Written By Ken Hulsey
As most of you know, I am a certified comic book enthusiast. I have been collecting comic books as a hobby since the late 1970s and have been reading them since I was a child. Like many kids of my generation, I was drawn to titles featuring my favorite cartoon characters such as The Flintstones, Bugs Bunny, and Yogi Bear. My mother would buy them for me in packs at the Pick N Save, which helped me build quite a collection. While I often got some Richie Rich and Little Lulu comics that I didn't particularly care for, back then, you learned to take the good with the bad.
As I got older, a friend introduced me to war comics like SGT Rock, Unknown Soldier, and Fightin' Marines. These comics had compelling stories that captured the interest of a good old American boy like me. Around third or fourth grade, my interests shifted from war comics to science fiction. Marvel Comics released a variety of excellent titles in the 1970s, many of which were based on popular movies of the time.
I remember browsing through some comic books at a supermarket when I came across an ad for an upcoming Marvel title featuring Godzilla. I had recently discovered Godzilla movies, and as a kid who grew up loving dinosaurs, I instantly fell in love with the monster. I eagerly awaited the release of the first issue, and when it finally arrived, I was thrilled to buy it and start reading. I loved it so much that I must have gone through it a dozen times. Within a week, it became a frayed mess from being handled so often. To this day, Godzilla: King of the Monsters #1 remains my all-time favorite comic book, and I have a treasured copy in my collection.
Even before I became a fan of Godzilla, I was a huge fan of the Planet of the Apes movies. I had watched the first couple of films on primetime television, which, in the time before cable and streaming services, meant you saw movies only when the networks aired them. I remember being fascinated by the intelligent apes and the irony of what it would be like if the roles were reversed and animals were in charge. It turned out they were just as flawed as we humans are.
The first issue of Adventures on the Planet of the Apes, a classic from Marvel Comics, that I purchased was actually the ninth issue. I generally discovered these titles after they had been in publication for several months. As a kid, I was a bit of a scaredy-cat; I was frightened by almost everything. When a giant spider appeared on an episode of Gilligan's Island, I jumped up and hid behind the couch. Naturally, I stayed away from anything scary or horror-related. However, I was drawn to the cover art of that particular issue, which was definitely horror-inspired. It featured a subway car strewn with skeletons and an ape soldier lying in wait to ambush Brent and Nova as they discovered the gruesome scene.
The story itself took a rather gothic approach to the plot of the second Planet of the Apes film, Beneath the Planet of the Apes. Strangely enough, even though I wasn’t typically a fan of darker themes, I found that the more somber tones really added something to the story—it was actually better than the film itself. As you can imagine, I still have a copy of that issue in my collection today.
Related: Unmasking Heroes: The Untold Stories Behind the Birth of Comic Book Legends
In 1977, "Star Wars" came into my life, and like many young people of my generation, the film blew our minds. While I had a fondness for talking apes and giant monsters, "Star Wars" took my fandom to new heights. Just ask my mom, who had to spend a small fortune on boxes full of action figures and spaceships.
Although I once again arrived late to the party, I began my "Star Wars" comic collection with issue number six, which adapted the final scenes from the film with the battle for Yavin and the ultimate destruction of the Death Star. I always marveled at the cover of this issue, which depicted Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader engaging in a lightsaber duel while Princess Leia cowered in the corner, and a space battle raged outside the window behind them. As you may know, that scene never actually occurred in the movie.
You have to hand it to Marvel, though: they knew how to attract young readers to their titles with eye-catching cover art, even when it had little to do with the story inside. This was somewhat of an unintentional foreshadowing, as Luke and Vader would indeed have their lightsaber fight three years later in "The Empire Strikes Back."
I want to take a moment to reflect on Turok: Son of Stone issue #98 from 1975, which was the first fantasy comic I ever owned and the first comic I remember reading from cover to cover in one sitting. What drew me to this issue was evident: the cover featured two Indian warriors fighting a dinosaur. Growing up, I was raised on westerns because of my father's love for John Wayne movies—I watched them all! My fascination with dinosaurs also played a big role in my interest, making this mash-up particularly captivating to my young mind.
For those unfamiliar with the title, the premise is that two Indian braves somehow find themselves in a mysterious land where dinosaurs are still alive and thriving. As I read through this issue, our two Indian heroes faced attacks from dinosaurs and man-eating plants at every turn. While the story was heavy on action and light on plot, I was only seven, so I didn’t really care.
Fantastic Four #209 from 1979 holds the distinction of being the first superhero comic book I ever purchased. As you might guess, I was much more interested in fantasy and monsters than superheroes when I was young. However, that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy superhero stories; I watched the Super Friends cartoon, appreciated the Spider-Man segments on The Electric Company, and had a strange sensation that I wouldn’t fully understand until years later while watching Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman.
I really got into The New Fantastic Four cartoon on Saturday mornings, which inspired me to start reading the comics as well. Needless to say, I have been a fan ever since. The imagery on this cover has always stuck with me—a Skrull executioner standing over the bodies of the Four that he had just blasted. It's really striking. I've always believed that the stories from the Fantastic Four series never received the acclaim they deserved.
These early experiences were the foundation of my lifelong love for comic books. It's a wonderful medium that, thankfully, hasn't disappeared. I am grateful that there are still young people who find joy in the adventure stories featured in comics month after month.
Related: Retro Cartoon Rewind | Out Of This World 70s Sci Fi Saturday Morning | Part 3
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