4-15-20: NOTE - In refreshing this post, I inadvertently chose cover images in the "on sale" category at Mike's. All other links in this post point to the original direction originally intended. Thanks for your understanding.
Doug: Here's the link to Mike's Amazing World of Comics. Below, click on the date to be taken to the Comic Book Database for more particulars.
14 comments:
Looking over the titles at Mike's, I can see I had quite a few of the DC explosion/implosion titles that were purchased on the cheap a few years later (ca. 1981), like Black Lightning, Freedom Fighters, Karate Kid, Mr. Miracle (by Englehart & Rogers!), Richard Dragon and the Secret Society of Super-villains.
The ones I recall actually pulling off of the spinner rack are Star Wars #3, DC Special Series #1 (the fantastic 5-star spectacular - that's one I wish I still had) and Peter Parker, Spectacular Spider-man #10. The latter was the first issue of that series I ever bought, and it was my introduction to the White Tiger as well. Great stuff!
Oh yeah, almost forgot: the official Richie Rich count is 15.
I'd thought that Marvel annuals weren't available in the UK but I definitely remember that Howard The Duck annual, "The Thief Of Bagmom", being advertised so maybe some were available after all. I also remember the Conan Treasury Edition being advertised which I didn't own but I did have the previous one with "Red Nails" in it - I bought it in August 1977 even though it had 1975 on the cover, still available to buy two years later :)
Am I seeing 23 Archie titles?? Man alive. . .
And I see that, other than the one defiant Sad Sack title (which could certainly be considered a legacy book), Harvey has stripped its line to 15 (FIFTEEN!!!) Richie Rich books, and abandoned all of its other characters by this point. Ah, Hot Stuff, we hardly knew ye...
At least five books (mostly Charleton) with the word "Ghost" in the title. Can't go wrong there.
Honestly, so many of the titles here that were soon to be victims of the DC Implosion are the ones that have the strongest cover-appeal to me. Both the JSA & Star Hunter covers that Doug chose really pop out, y'know?
And clearly this was an off-month for the forever bi-monthly resurgent All-New, All-Different Uncanny X-Men. (How on earth did it ever survive that glacial pace-?)
I've about 20 of the titles here-- including that issue of Thor. Pretty sure it was one of those 3-issues-at-once on the spinner rack personal mandate purchases. No memory of the story, and that cover does nothing for me at all, frankly. ("Oh dear, Odin's gone malevolent/rogue/evil/bad! THAT'S never been tried before!"-- at least I assume that's what I'm looking at. . . )
HB
I vividly remember that Conan treasury - Barry Smith's Song of the Red Sonja and Black Colossus by the mighty Buscema/Alcala team, in that large format. Wow.
Theres the last issue of 2001, a series that seems to get a bit of flak online but I loved it (although that last storyline introducing Machine Man was probably the weakest of the run). Jack Kirby was obviously nearing the end of his return engagement at Marvel at this point, which might explain why he was at a low ebb - I see the Eternals in the middle of that pointless fight with the (robot) Hulk, and a flat Captain America (an issue of Kirby's Cap that isn't great - hard to believe, isn't it?). Mind you, his Black Panther was good value.
Howard the Duck 16, the deadline doom all-text issue - that was an odd one. And not in a good way. The Marvel ERB stuff looked impressive but was a bit of a dry read.
Definitely changing times at the house of ideas
Apart from Jonah Hex - in his Garcia-Lopez era, no? - I don't recognize any of the DC covers. Come to think of it, I don't recall many DC comics from the later 70s so I wonder if problems with Transatlantic distribution were adding to their business woes...
Btw Colin, I recall seeing other US Marvel annuals in the UK.
I think there was a general policy to avoid distributing something that might be confused with the UK reprints, and because of course we all know annuals are large hardback books, the US ones were often not imported. But some made it through - I definitely found a few in 77 (just as well - there were some really good ones that year!)
-sean
I would have bought Avengers, Justice League of America, Superboy & the Legion of Super-Heroes, and the Fantastic Four off the spinner rack. In addition, I actually bought Godzilla #2, the only issue of Godzilla I ever bought. I also Bought Iron Fist #15 as a back issue back in the late 70’s/early 80’s because of the X-Men appearance. Funny, no X-Men this month. I forget that it was still bi-monthly at this point.
