Strange Tales #124: Property Damage 31 / Flamin' 'Eck 49

Strange Tales 124, page 1, panel 4

Strange Tales #124: Property Damage 31 / Flamin' 'Eck 49

Written by: Smilin' Stan Lee

Illustrated by: Darlin' Dick Ayers

Inked by: Peerless P. Reinman

Lettered by: Adorable Art Simek

Our streak of The Thing destroying everything in his wake continues as we return to our favourite Silver Age punching bag, Strange Tales. This opening sequence sees Ben decide to give Johnny a wake-up call by... er... lifting a side of his house off its foundations, presumably destroying the structural stability of the house. Judging by the way that rear wall doesn't change angle, there has to be a massive gaping crack somewhere along the side of the house as well. As Andy most likely said at the time, this makes no sense. And it still doesn't.

We've also got yet another flaming lasso, easily my least-favourite thing in the entirety of Strange Tales (and beyond, as evidenced by its appearance in the comic covered on this week's episode). At least this is 1964, and we can pretty much guarantee that the walls are lined with asbestos, explaining why Johnny can throw his flame around in such a cavalier fashion.

Check out our coverage of Strange Tales #124 on our thirty-third episode: Bad Horse, Bad Horse, with special guest host David Walker

Fantastic Four #30: Property Damage 30

Fantastic Four #30, page 21, panel 5

Fantasticast Four #30: Property Damage 30

Written by: Stan Lee (A rather nice writer)

Illustrated by: Jack Kirby (A quite noteworthy artist)

Inked by: Chic Stone (A somewhat nifty inker)

Lettered by: Art Simek (An occasionally neat letterer)

This is why I should read ahead... It turns out that a suit of armour is a fairly minor piece of property damage when compared to the completely accidental loss of an entire artefact-filled castle. I really wish I had the ability to put a conjectural price on the loss of the castle, much as people have done with the destruction to Metropolis and New York in Man of Steel and Avengers. So many one-of-a-kind antiques lost forever, as well as the unique alchemical knowledge of Diablo.

Talking of Diablo, he really is one of the lesser Lee/Kirby villains to have gone on and feature within the Marvel universe. He's one of my least-favourite, even though his origin story far outweighed my expectations. It's not that the gimmick of the villain doesn't work for, it's that it's so horribly mis-applied. Instead of being a genuine and rare mystical villain for the team, he often gets reduced to an unlikely potion master, with coloured liquids causing all sorts of strange things to happen. He's not a villain I look forward to returning.

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #30 on our thirty-third episode: Bad Horse, Bad Horse, with special guest host David Walker

Fantastic Four #30: Property Damage 29

Fantastic Four 30, page 20, panel 2

Fantasticast Four #30: Property Damage 29

Written by: Stan Lee (A rather nice writer)

Illustrated by: Jack Kirby (A quite noteworthy artist)

Inked by: Chic Stone (A somewhat nifty inker)

Lettered by: Art Simek (An occasionally neat letterer)

Steady on, Ben. You may be angry with Diablo for partially restoring your humanity, deceiving the world, enslaving his neighbours, and all sorts of dodgy stuff that would make the CIA look on with envious eyes, but that's an antique suit of armour you're crushing up like aluminium foil. Those things are worth a decent penny, and as we know, the Fantastic Four have their fair share of cash flow issues. You're literally crushing financial security in your giant, rocky fists. This is the road that leads to having to deal with Collins on a monthly basis!

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #30 on our thirty-third episode: Bad Horse, Bad Horse, with special guest host David Walker

Fantastic Four #30: Reed's Stretchy Body 81

Fantastic Four #30, page 15, panels 5-6

Fantasticast Four #30: Reed's Stretchy Body 81

Written by: Stan Lee (A rather nice writer)

Illustrated by: Jack Kirby (A quite noteworthy artist)

Inked by: Chic Stone (A somewhat nifty inker)

Lettered by: Art Simek (An occasionally neat letterer)

Sometimes, it's the less-flashy things that catch my eye. I really get the feeling that Sue, Johnny, and the reader, just happened to stumble upon Reed as he was making his way through Diablo's castle. There's no showing off, no intimidating his enemies, just a guy using his powers to do a job. It's very casual and understated, and I really like it.

