Stan, Jack, and Steve - The 1960's (1964) The Slow Build 5 5

[Dr. Haydn]

Is it my imagination, or did Stan actually give letterer Adorable Artie a compliment in the credits box?

[Dr. Haydn]

On 9/30/2023 at 9:42 AM, shadroch said:

DC did offer discount subscriptions, but Marvel wanted a premium on their subscription copies- which were sent folded in half.

Marvel made a big deal out of it (in the late 70s, I think), when their subscription copies were (finally!) mailed flat. No crease down the middle to spoil the resale value!

Edited September 30, 2023 by Dr. Haydn
added "finally"

[jimjum12]

On 9/30/2023 at 10:12 AM, Steven Valdez said:

I've often wondered why Marvel and other publishers didn't sell their own back issues through the mail, seeing as how so many excess issues were always printed. Surely they knew all their early issues were going for multiple of cover prices after only a few months. They did make back issues of their B&W magazines available for sale in the '70s, but never the regular comics. Obviously something to do with distribution terms.

Actually, they were available in the beginning, but around the time the back issue ads began popping up in the comics, this practice ended. I imagine it was a lot of hassle, but not profitable enough to dedicate an employee to it. They may have been limited to Printer's samples or file copies, probably have to ask Flo. GOD BLESS ... 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

 

I know this fellow, and he still has the comics he received AND the actual letters ...I've seen them.

MARVEL BACK ISSUES

Edited October 1, 2023 by jimjum12

[Steven Valdez]

On 10/1/2023 at 6:00 AM, Dr. Haydn said:

Marvel made a big deal out of it (in the late 70s, I think), when their subscription copies were (finally!) mailed flat. No crease down the middle to spoil the resale value!

That's right, i had to subscribe to Hulk, Spidey and FF (my faves) in the late '70s because they stopped distributing them in Australia for a couple of years. They were mailed 'flat' but in flimsy envelopes and would always be damaged. They were sent via surface mail too, so would take 6 to 12 weeks to arrive!

Still, it made my day whenever I saw one sticking out of the mailbox as i walked up the road from school. Around 1980 I started mail-ordering new issues from a direct sales provider in Canada (favourable exchange rate at the time) that were well packaged. I went in with a couple of friends and we were buying multiples of Moon Knight #1, Wolverine mini-series, Byrne X-Men and Miller Daredevils for way below cover price.

Edited October 1, 2023 by Steven Valdez

[Dr. Haydn]

A nice final panel by the (oft-maligned) Don Heck. 

[Prince Namor]

On 10/1/2023 at 2:54 PM, Dr. Haydn said:

A nice final panel by the (oft-maligned) Don Heck. 

Overall this looked like one of Heck's better issues, even if the story again was another bland snoozer.

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS MARCH 1964

Tales of Suspense #54 - Growing up I WANTED to like Iron Man - I thought he looked cool - but usually the artists they had drawing the book (Bronze Age - Great Romita cover, but George Tuska interiors) didn't really grab my interests, and... I just thought the stories were dumb. Looks like it wasn't much different in the Silver Age...

I laugh every time I read about Iron Man's 'Transistors'... and seriously? Roller Skates?

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS MARCH 1964

Tales of Suspense #54 - And the whole recharging their power - recharging his transistors, the Human Torch needing to rest between flaming on - thank god, they gave up on that tired later on. 

And here we have more goofy dialogue and... more of the double exclamation points that Kirby got criticized for at DC in the 70's.

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS MARCH 1964

Tales of Suspense #54 - As interesting as Ditko made the romance in Amazing Spider-man, Stan could not repeat it in Iron Man. This reads like an Al Hartley page. No offense to Al, who was a good guy and loyal worker, but his romance stuff was pretty vanilla. Not sure if Heck was copying that style or Lee had nothing else to add, but it just strikes me as flat.  

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS MARCH 1964

Tales of Suspense #54 - Story Plot by Stan Lee  -script & Art by Larry Lieber   Inked by Ayers   Lettered by Art Simek

I think the Cosmic Sleeping Vapor was seeping through the pages as I read this...

