On the good news side I am two issues away from completing the 41 issue run, plus 3 annuals, of DC Comics 1980s series The All Star Squadron. This was Roy Thomas's series set in the 1940s and featuring pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths DC characters from that period.
Now, that makes me a happy bunny because a few issues were stolen from when they first appeared in newsagents -back in the 1980s comic speciality stores in the UK were still a rarity though Bristol did have a few -Quicksilver Comics in Totterdown, Forever People in Gloucester Road and Broadmead, and so on.
I had hoped that I might get the whole series in the black and white DC Showcase Present All Star Squadron book but a couple of cross-overs were left out and now, if rumours are correct, DC is dropping the title to sell them as archive hardbacks featuring 3-4 issues at a time -at a huge price.
And these were great comics when DC actually produced....great comics!
The other "Happy Bunny" news is that I am also near completing the run of Marvel Comics 1970s series set during World War 2 -The Invaders.
Sub-Mariner, The Human Torch and Toro, Captain America and Bucky plus a host of guests including Union Jack (I and II), The Destroyer and the Young Allies plus more...including The Mighty Thor!
Its the team-up that began in the 1940s with The All Winners Squad.
Oh, and written by....Roy Thomas.
All good stories and weaving a continuity that should have served Marvel well -Torch, Sub-Mariner and Captain America guest starred and thought Yellow Jacket, Black Panther and the Vision on the streets of Nazi occupied Paris in Avengers (vol.1) #71...1969?
But the Invaders also clashed with The Fantastic Four in the Fantastic Four King Size Annual #11 (1976)...which I have yet to get.
Yeah, this was when Marvel could also produce great comics...and didn't have to go to Dynamite Entertainment to produce Avengers Versus Invaders -I mean, W....T....F was THAT about?????
And My Marvel Comics Machine Man run is complete. Yey!
Yes, I gave up on current DC and Marvel and decided its time to just complete runs of comics were issues were stolen, destroyed or just not available in shops in the 1970s and 1980s. Oh, for a complete run of The Sub-Mariner!
Off to rub myself down with comic bags!
Yep. Those were the days. I remember buying and reading a few of those titles myself. I wasn't a great fan of All Star Squadron - but some of the art was fantastic. Was it Rich Buckler ? I can't remember the name. This and the photo at the Westminster Comic Event you posted a few days ago has brought back that nostalgic feeling.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Rich Buckler was one of the great artists on the series. I remember that Westminster photo as you screamed: "Get that ******* camera out my ******* face you ******* paparazzi ******!" You said "asterisk" a lot in those days. Last great (hot and sunny) days of trudging between comic company offices in London and meeting up at Westminster. That magnificent, sexually potent beard! That lovely, dense, sexy dark hair. I looked good then. oh. and the rest of you.
ReplyDeleteI still say 'asterisk' a lot - just not in front of small kids - as I'll prove in a bit. You still have the beard, Terry...though I don't recall you having the sobriquet 'Mad Mullah'. Still, that'd be a great name for a pro-wrestler, wouldn't it ? You made a point a few 'blogs' back that Marvel/DC don't take on 'white supremacist groups' or 'Militia' issues in their comics. I think that's true. Perhaps it's up to independents to do that. I remember reading about Rick Veitch's 'Love@War' comic - I never read it, but I think that is the forum for the debate. The 'big boys' won't touch risky issues until they can see the bottom line. Think swearing and Mark Millar. Think 'bad superheroes' and Dark Knight. Show the dog the rabbit, and it will run. The only reason Stan Lee and Marvel circa 60's got the breaks they did ( and the problems they did ) was due to the success of the initial stories. Remember -the Thing was in FF because it was a monster, and horror was a seller. The money fucking **** men have their hands on the ****** *** ****** and Marvel and DC are ***** to that influence. So -the place for that debate; what is the future of comics and it's form, is with the independents; not the ***** big ***** boys. Please excuse the asterisks.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to take my meds now - so imagine how depressed I'm going to be ? Hey Ho. I'll smile.
You ******* Come on my ***** blog and ******* use asterisks ******* everywhere!!! Yeah, "Mad Mullah", I think, came from Tom (Lovely) Elmes. But like "Hooper the ex-Storm Trooper" I refrained from using it. Thing is that the Americans like to think they are "worldly wise" and know it all but they are not. Even now "inter-racial" porn is VERY titillating to Americans. Considering there is only ONE human race that is a dense and stupid title. "mixed race marriages" is another - but its all about the money. Stan & Co. knew their audience and proved it with sales -the bosses saw their wallets getting fatter so they let it continue. Marvel was a decade(?) ahead of DC by using black characters who were not just cameos. Upset the pro gun/pro racism lobbies....that could mean a few dollars less in profit. Independents...well it depends which bit of the Indie market because most want to be the new DC or Marvel. Sad.
ReplyDeleteLook, just take care of yourself and relax...is that possible? ;-)