1977 SPIDER-MAN TV Movie! Pics and Article! Nick Hammond Returns! Marvel!

Regular readers know how much we love actor Nick Hammond on this blog. Here is yet another rare and raucous 1977 British mag article that spotlights Nick and his unvarying involvement in a little project called THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, a well-regarded TV movie that lead to a semi-regular series! Before this current time of madcap multi-million dollar multi-plex mega-Marvel movies, their superheroes were tackling the TV tube during this pop-prospering period! The SPIDER-MAN TV film was the vanguard of a wave of live-action tele-flicks, including the HULK, DR. STRANGE, CAPTAIN AMERICA, and others that never made it to air (MS. MARVEL, anyone?)! Click below to enlarge!

Interesting to note the writer's contention that the Marvel TV films were in
competition with SUPERMAN-THE MOVIE, then wowing theatre-goers everywhere!

Smashing Fan-Made INCREDIBLE HULK Model Kit! Lou Ferrigno! Marvel Comics!

Yep! It's the Hulk as portrayed by the incredible Lou Ferrigno, as seen on the late-70s CBS-TV show! This 13-inch tall fan-made resin garage kit was obtained from an eBay auction! Click below to enlarge pics!

The figure's head (tho quite well-sculpted as far as the likeness is concerned) 
was quite large, and needed some work on the hair to reduce overall 
head size in proportion to the body...

Using Super-Sculpy, I added to Hulk's arms, shoulders, and obliques (sides) 
to bulk up the somewhat puny body to better proportions!  

Painting included several different over and under-coats of green (lighter and darker shades 

to create highlights and shaded areas), as well as some pastel touches!  I also added to the thighs using 

Super-Sculpy modeling compound, to bulk up the thin legs. 

I used some "debris" from the Polar Lights Superman model kit (girders, brick sections) to disguise 

the over-long legs and feet, creating an "Aurora" diorama effect!

Below: The unbuilt, unmodified, and unpainted kit!

Fabulous SPIDER-MAN Silver Age UK Pin-Up! The Super Foes! Ditko! Romita! Marvel!

From one of the boisterous British 70s reprint volumes, here comes this incredible collage of all of Spider-Man's greatest foes! Clipped from some sensational Silver Age Spidey stories, here are all of his dastardly no-goods, as drawn by "sturdy" Steve Ditko, Jack "king" Kirby, and "jazzy" John Romita, Sr.! Rhino! Doc Ock! Green Goblin! Sandman! Shocker ("Let me switch you on?!"), and all the rest! Click to enlarge!

BONUS! Click below to enlarge this fabulous fan-commissioned drawing (by John Romita, Sr., with inks by X-MEN's Terry Austin) of Spidey and his deadly detractors, done in the 90s!

The Many Women in Batman's Life! Catwoman! Batgirl! Linda Page?! 1975 DC Comics Triumph!

Good ol' Alfred Pennyworth. Here he is, in a 1975 BATMAN "Super Spectacular" feature, spilling the beans on his master's love life! Who says Bruce Wayne's philandering is just a cover for Batman's charitable crime-fighting? From the Golden Age (Julie Madison) to the Silver Age (Batgirl and Poison Ivy), all of the Caped Crusader's many love interests are discussed! But, no mention of his short tryst with the beautiful Black Canary?! What about his more recent pursuits? Alf is lying down on the job (and it's obvious that he ain't the only one)! Click to enlarge and enjoy!

Senses-Shattering 70s SPIDER-MAN Strip! Mysterio Means Menace! 1978 Marvel Madness!

In our last installment, Spidey was beginning to suspect the malevolent movie Mysterio was the real thing! Now, he knows it! Watch as the impolite illusionist moves in on our weary Web-Head, bent on Spidey's final downfall! Will the crew be able to intervene before Spider-Man buys the farm? Will this mean the end of the 1978 SPIDER-MAN movie, and the Wall-Crawler's future fame? And, why was Stan Lee still using "turkey" as an insult, two years after it was in fashion? More Bronze Age greatness from Stan Lee and John Romita, Sr.! Click below to enlarge this week's battlin' blast, then click here for the next full-color sensational segment!

Eagle-eyed fans will spot many Spidey poses above that were
lifted and used on merchandise in 1978/79!

1972 Kenner Toy Catalog! Snoopy! Chip-A-Way! How to Insult Ethnic Groups and Good Taste!

From a 1972 Gold Key Disney-themed comic book, here are a few samples from a huge (16-page) Kenner toy insert, innocently stapled into the innards of said publication! Lest you think such blatant consumerism is a present-day trend, dig this tip to crass commercialism! Once again, I'll comment as we go, so get your engine (or electric toothbrush) started, and let's dive in, as you click each image to enlarge!

