Posted By Dan Greenfield on Mar 1, 2023 | 2 comments

Scott and Dan hit up the comics racks from 56 years ago…

This week for RETRO HOT PICKS, Scott Tipton and I are selecting comics that came out the week of March 1, 1967.

Last time for RETRO HOT PICKS, it was the week of Feb. 22, 1963. 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 Feb. 26 and March 4.)

So, let’s set the scene: Lyndon Johnson was president and the Vietnam War was raging. The No. 1 movie at the box office was 1966’s Hawaii, starring Julie Andrews, Max von Sydow and Richard Harris. As we’ve seen many times over, movies back then could last in theaters for a very long time. Example: Doctor Zhivago, released in late 1965, hit the top slot again earlier in February 1967. Another popular movie was The Bible: In the Beginning… Years later, when I was maybe 8, I saw it on TV and asked my Mom how people in the Bible got their mail if they only had one name.

On television, the biggest hits were the usual suspects — The Andy Griffith Show, The Red Skelton Hour and Bonanza. But, hey, Batman and Star Trek were both still in first run. This week’s Batman episodes were A Piece of the Action and Batman’s Satisfaction — the Green Hornet crossover! (Van Williams’ birthday was this week too!) Trek fans, meanwhile, got This Side of Paradise, which just isn’t one of my favorites. Oh, well.

The Rolling Stones held the No. 1 position on the Billboard 100 with Ruby Tuesday, which I always think came out earlier. (The Beatles, meanwhile, were hard at work on an album that would change popular music forever.)

I urge you, meanwhile, to check out the albums chart, which featured an amazing array of LPs, including More of the Monkees and The Monkees at 1 and 2, respectively. (The Stones’ Between the Buttons was in third.)

Also, I was a baby.

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Dan Greenfield, editor, 13th Dimension

Detective Comics #362, DC. The most amazing thing about this Infantino/Anderson cover isn’t that it’s a kinda-sorta riff on the famous Detective Comics #31, it’s that the villain of the story is the Riddler. Think about that for a second: It was early 1967 and they didn’t put one of Batman’s most popular villains on the cover. Wow.

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Archie’s Girls Betty and Veronica #137, Archie. You know what would be a great book? A book just about Betty and Veronica’s fabulous fashions over the decades. (The guys too, for that matter.) What a snapshot of changing tastes. I don’t think one has been done, though I’d be happily corrected. Time to email my friends at Archie…

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Tales of Suspense #90, Marvel. Let’s see: Iron Man, Captain America, Red Skull, Stan Lee, Gene Colan, Gil Kane, Joe Sinnott and Frank Giacoia. 12 cents. A bargain at any time and in any place.

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Thor #140, Marvel. The Thunder God vs. Kang! The first appearance of the Growing Man! By Lee, Kirby and Colletta!

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Scott Tipton, contributor-at-large, 13th Dimension

Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #101, DC. Man, Jimmy Olsen is not suited for Kryptonian fashion.

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Peacemaker #2, Charlton. These comics are fun, but he could really use an eagle sidekick.

Dan adds: Paging Paul Kupperberg…

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Aquaman #33, DC. First appearance of Aquagirl!

Dan adds: Do yourself a favor: Next time you go to a comics show, go find yourself some reader copies of 1960s Aquaman. Maybe five random issues. Go home. Open them up. Instant entertainment.

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MORE

— RETRO HOT PICKS! On Sale The Week of Feb. 22 — in 1963! Click here.

— RETRO HOT PICKS! On Sale The Week of Feb. 15 — in 1987! Click here.

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Primary sources: Mike’s Amazing World of Comics, the Grand Comics Database.