Posted By Dan Greenfield on Oct 23, 2024 | 8 comments

Scott and Dan hit up the comics racks from 44 years ago…

This week for RETRO HOT PICKS, Scott Tipton and I are selecting comics that came out the week of Oct. 23, 1980.

Last time for RETRO HOT PICKS, it was the week of Oct. 16, 1972. 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 Oct. 20 and Oct. 26.)

So, let’s set the scene: The 1980 presidential election was mere weeks away and incumbent President Jimmy Carter, who’d been struggling in the polls, was finding some footing against Republican challenger Ronald Reagan, who had been in a commanding position. (Independent candidate John Anderson was also in the mix but he didn’t end up a factor in the results.)

One of the biggest issues of the campaign was the Iran Hostage Crisis, which had been dragging on since November 1979. On Oct. 21, negotiations between the US and Iran, aimed at getting the hostages released, were shut down abruptly by the rogue nation. The timing of the breakdown, in the final stretch of the campaign, was suspect and the U.S. House of Representatives later investigated allegations that Reagan’s campaign team had met secretly with Iranian envoys between Oct. 15 and Oct. 20, to prevent the hostages’ release before the Nov. 4 election.

In short, the Reagan team feared what campaign chief William Casey called an “October surprise” — that a successful release could turn the tide back to Carter. Casey’s term gave a name to a concept long a part of American politics. (The hostages would be released moments after Reagan was sworn in, in January 1981. The whole thing stank of 1968’s Chennault Affair, in which Republican Richard Nixon was accused of meddling in Vietnam War negotiations to prevent Democratic Vice President Hubert Humphrey from winning the presidency.)

But what may have really swung the election was the next week’s debate.

IN OTHER NEWS

Tug McGraw

— On Oct. 21, Philadelphia defeated the Kansas City Royals, 4-1, in Game 6 of the World Series, giving the Phillies’ their first title in the team’s 98-year history.

— Also on Oct. 21, a rising politician named Mikhail Gorbachev was elected to the Soviet Politburo.

The top movie at the box office was Private Benjamin, starring Goldie Hawn. The comedy, featuring a brilliantly hilarious performance by Eileen Brennan, was in the middle of an eight-week run at No. 1. Other choices at the cinema included Ordinary People, which I’ve still never seen; Hopscotch, starring Walter Matthau and Glenda Jackson; cult-favorite My Bodyguard; Woody Allen’s Stardust Memories; The Elephant Man; Akira Kurosawa’s Kagemusha; John Cassavetes’ Gloria, starring badass Gena Rowlands; and Somewhere in Time, the increasingly beloved romance starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour.

The decisive Game 6 of the World Series was the highest-rated show of the week. Other leaders included 60 Minutes, at No. 3; and Real People, at No. 6. At No. 5 was the Season 4 premiere of The Love Boat. Guest stars included Generic Blond Handsome Man Dennis Cole, Nipsey Russell, Vic Tayback, Doris Roberts… and Tom Hanks.

The No. 4 show was a rerun of Dallas. Why was a rerun so high up? Well, Dallas was immensely popular, for one thing. For another, the series was two weeks away from revealing Who Shot J.R.? — a television cliffhanger that had capitivated the nation since March.

Two of America’s greatest diva superstars ruled the music scene: Barbra Streisand had both the top single (Woman in Love) and the No. 1 album (Guilty). Diana Ross had two major hit singles — Upside Down, at No. 4, and the euphoric I’m Coming Out, at No. 11. Her album, Diana, was at No. 4 for the week — and the best-selling studio LP of her solo career.

Other hit albums included Queen’s The Game, at No. 2, with the No. 2 single Another One Bites the Dust, and Pat Benatar’s breakout Crimes of Passion, at No. 5, highlighted by Hit Me With Your Best Shot. Singles getting a lot of airplay included middle-school slow-dance staple All Out of Love by Air Supply (No. 8) and Kenny Loggins’ No. 9 I’m Alright, from Caddyshack.