I had the SSP cars, and the "Smash-Up Derby!" Those things worked like gangbusters!

Has there ever been a more hideously frightening doll than "Blythe?" And such an old-fshioned name, too?! She looks like one of the moon-eyed kids seen on paintings by Margaret Keane! This was the period of "action toys," so even the girl's dolls had to grow hair, burp, wet, walk, karate chop, etc...I think this one added to the terror, by having her color-changing eyes actually roll back into her head, to create the eerie effect...BBrrrr...

Oh, where to begin? This ad tells kids about the endless fun they'll have with the also-oddly-named GABBIGALE doll! Berate your lazy pals, as they sleep in and miss badly-animated cartoons! Take years off your pet's life! Insult broadly-depicted ethnic groups! Snitch on your siblings! And, don't worry, since young African-American gals can get in on the hijinks, too! And, when those gals grow a little older, they can visit the Easy-Bake Oven factory! Gets them set for the role they'll assume in just a few years, right?

So, are the non-germophobic siblings above sharing the badly-rendered off-model Snoopy electric toothbrush? Is it really so bad that Mom "catches" them using it?! The next ad tells kids that someday (maybe in the year 2848?) you'll be able to actually enjoy video-cassettes in your home! But, until that glorious day, why not project stills of all the lame cartoons you just saw on Saturday morning?  I joke, but in those days, this was kinda a big deal, along with View-Master reels! I had the VM wall projector!

Here's another fun toy I had! I wonder why this one hasn't made a return visit to modern toy shelves, as, in today's "everyone's a winner" society, it'd be a big hit! Why spend years honing your artistic talent, when you can simply look like a hard-working,  ever-toiling artist? Give every one of those kids a ribbon! They didn't mention the ungodly mess those sets made, too! In the next ad, the hot and heavy early 70s whittling craze (not to be confused with the concurrent wood-burning mania) is addressed, as kids too young for sharp knives can finally get in on the artistic act! So, they're gonna "catch it" from Mom if they get caught with knives? Did they really "whittle" those animals, canons, and almost sacrilegious shapes?

The Dastardly DYNAMITE Doings of Dr. Doom! 1975 Kid's Mag Marvel Magic! Fantastic Four! Jack Kirby Art!

So, you think the editors of DYNAMITE magazine, those mavens of 70s kids mag magic, only talked about DC and Marvel Comics superheroes? Wrong! The energetic editors of the long-running mag also tackled the sinister super-villains who constantly vexed the dashing super-characters, too! Here is a 1975 feature, spilling the beans on ol' Dr. Doom! The excerpts they chose to run spotlight one of the greatest moments in the FANTASTIC FOUR comic book, where a de-powered FF join with Daredevil to battle Doom, and our heroes really seem to be on the ropes! It also represents Stan Lee and Jack Kirby at their zenith, when everything they produced at Marvel was sheer perfection! Click below to enlarge! Doomed if ya don't!

Wouldn't it have been interesting if Reed's weapon gave Doom unexpected powers in that 8th panel above?

Get a-HEAD with The Monkees! 2011 Movie Article and Rare Pics! Davy Jones!

From the fab folks at VIDEO WATCHDOG, here is a recent article on HEAD, the oddball 1968 film helmed by the Monkees! Read about how Jack Nicholson and Frank Zappa were involved in the picture, and how it went on to fund the more successful EASY RIDER movie! Some fans say HEAD was the Monkees at their best, others say it represented the nadir of their filmed work, and others are still just plain confused by this mad and non-linear psychedelic flick! Click to enlarge images below!

BONUS! Click below to enlarge these rare and candid shots taken on the set of HEAD!

I clipped and mounted this pic on construction paper
in 1982! I've kept it since!

The Monkees in the studio, recording the film's
"Ditty Diego" chant for the HEAD soundtrack!

Nicholson, seen fooling with one of the Monkees dummy
heads used during the "Circle Sky" live concert scene in the film!

BONUS BONUS! Look below for a recent rave review of the HEAD movie soundtrack!

EXTRA BONUS BONUS! Click below to hear a rare 1968 interview with Davy and Peter, discussing the then in-the-making Monkees movie!

Click here to find out how you can help the late Davy Jones' horses! Contributions are needed to help with upkeep, food, and care of these lovely creatures!

Custom Aurora CAPTAIN AMERICA Model Kit! Jack Kirby! Marvel Comics!

