1984: THE FIRST A-TEAM STRIP in LOOK-IN

From October 1984: THE A-TEAM arrive, in comics form, in LOOK-IN.

This wasn't the first outing of the iconic-yet-underrated action show in British comics.  Cannell's guns for hire had already been appearing in TV COMIC, the moribund long-runner that had shown some belated signs of life in the Eighties by running original strips based on THE DUKES OF HAZZARD, BATTLE OF THE PLANETS, TALES OF THE GOLD MONKEY and - ahem MISTER MERLIN.

Signing the A-listers hadn't been enough to keep the weekly in business and LOOK-IN were quick to swoop once the property came into play.  It really was a logical team-up and it must have annoyed and frustrated ITV Publications that - somehow - Universal had licensed it to someone else first.

However, adapting the show was not without some hassles.  Despite ruling the early Saturday night schedules (sorry Colin Baker), editors were worried that the random gun play (and cigars) might attract the attention of parents when translated to the printed page.  So firearms and tobacco were strictly controlled, no doubt to the frustration of the writers.

Universal's fast-and-loose licensing struck agaion the following summer when MARVEL UK published the first of two TAT specials, recycling the three-issue mini-series rushed into print in the States.  Someone had obviously spotted that LOOK-IN had securred the rights to publish a weekly strip... but not all comics rights.  It's telling that Marvel were never tempted to rerun the reprints, in serial form, in any of their late-eighties anthologies (THE INCREDIBLE HULK PRESENTS or MARVEL BUMPER COMIC) when the show was still bouncing around the ITV schedules.

I've posted about those Marvel specials, and the US limited series that spawned them, in posts-long-past.  Follow the link below to see my A-Team musings to date.

1983: STAR WARS MEETS THE A-TEAM: MAD MAGAZINE ISSUE 259

From November 1993: the ultimate pop culture slam-jam: THE A-TEAM meets STAR WARS!

The cover of MAD (UK edition) issue 259.

1986: DOCTOR WHO BULLETIN ISSUE 39

From October 1986: How times change... 5 million punters might have been a disaster for the new season debut back in 1986 but, in our new fangled modern world, most UK broadcasters would be quite chuffed with a similar audience. 

To be honest, I remember seeing the opening installments of the TRIAL OF A TIMELORD season and being distinctly underwhelmed. Not only was the whole idea of a sprawling 14 episode story arc flawed (and poorly executed) but JN-T's legendary showmanship seemed to have abandoned him. With the exception of the impressive motion-controlled miniature to open the story, there was little in the way of spectacle. Had he had served up a REMEMBERANCE OF THE DALEKS, he could have generated some buzz around the show again.  

The slump also, of course, played into DWB's narrative that the current production team (read: the producer) needed the boot in order to inject fresh blood. What only became clear later was that JN-T was one of the few people inside the Corporation really to trying to keep the show in business at all.  

And just look at some of the stellar ratings that some other regular shows were getting: over 17 million for EASTENDERS (although that almost certainly consolidated the Sunday afternoon omnibus repeat as well... and these were the days before Sunday opening gave millions the opportunity to dodge it), 10 million for DW's arch Saturday evening rivals THE A-TEAM. And even 4 million plus slumping down after school (or work if you'd bunked off exceptionally early) to see BLUE PETER.  

1983: THE A-TEAM (Target Books)

From 1983: THE A-TEAM, by Charles Heath, published by Target Books.

One of the Star Age things that's been all-but -eradicated by the digital age (although i suspect the rise of VHS was an early nail in the coffin) are novelizations of pretty much any film of TV show that looked like it might shift a few pulpy paperbacks.  

Target Books, long time publishers of the DOCTOR WHO range, decided to hedge their bets in the early Eighties and start publishing books based on imported US action shows.  Ironically, THE A-TEAM was thrashing the pants off WHO in the Saturday night schedules at this point.

The US editions of the these books came courtesy of Dell although it seems like Target kept the faith longer as they managed several additional outings that didn't see US release.