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS MARCH 1964

 

Tales of Suspense #54 - Story Plot by Stan Lee  --script & Art by Larry Lieber   Inked by Chic Stone   Lettered by Art Simek

As the Thing might say, "For someone who's just supposed to be 'watchin', this guy sure does a lot of yappin'!"

[Steven Valdez]

On 10/2/2023 at 10:54 AM, Prince Namor said:

 

ON NEWSSTANDS MARCH 1964

Tales of Suspense #54 - Growing up I WANTED to like Iron Man - I thought he looked cool - but usually the artists they had drawing the book (Bronze Age - Great Romita cover, but George Tuska interiors) didn't really grab my interests, and... I just thought the stories were dumb. Looks like it wasn't much different in the Silver Age...

I laugh every time I read about Iron Man's 'Transistors'... and seriously? Roller Skates?

Doesn't his propulsion come from under his feet? If so, the first panel makes no sense.

As if the second panel does make sense!

[Steven Valdez]

On 10/2/2023 at 11:12 AM, Prince Namor said:

ON NEWSSTANDS MARCH 1964

 

 

Tales of Suspense #54 - Story Plot by Stan Lee  ---script & Art by Larry Lieber   Inked by Chic Stone   Lettered by Art Simek

As the Thing might say, "For someone who's just supposed to be 'watchin', this guy sure does a lot of yappin'!"

How is he a Watcher when his eyes are closed in just about every panel?

[Dr. Haydn]

On 10/2/2023 at 12:19 AM, Dr. Haydn said:

Ayers' inking credit is in his own handwriting (or at least, NOT Artie Simek's handwriting). Did plotter/editor Stan Lee forget to give Ayers the appropriate credit? (I get the impression that Lee and Ayers didn't always get along too well.)

 

[bc]

On 10/1/2023 at 8:09 PM, Prince Namor said:

ON NEWSSTANDS MARCH 1964

Tales of Suspense #54 - Story Plot by Stan Lee  --script & Art by Larry Lieber   Inked by Ayers   Lettered by Art Simek

I think the Cosmic Sleeping Vapor was seeping through the pages as I read this...

Is this the last remnant of the PHM era?

-bc

[Dr. Haydn]

On 10/2/2023 at 8:41 AM, bc said:

Is this the last remnant of the PHM era?

-bc

I think Stan and Jack added the Captain America feature in Tales of Suspense #59, so we're getting there! Burning up the last of the inventory.

[shadroch]

I liked Iron Man's skates and was glad they made a brief comeback many years later. Comic books are supposed to be fun.  How joyless does one have to be to spend their time constantly looking for errors in sixty-year-old stories written for kids?  

 

[Dr. Haydn]

On 10/2/2023 at 9:13 AM, shadroch said:

I liked Iron Man's skates and was glad they made a brief comeback many years later. Comic books are supposed to be fun.  How joyless does one have to be to spend their time constantly looking for errors in sixty-year-old stories written for kids?  

 

I think Stan was definitely on the right track when he instituted the No-Prize, and in general, made fun of their occasional errors. From what I recall, DC's Silver Age material in the mid-60s was relatively error free compared to Marvel--and a dull read most of the time.

Edited October 2, 2023 by Dr. Haydn
minor rewording

[shadroch]

Don't Iron Man's skates recharge his batteries?   Walking in the suit would be difficult, so skating across a room makes more sense than using his repulsor rays to fly.  Imagine spending your day in a deep-sea diving outfit. You'd quickly learn how useful skates can be.

It's not like they put nipples on his suit.

[Steven Valdez]

On 10/3/2023 at 1:28 AM, Dr. Haydn said:

I think Stan was definitely on the right track when he instituted the No-Prize, and in general, made fun of their occasional errors. From what I recall, DC's Silver Age material in the mid-60s was relatively error free compared to Marvel--and a dull read most of the time.

The DC guys were actual sci-fi fans, so their pseudo-science rang a little bit more true than Stanley's.