Monday 7 March 2016

Mighty Samson #19 (Gold Key/1969)



Mighty Samson #19 (Gold Key)

No published credits

Gold Key is often overlooked by comic collectors in the UK, as are Dell and Whitman all of whom have a connection, though how this actually worked was unknown to me until recently when I came across the video at the end of this post.  I have to admit that I rarely ever considered buying these when I was a child but I do recall having one or two for which I had little to no enthusiasm.

Yet these companies published a lot of licensed material that I have only become aware of as an adult. Some interest me and when I'm able I may pick up one or two to read and review simply for nostalgia's sake.

Amongst their titles were a number of original comics featuring superheroes re-used by both Valiant and now Dynamite in more modern times. Even Dark Horse tried a mini-series about Doctor Solar which read more like Dr Manhattan from the Watchmen than the original material.

One comic that grabbed my attention was the Mighty Samson which was based on a post apocalyptic world that was all the rage in the late sixties, early seventies.

 

In the story Day of the Deluge, Samson has to swim constantly fighting large beasties, ungrateful refugees and the tides in an almighty effort that would be impossible in real life but hey, this is comics and we have to suspend belief.

The dialogue is simple and corny though the artwork is more than passable for the period, especially the cover which is painted and stands out as a result. Published quarterly, Mighty Samson lasted for 32 issues, the last (reprinted) issue coming out under the Whitman imprint.

Worth collecting? Not for me. Kamandi published by DC does it so much better but that's a story for another day.

Meanwhile here's that video I mentioned earlier:

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