Summer is here! Back in the summer of 1975, Young Groove could be found under a shady tree soaking up the four color wonders we're about to re-visit. T'was a bit harder to get all the comics I wanted that summer, since we'd moved from Harlan County and my beloved Mack's (sort of an early Wal-Mart with the best selection of comics, magazines, and paperbacks in the history of the world) to Knox County where, at first, stores that sold comics were a mite scarce. When we first moved in the spring of 1975, we spent an entire Saturday, covered three counties (yeah, my folks really loved me!!) checking out every establishment that might possibly sell comics. By the time summer hit, I'd found a couple grocery stores, a drugstore, and a department store that kept me swimming in superheroes, baby! In celebration of that glorious summer, today and tomorrow Ol' Groove's gonna share a mere sampling of the wonders my Saturday treks to those various stores wrought. Today, it's Marvel and DC. Tomorrow, it's everybody else! Ready? Set? Go!
It was a summer of beginnings and endings. Marvel's Giant-Size comics were making their last hurrah's as "annual" reprints, Jack Kirby was finishing his gig at DC, Marvel's B&W mags were in a major state of upheaval with most of the monster mags being canceled and being replaced by more sword and sorcery and experimental mags, DC was expanding its line of double-sized "Family" mags, and a little team called the All-New, All-Different X-Men was turning fandom on its ear by killing off a member in their second adventure.
See ya tomorrow for the wrap-up with Charlton, Atlas/Seaboard, and the rest! Don'tcha miss it, now!
Groove, I envy your ancientness! I turned four in August of '75, so my comic reading career would not begin until the following year (with the likes of FF #167). But in seeing the covers of those wunnerful books you've posted, I can easily imagine hair-helmeted, burgundy-corduroyed me reading those in the hot Florida sun, with a Black Panther cup Slurpee by my side...
ReplyDeleteBTW, a new blog with my own (meager) contribution to '60-'70s "culture":
The Neo-Edwardian Hipster
Wow, this brings back memories for me, too. I think I paged through my first comic books (an issue of Marvel Tales with Spider-man fighting the Prowler & an issue of Capt. America that I just can't remember) earlier that year (or late '74, not sure). By the summer of '75 I still wasn't following any series regularly, but I was haphazardly picking up comics with characters I liked and/or cool covers. The Marvel Team-up with the Beast is the first issue of that series I ever had, and I remember I was actually able to talk my mom into buying me that Secret Origins of Super-villains Collector's Edition. Meanwhile, a friend of mine had the Giant-size FF and Iron and let me read them. Great stuff! Thanks for posting...
ReplyDeleteHey Groovster!
ReplyDeleteWOW! Now I remember hy I worked so hard as a 13/14 year old. Collecting soda bottles, painting fences/rooms & collecting car & truck! Batteries. So I could try & buy everything!
Indeed this was a sad year in one sense. Beside's the constant price increases. My favorite monster B & W's & Marvel GS were all going away! Even though we got other great mags like Marvel's SF, adventure. Also DC's great giant 100 pagers, the New X-Men arrived!
Even though they killed my second favorite New X-Men Thunderbird! GGGRRR!! Man I loved those Gil Kane & Jim Aparo beautiful covers! Plus those beautifully painted covers as well. Keep um coming True Believer!
I recognize that XMen, Thor, Champions and Invaders, possibly some others as books I also bought. I didn't like 'em offing Tbird and I was already disappointed that they took a guy with claws in his gloves and made him a mutant...but they're still enjoying that one ($$$).
ReplyDeleteyou and i were comic book buying brothers from different mothers, groove. man, i miss those old black & white magazines. :)
ReplyDeleteMay I ask you , How do you make these collages?
ReplyDeleteI have some on my myspace but not like these...you have a lot of stuff here and they're visible. On myspace you can only choose a certain number.
You guys really have my envy! For whatever goofy reason, comic books were a big no-no when I was a kid. I turned 8 the fall of '75, so I would've been the perfect age for all this great stuff. Last night I couldn't sleep, so I logged on and looked at each and every one of these covers; eventually, I went back to bed feeling pretty good. Thanks, Groove!
ReplyDeleteNever thought of celebrating my..."ancientness" before, C.K. Thanks...I think. Awesome blog, btw! I'm a follower, now!
ReplyDeleteEdo, Mike, SirWintery--glad to bring back groovy memories, dudes! T'was my intent. Mission accomplished!
Andy, I share your love for B&W mags--but you already know that! Wouldn't you love to do a 39 page Conan or Hulk B&W masterpiece? I'd love to see you do a classic Star-Lord! Yowza!
Mikeyboy, I just set the pic uploader to "small" and "none" (rather than left, right, or center) and load 'em up five at a time.
Joplin John, DOtGK is here for ya, man, 24/7! 8 was the age I went nutso for comics. I wish you could'a been there, lol!
Wow! That 'Masters of Terror' magazine is one elusive gem! I can remember reading most of these, although I think a few of them I had to wait a few years to acquire as back issues. Luckily, here in Chicagoland, we had stores that specialized in comics early on. That Warlock cover is classic Starlin, but I'm not sure I can say the same for Robbins in that Invaders. I remember reading that issue over and over and asking myself: "is this art any good?!"
ReplyDelete