Hey, Kids! Comics from 50 Years Ago!
May 19 & 21, 1970
Groovy Age Splash Page of the Week
Groovy Age Spotlight On...The Archies!
Yeah, Groove-ophiles! Let's (bubblegum) rock a bit with The Archies! When I was just a Li'l Groove, The Archies were my absolute favorite thing! The comics, the cartoons, and the records were a huge part of my daily life (well, the cartoons were just on Saturdays, but ya know what I mean). I had no idea who Ron Dante or Toni Wine, who made up the "real" Archies, were. Being a naïve little kid, I believed it was really my favorite cartoon characters singing those songs! (Even if the speaking voices Dallas McKennon, Howard Morris, John Erwin, or Jane Webb in no way matched the singing voices. What did I know?) And yeah, I watched every version of the cartoons from The Archie Show and Archie's Funhouse right on through--gulp--Archie's TV Funnies and U.S. of Archie! Anywho, my love for The Archies' music started with the music segments on the cartoons and led directly to the first single, "Bang-Shang-a-Lang"/"Truck Driver", then right on to the albums Everything's Archie and The Archie's Greatest Hits--which I still have to this very day!
Here are two of my favorites by The Archies--not their biggest hits, but two, imho, of their best and most endearing: from Everything's Archie "Circle of Blue" and from The Archies' Greatest Hits "Seventeen Ain't Young". (If you like even more cheese than Ol' Groove, you can scroll back to the beginning of each song; if not, I skipped the "Dance Lessons" for ya...)
Yeah, Groove-ophiles! Let's (bubblegum) rock a bit with The Archies! When I was just a Li'l Groove, The Archies were my absolute favorite thing! The comics, the cartoons, and the records were a huge part of my daily life (well, the cartoons were just on Saturdays, but ya know what I mean). I had no idea who Ron Dante or Toni Wine, who made up the "real" Archies, were. Being a naïve little kid, I believed it was really my favorite cartoon characters singing those songs! (Even if the speaking voices Dallas McKennon, Howard Morris, John Erwin, or Jane Webb in no way matched the singing voices. What did I know?) And yeah, I watched every version of the cartoons from The Archie Show and Archie's Funhouse right on through--gulp--Archie's TV Funnies and U.S. of Archie! Anywho, my love for The Archies' music started with the music segments on the cartoons and led directly to the first single, "Bang-Shang-a-Lang"/"Truck Driver", then right on to the albums Everything's Archie and The Archie's Greatest Hits--which I still have to this very day!
Here are two of my favorites by The Archies--not their biggest hits, but two, imho, of their best and most endearing: from Everything's Archie "Circle of Blue" and from The Archies' Greatest Hits "Seventeen Ain't Young". (If you like even more cheese than Ol' Groove, you can scroll back to the beginning of each song; if not, I skipped the "Dance Lessons" for ya...)
My favorite song by the Archie's was Jingle Jangle, I must have worn a hole in my bedroom floor dancing to that lol
ReplyDeleteThat's a fave, for sure. It, Sugar Sugar, and Bang-Shang-a-Lang are huge with my grandkids (raising them right)!
DeleteGreat Superman page you posted there, Groove! You can't beat Swanderson on the Man of Steel.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Archies: like you, I was a big fan. Didn't have the lps, but did have a record cut off the back of a box of cereal (Honeycombs, if memory serves). "Jingle Jangle" played frequently on our humble record player, with a penny placed upon it to keep the cardboard disc from slipping on the turntable.
And I too watched the shows, with the exception of "US of Archie"- was mostly out of cartoons by then. But I also picked up stacks of Archie comics, an Archie puzzle, Welch's glasses, and a cool mini-comic from "Indian Corn Chips" (wish I still had that)...
Ooh, yeah, had almost all the Welch's glasses! Those were so great! The digest comics are Archie's greatest legacy, though. I've bought them for decades!
DeleteGreat to see the cover of Astonishing Tales #1! I remember that you posted Wood's Dr. Doom story from that issue six years ago:
ReplyDeletehttps://diversionsofthegroovykind.blogspot.com/2014/05/bring-on-back-ups-unto-you-is-bornthe.html?m=1
A pleasure to see again!
Regards,
Chris A.
That cover to AT #1 is definitely a grabber!
DeleteOur Love Story no. 6 has a Romita cover and inside stories drawn by John Buscema, Gene Colan and Vince Colletta (reprint) and letters page art by Sal Buscema and Romita. Dick Ayers inked the Colan story and Frank Giacoia inked Buscema. I own the issue before this one and the art is superb.
ReplyDeleteGene Poole
The Mighty Marvel Bullpen was definitely skilled at drawing a variety of genres!
DeleteThe romance books must have been selling well at the time, or Stan Lee wouldn't have had his top tier artists working on them. I know that John Buscema once asked to draw a western, and Stan said he'd have to take a pay cut because the genre didn't sell like it once did. John stayed with Conan and other mainstream titles.
DeleteGene Poole
The Archies were okay, but I liked the Monkees more, and the Beatles a LOT more.
ReplyDeleteDidn't Andy Kim write Sugar Sugar? Sounds like one of his.
- Neil
Like I said, for moi and being a pre-schooler, The Archies ruled. In a couple of years, I really got into reruns of The Monkees. The Beatles cartoon was a little before my memories kick in, but, yeah, I dig a lot of their music, too. ;D
DeleteOh, and Andy Kim co-wrote "Sugar Sugar" with Jeff Barry, that's true!
DeleteWhile I wasn't a huge fan of the Archies, I do remember "Sugar Sugar" fondly, especially when it was covered by Wilson Pickett! Highly recommended. Also, I love that issue of Astonishing Tales: both Barry Smith and Wally Wood in the same book! Fantastic!
DeleteBest,
John
I own Hot Wheels #3! Neal Adans cover art and Toth inked by Colletta inside. There may be a Ric Estrada backup story in that one, too. Will have to peek in the long box and see.
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Chris A.
Posting this for Gene because of a blurple on my end...
ReplyDeleteI never knew that Wanted appeared as a one-off DC Special before the series came out in 1972. At that time I didn't have access to a lot of Golden age material, so I enjoyed seeing these villains in their debut stories reprinted in Wanted, just like the Famous First Editions DC published in their oversized Limited Collectors Edition series. Great fun!
Gene Poole
I see that Gold Key released six comics this week 50 years ago. Wikipedia has a very informative article about the company which explains its affiliation with and difference from Dell and Whitman.
ReplyDelete- Neil
In the '70s Marvel's Greatest Comics & Marvel Tales were a great way for me to catch up on Silver Age classics I had missed, & eventually I purchased a number of the original titles, having read thr reprints.
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Chris A.