Comics Corner: Fantastic Four 250

   

Title: Fantastic Four
Issue Number: 250
Release Date: January 1983

Highlights

• A slew of guest appearances - sort of
• The X-Men aren't speaking in English - Is it really them - Well, of course not - It's the Skrull in disguise
• Spider-Man finds the overstretched Mr. Fantastic draped over several rooftops
• Sweet homage panel to Amazing Fantasy 15
• Reference is made to The Uncanny X-Men 137, 156, 157, and Captain America 276
• Franklin calls Spider-Man, "Spidey-Man", and his response is, "I should have known that would happen when I let the Electric Company call me Spidey"
• Nightcrawler shape shifts into Angel
• Cyclops dies on the battlefield, and reverts back to his original Skrull form

Sweet homage to Amazing Fantasy 15

Low Points

• TBD

Oddities

• Steve Rogers runs to a rooftop to change into his Captain America costume, and emerges in full garb with his shield - and the shield was being stored where?

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: New Edition - Under The Blue Moon

With Bobby Brown now out, fired from the group in December, 1985, New Edition pressed on as a quartet. Still in debt to MCA, they continued their loop of recording and touring. This included guest appearances on Knight Rider, as well as contributions to soundtracks, such as 1986's The Karate Kid Part II.

It's the latter which inspired what would become their next studio album, Under The Blue Moon. For the film, the group recorded a version of The Penguins 1954 hit, Earth Angel, which was only intended to be a one off occurrence. However, when both he film and its soundtrack became massively popular, the boys were ushered back into the studio to record the all covers doo-wop tribute.

Though the group maintained their popularity, the album would only go gold, continuing a trend of decreasing album sales. Murmurs also began to surface of the potential departure of Ralph Tresvant, who was allegedly eyeing a solo career. However, before we can get to that aspect, let's first pause, and listen to the 1986 released, Under The Blue Moon. I like doo-wop, so I'm hoping this will be a delicious treat from the group.

Things kick off with the aforementioned Earth Angel, which is fine, if not a bit overplayed at this point. I suppose if I was to favor a cover version of this song that it would probably be the Harry Waters Jr. version, or as he's known in Back To The Future, where's its performed, Marvin Berry And The Starlighters.

From there, let me pick apart the remainder of the album by simply saying that I'd rather listen to the originals than 80's covers. Tresvant and the boys do a fine job on their vocals, but where it all falls apart is the synth pop and drum machine instrumentation. It just doesn't sound right, especially when you know the originals. It's the common problem with covers, wherein 99.99% of the time the original is simply far superior. It makes this whole album seem unnecessary. Frankly, it's kind of lazy too. A cash grab, even.

I suppose the argument could be made that New Edition were introducing a new generation of fans to the classics. Fair enough, and maybe they did achieve just that. However, if most parents were like mine, I.E. from the era the originals came from, then these tunes were already playing through the radio within the confines of their homes and cars. Maybe I'm just trying to find reasons to hate at this point.

With 1986 wrapped up, the boys were in a transition period. Bobby Brown was gone, and had released his first solo album, King Of Stage. Ralph Tresvant too was potentially on the cusp of leaving for a solo career, and all the members were inching over their teen years into their twenties. Would a "boy band" still work with young adults? Would Tresvant bail, and go off on his own? Who could replace him if he did? Would there even be a replacement? What about remaining members Ricky Bell, Michael Bivens, and Ronnie DeVoe? Would they too quit? Or perhaps instead decide to form a new group? I guess we'll find out next time when we jump into 1988's Heart Break.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
August 31, 1985

Comics Corner: Fantastic Four 249

   

Title: Fantastic Four
Issue Number: 249
Release Date: December 1982

Highlights

• First appearance of the Skrull Henkor
• Reference is made to Fantastic Four 244, and 245
• Gladiator attacks the Fantastic Four thinking them the Skrull in disguise
• Gladiator beats the stuffing out of the entire Fantastic Four team, and with incredible ease too
• The X-Men appear in a cliffhanger ending, but is it really them?

Low Points

• All story foundation, but no appearance of Spider-Man, who won't appear until the next issue

Oddities

• None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: New Edition - All For Love

Heavily in debt to MCA, who loaned the boys each $100,000.00 to buy out their agreement through the production company Jump and Shoot, New Edition were forced to continuously record albums and tour. The first in this repayment period was 1985's Count Me Out. While it did become certified platinum. Despite this, it was not as critically, nor financially successful as its predecessor.

