Seeking 'Fantastic Four' story in UK reprint

abjack · Post by **abjack** » 12 Dec 2006, 23:39

Hi all,

I'm trying to identify a special issue of Fantastic Four that I read back
in the mid-70s, probably 1976 or 1977. I say 'special' issue because it
was definitely an annual or a giant-size comic of some sort, and not from
the standard US-published run. It must have been specific to the UK.

Here are the key things I remember:

1. The story was called 'This Man, This Monster', as featured in the
original US comic Fantastic Four no. 51.

2. The colouring was unique, in that the FF costumes were deep red,
and The Thing was purple rather than the usual orange. It sounds like
a printing mistake, but everything else about the issue was coloured
correctly, so it must have been a one-off. I read a lot of FF comics
in the 70s, which is why it struck me as so unusual.

Does this ring any bells?

chrissmillie · Post by **chrissmillie** » 13 Dec 2006, 00:33

Bad colouring sounds to me like Odhams Power Comics. Something like Fantastic, It's Terrific, Pow or Wham. Although, it's not Fantastic, coz that was never in it.

Chris

abjack · Post by **abjack** » 13 Dec 2006, 00:54

Thanks -- is there an online list of Terrific / Fantastic issues, with a note on contents or cover scans?

chrissmillie · Post by **chrissmillie** » 13 Dec 2006, 11:10

Well, there's a number of Fantastic covers at my http://www.mightyworldofmarvel.co.uk site but all the issues were black and white (except the covers). It would be either the Wham or Pow! annuals. It's not the first Pow or the last two 1970s Pow either, so that's either the 1969 or the Wham annuals. Can't help with either of these I'm afraid. You could ask a question at the mightyworldofmarvel.co.uk forum.

Cap Haggis · Post by **Cap Haggis** » 13 Dec 2006, 12:04

Yeah it is def' not from the Odhams range of weekly comics (Wham is where FF appeared if my memory is correct) possibly in an annula but im sure (form the few Whams I have( that the FF never appeared in their annuals and this was in the 1960s (cold have been in Terrific or Fantastic annual I suppose) - If its the mid 1970s then it woul dhave ben in a UK Marvel comic - The FF appeared in the "Mighty World of Marvel" , their own comic ("Complete Fantastic Four") "Captain Britain" a "FF pocket book" and Titans (the landscape comic) none of these were in colour (well Cap Britain was but not when the FF appeared). I would say it could have apperaed in any number of annuals (Marvel, Titans I think the best bets) or it could have been printed in one of the Giant Size Holiday Grab Bag comics Marvel put out int he mid 1970s (really large comics that had some dodgy colouring at times had Doc Strange, Conana, Howard the Duck Avengers etc specials) The strip in Question is a classic all the same and was re printed in the 1970s UK Marvel run in "Mighty World Of Marvel" in b&W (I have that issue well 2 issues)

Lew Stringer · Post by **Lew Stringer** » 13 Dec 2006, 12:21

No connection with the Odhams comics or Marvel UK.

The book in question (Fantastic Four Album) was a softback published in the UK sometime around 1969-70. I think World Distributors were the publishers. Another one appeared a year later but the contents were entirely in black and white.

I imagine the colouring was wrong on the first one because World had just been sent mono pages and they'd employed colourists who hadn't a clue who the characters were.

I think those softbacks had limited availability. I had mine from Woolworths but I don't recall Smiths stocking them. (I could be wrong.)

There were also two hardback FF annuals published around the same period (again by World) with different strips (with correct colouring, - more or less).

Lew

Cap Haggis · Post by **Cap Haggis** » 13 Dec 2006, 13:53

I didn't relaise that book was originally printed in colour Lew. I only had the B&W version which I tohught was the only one. Good call.

Lew Stringer · Post by **Lew Stringer** » 13 Dec 2006, 15:25

Cap Haggis wrote:I didn't relaise that book was originally printed in colour Lew. I only had the B&W version which I tohught was the only one. Good call.

No the black and white one is a different book and has different contents. It appeared the year after the colour one. Budget cuts presumably.

Lew

chrissmillie · Post by **chrissmillie** » 13 Dec 2006, 15:31

Think I have the mono one too. Reprinted FF v Frightful Four (Agatha Harkness reveals she's a witch) and I believe a Skrull episode.

abjack · Post by **abjack** » 13 Dec 2006, 18:35

Hi Lew,

D'you mean the story in question was printed in colour in that
Fantastic Four Album publication ...? And you remember the
wonky colouring for definite, from your own copy?

Lew Stringer · Post by **Lew Stringer** » 13 Dec 2006, 19:00

abjack wrote:Hi Lew,

D'you mean the story in question was printed in colour in that
Fantastic Four Album publication ...? And you remember the
wonky colouring for definite, from your own copy?

Yep. The one you remember was just as you say: softback, in full colour, but coloured wrongly. FF had red/yellow costumes, Thing was purple, and the Human Torch was blue!

It wasn't a printing mistake: just coloured by people who had never seen an FF comic.

Great reproduction though, on the sort of stiff card-like paper annuals never use now.

Lew

abjack · Post by **abjack** » 13 Dec 2006, 19:03

And is this the one you mean?

http://www.timturnbull.co.uk/images/ffcomicalbum.jpg

Lew Stringer · Post by **Lew Stringer** » 13 Dec 2006, 21:14

abjack wrote:And is this the one you mean?

http://www.timturnbull.co.uk/images/ffcomicalbum.jpg

That's the second one. (The one with the mono interiors.)

Lew

abjack · Post by **abjack** » 14 Dec 2006, 19:33

Hi all,

Quick update: Lew has solved this 35 year old mystery, and there's
a cover of the issue in question on eBay ... an auction I missed by
a mere month! Link below, 1969 issue on the right (scroll down the
page a bit):

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FANTASTIC-FOUR-AN ... 0047284972

Of course, if anyone happens to have a copy of this for sale, or could
point me in the right direction, I'd be interested

abjack · Post by **abjack** » 09 Feb 2007, 01:28

Hi all,

Here's the unusual FF item with unique colouring, taken from an eBay advert:

[img:400:300]http://i4.ebayimg.com/02/i/000/8a/54/8173_1.JPG[/img]

Ole Thing is purple ... quite an odd thrill to see it again!

Comics UK