The UK "Titans" comic was launched 48 years ago on 25 October 1975. In common with most British Marvel titles the "Titans" was a black and white anthology, however unlike almost any other comic the "Titans" was printed in a landscape format (bound around the short edge rather than the long edge). This meant that each 32 page comic contained up to 60 pages of reading material. The "Titans" ran for 58 issues before being merged into the “Super Spider-Man” title (with # 199) which itself had moved to the landscape format with issues 158. By issue 228 "Spider-Man and the Titans" had reverted to the more traditional portrait format and with issue 230 the"Titans" name was taken off the "Super Spider-Man" title.
Above, The Inhumans (originally published in “Amazing Adventures” #1, August 1970 ) as presented in the landscape format. Despite the abundance of comic material on offer each week including Captain America, Captain Marvel, Inhumans, Sub-Mariner, S.H.I.E.L.D, X-Men, Ghost Rider, the FF and many more, the Titans was never a big favourite of mine. This was not just because of the format but also due to the fact that the title never seemed to have a settled cast or any regular "star"feature.
As was the case with most British comics the first issue featured a free gift. In this case, the "Titans" featured one of my all time favourite free gifts the above full colour John Buscema poster. This was originally used for the 1975 "Mighty Marvel Comic Con" - I only ever kept the first issue of the "Titans" and few scattered issues and can't recall if there were any other free gifts with issue 2 or 3? - poster image from ebay.
The new landscape format also meant that when the title used the original US covers a lot of cut and pasting was required along with the redrawing of the background art in order for the original illustration to fit the new format as can be seen by the above issue of "Titans" (#27) and the orignal cover from FF #84 (cover from the Grand comic database). This may explain why most Titans covers were (for the most part) pretty poor originals.
The "Titans" spawned 2 annuals in 1977 and 1978 (published in the traditional portrait format). In 1980, the title was briefly revived under Dez Skinn when it was published as a monthly pocket book (featuring Captain America, Iron Man and Thor).This series ran for 13 issues between September 1980 and November 1981 before the title was eventually returned to comic book limbo.
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 have precious few British comics in my collection and no issues of Titans that I remember. And given that it was a different layout I'd likely remember. That John Buscema poster is a keeper for certain.
ReplyDeleteTitans should have been better than it was considering that it reprinted strips like the original Captain Marvel, Captain America etc but for myself at least it left me flat . Yeah big John's poster is a cracker, the saving grace of the title.
ReplyDeleteWhat was misleading was the claim that every issue would contain a new poster. Naturally, readers assumed it would be a separate colour poster similar in quality to the first one. No, they were specially drawn for the centrespreads and were only in b&w - and if you removed them to hang on your wall, anything on the back went with them. In most (if not all) instances, covers and some splash pages were completely redrawn in as close a style to the originals as the artist could manage, they weren't 'cut and pastes'.
ReplyDeleteI have every issue of The Titans, plus the two Annuals, as well as the Pocket Books. I've also got that colour poster. (In better nick than the one you show - wha's like me?!)
Some of those posters were really poor ( of the issues I bought) I only have the first issue of Titans and 6 scattered copies in its run . Actually I took the poster image from Ebay as my copy is to big to scan (I thought I noted that when I attached the pic) saying that imy poster has been folder for about 48 years so it might be in a bit if a state .
DeleteThat's why I said 'than the one you show', not 'yours'.
DeleteI totally loved the Titans. All those extra pages of goodness. The lack of a main star never bothered me. I kind of liked its more egalitarian feel.
ReplyDeleteHi Steve, I liked Super Spider-Man when it was in landscape format and the extra strips there were more to my liking. I just wasn't a big fan of most of the strips in Titans ( apart from Captain Marvel) at that time. eI think I was also more into Conan type comics at the time and was suffering from superhero overload.
ReplyDeleteThe landscape format seemed so weird at first! The Fantastic Four issues were definitely the best period in the comic's run.
ReplyDeleteI didn't really buy Titans regularly at that time me Colin but on the few issues I have of the FF period did look better as most comicsxwoukd at that time with the FF alone
ReplyDelete