Marvel UK

[Andy Turnbull]

Nov 20, 2017 21:30:48 GMT Pinwig said:

1993! That's a late one. Don't often see Thundercats collected comics. I have a look occasionally because I'd like to finish my run of regular issues off. I stopped at #85 when it went monthly so I'm missing 86-129. Need to find them before I get that far on my 30th anniversary re-read!

Although I think by then it was all reprints anyway.

Exactly, when I saw it I though - I'm having that.

Andy

[browny87]

yeah that's quite cool actually

[Andy Turnbull]

[Andy Turnbull]

The very last Thundercats special...

Andy

[Andy Turnbull]

£6 for all 5 issues, and issue 1 has he hologram doodad.

Andy

[Pinwig]

Result! Aw man, that's a find!

[Andy Turnbull]

Always looking out for some Marvel UK issues at a reasonable price.

Andy

[Philip Ayres]

At Mum's. I dug out my Marvel UK for some SW research. In the course of which I looked at my UK Spider-Man issues and tried to work out what was in what.

In the main it proved quite easy. Most issues have part of an issue, I've not identified which part as I'm not sure.

ASM Amazing Spider-Man www.mikesamazingworld.com/features/series.php?seriesid=3985&page=gallery
MTU Marvel Team Up www.mikesamazingworld.com/features/series.php?seriesid=4009&page=gallery
PPTSSM Peter Parker The Spectacular Spider-Man www.mikesamazingworld.com/features/series.php?seriesid=4032&page=gallery
UXM Uncanny X-Men
Fantastic Four www.mikesamazingworld.com/features/series.php?seriesid=3649&page=gallery
Thor www.mikesamazingworld.com/features/series.php?seriesid=3980&page=gallery
Hulk www.mikesamazingworld.com/features/series.php?seriesid=3984&page=gallery
Avengers www.mikesamazingworld.com/features/series.php?seriesid=3986&page=gallery
What If www.mikesamazingworld.com/features/series.php?seriesid=4089&page=gallery
Marvel Fanfare www.mikesamazingworld.com/features/series.php?seriesid=4075&page=gallery

Spider-Man Winter Special 1982
ASM Annual 15

Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends comicvine.gamespot.com/spider-man-and-his-amazing-friends/4050-47659/
562 14/12/83 MTU 132 FF 142
564 28/12/83 MTU 133 FF 143
567 18/01/84 ASM 246 FF 144, UXM 32, Thor 234
568 25/01/84 MTU 134, Thor 234, UXM 32, FF 134
569 01/02/84 MTU 134, UXM 32, Thor 234
570 08/02/84 PPTSSM 84, Thor 234, UXM 32
571 15/02/84 PPTSSM 84, Thor 235, UXM 32
572 22/02/84 ASM 247, Thor 235, UXM 33
573 29/02/84 ASM 247, Thor 235, UXM 33
574 is an obvious must have now!
575 14/03/84 ASM 248, Thor 236, UXM 33
576 21/03/84 MTU 135, Thor 236, UXM 34

Spider-Man with the Incredible Hulk comicvine.gamespot.com/spider-man/4050-47656/
580 18/04/84 PPTSSM 86, Hulk 223
582 02/05/84 PPTSSM 87, Hulk 224

Spider-Man comicvine.gamespot.com/spider-man/4050-47656/
590 27/06/84 ASM 250, Indiana Jones & The Temple of Doom ?, Hulk 228
593 18/07/84 MTU 137, Mavel Fanfare 7, Indiana Jones & The Temple of Doom ?
602 22/09/84 PPTSSM 89, Avengers 206, Hulk 230
604 06/10/84 MTU 140, Avengers 204, Hulk 135
605 13/10/84 MTU 75, Avengers 204, Hulk 135
611 24/11/84 ASM Annual 18, The Last Starfighter ?, Hulk 232
615 22/12/84 MTU 147, Hulk 234, Avengers 207
621 02/02/85 MTU 150, Avengers 211, Hulk 237
624 23/02/85 PPTSSM 78/79? Annual 1, What If 36, Marvel Fanfare 14
627 16/03/85 ASM 262, Marvel Fanfare 15, What If? 37
628 23/02/85 AMS 262, Marvel Fanfare 14, What If? 37

Spider-Man Comic comicvine.gamespot.com/the-spider-man-comic/4050-47655/

This is the poor quality younger reader aimed Spider-Man that got the title cancelled. Indiana Jones & Fraggle Rock as back ups.

