A merry Marvel-ous Christmas- The Marvel Annual 1974

Marvel Annual 1974

Merry Christmas to all Friends of the Power of the Beesting. As a special Christmas present to you all in between eating mince pies and turkey left overs I present a special look back what was in many Marvelites Christmas stocking 50 years ago this Christmas. It wasn't in mine but happily enough it was in my older brother Andrew's pile of gifts from Father Christmas.  I sneaked looks at it every chance I could, so much so that years later Andrew would generously re-gift it to me. It was probably the greatest gift I could ever receive, as it started me on the path of loving Marvel comics, which would lead on my passion for other comics. So let's look at why it's burnt into my childhood memories.

At the price of 70 pence for 128 pages even by 1973 prices that feels like a bargain. Fleetway was a branch of IPC Magazines (International Publishing Company,) and would regularly produce licensed annuals. In 1972 and 1973 they had a licence for publishing annuals using Marvel characters. Longterm POTB readers may remember the Marvel Annual 1973, published in autumn 1972. Well its Christmas 1973 and Fleetway produced the Marvel Annual 1974 and here is its story. 

The first attractive thing about this annual is the eye-catching cover by Geoff Campion. Campion started out as a tax inspector but soon got bored and changed career to become an artist drawing strips for Knock-Out and later became a steadfast artist on many Fleetway productions, most notably in the 60s when his work became the house style for AP/Fleetway with his work on Lion, drawing Captain Condor, Typhoon Tracy and The Spellbinder, in Valiant, drawing Captain Hurricane. When the 1970s came he worked on Battle Picture Weekly, drawing D-Day Dawson, The Eagle, Fighter from the Sky, Sergeant Without Stripes and Action Force. Campion's version of Spider-man makes a hard hitting image, especially on the thugs jaw, which as a child I imagined the gun-man deserved it. I also thought that in the background you could see the Post Office Tower (now called the BT Tower,) so was the scene from London not New York?

I love the inside cover art of the Silver Surfer by John Buscema, the Thing by John Buscema and Frank Giacoia from the Fantastic Four #112 and Daredevil by Jack Kirby and Bill Everett from the cover of Daredevil #1

Spider-man "On the wings of death!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: John Romita Sr

Inker: Sal Buscema

Originally published in the Amazing Spider-man #94

Cover date January 1971

(Published in March 1971)

This Spider-man adventure would see print in Spider-man Comics Weekly #125 on the week ending 5th July 1975. This was my first ever Spider-man adventure and it would see Peter Parker at one of his lowest points as he has to deal with the fact that Gwen has left him for London. It give Peter a chance to look back at his life and how he became Spider-man. Looking back at it, this story was a great jumping on point. Even though I was too young to understand many of the emotions Peter went through in this story Romita's artwork and Lee's writing did give me a sense of this being a grown up story.

John Romita Sr may not have been the original creator of Spider-man, that goes to Lee and Ditko, but to me he was the artist I think of when I think of Spider-man, his ultimate artist. Just look at the panel to the right, Romita only created the Rhino and the Kingpin in that image but his version of the other villains, the Vulture, Doctor Octopus, the Beetle, the Lizard, Sandman and the Green Goblin are the definitive versions. This strip is probably the best ever Spider-Man strip, all thanks to John Romita's art, beautifully enhanced by Sal Buscema's inks. Spider-man heaven!

Daredevil "The origin of Daredevil"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Bill Everett 

Inker: Bill Everett, Steve Ditko and Sol Brodsky

Originally printed in Daredevil #1 

Cover date April 1964

(Published February 1964)

I've already reviewed this origin story from MWOM #20 and MWOM #21 but for those of you who haven't read those blogs let me tell you this story is probably the best Daredevil story ever! OK that might be a hard sell to Frank Miller fans I get that, but Miller's work is practically a homage to this style of story that Lee and Everett got so right in 1964. There never is any doubt that a blind man can be a super-hero, this story is packed with a fully formed secret identity with Matt Murdock, the story of how he got his powers, his reason for becoming a super-hero vigilante and his first adventure all neatly wrapped up in 22 pages! Now that's a great Christmas present.

