Before branding meant something outside of cattle drives, Marvel was slapping its label on any product they could license outside of the four-color field.

   One of those companies that came calling was Topps.

   Under the Comic Book Heroes moniker, Topps produced a set of 40 stickers, each featuring a Marvel character. Each reprinted image sported the equivalent of a “dad joke.”

   Turned over and placed together, nine of the cards reprinted the cover of Fantastic Four 100.

   All for a dime.

  Our trip down memory lane today is sponsored by the non-holiday National Sticker Day.

   January 13 is National Sticker Day in observance of R. Stanton Avery, credited with the creation of the adhesive label with removable back. Happy posthumous birthday R.

   Stickers, so called because they, well, stick, are said to have first been utilized by European merchants. They stuck labels to their products, beginning in the 1880’s, so buyers would notice.

    The first National Sticker Day was celebrated in 2015.

Well, we made it to another Christmas.

Three hundred and sixty-five days. All the holidays – and non-holidays – and, here we are. Ready to close out another year.

This has been a year of ups and downs. Most poignantly Jeff and I said good-bye to dear family members of the four-legged variety. Fuzzy soulmates who saw us through more than a decade.

In my case it was Doublenaught, my furry Russian Blue who spent many an evening curled on my lap as I read. He found me when I needed him most and I am so grateful for our time together.

I won’t speak for Jeff and Robin. They were together for 15 years and is dearly missed.

Another end, but with better tidings, is that of my Incredible Hulk collection. As I mentioned during last year’s countdown, the Hulk run officially began in 2005. Always a favorite character, it wasn’t until then I decided to make a run at the second volume, numbers 102 through 474.

Even then, my pursuit of the title wasn’t a be all, end all. Issues were bought at shows as found and, little by little, the collection grew. It wasn’t until a couple years ago when I acquired a 181 at a yard sale of all places I thought I would actually finish the run.

Then, a month ago LCS owner, Jeremy, bought a collection that included issue 180. After a Black Friday discount I was able to add the next-to-last piece to the series. All that was left was issue 141, the first Doc Samson.

Incredible Hulk 141

I’d seen it the Christmas before at a shop, but it had a subscription crease. Plus, I already had a stack of other comic books in hand, so I passed then.

Now, it was gonna be in my sites. The last issue to finish my collection. That would be the priority for 2026.

When Jeff, our wives and I met to exchange gifts this year, that book was the last present I opened.

Yes, Jeff and Teresa allowed me to finish the series. Not only finish, but be done with it 20 years after I initially started, a much more poetic timeline.

So, like the many presents before, I wish to thank them both.

And, as always, wish them and you a very Merry Christmas.

Hanging stockings by the fireplace is a story that has evolved over centuries until, now, a jolly fat man puts presents in them each Christmas Eve.

Based on the generosity of real life St. Nicholas, the tradition allegedly began in the fourth century. Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra, was a Turk of some wealth. Legend has it he would gift the needy, not just one night a year, but when needed.

How, then, did this transfer into stockings by the hearth?

The story has St. Nicholas helping a man of little means with three daughters who he had no dowry for. The tradition of the times dictated to be married, women must enter the marriage with something of value.

So the daughters could marry, Nicholas was to have dropped gold coins down the chimney. The coins supposedly landed in stockings and so began the tradition.

Join Hulk as he perpetuates the legend.

I may have missed my annual post last year, but not my free Slurpee.

Again, if you’ve been following this site for any length of time, you know what July 11 means. This is one of the few days out of the year you can get something for nothing. Head on over to the local 7-Eleven or one of its subsidiaries: A-Plus, Speedway or Stripes Convenience Stores and have ‘em set ya up with a carbonated slushy.

Omar Knedlik is the father of the frozen beverages. When his soda fountain broke, Knedlik was forced to store his pops in a freezer to keep them cool. Extended exposure to the extra cool temperatures caused the pop to congeal. Customers found the semi frozen drink refreshing and a legend was born.

This year’s link between Slurpees and comic books comes from a long mistaken belief I had.

Scratch ticket

Way back in 1981, 7-Eleven and Marvel ran a contest. The convenience store offered a scratch-and-win game. Buy a Slurpee and get a ticket. Match three-in-a-row and you received a prize.

For the longest time I thought the prize was one of four mini comics. Each were two and five-eighths by three and a half inches, 10 pages in length, with a stick of gum. The first was Spider-Man in The Clutches of Doc Ock!

Next was The Hulk in Trapped in the Lair of The Leader!

Issue three featured Captain America in Satellite of the Red Skull with Spider-Woman in To Defy Doctor Doom! rounding out the line up.

One day I happened across The Secret of the Power Crown, a full-size, original Marvel comic book featuring the above four heroes. A little research and I find that what I’ve believed to be promotional mini comics are in reality Amurol’s Bubble Funnies.

The Bubble Funnies were offered in a box much like trading cards to the public at large. In addition, mini Archie and Sabrina the Teenage Witch comic books were sold along with the Marvel books.

I never saw The Secret of the Power Crown at that time.

I still have my Bubble Funnies, even after all these years. They are no less treasured. They can be found on the secondary market fairly easily and are nice – if odd – additions to any collection.

For me, they will still be my rewards for playing the scratchers and niche pieces in my collection.

