What comics did you buy today?

[dandy mad]

I managed to get the beano book 1940 (facsimile) for £20 and some 1960s dandys for a couple of quid each

[colcool007]

Not today, but very recently I managed to buy the 1st 6 months of Battle, the 1st 4 Vulcans, the 1st 20 or so Monster Fun, not to mention a couple of Sparkys, Beezers and some random Beanos (it's been fun reading General Jumbo again), Dandys, Hotspurs, Warlords and US comics.

Now, the problem that I have is who is better at drawing 'Rat Pack'. Bellardini or Ezquerra? I love Massimo's clean lines but Carlos' style suits the grittier style of story better.

The other problem that I have is that after reading the 1st 4 Vulcans, I can now understand why so many fans are such fanatics when it comes to the Trigan Empire. Now do I collect the original comics or do I go for the graphic novels? The art is of such a high standard (Do we ever expect anything less of Ron Embleton?) and the story arc would not be out of place in a high end contemporary thriller.

I am not going to mention the price as I am sure that many fans on this board would lynch me if they knew how little I paid for this treasure trove.

[THE MOOSE]

Was the art on Trigan Empire not by Don Lawrence? at least the bulk of it on the earlier issues? - I would pick up the graphic novels they look stunning plus are a lot easier to buy that old issues of Vulcan, Look and Learn etc - great stuff

[colcool007]

Moose,

Again you correct me. But both Lawrence and Embleton are beyond our mere mortal skill in art so I will use that as my defence.

The advice to buy the GN's is appreciaed, and I will put them on to my watch list forthwith!

[philcom55]

Actually Ron Embleton did stand in for Lawrence on eight outstanding episodes of the Trigan Empire that were later collected in the English Vulcan (though not the first four issues), so it's possible you saw this at some other time. He also drew a story in one of the Ranger Annuals. By contrast Denis Gifford credited Embleton's Wrath of the Gods to Lawrence when he never worked on that at all.

- Phil R.

[THE MOOSE]

Something I'm never sure about re Vulcan is the difference between the "Scottish" and "English/UK" editions - am I correct in assuming Vulcan was tried out in Scotland first with a number of issue only for sale here - then a UK EDITION followed ? (or were there other Regional English editions before the National UK Vulcan comic?) - Did the Scottish edition feature different strips from the National UK edition (ie were the strips that appeared in Scotland "reprinted" in the UK edition) - what about the numbering did the National UK edition start from issue 1 or carry on from Scottish and or Regional English editions - Phewww hope that makes sense - is/was this normal pratice to test try a comic in one part of the UK before a National release??

[dandy mad]

with it being my birthday today the missus got me a dandy monster comic 1948 and my dc thomson bumper fun book came in the post this morning so im well chuffed

[Lew Stringer]

Something I'm never sure about re Vulcan is the difference between the "Scottish" and "English/UK" editions - am I correct in assuming Vulcan was tried out in Scotland first with a number of issue only for sale here - then a UK EDITION followed ? (or were there other Regional English editions before the National UK Vulcan comic?) - Did the Scottish edition feature different strips from the National UK edition (ie were the strips that appeared in Scotland "reprinted" in the UK edition) - what about the numbering did the National UK edition start from issue 1 or carry on from Scottish and or Regional English editions - Phewww hope that makes sense - is/was this normal pratice to test try a comic in one part of the UK before a National release??

The Scottish Vulcan reprinted the early adventures of the Fleetway characters, then as it was a success it was relaunched across the UK.

The UK version was exactly the same format, and the same characters but it didn't reprint the Scottish edition. The last Scottish-only edition tied up the stories (some with newly drawn endings as I recall), then the week after the UK edition was launched (pretending to be a new No.1 so as not to confuse most of the UK).

The UK edition featured the same characters (Steel Claw, Kelly's Eye, Trigan, etc) but started reprints from a convenient new point following on from the Scottish edition.

As far as I know this test-marketing practice isn't normally used for comics, but it often used for partworks. (However in the case of partworks, the relaunch does reprint the trial issues again.)

A less drastic test-marketing procedure was carried out last summer with issues of The Beano being priced 99p in certain areas (eg: Blackpool) whilst the rest of the UK still had identical issues with a 85p cover price. (To be fair the 99p editions did have a "free" poster.) Presumably that paid off as The Beano went up to 99p nationally afterwards.

Lew

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

'VULCAN' had a TV-advertising campaign on local GRAMPIAN TV around mid-'75.......I distinctly recall this had a severely limited 'animated' shot of 'MYTEK the MIGHTY' in which his arm only [uprooting a tree, like on the very first comic cover]--was seen to move; PRODUCTION VALUES that would have shamed HANNA-BARBERA!

[steelclaw]

I picked up 3 Red Daggers at my comic shop place today, I don't often see these as they deal mainly in US comics, "Sniper" "Tough of the track" & "Twisty" No's 1 2 & 4 I paid £3 each a bit more then I would have usually paid, but I think the price is about right, if I had bought them on eay I would have had to pay postage and packing.

I have 6 of these now,only another 24 to find

[Conor B]

I'm in Ireland!! On Sunday I got the Dandy, and the Beano yesterday!


My wait for the next Dandy is gonna seem Huuuuge though, because I got the last one LATE and this one EARLY!!

[colcool007]

My purchases were over the last week and they included 2000AD issues 77 and 78 with the banned Bolland story Giants Aren't Gentlemen, V for Vendetta GN, Albion GN and another 30 back issues of Victor from 62/63.

Of the lot, I think that I enjoyed the 2000ADs the most as this is the first time that I have read the Sam Slade stories of how Sam Slade lost 40 years in being transported to Verdus, but the Victors definitely came in equal with reading V for Vendetta as there were a pile of cracking stories that I have not seen reprinted in any other DCT publication.

[felneymike]

I was on a long journey to Lincoln and back today, i bought the latest 2000AD (i was expecting Dredd to fail her on some minor technicality) and the latest four Commandos, two of which i read on the way back. "Nightmare Holiday" is one of the mould-breakers which is set in modern times, and not even in a war! "Snatch Squad" is a rather more conventional tale of the Soviets, Brits, Germans and Partisans all after one particular man on the chaotic eastern front, who holds the key to a new advanced radar system.

[steelclaw]

When did the first Trigan Empire start in Look and Learn was it from issue 1?

[philcom55]

It started in the first issue of Ranger (18/9/65) then transferred to Look & Learn with the first combined issue in June of the following year (no.232). Oddly enough the story began on present-day Earth following the sensational discovery of a crashed spacecraft, by which time the Empire had long since 'fallen'. Presumably experts are still deciphering the historical records it contained as, to date, we've yet to learn how it met its end. To my mind that first episode still stands as one of the most memorable sequences ever to appear in a British comic strip.

- Phil R.