Posted By Dan Greenfield on Nov 19, 2025 | 6 comments

Scott and Dan hit up the comics racks from 47 years ago…

This week for RETRO HOT PICKS, Scott and I are selecting comics that came out the week of Nov. 19, 1978.

Last time for RETRO HOT PICKS, it was the week of Nov. 12, 1965. Click here to check it out.

(Keep in mind that comics came out on multiple days, so these are the comics that went on sale between Nov. 16. and Nov. 22.)

So, let’s set the scene: Arguably the most horrifying moment of the 1970s and certainly one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th century, the modern-day concept of the death cult was defined Nov. 18 with the discovery that more than 900 people committed suicide or were murdered at the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project in Guyana, South America — better known as Jonestown.

This is one of those cases where it’s hard to describe just what a huge story this was at the time, equal parts terrifying and fascinating. The commune had been formed when mad Peoples Temple leader Jim Jones and his followers fled San Francisco the year before amid intensifying scrutiny. Things came to a head when U.S. Congressman Leo Ryan of California brought a team of investigators, reporters and worried family members to Guyana, pushing Jones into the final stages of maniacal paranoia.

Four days later, Jones ordered death for the cultists (terming it “revolutionary suicide”), with members lining up to drink cyanide-laced Fla-Vor-Aid — not Kool-Aid — either voluntarily or under extreme duress. About 70 were injected. Jones shot himself in the head.

News reports didn’t immediately comprehend the scope of the massacre, with initial headlines estimating 300-400 dead. It was only as authorities investigated the site that they found more and more bodies. Ultimately, 909 were killed at Jonestown, including more than 270 children. Five more, including Ryan, were shot to death at a nearby air strip and four Temple members killed themselves in Georgetown, Guyana.

IN OTHER NEWS

— Two days earlier, cult leader and convicted killer Charles Manson, who looms even larger than Jones in the public psyche, appeared for his first parole hearing in California. He was denied.

Manson in 1978

— As I’ve noted in previous columns, it’s amazing how many air disasters there were in those days. There were four this week alone: On Nov. 15, Loftleithir Flight 001 crashed in Sri Lanka, killing 183 of the 262 people on board, almost all of them Muslims who had completed the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. On Nov. 18, 15 of 20 were killed in an ocean landing of an Air Guadeloupe flight. On Nov. 19, all 77 aboard were killed in the crash of an Indian Air Force jet, as a well as a woman in a home on the ground. On Nov. 21, all 28 were killed on a Taxi Aéreo El Venado flight in Venezuela, when the plane crashed into Mount Judio.

— Cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead, who seemed to always be on TV (or mentioned on TV), died Nov. 15 at the age of 76.

The psychological horror flick Magic, starring Anthony Hopkins, Ann-Margret and Burgess Meredith, was No. 1 at the box office. Other hits included Midnight Express (with that groovy chase music by Giorgio Moroder); Cheech & Chong’s Up in Smoke; Animal House, which is still one of the funniest movies ever made; The Wiz; one of the greatest of all horror classics, Halloween; and, two animated films — the terrific Watership Down and Ralph Bakshi’s The Lord of the Rings.

Movie-goers with a particularly perverse sensibility went to see Faces of Death, the gonzo flick that showed (mostly) real human and animal killings. It became a Friday night viewing staple for middle-school nerds and high-school burnouts once it hit video.

Oh, and hey let’s not forget that Superman: The Movie trailers and commercials were all over the place, ahead of the film’s December release.

Late actress Joan Crawford was back in the news for all the wrong reasons, thanks to this month’s release of Mommie Dearest, by daughter Christina Crawford. The book — filled with allegations of hellacious abuses by the Hollywood legend  — helped create a cottage industry for the lurid celebrity tell-all, even though much of the book had been disputed. But between it and the 1981 film starring Faye Dunaway, Joan Crawford’s reputation would never recover.

