I never knew the origin of Man-Bat, so there's another box ticked that I didn't know existed! 😅 It’s the way of things that this is all set up so looking forward to him running into Bruce next issue. Or perhaps that should be "flying into" ?
DETECTIVE COMICS #400 - June 1970 - Part 2 of 2 - Challenge of the Man-Bat - In which Batman first meets Man-Bat.
I enjoyed that, Man-Bat was a good character.
I was going to post the first Robin and Batgirl adventure, as it is the backup feature in this issue, but it’s a continuing story ark and ends on a cliffhanger, so decided against it.
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
After Christmas/New Year and Easter the other major annual event celebrated in British comics was Fireworks Night. So, for the next few days Guy Fawkes will be prevalent on this thread.
60 years today (6th November) saw Wham! #73 hit the newsagents (actually it hit a few days earlier but was dated 6th November).
The legendary Leo Baxendale drew the single panel front cover and the story continued inside.
The firework scenes are very frenetic and wouldn’t be allowed nowadays (even if these type of comics were available). I think it says a lot about society 60 years ago compared with today, back in those days kids knew this was just a fun strip and not to be taken literally.
The mayhem continued in TheWacks where several laws are seen to be broken…
DannyDare was much more toned down…
Ken Reid’s fabulous FrankieStein was in a particularly brilliant strip this week…
We end with more irresponsibility in Georgie’sGerms…
Overall, great fun, from an era long gone and sadly missed. I’m glad that I experienced it.
Fireworks night used to be fantastic fun at our house, lots of family coming round, mum would bake jacket potatoes, the adults would have beer and home brewed wine, and us kids had fizzy Corona pop. Happy days!
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
Fun comic! Yes, I remember great fireworks nights as well. This one was spent trying to stop the dog and cat being frightened.
Sir MilesThe Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 30,943Chief of Staff
Good comics 😁
I remember when every street had their own bonfire in the back streets…everyone brought their own chairs out, potatoes thrown in the fire to cook, black peas eaten…great times 😃
61 years ago today (7th November) The Beano published it’s fireworks issue…
The Beano is the UK’s most famous comic and the only one still standing from the Golden Age of British comics, although any self-respecting comic lover gives it a wide berth nowadays.
Dudley Watkins drew the front page BiffotheBear story in a lively tale.
Next is a LittlePlum story. Nothing to do with Guy Fawkes of course (being set in America) but I suppose it counts.
TheBashStreetKids cause mayhem in the centre page spread, in glorious colour, drawn by David Sutherland…
And finally Dennis the Menace gets into explosive action…
The final fireworks article is tomorrow.
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
It now has a lot of computerised artwork, certainly coloured by computer, and it’s gone woke. Dennis the Menace is a pale shadow of his former self. It also costs £3.49 per issue, taking inflation into account the 3d cost in 1965 works out roughly at 65p today.
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
I’ve done a bit more research, Beano sales were down to 40,000 comics per week on average in 2024. With the newsagents taking a 50% cut of the sales price that means an annual turnover of a little more than £3.5 million per year. Sister title The Dandy was down to 12,000 copies per week when it was cancelled in 2012. There is added income from digital sales, but these are unavailable. But when sales of 2 million copies per week at The Beano’s peak were being delivered, one can see that physical printed material is fast becoming consigned to history.
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
Frankenstein will begin tomorrow, in the meantime here is the introduction to the story, and the letter page, which is about Creature, featured previously.
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
WARNING: The content of this comic strip may contain very strong language and themes that some readers may find upsetting. Reader discretion is advised for those who may be easily offended.
UNIVERSAL MONSTERS: FRANKENSTEIN (2024) A story in 4 Books. Book 1 Part 1 of 2
To be continued…
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
Sir MilesThe Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 30,943Chief of Staff
WARNING: The content of this comic strip may contain very strong language and themes that some readers may find upsetting. Reader discretion is advised for those who may be easily offended.
