It was in this week in 1968 when the final issue of Fantastic, reprinting several Marcel comics, hit British newsagents.
“A sad day indeed, and it was clear the short era of Power Comics was coming to an end,” comics archivist and creator Lew Stringer has previously noted.
The following week, Fantastic joined Smash! and Pow!, resulting in the wordy title SMASH! AND POW! INCORPORATING FANTASTIC. A few weeks later, it was just Smash! Incorporating Fantastic, then in March 1969 it was all over, as Smash! was transformed by IPC into a generic boys’ adventure comic…
Luckily for British Marvel fans, the era of Marvel UK wasn’t that far away…
Head downthetubes to…
Lew Stringer detailed both the beginning and the end of Fantastic …
• Blimey! This week in 1968: The fate of FANTASTIC
• Blimey! 40 year Flashback: Fantastic is launched
Scans with thanks to Lew Stringer
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
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One of the saddest days of my childhood. I’d been reading Power Comics since Terrific No.16, right through the merger with Fantastic, and did continue through the “incorporation” with Smash but it was never the same. However, it did lead, several decades later, to the first 100+ issues of my fanzine PAST PERFECT, which was originally dedicated to the Marvel line-up in Power. So there is that.