RETRO HOT PICKS! | 13th Dimension, Comics, Creators, Culture

Jul30

RETRO HOT PICKS! On Sale This Week — in 1984!

Posted by Dan Greenfield on Jul 30, 2025

RETRO HOT PICKS! On Sale This Week — in 1984!

Scott and Dan hit up the comics racks from 41 years ago… This week for RETRO HOT PICKS, Scott Tipton and I are selecting comics that came out the week of July 30, 1984. Last time for RETRO HOT PICKS, it was the week of July 23, 1965. Click here to check it out. (Keep in mind that comics came out on multiple days, so these are technically the comics that went on sale between July 27 and Aug. 2.) So, let’s set the scene: There was much clutching of pearls and gnashing of teeth after Vanessa Williams resigned as Miss America on July 23 because Penthouse had published nude photos of her. It was, shall we say, a thing. But Williams had the last laugh, going on to forge a career as a successful actress and singer, while Miss America has struggled to retain its relevance in the 21st century. (The pageant apologized in 2016 for forcing her out, but whatever.) Americans were otherwise obsessed with the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The Russians boycotted in retaliation for the U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics four years earlier but nobody really cared. Americans like to see their athletes dominate and that’s what they did, amid much flag-waving in the Reagan ’80s. On July 31, the U.S. men’s gymnastics team scored a huge upset victory over the Chinese, winning the gold medal in the team event for the first time ever. It wasn’t quite the Miracle on Ice, but it did make stars of gymnasts such as Tim Daggett, Mitch Gaylord, and Bart Conner. Still, they would be eclipsed four days later by Mary Lou Retton, who vaulted into American hearts by becoming the first U.S. woman to be an Olympic all-around gymnastics champion. Retton was a household name forevermore. (The following year, she made an appearance in Boston and a college classmate of mine named Chuck had a huge crush on her. We went to the event so he could present her with a pizza that had “ML” spelled out in pepperoni. She was great about it but I highly doubt she ever took a bite.) The Republican National Convention was weeks away, but there was zero suspense. President Ronald Reagan was just waiting to be coronated for a second term. The name on everyone’s lips was U.S. Rep. Geraldine Ferraro,...

Jul23

RETRO HOT PICKS! On Sale This Week — in 1965!

Posted by Dan Greenfield on Jul 23, 2025

RETRO HOT PICKS! On Sale This Week — in 1965!

Scott and Dan hit up the comics racks from 60 years ago… This week for RETRO HOT PICKS, Scott Tipton and I are selecting comics that came out the week of July 23, 1965. Last time for RETRO HOT PICKS, it was the week of July 16, 1991. Click here to check it out. (Keep in mind that comics came out on multiple days, so these are technically the comics that went on sale between July 20 and July 26.) So, let’s set the scene: DYLAN GOES ELECTRIC! On July 25, Bob Dylan turned the worlds of folk and rock music upside down by playing the Newport Folk Festival with an electric guitar. Dylan first burst into a rollicking Maggie’s Farm, then cruised along with the epic Like a Rolling Stone, which had only been released five days earlier. He and his band finished with a raucous, early version of It Takes a Lot to laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry. The performance, a major turning point in music and pop-culture history, has taken on mythic proportions, with (conflicting) reports of loud boos from the hardcore folkies in the crowd, mixed in with cheers from those who loved Dylan’s ballsy move, which not only heralded a bold new direction, but also unleashed the folk-rock genre. Dylan returned to the stage and played two acoustic numbers: Mr. Tambourine Man and It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue. The entire affair was dramatized in 2024’s A Complete Unknown, starring Timothee Chalamet and made with Dylan’s input. My wife Wendy and I saw the movie with our close friend Gary, who has probably read more words about Dylan than anybody on the planet, save maybe Pod Dylan podcaster and 13th Dimension pal Rob Kelly, and A.J. Weberman. “That was exactly how I always imagined it,” Gary said as we left the theater. Dylan did not return to Newport for 37 years, and when he did, he wore a wig and a fake beard. The same week, a fateful decision was being made that would have vast consequences and alter the direction of the nation. Behind closed doors, President Johnson on July 21 held a meeting of the National Security Council at the White House, where they debated the next steps in the Vietnam War. George Ball, the Under Secretary of State, not only argued strenuously...

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