Thursday 21 December 2017

SMASH! #152 - THE COMPLETE CRACKER OF A CHRISTMAS ISSUE FOR 1968 - PART ONE...


Images copyright relevant owner

While you're all waiting for the second part of POW! #50 from 1967, I thought I'd hit you with the first part of SMASH! #152, the Christmas issue for 1968.  After all, it doesn't hurt to have a little variety in your life.  We Brits had it good, eh?  A comic that contained MARVEL and DC heroes, at a time long before the two companies had even considered teaming up to produce Treasury Editions featuring their most popular heroes.  That was the thing about UK comics back then - they were packed so full of strips that even if you didn't like all of the contents, you were bound to like something.  And, at a relatively modest price, it was worth the cost of admission.

Anyway, see you in the next post, Criv-ite chums!    









FANTASTIC FOUR copyright MARVEL COMICS








SUPERMAN, BATMAN & ROBIN copyright DC COMICS

16 comments:

-3- said...

Oh, you big tease. You lead up to the '67 double Xmas issues of Wham!, but then jump tracks and give us the second week Pow! instead. And now we've skipped to the following year and Pow!

It's because i told you i didn't have Wham! 184, is that it?
Oh, the cruelty...

(Good thing i didn't have this, either)

Kid said...

Basically, it's down to me scanning around half of each comic at a time so that I can get a post up. Not had a chance to scan the second half of either comic, so just went with what I had. As you know though, the wait will be worth it.

Lionel Hancock said...

Good Stuff!!! The content has sure changed from the early ones I used to read.. Guess it's the time of squeezing three or four comics into one.

Kid said...

Yeah - although it says 'incorporating Fantastic', it was also incorporating Wham! and Pow! as well. Technically speaking, as Fantastic was also incorporating Terrific, that could also be included, though none of its strips were featured by this time.

Lionel Hancock said...

Smash! Must have near on swallowed up most of the power comics then. I even noticed Valiant even got in on the act. At the end Smash must have been totally unrecognisable

Kid said...

It was relaunched in March 1969 with no Marvel strips and only about 3 strips following on from the previous issue, LH. As you allude, it became pretty much a Valiant clone, but I thought it was still a pretty good comic.

Anonymous said...

Isn't -3- American ? I'm amazed he's even heard of Smash, Pow etc. I'd certainly never heard of them till I started reading this blog, Kid. But I was only two in 1968.

Kid said...

He is indeed, CJ, but he has an interest in British comics as well. Such good taste he has. Maybe it will even extend to becoming a member of this blog.

-3- said...

Guilty as charged, Colin.
Though i landed in the USA, my interests are more wide-ranging
The first issue of The Beano from 1938 is sitting on the desk waiting to get prepped for a blog feature; it's hiding a score of Wham! and enough old British comics that, if liquefied, i'd have a butt and a hogshead, plus spillage.
(Mulled wine - winter warmth and ridiculous analogies in one small package)

Not just comics, though - I conjure with names like Quatermain, Biggles, and Blake, and just ran a piece on the old ITC show, The Champions. I watched Neverwhere back when special hardware was required to translate the PAL video tapes to VHS so they could be played on our gear.
We'll skip how ridiculously much Doctor Who material is here and just mention the 1993 recruitment film from UNIT is within view.
I still think that the radio version of HHGTTG was the best version, too.

While i seek movies & tv from all over the world, most of the comics are from the UK and Europe. A combination of more shared sensibilities, easier to grok alphabets, and access.

I'd go on about the UK books being right good and all that*, but then Gordie would never let me forget it.

*(That reminds me - my favorite history book is 1066 and All That)

I have rambled and the wine has cooled
time to finish both


Kid said...

There you go, CJ - a personal reply from 3. Who knew I was running a dating agency?

******

Is that an original first edition of The Beano, 3, or a reprint? If original, you're talking loadsa dosh!

-3- said...

It's only fair after i got you and Anna together, eh?
But, i see Colin around when wandering Back in the Bronze Age and other such places.
Hermits often tend to become more withdrawn from the outer world around the holidays (as evidenced by my minimal posting in most public forums in recent weeks) and Colin's query was well timed for me to try to fight that impulse to collapse the cave entrance. As again now.
I've actually got visitors coming on Xmas eve. I'm not sure how my brain will process this anomaly. But it's probably a good idea to try to engage with the outer world, no?
And where better to Engage that a Dating Agency? So - job well done there.

I think it's original, judging by condition. It's not it great shape, or it's in horrible shape for a reprint. All indications seem to be 1938 printing, with a cover price of two pennies. There's also a microfiche copy attached to the envelope that probably both better and worse for condition.
Oh - and it's not mine. As mentioned before, i have access to several small but excellent university collections in addition to my own. I had this sent over for an 80th anniversary piece when we switch to the new year.

Kid said...

Well, to be accurate, me and Anna had already had an anonymous one-night stand - what you did was provide her name and address so that we could see one another again. (The cheque's in the post.)

If The Beano has 28 pages and no staples, it's probably original. 24 and shiny metal bits, it's a reprint.

Anonymous said...

-3-, I'm glad you came out of your cave - Merry Christmas!

Kid said...

And to think, CJ - I introduced you.

Lionel Hancock said...

Gentlemen I wish you all a very Merry Christmas.. I wonder what Santa will leave in our stockings?

Kid said...

Becky Rule in mine would be a good start, LH. Season's Greetings to you and yours.



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