Tales from the past viewed through rose tinted glasses
Tuesday, July 19, 2022
Favourite comics: Howard the Duck issue 1
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I was probably about seven years old when I walked into my local newsagents in Cambuslang (near Glasgow) with my pocket money firmly he... -
Following on from my last post featuring some of my favourite Marvel comic book covers from 1973, I thought I would show some of DC's ... -
Nearly a half-century on I still consider 1973 to be the year that cemented my destiny in becoming a lifetime comic book fan. It was a yea...
I read these delightful issues again last year and enjoyed them mightily., Howard was a sensation in 1976 when the gimmick of lunatic media creations running for president was considered a lark and not a grim reality. I think Howard is a character who made more sense to an older me, a me who had suffered a few more of life's slings and arrows and could identify a bit more with a character who was weary of a strange world.
ReplyDeleteI remember those US election buttons featuring Howard and the "Get down America" party, I even read that he got some write in votes ( if that was possible) . As the parodies in HtD were obviously American based a lot of it went over my head at the time, but like yourself in rereading them, they made more sense. I must be part duck as I now get the world weary aspect of Howard's personality :)
DeleteAbout 20 years ago Howard became Howard The Rat for a while which was meant to be a parody of Mickey Mouse or something. But by 2010 he was back to being a duck again and I bought a few issues of the new Howard The Duck series from that time.
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing that "Howard the Rat" cover at the time, hard to believe that was 20 years ago Colin. I wonder if that was also a tip of the hat to "Stewart the Rat" book that Gerber wrote ( drawn by Gene Colon ) to help raise funds to aid his lawsuit against Marvel!?. I haven't read any Howard comics since the original series ended.
DeleteI remember picking this up at a local newsagent along with Cap America #193 ( the return of Kirby). Happy times...but sad times too, as once Brunner had left HTD none of the top stars of the era appeared to be doing comics anymore....Smith, Adams, Kaluta, Wrightson, Starlin. Thank goodness for the arrival of Byrne, Golden, Rogers and Perez! By the way amongst the ups and downs of HTD was the newspaper strip, where Gerber and Colan from memory lost shedloads of money ( or rather gave up timely paying gigs, for work that paid months late).
ReplyDeleteI liked Gene Colons work on Howard one Brunner left, especially his work in the black and white Howard the Duck magazine, which Golden also contributed to. It would have been nice if Brunner had drawn more issues but your right at that time a lot of the greats were becommung a bit istale and were less and less involved in comics. I didn't know that about the newspaper strip, actually I don't think I I've ever seen it.
ReplyDeleteI was a little late to collecting Howard The Duck, my first issue being Howard The Duck #2, after which I was hooked.
ReplyDeleteOn 22nd March 1976, during school lunch break, I picked up the new Marvels - Howard The Duck #2, Captain America #196 (Jack Kirby), Daredevil #132 (Bob Brown and Klaus Jansen) - all the aforementioned at 9p each - and Doc Savage B&W #24 for 25p.
After school I cycled home to watch the Batman episode "The Joker Goes to School"
What a time to be a comic fan!
I can't recall exactly where and when I saw and bought Howard the Duck issue 1 baggsey , I was certainly at school but not sure of the details other than being chuffed I got the first issue and loving it . It was certainly a great time for comics which for me was Starlins Warlock, Dave Cockrums X-Men, Conan, Dr Strange and the many new characters l ike Black Goliath and the Champions etc the latter 2 weren't great comics but exciting times.
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