Spidey Super Stories www.mikesamazingworld.com/features/series.php?seriesid=4536&page=gallery

645 Spidey Super Stories 4: Spidey: Beware of the hair
647 Spidey Super Stories 4: Beat the Beetle
652 Spidey Super Stories 7: Lizard on the Loose

[Philip Ayres]

Also found in the back issue box were the UK X-Men 1 (half of US X-Men 1 plus A Man Called X from US X-Men 38) and Thor 1 (US Thor 171)

These two later merged and then merged into Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends

Thor comicvine.gamespot.com/the-mighty-thor/4050-47523/
X-Men comicvine.gamespot.com/the-original-x-men/4050-63825/
Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends comicvine.gamespot.com/spider-man-and-his-amazing-friends/4050-47659/

X-Men seems to have proceeded relatively in order but Thor jumps forward a bit: issues 6 is US Thor 183 but issue 19 is 213! However Issues 20 & 21, the first two after the merger, contain US 224 and after that it seems too proceed at half a US issue per UK on in order till the title merges with Amazing Spider-Man

US Thor www.mikesamazingworld.com/features/series.php?seriesid=3980&page=gallery

[Philip Ayres]

Oldest item in the box: Complete Fantastic Four #4, dated October 9th 1977.

comicvine.gamespot.com/complete-fantastic-four/4050-52553/

Reprints FF 136 and part of FF 2

www.mikesamazingworld.com/features/series.php?seriesid=3649&page=gallery

Probably the first Marvel comic I ever owned competing with the published later Rampage 32 (Defenders 32)

comicvine.gamespot.com/rampage/4050-51953/

Complete FF

Can't tell what's in the first few issues, but 3 might be FF 135. From there till issue 21 covers match till 153. 22 skips to 155 and from there it runs to US 161 in the final UK issue 37.

Interestingly issues in that run later pop up in Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends (above)

I've also got two issues of a later FF Volume from 82/3

marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Fantastic_Four_(UK)_Vol_1

Issue 26 appears to be the start of FF US 122, with some of She Hulk 1 as a back up, with issue 28 containing most of FF US 123.

www.mikesamazingworld.com/features/series.php?seriesid=3649&page=gallery

I could see this run lining up with the Amazing Friends run mentioned above but don't know enought about how long this title lasted or when it got merged into SM&HAF

[Philip Ayres]

Fortunately the Bullpen Bulletin column has clues!

FFUK 26 is out the same week as Spider-Man 525 (Thor and Spider-Woman as backup strips) and advertises Thor 1 & Original X-Men 1 as both on 14th & 21st of April 83

FFUK 28 is out the same week as Spider-Man 527 (back ups as above, Thor battling the Dream Demon, Spider-Woman meeting Werewolf by night) It also has "Fabulous news for all our readers that FFUK 29 will be the final issue at which point it merges with Spider-Man. Thor 1 on sale the next week, Original X-Men the week after and producing these comics is what FF's cancellation is blamed on!

(Quinn and Howett strips in these and many other Marvel UK at the time)

[Philip Ayres]

At around the same time in 82 there's a Hulk series I don't have any of

comicvine.gamespot.com/incredible-hulk/4050-47471/

Then there's Big Ben, which I definitely had issues of later. I thought it started earlier than 84 though!

comicvine.gamespot.com/thing-is-big-ben/4050-47589/

So if I understand right.....

Spider-Man is running for donkeys years

In early 82 they launch The Hulk, dies in 6 months, merged with Spider-Man

Hulk is effectively replaced by FF, dies in 6 months, merged with Spider-Man early 83

FF is effectively replaced by Thor and the original X-Men. They merge and then merge into Spider-Man in early 84, by which time is calling itself Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends to tie in with the TV series.

Thor and X-Men eventually disappear, replaced by the Hulk (presumably resuming from where it left off) and The Avengers (resuming from where the Marvel Superheroes monthly run left off - see posts earlier in the thread)

The Thing is Big Ben is launched in 84, dispatched, merged into Spider-Man in 85 and very quickly forgotten about.

Spider-Man gets turned into a younger readers comic in 85, which kills it causing it to be relaunched as Spider-Man and Zoids.

[Philip Ayres]

Bullpen Bulletins for Spider-Man&HAM 562, above, confirms it's out at the same time as Mighty World of Marvel (and The Daredevils) 8 (Hardstock cover, Wolverine 4 + Captain Britain)

My memory has it that after Marvel Superheroes and Rampage (monthly) - I have big runs of both - had run successfully together for some years Rampage was dispatched and it's New X-Men joined The Avengers in Marvel Superheroes while Marvel Superheroes Captain Britain joined Daredevil in The Daredevils - one issue of which #7 is in the back issue box and says it's July 83. Marvel Superheroes lasted a few months in that format before being relaunched in colour as Mighty World of Marvel - I've got the first 6 issues Uncanny 141-147, Vision & Scarlet Witch 1-4 (Mantlotainment) and Wolverine 1-2. Issue 6 is the merge issue.

