That time Geoff Campion drew Spider-Man

Geoff Campion was one of Fleetway/IPC's top adventure strip artists from the 1950s to the 1970s. You'll know his work from strips such as The Spellbinder in Lion to D-Day Dawson in Battle Picture Weekly, and the numerous covers and other strips he illustrated for the company. 

Perhaps one of his most unusual assignments was to draw the cover to the Marvel Annual in 1973. Although Marvel UK were publishing the weekly Mighty World of Marvel and Spider-Man Comics Weekly at the time it seems that IPC packaged the annuals for them for two years. 

The Marvel Annual was all-reprint inside, but the cover was new. Geoff Campion gave us a dynamic Spidey swinging in two tackle a bunch of crooks in a colourful image full of impact. He even managed to sign it (bottom right) as a name chalked on the wall. (Campion was the only artist who had a credit box in Lion, along with writer Frank Pepper, for the Spellbinder strip at that time.) 

It would have been interesting to see his take on a Spider-Man strip, but that never happened. It would be years before any Spidey strips were produced in the UK.

So, next time you think of artists in the UK who have drawn Spider-Man, and names such as Mike Collins, Andy Tong, and Simon Williams come to mind, add Geoff Campion to the list too! 

100 Astonishing pages!

The latest issue of Panini's fortnightly Astonishing Spider-Man comic is a bumper-sized 100 page edition that begins The Clone Conspiracy saga. Ideal as a jumping-on point for new or returning readers. There are twists and turns coming up in the issues ahead so get in on the start. Available from WH Smith and selected newsagents.

Here's the info from Panini...

Astonishing Spider-Man Vol.6 #20. On sale 11th May 2017. 
100-page special of astounding action-packed arachnid-adventure! Only £3.99!
‘The Clone Conspiracy’ begins! The Jackal is back and has conquered death!
How is Spider-Man going to stop him, especially when he has an army of super-villains at his side?!!
Plus: De-powered and outnumbered, how are Spidey and Silk gonna rescue Chronosaurus Rex from HYDRA and fix the timeline?!!
By Dan Slott, Christos Gage, Javier Garrón, Jim Cheung, Ron Frenz, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Robbie Thompson and Todd Nauck.Includes material reprinted from Amazing Spider-Man #19-20, Free Comic Book Day: Captain America: Steve Rogers #1, The Clone Conspiracy #1 and Amazing Spider-Man/Silk: The Spider(Fly) Effect #4. 

Spidey goes retro!

The latest issue of Panini UK's Astonishing Spider-Man fortnightly comic arrived in newsagents today, with a story that may be of interest to fans of the sixties strips. 

Amongst the three stories in the issue is Convention Chaos from the U.S. edition of Spider-Man / Deadpool No.7 that sees Deadpool travel back to the 1960s. It's a wonderful homage / parody of early Spider-Man stories, even down to the off-register printing (deliberate in this case). 

Written by Gerry Duggan and drawn by Scott Koblish doing a fine stylisation of Steve Ditko's work, it's not to be missed! The story is very tongue-in-cheek, with an appearance by Richard Nixon and a politician who speaks of building a wall to keep out the Mole Man. It's good fun, and worth the cover price alone.

Here's the info on the issue:

Astonishing Spider-Man Vol.6 #16. On sale 16th March 2017. 

76 pages of Astounding Action-Packed Arachnid-Adventure! Only £3.99!

A new Spider-Saga begins! There’s an accident at Parker Industries! What will Peter Parker do to save his employees, both as CEO AND Spider-Man?!

Also: in the greatest of Deadpool traditions, we present a “lost” issue of the Amazing Spider-Man! Join us as we flashback to the swinging ‘60s for one of Deadpool & Spidey’s earliest meetings! It’s totally hip, daddy-o!

Plus: The Back Cat makes her move against Ultimate Spider-Man!

By Dan Slott, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Brain Michael Bendis, Sara Pichelli, Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness.

Includes material reprinted from Amazing Spider-Man #16, Spider-Man/Deadpool #7 and Spider-Man #5.

http://www.paninicomics.co.uk

Spidey keeps swinging

From his debut in 1962, Spider-Man has proven to be Marvel's most popular character. That goes for the UK too, ever since his appearance in British weekly Pow! in 1967.

The modern-day home for Spidey strips in the UK is The Astonishing Spider-Man which has been running for over 20 years. It's published fortnightly and has 76 pages for just £3.99. A great bargain!

Here's the contents of the current issue...

Astonishing Spider-Man Vol.6 #14. On sale 16th February 2017. 
76 pages of Astounding Action-Packed Arachnid-Adventure! Only £3.99!
Power Play continues! Regent is taking out the Avengers one-by-one and adding their powers to his own! Can Spider-Man and Iron Man stop him before it’s too late?!! 
Also: Spider-Man and Deadpool confront patient Zero!
Plus: Ultimate Spider-Man confronts his deadliest foe ever… his grandmother!
By Dan Slott, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Brain Michael Bendis, Sara Pichelli, Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness.
Includes material reprinted from Amazing Spider-Man #14, Spider-Man #3, and Spider-Man/Deadpool #8.