THE A-TEAM was, at least for a while, red hot on both sides of the Atlantic.  Target managed to eek out at least ten paperbacks adapting various episodes.  And they also indulged in some brand extension with at least a few Choose-Your-Own-Adventure type outings. 

This first book in the series (no number... presumably because Target weren't confident they had a franchise on their hands) adapts Mexican Slayride, the show's feature-length first outing.  Despite the bog-standard cast publicity photo on the cover, Dirk Benedict (Face!) didn't actually appear in the episode.  Tim (Captain Power) Dunigan had the honors but looked too young to be convincing as a Vietnam vet.  Benedict stepped in from the second episode and no effort was made to remount the pilot (presumably on the grounds of cost and time). 

I've not read the book but I do have a soft spot for the show itself.  It's easy to dismiss as being repetitive and not very clever but, watching as an adult, it's easy to see Stephen J. Cannell's light touch shining through and elevating the material.  The cast are also uniformly excellent (Bennedict is basically channeling Starbuck... which makes the Cylon gag from the episode Steel even more fun), especially Dwight Schultz as Murdoch.  He brings the right charm and manic energy without pushing it OTT and into the please-get-off-the-screen zone. 

1984: THE A-TEAM DUVET ADVERT in the EAGLE (IPC)

On these cold winter nights... and even colder mornings... wouldn't it be great if you could snuggle-up with the entire A-TEAM?  Or, at least, the male members thereof.  And not the new guy from season five.  

This half-page mail-away ad appeared in the EAGLE cover-dated 24 November 1984 which - as the advert handily points out - was just in time for Christmas (or sometime in January in the Royal Mail was slow).

1984: MR. T in BE SOMEBODY...OR BE SOMEBODY'S FOOL (VIDEO)

Here is a Public Service Announcement:

At the height of his eighties powers, THE A-TEAM's MR. T teamed with another part of the mighty Universal empire (MCA Home Video) for this 50-odd minute motivational piece intended to keep the kids of America on the straight-and-narrow.  

BE SOMEBODY... OR BE SOMEBODY'S FOOL. 

1984: THE A-TEAM TV COMIC Advert (Polystyle)

 

Apparently not even the persuasive power of the Big Man himself could save the long-floundering TV COMIC... but at least he tried.

The British perennial (launched in 1951... predating ITV by some four years) had looked unloved since the previous decade but publisher Polystyle had attempted to breath some new life into a tired looking product by snapping-up the rights to Universal shows like TALES OF THE GOLD MONKEY and THE A-TEAM.  

Ironically, this full-page prompt (which adorned the back page of 1984's THUNDERBIRDS special) probably stayed on the shelves longer than TV COMIC itself did.  The last issue (1,697) appeared in newsagents in June 1984... and copies of the Special presumably remained on sale into September or later.  

Mister T and co. quickly gravitated to their more obvious home... the pages of LOOK-IN (ITV, of course, enjoyed considerable success with the show so it seems surprising that ITV Publications ever allowed the license to go elsewhere) which didn't stop MARVEL UK churning out two specials (in 1985 and 1986) reprinting the US adaptation of the show. 

Polystyle bounced back, ever so briefly, with BEEB the following January.  Their new weekly tried (and failed) to transplant the LOOK-IN formula to the Corporation's stable of shows and presenters.  Not even the powers of David Icke and the improbable combination of Gary Glitter and Roland off Grange Hill could make that one fly...

1984: THE BATTLE FOR GALACTICA at UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

This is something I picked-up from a secondhand book store: a 1984 guide to the UNIVERSAL STUDIOS TOUR (which was celebrating its 20th anniversary that year).  It was bound to catch my eye anyway but the thing that made it a must-have was the two page spread devoted to the legendary (and now - sadly - long since defunct) BATTLE FOR GALACTICA attraction on the tour.

The tour segment opened in 1979 (just as the TV show was being cancelled, something that must have been a considerable frustration to Universal who clearly thought they had a cash-cow on their corporate hands) and finally shuttered (replaced by a BACK TO THE FUTURE ride) in 1992.