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #30 on our thirty-third episode: Bad Horse, Bad Horse, with special guest host David Walker

Fantastic Four #30: Flame On 71

Fantastic Four #30, page page 12, panel 1

Fantasticast Four #30: Flame On 71

Written by: Stan Lee (A rather nice writer)

Illustrated by: Jack Kirby (A quite noteworthy artist)

Inked by: Chic Stone (A somewhat nifty inker)

Lettered by: Art Simek (An occasionally neat letterer)

Ah, good old blank backgrounds. The sign of an artistic shortcut. Based on this panel alone, I have no idea where the Fantastic Four currently are, and I mean it. I browse the comic for these posts visually, I pay little attention to the actual plot. I think they're still in Transylvania, but so much has happened over the past few pages, that I'm not sure.

And by 'so much', I mean that Diablo has enchanted the whole world, re-seeded the African desert, done lots of dirty deals with tinpot dictators, un-cured the Thing and entrapped him, and enslaved the populace of the town near his castle. He's been busy, and the Fantastic Four have... just let this happen? Way to be a super-hero team, guys!

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #30 on our thirty-third episode: Bad Horse, Bad Horse, with special guest host David Walker

Secret Convergence on Infinite Podcasts

Art by Brandon Graham

Announcing (sort-of, it's been out there for a few days) Secret Convergence on Infinite Podcasts!

As mentioned on this weekend's Fantasticast, a whole slew of amazing podcasts are coming together from October 29th for a massive podcast crossover. We're very pleased to signal-boost this event for a number of reasons. First, it sounds amazing. Secondly, one of the podcasts taking part is the excellent Rachel And Miles X-Plain The X-Men, who have taken the time on their show to give us some promotion, and we are more than happy to return the favour. Thirdly, one of the podcasts taking part is the excellent House To Astonish, and Al Kennedy joined us last summer for our coverage of Fantastic Four Annual #6.

So, without any further ado, here are the full details of the crossover:

The Event

Mark your calendars for 29 October – nine of the top podcasts in the world of comic books, including The Fan Bros Show, Rachel & Miles X-Plain the X-Men and War Rocket Ajax, are coming together for a blockbuster crossover series of round-table discussions.

The event, titled “Secret Convergence on Infinite Podcasts”, will feature each show in the line-up hosting one episode, with guests from the eight other shows making special appearances to chew over the weighty questions (and some not-so-weighty ones too).

The crossover will see the Beyonder transport the podcasters behind The Fan Bros Show, Into It with Elle Collins, SILENCE!, Less than Live with Kate or Die, Journey into Misery, Wait, What?, House to Astonish, War Rocket Ajax and Rachel & Miles X-Plain the X-Men to the podcast arena of Battlepod, to help him better understand the worlds of comic books and comics culture. If they succeed, all they desire will be theirs…

Secret Convergence on Infinite Podcasts features specially-commissioned art by top comics creators Brandon Graham and James Stokoe.

The Plans

It all starts on 29 October with Episode One (Fan Bros), which sees host DJ BenHameen welcome Graeme McMillan, Rachel Edidin and Chris Sims to finally answer the question of Who Would Win In A Fight?

Episode Two (Into It with Elle Collins) features host Elle Collins alongside Helena Hart, Rachel Edidin and Matt Wilson and consideration of the best of Comic Book Movies.

Episode Three (SILENCE!) has host Gary Lactus accompanied by Al Kennedy, Chico Leo and Kieran Shiach as they mull over Are Things Better Or Worse?

In Episode Four (Less Than Live with Kate or Die) we join host Kate Leth as she talks The Comics We Sharewith The Beast Must Die, Elle Collins and Al Kennedy.