EAGLE promoting POW! in 1967

In my previous post the other day (click here) I showed a few pages from Pow! No.1 on the 50th anniversary of the comic. To follow up, here's how Pow! was promoted back in January 1967 in the pages of its companion comic Eagle. 

The irony is that when Hulton were publishing it in the 1950s, Eagle had been initially created as an alternative to American comic imports, and now here it was, published by Odhams, promoting comics that featured reprints of American comic strips. Even Eagle couldn't escape the fact that British kids loved American pop culture.

50 Year Flashback: POW! No.1

I've blogged about the first issue of Pow! before, but as this weekend is the comic's 50th anniversary I thought it was worth reposting my article. Pow! was a favourite comic of many of us back then, a lifetime ago, and is still memorable today. 

With its first issue published on Saturday 14th January 1967 Pow! was the third title of what had become known as the 'Power Comics' imprint published by Odhams Press Ltd. It followed Wham! (1964) andr Smash! (1966). Comprising 28 pages, Pow! contained a mixture of Marvel reprint and originated UK humour and adventure strips. Here's a selection of pages from issue one...

Interestingly, the reprints of Spider-Man began with strips from Amazing Spider-Man No.1 and not his full origin from Amazing Fantasy. Story: Stan Lee, Art: Steve Ditko. 

The Dolls of St.Dominics was a traditional British school humour strip in the vein of The Beano's Bash Street Kids featuring anarchic schoolkids. In this case, set in a girls school. Superb artwork by Ron Spencer imitating Leo Baxendale (who never worked for Pow!) but Ron was clearly an accomplished humourist in his own right.

The Python was an adventure serial that ran in the early issues of Pow! Compared to comics published by Fleetway and D.C. Thomson, the adventure strips in Odhams comics could sometimes have a rough and ready feel about them, as this does, but that energy added to their appeal I think. 

Full page ad for the next issue...

News page introducing Pow! This regular news feature ran in all the 'Power Comics'. 

The Group, with art by Mike Brown. Similar in many ways to The Beezer's Banana Bunch but with its own vitality.

Jack Magic, another strip that only ran in the early issues (so probably wasn't too popular with the readers). 

The second Marvel series in the issue was Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD, reprinting the first episode from Strange Tales. Story: Stan Lee. Art: Jack Kirby.

Every Power Comic had a spy spoof and Pow's was Wee Willie Haggis, The Spy from Skye. Not a very remarkable character. Mike Higgs' The Cloak, which started in Pow! No.18, would prove to be a more popular parody of the spy genre. 

On the back page was one of the highlights of the comic; Dare-A-Day Davy by the fantastic Ken Reid. 

Like most British comics, Pow's contents shifted and changed a bit as the weeks passed. I felt it was constantly improving but sadly it only lasted for 86 issues, absorbing Wham! along the way and merging into Smash! in late 1968.  Nevertheless it remains a favourite of many of us who grew up on comics of that period. As the strapline on the first cover said, it was "The brand new comic for the new breed of comic fans". That was the thing about the Power Comics; they felt modern and young, and of the moment, unlike some of the the slicker, sometimes stuffier, rival comics from Fleetway and Thomsons. 

The free cardboard gun and ammo.

Christmas comics: ASTONISHING SPIDER-MAN (2016)

Another pause in our look back at vintage Christmas comics to show you this cover of the latest edition of The Astonishing Spider-Man from Panini UK. Editor Brady Webb always likes to make his comics look more festive at this time of year, even though the reprint contents might not reflect the season. By adding a Santa hat to the corner icon, snow on the logo, and a few snowflakes to the action, it's job done! A nice touch.

Here's the info on this issue...

Astonishing Spider-Man Vol.6 #10. On sale 15th December 2016. 

76 pages of Astounding Action-Packed Arachnid-Adventure! Only £3.99!

Battered, burned and bruised, Spider-Man confronts Scorpio!
Plus: Has Captain America discovered Gwen’s secret?!! And will Captain Stacy join Matt Murdock?!!
Also: The Amazing Spider-Man and Ultimate Spider-Man battle Deadpool! But why?!!
By Dan Slott, Matteo Buffagni, Robbie Thompson, Nick Bradshaw, Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness
Includes material reprinted from Amazing Spider-Man #10, Spider-Gwen #5, and Spider-Man/Deadpool #2.

https://www.facebook.com/MarvelCollectorsEditions/

POW! No.1 (1967)

I've blogged about the first issue of Pow! before, years ago, but I didn't show too many pages from it. As some people said it was a favourite comic of theirs I thought I'd look at it in more depth. 