The ride involved the tour tram (see the cover picture below) being intercepted by a large Cylon craft.  The tram is taken aboard and menaced by some animatronic Cylons (led by an decidedly off-model Imperious Leader) and Ovions (a pricy, high-profile, alien menace that the TV show - surprisingly - never resurrected for a return engagement).  Just as the Cylon vessel is about to take off, a lone Colonial Warrior bursts in (in a hail of laser fire) and the tram escapes.  The whole encounter only took a few minutes (the tour had a strict timetable to keep).

Centurions also wandered the tour to entertain the punters.  The famous Dirk Benedict improvisation from THE A-TEAM (originally from the episode Steele before it became a title sequence fixture) happened whilst filming on the backlot.

The KNIGHT RIDER episode Fright Knight also makes extensive use of the backlot.  It's possible to spot a decidedly past-its-prime Colonial Viper (possibly the one that was used whenever a wrecked Viper was required... or the full-sized version in a terrible condition) and the Monkey Bar from TALES OF THE GOLD MONKEY.

Many (MANY!) Universal shows used the Universal lot on a regular basis and even, on occasion, cheekily used attractions on the tour as cheap sets.  Famously, THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN, used the ice tunnel for the two-part 1976 story The Secret of Bigfoot.  

1985/86: THE A-TEAM AT MARVEL UK

Slow Robot loves it when a plan comes together.  We've already covered the three issue US THE A-TEAM limited series, based on the TV action show.  Here's how Marvel UK reprinted the same material:

THE A-TEAM SUMMER SPECIAL

1985

Reprints US limited series 1 & 2.

Full details of Marvel's 1985 Summer Specials can be found here.

THE A-TEAM SPECIAL

ISSUE 2

1982

Reprints US limited series issue 3.

THE A-TEAM ANNUAL 1990

Published 1989.

Reprints US limited series 2 & 3.

Previous annuals were published by World Distributors.

As with BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, M-UK's license wasn't exclusive and a rival, UK-created, adaptation appeared first in the ailing TV COMIC and then, after its first home was cancelled, in LOOK IN.

1985: THE SUMMER OF '85: MARVEL UK'S SUMMER SPECIALS

It was the summer of 1985... and that meant one thing... Marvel's Summer Specials.  Any regular readers of Marvel's weeklies and monthlies couldn't avoid knowing about these six one-shots thanks to heavy and incessant plugging courtesy of the ubiquitous house-ad that ran (and ran) for months.

Make no mistake, these were pricy beasts, costing £1.20 each compared with under 30p for Marvel's regular weeklies (still a mix of colour and black & white interiors) and show that Marvel's thinking was heading towards "summer annuals" even through newsagents racked these with the regular comics rather than treating them as premium items.

M-UK had been foolin' around with the album format for a while but these, for the first time, boasted better printing and interior paper stock, accompanied by a price rise from 85p to £1.20.

Each special was 52-pages (including the card-stock covers), square-bound with full-colour interiors.  They were printed by Proost.

A further four Winter Specials were released in the same format later the same year, but these would be the last.  In 1986, Marvel returned to a more traditional format: releasing specials at far lower (and variable depending on the page count of each title) price points.  They more closely resembled normal comics, albeit with full-colour interiors and better paper stock than the weeklies.

The first Summer Specials from M-UK were introduced by Dez Skinn in the summer of 1979.  Prior to that, Marvel considered the occasionally widely distributed imports of US Treasury Editions and Marvel Super Special as being the equivalent.

THE A-TEAM SUMMER SPECIAL

US REPRINTS:

Diamonds are a thief's best friend (from US THE A-TEAM 1)

Who kidnapped Kuramoto? (from US THE A-TEAM 2)

NOTES:

The third issue of the US limited series appeared the following summer.

A TV tie-in strip also appeared in TV COMIC before transferring to LOOK IN.