Prior to its release in November, the group also played themselves in the film, Krush Groove (October 1985), where they performed, My Secret. However, it was right back to the studio upon the release of Count Me Out, where the boys would record their December released Christmas album, Christmas All Over the World. MCA kept them work non-stop for no other reason than to recoup their loan.

If there's one thing I've learned, it's when an artist is frequently in the studio, the efforts often dwindle as material dries up. Is that the case with New Edition? Possibly. I need to listen to the album first...

...Okay, I'm back.

Yes, that's the case with New Edition. Opening track, Count Me Out, is pretty solid. Overall, it's the peppier tracks which resonate the best with me, but I suppose I've never really been one for ballads to begin with.

I also found that when the boys focus on songs that most ten to twelve year old's would have knowledge on, that it was kind of dumb. Such was the case of track, School, where the kids recount their first days in school, and how they then grew to hate it. While it makes sense since some of the members of New Edition never finished school, I'm almost fifty at this point. School isn't even a thought in my head, so I simply can't relate anymore.

Overall, All For Love really doesn't deliver. The novelty of New Edition, if they had any, has kind of worn off at this point. I actually found myself starting to skip tracks that simply weren't resonating. The fatigue had set in, and I basically just didn't want to invest the time.

As for the boys, when you have a group of five individuals, each contributing their own styles, vocals, and creative juices, egos are going to form, and form they did within New Edition. Bobby Brown wasn't happy with his lack of lead vocals on All For Love, and would often cause trouble onstage as a result. He would do so by cutting in on Tresvant's leads during shows, perform raunchily onstage, or simply throw his microphone around.

With management annoyed, and his fellow bandmates unhappy with him, Brown was fired in December 1985. The irony here is that MCA then signed him to a solo artist deal, and released his first four albums. I guess being a nuisance can be overlooked when you become a 7X platinum selling artists, such as he did with 1988's Don't Be Cruel.

As for New Edition's follow-up, the aforementioned Christmas album, I'm going to skip that one for now. Instead, tomorrow, I'll dive headlong into 1986's Under The Blue Moon. As a quartet, can they deliver a better listening experience than All For Love? I guess we'll find out.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
August 30, 1980

 

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
August 30, 1986

Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 232

   

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man
Issue Number: 232
Release Date: September 1982

Highlights

• First appearance of NYPD officer, Arnie
• Spider-Man adheres Cobra and Hyde together by spraying the back of Cobra's head with webbing, and tossing him to Hyde, who catches him
• Spider-Man saves Lance Bannon from a ten story fall mere inches before his face kissed the concrete
• Spider-Man web's Bannon's mouth shut when the ingrate starts complaining that his camera was broken in the fall
• Reference is made to Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 68, and Captain America 252
• Peter goes to ESU to clean out his desk since he quit his teaching assistant job
• The other teachers assistants have planned a surprise party for Peter, but Marcy can't get him to stop long enough to follow her to the event
• Cool use of the lettering mixed in with the artwork

• Spider-Man thinks he's killed Hyde when he throws him so hard that he crashed through the wall of the penthouse apartment, and falls all the way down to the sidewalk - He doesn't die

Low Points

• None

Oddities

• One minute Peter is moping because none of the other teacher assistants are around to hang out with, then the next he's brushing one off who's asking him to follow her to a lab

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: New Edition - New Edition

I touched on New Edition back in 2021, when I dove into their first studio album, 1983's Candy Girl. Since then, while I've owned their entire 80's discography, it's sat in limbo, overlooked, and neglected. Let's rectify that, shall we?

At the age of nine, a young Bobby Brown formed the group, New Edition with his school friends. The name was taken to mean a new edition of the Jackson 5. The original lineup of Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ronnie DeVoe, Bobby Brown, and Ralph Tresvant, and together form the blueprint for what would become the modern boy band.

The group entered the Hollywood Talent Night held at Boston's Strand Theatre in 1982, their eyes on the prize of $500.00 cash, and most importantly, a recording contract. While they would place second, they impressed host, Maurice Starr, who decided to bring them to his studio the following day to record what would become their debut album for label, Streetwise.

