When the Beatles hit it big in the early 1960’s they were mega-stars who appeared in nearly every form of media that existed. Since comic books were still a big seller during that decade it was only natural that someone license their rights for comic books. In addition to ‘official’ comic books the Beatles also appeared in numerous other comic books, sometimes just appearing on the cover. Below is a gallery of a few random samples of comic books and ocmic book panels from back in the day.
Posts Tagged ‘BEATLES’

Hanging Out
January 28, 2013
A Date That Will Live In Infamy
February 15, 2012I should save this for my birthday, but that’s not until October and who knows what will happen between now & then? Anyway, and I may have mentioned this a few years ago here, but the rock n’ roll fever has been burning deep within me as far back as I can remember. Just love the stuff, you know? And I can’t play a note!
Anyway, confirmation I was born under the ‘R & R Sign’ is the fact that the very day I was born (as well as my good pal, Jeannie!) Elvis Presley had the #1 hit in the USA with ‘Jailhouse Rock’. Pretty appropriate. For me, not Jeannie! (I’m a sinner, she’s a saint!)
(Aside: Jeannie is a sweet, sweet person who I went all through high school with. We were born on the same day, in the same hospital and delivered by the same doctor! I just had dinner with her & her husband, Kevin, earlier this evening!)
More proof I was destined to be a rock ‘n roll fanatic is the fact that besides Elvis having the number one hit the day I was born, I also share the same birthday as Chuck Berry (October 18, different year of course) and according to one of my Beatle books the day I was born John Lennon & Paul McCartney perfomed in public together for the very first time as McCartney made his debut as a guitar player in Lennon’s Quarreymen, the forerunner of the Silver Beatles and then of course, The Beatles.
Promoter Charlie ‘Mac’ McBain held regular skiffle and rock events at his venues and on Friday October 18 he ran one such event at the New Clubmoor Hall in Norris Green, Liverpool where McCartney made his live debut with Lennon.
Of that event, McCartney commented on the Anthology DVD:
“For my first gig, I was given a guitar solo on Guitar Boogie. I could play it easily in rehearsal so they elected that I should do it as my solo. Things were going fine, but when the moment came in the performance I got sticky fingers; I thought, ‘What am I doing here?’ I was just too frightened; it was too big a moment with everyone looking at the guitar player. I couldn’t do it. That’s why George was brought in.”
Lennon & McCartney’s stage debut – October 18, 1957
And on that very same day, unknown to me until today (thanks M. L.!), was a, what I would presume, huge concert in Sacramento, CA with nearly every superstar and big star of the day performing at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium in an event promoted by the Sacramento J. C. Student Association. I now know where Chuck Berry celebrated his birthday on the day I was born!
Nope, I never had a chance as the stars were aligned in perfect harmony that autumn Friday to birth me into a rock ‘n roll world. The cruel irony is there was no talent to go with the passion!

Rock Star Literature Pt. 1
December 9, 2011
‘Vintage’ Ads For Axes, Skins, Gear & More! Pt. 1
November 29, 2011Back in the 60’s and 70’s I used to read all the advertisements from the guitar, drum, keyboard, hell, even the microphone companies. I’d even order their catalogues, brochures and other propaganda. (Loved it when they stuck in a free poster!). Below are a few random samples of various advertisements from the glory days of rock ‘n roll huckstering musicial gear using rock ‘n roll celebrities. More coming soon.
Click on images to enlarge!

The Beatles Get Animated
October 20, 2008In the mid-1960’s Beatlemania was huge. Not even Batmania could come close in terms of longevity and worldwide impact. As businesspeople far and wide came up with every possible concept to merchandise and make money off the Fab Four, it seemed only natural to have the four moptops star in their own TV show. And while a ‘live action’ show never materialized in 1965 a new Saturday morning cartoon appeared with amazing ratings starring The Beatles.
The ABC network came up with the idea, King Features produced the show and toy manufacturer A.C. Gilmer put the money up in hopes of reaping a vast reward through merchandising.
The Beatles virtually had nothing to do with the show in any capacity except for the songs that were used. Even the voices were those of hired actors affecting a Liverpool accent (Lance Percival, who voiced the parts of Paul and Ringo and the legendary Paul Frees who voiced John and George).
Be that as it may, I tuned in for the first and all subsequent episodes.
The Beatles premiered on Saturday morning September 25, 1965 and aired at 10:30 AM each week. From the first episode the show was a monster hit in terms of ratings with the first show snagging an impressive 52 share that was record setting. Each cartoon ran about 10 minutes and featured two cartoons per episode in addition to two ‘sing-a-longs’ that consisted of Beatles songs with a cartoon to go along with it.
The show aired on ABC for four years with the last two being restricted to reruns. Strangely enough, people in The Beatles’ England never had a chance to see the show until 1980 when it finally aired on British TV.
I haven’t seen the show since the 1960’s but would love to see it again, at least for nostalgia’s sake.

Four Color Beatles
October 8, 2008Here is a random sampling of some Beatles related comic books that I had in my comic book collection back in the 1960’s. Marvel Comics did a Beatles bio comic book sometime in the 1970’s that I missed. Marvel also did the infamous KISS comic book where they mixed some band members blood with the ink prior to printing the KISS comic book. During the height of Beatlemania you could hardly pick up any comic books (especially the teen comics) or magazines without a Beatle tie-in somewhere.

What Is Your ‘Dream Concert’?
September 18, 2008Recently an email exchange with an old pal brought up an age old question that has been bandied about for years by some of us old time rockers: What one concert would you like to attend that you missed out on? I can remember being asked that back in the 70’s too. For years my standard answer was Woodstock, of course. But after seeing The Beatles’ Anthology when it originally aired on ABC and buying the DVD set, I have decided to change my dream choice to seeing The Beatles at Shea Stadium in New York back on August 15, 1965. After seeing footage repeatedly, I dunno, I’d love to have been at that gig. Sure seemed like fun!

It Was 40 Years Ago Today
August 30, 2008
It was (40!) years ago today that the Beatles issued their first release on their own Apple record label in Britain, a 45 single, Hey Jude with Revolution on the B Side (or were they both A sides?). (Yes, the USA version was issued on August 26 but it didn’t have a cool picture sleeve that is seen here, the USA 45 single releases, for a period, had no picture sleeves, just the new Apple logo.)
It was a huge, huge hit for the Beatles that eventually became the biggest-selling debut release for any record company. It has been estimated that the single sold over eight million copies worldwide. It was the number one song in 11 countries.

Wonderful memories set to song.And it’s the only vinyl 45 single record I still have in my possession after all these years. You can catch the Beatles during the recording sessions of the White Album on a YouTube clip.