SMASH again. These full page Baxendale covers are a real treat. Back in February 1966 they were a newsagent's dream, making the comic fly off the shelf!Ron Spencer and Brian Lewis drew later Man From BUNGLE covers (before Batman's sudden arrival in June 1966) which were great, but never quite had The Master's edge!
If you're wondering, the mid sixties were the height of the 'cool spy craze' which had originated with the first Bond movie in 1962, reached fever pitch when Cathy Gale joined Steed, boiled over when Kirby brought us Agent of SHIELD in 1965 and went ballistic with the part-spoof spy series The Man from UNCLE leter that year. Of course Leo Baxendale's own 'Eagle Eye, Junior Spy' was an earlier part of the trend. Within a year the spying part of the genre had given way to the parody part, and we got Mrs Peel, the Girl from UNCLE and Maxwell Smart taking it more and more to ludicrous extremes before the proverbail tin-hat was put on it by Sparky's own I Spy and the gadgetry and satire could go no further!
3 comments:
It's a shame Bax decided to quit the world of comics in the mid-70s. Just think of all the millions of kids who don't even know who he is.
What I want to know is what is how the man from B.U.N.G.L.E escapes this predicament, as is apparently detailed on page 19.
HOW? How, Nigel? HOOOOOOW???!!!
my guess is he climbs up the rope into the hot air balloon..oh I forgot hes chained up...I know he tips the boat over and uses the air pocket below to breath..protected by the boat..and walks along to the shore..
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