Groovin' Back in the Summertime: July 1970

What it is, Groove-ophiles! You seem to really be digging these titanic trips down memory lane to summers past, so Ol' Groove thought he'd share the covers to the mags I remember my 6 year old self getting in July of 1970. Now, by this time, I'd finished first grade and was a pretty decent reader (thanks to Dear Ol' Mom giving me plenty of reading lessons before I ever even started school). Because of this, Li'l Groove was buying more comics, but they were still pretty random--just characters or covers that caught my eye. Some were hand-me-downs from aunts and uncles who'd just finished reading them and just dropped 'em in my lap for keeps (Ol' Groove has a far-out family, lemme tell ya). Bear in mind, the biggest compulsion to for Li'l Groove to get a comic was familiarity via seeing the cartoons on TV. I was an Archie cartoon nut, and Superman, Batman, Aquaman, the Justice League, and the Teen Titans had loomed large in my Saturday mornings, hence the large number of DC's. I was just discovering the Marvel heroes via cartoon on Cincinnati's WXIX Channel 19 through the wild and wonderful Larry Smith and His Puppets show (which all of us kids referred to as "Hattie the Witch" since that was Smith's main character), but they were really capturing my imagination. I looked ahead (via Mike's Amazing World of Comics's nifty Newsstand) at August 1970,  and found that of the eight comics I got that month, five were Marvels. Yeah, it would be a few more months before my infatuation grew into full-blown fanaticism, but it was a-comin'! Anywho, check out these covers and see if any of 'em ring any bells for you!

Groovin' Back In the Summertime: June 1968

Hey, hey, hey, Groove-ophiles! We're gonna take one more loving look back at comics that came out in the month of June; this time we're going back 50 years to 1968! What was playing on the radio during those trips to the ever reliable King Kwik (where I'd always get a new comic)? Money Money, Jumpin' Jack Flash, Do You Know the Way to San Jose?, This Guys In Love With You, A Man Without Love, Mrs. Robinson, The Look of Love, and my neighborhood pals' fave Yummy Yummy Yummy! On TV, Rowan and Martin were sockin' it to us on Laugh-In, but I can also remember Family Affair, Dark Shadows, and Candid Camera lighting up the boob-tube a my house. Li'l Groove was too young for the movies, but if I could time-travel back to the Woodlawn, Twin, Oakley, Jolly Roger, or Forest Auto drive-ins during June 1968, I'd surely go see Bandolero!, Rosemary's Baby, and Speedway--and I'd hope Planet of the Apes was still running at one of 'em, too! Now, Li'l Groove was not yet five years old, but I can still remember actually getting the comics below off the sensational spinner racks at the aforementioned King Kwik. I didn't get a lot of comics (yet), but they were some good ones. I still have some of 'em, believe it or don't. The thing I remember most about this particular batch was Dear Ol' Dad's reaction to the cover of Hawk and Dove #1 (he thought it was really weird!) and that Flash #181 was my first experience with a continued story. I didn't know how to deal with that, yet, but I'd soon learn.

Dear Ol' Mom picked this one out. She loves Deadman!

If you're interested in all the comics available in June 1968 head over to Mike's Amazing World of Comics Newsstand!

Groovin' Back In the Summer Time: June 1978

June 1978! Grease was the word, my high school freshman years was behind me, and The DC Explosion was underway! Outside it was hot, but the comics were hotter, and boy, was it a great month to be a comics fan! Now, Teen Groove didn't buy every comic that came out that fateful month, but he sure gave it a try! Got these either from the spinner racks at the Rexall, Mitchell's Market, or Bookland, or off the bottom rack of the magazine shelf at Convenient FoodMart. Like a big game hunter, Teen Groove tracked 'em all down--and weren't there some doozies in this bunch?

Got this one at Bookland the evening we saw Grease!