"Right Into August"

Picked up a set of the Marvel Super-Hero Postage Stamps today to frame for my wall next to the DC set from last year.

I was never totally satisfied with last year's set from DC. There were so many just better choices "those in charge" could have made for these stamps, but didn't. Such as the "Supergirl" one, where the cover to The Daring New Advs. of Supergirl #1(1982) was used rather than some cover from comics such as Action #252(1959), or even Supergirl V1 #1(1974). And the "Plastic Man" cover was from a 1940's Quality issue instead of a book like Plastic Man #1 (1966)(not that the original Golden-Age run wasn't better, but these are supposed to be ALL DC Comics). "The Flash" stamp would have been better from The Flash #105(1959), and the "Aquaman" could have been instead from either an Aquaman V1#1(1962) or even a Showcase #30(1961). Plus there were plenty of both Golden-Age AND Silver-Age choices than to use a modern issue of Wonder Woman.

So this year in the Marvel stamps, they include a second-rate character such as "Spider-WOMAN", when there's clearly better choices if they just wanted a female character. I'd rather have seen "Daredevil" with his own stamp instead. Duly noted here too is that (as someone pointed out), "Wolverine' wasn't in the original X-Men #1 (1963). The logical choice, to me, would have been Giant-Size X-Men #1 (1975), instead. ("The Ghost Rider" would have been a better choice for heroes, too, but then they'd lose their quota for their token female heroines.

Other changes I'd liked to have seen is Captain America Comics #1 (1941) rather than Captain America #100 (1968), and Sub-Mariner Comics #1 (1941) instead of Sub-Mariner #1 (1968).

Of course, this sheet of 20 stamps was a bit higher than the previous one since postage rates have since increased from .39 to .41 per stamp, changing the cost from $7.80 to $8.20.

Don't know what their next choice will be, but it'd be nice to see one from the Archie Comics Group (but you just know that someone will opt' for Image Comics or the like).


Well, you can certainly tell that it's August here in South-Central, KY., with this hot and dry weather, but with the year just whizzin' on by as it has, it'll soon be the first taste of Autumn. That's always my favorite time of the year; good sleeping weather and a good time to finish outdoor chores (just as long as all of the rain we've missed these past few monthes dosn't try to play catch up with us). About the only outside job I've yet to complete is both a new front sidewalk and a rock garden, but I'm sure I can get both of these little projects finished before it ever gets too cold.

I'm still waiting on some bricks from the destruction of the old, local hotel I was promised, which is what is holding up the beginning of both projects. Here in the past week or so, the windows have been removed from the old structure so maybe my wait won't be much longer.

Picked up three older comics today while at the local bookstore. Copies of Fantastic Four(Marvel) #353 (with Walt Simonson work), Secret Origins (DC)#44, and Phantom 2040 (Marvel/based on the animated t.v. series) #2. The Phantom had some of Steve Ditko's later work from 1995, just three years before his last artwork in Legends of the DC Universe 80 Page Giants #1 (1998). (Hard to believe he's been "retired" now for almost 10 years.) The Secret Origins had Keith Giffen work and the various origins of the "Clayface" villians of Batman. And the FF had the usual stuff by Simonson from the early 1990's. (Oh, for the days of "dollar" comics...)