comicvine.gamespot.com/marvel-super-heroes/4050-3088/
comicvine.gamespot.com/rampage-monthly/4050-34318/
comicvine.gamespot.com/daredevils/4050-22944/
comicvine.gamespot.com/mighty-world-of-marvel/4050-3232/

MWOM then gets merged into Savage Sword of Conan, which is where I first read some of Magik, which is dispatched soon after leaving Doctor Who as the remaining Marvel monthly

comicvine.gamespot.com/savage-sword-of-conan/4050-47760/

[The Doctor]

It took me about 30 years to work out that 'The Thing is Big Ben' was a pun title. It had previously always annoyed me as a really odd name for a comic. Used to drive me batty when I saw issues of it in back issue bins. The name caused a 'chalk on blackboard' atavistic response in me.

-Ralph

[Philip Ayres]

The Thing launches in March 84 and lasts 18 issues, cancelled in July that year.

comicvine.gamespot.com/thing-is-big-ben/4050-47589/

Was it dispatched to make way for the imminent launch of Transformers?

[Philip Ayres]

Dec 31, 2017 20:32:47 GMT Philip Ayres said:

At Mum's. I dug out my Marvel UK for some SW research. In the course of which I looked at my UK Spider-Man issues and tried to work out what was in what.

In the main it proved quite easy. Most issues have part of an issue, I've not identified which part as I'm not sure.

ASM Amazing Spider-Man www.mikesamazingworld.com/features/series.php?seriesid=3985&page=gallery
MTU Marvel Team Up www.mikesamazingworld.com/features/series.php?seriesid=4009&page=gallery
PPTSSM Peter Parker The Spectacular Spider-Man www.mikesamazingworld.com/features/series.php?seriesid=4032&page=gallery
UXM Uncanny X-Men
Fantastic Four www.mikesamazingworld.com/features/series.php?seriesid=3649&page=gallery
Thor www.mikesamazingworld.com/features/series.php?seriesid=3980&page=gallery
Hulk www.mikesamazingworld.com/features/series.php?seriesid=3984&page=gallery
Avengers www.mikesamazingworld.com/features/series.php?seriesid=3986&page=gallery
What If www.mikesamazingworld.com/features/series.php?seriesid=4089&page=gallery
Marvel Fanfare www.mikesamazingworld.com/features/series.php?seriesid=4075&page=gallery

so I got to work with what I had and cover galleries to see what else I could ID. Issues with dates and backups I have as above. Noticably, during the 84/5 issues, they're avoiding appearances by The Black Costume!

Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends comicvine.gamespot.com/spider-man-and-his-amazing-friends/4050-47659/
553 SM&HAF adaptation
554 SM&HAF adaptation
555 PPTSSM 81
556 PPTSSM 81
557 PPTSSM 82
558 PPTSSM 82
559 ASM 245
560 PPTSSM 83
561 PPTSSM 83
562 14/12/83 MTU 132 FF 142
563 MTU 132
564 28/12/83 MTU 133 FF 143 
565 MTU 133
566 ASM 246
567 18/01/84 ASM 246 FF 144, UXM 32, Thor 234
568 25/01/84 MTU 134, Thor 234, UXM 32, FF 134
569 01/02/84 MTU 134, UXM 32, Thor 234
570 08/02/84 PPTSSM 84, Thor 234, UXM 32
571 15/02/84 PPTSSM 84, Thor 235, UXM 32
572 22/02/84 ASM 247, Thor 235, UXM 33
573 29/02/84 ASM 247, Thor 235, UXM 33
574 ASM 248
575 14/03/84 ASM 248, Thor 236, UXM 33
576 21/03/84 MTU 135, Thor 236, UXM 34
577 MTU 135
578 ? PPTSSM 85

Spider-Man with the Incredible Hulk comicvine.gamespot.com/spider-man/4050-47656/
579 ? PPTSSM 85
580 18/04/84 PPTSSM 86, Hulk 223
581 PPTSSM 86
582 02/05/84 PPTSSM 87, Hulk 224
583 PPTSSM 87

