Thunder's Merge With Lion

[steelclaw]

The Last 'Thunder' & 'Lion' before the great 'Lion & Thunder' Merge.



THUNDER STRIPS(In the last One)
Black Max
Adam Eterno
Cliff Hanger
Fury's Family
Dusty Bins
Phil The Fluter
The Jet-Skaters
Steel Commando
The Terrible Trail From Tolmec
Gauntlet Of Fate


LION STRIPS(In the last one)
Carson's Cubs
General Johnny
Zip Nolan
The Spellbinder
Paddy Payne Fighter Ace
Britain AD2170
The King Of Keg Island
The Boy From Jupiter
Mowser






THE FIRST MERGED COPY OF LION & THUNDER 20TH MARCH 1971



THE STRIPS THAT MADE IT FROM THUNDER
Black Max
Fury's Family
Phil The Fluter
The Jet- Skaters
Steel Commando
Adam Eterno
Sam(Who they didn't have room for in the last 'Thunder' and First 'Lion & Thunder


THE STRIPS THAT MADE IF FROM LION
Carson's Cubs
Zip Nolan
Spellbinder
Mowser

NEW STRIP
The Jigsaw Journey

The Spooks from St Lukes started in the 2nd 'Lion & Thunder'

[Phoenix]

It must have seemed odd to boys at the time of this merger, steelclaw, that the new title retained only four serials from Lion but incorporated six (later seven) serials from Thunder, which presumably was the paper that was failing. Thunder and Lion might have been a more appropriate title following the merger. Did several of the rejected Lion serials make a significant comeback eventually in Lion and Thunder? Also, how long did the new comic retain Thunder in its title before reverting to Lion?

[Digifiend]

Thunder only ran for 22 issues, sounds like it was launched specifically to merge with Lion. Lion itself closed only three years later, merging with Valiant, so it's obvious that the Thunder merger failed to increase the readership. It kept the Thunder name until it's demise.

http://www.comicsuk.co.uk/ComicInformat ... ion_80.jpg

[steelclaw]

It must have seemed odd to boys at the time of this merger, steelclaw, that the new title retained only four serials from Lion but incorporated six (later seven) serials from Thunder, which presumably was the paper that was failing. Thunder and Lion might have been a more appropriate title following the merger. Did several of the rejected Lion serials make a significant comeback eventually in Lion and Thunder? Also, how long did the new comic retain Thunder in its title before reverting to Lion?

When 'Thunder' merged with 'Lion' I was as upset as when J'et' merged with 'Buster', but as 7 Strips were going into 'Lion & Thunder' it made things a lot better.

There were 161 'Lion & Thunders' there would have been 166 but for the Industrial Dispute in 1974.

What I loved about Lion & Thunder was the lovely colour cover specially when it was a picture of one of the strips inside.

They did bring back old 60's Lion strips, Robot Archie,The Spider,Mowser Came back as well but none of the others before the merge I would need to go through all 161 copies to make sure(sorry 159 copies I'm 2 short )
But a lot of new strories started I don't think these 2 are reprints.

[Lew Stringer]

Thunder only ran for 22 issues, sounds like it was launched specifically to merge with Lion. Lion itself closed only three years later, merging with Valiant, so it's obvious that the Thunder merger failed to increase the readership. It kept the Thunder name until it's demise.

Yes, that style of adventure comics were on their way out by that time. Thunder and Jet were particularly weak comics though IMHO, and not different enough to succeed.

IPC went on to produce comics that were more contemporary in tone, such as Tammy, Battle, Action, and 2000AD, - but then they bowed to public pressure on Action and it all went pear-shaped. After that, their launches were very mundane (Speed, new Eagle, Mask, etc) and doomed to failure. (Though admittedly new Eagle ran for a few years.)

I think one of the biggest mistakes British comics made was accepting the theory that comics could harm children, instead of challenging such unfounded allegations. (Europe and Japan never seem to have such problems.) It led to UK adventure comics becoming too oversensitive in their self-censorship. Having said that I understand it's a business and publishers have little choice but to bow to such paranoia if they want their publications to remain on sale.

Lew

[Phoenix]

Thanks to Digi, steelclaw and Lew for answering my questions. The differences of opinion on the fundamental qualities of both Thunder and Jet are fascinating. Clearly a case of beauty lying in the eye of the beholder.

[steelclaw]

I thought 'Thunder' and 'Jet' were the strongest comics around in 1971, they had some great stories.

[colcool007]

It must have seemed odd to boys at the time of this merger, steelclaw, that the new title retained only four serials from Lion but incorporated six (later seven) serials from Thunder, which presumably was the paper that was failing. Thunder and Lion might have been a more appropriate title following the merger. Did several of the rejected Lion serials make a significant comeback eventually in Lion and Thunder? Also, how long did the new comic retain Thunder in its title before reverting to Lion?

...What I loved about Lion & Thunder was the lovely colour cover specially when it was a picture of one of the strips inside....
But a lot of new strories started I don't think these 2 are reprints.

Interesting to note that the Flying Fortress story was used to bulk out the 1978 Action Annual. I thought that it had the feel of a reprint, but until I saw your scan, I couldn't be certain.

[grumpy old man]

Lion would also bring back old fave Paddy Payne from time to time

[Phoenix]

I thought 'Thunder' and 'Jet' were the strongest comics

Thunder and Jet were particularly weak comics

Seconds out............Round 1.

[Lew Stringer]

I thought 'Thunder' and 'Jet' were the strongest comics around in 1971, they had some great stories.

It's all down to personal taste of course. Myself, I thought the strongest comics of 1971 were Countdown and Look-In in terms of story, artwork and format.

Lew

[Digifiend]

Well it does help that those two had TV source material to draw inspiration from I suppose.

[steelclaw]

I thought 'Thunder' and 'Jet' were the strongest comics around in 1971, they had some great stories.

It's all down to personal taste of course. Myself, I thought the strongest comics of 1971 were Countdown and Look-In in terms of story, artwork and format.

Lew

Countdown was OK I bought the first few comics, The Persuaders strip wasn't up to much though, the TV series was OK.
As you say it's all down to personal taste.
Give me 'Black Max' and and 'Adam Eterno' anytime. Which I still think are strong stories re-reading them.

[Lew Stringer]

I was thinking more in terms of the format of the comic and the high standard of artwork and stories in Countdown. I don't think Thunder and Jet ever gave us a strip as sophisticated as John Burns' Countdown for example.

As for Look-In, that wasn't particularly sophisticated but it found a format that worked (the mix of comic strip and features) and obviously tapped into what its readers wanted, considering the years it ran for.

Thunder's Adam Eterno and Black Max were good strips, which is why they survived the mergers, but as far as "old fashioned" goes, Thunder and Jet were pretty much behind the times, (seemed to me to be lite versions of Valiant and Lion), - which may be why they only lasted 22 weeks.

Lew

[steelclaw]

Lion & Thunder was practically Thunder.

So do you think 'Thunder' & 'Jet' were launched specifically to merge with Lion & Buster? If so a lot of comics had small runs were these as well?

I liked them because of the stories & they were also the first comics I collected.
The good comics I liked never did last that long, countdown only lasted for just over a year on it's own.