Episode Five (Wait, What?) brings together host Jeff Lester and guests Paul O’Brien, Chico Leo and Gary Lactus to talk about Characters We Used To Love (Or Hate).

Episode Six (Journey into Misery) gives host Kieran Shiach and his guests Graeme McMillan, Rachel Edidin and The Beast Must Die the chance to name their favourite D-List Good Eggs and Bad Eggs

Episode Seven (House to Astonish) sees host Al Kennedy discussing comic book Guilty Pleasures with Helena Hart, Jeff Lester and Elle Collins.

Episode Eight (War Rocket Ajax) features hosts Chris Sims and Matt Wilson and guests Elle Collins and DJ BenHameen going in-depth on the topic of Comics Characters We Identify With.

And Episode Nine (Rachel & Miles X-Plain the X-Men) assembles a formidably knowledgeable team, as hosts Rachel Edidin and Miles Stokes are joined by Paul O’Brien and Kieran Shiach to discuss matters of Complex Continuity.

The Shows

The Fan Bros Show is the "Voice of the Urban Geek". Fan Bros discusses the week in geek while keeping an ear to the street for the topics and controversies that affect the world of fandom. Hosted by DJ BenHameen, Chico Leo and Tatiana King-Jones. http://fanbros.com

Into It with Elle Collins is a weekly podcast about pop culture by Elle Collins. In each episode, Elle talks to a guest about their pop culture obsession.  http://intoitpodcast.com

SILENCE! is a podcast featuring cosmic comic book discussion and songs from Gary Lactus and The Beast Must Die of Mindlessones.com. http://mindlessones.podomatic.com

Less Than Live with Kate or Die is a bi-weekly podcast about comics from all angles, hosted by New York Times best-selling comic creator Kate Leth. http://villagesoundcast.com/less-than-live-with-kate-or-die/

Wait, What? is a podcast ostensibly about comic books and graphic novels, in which hosts Graeme McMillan and Jeff Lester swap stories, theories, and jokes about all aspects of pop culture...but especially comics. http://waitwhatpodcast.com

Journey into Misery is a podcast that seeks to unravel the continuity mess that comics have wrought upon themselves, with Kieran Shiach explaining the worst offenders to comics beginner Helena Hart. http://kingimpulse.com/journey-into-misery/

House to Astonish is a bi-weekly podcast about comics hosted by Al Kennedy and Paul O’Brien, covering super-hero and non-super-hero books alike, with a round-up of comics news, reviews of new books and the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, which is where things get silly. http://housetoastonish.com

War Rocket Ajax is a podcast about comics and pop culture, destructive in its awesomeness, hosted by Chris Sims and Matt Wilson. http://warrocketajax.com

Rachel & Miles X-Plain the X-Men is a weekly podcast where hosts Rachel Edidin and Miles Stokes walk you through the convoluted continuity of our favorite superhero soap opera (because it’s about time someone did). It was recently named “The One Podcast To Start With” for comic books by Vulture.comhttp://rachelandmiles.com

Further details can be found at http://secretconvergence.tumblr.com or by following @scoipodcasts on twitter

Fantastic Four #30: Reed's Stretchy Body 80

Fantastic Four #30, page 7, panel 1

Fantasticast Four #30: Reed's Stretchy Body 80

Written by: Stan Lee (A rather nice writer)

Illustrated by: Jack Kirby (A quite noteworthy artist)

Inked by: Chic Stone (A somewhat nifty inker)

Lettered by: Art Simek (An occasionally neat letterer)

It's hard to work out just how Ben was able to knot Reed around the pillar so effectively. I can't quite imagine that Reed would have been this pliant, or that he couldn't undo the knotting all by himself. Still, it makes for a nice, fun, energetic image.

Or, it would, if it wasn't for the strange depiction of Reed. We're still in the era when Jack Kirby would happily use 6-9 panel pages, resulting in his art feeling more cramped than we are used to seeing it today. But there's an almost complete lack of definition on Reed's face, presumably as a result of trying to fit the entire Fantastic Four in a 1/6th page panel. It's unfortunate, but it really throws off the entire image.