The album would feature several single hits, which included Is This the End, Pop Corn Love, and the number one American R&B chart topper, and album titled, Candy Girl. A tour followed, and upon its conclusion, the boys each received a check for a whopping $1.87. Woohoo! While the boys would part ways with Starr, he would go on to immediately create New Kids On The Block.

Steven and Martin Machat, attorney's at law, represented the boys, and ultimately won their case against label, Streetwise, to release the kids from their contracts. They then helped secure them a new deal with MCA Records, who won the bidding war for their next album, the 1984 self titled release.

New Edition, the album, eclipsed Candy Girl, spawning the top five hit, Cool It Now, and top twenty hit, Mr. Telephone Man. It would later become certified 2X Platinum. Despite this success, problems quickly arose when the group found out they weren't actually in a direct recording deal with MCA. Rather, their deal was through the production affiliate of AMI, Jump and Shoot.

Each of the boys borrowed $100,000.00 from MCA to buy out the agreement. However, this in turn left them in debt to the label, who insisted they continuously record and tour to pay their debt back.

...And, pause! Before we go any further, in the group's history, we stop to actually listen to their 1984 album.

One of my biggest hang ups with the kids first album was its theme of love and relationships. It's a subject matter that 99% of ten year old's know nothing about, making it kind of silly (in an odd way) that they're singing about it. Well, this certainly doesn't change with their 1984 album. Love, love, and more love is what track after track is about.

I mean...If I were to write a song in 1984, it would probably have gone something like...

I can't find my 3PO,
Guess I'll go play G.I. Joe
Did you try that new Atari game?
Boy, that thing was pretty lame
Wiggy wiggy record scratch
Gonna eat a Snack Pack
Chocolate, can ya dig it?

Eh...

The point being, the lyrics wouldn't be about, "Girl I love you so much, let's get married, have three kids, buy a house, and stuff." But, nitpicking aside, Cool It Now is a solid hit, and Mr. Telephone Man, is pretty okay. There are also a couple hidden gems tucked within, which included My Secret (Didja Gitit Yet?), and Hide and Seek. I'll even go against my own grain, and say that Kind of Girls We Like, got my toes tapping, and head nodding. Overall, it was a peppy album, and decent to hear. I can maybe, possibly, kind of, sort of, get behind New Edition. I tell you what, let me hear their next album before I decide.

Because of their financial debt to MCA, that next record came relatively quickly in November, 1985 (All For Love), as did its immediate follow up in December, 1985, the Christmas album, Christmas All Over the World. Less than a year later, the group were releasing 1986's Under The Blue Moon. But, we're way ahead of things at this point. We first need to go back to All For Love, which I'll dive into tomorrow.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
August 29, 1981

 

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
August 29, 1987

Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 231

   

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man
Issue Number: 231
Release Date: August 1982

Highlights

• First appearance of Maxie, and the NYPD cops, George and Jim
• First appearance of Maxie's Bar
• Reference is made to Captain America 252, Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 46, 57, and 66
• Peter sews together two new outfits, and he adds the underarm webs back into their design
• J. Jonah Jameson hires Ned Leeds to investigate Brand, the company that hired his girlfriend, Marla Madison to work at, where things went awry in Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 57
• Mister Hyde shows up in a cliffhanger ending seeking revenge against Cobra

Low Points

• None

Oddities

• None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: Baltimora - Survivor In Love

 

When I first heard Baltimora's debut album, all the way back in 2018, it was a sleeper hit for me. I found track after track that I really enjoyed, prompting me to immediately pick it their second, and final studio album, 1987's Survivor In Love.

Maurizio Bassi, and Jimmy McShane met in 1984, forming a duo. Though little history is readily available these days on their past, the two apparently adopted their name when McShane closed his eyes, and pointed randomly on a map of the USA. Finding his finger on the name, "Baltimore", the two made one slight change, making the "e" an "a", keeping with their Italian roots.

The two released their first album, Living In The Background, in September 1985. While McShane was established as the frontman, producer Tom Hooker has claimed that Baltimora's lead vocals were performed by Bassi, who also served as the primary song writer. Though this claim has never been validated, it's also never been refuted.

Their first, and biggest single, Tarzan Boy took some time to build up momentum. It first peaked in European countries at number six before making its way to the UK, where it reached number three. From there, it hit Canada, peaking at number five. Though it took more time from there, it eventually entered the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number thirteen in February 1986. Their second single, Woody Boogie, entered the top twenty in Switzerland, Germany, and Sweden. However, since it didn't reach other shores, the band has since been labeled a one hit wonder.

