Like me, my brother Ken would occasionally pull books out of the Big Bin of Somewhat-Older Comics at the local drugstore. As he was into war comics at this time and the bin held only Marvel books, there was only one place for him to turn: SGT FURY AND HIS HOWLING COMMANDOS. It was a … Continue reading BHOC: SGT FURY #134
Whenever the conversation turns to the question of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and their collaborations during the 1960s and who was responsible for doing what--a question that I don't think can ever be definitively or conclusively answered--one of the misconceptions that I see come up time and time again is the notion that Lee … Continue reading Lee & Kirby: The Four Work Stages of Lee & Kirby
It seems appropriate, though a fluke, to be talking about this issue of MARVEL TRIPLE ACTION on this weekend, when the AVENGERS: ENDGAME film is shattering box office records worldwide. Having edited AVENGERS for far longer than anyone else, it's all pretty relevant to me--back in the day, when Stan Lee would facetiously talk about … Continue reading BHOC: MARVEL TRIPLE ACTION #39
This one's one of the more memorable early Marvel comic books that I bought and read. So much so that it's another book where for some reason my younger brother Ken later bought his own copy. As I've mentioned here before, the Marvel of 1977 was having a tough time making its deadlines, leading to … Continue reading BHOC: INVADERS #24
I was regularly haunting the section of the Sachem Public Library that contained books on or about comics, not just for that elusive copy of ORIGINS OF MARVEL COMICS (which I never did find there) but also for anything else of interest. I took out and read a bunch of books from that section, many … Continue reading BHOC: ALL IN COLOR FOR A DIME
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
Back at the drug store, the big bin of somewhat-older comics continued to yield treasures. To my surprise, I came up with this issue of FANTASTIC FOUR, the oldest one I would find there--a good six months older than the previous earliest issue I had, and two years old in general. That doesn't seem like … Continue reading BHOC: FANTASTIC FOUR #164
FANTASTIC FOUR #1 was the beginning of what would grow into the Marvel Age of Comics, where Stan Lee and Jack Kirby revolutionized the field and unleashed a wave of characters and concept that have achieved worldwide popularity and renown in the decades since. So it's now seen as an important issue. And from what … Continue reading Lee & Kirby: FANTASTIC FOUR #1, Part One
Summer was winding down when I bought this issue of INVADERS at my regular 7-11 haunt. It's one of those days that I can recall vividly for no particular reason, biking back up Granny Road with my new purchase. I still hadn't branched out into Marvel any further than the Human Torch, but it was … Continue reading BHOC: INVADERS #23
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
