The mid 1970's was a time when you could simply pop down to your local newsagents and be presented with an wide assortment of US comic books stuffed into spinner racks. And not all of these were Marvel, DC or indeed Atlas, there were other books available from companies like Skywald, Archie, King, Charlton and Gold Key comics. Of these companies Charlton produced many of my favourite titles for the period 1974/75, some of these are shown below:
"The Phantom" issues 67 (heading) and 68 above by Don Newton. I was never really that big a fan of the Phantom as a kid until Don Newton became the regualr artist on the Charlton comic.
"E-Man" isues 10 - Cover by Joe Staton. I have
rambled on about my affection for E-Man in the past but it was a really wonderful comic. Sadly this was the last Charlton issue.
"Vengeance Squad" - Issue 2 - Cover by PAM (Peter Morisi) - In the 1970's TV detective shows were everywhere yet very few comic books really tried to copy this format. Vengeance Squad made a valid attempt to break into the TV detective genre but the title never took off and was cancelled after only 6 issues.
"Doomsday + 1" - Cover by John Byrne - This SF comic was John Byrne's first original colour comic series. The story which lasted for 12 isuses, featured 3 astronauts who return to Earth after a nuclear holocaust wipes out humanity and is worth searching for in the back issue bins.
"Haunted" issue 21 - cover by Don Newton. Charlton were known for their horror/mystery anthology titles each with their own "presenters" (Dr Graves etc) - with issue 21 of "Haunted" the comic introduced Baron Weirwulf as its caretaker to the macabre.
"Ghost Manor" issue 23 -Cover by Tom Sutton - This is simply my all time favourite horror/mystery anotholgy cover. Charlton, and in particular Tom Sutton produced some stunning horror covers.
"Magnus, Robot Fighter" - issue 39 - Cover by Russ Manning - This was the only Gold Key issue of "Magnus, Robot Fighter" that I ever bought.
"Ripleys, Beleive it or Not !" - issue 54 - Ripleys, Beleive it or Not! is a museum full of kitch oddities like shrunken heads, strange animal skeletons etc. It was particaltly popular in the late 1960's to the mid 1970s spawning a film, books and a Gold Key comic that lasted 94 issues. I picked up the above issue up on a holiday visit to the Blackpool Ripley's museum shop . The comic wasn't great but I liked the cover.
As with my previous 3 posts on the 1974/75 spinner rack I end this one with an Atlas/Seaboard cover. This time one of their wonderful black and white magazines "Weird Tales of the Macarbe" issue 1 - cover by Jeff Jone.