Fantastic 40th anniversary

Lew Stringer · Post by **Lew Stringer** » 10 Feb 2007, 18:18

It's been 40 years tomorrow since Fantastic No.1 hit the stands. Anyone else out there still have their free pennant? (And did anyone actually fly it from their bike? Not having a bike myself I pinned my pennant to my wall.)

[IMG:340:273]http://i15.tinypic.com/2uzfeig.jpg[/img]

I'll be running an item on Fantastic over on my blog. A scan of an old Daily Mirror ad for the comic is up there already:

http://tinyurl.com/2c5tuq

Lew

Shaqui · Post by **Shaqui** » 10 Feb 2007, 19:17

The trade press advert for the launch of 'Fantastic' also features in part three of 'Yesterday's News Today' at the GACCH website:

http://www.technodelic.pwp.blueyonder.c ... oday03.htm

It's scary how long ago that was!

Lew Stringer · Post by **Lew Stringer** » 10 Feb 2007, 19:47

Shaqui wrote:The trade press advert for the launch of 'Fantastic' also features in part three of 'Yesterday's News Today' at the GACCH website:

http://www.technodelic.pwp.blueyonder.c ... oday03.htm

It's scary how long ago that was!

I'd forgotten you had that on your site! Interestingly Solo is also 40 years old this coming week! Must dig out a copy to do an item on it.

That trade ad is slightly incorrect by the way: Fantastic was launched on Feb 11th 1967, not Feb 13th. Definitely a Saturday not a Monday. Pedantic I know.

Lew

Shaqui · Post by **Shaqui** » 10 Feb 2007, 22:10

Lew Stringer wrote:Interestingly Solo is also 40 years old this coming week! Must dig out a copy to do an item on it.

No, seriously... don't.

Lew Stringer · Post by **Lew Stringer** » 10 Feb 2007, 22:13

Shaqui wrote:
Lew Stringer wrote:Interestingly Solo is also 40 years old this coming week! Must dig out a copy to do an item on it.
No, seriously... don't.

LOL! Yes it was pretty poor wasn't it? I think I had one issue and threw it away as soon as I'd read it. I've bought a couple since, just for my collection, but it's easy to see why it failed.

Lew

Steve Bright · Post by **Steve Bright** » 10 Feb 2007, 23:31

Seriously. Lew - DO it! You've aroused my curiosity, and if nothing else I want to see why it was so bad.

Your scan of the cover of the first 'FANTASTIC' brought more great memories flooding back I'd forgotten all about it, but I now vividly recall copying those poses of Thor and the original Iron Man along with the Avengers' faces into a sketch pad. Like you, I would have been 8 years old, and nuts about superheroes.

But I don't recall 'Solo' at all, so please do remind me. Shaqui can look away.

Lew Stringer · Post by **Lew Stringer** » 10 Feb 2007, 23:52

Steve Bright wrote: But I don't recall 'Solo' at all, so please do remind me. Shaqui can look away.

I'll have a root around. In the meantime the cover of the first issue of Solo is in the gallery section of this (Comic UK) website. It was an odd mixture of contents: Bilko, Man from UNCLE, and... Mary Poppins?!?

Lew

john56peter756brit · Post by **john56peter756brit** » 11 Feb 2007, 00:16

I remember solo lew.I used to see mick angelo i think it was his comic i think he used photos that were coloured over. mind you its been so long ago now

Peter Gray · Post by **Peter Gray** » 11 Feb 2007, 00:34

[img:382:500]http://www.comicsuk.co.uk/images/covers500/Solo_10.jpg[/img]

what a bleak creepy cover for a fun comic with the scarecrow.......

john56peter756brit · Post by **john56peter756brit** » 11 Feb 2007, 00:39

that was patrick mcgoohan i think great comic.

Steve Bright · Post by **Steve Bright** » 11 Feb 2007, 01:33

Good grief! How could I forget that?....

Shaqui · Post by **Shaqui** » 11 Feb 2007, 10:34

It was meant to be a City Magazines/Disney co-venture, hence the high degree of Disney material (reprints) initially. When sales failed, it was revamped to a more adventure orientated comic, ditching a lot of the Disney fare and introducing 'Mark of the Mysterons', 'Project SWORD' and 'Tomorrow West'.

It didn't fare any better, and was incorporated into 'TV Tornado' after issue 31.

Shaqui · Post by **Shaqui** » 11 Feb 2007, 10:44

Steve Bright wrote:But I don't recall 'Solo' at all, so please do remind me. Shaqui can look away.

Too late... nobody knows the terror I've seen!

But you can catch up on the latter edition ventures here:

http://www.technodelic.pwp.blueyonder.c ... terons.htm

http://www.technodelic.pwp.blueyonder.c ... WORD01.htm

Whilst we're on the subject, does anyone know who that really crap artist on 'Project SWORD' is?

philcom55 · Post by **philcom55** » 11 Feb 2007, 11:34

And if anybody's interested, here's the cover to the final - equally lacklustre - edition (even Don Harley's Mysterons strip seemed to have been drawn in his sleep!).

[img:581:800]http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q123 ... 5/Solo.jpg[/img]
Solo: so good they named it once!!!

...As a matter of interest, can anybody put names to those faces? (I'm pretty sure I've seen the guy on the bottom right in some editorial capacity before!)

- Phil Rushton

Steve Bright · Post by **Steve Bright** » 11 Feb 2007, 12:23

philcom55 wrote: ...As a matter of interest, can anybody put names to those faces? (I'm pretty sure I've seen the guy on the bottom right in some editorial capacity before!)

- Phil Rushton

Can't help you there, Phil, but is it too late for 'P.Toss, Diver' to sue d'you think?

Comics UK