Despite the success of their first single, the album as a whole didn't perform well. It charted in the top twenties in a few countries in Europe, and reach number forty-nine in the USA.

When it came time for their second album, Baltimora released Key Key Karimba as the lead single. It performed poorly, and support from their label was pulled. Survivor In Love would only be released in select countries as a result, skipping over Canada and the USA entirely. This would be rectified in 2003, when both of Baltimora's albums were re-released on CD. However, by this point, the duo had long since disbanded, having done so almost immediately after the albums initial release in 1987.

I really had high hopes for Survivor In Love. I wanted to find all sorts of hidden gems, the likes of which were discovered when I first played Living In The Background. I wanted to add song after song to my shuffle list, and enjoy them over and over again. I wanted to come away from it wishing Baltimora continued in the 80's and released one more album.

I got none of this.

Survivor In Love delivers forgettable track after forgettable track. None of them are catchy, none of them made me want to hear them again. None of them made it to my shuffle list. This was pure and utter disappointment. Seriously, I'm so bummed out right now. I seriously have nothing positive to say about this one. It was forty-three minutes wasted.

Truely, I have nothing else to say about the album itself.

There is a giant gap from 1987 to 1992 for McShane, where he learned after the death of his longtime partner that he was HIV positive. He would make a few appearances here and there, and even booked some studio time in 1994 to record some tracks. However, nothing came to fruition from these sessions. He announced in January 1995 his intentions to re-record Tarzan Boy, releasing the single with all proceeds going to Northern Ireland AIDS Helpline and the AIDS clinic at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. However, this too never happened. McShane succumbed to the illness in March.

As for Bassi, little is known of what he did after Baltimora. He doesn't appear active these days in the music scene, nor to have done much with it since the duo broke up.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
August 28, 1982

 

Comics Corner: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man

   

Title: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man
Issue Number: 70
Release Date: September 1982

Highlights

• Silvermane is enclosed in a life support casket, and ushered away by his goons
• Reference is made to Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 64
• Silvermane gets his cyborg body
• Debra Whitman struggles in solitaire with knowing Peter is Spider-Man

Low Points

• None

Oddities

• None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: The B-52's - Cosmic Thing

While The B-52's remained in a self imposed hiatus, member Keith Strickland began composing on his own. He would later meet with Kate Pierson, Fred Schneider, and Cindy Wilson, and play them the music for each of them. This would result in them agreeing to try and write together again.

Ironically, their biggest hit, Love Shack, wasn't initially going to be used for 1989's Cosmic Thing. It was the last to be recorded and added, refined from a fifteen minute unfinished piece. The end result was a number three hit single, which spent twenty-seven weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. This was followed by the single, Roam, which also reached number three, and spent twenty weeks on the charts. Deathbeat Club would be the third and final single, which became a minor hit, peaking at number thirty. Channel Z, which was actually the first single released from the album, became a number one hit on Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart, driven by its popularity on alternative and college radio stations.

Cosmic Thing would be the bands first release on Reprise Records, and pave their way to mainstream success. As such, one would be forgiven if they didn't know of The B-52's existence until 1989. This was certainly aided by the music videos for Love Shack and Roam, which found steady rotation on MTV. Everybody seemed to know the party anthem (Love Shack), from kids to adults, and it was everywhere over the following years, since then becoming a legacy in its own right to the era of 80's music.

So, with the bar set extremely high, today we dive into their final, and most critically acclaimed album, 1989's Cosmic Thing. Let's go!

Usually, when listening to an album for a Retro Spin, I type as I hear it, trying to capture specific moments. With the exception of this opening paragraph, I actually just sat back, and took the time to let everything play out. When it was done, I took a short nap.

Upon waking up, I then said to myself, "Okay, self. What do you actually remember from that album that stood out?" The answer was Love Shack, Roam, and Topaz. While I don't think it will necessarily involve taking a nap, I think what I definitely need to do for future listening sessions is simply focus on hearing what is coming through the speakers, walk away, and come back later to then say, "What needs to be added to my shuffle?" The reason being that there is so much filler in rotation for me that I skip most of it.