With its first issue published on Saturday 14th January 1967 Pow! was the third title of what had become known as the 'Power Comics' imprint published by Odhams Press Ltd. It followed Wham! (1964) and Smash! (1966). Comprising 28 pages, Pow! contained a mixture of Marvel reprint and originated UK humour and adventure strips. Here's a selection of pages from issue one...

Interestingly, the reprints of Spider-Man began with strips from Amazing Spider-Man No.1 and not his full origin from Amazing Fantasy. Story: Stan Lee, Art: Steve Ditko. 

The Dolls of St.Dominics was a traditional British school humour strip in the vein of The Beano's Bash Street Kids featuring anarchic schoolkids. In this case, set in a girls school. Superb artwork by Ron Spencer imitating Leo Baxendale (who never worked for Pow!) but Ron was clearly an accomplished humourist in his own right.

The Python was an adventure serial that ran in the early issues of Pow! Compared to comics published by Fleetway and D.C. Thomson, the adventure strips in Odhams comics could sometimes have a rough and ready feel about them, as this does, but that energy added to their appeal I think. 

Full page ad for the next issue...

News page introducing Pow! This regular news feature ran in all the 'Power Comics'. 

The Group, with art by Mike Brown. Similar in many ways to The Beezer's Banana Bunch but with its own vitality.

Jack Magic, another strip that only ran in the early issues (so probably wasn't too popular with the readers). 

The second Marvel series in the issue was Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD, reprinting the first episode from Strange Tales. Story: Stan Lee. Art: Jack Kirby.

Every Power Comic had a spy spoof and Pow's was Wee Willie Haggis, The Spy from Skye. Not a very remarkable character. Mike Higgs' The Cloak, which started in Pow! No.18, would prove to be a more popular parody of the spy genre. 

On the back page was one of the highlights of the comic; Dare-A-Day Davy by the fantastic Ken Reid. 

Like most British comics, Pow's contents shifted and changed a bit as the weeks passed. I felt it was constantly improving but sadly it only lasted for 86 issues, absorbing Wham! along the way and merging into Smash! in late 1968.  Nevertheless it remains a favourite of many of us who grew up on comics of that period. As the strapline on the first cover said, it was "The brand new comic for the new breed of comic fans". That was the thing about the Power Comics; they felt modern and young, and of the moment, unlike some of the the slicker, sometimes stuffier, rival comics from Fleetway and Thomsons. 

The free cardboard gun and ammo.

More current Christmas comics

In recent posts I've already previewed the latest Christmas issues of The Beano, Toxic, Viz, Doctor Who Magazine, Doctor Who Adventures, Doctor Who Holiday Special, and Marvel Legends. Here's a few more seasonal editions that are also available in newsagents now.

The Christmas issue of The Phoenix is on sale in WH Smith and selected branches of Waterstones. With 32 page in full colour it includes a bunch of all-new festive strips and features. The issue kicks off with Evil Emperor Penguin by Laura Ellen Anderson...

...and the issue also contains a non-festive Looshkin by Jamie Smart, the final episode in this run of Mega Robo Bros by Neill Cameron, Squid Bits by Jess Bradley, and more. My favourite strip was Pow! by Alexander Matthews. A funny parody of The Snowman with a darker twist.

For older readers, the Christmas 2000AD is the traditional triple-sized issue at 100 all-new pages. A special issue indeed, as it features a great wraparound cover by veteran artist Ian Kennedy! He's been an illustrator since the late 1940s and the quality of his work is as high as ever. (You can read an interview with the artist at the Down the Tubes site here: http://downthetubes.net/?p=27517).

If the cover wasn't incentive enough to buy this issue, the contents are absolutely fantastic too. There's a seasonal Judge Dredd story by Rob Williams and Henry Flint...

...plus the end of Bad Company, and the start of new adventures for Kingdom, The Order, Strontium Dog, and A.B.C. Warriors featuring Ro-Busters by Pat Mills and Clint Langley...

If that wasn't all, there are also complete stories of Absalom, Sinister Dexter, a Christmas Judge Dredd text story, and a new Future Shock by Martin Feekins and Jesus Redondo. Proving that the quality of modern comics is every inch as good as comics of the past I think 2000AD wins Best Christmas Comic of 2015 by far.

Panini UK join the party with snowflakes around the logo and Spidey in a Santa hat for the cover of The Astonishing Spider-Man No.25.

Amongst the contents there's a 2011 Christmas short story, Cold Hearted Christmas by Miljenko Horvatic and Andrew Trabbold...

Another comic worth mentioning, although it has no festive content, is Judge Dredd Megazine No.367. Four great strips including the penultimate part of Paul Grist's Demon Nic and the start of a new serial for Demarco P.I. and a sequel to the movie version of Dredd. There are also two excellent well illustrated articles; one interviewing Ian Kennedy on his career, and the other focusing on the 1980s Eagle revival. The all-new 64 page comic also comes bagged with a Tyranny Rex collection. A great issue!

All of those comics are out now in a High Street near you. In my next post I'll climb about my time machine again and bring you more vintage comics from the past.