I've mentioned before that, since beginning to follow the adventures of the Fantastic Four, I was very interested in reading the first issue of the series, such was my desire to know more about the history of comics. I had been on the lookout for a copy of ORIGINS OF MARVEL COMICS for a few … Continue reading BHOC: Power Records: The Fantastic Four
On that same weekly trip to the 7-11 I came across and was delighted by this issue of CAPTAIN AMERICA, a title that I didn't normally read. And it had everything to do with this cover, where, rather than Cap's usual masthead partner the Falcon, the co-star in this particular issue was the Human Torch. … Continue reading BHOC: CAPTAIN AMERICA #216
In the mid-1970s, Marvel Comics had a big problem in getting its books completed and off to press on time. In those days, because press time was booked well in advance, you were going to pay for it whether you printed a title or not, so there was no margin for error. But error there … Continue reading BHOC: INVADERS #10
SUPERMAN #276 gave the comic book reading world something it had been lusting for since around 1940, a battle between the Man of Steel and his publishing arch-rival Captain Marvel. Except that this issue cheated--despite having recently licensed the Big Red Cheese from Fawcett for the new SHAZAM series, here an equivalent stand-in, Captain Thunder, … Continue reading 5BC: Five Best Comics of 1974
It was at around this time, during the summer of 1977, that I became aware that Captain America was going to be making a personal appearance at my local Smithhaven Mall. Every year the Mall held a collectibles fair for a week or so, and this year as a part of it, they had hired … Continue reading BHOC: CAPTAIN AMERICA AT THE SMITHHAVEN MALL
I’ve owned three different copies of THE STERANKO HISTORY OF COMICS Volume 1 over the years. It’s an important milestone book in the development of the hobby, but it’s also more oversized magazine than book, with saddle-stitched binding and a cover that tended to crack down the spine and separate. It fell apart easily. For … Continue reading BHOC: THE STERANKO HISTORY OF COMICS
In January of 1977, I turned ten-years-old. And around that time, I would up getting my second book collection of vintage comic book stories–a book that, up until that point I didn’t even know existed. We found it in the remaindered section at Two Guys, a regional low-rent department store chain, kind of like the … Continue reading BHOC: THE GREAT COMIC BOOK HEROES
I recently became aware that I had missed one additional comic book that had come into my household a few months earlier. It was this issue of SPIDEY SUPER STORIES, which was bought for my younger brother, Ken. It did eventually end up with me as well, but only after it had been reduced t … Continue reading BHOC: SPIDEY SUPER STORIES #17
As I wrote about last time, it was getting a pair of Marvel comics that put me off of the brand for several years. One was an issue of THOR, and the other was this issue of CAPTAIN AMERICA. I should mention, for context, that this is the final part of Steve Englehart’s long Watergate/Secret … Continue reading BHOC: CAPTAIN AMERICA #183
A similar logo tilt and ground line tilt is employed on this CAPTAIN AMERICA cover by Mike Zeck, for the issue in which the U.S. Government strips Steve Rogers of his costumed persona. It’s a nice design, with the stripes of the flag becoming dripping blood, and Cap’s emotional state communicated by his body language … Continue reading Great Covers – CAPTAIN AMERICA #332