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #30 on our thirty-third episode: Bad Horse, Bad Horse, with special guest host David Walker

Fantastic Four #30: The Humanity Of Benjamin J. Grimm 10(ish)

Fantastic Four #30, page 5, panel 8

Fantasticast Four #30: The Humanity Of Benjamin J. Grimm 10(ish)

Written by: Stan Lee (A rather nice writer)

Illustrated by: Jack Kirby (A quite noteworthy artist)

Inked by: Chic Stone (A somewhat nifty inker)

Lettered by: Art Simek (An occasionally neat letterer)

I guess this one counts, even though it's not a full return to human form.

One of the central conceits of this issue is that Diablo's alchemy is able to partially restore Ben's human form, reducing his monstrous exterior to little more than a severe skin complaint, whilst retaining a large portion of The Thing's strength. In the way of all such hokum, the reversion proves to be temporary, and appears to come with some kind of mental persuasion. Ben returns to his Thing form after only five pages.

What astonishes me is that Reed never went back to Diablo's alchemy to see if this temporary cure could be used as the base for a permanent one. Despite Diablo's nefarious intentions, he is able to partially reverse the transformation, and for an extended period of time. Unlike Reed's one-time use and temporarily effective cures, Diablo appears to be able to offer a workable solution that could be developed further. I guess this is counted as invalid due to it being created by a villain...

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #30 on our thirty-third episode: Bad Horse, Bad Horse, with special guest host David Walker

Fantastic Four #30: Flame On 70

Fantastic Four #30, page 5, panel 5

Fantasticast Four #30: Flame On 70

Written by: Stan Lee (A rather nice writer)

Illustrated by: Jack Kirby (A quite noteworthy artist)

Inked by: Chic Stone (A somewhat nifty inker)

Lettered by: Art Simek (An occasionally neat letterer)

We're back. For a little bit, at least. The plan is to try and get ahead on these posts for the next few weeks and get the momentum going again. I suspect it might all go a little wrong, though, as I'm off for two weeks of holiday in mid-September, and it's slightly more pressing to ensure the podcast hits its release schedule than the blog. Let's see what happens...

Not that I'm avoiding writing about today's panel at all, oh no. Reed, Johnny and Sue are on the trail of Ben, who has gone missing in the middle of night, leaving only a trail of destruction leading to a mysterious abandoned castle. Johnny's 'Flame On' leads to his contribution to the tracking - melting through a thick stone wall to see what's behind it.

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #30 on our thirty-third episode: Bad Horse, Bad Horse, with special guest host David Walker

Nine Worlds GeekFest 2015 - Find Steve

Hey folks, Steve here.

The Nine Worlds GeekFest 2015 will be taking place this weekend at the Radisson Blu Heathrow Hotel. If you're there, then there's a good chance of tracking me down for the purposes of making me really embarrassed and awkward. Also, nice things as well, but I can definitely guarantee the awkwardness! I'll be working as a full-time steward during the days and evenings of the convention, and as the evening becomes the night, you'll probably find me in or near a bar.

On Saturday 8th August, I'll be taking part in three panels as part of the podcasting and comics tracks of programming.

First up, at 10am, I'll be taking part in:

Show, Don’t Tell: Wordless Comics - Why make wordless comics? What do they represent?

Connaught A, 10:00am - 11:15am (Comics)

Tracks: Comics

Sally Jane Thompson, Sarah Gordon, Kieron Gillen, Howard Hardiman, Steve Lacey

From sign-language to space to animal speech, why make wordless comics and why are they so effective?

Yes, that's Kieron Gillen on the panel. Of Phonogram, Journey Into Mystery, Young Avengers and The Wicked + The Divine fame. And Howard Hardiman of The Lengths fame. And Sally Jane Thompson of several awesome UK small press comics. And Sarah Gordon, who is, admittedly, a creator I've not yet experienced. If you're wondering if I'm feeling a little out of place and under qualified to be on this panel, then you're a little right. But, having spent the past few weeks reading comics without dialogue (including more comics from Marvel's 'Nuff Said event than I'd really like to have done), I'm looking forward to seeing what the discussion turns up.

