Today we’re looking at Marvel Two-in-One #8, published in 1974 by Marvel Comics. Cover price is 25 cents.
I’LL HAVE YOU KNOW this book is the only Christmas comic in my decimated collection that I paid a premium price for! I think I paid $7 for this book and one look at the cover will tell ya why.
Absolutely insane.
I’ve slowed up on posting chalkboard drawings lately. Man, if you think there’s some repetition in my teaching comics (“Why does he do Romeo & Juliet strips every year around January/February?” you ask yourself) you haven’t seen anything compared to a lot of my chalkboard drawings.
I hate to sound like a broken record, but this is one of those aspects of my classroom that has really suffered thanks to my extended schedule. Having said that, I just bought myself a pack of COLORED CHALK so things are going to get crazy here in the next few weeks.
Or not, who can say? I decided the chalk’s maiden voyage would be to draw the Fantastic Four. I’ve done these characters before, but never in color!
I guess I kind of screwed up on Mr. Fantastic’s hand… but in another way, I didn’t because he’s elastic and can contort his hand into any manner he choses!
Get it?
This week’s thrift store find: A novelty tie! A GEEKY novelty tie!
A Fantastic Four tie! Got it for a buck.
Here’s the strange thing about this tie- with ALL the amazing covers the tie makers could have chosen to represent as a piece of neckwear featuring the Fantastic Four, the cover represented here is Fantastic Four #334, one of the least remarkable FF covers I’ve ever seen.
Oh, the cover is drawn by Walt Simonson, so it’s a beautiful interpretation of the characters… but not exactly iconic. The characters are just kind of… standing there. I don’t demand excitement in action in all my graphic ties (though it obviously helps in some cases).
Fantastic Four #334 was a part of Marvel’s big Acts of Vengeance crossover in the late 1980’s. In this big company-wide story, Thor’s brother Loki comes up with the brilliant idea of sending all the various super villans of the Marvel Universe up against heroes they had never fought before, thinking the tactical advantage would bring them success. Even by the standards of the time, this crossover was weak tea.
At any rate, the crossover explains why you can see all sorts of third tier supervillians in the background of this tie. most prominently featured are The Shocker at the tip of the tie and… The Beetle.
That’s right, ol’ Abner Jenkins gets more tie real estate than The Invisible Woman. What a world.
Hope everyone out there’s having a nice weekend and a good Easter… if that’s your thing. My mother’s visiting us from New York for the long weekend!
Here are this past week’s chalkboard drawings… keeping in mind, that we had a short week due to the holiday.
Teachable Moments 