Recently, I’ve gotten Marvel Tw-in-One, Black Panther, Karate Kid, the Secret Society of Super-Villains, The Eternals, Captain America,
Wow! That was a really good month for comics that year. I vividly recall buying ASM Annual #11, Marvel Team-Up #61, ASM #172, and Spectacular Spider-Man #10. All of those comics made a lasting impression on me for some reason.
I also remember reading Avengers #163, FF #186, Marvel's Greatest Comics #72, Human Fly #1, Invaders #20 and Annual #1, Nova #13, SHAZAM #31, Marvel Tales #83, Flash #253, Black Lightning #4, Batman Family , Freedom Fighters #10, and Defenders #51.
But there was so much more awesome stuff I would have read as well (if I had the cash), DD #148, Iron Fist #15, Hulk #215, Marvel Two-In-One #31, Master of Kung-Fu #56, Thor #263, JLA #146, Iron Man #102, etc., etc.
I tell you, if the comic racks still looked like that today, I'd still be buying them every week, and my wallet would be a lot thinner.
Boy it sure would, William-! Figuring in a premium price for any annuals, your list today would certainly set you back well over $100, and I think would likely be pushing $120. That's assuming a standard cover price of $4 at this point, which is still the case, yes?
Sheesh-- I'll never get over it. . . I won't. . .
HB
Ah but HB - aren't modern comics generally consumed more through the (better value) collected edition? Granted, that's still costlier than the old days, but the better reproduction seems a worthwhile trade-off. And no annoying month long wait in the middle of a storyline.
(Might be a lot less expensive digitally, but I'm too much of a luddite paperhead to know much about that)
Its more the editorial approach and writing that puts me off current mainstream US comics.
(Hmm - that last bit sounds predictably "get off my lawn" doesn't it? But we like what we like.)
-sean
-sean
You'd think Ritchie Rich could spring for tickets to the game instead of making his friends watch it on a forklift, Doug! Also I just picked up the Star Hunters comic a couple days ago--nice art by Don Newton, haven't read it yet.
Like William, I get excited looking at the lineup of covers here. J. Buscema on Conan and Tarzan, Wrightson on Swamp Thing (wraparound cover on these reprints, my first exposure to Swamp Thing), nice Invaders cover by Kane, Vampirella painting, Staton in JSA, striking Adams cover on 5 Star Superhero Spectacular (I see Staton has a Green Lantern story in this one, Edo)... even Human Fly looks exciting this month! The Archie #265 cover reminds me of the CB radio craze in the '70s-- I had a code book that translated all the 10-4 type CB lingo.
Interesting, that Batman family lists two pencilers for one story, Don Newton and Marshall Rogers. I never read the Kiss special--probably quite exciting at the time. The Avengers cover makes me want to see the fight between Iron Man and Hercules. I wasn't buying new comics yet, but there was a good selection at the second hand store, and I would have been excited to check out many of this month's issues.
Boy, I blew a lot on comics that month! Like Garrett, the Swamp Thing special stands out- worth the purchase just for the cover!
Also recall fondly Detective ( in that classic Englehart/Rogers run) and Daredevil. Alas, my fave the web-slinger was featuring Rocket Racer that issue. Oh well, they can't all be Mysterios' or Goblins...
My own fond memories of this month are Iron Fist #15 (reviewed on the BAB by Karen), Superboy/Legion #231 (reviewed by both of us), and Marvel Super Special #5 featuring the comic book debut of KISS (which I need to get around to selling soon!). Great month to be a comics buyer!
Doug
I've read a number of these, but I'm not sure how many I would've had at the time (since I was only 5 then); I may have the Spideys (with Rocket Racer and White Tiger respectively) and maybe that Black Lightning guest-starring Superman. I recently got all the original Black Lightning run, but I haven't read it yet. Currently I'm reading old Batman stuff and I JUST read Detective 472 last night...Redartz is right, it's a great Hugo Strange story by Englehart/Rogers.
Mike Wilson
That Spider-Man annual was one of the first comics I purchased with my own money. It had the goofy concept of three stuntman thugs getting costumes that enhanced their strength etc. I still remember so much of it though. And it had some the earlies John Romita Jr work inside.
Garett, Star Hunters is a series I'd really like to read - I'm also a fan of Newton's art. As for the GL story in the 5-Star Spectacular, I recall reading somewhere that it was the first Green Lantern story drawn by Staton.
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