Marvel UK is perhaps best known for representing US Marvel Comics material, creating Death’s Head, and as the original publisher of Doctor Who Magazine – but it made forays into unusual reprints, too.
While some of the best known may be representing Marvel Comics rival DC Comics Star Trek: The Next Generation material in its Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine, they utilised a wealth of outsourced material from other international publishers for a wide range of annuals and Specials.
One of them was a one-off toy tie-in, a Manta Force Winter Special published in 1989, offered with a “Manta Man” free gift, now much sought after.
It not only reprinted material first seen in the pages of UK rival publisher Fleetway’s EAGLE comic, drawn by Ian Kennedy, but also includes a lead story drawn by a young Gary Frank, long before he found fame drawing Motormouth and Killpower and The Incredible Hulk, inked by Stephen Baskerville.
The Special also features a text story by now acclaimed children’s author Andrew Donkin and his late writing partner Graham S. Brand.
A copy is currently being offered for sale on eBay, with the inclusion of Gary Frank’s early art perhaps explaining fast increasing bidding, the lot having three more days to run.
For those unfamiliar, M.A.N.T.A. FORCE was a TV-advertised series of multi-function space vessels with mini-figure crew, launched by British toy company Bluebird in 1987.
Aping similar toy lines (Transformers versus Decepticons, for example) the toyline was initially divided into two main factions: the heroic MANTA Force (MANTA an acronym for “Multiple Air, Naval and Terrain Assault Force”) and their opponents, the evil Viper Squad.
Set in the then remote future of 2012(!), humanity has colonised many planets throughout the solar system, but Earth itself is polluted and over populated. M.A.N.T.A is assigned to help colonise “New Earth”.
Over time, alien threats were added to the line, all enemies of humanity: a group of robots known as the Karnoids, and the Stenchoids.
The toy has a cult following today, both in the UK and in Japan.
EAGLE published a comic strip over 21 weeks based on the toyline from issues 285-305, cover dated 5th September 1987 to 23rd January 1988, the first episode written by John Wagner and Alan Grant (under the pseudonym ‘R. Steele’), and drawn by Ian Kennedy, with subsequent instalments scripted by Alan Hebden and illustrated by Mike Dorey.
In addition to Marvel UK’s Special, Bluebird themselves published two promotional comics to promote the Black Barracuda and Vile Stinkhorn toy ranges, generally found in the packages of other Manta Force toys. One is included in the Marvel Special.
Carnival also published two books based on the Manta Force toyline: Manta Force – The Enemy Within and Manta Force – Red Venom Attack!, written by Royston Drake.
Head downthetubes for…
• Boys Adventure Comics Blog: Manta Force – Marvel UK, new Eagle & Ian Kennedy
With thanks to “Alien Nation”, Stephen Baskerville and Chris Wing
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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.
Categories: British Comics, Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes News, Licensing, Merchandise, Other Worlds
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