At the dawn of the Seventies, when I was a youngster knocking on the door of puberty, I discovered Kung Fu.
It hit me in the face like Bruce Lee's iron fist.
I was hooked completely and if someone had offered me a place in a Shaolin temple with Kwai Chang Cane I would have moved to China quicker than you could say nunchakus.
Like any new craze there was tons to collect, as everyone and his ninja jumped on the bandwagon to cash in on Kung Fu fighting.
I didn't care. I collected everything: books, magazines, posters, comics, newspaper clippings, toys, models, statues, clothes, photos, weapons and notes. I even had the golden dragon medallion given away with Look-In comic, which I still have somewhere! Here's my old cover, which I decapitated for some reason!
I made notes on anything where martial arts popped up - TV shows, films, radio, exhibitions and demonstrations. I also joined several martial arts clubs and created my own dojo in my parent's cellar for me and my mates to knock seven bells out of each other! We even had our own exams!
As with any craze it burned white-hot like a flaming dragon dancing through the Seventies but then, sadly, when the last few shurikens were blunted, Kung Fu fizzled out like a wet prawn cracker.
But whilst it lasted it was pure childhood bliss and I loved every kick punch and leap that headed my way!
Were you swept up in the Kung Fu craze readers?
Old scottish joke from the 70's - a guy's in a pub having a drink when he pulls a brick out of his bag, props it on the bar and chops it in two with his hand. "Is that Kung Fu?" says an onlooker. "Naw" says the barman "He's only had two pints!" Sorry guys - had to be done.
ReplyDeleteha ha, yep, the Kung Fu craze spawned tons of jokes and fab comedy. My fave was the Goodies episode featuring Ecky Thump. I'm pretty sure they had a single out as well about it, Black Puddin' Bertha!
DeleteStill have all my " Deadly Hands of Kung Fu" Marvel b/w magazines which you could only find at one tobacconists in Perth - every couple of months a 3 foot high bundle of new issues arrived and my pocket money vanished! Also there was "Kung Fu Monthly" which was basically a big wall sized poster with articles on the reverse side and the "Master of Kung Fu" comic which, to guys like me raised on the Avengers and Fantastic Four seemed soooo exotic and "out there" at the time - and we can't overlook Martin Asbury's stellar art on the strip in Look-in which I still think is some of his best ever.
ReplyDeleteGreat kung fu comics all Mike, for sure. I have a gallery coming up this week of Kung Fu comics and magazines I had and still have. I think looking back Kung Fu Monthly was the top dog. It captured the moment and you could plaster the poster all over your bedroom wall. Monster Mag did a similar thing for the Seventies monster craze. As for Shang Chi, I loved copying the comic drawings and I even made up some of my own cartoons too!
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