Cosmic Thing, in comparison to prior albums from The B-52's felt a little hollow. Like something was missing in the spirit of it all, and it's clear what was. Even the band knew it because after its release and touring, Cindy Wilson stepped away for two reasons. The first being that she was still processing the loss of her brother, and former guitarist, Ricky Wilson. The second was that she was in a period of her life where she said her clock was ticking. She wanted to have a family, and take the time to raise her children.

With her blessings, The B-52's continued on, bringing in new singer, Julee Cruise, to fill in for her on tours. When they returned to the studio for 1992's Good Stuff, it would be as a trio with just Schneider, Pierson, and Strickland. While Wilson would rejoin the group in 1996, they wouldn't record their next and subsequent final studio album, 2008's Funplex.

The B-52's embarked on a farewell tour in 2022, closing out in Athens, Georgia in January 2023. Upon completion, the conducted a residency show at The Venetian Las Vegas in Paradise, Nevada, which was still ongoing as of this writing (in March 2025).

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
August 27, 1983

 

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
August 27, 1988

Comics Corner: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 69

   

Title: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man
Issue Number: 69
Release Date: August 1982

Highlights

• First appearance of police officer, Heidi Weber
• Cloak and Dagger return
• Reference is made to The Amazing Spider-Man 180, 200, Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 64, and 67
• Cloak and Dagger may not be aligned - Spider-Man tells them they're just kids, asking if they wouldn't rather go to school, rock concerts, and out on dates - To which Dagger says yes, but Cloak says no
• Debra Whitman has figured out that Peter Parker is Spider-Man
• Spider-Man tries to quietly approach Kingpin, but the crime boss already knows he's there, why he's there, who he's looking for, and the entire story of Cloak and Dagger
• Dagger blows Silvermane into a bloody mess with her light daggers, ushering in his apparent death - but he's not dead

Low Points

• The Marvel writers writing "street talk" is incredibly difficult, and painful to read

Oddities

• Spider-Man deduces that Cloak and Dagger are behind the scene with the drug dealers - But how? He only met them once, and that resulted in him trying to fight them - When did he learn their M.O.?

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: The B-52's - Bouncing Off the Satellites

After taking a year off, The B-52's, who were all living together at this time, began working on their next studio album. However, struggles with coming up with new material together would prompting them to instead try writing tracks individually.

When recording commenced in July of 1985, band member Keith Strickland, was the only one aware that guitarist Ricky Wilson was suffering from Aids. It would be a secret he opted to keep up until a few days before his death when he finally told his remaining bandmates, which included sister Cindy Wilson, and the rest of his family.

Though the album was completed, Wilson succumbed to AIDS in October of 1985, derailing the band as a result. Devastated, they would go their separate ways, and instead contemplating if The B-52's were over. When Bouncing Off The Satellites was finally released in September of 1986, the band opted to no tour, and promoted its release sparkly, which included a music video for Girl from Ipanema Goes to Greenland.

Summer Of Love, and Girl from Ipanema Goes to Greenland start the album off on that quirky B-2's sound, and things continue for the remainder of what would technically be called, "side A", if it weren't a continuous CD. Detour Thru Your Mind does have a fun, and intentional, backwards track, which when played in reverse has Fred Schneider stating, "Watch out, you might ruin your needle."

Overall, there's a lot of playful back and forth banter between the vocals of Schneider and Pierson, a common staple for their music. The back half, though, seems bland in comparison. It doesn't have that same level of excitement and pop that you get in the first several songs. It all just kind of falls into background noise, albeit, weird sounding background noise. It's the type of music you'd hear in a fever dream. Hmm...That may very well sum up The B-52's in general. They're okay, as a whole, but they're definitely not my favorite. I couldn't see myself listening to them often.

As noted above, The B-52's went on hiatus throughout most of 1986 and 1987, with little promotion being given to the album. However, time would help heal wounds, and in 1989, they reemerged from the darkness to release their biggest hit to date, and finally experience a mainstream breakthrough. You know the song. It's all over 80's pop culture, and we'll talk about it next time.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
August 26, 1989

 

Big Lick NOVA 2025, Part V - Jim Shooter Part II And Rick Leonard Part III, Prints, And Purchases

Today I pick up where I left off last week, continuing my signing fun with Jim Shooter.

