Rob welcomes Mike Jamison to the cabin to discuss MARVEL TALES #133!
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What a great, meandering conversation – perfect for listening while taking an extended walk through the woods on a hot, lazy Sunday afternoon. Loved Mick/Mike’s reminiscences about his extended family in particular. Chef’s kiss, gentlemen.
Also nice to see Marvel Tales getting some love, as I’ve always had a soft spot for that title. You see, my first ever comic book was Marvel Tales #59, which – at the age of 6 and a half – sparked my love for a) comic books and b) Spider-man. Moreover, a few years later I became a regular reader of Marvel Tales for a time, starting right around the issues that reprinted the whole Death of Gwen Stacy arc. That was when I first read a big chunk of Conway’s run on the title.
On for this specific issue, I didn’t have it because I had mostly stopped reading Marvel Tales by that point; however, I now have this story reprinted in two books: the UK Panini pocket book “Shattered by the Shocker” that collects ASM #151 to #160 and in the more recent first Marvel/Archie digest. So I re-read the story before listening to the show. And I have to admit, while reading it, I was actually wondering why Spidey’s Spider-sense seemed to be malfunctioning. However, I don’t consider it a big enough deal to require some kind of No-Prize explanation. (And I’m otherwise quite fond of Len Wein’s run on ASM.)
As to Mike’s desire for a Spider-man live-action feature set in the 1970s, I should point out that the TV show starring Nick Hammond has been released on DVD (and is also available for free at the Internet Archive). 😛 More seriously, I’ve said it elsewhere before, but I still wish Marvel Studios had done a Heroes for Hire movie, featuring Power Man, Iron Fist, Misty Knight and Colleen Wing, as a period piece set in the mid-1970s and riffing off of that era’s blaxploitation and martial arts films.
By the way, Rob, that omnibus you mentioned includes Nova #12 because it guest-stars Spidey and is part one in a two-part story that concludes in Spider-man #171.
A quick FYI that there is a website containing most of the old Hostess comics advertisements:
http://www.seanbaby.com/hostess.htm
Nice to know that that page is still up; haven’t consulted it in years.
Otherwise, though, you reminded me that recently someone actually collected and published an unauthorized collection of the Marvel Hostess ads (80 in all) and is selling them on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1545333682/the-unofficial-marvel-comics-hostess-ads.
More of what I live about Mountain Comics. Looking back through the decades and revisiting a time when comics just seemed more special, more magical, more fun. It’s so much more fun reminiscing with those who were there to.
Spider-Man was my favorite character back in the late 70s and early 80s and Marvel Tales was great book. Those stories were all new to me, and they helped fill in the gaps of my Spidey knowledge. I got the r origin stories of many of his most infamous villains and the introductions of his supporting cast.
It was another great episode from a great show. Thanks guys.
If anyone wants a comic spinner rack, do what I did. Buy a new magazine spinner rack. Browse the selection, consider the color, size, and how much vertical overlap you want from one level to the next. I purposely picked a style that allowed a lot of each cover to be viewable on every level. It’s fun!
Thanks Rob and Mike for a fun discussion.
Loved the anecdotes. As regards Rob and Kelley’s antique shopping, and the continuing quest for a second comic spinner rack, as the dealers know carousels are valuable, why don’t they just ask a pretty penny of inquirers and sell them?
That cover is just fantastic, so wonderfully busy, and the colouring here is better than in the original presentation, with a darker background, making the many figures pop.
Whenever I read old Spider-Man stories now, I can’t help thinking, okay, let’s see proof of that stupid retcon that Mary Jane really did know all along that Peter was Spider-Man. So here, on the one hand, that fits in with MJ tying Peter’s tie and apparently not seeing the costume underneath, we can say she’s pretending. On the other hand, why would MJ later draw attention to the fact Peter has vanished as Spidey appears?
Can anyone explain that three-panel sequence with Jonah deciding something was missing from his wedding ensemble… was it something to do with the cigar?
As regards Dr Octopus’s disguise on the last page, remember, in the Marvel Universe trenchcoats can hide anything.
That No Prize contest was indeed a tad unnecessary but I did find the later lettercol with readers’ explanation, I shall ping it to you, Rob.
I was always a DC kid but if I was going to get any Marvel book, it was almost always Spidey. Loved Marvel Team-Up, how I learned about the Marvel U.
But I also very much loved Marvel Tales, mostly because you got to read some of the more important stuff that happened before. And I collected it for a while in the ‘death of Capt Stacy’ period so met the Prowler, the Goblin, Harry Osborn and his drug habit, etc. I read Gwen Stacy’s death in Marvel Tales! I drifted away but got back in when they came back to the original stuff. So got to see the Ditko stuff, see Spidey meet Dr. Doom, read the first Sinister Six story in Tales.
