Tuesday, September 23, 2008

DC's Comicmobile

Back in 1973, DC Comics really got Young Groove's hopes up, then dashed them to the ground. They ran this "Behind the Scenes" piece that summer, claiming that the comicbook world was about to be revolutionized with the introduction of the "Comicmobile"--a mobile comics shop (okay, a van with a dude hawking comics, but still...)! Here, read it for yourself. I'll wait.

(Click it, ya dingbat!)


Didja catch that last line? "Meanwhile, keep your ears open for a ringing bell and the words 'Faster than a speeding bullet...' echoing down your street. The DC COMICMOBILE may be coming to your neighborhood next!" I spent days, DAYS, I tell ya, waiting outside, listening for that jive bell.

It never came!

But it did exist. Despite what DC's hype page says, the Comicmobile was really the brainchild of the late comics entrepreneur, Bruce Hamilton (pictured at the top of this post). DC tried it out in select areas, decided it was too costly, and shelved the project. But they never mentioned that fact in their "Behind the Scenes" or even "Direct Currents" pages.

I had whole dollar saved up, DC. I had my running legs in shape (practiced chasing the Ice Cream Man, natch). I was ready, man, totally ready.

I'm still bummed out about that one.

You can read all about the Comicmobile from one of its actual drivers, Bob (the Answer Man) Rozakis right here. Me, I'm gonna pile a bunch of old comics in the back of my SUV and...naw, in this day and age, a grown man trying to sell comics out of his vehicle would just wind up in the slammer.

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Special thanks to Mike's Amazing World of Comics and Grand Comics Database for being such fantastic resources for covers, dates, creator info, etc. Thou art treasures true!


Note to "The Man": All images are presumed copyright by the respective copyright holders and are presented here as fair use under applicable laws, man! If you hold the copyright to a work I've posted and would like me to remove it, just drop me an e-mail and it's gone, baby, gone.


All other commentary and insanity copyright GroovyAge, Ltd.

As for the rest of ya, the purpose of this blog is to (re)introduce you to the great comics of the 1970s. If you like what you see, do what I do--go to a comics shop, bookstore, e-Bay or whatever and BUY YOUR OWN!