Trade Ads for Sixties Comics

My thanks to Shaqui Le Vesconte for discovering these ads for 1960s comics that appeared in the magazine National Newsagent Bookseller Stationer for the retail trade. I've always been fascinated by stuff like this; the way comics were promoted to retailers in adverts that we as readers would never have seen. 

The ads speak for themselves so I'll post them without comment, - except to say that promoting "The comic the children have asked for" with what might be perceived as a picture of a naked man with a logo covering his modesty might not have been the wisest choice. (Yes, we know it's the Sub-Mariner and he's wearing trunks behind that banner but would the old lady running the corner shop know that? Still, it was the 1960s. Crazy times, man!) 

The Power Comics crossover

Compared to American comics, crossovers in British adventure comics are fairly rare. Of course the strips in TV21 inhabited a shared universe, as do several of the strips in 2000AD, but it was very uncommon for a strip in one comic to link to a different strip in another title, especially in the 1960s.

However in the mid-sixties, Smash! and Terrific did just that. Obviously the Marvel reprints they used were doing it all the time, but two of their originated British strips also had a connection.In Smash! No.36 (dated 6th October 1966) the evil Doctor Fear apparently met his demise in the Rubberman strip (art by Alfredo Marculeta). "This time there was no doubt." a caption told us, "Doctor Fear would never again bring terror to mankind."

Surprisingly a year later in Terrific No.25 (dated 30th Sept. 1967) who should turn up in the Appointment With Fear series than - Doctor Fear! With a flashback sequence to that Rubberman strip and an explanation as to how he survived...

But there was another twist. A few weeks later in Terrific No.28, it was revealed that it was only someone impersonating Doctor Fear in an elaborate ruse to test the story's hero, Don Starr! "I'm sorry about the Doctor Fear act - but I had to be certain you didn't scare easily!" says Jermyn Forster. Then Don Starr has his head turned by the imposter's pretty secretary and he's off on another adventure. 

As much as I like those comics I have to admit that this was an example of British comics at their silliest. Was the revelation of Forster as an impostor planned from the outset or did the scriptwriter just make it up as he went along week by week? Who knows? But at least it ticked the boxes to be an exciting serial and the artwork was suitably dramatic.