Posted by Dan Greenfield on Aug 5, 2020
RETRO HOT PICKS! On Sale This Week — in 1983!
Scott and Dan — with special guest Alex Segura — hit up the comics racks from 46 years ago! This week in RETRO HOT PICKS, our guest is Alex Segura — author of the newly released YA Star Wars prequel novel Poe Dameron: Free Fall. Alex also happens to be the co-president of Archie Comics, a mystery novelist, podcaster and even occasional 13th Dimension columnist. He’s a bona fide poly-hyphenate! Now, last time in RETRO HOT PICKS, it was books that went on sale the week of July 29, 1974. (Click here to check it out.) This time, it’s the week of Aug. 5, 1983. (Keep in mind that comics came out on multiple days back then — as has become the case now. So these are technically the comics that went on sale between Aug. 2 and Aug. 8.) So let’s set the scene: Ronald Reagan was in his first term as president. Return of the Jedi dominated the box office for most of the summer, but this week National Lampoon’s Vacation was in the midst of a three-week run at the top. CBS’ 60 Minutes was the highest-rated show that week. The Police’s ubiquitous Every Breath You Take owned the Billboard 100, while the band’s Synchronicity led the album charts. Man, The Police were everywhere that year. Rad. — Alex Segura, co-president of Archie Comics and novelist, Poe Dameron: Free Fall I was but a wee lad of 3 when most of these books came out in shops, but many found their way into my collection eventually, and I’m all the better for it. Here are some of the highlights from this week in August 1983 (which kind of read like a perfect blend of the ingredients that made me the writer I am — sci-fi, superheroics, Archie, and gritty crime). Star Wars: Return of the Jedi #2, Marvel. Star Wars comics have a long, illustrious history, but it’s very hard to top this level of talent — beloved writer Archie Goodwin and legendary artist Al Williamson are both top-notch and underrated, and they join forces to expand on the classic SW film Return of the Jedi in fine form. I know movie adaptations get a bad rap, but when it features A-List talent like this, how can you say no? — All-Star Squadron Annual #2, DC. When...
Read more