My mother was a Philatelist and I’m not ashamed to say so.

While there aren’t as many philatelists as in years past, there’s still a core group who will appreciate today. What is today? Today is National U.S. Postage Stamp Day.

The first postage stamp issued in the United States was on July 1, 1847. Prior to the stamp, a letter could be mailed without and paid for upon arrival. That changed in 1855 when stamps became mandatory.

The first two stamps issued featured likenesses of Benjamin Franklin and George Washington. Since then, stamps have been adorned with everything from flowers to works of art to, yes, even super heroes.

DC Comics heroes Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Flash, Plastic Man, Supergirl, and Hawkman were featured on a sheet of stamps issued July 20, 2006.

Marvel followed suit a year later, July 25, 2007, with Spider-Man, Hulk, Namor, Thing, Captain America, Silver Surfer, Spider-Woman, Elektra, Iron Man and Wolverine.

Another eBay find, here’s a three-and-a-half inch Hulk bursting with holiday cheer.

Again, this plastic/PVC miniature Marvel is dated 1991. Probably a companion piece to Spider-Man and Wolverine posted a week ago.

    PVC Hulk also compliments his first Christmas dedicated issue, Incredible Hulk 378 published the following holiday season.

The Hulk doesn’t normally inspire fancies of Cupid, but ol’ Jade Jaws has had his share of romances. More so than his alter ego Bruce Banner.

His first, and truest, will always be Betty Ross.

Betty has been around since Hulk (1962) one. In true Marvel manner, she is the daughter of Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, Banner/Hulk’s oldest nemesis.

The two were romantically involved off and on throughout every incarnation of the Hulk’s books. They eventually married in Incredible Hulk (1968) 310 in 1986.

Next in Hulk’s black book would be a toss up. Caiera Oldstrong is his baby mama, but Jarella was pure puppy love from the dawn of the Bronze Age.

Jarella became the Hulk’s love interest, not Banner’s. When Hulk was miniaturized, he found himself ruler and betrothed with the princess of Ka’i. Their love couldn’t last as Hulk found himself yanked from the micro verse.

Caiera would play a lead role in Planet Hulk – Incredible Hulk (1968) 92-105 – becoming his wife and bearing their child, Skaar. Her death would result in the World War Hulk story arc that spanned most titles in the four color Marvel Universe.

As another famous green celebrity once said, “It’s not easy being green.”

Here’s another Marvel puzzle worth the time, the rear cover of Marvel Treasury Edition number 13 – cover dated 1976.

Well, almost. Gone from the original artwork is the Silver Surfer, and the Wasp – ironically – is shrunk. Added are the Falcon, Ms. Marvel, Black Widow, Iron Man, Spider-Man and Hulk.

This is the third and final holiday tabloid from the House of Ideas. DC tapped out this year only offering two prior editions, though they had more material to pull from.

There are 28 Treasury Editions in all, from 1974 through 1981.

Original back cover

December 23rd: Two days and counting…

Hallmark unleashed the Hulk in 2014 with an ornament simply entitled Hulk Smash!

While a great sculpt and pose, what this reminds me of is The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction from 2005. Our version is for the underrated GameCube and one I still pop in from time-to-time.

Radical Entertainment was able to capture the Hulk perfectly. In addition to the GameCube, Ultimate Destruction was released for PlayStation 2 and Xbox.

This gem happened about the same time I was embarking on putting together my Hulk collection. A long-time fan, I finally took the plunge and went back for a full run of the second Hulk volume. With the exception of issues 141 and 180, I’ve done so.

The game happened to be a Christmas purchase as well. We had rented it enough times we probably bought it twice over, but it was still under the tree for 2005.

Hulk first appeared in a video game with the title Questprobe in 1984. It was featured for several fledgling computer models of the time.

It was another 10 years before he was pixelated again. This time for the Sega Genesis, Game Gear, and Super Nintendo in a self-titled side scroller.

Three years passed before he starred in The Incredible Hulk: The Pantheon Saga in 1997. Featured on the Playstation and Sega Saturn, this beat ’em up was based on the Pantheon story arc in Hulk comic books.

Hulk was released in 2003 to coincide with his first movie. The GameCube, Playstation 2 and Xbox were the systems that handled the game.

Hulk got small for the Game Boy Advance the same year with a ported version of the above game.

The Incredible Hulk hit the shelves in 2008 to tie-in with the second Hulk movie. Playstation 2, Wii and Xbox 360 were the platforms at the time.

He’s also appeared in other games as part of an ensemble cast, like the Lego games. These are probably the only ones that come close to equaling Ultimate Destruction. Sometimes you can’t outdo the originals.

December 18th: Seven days and counting…

Its simple and elegant, but speaks volumes.

The red block design features the Marvel Comics logo with super heroes on one side and villains on the other. Heroes include Thor, Captain America, Spider-Man, Black Widow, Hulk and Iron Man. Villains are Loki, Red Skull, Hela, Thanos and Ultron.

   Amazingly, these are the same heroes and villains featured in recent movies allowing both theater goers to enjoy as well as comic book veterans.

   This is part of the less expensive Hallmark ornaments produced for outlets like Walmart. It doesn’t diminish the enjoyment of adding this one to the tree.