One the more fondly remembered but short-lived comics was Starlord, a science fiction anthology produced to a high standard with some memorable strips such as Strontium Dog and Ro-busters which most readers will be more familiar with in 2000AD.
Starlord lasted just 22 weekly issues before being merged with the lesser selling but cheaper to produce sister title 2000AD.
There was one summer special and despite Starlord's short run, no less than three Annuals cover dated between 1980 and 1982.
Promoted as the Sci Fi book of the year this volume is a mix of new and reprinted material from across the Fleetway/IPC back catalogue.
So whilst starting with Strontium Dog and Ro-Jaws, readers also get to meet Captain Condor from the Lion comic in the fifties/early sixties who was created to compete with Dan Dare but never quite achieved Dares iconic status.
Also included were several episodes of Jimmi from Jupiter the tale of a stowaway from Jupiter who was marooned on Earth. This feature also hailed from Lion in 1965.
Other tales included Val Venture in Peril at the Centre of the Earth (from Tiger) which featured giant ants and introduced us to the (almost) indestructable Palpoids. Wonderful stuff.
Invaders from Jupiter finishes off this weighty volume with the RAF fighting back in a reprint whose origin I have been unable to ascertain.
If you can get hold of these annuals they are well worth collecting.
Good stuff there, Howard! One tiny correction: Star Lord was a weekly title, not fortnightly (that was apparently the original plan, but at the last minute the publishers chickened out and decided weekly would be better).
ReplyDeleteThe 1982 annual cover looks like it straight from "Blake's 7"
ReplyDeleteThanks for the correction, the article has been amended.
ReplyDeleteInvaders from Jupiter was a reprint of a 1956 Jet-Ace Logan story from Comet.
ReplyDelete