UNIVERSAL MONSTERS: FRANKENSTEIN (2024) A story in 4 Books. Book 1 Part 2 of 2
Book 2 is next…
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
Sir MilesThe Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 30,943Chief of Staff
WARNING: The content of this comic strip may contain very strong language and themes that some readers may find upsetting. Reader discretion is advised for those who may be easily offended.
UNIVERSAL MONSTERS: FRANKENSTEIN (2024) A story in 4 Books. Book 2 Part 1 of 2
To be continued…
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
Simply "wow", this is one of the best versions of the tale I've ever seen/read, and I've seen/read quite a few. The idea of including the boy works beautifully, letting us see familiar events through new eyes. The classic lines are there ("It's alive!" and "Abby Something" ... well, maybe not that one). The art is spectacular, and while it's hard to pick a favourite this one
will do for the moment. Poor Dwight Frye lives again as Fritz (not Igor, he comes into the grand story later) and the elliptical method of story telling again prevents overfamiliarity.
Sir MilesThe Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 30,943Chief of Staff
Yes, adding the boy to the story is a good fresh idea 🙂
WARNING: The content of this comic strip may contain very strong language and themes that some readers may find upsetting. Reader discretion is advised for those who may be easily offended.
UNIVERSAL MONSTERS: FRANKENSTEIN (2024) A story in 4 Books. Book 2 Part 2 of 2
To be continued in Book 3…
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
It seems more than ever like a grim (pun intended) fairy tale in this beautiful version. An extension of the 1931 film rather than an alternative to it, at least so far.
Sir MilesThe Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 30,943Chief of Staff
Some really striking (pun not intended) artwork too…
Comments
That works for me. A modernising, re-imagining, you name it, and a good story in its own right.
Thoroughly enjoyable 😁
Glad you enjoyed it, gents.
Today we continue with the Batman, and also cover a milestone issue…
DETECTIVE COMICS #400 - June 1970 - Part 1 of 2 - Challenge of the Man-Bat - In which Batman first meets Man-Bat.
Concludes tomorrow.
I never knew the origin of Man-Bat, so there's another box ticked that I didn't know existed! 😅 It’s the way of things that this is all set up so looking forward to him running into Bruce next issue. Or perhaps that should be "flying into" ?
DETECTIVE COMICS #400 - June 1970 - Part 2 of 2 - Challenge of the Man-Bat - In which Batman first meets Man-Bat.
I enjoyed that, Man-Bat was a good character.
I was going to post the first Robin and Batgirl adventure, as it is the backup feature in this issue, but it’s a continuing story ark and ends on a cliffhanger, so decided against it.
Yes, it's good to see an antagonist as a sympathetic character and I thought that was well handled.
After Christmas/New Year and Easter the other major annual event celebrated in British comics was Fireworks Night. So, for the next few days Guy Fawkes will be prevalent on this thread.
60 years today (6th November) saw Wham! #73 hit the newsagents (actually it hit a few days earlier but was dated 6th November).
The legendary Leo Baxendale drew the single panel front cover and the story continued inside.
The firework scenes are very frenetic and wouldn’t be allowed nowadays (even if these type of comics were available). I think it says a lot about society 60 years ago compared with today, back in those days kids knew this was just a fun strip and not to be taken literally.
The mayhem continued in The Wacks where several laws are seen to be broken…
Danny Dare was much more toned down…
Ken Reid’s fabulous Frankie Stein was in a particularly brilliant strip this week…
We end with more irresponsibility in Georgie’s Germs…
Overall, great fun, from an era long gone and sadly missed. I’m glad that I experienced it.
Fireworks night used to be fantastic fun at our house, lots of family coming round, mum would bake jacket potatoes, the adults would have beer and home brewed wine, and us kids had fizzy Corona pop. Happy days!
Fun comic! Yes, I remember great fireworks nights as well. This one was spent trying to stop the dog and cat being frightened.
