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HIP Comic # 170....the Ghost Issue!
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© Bart Bethlehem |
In the 8th edition of the Matla Comic Catalog, there are 170 HIP Comics listed.
Number 19170 was supposed to be "Namor: the Fall of Krang!!" There's even a tiny photo of that particular issue. Apparently, that gem had eluded me all this time!! I had been living in a world where I thought there were only 169 HIP Comics (what the #%$?).
After causing a bit of confusion among fellow collectors, I couldn't shake off the itch. Why did number 170 vanish from the shiny new 9th edition??
So, I decided to shoot an email to the publisher. Here's their response:
Dear Mr. Bethlehem,
It's true that the previous edition of the Comic Catalog lists 170 HIP comics. And indeed, this particular issue doesn't exist!
We included this 170th issue as a little joke to see if everyone is paying attention when studying the information, and since then, we've received numerous reactions about the existence of this 'ghost' booklet. So, you don't need to continue your quest for your missing 170th HIP comic!
I haven't had a chance to visit your home page yet, but I will certainly do so soon.
Best regards,
E. Walther
Panda Publishing |
I had a good laugh about it! They had me in doubt for over a week...
During the Comic Days (1998) in Breda, I even inquired at the Panda booth if they still had that fake cover in their possession and, if so, could they send me a copy.
Unfortunately, they had lost track of that phantom HIP...
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The Aftermath |
A few months later, it started to gnaw at me. Where did I recognize that image in the Matla Comic Catalog from? It wasn't an original Namor cover, as I quickly discovered after some online sleuthing.
Suddenly, inspiration struck, and I started flipping through Classics Netherlands comics. Eventually, I found what I was looking for!
A portion of the cover is from Vier Verdedigers (Fantastic Four) issue 70, specifically page 27 of the attached Namor story.
Afterwards, I took matters into my own hands and got creative.
For the end result, you'll have to click on the small "Matla" preview.
Enjoy!
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