EXCLUSIVE Preview: POPEYE CLASSIC COMICS #55
The eternal question: What happens when the spinach punches you?
Scott and Dan hit up the comics racks from 44 years ago… This week for RETRO HOT PICKS, Scott and I are selecting comics that came out the week of April 8, 1982. Last time for RETRO HOT PICKS, it was the week of April 1, 1950. Click here to check it out. (Keep in mind that comics came out on multiple days, so these are the issues that went on sale between April 5 and April 11.) So, let’s set the scene: Argentina this week launched an invasion of the Falkland Islands, sparking an (undeclared) war between the South American nation and the United Kingdom that lasted 2 1/2 months. Pretty much everyone not paying attention to the simmering tensions behind the conflict — which is to say, pretty much everyone not from either country — was completely baffled by it all. The war grew from centuries-long disputes over the control of two related territories: the Falklands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. Needless to say, it’s complicated, but basically the territories had long been under British rule and the islanders, largely descendants of the colonists, wanted it to stay that way. Argentina considered the area theirs and the British government in the past was willing to cede control. Diplomatic efforts failed for years, however, and finally Argentina invaded, prompting the British response. (The Argentines lost and the islands remain a British Overseas Territory.) The highbrow comedy of manners Porky’s was the biggest movie in America because, y’know, boobs. It was in the middle of an eight-week run at the top(less). Other hits included the uproarious Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip; the intergenerational Fonda vehicle On Golden Pond; Blake Edwards’ Victor/Victoria, starring Julie Andrews; and two Disney re-releases: Robin Hood, and the greatest animated feature of them all, Fantasia. Dallas, MASH (in its penultimate season), 60 Minutes, The Jeffersons, Alice and Three’s Company were among the big TV hits. The most popular songs — all in heavy rotation on the burgeoning MTV — included I Love Rock ‘N Roll by Joan “The Perfect Woman” Jett and the Blackhearts; We Got the Beat, off the top-selling Go-Go’s album Beauty and the Beat; the J. Geils Band’s Centerfold and Freeze-Frame; Vangelis’ theme from Chariots of Fire; and, Huey Lewis and the News’ breakout Do You Believe in Love. Freeze...
One of the all-time great crossovers… — UPDATED 4/7/26: With all the DC/Marvel crossovers going on, it’s the perfect time to reprint this one from March 3, 2024. Dig it! — Dan — Scott Tipton has been writing COMICS 101 since 2003 and the feature has had homes at various websites. Now, he brings it to 13th Dimension, where we expect it will have a lengthy stay as a recurring feature. (It also means that Scott has been officially promoted to columnist, moving up from his position as a “contributor-at-large.” These titles are highly coveted, you know, and the backroom backstabbing is as vicious as anything you’d see on Game of Thrones.) Anyway, with DC and Marvel’s recent announcement that they will be releasing two omnibi collecting most of the company’s crossovers, it was a perfect time for Scott to write about the seminal Marvel and DC Present the Uncanny X-Men and the New Teen Titans — and relaunch COMICS 101. Not only that, our old buddy Anthony Durso of The Toyroom, has put together 13 GREAT DC/MARVEL CROSSOVERS WE’D LIKE TO SEE, even if there are no known plans to do any more of them (that we know of). Click here to check out that baby. (And click here to check out SUNDAY FUNNIES WITH KERRY CALLEN, which explains why Batman and Spider-Man don’t team up more often.) But back to Scott. Here goes: — By SCOTT TIPTON In light of the welcome news that Marvel and DC will be co-publishing a series of omnibus editions collecting their various and long-out-of-print crossover comics, let’s take a look back at what I still think is probably the single best of the inter-company crossover books, 1982’s Marvel and DC Present the Uncanny X-Men and the New Teen Titans. Published as a single, 64-page issue, X-Men/Titans captured both teams at the height of their popularity, and with what most fans probably consider the definitive lineups for both teams, with Robin, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, Starfire, Raven, Changeling and Cyborg appearing in the Titans, and the X-Men represented by what for me will always be the classic team: Cyclops, Storm, Colossus, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Kitty Pryde and Professor Xavier. The story, Apokolips…Now, was written by X-Men scribe Chris Claremont and drawn by Walt Simonson and Terry Austin, who did an excellent job of...
The eternal question: What happens when the spinach punches you?
