Quietly and without fanfare, IRON MAN had become one of the most reliably entertaining comics in the Marvel line. This was all down to the efforts of the creative team, writer David Michelinie, penciler John Romita Jr., and inker and co-plotter Bob Layton. It was also a reflection of the changing times; Micheline and Layton … Continue reading BHOC: IRON MAN #126
It was at some point around this time that my local postal carrier delivered my subscription copy of the latest issue of FANTASTIC FOUR--though not before it had already gone on sale and was available at my local outlet. Not buying the book and waiting for my copy proved to be difficult, especially after other … Continue reading BHOC: FANTASTIC FOUR #210
My family were big fans of the Muppet Show every since it first premiered in 1976. We watched it with alarming regularity every Sunday evening at 7:30. So when Jim Henson and company brought their chaotic creations to the big screen, we were sure to be there. And so we were when The Muppet Movie … Continue reading BHOC: DEFENDERS #75
Just as he was an enormous fan of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, my friend David Steckel was also a hardcore acolyte of STAR WARS, and he purchased each monthly issue of the Marvel comic based upon that storied film with almost religious zeal. It's a bit alien to think of from the vantage point of today, but … Continue reading BC: STAR WARS #10
I also bought TALES OF SUSPENSE #66 during that trip to the Batcave comic book shop, and I did so for the most obvious reason: the copy I picked up was cheap. I bought it despite the fact that I already owned copies of the two stories that were published in it, in an issue … Continue reading BHOC: TALES OF SUSPENSE #66
One of the things that I was very obsessed with as a young comic book reader was age. Specifically, how old the comics that I was purchasing were. As much as anything, that's what led me to pick up this copy of STRANGE TALES #87 on my trip to the Batcave comic book store that … Continue reading BHOC: STRANGE TALES #87
One of the calculations that I had to make whenever I found myself in a place like the Batcave, the South Shore Mall-located comic book shop, was how to make the most of my meager funds. The Batcave had a huge selection of back issues, but even though many of them were more well-worn reading … Continue reading BHOC: SPECIAL MARVEL EDITION #3
In 1982, the comic book marketplace was expanding. The Direct Sales network of comic book specialty shops had proven itself as a viable alternative to mainstream newsstand distribution, and so suddenly all sort of publishers were jumping into this new market with a variety of releases, some more polished than others. It was an exciting … Continue reading FSC: DREADSTAR #1
My grade school friend David Steckel was a huge fan of the science fiction media of the time, in particular STAR WARS and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. In fact, that's a huge part of how we became friends in the first place. Having seen me making my own home-grown comic books, David wanted to enlist my help … Continue reading BC: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA #1
One of the things that the Batcave comic book shop was notable for during this late 1970s period was in having affordable copies of relatively old and key comics. These were typically more well-read copies, but for my purposes, i didn't care. there was some elusive magic in holding an actual vintage book from a … Continue reading BHOC: AVENGERS #19