At 11.45am, I'll be pulling on my podcaster hat and participating in:

The Second Annual Podcaster Games - The ultimate geek quiz

Room 32, 11:45am - 1:00pm (Podcasting)

Tracks: Podcasting

Simon Potthast, Anne Louise, Alasdair Stuart, Dan Marshall, Barry Nugent, Gavin Jones, Marguerite Kenner, Steve Lacey

Come see Dan and Gavin from the Sidekickcast preside over the second annual podcaster games, and see which of our teams are worthy of winning the coveted 'Golden Mic'.

I'm not sure what to expect from this panel, other than that I'll probably either do really well or really terribly. Either way, I'm looking forward to having a lot of fun!

Finally, at 8.30pm, it'll be an evening of discussion on space and comics, with the wonderfully-titled:

Laika biting Thanos: Galactic Comics - Five ten-minute talks on SPACE and AWESOME Updated!

Connaught A, 8:30pm - 9:45pm (Comics)

Tracks: Comics

Ed Fortune, Hazel Southwell, Natalie Wilkinson, Steve Lacey

Four speakers present different aspects of cosmic comics: from whether tech leads comics or the other way around, to why we can’t stop thinking about Soviet Space Dogs, via a whole lot of prog headgear.

I'll be talking about the first comics I read which took me into space, how they influenced me, and why they're amazing comics that genuinely transcend the medium. As for what these comics are... well, I don't want to give too much away just yet. But don't worry - all will be revealed on this weekend's Fantasticast.

I hope that some of you (admittedly, it's going to be a very small portion of our audience) are heading over to the convention, and I look forward to meeting you there!

Fantastic Four #30: Reed's Stretchy Body 79

Fantastic Four #30, page 1

Fantasticast Four #30: Reed's Stretchy Body 79

Written by: Stan Lee (A rather nice writer)

Illustrated by: Jack Kirby (A quite noteworthy artist)

Inked by: Chic Stone (A somewhat nifty inker)

Lettered by: Art Simek (An occasionally neat letterer)

I have no idea what's going on with Reed on this page. On first glance, it's pretty simple - he's using his stretching powers to get above the undergrowth to see ahead. But on closer look, things just don't seem right. Reed's belt line is depicted as being below Sue's crotch, when he's normally depicted as being taller than her. So, should I presume that in order to stretch his upper body, Reed had to shrink his lower?

Normally, Reed maintains the general proportions of his body whilst stretching. If using his body to bridge the gap between two skyscrapers, his belt line will remain at the middle of his body, and his limbs will maintain similar sizes. I'm really not sure why he's chosen to ignore those proportions here - just look at the difference in size between his two arms - but it's unsettling to see him break the 'rules' of his stretching.

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #30 on our thirty-third episode: Bad Horse, Bad Horse, with special guest host David Walker

Strange Tales #123: Flame On 69 / Flamin' 'Eck 48

Strange Tales #123, page 13, panels 4-6

Strange Tales #123: Flame On 69 / Flamin' 'Eck 48

Written by: Stan Lee ('Nuff Said)

Illustrated by: Carl Burgos (Who was first to draw The Torch, way back in the Golden Age of Comics)

Inked by: Darlin' Dick Ayers

Lettered by: Smilin' Sam Rosen

Our look at the debut of The Beetle concludes here. Johnny gets a 'Flame On' so underwhelming that I wonder if anyone involved in that panel remembered that this was a catchphrase. Sam Rosen gets some credit for using a heavier brush stroke for these words, but it barely stands out at all.

More interesting is the unusual use of flame that comes from this, as Johnny creates a ring of fire where the Beetle is burrowing away. The wheel excavates the area, exposing the villain. I'm calling it our because earlier in the story, the Beetle had no problem flying or using the asbestos on his armour to withstand the heat. Here, because there's only one page of story left, he just decides to give up and submit to the teen hero.

