[ironjade]

Remember these? When actual new Marvel comics were unavailable these were the next best thing (or last resort depending on how fussy you were): licenced black and white reprints of early Marvel/Timely comics which often used the names of old US pulp magazines, e.g Astounding, Weird Tales etc.
Mostly one-off SF/horror stories, often by Ditko and Kirby (hurrah!) or Paul Reinman (boo!), occasionally, better known Marvel characters (Giant Man, FF, Thunder Agents) but usually totally obscure ones (Nemesis, Captain Atom) , they were sometimes the only way to see the earlier efforts of Marvel's best writers and artists.
They had a good run too, from 1959 to 1989, after which production costs and lack of licencing deals finally killed them off.

[dadioflex]

I remember B&W Marvel comics - in fact that's virtually my entire memory of US comics until fairly recently, aside from one or two DC & Charlton US editions I picked up. Didn't realise these were "Alan Class". They had titles like Amazing Spider-Man or Incredible Hulk so I guess I always assumed they were from Marvel. Gave away a BUNCH of them earlier this year.

Edit - just had a look around and THOSE Alan Class comics are not the B&W Marvel UK editions I remember, so somebody else must have been doing them.

[ironjade]

There were the Marvel reprints packaged as "Terrific" and "Fantastic" etc. in the mid to late 60s. Some also appeared in "Wham" and "Pow".
One British comic also used to reprint Superman in black and white but I forget which. DC weren't too keen on lending out their characters by all accounts.

[dadioflex]

This is what I was thinking of:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_UK

[ironjade]

Those are (relatively) recent reprints. Headed by one of the pet Shop Boys. Who knew?
Now I feel really old.

[jackbell]

As a kid I looked down with derision on AC comics. Cheap nasty things for kids that knew no better.

[ironjade]

Originally Posted by jackbell

As a kid I looked down with derision on AC comics. Cheap nasty things for kids that knew no better.

As I said, they were the last resort when the real thing wasn't around. That said, the made some of Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby and Don Heck's best work more accessible. The first time I read Iron Man, The Human Torch and Thor was in Alan Class comics.

[robo2]

didnt realise they were around until 1989, never saw one as a kid (born in 1980) and i was buying pretty much every comic i could find in the shop, marvel uk transformers/gi joe etc, commando and the sci fi version of commando, 2000 ad etc

[Elphinstone]

Originally Posted by ironjade

There were the Marvel reprints packaged as "Terrific" and "Fantastic" etc. in the mid to late 60s. Some also appeared in "Wham" and "Pow".
One British comic also used to reprint Superman in black and white but I forget which. DC weren't too keen on lending out their characters by all accounts.

they really were terrific and fantastic comics with original UK stories including one with a superior homo sapien hero a sort of missing link....have them in attic

[ironjade]

Originally Posted by Elphinstone

they really were terrific and fantastic comics with original UK stories including one with a superior homo sapien hero a sort of missing link....have them in attic

That would be Missing Link who eventually became Johnny Future, drawn by the great Luis Bermejo I believe.

[Dennis C]

Originally Posted by ironjade

That would be Missing Link who eventually became Johnny Future, drawn by the great Luis Bermejo I believe.

I reckon you're of an age similiar to me, if you can remember Johnny Future and Alan Class comics!

So here's one for you... remember DoubleDouble comics?

[ironjade]

Originally Posted by Dennis C

I reckon you're of an age similiar to me, if you can remember Johnny Future and Alan Class comics!

So here's one for you... remember DoubleDouble comics?

They ring a very faint bell but that may be just my imagination. I'm 57 if that's any help. I remember things much older than Johhny Future but sometimes I think I'm the only one who does.
To wit: Maxwell Hawke, Iron Eaters, The Purple Cloud, G for Giant, Jason January etc.

[jackbell]

Originally Posted by Dennis C

I reckon you're of an age similiar to me, if you can remember Johnny Future and Alan Class comics!

So here's one for you... remember DoubleDouble comics?

Ouch, I do. I remember the Legion of Super-Heroes one I think - it certainly contained the comic. Parents bought it for me to keep me quiet whilst we sat in the gardens of a pub one hot Saturday afternoon. Four comics in one!

[Dennis C]

Yes - DoubleDouble comics! It seemed like they'd got hold of any random four comics, ripped off the back and front covers of each of them, then put the four titles together and given them a new front and back cover, calling them DoubleDouble Comics.

I remember on at least one occasion one or two of them were Marvels mixed in with DCs, that shows how random they were. But they were cheap, I can't remember the cost but certainly they were cheaper than four of the individual comics would have been together. Which were 10d each when I started collecting them, then eventually each title went up to a whole shilling. Blimey!

I think DoubleDouble comics were probably two shillings then. And I think that Alan Class comics, to get back on topic, were something like sixpence each.

[jackbell]

Some Double Double Comics info here.

[Dennis C]

Originally Posted by jackbell

Some Double Double Comics info here.

Thanks for that!

[ironjade]

Everything you ever wanted to know about Missing Link/Johnny Future :http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/j/jonfutur.htm

"Link is big! Link is strong!" (Link is also a bit like The Hulk).

[Elphinstone]

Originally Posted by ironjade

That would be Missing Link who eventually became Johnny Future, drawn by the great Luis Bermejo I believe.

thanks for info Johnny Future