Posted By Dan Greenfield on Feb 14, 2024 | 7 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 Feb. 14, 1980.

Last time for RETRO HOT PICKS, it was the week of Feb. 7, 1976. 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. 11 and Feb. 17.)

So, let’s set the scene: Democratic President Carter’s support, which had already been rocky, was starting to further erode thanks to the prolonged Iran Hostage Crisis. Nevertheless, his re-election campaign got off to a solid start in the early primary contests in January and February. Chief challenger Ted Kennedy was unable to mount a viable contest. On the Republican side, George H.W. Bush took a short-lived early lead through the Feb. 17 Puerto Rico primary but in the end, the Reagan juggernaut would not be denied.

One of history’s most notorious serial killers, John Wayne Gacy, was on trial. The Killer Clown was ultimately convicted of 33 murders. He would be executed in the electric chair in 1994.

Gacy’s art

Opening ceremonies for the 1980 Winter Olympics were held in Lake Placid, New York on Feb. 13. These were the Games that featured the seismic Miracle on Ice but the USA’s defeat of the Soviets in hockey wouldn’t occur until the following week.

On Feb. 16, I was bar mitzvahed in Highland Park, N.J. That night at the reception, I perfected the White Man’s Overbite. There’s a pretty decent chance that Call Me by Blondie was playing. After all, American Gigolo had just been released and was the No. 1 film at the box office. (Call Me entered the charts this week at No. 80.)

Also in theaters were the controversial Al Pacino vehicle Cruising; Kramer vs. Kramer, which had come out late in 1979; a re-release of 2001: A Space Odyssey; the ever-charming Hero at Large; the insane Caligula; and a small 1979 Australian action flick called Mad Max, which was released in the U.S. on Feb. 15.

The big news in TV — besides the Olympics — was CBS’ announcement Feb. 14 that Walter Cronkite would retire in 1981. Television journalism would never be the same. Dallas, Three’s Company, Alice and 60 Minutes were among the most popular regular shows of the time.

Another ending: Actor David Janssen, best known for his starring role in the 1960s show The Fugitive, died of a heart attack at the young age of 48.

Captain & Tennille’s Do That to Me One More Time led the Billboard 100, followed by Queen’s Crazy Little Thing Called Love at No. 2. A personal favorite, Romeo’s Tune by Steve Forbert, was at No. 14. The Eagles’ The Long Run was at No. 15. (I received the LP — No. 3 on the Billboard 200 — for my bar mitzvah. Once I got around to taking it out to the cellophane, it went into heavy rotation.)

Having just turned 13, Pink Floyd’s The Wall was a bit over my head — but the rest of the rock world was hip to it: It was No. 1 on the album charts.

Hey, teacher, leave us kids alone!

—

Dan Greenfield, editor, 13th Dimension

Batman #323, DC. Bruce and Selina’s first real romance comes to a head as a series of cat-related crimes plagues Gotham. Batman naturally think it’s Catwoman — because, like every one else, he forgot about Cat-MAN! This was my first exposure to the gold-and-orange villain and he’s remained something of a favorite ever since. Overall, an issue that loomed large in my comics development because I really dug the whole Bruce-Selina thing. (Check out what the late Len Wein had to say about it.)

—

Hulk #20, Marvel. The Green Goliath takes on Three Mile Island in black-and-while magazine style! Dig the Joe Jusko cover.

—

Fun and Games #9, Marvel. I would have loved it if DC had published a similar mag.

—

Best of DC #5 and DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #2, DC. I loved the treasuries a whole lot more, but the digests were still pretty groovy. Thing is, even as a newly minted teen I didn’t really like the small size and now, with these late-50s eyes, I can barely read them. Oh well!

—

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

The Amazing Spider-Man #204, Marvel. The Black Cat was never really interesting until that great Peter Parker run where she and Spidey started dating and suddenly the emotional stakes were much higher.

—

Battlestar Galactica #15, Marvel. I’ve been meaning to track these down, just to get my hands on the early Walt Simonson art.

—

Micronauts #17, Marvel. Something about Psycho-Man seemed even scarier when he showed up in Micronauts.

Dan adds: I’d imagine that Michael Golden, who did this cover, had a lot to do with it!

—

Wonder Woman #267, DC. This was the first appearance of Animal Man in about 13 years or so. He’d pop up a few times as a member of the Forgotten Heroes before his big post-Crisis solo series written by Grant Morrison.

—

DC Comics Presents #21, DC. This is why Superman so rarely invited anyone over to his place.

—

MORE

— RETRO HOT PICKS! On Sale The Week of Feb. 7 — in 1976! Click here.

— RETRO HOT PICKS! On Sale The Week of Jan. 31 — in 1986! Click here.

—

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