Does it really matter what the most popular shows on TV that week were? Does it? No, it does not. Not when the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special ran Nov. 17 on CBS. You already know all about it, but I’ll still list the guest-stars who joined the regulars from a galaxy far, far away: Bea Arthur, Art Carney, Harvey Korman, Diahann Carroll and Jefferson Starship.

At least we got a rerun of the sublime A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving this week, too.

In the weird world of sports, Nov. 19 gave us one of the most infamous football plays of the era: the Miracle at the Meadowlands. The New York Giants led the hated Philadelphia Eagles by five points in the final minute. All they needed to do was run out the clock, but the team’s offensive coordinator Bob Gibson inexplicably called for a running play.

Quarterback Joe Pisarcik fumbled and Eagles defender Herman Edwards grabbed it and ran it in for the winning touchdown, giving Philly a 19-17 victory that to this day is an excruciating memory for Giants fans. That said, it is credited for leading to the broad acceptance of taking a knee to seal a victory.

Just proving she could do no wrong at the height of the Disco Era, Donna Summer turned even MacArthur Park into a No. 1 hit. Other big dance tunes included Le Freak by Chic (No. 6); the fabulous I Love the Night Life by Alicia Bridges (No. 8); and YMCA, by the Village People (No. 17). Fans of bland rock got their fill with Foreigner’s Double Vision (No. 2).

Billy Joel’s 52nd Street was the most popular album, even though it’s not as good as The Stranger. The Grease soundtrack was also huge. Other big sellers included Don’t Look Back by Boston; Living in the USA, by Linda Ronstadt; and Live and More by Donna Summer. Plus, everyone was still playing their copies of Saturday Night Fever.

Even though it came out in June, I have to mention the Stones’ Some Girls because it was such a smash and, to this day, it’s one of the band’s best.

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Dan Greenfield, editor, 13th Dimension

What If? #13, Marvel. Conan in New York! Should have been adapted into a third installment of the Ahnuld franchise. Because how great would that have been?

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Iron Man #119, Marvel. A pissed-off Tony grabs a bottle of whiskey at the end of this one. Uh-oh…

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DC Comics Presents #6, DC. You had to figure Green Lantern would show up early on in this series. He and Superman make for such a complementary pairing. (By the way, no DCs came out this week for some reason, so Scott and I picked a few from earlier in November since they were still on sale. Ya dig?)

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

The Spectacular Spider-Man #27, Marvel. Some of Frank Miller’s first work with Daredevil!

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Fantastic Four #203, Marvel. I had this issue as a kid, and the Evil Ben Grimm on the cover always creeped me out.

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Detective Comics #482, DC. Featuring a rare 1970s Bat-Mite appearance!

Dan adds: Only the second issue after the merger with Batman Family and it’s an interesting mix. There’s the terrific Bat-Mite story (pencilled by Michael Golden!), plus one of the grooviest Batgirl stories of the Bronze Age, when she takes on the Sino-Supermen — Chinese government operatives modeled after American superheroes. Robin also battles the Raven (not that one), a bad guy who might have become a great arch-villain for the Teen Wonder but was soon forgotten. Plus, a Batman story by Jim Starlin and P. Craig Russell.

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Batman #308, DC. I can’t think of a Batman character who benefited more from their Batman: The Animated Series re-design than Mr. Freeze. Fuchsia and light blue is just not intimidating.

Dan adds: I won’t argue the BTAS point at all. But I did like these groovy threads; they’re even reminiscent of his original Mr. Zero outfit, which was fuchsia and pale green. What’s noteworthy is that this was Mr. Freeze’s first starring role in about 11 years. Len Wein had just taken over the book and was fond of bringing back underused villains.

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Marvel Team-Up #78, Marvel. I can’t believe it would ever require both Spidey and Wonder Man to handle the Griffin.

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MORE

— RETRO HOT PICKS! On Sale The Week of November 12 — in 1965! Click here.

— RETRO HOT PICKS! On Sale The Week of November 5 — in 1970! Click here.