#ref:comics

[sgtpeppers]

Paul McCartney & Comic Books

Paul & Marvel:

Magneto, Titanium Man, and Crimson Dynamo art shown during live performances of Magneto and Titanium Man.

Yes, that’s about Marvel Comics. When we were on holiday in Jamaica, we’d go into the supermarket every Saturday, when they got a new stock of comics in. I didn’t use to read comics from eleven onwards, I thought I’d grown out of them, but I came back to them a couple of years ago. The drawings are great. I think you’ll find that in twenty years time some of the guys drawing them were little Picassos. I think it’s very clever how they do it. I love the names, I love the whole comic book thing.

Paul McCartney In His Own Words, Paul Gambaccini

In 1975, around the time I wrote ‘Magneto And Titanium Man’, I was reading and looking at a lot of comic books, and as far as I was concerned, that was real art. It took some skill – not to mention perspective and imagination – to pull off these illustrations. So, I decided it would be nice to bring these two comic book characters into a song. Magneto is the archrival of the X-Men. Michael Fassbender has been playing him in the recent Marvel films. Titanium Man is one of Iron Man’s enemies. And the Crimson Dynamo turns up as well; he’s a bad guy too. So we have three baddies, and I made up a story that could have been in one of these comic books.

The Lyrics, Paul McCartney & Paul Muldoon

So this song is my nod to comic books being high art.

The Lyrics, Paul McCartney & Paul Muldoon

Left: Linda McCartney in a Magneto shirt. Right: Paul McCartney in a Titanium Man shirt.

The McCartneys meeting comic book artist and Magneto's co-creator, Jack Kirby, backstage at a 1976 Wings show in LA.

Original art by Jack Kirby, depicting the band fleeing Magneto.

Incredible Hulk Vol 1 271: Now Somewhere in the Black Holes of Sirius Major There Lived a Young Boy Name of Rocket Raccoon! (1982)

‘Rocky Raccoon’ is quirky, very me. I like talking blues so I started off like that, then I did my tongue-in-cheek parody of a western and threw in some amusing lines. I just tried to keep it amusing, really; it’s me writing a play, a little one-act play giving them most of the dialogue. Rocky Raccoon is the main character, then there’s the girl whose real name was Magill, who called herself Lil, but she was known as Nancy.

Many Years from Now, Barry Miles

Paul & The Dandy

Paul McCartney in The Dandy (2012)

Text reads:

Dear Dandy, The Dandy was a favourite comic of mine when growing up in Liverpool and each week I would look forward to the exploits of Desperate Dan and his other comic book colleagues. I feel a little sadness that I see its final issue is appearing in December. In 1963, in the NME, when asked what my personal ambition was, I replied – to have my picture in The Dandy! I hope it’s not too late! Thank you, Dandy, we loved ya!

Paul & DC

Superman comics featured on the organ Paul plays in Help! (1965) (x)

Batman and Superman: World’s Finest (2022) featuring Paul McCartney.