Anybody know what I'm on about?

[I, Cosh]

When I was kid, I had some strange comics and I was wondering if anyone knew where they came from. I don't remember exactly how old I was, but somewhere between 5 and 10 (so that makes it late seventies/early eighties.)

Basically, they were black and white reprints of Marvel comics (I distinctly remember Captain America and the Fantastic Four) in a sort of Commando format, but slightly larger. Maybe I just read them over and over, but they also seemed to be substantially longer than a standard Yankee comic: maybe three or four issues in one.

I'm not trying to seek them out and I don't have any to sell, I'm just curious about them is all.

Cheers, Pete.

[Richmond Clements]

I was thinking they might be called Marvel Digest or something.

I remember them alright. My mum used to buy me one of the every week, and apart from 2k, these where my introduction into comics.

[Matt Timson]

Weren't they called 'Marvel Pocket Books'?

[House of Usher]

That doesn't sound very strange to me. Are you sure it isn't Alan Class reprints? They were square spined/perfect bound, and bigger than commando comics.

They included titles featuring old Marvel characters and the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. agents. Possibly more titles than the following list:

Amazing Stories of Suspense
Astounding Stories
Creepy Worlds
Tales of Action
Talesof the Underworld
Uncanny Tales

[House of Usher]

Just found another one: Suspense stories.

Must be some websites with the full list. As well as reprinting a few Marvels, Alan Class reprinted some Atlas comics, which is where Captain America, Submariner and Human Torch (the android, not Johnny Storm) came from.

[House of Usher]

Here's a link for you. A bit of a description of Alan Class comics, and at the bottom of that page a link to a downloadable file about 23 pages long with a full guide to what was reprinted where.

Some good titles there. "Weird Planets". "Uncensored Love"!

Link: http://www.thirtiethcentury.free-online.co.uk/articles/alanclass.htm" target="_blank">Reprint comics the way they used to do them.

[I, Cosh]

Nice one. That's definitely the type of thing I was talking about, although I don't remember there being anything other than straight Marvel stories in them.

[skurvy]

I remember the marvel ones, I used to get Star Heroes which had The Micronauts and Battlestar Galactica. Also used to get the Fantastic Four ones too. I also remember the Alan Class stuff, in fact I used to get them when I was on holiday. We used to go to California Cliffs holiday camp near Great Yarmouth every year (as soon as I was too old to go on hols with my parents they started going to bloody Italy!). My dad used to give me a ?1 each day which I would spend on this stuff and Action and Monster Fun summer specials etc. Man, I must have spent a fortune on comics throughout my life.

[I, Cosh]

Micronauts!!

That's a name I haven't heard in a long time. A long time.

[Woolly]

Anyone remember 'DC-Action'?
A UK size reprint mag with glossy covers, which had 'The New Teen Titans' (meh), 'Swamp Thing' (mmm ok) and 'Animal Man' (yay!).

Worth it for the large sized 'Animal Man' Bolland covers alone!

[Richmond Clements]

I've still got a few copies of that, .Woolly- I think one still has the free badge attached.
Christ I'm a nerd.

[Keef Monkey]

Were the covers glossy card?