"The Star Raiders"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Steve Ditko 

Inker: Steve Ditko

Originally printed in Tales to Astonish #37 

Cover date November 1962

(Published August 1962)

I love this sci-fi short story from Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, at 25 panels over three pages, one of them being an opening splash page, Lee and Ditko really know how to cram in the action with this size twisted future tale. If I'm being honest it was probably Ditko doing all the hard work but still this one's perfect. A little cracker. Also truthfully this story was cut down from five pages to three, probably by the UK annual editor, cutting and pasting more panels per page than the artist originally intended. A technique used to get more story to every page, as seen in Dez Skinn's Marvel UK period from the late 70's. I have to say with this story it really does work. 

Giant-Man and the Wasp "When Attuma strikes!"

Writer: Leon Lazarus

Artist: Carl Burgos 

Inker: Paul Reinman

Originally printed in Tales to Astonish #37 

Cover date April 1965

(Published February 1965)

Although un-credited Leon Lazarus was the writer of this story, virtually an unknown to many comic fans, his name sometimes considered a pseudonym on the rare occasions it appeared in the credits, Lazarus had been an editor and writer for some time with the pre-Marvel Timely and Atlas Comics. Carl Burgos is most well known for creating the original Human Torch, first seen in Marvel Comics #1. As much as "The Star Raiders" had captured my imagination with its strong sci-fi elements this story made me sit up and pay attention with the opening panel featuring a giant ant! The artwork is really imaginative, although I'm not completely happy with Attuma's look, but that's a minor gripe. 

The story starts with Giant-Man working on a new experiment with help from Janet Van Dyne, but an accidental dropping of a test tube causes an argument between Henry and Janet ending in Janet leaving to take a break and a solo holiday. The mix of sci-fi and soap was something that I didn't expect but non the less it was a refreshing change. The Wasps flight takes her near Attuma's monstrous octopus-like undersea ship, hidden under a fake island that releases a flurry of bubbles with the power to capture the jumbo jet like a butterfly in a net. The passengers are taken hostage while Van Dyne releases a messenger flying ant to relay her predicament to Giant-Man.

I love the way Giant-Man leaps into action with  his fighting technique when confronting Attuma's forces. The sudden changing of height from Ant-Man to Giant-Man and back, while throwing punches and karate chopping strange devises is brilliant. Ant-man and Giant-Man stories might not fill the average comic fan with joy but this tale is really cool and possibly the best non-Avengers story to feature Giant-Man and the Wasp. It was something different than what I've ever seen before. 

Giant-Man A Special Feature.

"All you want to know" and all you need to know about Giant-Man. I kind of wanted a special feature on  Spider-man in this annual, but over time I would get endless features on the web-slinger. After reading and reading this feature on the big G-Man over the ages it became more interesting.

The Giant-Man story and this feature are the only pages to use black and white with red tones, making them feel more special than the rest. That presentation really worked on my childhood memories as it forms an everlasting memory. I always looked out for the three strips on the side of Giant-Man's mask, as a child I was fascinated when I read it was a "ingenious cybernetic nerve centre" and the the antennae were also important and not just for show as a left over from Henry Pym's old Ant-Man identity. 

I never really thought of heroes constantly training and honing their skills to remain fighting fit. The Avengers would do that and so would the X-Men in their danger room but when I was young I always remembered Giant-Man doing it first in this feature. Giant-man's astonishing headquarters with it's incredible "sky hooks", gym and labs was also a revelation, in my mind it came before the Fantastic Four's Baxter Building, which of course it didn't, but reading this annual before any other Marvel comic made me think it did. 

Spider-man "And then came Electro!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: John Romita Sr

Inker: Jim Mooney

Originally published in the Amazing Spider-man #82

Cover date March 1970

(Published in December 1969)

Spider-man Comics Weekly readers would have to wait till the 18th of January 1975 to see this story published in issue 101. With over a years worth of comics to read, this story won't disappoint those readers when they read it again, unlike some of the Spider-man adventures in last years annual where some stories were fresh or would soon be printed in the weekly comic.

This second Spider-man story appeared 12 months before the first web-slinger tale shown in this annual "On wings of death!" Peter was in a steady relationship with Gwen but Aunt May's health issues have become a point of worry for Peter and so are her medical bills.  

The old "earn money be appearing on TV" idea comes to Peter's mind, but getting the gig would mean washing his dirty Spider-man costume, we get the first "paper-bag" Spider-man outfit as he has to take the red and blue webs to the laundrette for a quick wash. Johnny Storm might have given that look to Spider-man as a joke when he needed something to wear after finding out his new black and white costume turned out to an alien parasite, but it was John Romita Sr created the original fun idea. It's a classic look! 