The No. 9 album was AC/DC’s seminal Back in Black, the band’s first with new lead singer Brian Johnson and featuring four mega tracks — Back in Black, Hells Bells, Shoot to Thrill and You Shook Me All Night Long. It’s one of the very best-selling albums of all time.

On Oct. 24, John Lennon released his first original single in six years, (Just Like) Starting Over, from the forthcoming LP Double Fantasy. The uptempo, upbeat love song was hailed at the time as a return to form for Lennon, who lived through a tumultuous 1970s and had just turned 40 earlier in October. The future finally seemed wide open for the most emotionally tortured of the former Beatles.

It’s like we both are falling in love again, it’ll be just like starting over…

—

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

The X-Men #141, Marvel. One of the most influential comics of the Bronze Age.

Dan adds: In these days of events and decompression, it’s easy to forget that this absolute classic, by Chris Claremont, John Byrne and Terry Austin, was told in… two issues!

—

The Brave & the Bold #170, DC. Nemesis is fondly remembered, especially when you consider how few appearances the character made. I think he even showed up in the animated Justice League Unlimited.

Dan adds: I was never that big a Nemesis fan and remember feeling ripped off that he was the guest-star this issue. That says more about 13-year-old Dan than it does about the creative team and concept, of course.

—

The Warlord #41, DC. Mike Grell’s Warlord is one of those comics I’ve always meant to get around to doing a deep dive in. Maybe next year’s convention season.

Dan adds: Seems ripe for a DC Finest collection, doesn’t it? Warlord was such a big deal at the time.

—

Man-Thing #8, Marvel. If somebody had asked me, “Hey, remember that time Man-Thing fought pirates?”, well, I would have had to say no. Until now.

—

Dan Greenfield, editor, 13th Dimension

Detective Comics #498, DC. After making a big splash in the mid-’60s, Blockbuster was used sparingly through the ’70s. Len Wein brought him back for a moving Christmas tale back in 1978, and Gerry Conway revived him here for a two-parter that gives the Hulk rip-off a fitting ending that could have tied up his storyline for good. Terrific art by Don Newton and Dan Adkins.

—

Fantasy Masterpieces #14, Marvel. Re-presenting the classic first meeting between Spider-Man and the Silver Surfer, from 1970’s The Silver Surfer #14, by Stan Lee, John Buscema and Adkins. The Buscema/Romita cover was flipped and recolored. (I prefer the original.)

—

Battle of the Planets #9, Whitman. I’ve mentioned this before, but if I’d ever happened upon Gold Key’s Battle of the Planets series, I would have snapped it up. I loved that show. Even better is the original Japanese Gatchaman (and it’s not even close). Check out Mad Cave’s new series (but you can avoid the offshoots). (BotP was originally published by Gold Key, with Whitman variants. The 10-issue series evidently switched to Whitman at Issue #6. This was only distributed in multipacks.)

—

Action Comics #515, DC. Really because I love the Atom and think he gets, ahem, short shrift. Curious to see what DC has coming with Ray Palmer and Ryan Choi with January’s The Atom Project. Plus the Atom will also be in Mark Waid’s new Justice League Unlimited series, debuting in November.

—

The Super Friends #40, DC. Some enterprising writer needs to bring back the Global Guardians for good.

—

Yosemite Sam #70, Whitman. My son Sam has joined AmeriCorps. His first assignment is working on wildfire prevention and containment at Yosemite National Park. We are now calling him Yosemite Sam! (Like Battle of the Planets, this was once a Gold Key title. This ish was only distributed in Whitman multi-packs.)

—

MORE

— RETRO HOT PICKS! On Sale The Week of Oct. 16 — in 1972! Click here.

— RETRO HOT PICKS! On Sale The Week of  Oct. 9 — in 1975! Click here.

—

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