THE MIGHTY THOR KING-SIZE SPECIAL/ANNUAL COVER GALLERY...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

Y'know, it's a funny feeling to dig out a familiar comic with the intention of re-reading it and then suddenly realise, despite thinking it's a fairly recent acquisition, that it's been in one's possession for 37 years.  Such was the case with The Mighty Thor Annual #13, which I would've sworn was nowhere near as old as it is.  Wasn't it only a few months ago - okay, let's be realistic - a few short years ago, that I took it along to a friend's house so that he could read it (under my careful supervision)?  Nope, it was almost four decades back, and I marvel at how swiftly the time has seemed to pass since then.

Which brings me to this very post.  I've recently obtained a handful of Thor Annuals - 5-10, to fill in some gaps in my collection and I thought I'd share them with you here.  I forget exactly at what point I stopped buying them after #14, but I'm sure there's a handful more after that ish stashed away somewhere, which will give me material for a future post.  However, as I've shown the earlier Annuals and King-Size Specials before, I thought I'd feature them in reverse order, to avoid a previously seen image at the start of the post deterring anyone from 'tuning in'.

Even better, I decided to start with a great John Buscema image of Mephisto from Annual #13, the interiors of which John pencilled and inked himself.  I'm still trying to get my mind around the fact that I bought this comic when I wasn't even half the age I am today by quite a margin, but looking at it now, it seems as though it was no more than a butterfly's sigh away, rather than the almost two-thirds of my life it actually is.  Now ain't that a kick in the head!

So enjoy the images.  (Just a shame that Kirby's cover to #5 is awful.)

Number 14 came out 4 years after the preceding ish, below.  So does it qualify as an Annual?

No Annual for 1980, the previous one being 1979, below

This 'Annual' came out 5 years after the preceding one, below, though 3 & 4 weren't
actually called Annuals.  Kirby is clearly past his best here 

This issue's indicia is dated December 1971, so it likely went on sale in September...

...and this ish is dated January 1971, meaning it likely went on sale in October 1970 

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