The split second I saw the cover on this baby; I knew it was my newest adopted child. First off it’s old school fantastically full screen huge, which goes without saying is not a bad thing. The cover is non-stop action from the funny car dragster layin’ rubber across the top of Drag N’ Wheels to the three panel action sequence of Scot Jackson’s (as per the name on the door) black gasser, skidding out of conrol, catching fire, crashing into a guardrail and the man himself, Scot Jackson, bailing out of the flaming wreckage. That’s right, all on one cover that I paid one hundred pennies for. Now granted said cover is definitely showing its age, there are creases, definite browning of pages, and even a few rips here and there but I’ll be damned if it’s not vintage American artistry at it’s finest.
We are going way way back to the magical groovy Summer of Love. That’s right this book was sitting on shelves in July of 1969. It witnessed Led Zeppelin and Janis Joplin rock the Atlanta Pop Festival. It witnessed the US troop withdrawal begin in Vietnam. It witnessed Apollo 11 carry the first men to the surface of the moon. It was created in a time of awesome by Americans for Americans…who were probably high or trippin’ balls. Respect the pedigree.
There are multiple short stories behind the fantastic cover and not surprisingly they’re all about racing or driving cars really fast. Win/win across the board. All the cars involved from Jungle Joe Hessel’s ’48 Austin to Connor’s Chevelle “with one of them semi-hemi 427 cubers inside”. Well said, Mr. Connor, well said.
I can totally see kids back in the day, before all this future stuff, getting down on some Drag N’ Wheels…fist fighting with that little bastard Timmy Jones from down the street, over who could win in the quarter mile...
Aside from the fast cars the book has its “guy gets chick” story and its car thief runs Scot Jackson and his ’68 Javelin off the road with his stolen ’68 Camero . . . happened. Scot lands in the river far far below…at first the car thief didn’t stop because the “fuzz” was on his tale. He drove off down the two lane mountain highway, somehow ditches the cops on his tail, returns and pulls Scot out of the twisted wreck that seconds later had been his pride and joy, just as it sinks to its watery grave. The Car thief then begs Scot for forgiveness for his reckless actions and immediately turns himself in to the police. Aww, ain’t that swell.
The only thing I can’t stand is the smell. The book is printed on a paper with the consistency of modern day construction paper. The pages have started to brown around the edges and there is a definite odor. It’s not the normal sweet sweet smell of “Vintage” Marvel, it is more of a musty basement smell that you feel at the back of your throat. You could say it “affects you negatively” not only by insulting my olfactory but possibly infecting me with black lung , jungle rot, or the like…maybe I should lick it?
This comic’s fate is to be place in a great place of honor in my “favorites” box. I’ll probably never unseal it from its protective casing….except each July when I bring it out on its birthday and give it a quick lick.
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