Posted By Dan Greenfield on Jul 30, 2025 | 9 comments

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.)

Vanessa Williams resigning

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, however. The New York Democrat was the first woman to be on a national major-party ticket after being officially nominated as vice president earlier in the month. (Walter Mondale was the presidential nominee.)

The move ultimately failed to galvanize voters, though, and Reagan, with Vice President George Bush (the first one), cruised to a mammoth win in November.

IN OTHER NEWS

— Serial killer Ed Gein, who was the inspiration for Norman Bates and Leatherface, died at the age of 77 on July 26.

— On July 25, Soviet cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya became the first woman to walk in space. At least the first woman from Earth.

The newly released Purple Rain was the No. 1 movie at the box office, the only week that it was. It was a great summer for movies: Ghostbusters, The Karate Kid; Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (which I love!); The Natural (one of my all-time favorites); Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom; Gremlins; Top Secret!; Once Upon a Time in America; The Pope of Greenwich Village; Conan the Destroyer; The Last Starfighter; The Muppets Take Manhattan; a re-release of Disney’s The Jungle Book; and, even the stupid Bachelor Party and Revenge of the Nerds.

The Olympics were all that anyone was watching on TV, and it was rerun season to boot, but the most popular shows included Simon and Simon, The A-Team, Magnum, P.I. and The Fall Guy.

Prince’s When Doves Cry, from Purple Rain, was the No. 1 song — and it felt like the video was run every 15 minutes on MTV. Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr. was at No. 2; Bruce Springsteen’s Dancing in the Dark was at No. 4; and, Tina Turner’s comeback smash What’s Love Got to Do With It, was at No. 5. George Michael’s hit Careless Whisper (credited to Wham! featuring George Michael in the U.S.) had just been released.

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

The Amazing Spider-Man #258, Marvel. I remember this cover (pencilled by Ron Frenz) jumping off the rack at me at the QuikStop.

Dan adds: I read this for the first time last year, when Marvel re-released the first 12 black-suit issues as Facsimile Editions. It was a pretty good run; I enjoyed it.

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Jon Sable, Freelance #18, First. For all you Iron Mike fans out there!

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Love and Rockets #8, Fantagraphics. I think it would be fair to call the seminal series by Los Bros Hernandez one of the most beloved of all time.

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Best of DC #54, DC. It was still the Digest Era!