Here is the 1974 (originally released in 1966) Aurora "Comic Scenes" CAPTAIN AMERICA model kit, re-cast recently in a larger scale by Polar Lights! I added a GI JOE gunbelt and accessories to give Cap an "Ultimates" (or movie) look... I also substituted the kit's over-sized head with a plaster cast head from the Bowen Yellowjacket bust! I then tried to give it a "Jack Kirby-drawn" look.  Click images below to enlarge!

I also assembled Cap's left arm so that it (and the shield) didn't conceal his body in the way the original kit did! I wanted more of an "open" pose...

I used a heavy gloss coating on the puddle, then, once dry, added some clear cellophane...

I paid a great deal of attention to flat matte areas (the costume and base) and glossy areas (the shield, puddle, etc...), in an attempt to bring added realism to the kit...

BONUS! Click below to see the original "oversized" heads that came with the Polar Lights kit (below, left), and the finished, un-customized kit (below, right)!

STAR TREK Pizza Cutters? Silver Surfer Can Openers?! Spider-Man Toasters? Marvel Money-Making Madness!

Since the beginning of pop culture, whether it be the days of pulp mags and radio, or the current media-saturated times we now live in, comics characters have been unmercifully merchandised to death, appearing on such ancillary products as toys, coloring books, clothing, and much more! However, there always existed a certain unspoken line of good taste or practicality, tho, that only a few manufacturers would dare venture over. That no longer seems to be the case, as we look over these recently-proffered pieces of pop pap! For once, I'm gonna comment on these items on a one-by-one basis, so get set! Click images to enlarge!

Not a bad idea, but isn't Cap's shield supposed to be a symbol representing our great country, in addition to being an icon of the well-known comics character? Add the aggressive and unattractive art, and the "thirst Avenger" line, and...Ugh.

What is it about can and bottle openers? Who drinks from old-fashinoned glass bottles anymore? How many comics fans swill Budweiser like it's going out of style? Nice turn of phrase on Galactus' usual "I Hunger" bleat...

Yep. Im sure this is what Matt Jeffries envisioned when sketching out the designs for the famous starship. Actually kinda clever, and you can tell the cutter designer(?!) looked over the shape of the Enterprise and realized it did lend itself to the item, but...Say, why not an Enterprise can opener?! And, do not try to grip my "nacelles," if you please.

Yeah, I know every 3rd rate actress and rapper has a "fragrance" available now, but what exactly does a fictional character smell like? Do comics fans really think they'll snag Mary Jane Watson-caliber chicks if they wear this stuff? Do they really believe Scarlett Johansson will come knocking at their door? Don't answer that.

Does anyone really need to have Spider-Man etched onto food they're about to consume? Does it make your toast taste any better? Will your friends be truly impressed? Isn't it enough to surround yourself with Spidey posters, toys, school supplies, clothing, and comic books? "Toast Spider-Man?!" Sure, this is great for wide-eyed kids, but are these really aimed at the kiddie set? Which brings us to...

..the king of the kitsch hill. The grand-daddy of all juvenile junk. How about toast that brings to mind a vicious, misguided and sad homicidal vigilante? No, I'm not talking about Batman in the current comics, but good ol' Rorschach, from 1986's seminal WATCHMEN graphic novel! Not only is this item a slap to good taste and comic fans, but to WATCHMEN creators Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, who've carefully tried to maintain a tight grip on how these memorable characters should be used in print and media, let alone in conjunction with cheap junk made to grab a quick buck! The two creators have lost any such battle, since DC also has re-activated the WM charaacters in comics recently...And "Hurm your toast?" Really? Sigh. One more to go...

Just so ya don't think the creation of cheap and useless comics crap is a totally new venture, cast your eyes upon these little beauties, from the late 70s! Hate to say it, but these I'd buy! Now, it's time for me to make some scratch offa superhero clap-trap, so...

Superior Sunday 70s SPIDER-MAN Strips! The Marriage of Mysterio?! 1978 Marvel Magnificence!

Last week, we witnessed the first filming of a new (in 1978) SPIDER-MAN movie! But, a make-believe Mysterio seems to be more than just a mad movie maven! Now, Spidey not only faces a real threat from the sinister celluloid sap, but also from the producer himself! Will the woeful Web-Slinger ever find love and acceptance? Will his violent demise be caught on film? And, how many folks today understand the jolly jokes from that third strip? Yet another dose of daily and daring doings from the dynamic duo of Stan Lee and John Romita, Sr.! Click below to enlarge, then rush here for the next tense installment, Marvelitte!

By adding topical references from pop culture, as seen in that third strip, Stan Lee added a layer of realism and the feeling that these outrageous characters existed in the "real world!"