Can you imagine how ineffective Zemo's Thunderbolts would have been if he'd have recruited this version of The Beetle?

Check out our coverage of Strange Tales #123 on our thirty-second episode: Now With Genuine People Personalities

The UK Podcast Awards - 5 Hours To Go

We want your help, and there's just a few hours left to give it!

The UK Podcast Directory is running the first UK Podcasters Awards, to be awarded at New Media Europe in September. We're up for nomination in the 'Games and Hobbies' category, and we would really like your help to get us nominated.

Simply head over the The Fantasticast's page at the UK Podcast Directory, and click the 'nominate' button. You'll need to provide an e-mail address, or verify yourself via Facebook or Google. As you can only nominate once per day between now and the end of July, there's only a few hours left to make a difference

We'd love the opportunity to stand amongst our peers, and who knows, we might even do well out of it! Please do head over and vote for us. There's only a few hours left...

The UK Podcast Awards - 3 Days To Go

We want your help, and there's just 3 days left to give it!

The UK Podcast Directory is running the first UK Podcasters Awards, to be awarded at New Media Europe in September. We're up for nomination in the 'Games and Hobbies' category, and we would really like your help to get us nominated.

Simply head over the The Fantasticast's page at the UK Podcast Directory, and click the 'nominate' button. You'll need to provide an e-mail address, or verify yourself via Facebook or Google. The really cool thing is that you can nominate once per day between now and the closing date, which is the end of July.

We'd love the opportunity to stand amongst our peers, and who knows, we might even do well out of it! Please do head over and vote for us. Then come back tomorrow and vote again. And again on Friday!

The UK Podcasters Awards - 5 Days To Go

We want your help, and there's just 5 days left to give it!

The UK Podcast Directory is running the first UK Podcasters Awards, to be awarded at New Media Europe in September. We're up for nomination in the 'Games and Hobbies' category, and we would really like your help to get us nominated.

Simply head over the The Fantasticast's page at the UK Podcast Directory, and click the 'nominate' button. You'll need to provide an e-mail address, or verify yourself via Facebook or Google. The really cool thing is that you can nominate once per day between now and the closing date, which is the end of July.

We'd love the opportunity to stand amongst our peers, and who knows, we might even do well out of it! Please do head over and vote for us. Then come back tomorrow and vote again. And again. And again!

Strange Tales #123: Flamin' 'Eck 47

Strange Tales #123, page 8, panel 7

Fantasticast Four #29: Flamin' 'Eck 47

Written by: Stan Lee ('Nuff Said)

Illustrated by: Carl Burgos (Who was first to draw The Torch, way back in the Golden Age of Comics)

Inked by: Darlin' Dick Ayers

Lettered by: Smilin' Sam Rosen

We're currently recording episodes covering Fantastic Four comics from 1972. Strange Tales is long-gone, and despite the wildly inconsistent quality of Stan Lee's writing during his brief return to the title, a lot of the tropes from the early days of the Fantastic Four are no longer relevant. Whilst I may miss the ridiculous usage of asbestos, I really don't miss the implausible uses of Johnny's powers.

Thankfully nothing in the Air Walker saga is as insane as Johnny deciding to wrap The Beetle in a blanket made of fire to heat him up as opposed to, say, just hurling fire at him. Nice to see that the colouring appears to have been done in felt-tip as well...

Check out our coverage of Strange Tales #123 on our thirty-second episode: Now With Genuine

We are eligible for nomination in the first UK Podcasters Award, in the Games & Hobbies category. Across the month of July, you can visit http://ukpodcasters.com/directory/podcast/the-fantasticast/ and click the nominate button. You can nominate us once per day between now and the end of the month, and we would be very grateful if you would be able to do this.