Jim with his assistant, Brittany

First up was Jim's signature for The Official Marvel Comics Try-Out Book. For those of you who recall, this book hit my radar when I found out it was how Mark Bagley got hired at Marvel. That was all I needed to hear to add it to my want list. Mainly to get the people behind it to sign it, as well as Mark. Unfortunately, John Romita is no longer with us, so unless I come across anyone else who was hired at Marvel because of this book, my signature gathering for this one is done.

Speaking of people who got hired at Marvel from this book, I found out that Keith Williams was one of those folks. I not only got his signature on it at Awesome Con 2024, but picked up a second copy of this book to have signed for him by Jim. Al Milgrom will be back at Baltimore Comic Con 2025, along with Keith. I'll get him to sign it too, and then give it to Keith as a gift. Shh...it's a secret.

Next up was a series of mini comics, and I do mean mini. These first two Spider-Man ones were Wal-Mart exclusives, but I can't find any information on if they were sold like this, packed with something, or if there are any others.

These G.I. Joe books were individually packed in with the second wave of G.I. Joe Action Stars, and tell the tale of Starduster, a character created specifically for the cereal. There were three different comics in total. While I can't find any credits on who did the art, writing (probably Larry Hama), or any other aspects of the books, they were released in the time that Shooter was Editor-In-Chief at Marvel.

Speaking of Larry Hama, while speaking to Michael Watkins, I told him I'd love to see Larry Hama come back to Big Lick so I can get more comics signed by him. He replied, "He probably won't." He then elaborated saying that Larry wants to make a certain amount of money at conventions, and apparently Big Lick was not lucrative enough for him.

On a side note, I also heard Jim talking with someone else about Michael Zeck, an artist I'd love to get several signatures from. Jim stated that Mr. Zeck, who currently lives in Vietnam, would probably never come back to the USA. It's disappointing if that's true.

Here's a shot of the books next to a ruler to show you the actual sizes.

These next two sets are my latest obsession, The Official Handbook Of The Marvel Universe. There have been multiple volumes of this series, the first two which Jim oversaw. However, as Mr. Shooter tells it, that wasn't initially the plan. Jim initially saw it in 1984 as a twelve issue one and done set. However, before it was even finished, the team asked if they could add three additional books based on the dead.

Based on its success, a follow-up second volume was produced in 1987.

Also signed by Rick Leonardi at
Big Lick Nova 2025

Also signed by Rick Leonardi at
Big Lick Nova 2025

Also signed by Rick Leonardi at
Big Lick Nova 2025

Jim wasn't at Marvel anymore by the time issue 19 and 20 hit newsstands. However, I got him to sign them for two reasons. First, he would have still been part of the conception of the entire series. Second, it simply made sense to have the entire run signed by him.

I get the feeling these books will become my new thing to take to conventions to get the various collaborators on them to sign.

The last two sets are in the same vein as the above, but ones I already had in my collection. Those are The Official Marvel Index to The Amazing Spider-Man, and Marvel Team-Up Featuring Spider-Man.

I also pulled a few prints off my wall from prior shows, deciding to add Jim's autograph to them.

Also signed by Jim Salicrup at
Awesome Con 2024

Also signed by John Beatty at
Big Lick Nova 2024

Also signed by John Beatty at
Big Lick Nova 2024

Also signed by Klaus Janson at
Baltimore Comic Con 2023

Wrapping up my time at Big Lick Nova 2025 was a series of purchases, most of which were picked up with Jim Shooter in mind.

I owned the Marvel Universe cards back when I was in high school, and again a few years ago when another blogger gifted me replacement sets. However, I ended up giving those to a kid in the neighborhood I lived in shortly thereafter. When I saw these two complete sets on a dealer's table, I made him an offer he surprisingly took. This will be the last time I obtain these sets. If I'm not smart enough to hold on to them, it will be my loss.

I then went on the hunt for more Marvel Tales. Not all of them were in the Shooter era, or reprints of stories he was part of, so not all of them got signed.

The New Mutants 86 is the last book in this series I was looking for in the Liefeld / McFarlane collaboration period.

Of course, I'm not leaving a show without picking up a Spider-Man number 1. This is the fifth unsealed newsprint copy I own, among the multiple other variants. I also almost gave in and picked up another platinum edition and second print gold cover, but thankfully pulled myself away from them.

And with that all said and done over the past several weeks, that wraps up Big Lick Nova 2025. For more Jim Shooter goodness, you can check out all the other great books he signed for me over the past years "HERE".

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