  

This story is obviously about a Spider-man battle with Electro, who in his civilian identity is working at the TV studio as an electrician, finds out that the web-slinger would be appearing on a live show as so sets out to battle him on the live TV. Fighting the master of electricity is never an easy task at the best of times, but Stan and John make this fight as...well as electrifying as ever. Spidey just about gets the upper hand, but in the process he gets quite a beating. Life is never a walk in the park but that is why Spider-man is like no other super-hero.

Spider-man "The terrible threat of the Living Brain!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Steve Ditko

Inker: Steve Ditko

Originally published in the Amazing Spider-man #8

Cover date January 1964

(Published in October 1963)

Again another story that readers of Spider-man Comics Weekly will have already read "the Living Brain!" story in MWOM #18 as I blog about last February. It's a fun classic Stan Lee/Steve Ditko short story that appeared with "Spider-man tackles the Torch!" story in the pages of Amazing Spider-man #8, if you was a comic collector in the 80's you might have read them both in Marvel UK's Spider-man Pocket Book number 8 published in November 1980. It's a really great early Spider-man strip, a fun read.

"The origin of... the Hulk"

 Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Steve Ditko

Originally published in the Incredible Hulk #2

Cover date July 1962

(Published in May 1963)

This pre-story "origin of" bonus page is taken from the third page of The Incredible Hulk issue 2 with the first two panels removed so that the title and opening text could be added. It may only be one page but to me this was the ultimate version of the Hulk's origin, the very best version. It looks proper scary as Banner chokes as his shirt starts to bulge and rip, then followed by the black eyed menacing image of the looming, imposing, incredible Hulk! 

The Fantastic Four "The Incredible Hulk!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Dick Ayers

Originally published in the Fantastic Four #12

Cover date  March1963

(Published in December 1962)

This is yet another classic Marvel tale that has lived with me as a bench mark of how great Marvel comics can be, simply because it was burned onto my mind as a child while reading this annual. It originally first appeared for British Marvel readers in MWOM #24 and #25. If you've read those blogs you'll know how much I adore this tale. A cross over of Marvel's heavy hitters made possible by the simple but obvious plot that the US army need the Fantastic Four's help in stopping a "Wrecker", who military "intelligence" believe to be the Hulk, from destroying a number of experiments that will safeguard US defence. 

This story gives Kirby a chance to flex his pencil holding hands and draw some of his best pages with monster smashing action and high tech machinery. This panel showing the seconds before Marvel's mightiest powerhouse meets Marvel's first family is beautifully choreographed. Stan Lee's dialogue is weighed perfectly too throughout the story. Everyone gets to appear in the spotlight, it's an action packed Cold War thriller too all about who to trust and who to believe as prejudices colour General Ross's hatred of the monstrous Hulk, blaming him for all the sabotage while an enemy spy makes fools of everyone.

I love how Lee and Kirby tease the project destroying Wrecker for the majority of the military base scenes. Then we get to see the Wreckers giant robot fully for just one panel before the Thing makes scrap metal out of it in another panel. It's perfect action, comedy and thrill in the Marvel style. Lee and Kirby were the masters of it, that's why these stories found in this annual are Amazing, Incredible and Fantastic, simply the Marvel way!

After the Giant-Man feature I was dying for a Spider-man feature but with 128 pages to cram all that Marvel action into we only get one page of facts "All about Spider-man", but whether by design or  by accident this afterword does make me want to find out more about the web-slinger and his amazing friends. 

Two of the Hulk images shown at the top and bottom, are taken from a Hulk story with art by Dick Ayers with inks by John Severin from the Incredible Hulk #144 cover dated October 1971, published July 1971. While the second Hulk image is taken from the previous issue, #143. All three are nice page fillers that feed a child's imagination. 

This annual worked on mine, setting me off on an incredible journey of discovery through the highs and lows of Marvel comics and comic reading. And for that I could thank Stan Lee, Jack Kirby or Steve Ditko, but I won't, because the person I need to thank for making me a "true believer" is my older brother. Without his re-gifted annual and encouragement to read I would never have gotten the chance to fall in love with the wonderful world of Marvel that's kept me entertained for over 50 years. 

So with that, thanks Andrew. You're a well deserved KOF, a proper Keeper Of the Flame. 

Make Mine Marvel.