iFanboy Mini - Episode #53 - Mystic #57
An unusual comic book gift leads to giant alien spiders and their galaxy spanning webs!
Sometimes an expected gift can bare the most unusual fruit. Conor takes a trip to Wacky Town when he is given a copy of Mystic #57, an old sci-fi comic book from 1965. Giant alien spiders, giant man-eating spiders (people were apparently very scared of spiders), soul stealing Devils, robots, and giant shaggy hulking creatures were just some of what he found inside. But really, it was all about the giant alien spiders and their web-based space travel.
For Direct Download
Head over to iFanboy at Revision 3
Doing the podcast is fun and all, but let's be honest, listening to the 3 of us talk to each other can get repetitive, so we look to you, the iFanboy listeners to participate in the podcast! "How can I get in on the fun?" you may ask yourself, well here's how:
• E-Mail us at contact@ifanboy.com with any questions, comments or anything that may be on your mind.
• Call us at 1-888-FANBOYS (326-2697) and leave a voicemail
Please don't forget to leave your name and where you're writing/calling from and each week, we'll pick the best e-mails and voicemails to include on the podcast!
Comments
Don't be ashamed to read anything. I read this one openly on the subway.
Posted by conor on 05/28/08 at 04:28 PM
Its funny how Kirby'esque the art on that was, both on the main story and that Hulk splash you showed.
Posted by Footsore on 05/28/08 at 08:08 PM
After a little research it looks like Mystic is the oldschool version of Marvel UK, picking up and reprinting a wide assortment of american comic company work. I dont know if it was just reprints of Marvel's Mystic, which did the same thing, or if its completely different collections.
Posted by Footsore on 05/28/08 at 08:28 PM
This really reminds me of the Marvel Monster and Sci-Fi comics of the 50's and 60's with Tales of Suspense, Tales to Astonish, Amazing Fantasy etc. Every third story seems to have an alien invasion. The names of the monsters and aliens are always a hoot. Great stuff if people appreciate that type of thing.
Posted by whirlwindx on 05/28/08 at 09:53 PM
Most of the art shown was kirby. thosed were the stories in the pre hero marvel monster series like tales to astonish, journey into mystery etc. they were likely written by stan lee. many great stories were reprinted in the monster masterworks, and more recently amazing fantasy onibus. many of these original comics are very hard to find and feature art from kirby ditko and many silver age greats.
Posted by abstractgeek on 05/28/08 at 11:20 PM
Hey Conor! Fun Mini ep! A little more internet research showed that the Kirby story you talked about- Rorrg King of the Spiders, was reprinted from Journey Into Mystery #64. That's probably where the name 'Mystic' came from- an amalgam of the Marvel titles it was reprinting. Interesting though that it was a black and white reprint too and not color like the originals.
Hey cool this is my first iFanboy comment. Of the three of you I'm firmly along the lines of your tastes Conor- I find myself agreeing with many of your opinions of books and currently slant towards DC myself.
Posted by Greencapt on 05/28/08 at 11:32 PM
@whirlwindx
Nothing can beat "Zzzutak, the Thing that Shouldn't Exist!"
Posted by jujoji on 05/29/08 at 12:22 AM
@jujoji
Heh, that's great but I'm kind of partial to Tim Boo Ba and Googam, Son of Goom.
It's great that Fin Fang Foom and Groot, the Monster from Planet X are so active in modern marvel as well.
Posted by whirlwindx on 05/29/08 at 02:20 PM
Conor: Great mini! I too love these "wacky, goofy" books, but it is so painful at times to read them. This isn't exactly what you want non-comics 'people' to see you reading if you want any kind of legitimacy to your modern comics sensibility. I even have to shudder at some of the more recent offerings at how dated the dialogue can be. I can't get into the Showcase Books for that reason. Heck, the Libra story from JLA #111 (1974) featured in the DC Universe Special leading up to Final Crisis is painful to read. Don't get me wrong, I love Len Wien and company but it is so hard to read this stuff at times! I find the old Charlton Comics in the quarter bins are some fun reads too, esp. the war comics. Good stuff!
Posted by target242 on 05/28/08 at 03:38 PM