Strange Tales #123: It's... ASBESTOS 29

Strange Tales #123, page 7, panel 4

Strange Tales #123: It's... Asbestos 29

Written by: Stan Lee ('Nuff Said)

Illustrated by: Carl Burgos (Who was first to draw The Torch, way back in the Golden Age of Comics)

Inked by: Darlin' Dick Ayers

Lettered by: Smilin' Sam Rosen

Ah, asbestos. It seems more appropriate that this should be the feature of our 500th post at this site. It's also one of the more appropriate uses of asbestos. The Beetle is very much a Human Torch villain at this stage in his career, and his suit is designed for combat with our fiery hero. If anyone could sensibly work asbestos into a functional and practical part of his armour, it's Abner Jenkins, one of the Marvel universe's most underrated engineers.

Check out our coverage of Strange Tales #123 on our thirty-second episode: Now With Genuine People Personalities

Strange Tales #123: Flamin' 'Eck 46

Strange Tales #123, page 6, panel 3

strange tales #123: flamin' 'eck 46

Written by: Stan Lee ('Nuff Said)

Illustrated by: Carl Burgos (Who was first to draw The Torch, way back in the Golden Age of Comics)

Inked by: Darlin' Dick Ayers

Lettered by: Smilin' Sam Rosen

It was a bit hard to work out where this one was going. The Beetle decides to defend himself against the Thing's wall-based attack by picking up a pot of hot soup, which was casually simmering away, and hurling it at Ben. Johnny decides to step in and, instead of evaporating the soup with his flame, he instead chooses to absorb the heat from the water, making it cold.

It's an unusual choice, and depicted poorly by Burgos. Is that soup, or is it lava? Is it heading for Johnny, to extinguish his flame, or to Ben, to presumably burn him? Either way, battling against a vat of Campbell's Condensed hardly makes for one of the most riveting Human Torch battles.

Check out our coverage of Strange Tales #123 on our thirty-second episode: Now With Genuine People Personalities

We are eligible for nomination in the first UK Podcasters Award, in the Games & Hobbies category. Across the month of July, you can visit http://ukpodcasters.com/directory/podcast/the-fantasticast/ and click the nominate button. You can nominate us once per day between now and the end of the month, and we would be very grateful if you would be able to do this.

The UK Podcasters Awards

We want your help!

The UK Podcast Directory is running the first UK Podcasters Awards, to be awarded at New Media Europe in September. We're up for nomination in the 'Games and Hobbies' category, and we would really like your help to get us nominated.

Simply head over the The Fantasticast's page at the UK Podcast Directory, and click the 'nominate' button. You'll need to provide an e-mail address, or verify yourself via Facebook or Google. The really cool thing is that you can nominate once per day between now and the closing date, which is the end of July.

We'd love the opportunity to stand amongst our peers, and who knows, we might even do well out of it! Please do head over and vote for us. Then come back tomorrow and vote again. And again. And again!

Strange Tales #123: Property Damage 28

Strange Tales 123 Property Damage 28

strange tales #123: property damage 28

Written by: Stan Lee ('Nuff Said)

Illustrated by: Carl Burgos (Who was first to draw The Torch, way back in the Golden Age of Comics)

Inked by: Darlin' Dick Ayers

Lettered by: Smilin' Sam Rosen

There's so much to talk about today. First of all, this issue of Strange Tales heralds the very brief return of Carl Burgos to the Marvel fold. It wasn't to be a happy reunion. Lee and Burgos did not work well together, and a couple of years down the line, Burgos would see his hopes of owning the Human Torch dashed when Marvel featured him in Fantastic Four Annual #4 just before the copyright expired.

This issue also marks the point where the Thing started appearing consistently in the book, sharing the plots and actions with the Human Torch. Perhaps this was a move by Marvel to rejuvenate the troubled strip, perhaps this was an admission that the Human Torch wasn't the breakout character. Either way, from here to the end, this strip is a two-hander.

There's almost to space for me to mention that The Beetle has broken into a shop to steal the cash register, a loss of a day's takings, whilst The Thing arrived by destroying one of the exterior walls, causing the loss of the entire business to the owner.

Check out our coverage of Strange Tales #123 on our thirty-second episode: Now With Genuine People Personalities