1981: CAPTAIN AMERICA WEEKLY - PART ONE

In February 1981, Marvel UK launched their most patriotic British periodical to date: CAPTAIN AMERICA.  Hmmm.

Published in what we call the "Skinn II" format, CA retained the almost-newsprint-quality non-glossy covers and black and white interiors but didn't partake in Dez Skinn's old habit of reformatting the existing US pages of age to squeeze more panels per-page and more strips per-issue.

Captain America is one of those rare comics which actually got better over its run.  The line-up of strips benefited from two mergers and the glossy covers (and new glossy centre-spreads) returned from issue 37.

The initial four strip line-up offered two must-reads (contemporary Cap. Am. and Iron Man reprints) alongside two make-weights: The Defenders (ex of RAMPAGE) and Dazzler.  Really.

The demise of MARVEL ACTION added Thor and The Fantastic Four, allowing The Defenders to bow out and squeezing all the other strips to increase the overall line-up from four to five.

Bigger changes accompanied the merger of MARVEL SUPER ADVENTURES.  Daredevil joined the line-up and glossy covers reinstated (coinciding with Spider-man relaunching as SPIDER-MAN TV COMIC to capitalise on the live-action TV show and the opportunity to publish glossy stills from the show as well as new-launch SCOOBY DOO).

The Captain's final months were obviously being used to test the popularity of Thor with the Thunder God being prominently featured and securing several cover slots, including the final issue.  Marvel management must have already been looking ahead to their 1983 launches and the coming of the colour weeklies.

Unfortunately, I'm missing several issues (including the first.  Doh!) so this isn't a complete run of covers. But it's pretty comprehensive.

ISSUE 2

March 1981

ISSUE 5

25 March 1981

ISSUE 6

1 April 1981

ISSUE 7

8 April 1981

ISSUE 8

15 April 1981

ISSUE 9

22 April 1981

ISSUE 10

29 April 1981

ISSUE 11

6 May 1981

- Best - Cover - Ever - 

ISSUE 13

20 May 1981

The cover price rises a penny to 15p. And then drops back to 14p the following week.  Issue 13: unlucky for some!

ISSUE 14

27 May 1981

ISSUE 15

3 June 1981

ISSUE 16

10 June 1981

ISSUE 17

17 June 1981

ISSUE 18

24 June 1981

ISSUE 19

1 July 1981

ISSUE 20

8 July 1981

ISSUE 21

15 July 1981

MARVEL ACTION merges (don't be misled by the masthead which implies that it's the reverse situation), adding Thor and the Fantastic Four.  The Defenders fail to make the cut.

The cover splash may boast "The best of two comics for the price of one" but that's not entirely true, the price sneaks up a penny to 15p!

ISSUE 22

22 July 1981

ISSUE 23

29 July 1981

ISSUE 24

5 August 1981

ISSUE 25

12 August 1981

ISSUE 26

19 August 1981

ISSUE 27

26 August 1981

ISSUE 28

2 September 1981

ISSUE 29

8 September 1981

ISSUE 30

16 September 1981

This is the last issue to officially incorporate MARVEL ACTION.

ISSUE 31

23 September 1981

ISSUE 32

30 September 1981

ISSUE 33

7 October 1981

ISSUE 34

14 October 1981

HOUSE ADVERTISEMENT FOR THE RELAUNCH

14 October 1981

ISSUE 35

21 October 1981

MARVEL SUPER ADVENTURE merger announcement.

ISSUE 36

28 October 1981

Last old-format issue.

-TO BE CONTINUED -