Out Of This World

[Andrew Curnow]

For exciting titles, you can't beat Jupiter Equilateral!!

[MacNimon]

These could maybe have been better placed in the movie posters thread, but they're certainly not out of place here...

[Andrew Curnow]

If I have the choice, I always prefer my films in Magnificent Color as opposed to just Color. It's much more.... well, magnificent!!

[Rob McCow]

I don't know, I've got a fondness for Stark Black and White.

If only I could believe that the events shown on the posters would appear in the films as advertised. They are so good!

[MacNimon]

John W Campbell's Who Goes There?
was first published in this 1939 issue of Astounding Stories under the pen-name of Don Stuart.

It was reprinted a number of times under its original name...

...before being filmed by Howard Hawkes and being given the title by which the story is better known today...

The story was also adapted to the comic book medium in the 1950s

...as well as being used as the basis for the Peter Cushing/ Christopher Lee movie...

And of course, it has also been filmed as The Thing twice in the years since, most notably John Carpenter's 1982 version...

[Rob McCow]

Giving us the ultimate answer to the question:
"Ooo, what was that film, you know the one with the thing?"
"The Thing."
"That's right."

I'm amazed at how closely some of the artwork resembles the FX from the film (vice-versa actually), especially the comic book. It's a terrifying story, especially the concept of one cell of the creature getting out and infecting all life on the planet.

[MacNimon]

A few issues of Marvel's 1980s US Doctor Who reprint series now...

[Rob McCow]

Love these!

[Dino]

I love the "Enter The Cyberman" cover because it looks like a neighbour bursting into someone's house to accuse The Doctor of wrecking his flower bed!

[Andrew Curnow]

I like the Doctor observing that a torpedo heading right for him is "most distressing". Talk about a gift for understatement!!

[MacNimon]

I think it's about time we had a 2000AD day...so here's a selection of covers from 1980, featuring work by artists such as Brian Bolland, Massimo Bellardinelli, Dave Gibbons, Carlos Ezquerra,Cam Kennedy,Ron Smith and Mick McMahon...

[Stuart Wallis]

I remember most of those covers. I'm off to have a dose of nostalgia...

I love the "Enter The Cyberman" cover because it looks like a neighbour bursting into someone's house to accuse The Doctor of wrecking his flower bed!

"You have landed your TARDIS in my geraniums! You are to be deleted!"

[Andrew Curnow]

Yes, I remember those too. The VCs and Fiends of the Western Front were both favourites. Some great covers there, even though it's galling to think they're 36 years ago!!!

[Stuart Wallis]

Yes, not just a police box in the geraniums, but also an intimation of mortality nibbling the daffs...

[Rob McCow]

It's nice to see Judge Dredd arresting the cr*p out of: Dinosaurs, Apes, City Blocks and Space. You name it, he'll arrest it.

[MacNimon]

I remember these giant treasury-sized editions being on sale around the same time the original Star Wars film was on release...but my mum and dad wouldn't give me extra pocket money to buy them because I had already bought and read the stories inside and they couldn't see the point in doing so again...

[Dirk Gently]

I found out something interesting the other day. Star Wars saved Marvel comics. Marvel was on its knees when they got the OK to do Star Wars & their sales went skywards.

[Rob McCow]

They're fantastic. I love Darth Vader's MASSIVE FIST giving a helping hand for the Death Star battle.

[Stuart Wallis]

My operation's on Friday, it's too soon to be thinking about massive fists...

[MacNimon]

Some great Buck Rogers covers by Frank Frazetta today from 1953...

[Andrew Curnow]

I've still got my Star Wars Treasury editions upstairs, and they really are big!! Bizarrely though, I've no idea where or even when I got them.

[Stuart Wallis]

I know the feeling - old age and gin come to us all...

[Dino]

Blonde Woman: Hi, is that Buck Rogers? Hi! Yeah... it's not you, it's me. I really think we should start seeing other people? Well it's just... I GOT THROWN OUT OF A SPACESHIP WITH NO SPACESUIT! And even when I wore protective clothing, that sea monster thing still grabbed me! And "Funnies"? "FUNNIES?!!" ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!

[MacNimon]

Returning to Star Wars yet again, although I missed out on those giant treasuries from a couple of posts back, here are a few of the books I did manage to get my grubby paws on between 1978-1980...

[MacNimon]

Rocket ships and space monsters...