Spider-Man comicvine.gamespot.com/spider-man/4050-47656/
584 probably MTU 136
585 MTU 136
586 ASM 249
587 ASM 249
588 ASM 250
589 ASM 250
590 27/06/84 ASM 250, Indiana Jones & The Temple of Doom ?, Hulk 228
591 ASM 251
592 ASM 251
593 18/07/84 MTU 137, Mavel Fanfare 7, Indiana Jones & The Temple of Doom ?
594 MTU 137
595 MTU 138
596 MTU 138
597 MTU 139
598 MTU 139
599 PPTSSM 88 ?
600 PPTSSM 88
601 PPTSSM 89
602 22/09/84 PPTSSM 89, Avengers 206, Hulk 230
603 MTU 140
604 06/10/84 MTU 140, Avengers 204, Hulk 135
605 13/10/84 MTU 75, Avengers  204, Hulk 135
606 MTU 75
607 UK original story
608 UK original story
609 UK original story
610 UK original story
611 24/11/84 ASM Annual 18, The Last Starfighter ?, Hulk 232
612 ASM Annual 18
613 ASM Annual 18
614 MTU 147
615 22/12/84 MTU 147, Hulk 234, Avengers 207
616 MTU 148
617 MTU 148
618 MTU 149
619 MTU 149 
620 MTU 150
621 02/02/85 MTU 150, Avengers 211, Hulk 237
622 MTU 150
623 PPTSSM Annual 1
624 23/02/85 PPTSSM Annual 1, What If 36, Marvel Fanfare 14
625 PPTSSM Annual 1
626 PPTSSM Annual 1
627 16/03/85 ASM 262, Marvel Fanfare 15, What If? 37
628 23/02/85 AMS 262, Marvel Fanfare 14, What If? 37
629 MTIO 90
630 MTIO 90
631 ASM 252
632 ASM 252
633 ASM 263
634 ASM 263

635 is when the younger readers Spiderman comic starts.

[Philip Ayres]

Think I've now identified all the US Spider-Man issues used on the Spider-Man title from the point it became Amazing Friends to where they started printing younger reader strips.

Bit of guessing early on but it fits in with what follows. The Doc Ock tale towards the end proved a poser: I know it's a Peter Parker tale because Marcy Kane is in it. 4 issues worth. Lead suspect is PPTSSM Annual 1 which I'll confirm when home.

I may have to have all these now.

[Philip Ayres]

Found an ad for TFUK 1 in Spider-Man 602

[Philip Ayres]

[Philip Ayres]

Fabulous News For All Our Readers from Spiderman UK 632. Still don't get this decision!

[The Doctor]

But Secret Wars in a fortnight!!!

-Ralph

[Philip Ayres]

Lovely little titbit from the column at the start of Spider-Man 619, 13 issues prior to the Fabulous News. They say the Iceman limited series will be appearing in the Spider-Man comic. This makes sense as Amazing Friends was still running at the time.

As we know it didn't, eventually seeing print in a latter issue of Secret Wars after they'd run Alpha Flight for 10 US issues.

[The Doctor]

Amazing.

-Ralph

[Philip Ayres]

Younger Readers Spider-Man blog entry

stevegoble.blogspot.co.uk/2010/02/danger-in-denver-southwest-showdown.html

[primenova]

The UK have always had a Spider-man comic - it just keeps changing it's name. On the page above it doesn't say who the editor was at the time. I don't think we'll ever have time when a Spider-man comic is not being released in the UK.

[The Doctor]

Was there not a fallow period either before or after SPIDER-MAN AND ZOIDS?

-Ralph

[Philip Ayres]

Both. Bear with, I'll dig some data up when home. But there is only briefly spiderman titles between the mid 80s and mid 90s

[Philip Ayres]

The original Spiderman title runs till issue 666 dated 14th December 1985, but it had been a young readers title for sometime before that

comicvine.gamespot.com/spidey-comic/4050-47653/
comicvine.gamespot.com/the-spider-man-comic/4050-47655/

The last issue of the proper comic is 633, dated 27th April 1985

comicvine.gamespot.com/spider-man/4050-47656/


Spiderman and Zoids 1 is dated March 8th 1986 and runs to issue 51 Febuary 21st 1987

comicvine.gamespot.com/spider-man-and-zoids/4050-37825/


The next title Complete Spider-Man starts May 1990 and runs monthly till issue 24 April 1992. This is Marvel UK's first Marvel US sized title and is a template for Astonishing Spiderman

comicvine.gamespot.com/complete-spider-man/4050-52577/


Exploits of Spiderman 1 dated 21st October 1992. 40 issues, 4 weekly ish, 40 dated 18th October 1995

comicvine.gamespot.com/exploits-of-spider-man/4050-52578/


Astonishing Spiderman 1 dated November 15th 1995 starts the Panini era

comicvine.gamespot.com/the-astonishing-spider-man/4050-23202/


So less gaps than I thought, but one sizeable gap from 1987-1990 and a few months off early 86 and mid 92. Exploits I wasn't really aware of.

[The Doctor]

I have found memories of 'Complete'. Only read a few of 'Exploits'. I think it was around when the large size X-Men comic was doing the rounds.

-Ralph

[Philip Ayres]

Bought the first issue of Complete, never saw it again.

Not sure if I ever saw Exploits: was it UK or US sized?