BHOC: GODZILLA #22

It had been two issues since I first took a real look at Marvel's GODZILLA comic book, dedicated to the colossal creature from the Toho films. And I was still buying it. But, you see, I had little choice. As with the previous installments, the Fantastic Four guest-starred in this issue, and my attachment to … Continue reading BHOC: GODZILLA #22

BHOC: SHOGUN WARRIORS #4

The 1970s were a tough time for comic books. The mainstream Newsstand circulation business was shrinking and changing as a result of rising competition and population migration, and comic books with their low cover prices didn't bring in enough revenue to compete for the space--especially as most kids began spending more of their time and … Continue reading BHOC: SHOGUN WARRIORS #4

BHOC: MARVEL SUPER-HEROES #80

I picked up the next issue of MARVEL SUPER-HEROES on my next weekly Thursday trip to my local 7-11. This was probably the heyday for this reprint series. While most of Marvel's other reprint titles had fallen by the wayside, MSH continued on without pause, buoyed by the popularity of the Hulk's weekly CBS television … Continue reading BHOC: MARVEL SUPER-HEROES #80

BHOC: DEFENDERS #70

DEFENDERS from here on out was rough sledding for a very long time, and I'm surprised that my younger self stuck with it for as long as he did, especially since I had no problem dropping other books that I wasn't enjoying. (Well, in some cases. I bought GHOST RIDER for years too, for reasons … Continue reading BHOC: DEFENDERS #70

BHOC: GODZILLA #21

My brother Ken was the monster movie buff in our family, I certainly wasn't. And yet, Marvel got me following their ongoing GODZILLA comic book series for its final half-dozen issues. How? They used the Marvel Universe, of course. In the issue before this one, the King of the Monsters had battled the Fantastic Four, … Continue reading BHOC: GODZILLA #21

BHOC: SHOGUN WARRIORS #3

In the years to come, anime would become an important part of my life. Through anime fandom, I would meet some of my closest lifelong friends, and also develop the skills that allowed me to succeed during my internship at Marvel Comics. But in 1979, all of that lay ahead of me. I had no … Continue reading BHOC: SHOGUN WARRIORS #3

BHOC: ORIGINS OF MARVEL COMICS

Christmas 1978 was a huge comic book windfall for me. Whereas in years past I had filled my wish list with an assortment of toys, starting here, I would instead begin asking for books on comics. ORIGINS OF MARVEL COMICS had eluded me for months, so much so that I eventually got to read the … Continue reading BHOC: ORIGINS OF MARVEL COMICS

BHOC: GODZILLA #20

As I've spoken about in the past, as a kid I didn't really have much interest in monster movies. They were more the fascination of my younger brother Ken, and so they would wind up on television whenever the 4:30 Movie would run their yearly week-long marathon, or they'd show up on some other channel. … Continue reading BHOC: GODZILLA #20

BHOC: DEFENDERS #69

It was momentum, pure and simple, that kept me purchasing DEFENDERS each and every month through this period. As it was a Marvel team title, on some level I felt as though i "had to" buy it or risk missing something important. Which is crazy, but also a part of the key to Marvel's success … Continue reading BHOC: DEFENDERS #69

When Was Wolverine Wolverine?

At this point, so long after the fact, and with a bevy of films reinforcing the essential ideas of the character, the specifics of who and what Wolverine are have been very well established. But for a very long time, that simply was not the case. And in fact, it would be almost six years … Continue reading When Was Wolverine Wolverine?