I love that trades exist. But in those pre-internet days, having to wait a month to actually read Spider-Man deal with the Goblin after Gwen’s death was pretty cool. Like watching summer reruns of a show you missed and needing to wait for the next episode.
Great discussion as always!
Great discussion gents! As mentioned in previous episodes, my parents didn’t really take vacations, as my Dad was able to cash his in. It bought me more toys and comics, so I’m not complaining. But either way, it was great to hear the nostalgic trips down memory lane. They evoked some memories for me as well.
I loved Marvel Tales! Especially when they began reprinting the Lee/Ditko run in order. It was a must buy every month, and my favorite Spidey comic, despite strong work from Roger Stern, John Romita Jr., Tom DeFalco, Ron Frenz, Bill Mantlo, etc. on the “regular” Spidey titles.
As for the Spider-Sense controversy, I THINK Andrew Leyland touched on Len not having a great grasp on that particular power when he covered the Wein run on his Palace of Glittering Delights podcast some time ago. But honestly, the Spider-Sense has been interpreted as an early warning system, ESP, and an tracking device over the decades, so not sure why the Marvel office made such a fuss. It could very well be that Len had jumped ship over to DC at this point, and they were thumbing their nose at him.
Except for some what ifs I’ve read has Jonah ever liked any body . Also is it me or does doc octopus have a thing for aunt May ?
Oh yeah, they almost got married, but Doc Ock had reasons other than romance.
At this point, Jonah respects Captain America. He likes and respects his City Editor Robbie Robertson and his wife (maybe girlfriend at this point) Marla. Oh, and he’s appropriately pleased with his son, astronaut John Jameson.
That’s all I can come up with.
Great show! Enjoyed hearing Mike’s reminiscing. In the 70s we spent time in Ocean City and 80s/90s in Sea Isle so I am very familiar with the Pleasantville (Shore) Mall! I think I have been in the store that Mike mentions as well. Later on there was a comic shop (run by the same guy? Don’t remember) near the mall but not actually in it. My spidey sense for stores is still active but nowadays I keep a running list on my phone. I stop into every one I can!!
Oh and the comic was great too lol.
One of my own hobbies is visiting antique stores, and in Southern California we’re fortunate to have a fair number of them reachable on a given weekend. I’m definitely sympathetic to finding comics (with or without spinner racks) consistently overpriced at such places, but it reminds me of an occasion in which I did decide to actually buy one of these overpriced books.
I was visiting my parents in Tucson, AZ, where they themselves were on a leg of vacation intending to visit the Old Tucson movie studios, where a famous locomotive engine called the Reno (look it up) was still sitting at the time, and where one of my own favorite little-known television shows was filmed (“Legend” starring Richard Dean Anderson. This show is the source of my long-standing email handle, “NicodemusLegend”). We didn’t actually get to go inside (turns out the studio is only open a couple of days a week in the summer, and my parents’ travel plans hit Tucson on the wrong day), but Dad did get to see the Reno from a distance, so it wasn’t a total waste.
With some time to kill, I suggested visiting a nearby Antique shop I’d seen a flyer for while at my parent’s hotel. While wandering around the shop, I was stunned to find, almost anonymous among the booths there, a vehicle from “Legend” called the “Quadrovelocipede.” For those who don’t know (which, I expect, is just about everyone), the show built two such vehicles for the show, both of which had been sold to private collectors after the show ended production in 1995. Finding this vehicle in the antique shop was completely unexpected, as I had hoped that I might *maybe* recognize some of the sets if we’d gotten into the studio (which we hadn’t), and I already knew that the studio had not retained the vehicles. As I later learned through an evening of Google searching, it had apparently only arrived at this particular shop a fairly short time before, so my timing could hardly have been more perfect if I’d intended it!
Over the course of perhaps an hour, I took my time taking as many photos of the Quadrovelocipede as I could (for those curious enough to want to know what I’m talking about, a selection of pictures are at https://blackrockstoybox.blogspot.com/2017/07/that-time-i-found-quadrovelocipede-from.html). The vehicle itself was well out of my price range (in the low 5 figures), even if I were in a position to store it somewhere (not a chance, even today), but I did feel that I should buy *something* from this particular shop, even given my financial situation, and I eventually settled on an issue of Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories (#374, I’m informed by INDUCKS, but I can’t find any such number on the cover or indicia) that I think they were selling for $5. This issue is now a proud part of my collection.
Great discussion, Rob and MickMike. I’m totally here for the rabbit trails. Mick is right about seventies Spider-Man, the ranking of Hostess products, and probably other things I’m forgetting to mention. You’re both right about Marvel Tales. It was the greatest of the reprint series, and I enjoyed them all.