Good comics 😁
I remember when every street had their own bonfire in the back streets…everyone brought their own chairs out, potatoes thrown in the fire to cook, black peas eaten…great times 😃
61 years ago today (7th November) The Beano published it’s fireworks issue…
The Beano is the UK’s most famous comic and the only one still standing from the Golden Age of British comics, although any self-respecting comic lover gives it a wide berth nowadays.
Dudley Watkins drew the front page Biffo the Bear story in a lively tale.
Next is a Little Plum story. Nothing to do with Guy Fawkes of course (being set in America) but I suppose it counts.
The Bash Street Kids cause mayhem in the centre page spread, in glorious colour, drawn by David Sutherland…
And finally Dennis the Menace gets into explosive action…
The final fireworks article is tomorrow.
I was never a big "Beano" fan, though I did buy it when I only had 3d left (and that dates me, eh?). What's the problem with the contemporary version?
I was a big Beano fan, used to get it every week for a number of years…before I switched to Roy of the Rovers 😃
It now has a lot of computerised artwork, certainly coloured by computer, and it’s gone woke. Dennis the Menace is a pale shadow of his former self. It also costs £3.49 per issue, taking inflation into account the 3d cost in 1965 works out roughly at 65p today.
I guess I won't be buying one, then. Thanks!
I’ve done a bit more research, Beano sales were down to 40,000 comics per week on average in 2024. With the newsagents taking a 50% cut of the sales price that means an annual turnover of a little more than £3.5 million per year. Sister title The Dandy was down to 12,000 copies per week when it was cancelled in 2012. There is added income from digital sales, but these are unavailable. But when sales of 2 million copies per week at The Beano’s peak were being delivered, one can see that physical printed material is fast becoming consigned to history.
Buster took the unusual step of a pre-fireworks issue in 1966…
To end the fireworks articles, here are some more covers and concluding with a fireworks tale from The Dandy…
I’m a little surprised that printed comics are still going…especially kids comics…
Frankenstein will begin tomorrow, in the meantime here is the introduction to the story, and the letter page, which is about Creature, featured previously.
Ah good, the one I've been waiting for!
WARNING: The content of this comic strip may contain very strong language and themes that some readers may find upsetting. Reader discretion is advised for those who may be easily offended.
UNIVERSAL MONSTERS: FRANKENSTEIN (2024) A story in 4 Books. Book 1 Part 1 of 2
To be continued…
Interesting start….🙂
WARNING: The content of this comic strip may contain very strong language and themes that some readers may find upsetting. Reader discretion is advised for those who may be easily offended.
UNIVERSAL MONSTERS: FRANKENSTEIN (2024) A story in 4 Books. Book 1 Part 2 of 2
Book 2 is next…
Creepy…lovely ☺️
Good to see you’re enjoying it, Sir Miles 🍻
WARNING: The content of this comic strip may contain very strong language and themes that some readers may find upsetting. Reader discretion is advised for those who may be easily offended.
UNIVERSAL MONSTERS: FRANKENSTEIN (2024) A story in 4 Books. Book 2 Part 1 of 2
To be continued…
Catching up...
Simply "wow", this is one of the best versions of the tale I've ever seen/read, and I've seen/read quite a few. The idea of including the boy works beautifully, letting us see familiar events through new eyes. The classic lines are there ("It's alive!" and "Abby Something" ... well, maybe not that one). The art is spectacular, and while it's hard to pick a favourite this one
will do for the moment. Poor Dwight Frye lives again as Fritz (not Igor, he comes into the grand story later) and the elliptical method of story telling again prevents overfamiliarity.
Yes, adding the boy to the story is a good fresh idea 🙂
Glad that you’re enjoying this too, Barbel.
WARNING: The content of this comic strip may contain very strong language and themes that some readers may find upsetting. Reader discretion is advised for those who may be easily offended.
UNIVERSAL MONSTERS: FRANKENSTEIN (2024) A story in 4 Books. Book 2 Part 2 of 2
To be continued in Book 3…
It seems more than ever like a grim (pun intended) fairy tale in this beautiful version. An extension of the 1931 film rather than an alternative to it, at least so far.
Some really striking (pun not intended) artwork too…