1991: EPI-LOG MAGAZINE Issue 5

From 1991: Spies and secret agents come under the spotlight in the fifth issue of EPI-LOG MAGAZINE.

1977: CAPTAIN BRITAIN ANNUAL (Marvel UK)

From 1977: the one-and-only (to date) CAPTAIN BRITAIN ANNUAL.  

This UK hardback reprinted the strips from the first few issues of the 1976-77 weekly and would have gone on sale a couple of months after the comic itself had shuttered, in the summer of '77, after only thirty-nine issues.  As is normal practice for British annuals, the cover date (if included at all) references to the year ahead rather than the year of publication.  

Not all of the weekly's interior pages were colour (the centre-section, occupied by the Fantastic Four, were black & white) which, occasionally, meant that one page of CB's strip (if the strip ran long that week) would be published in black & white.  These were designated 'colour-it-yourself' pages by the ever hypefull Bullpen.  The previously mono pages were coloured... incredibly crudely... for their repeat outing here. 

1988: ALF VHS ADVERT (Marvel UK)

From 1988: this full-page advert for ALF VHS tapes appeared in the first issue of MARVEL UK's new ALF comic.

A "fantastic deal" indeed... with only two episodes of the thirty-minute (minus five or more for commercials) show on each eight-quid tape.  Bargain. 

1983: CHEWBACCA'S BANDOLIER PALITOY OFFER

From 1983: Another STAR WARS mail-away promotion from those Palitoy folk: CHEWBACCA'S BANDOLIER ACTION FIGURE HOLDER.  

In retrospect, I don't remember anyone I knew ever having one of these... suggesting that the take-up probably wasn't great.

1983: ON SALE THIS MONTH: EAGLE Issue 46 (IPC)

On sale this week in 1983: EAGLE issue 46 (although the issue itself is annoyingly unnumbered) with an eye-catching cover that somewhat blows the tease by revealing the mystery up front, eliminating the need to actually read the strip.

Other goodies inside included Dan Dare, Manix and Jake's Platoon. 

1991: SPIDER-MAN POSTER COLLECTION WINTER SPECIAL (Marvel UK)

From 1991: MARVEL UK tried something a little different for their SPIDER-MAN WINTER SPECIAL that year.  Instead of the usual offering of self-contained comic strip action, they dispensed with the comics altogether and simply packaged-up a bunch of artwork and pumped it out as a POSTER COLLECTION.

There's undeniably some great images here but its also the perfect microcosm of Nineties comics: nice art, never mind the story. 

1985: CBS SATURDAY MORNINGS AD includung THE YOUNG ASTRONAUTS

From 1985: CBS plugs its 1985-86 Saturday Morning fare... including (see previous post) the never-aired THE YOUNG ASTRONAUTS from Marvel Productions.  

The animated series became mired in creative discontent about the direction and tone of the show.  CBS pushed the proposed broadcast dates into the following year... and then scrapped the show outright after the Challenger Disaster made space look a lot less fun. 

1985: MARVEL AND THE YOUNG ASTRONAUTS

From 1985: NASA's recruitment drive for the next generation: a Marvel Us ad for the YOUNG ASTRONAUTS program.

This tie-up turned nasty for Marvel and ended in an acrimonious split from the Young Astronauts Council and a subsequent lawsuit.  As part of the initial deal, Marvel controlled the licensing rights to the property.  Cornerstone to this plan was to (ahem) launch an animated TV show on CBS' Saturday morning schedules in the Fall of 1985.  

However, the show was delayed when Marvel Productions, YAC and CBS couldn't agree on the type of show that everyone should be making.  The educational remit of YAC dictated a show grounded in some sort of reality.  CBS, on the other hand, wanted an exciting adventure show. 

The show was delayed whilst a compromise solution was sought... and then cancelled outright by the network on 29 January 1986, the day after the Challenger space shuttle exploded 73 seconds after launch.  

Marvel were also contractually obliged to publish at least six comic books based on the property.  With no TV show to tie-into, these were delayed and then cancelled, despite being previewed in MARVEL AGE magazine.

The licensing deal broke down and ended in a lawsuit over unpaid monies.  Marvel eventually won the suit, nabbing $185,547.40, plus interest of 9% (and another $75,000 from a previous ruling) in August 1990.  Full details of the suit and settlement can be found here.

Some online sources speculate that one episode of the show did sneak out prior to the disaster... and that all thirteen were completed and ready to run.  The legal transcript suggests that work was never actually completed on the pilot episode and there is no reference to anything ever having made it to air.

1980: SPIDER-MAN AND HULK WINTER SPECIAL (Marvel UK)

From 1980: The SPIDER-MAN WINTER SPECIAL which, like the weekly, shared space with the Green Goliath following the demise of his own weekly earlier in the year.  

The main strip, The Bend Sinister, had first appeared in that year's US AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL 14, albeit with less striking colour work on the cover. 

1988: THE ACTION ADVENTURE COLLECTION HASBRO VHS (Tempo)

From 1988: Three of Hasbro's Eighties multi-media franchises on one tape: ACTION FORCE (rebadged episodes of G.I. JOE), TRANSFORMERS and INHUMANOIDS.  

All three of which would also have been familiar to anyone who was buying MARVEL UK's weeklies.  Indeed, regular readers of Transformers saw both the other series rotate through the back-up slot.