the days of STAN & JACK.  This was the issue that drew me back in, and guess what?  The world would never again be the same - for me anyway.

1981, eh?  A whole 36 years ago, yet it seems like only three or four at the very most.  The pics in this post were scanned from the original comic I got back then, which is still in the same condition as when I got it.  If only I were in as good shape as the mag, I'd be a whole lot happier.

Got any memories of this issue?  Then why not use a few seconds of your allotted 15 minutes of fame and share them with us in the comments section?  Go on, we're a willing audience who'd love to read your reminiscences!

"EXTERMINATE!" - DALEKMANIA...

DALEKS copyright BBC TV and the Estate of TERRY NATION.
Dr. WHO copyright BBC TV

Someone asked to see The DALEKS DVD set, so here it is.  There are three cards, two of which feature the two movies, while the third card has an army of the Scions of SKARO.  (Actually, it's only one Dalek, duplicated multiple times.)  The back of each card respectively lists the scene index for the films and DALEKMANIA documentary, and the discs show artwork from the posters.

Here - take a look for yourselves...

PART FIFTY-TWO Of FAVOURITE COMICS Of The PAST - FANTASTIC FOUR #90, Plus 91, 92, 93, 94, & 97...

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

I couldn't swear to it after all this time, but I have a notion I saw The FANTASTIC FOUR #90 while living in our old house, but didn't buy it 'til after moving into our new abode some time later.  Perhaps I should clarify that; I definitely purchased it while in my new home, but maybe first saw it while living in the old one.  Anyway, regardless of where I lived when I first saw it, I bought it in the same shop some weeks or months later.  I know it was the selfsame issue as they only had one copy.

That was sometime in 1972.  In 1973 or '74, I got the next three issues in a shop (perhaps on one of the piers) in Blackpool while on holiday.  Yes, that's right, late '60s issues of the FF (and other titles) were still on sale, brand-new, several years after publication.  Anyway, I also bought some other issues of the cosmic quartet, so now's as good a time as any to show them.  So because I know you care about the details, remember that #90 wasn't bought in Blackpool, but in a local shop called CORSON'S, which yet survives to this very day.  (Update: The premises were bought by a new owner in February of 2018 and refitted and renamed.)

Okay, having refreshed my memory with the above preamble, let's move on to the good part - the covers themselves.  I'm sure you'll find having had to wade through my personal reminiscences a small price to pay for such cataclysmic classics, but if not, then too bad.  Hey, tell you what, why not get your own back on me by sharing your memories of these MARVEL mags in our captivating comments section?  After all, turnabout is fair play, so they say.

  

And now, the splash pages...

 

THE FIRST-EVER DALEK BOOK...

Copyright BBC TV and the Estate of TERRY NATION

Did it!  Finally obtained a copy of The DALEK Book from 1964 (for '65).  I have scans of all three '60s Dalek tomes, which I took from someone else's books while repairing them a few months back.  (Replacing a spine, removing marks, fixing torn pages, etc.)  However, nothing beats having the real thing and now I've got one of them - the very first.  (Update: Now got all three of them - twice over.)

If I ever see inexpensive copies of the other two books in the series, I'll grab them of course (see above update), but I could live with just the first one as it predates TV CENTURY 21 and introduces the EMPEROR Dalek.  When I was a kid, I don't recall seeing any of the books, so I thought the Golden Emperor's first appearance was in TV21 in 1965.  Nope, it was The Dalek Book, issued in 1964.

To celebrate my acquisition, I've decided to share a few pages with you.  As I already said, I've got scans from a friend's book, but you deserve a bit of effort, so I've scanned the pictures on display from my own volume so you won't feel cheated.  Do I spoil you or what?  So enjoy the first three pages from the first comic strip to feature The Daleks, taken, as I said, from their first-ever book.

Well, whaddya think?  Lemme know.

******

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

FAVOURITE COMICS Of The PAST PART FIFTY-ONE - The SILVER SURFER: ISSUES 10 - 14...

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

It was 1973 or '74.  I was in Blackpool on holiday with my parents (both years), and was astonished to find that brand-new, pristine issues of late '60s MARVEL comics (as well as some DC) were readily available (in some shops) straight from the spinner-racks for the decimal equivalent of their original U.K. prices.  I purchased a few FANTASTIC FOUR issues by LEE & KIRBY (which we'll look at another time), but, amazingly, I was also able to pick up five issues of The SILVER SURFER's mag, as fresh as the day they were printed, for a mere 25p (5p each).

So, what accounts for these classic comics still being on sale so many years after they were first published?  (Remember, when you're 14 or 15, three or four years is a sizeable stretch of your young life.)  Well, darned if I know to be honest, but I'm glad they were.  The issues on view here are replacement ones I obtained around 13-odd years later, but one look at these covers and I'm a young lad on holiday in Blackpool again, back in the sizzlin' '70s.  Thing is, these were amongst the best Surfer stories published (in my humble opinion), so I was really lucky to get them.

So savour the sight of these sensational Silver Surfer covers in all their magnificent marvellousness.  And if you have any nostalgic reminiscences of your own associated with these issues, you're more than welcome to share them with all your fellow Criv-ites in our crackin' comments section.  Well - what're you waiting for?  Get typing, or I'll start thinking I'm the only person who reads this blamed blog.  (And my delusions to the contrary are important to me.)

And now - the splash pages...

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #1...

Image copyright MARVEL COMICS

STARLIN, DAVIS and FARMER - what more do you

want from one comic mag?  It's the GUARDIANS Of The

GALAXY #1 - on sale now!  Grab it before it gets away!

CRIVENS' CRACKING COMIC COVERS: BLACK BOLT #1...

Image copyright MARVEL COMICS

This is a cover that speaks for itself, frantic ones, but that won't stop me adding my two cents worth.  (Or should that be 'pence' in my case?)  Anyway, this one's in your local comics store as I type, and though I haven't read it yet, the variant JACK KIRBY cover alone makes it worth having.  Well, what are you waiting for?  Get going!

BABE Of The DAY - BRIGITTE NIELSEN...

BRIGITTE NIELSEN pouts in a

blatant attempt to seduce me.  Hey, Brigitte,

you don't have to try so hard - just buy me a

large fish supper and a can of Coke and I'm

yours!  (But only for one night, mind, and

 then we renegotiate.  Comprende?)

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN EPIC COLLECTION VOLUME SEVEN...

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

My laziness is legendary, so you surely don't expect me to tell you anything about this book, do you?  That's why I show you the back cover with the publisher's spiel about the contents and any other relevant info.  One thing I will tell you though, is that it's on sale now at all good comics shops.  That's all I need to say, so buy one while you can.

BABE Of The DAY - LESLIE BIANCHINI...

LESLIE BIANCHINI can hardly

believe she's actually out on a date with

me.  She keeps glancing over her shoulder

to ensure I'm still here.  Just how insecure

can a gal be, eh?  (Though when you're as

good-looking as me, I suppose it's not

 that difficult to understand.)

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY - MAY 6TH...

Images copyright their respective owners

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY is this Saturday, May 6th, so pop along to your local comics shop and pick up a couple of goodies or so.  Remember though, that while the comics are free to you, the comics store owners still have to pay for them, so as you'll be there anyway, it'd be nice if you bought a little something to help support them in their efforts to cater to your comic book needs.  You know it makes sense.

Here are just some of the comics available on the day.