The mid 1970's was a time when you could simply pop down to your local newsagents and be presented with an wide assortment of US comic books stuffed into spinner racks. And not all of these were Marvel, DC or indeed Atlas, there were other books available from companies like Skywald, Archie, King, Charlton and Gold Key comics. Of these companies Charlton produced many of my favourite titles for the period 1974/75, some of these are shown below:
"The Phantom" issues 67 (heading) and 68 above by Don Newton. I was never really that big a fan of the Phantom as a kid until Don Newton became the regualr artist on the Charlton comic.
"E-Man" isues 10 - Cover by Joe Staton. I have
rambled on about my affection for E-Man in the past but it was a really wonderful comic. Sadly this was the last Charlton issue.
"Vengeance Squad" - Issue 2 - Cover by PAM (Peter Morisi) - In the 1970's TV detective shows were everywhere yet very few comic books really tried to copy this format. Vengeance Squad made a valid attempt to break into the TV detective genre but the title never took off and was cancelled after only 6 issues.
"Doomsday + 1" - Cover by John Byrne - This SF comic was John Byrne's first original colour comic series. The story which lasted for 12 isuses, featured 3 astronauts who return to Earth after a nuclear holocaust wipes out humanity and is worth searching for in the back issue bins.
"Haunted" issue 21 - cover by Don Newton. Charlton were known for their horror/mystery anthology titles each with their own "presenters" (Dr Graves etc) - with issue 21 of "Haunted" the comic introduced Baron Weirwulf as its caretaker to the macabre.
"Ghost Manor" issue 23 -Cover by Tom Sutton - This is simply my all time favourite horror/mystery anotholgy cover. Charlton, and in particular Tom Sutton produced some stunning horror covers.
"Magnus, Robot Fighter" - issue 39 - Cover by Russ Manning - This was the only Gold Key issue of "Magnus, Robot Fighter" that I ever bought.
"Ripleys, Beleive it or Not !" - issue 54 - Ripleys, Beleive it or Not! is a museum full of kitch oddities like shrunken heads, strange animal skeletons etc. It was particaltly popular in the late 1960's to the mid 1970s spawning a film, books and a Gold Key comic that lasted 94 issues. I picked up the above issue up on a holiday visit to the Blackpool Ripley's museum shop . The comic wasn't great but I liked the cover.
As with my previous 3 posts on the 1974/75 spinner rack I end this one with an Atlas/Seaboard cover. This time one of their wonderful black and white magazines "Weird Tales of the Macarbe" issue 1 - cover by Jeff Jone.
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...
Had not even one of those comics, McS, so I obviously had a deprived childhood. I did buy the first ish of E-Man, but that isn't shown here. (May have bought #2 as well, not 100% sure.) Nice cover display, but your typos are still creeping in. Jeff Jone? Put on the pointy hat with the 'D' on it and go and stand in the corner.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid my blogs never going to be an exercise in perfect English Kid I don't have the luxury of free time to spend on this I'm afraid what with work and life. I have to do it when I can (2am this morning) then work, reviewing my typos isn't a priority. I would say I'll take more care when I retire, but I doubt it lol
ReplyDeleteBelieve it or not, McS, I have a 'life' too, and though I might not be in paid employment, I find that I still have plenty of 'work' to do as there's always some task or other that needs seeing to. You make it sound as though typing the right words is a monumentally arduous and 'macarbe' (your word) ordeal.
DeleteI was a devoted Charlton fan during this time. I snapped up those Phantoms, the Vengeance Squad, the E-Man and the Haunted comics instantly. Still have them. The Gold Key stuff not so much. That Atlas-Seaboard mag was not one I saw at the time, but I have added it since. Fantastic stuff!
ReplyDeleteI wasn't a big fan of Vegeance Squad but I really like Charltons Phantom comic. E-Man as you know has always been a big favourite of mine I kept all my Atlas/Seaboard black and white magazines as you say "Fantastic stuff". I think I only have around 5 Gold Key comics in my collection, they weren't a company I was drawn to
ReplyDelete"The mid-1970s was a time when you could simply pop down to your local newsagent and be presented with a wide assortment of US comic books stuffed into spinner racks..."
ReplyDeleteNot where I lived, Paul - it was Marvel UK or nothing.
I always assumed that newsagents in the UK all sold US comics Colin. Perhaps because I went to school in one largish town and lived in another around 7 miles away gave me access to more newsagents.
DeleteAnother great set of covers, Paul. I was never a collector of Charlton comics - I suppose I snobbishly looked down on them as second-tier to DC and Marvel - but I did make a point of collecting the E-Man books, when they started appearing on the spinner rack in the 70s. Your final cover of Weird Tales of the Macabre jogged my memory of having bought that one - had totally forgotten it until now.
ReplyDeleteI didn't buy a lot of Charlton Comics Ian, but those that I did pick up I mostly enjoyed although it has to be said they did publish some poor strips. But early Charlton comics featured some nice Don Newton, Jim Aparo, Mike Zack etc. art.
ReplyDelete