I have never actually read an issue of Marvel Comics' 70s-80s tween/teen magazine,
Pizzazz, but I wouldn't mind getting a look at the mag's exclusive serialized
Star Wars comic, which was mixed into the usual assortment of puzzles, pop culture articles, bubble gum pop star coverage (Shaun Cassidy!), short stories and games.
Of course, being of the
Space: 1970 era, it covered (and cover-featured) plenty of genre stuff, including two properties that Marvel Comics was then publishing in four-color form:
Star Wars and
Battlestar Galactica - and lots of Marvel superheroes. Here's a small sampling:
My favorite is the final issue's cover, featuring a publicity pic of Christopher Reeve as Superman with the word balloon "I consider it the greatest honor of my long career to appear on the cover of a Marvel magazine!"
ReplyDeleteI don't remember Pizzazz at all but I still have my copy of Marvel's Crazy with Star Wars on the cover.
ReplyDeleteThe Star Wars strip that ran in Pizzazz was pretty good. It also ran in the Marvel UK weekly SW comic, and the stories were reprinted by Dark Horse as a special SW issue #0 a while back.
ReplyDelete(They'll also be reprinted in an upcoming edition of the SW Omnibus line from DH.)
Oh yeah, I had several issues of that. I wonder if I still have any tucked into the collection somewhere?
ReplyDeleteThe first two chapters are here: http://diversionsofthegroovykind.blogspot.com/2011/01/ol-grooves-request-line-star-wars-with.html
ReplyDeleteI had the Galactica issue. If I remember correctly, there was a little piece on droids on film in the back of the magazine, which is where I caught my first glimpse of Maria from 1926's "Metropolis" and thinking that she wouldn't look that out of place standing next to C-3PO. It also sparked a curiosity about learning everything I could "Metropolis", which of course falls well outside the focus of this blog.
ReplyDeleteI had several of these. I used to make my mom buy it for me from the magazine rack in the grocery store. That and Cracked and Mad. I'd forgotten all about it. Thanks for jogging that long-buried memory!
ReplyDeleteI remember that. Dynamite magazine was another good one.
ReplyDeleteI posted a similar cover gallery for Dynamite a while back...
DeleteGood article. Shaun Cassidy poster in every magazine. How true.
DeleteI also had that Battlestar Galactica issue! I remember having to ask my dad to explain the Nielson reference. Come to think of it, I don't think I was able to make out what the logo read, let alone what Pizzazz meant. I was a sheltered 6 year old, apparently.
ReplyDelete