So I got something in a collection the other day that I’ve never seen before. Well, I mean, I’ve seen the comic, of course, in its much more common “softcover book” variety. But for the first time ever, I’ve seen it in hardcover form:
It’s the 1978 Silver Surfer original graphic novel by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, along with Joe Sinnott, John Constanza, Glynis Wein, and cover artist Carl Norem, retelling an alternate version of the character’s origins without the involvement of the Fantastic Four. This was one of a handful of releases from Fireside Books/Simon and Schuster that included Origins of Marvel Comics.
Way back when, at onne of the local bargain stores, there were stacks of the softcover available at next-to-nothing prices. (Also available for deep discounts at the same store: DC’s Famous First Edition treasuries in piles and piles.) I never bought one then, which I of course regret, but not as much as I regret not buying all of them to now sell in my comic shop.
It’s probably because of that long-ago stock dump that I keep seeing copies of the softcover version turn up in collections. As I said above, however, this is the first time the hardcover edition has made its way into my funnybook-worn hands. The dust jacket has seen better days, but otherwise the book looks good.
Here’s the back cover:
The inner flaps of the dust jacket:
Unfortunately, there’s no design on the book’s covers themselves:
…but at least you get some inlaid silver lettering on the spine:
It’s a neat book, and believe it or not, for all the times I’ve come across it at both of the shops I’ve worked at, either in the original softcover or via Marvel’s later reprintings, I’ve never read it. I am seriously considering keeping this for myself. I know, I know, how am I going to make any money and stay in business if I keep all the cool stuff for myself (like all the Popeye comics and fanzines that come my way), but this is a neat time and I’m really tempted. I mean, I’ll at least give it a read before putting it out for sale.
My ol’ Pal of the Internet Kevin Church has written a nice piece in celebration of Star Trek‘s 60th anniversary, and I heartily recommend that you go read it.
I’m a little jealous of Kevin in that he remembers exactly when, and with which episode, he became a fan. I was one of those folks who picked up on Trek when it was in syndication in the early ’70s, that period when a lot of new fans discovered the series. I remember watching it on TV, both the original series and that cartoon, I had several of the toys (the Mego figures, the bridge set, even communicators and the tricorder), but I was perhaps too young to remember which episode to which I was first exposed.
And then Star Wars hit in 1977, and that began to occupy a large segment of my forming fandom brain…but I never forgot Star Trek, which has continued to this very day, finally achieving perfection with the greatest Trek series of all time:
“Search your feelings, you know it to be true,” as someone from a famous sci-fi franchise once said. I think it was Captain Janeway.
Interestingly, both Stan Lee & Jack Kirby’s Silver Surfer: The Ultimate Cosmic Experience! graphic novel and Don McGregor & Paul Gulacy’s Sabre: Slow Fade of an Endangered Species graphic novel were published in August, 1978–which makes me wonder which one actually went on sale first, or if they debuted on the same day or what? Of course, The Silver Surfer graphic novel had greater distribution, but I wonder if Sabre edged it out as the first “official” American graphic novel?
Also, since I have never read the Silver Surfer graphic novel, who is the woman he is holding? Is she supposed to be Shalla-Bal? And how rad is it that the Silver Surfer’s name is Norrin Radd?
And back to John Byrne’s unfinished projects, it would be nice if he would complete “The Last Galactus Story” originally serialized in Epic Magazine and it could all get (re)printed in one graphic novel.