When I was a kid, I would spend hours locked away in my bedroom listening to the vinyl audio-comic-books released by Power Records. Often created in conjunction with Marvel and DC Comics, these were comic books that came with a 45″ record that featured actors voicing dialogue and descriptions, as well as sound effects for extra punch. For a comics-obsessed kid from New Jersey this was gold. Often, well known comic artists, including Carmine Infantino, Gil Kane, John Romita, and Neal Adams, still one of my all-time favorites, would illustrate the covers and interior artwork. And even if the audio recordings were somewhat over the top in terms of the delivery, they still made the comics that much cooler. It was Neal Adams art with sound effects, c’mon!
Sadly, my entire collection of Power Records editions went the way of my Death Star playset and Marvel Comics dolls: sold at a garage sale sometime in the 80s.
The very first Power Records comic I remember listening to was an adaptation of Planet of the Apes. I had forgotten how well the movie (and all of its sequels) were adapted by Power Records until I stumbled upon a bunch of web sites that post MP3 files of the original audio recordings with images or PDFs of the accompanying comic book.
Click here to listen and read the Power Records version of Planet of the Apes. You can almost see the KISS posters on the wall and big honkin’ headphones plugged into the portable turntable as you listen.
Yeah, I happen to have three of these record/comics and the Planet of the Apes happens to be one of them. I also have Captain America and the Hulk vs. Abomination (like the movie).
I did have the Hulk vs. Abomination one as well. I also had the Spider-Man one where J. Jonah Jameson’s son comes back from the moon and turns into a werewolf. I do remember picking up the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea edition from my local library. And I completely forgot that I actually had this G.I. Joe one. You’re much more sensible than I Leroux. I sold all mine like an idiot many years back.