Christmas comics: Woody Woodpecker





New Music Friday: Neil Young; Bruce Springsteen; King Crimson; Spider-Man in to the Spider-Verse

Neil Young - Songs for Judy

Springsteen on Broadway

King Crimson 1969-1972

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse

Pop culture roundup: Archie in the tunnel of love; Doctor Who; Bernard Cribbens

Comic book cover conventions: BookSteve (welcome back!) spots some variations on a theme in Archie comics (the illustration below, he notes, is a fake).


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A holiday special is set for New Year's Day, but "Doctor Who" fans will need to wait until 2020 for the next full season of the show, the Radio Times reports.


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Read a lengthy interview with actor Bernard Cribbens, in which he discusses his long history with "Doctor Who."

Most fans know Cribbens as Donna's granddad during the David Tennant run of the show, but he, himself, was on of the Doctor's companions in the 1966 "Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 AD" theatrical film. And, it turns out, he was in the running to play the Doctor in 1974 when Jon Pertwee quit. Tom Baker, of course, got the role.

Cribbens' also discusses his comedy/singing recording career and working with Beatles producer George Martin.


Coming up: Shazam: The World's Greatest Mortal Vol. 1 - collects 1970s DC series

Out June 4. Order from Amazon now.

Details:

The 1970s adventures of Shazam--Now the star of his very own movie--are collected in color for the first time!

In 1973 DC brought back one of comics' most popular heroes: Captain Marvel, also known as Shazam!, whose Golden Age adventures sold in the millions of copies. These new adventures combined the cartoony art of C.C. Beck, the original artist from the 1940s, with the modern, tongue-in-cheek sensibility of writers including Dennis O'Neil (Batman, Green Lantern/Green Arrow).

Collects Shazam! #1-18.



Christmas comics: Tom and Jerry



Vintage ad: Glen Campbell - "That Christmas Feeling"


Time Capsule: Christmas wishbook, 1968












New Beach Boys releases collect 1968 studio outtakes - digital only

It's an annual tradition for the Beach Boys to issue loads of previously unreleased recordings around this time each year. And this December is now exception. You can now download two new compilations featuring studio outtakes dating from the group's Friends and 20/20 albums.

The move is a way to keep these recordings in copyright worldwide. In Europe, recordings over 50 years old, such as these Beach Boys tracks, become public domain unless they are officially issued or published in some manner. 

You can download each via the links below. The compilations are also streaming in various locations, including Amazon, Spotify and YouTube. Just search for them by name.

I've not seen any word on if these recordings will eventually be released in physical form.





Merry Christmas from Elvis!



Watch: New trailer for "Doctor Who" New Year's special


Best comics covers of the week