DOCTOR WHO SUMMER SPECIAL CLASSIC

REPRINTS:

The Iron Legion (from US MARVEL PREMIERE 57-58)

K-9's finest hour

NOTES:

Although these strips originally appeared in black & white in DOCTOR WHO WEEKLY, these are the colour versions of the strips published in the US in MARVEL PREMIERE.

The oft-reprinted The Iron Legion had previously been reprinted, albeit in black & white, in the DOCTOR WHO SUMMER SPECIAL 1980.

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE SUMMER SPECIAL

US REPRINTS:

The key to Castle Grayskull (US MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE 2)

Within these walls (US MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE 3)

NOTES:

Based on the Mattel action figures.

This appears to be the rarest of the 1985 specials: hard to find at the time and very rarely turning-up today.

These strips are reprinted from DC Comics, the first time (excluding the UK edition of the SUPERMAN/ SPIDER-MAN crossover) M-UK reprinted material from their US 'distinguished competition'.

The MOTU license then transferred to London Editions Magazines (LEM) who published a range of tie-ins.  

Marvel US, through its Star Comics imprint, launched a regular MOTU comic but the LEM license prevented UK editions with the exception of Marvel's adaptation of the live-action movie, which M-UK issued as an album-format one-shot.

SPIDER-MAN SUMMER SPECIAL

US REPRINTS:

With great power (US THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 254)

HOMETOWN BOY (US MARVEL TEAM-UP 145)

NOTES:

These contemporary reprints are an oddity, in their timing rather than their contents.  Plagued by falling sales, the regular Spider-man weekly had morphed into the juvenile THE SPIDER-MAN COMIC (reprints of the semi-educational SPIDEY SUPER STORIES alongside Star Comics fare like FRAGGLE ROCK), turning its back on its traditional contemporary US reprints... and the black costume.  Older readers were clearly meant to shift their loyalties to the just-launched MARVEL SUPERHERO SECRET WARS.

STAR WARS SUMMER SPECIAL

US REPRINTS:

Silent drifting (US STAR WARS 24)

Dark encounter (US STAR WARS 29)

R2-D2's Tales from the Databank

NOTES:

Both the Star Wars strips had previously been serialised, in black and white, in STAR WARS WEEKLY between 1978-80.

The Tales from the Databank was a vintage Lee/ Kirby three-page short of the sort frequently used as padding during the SWW era.

THE TRANSFORMERS SUMMER SPECIAL

US REPRINTS:

The Transformers (US THE TRANSFORMERS 1)

Power play! (US THE TRANSFORMERS 2)

NOTES:

Although not branded as such, this is the first of the long-running THE TRANSFORMERS COLLECTED COMICS specials.  The CC branding was adopted from the following special.  From issue 3, the album format and US reprints were abandoned in favour of UK reprints in a more traditional UK comic format.

These strips were previously serialised, in colour and black & white, in the regular Transformers fortnightly 1-4.

IN-HOUSE ADVERTISING

1984: THE A-TEAM AT MARVEL

In 1984, Marvel New York published this three-issue mini-series based on the hit Universal/ NBC TV series.

The Fantastic Five (or, as the TV writers liked to think of it: The Fantastic Four with Amy) helped those in need, got involved in bonkers plots and defied death every adventures.  Ideal comic book fodder.  So no surprise that Marvel USA rushed this three-issue mini-series onto the stands in an attempt to grab some sales before America's obsession with the Team past.

Marvel UK reprinted all three issues across two specials (1985-86) and, again, in the only UK A-TEAM annual published by Marvel (the previous efforts were of the stellar quality normally associated with anything cobbled together by notorious purveyors of TV tie-in tat: World Distributors).

As with the previous Universal series BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, permission for Marvel to reprint material from the states didn't stop their rivals (this time TV COMIC and, later, LOOK IN) from producing their own A-TEAM strips.  Pity the fools!

ISSUE 1

MARCH 1984

ISSUE 2

APRIL 1984

ISSUE 3

MAY 1983

IN-HOUSE ADVERTISING

MARVEL AGE MAGAZINE ISSUE 12 - MARCH 1984