Editing The Incredible Hulk #1.

The weekly schedule and anthology format of the early Marvel UK titles meant that a certain level of editing had to take place when reprinting the original American source material.

Stories would be spread across two or three weeks, depending on the page count, and this at times required the creation of new splash pages to act as titles for the latter parts of the story.

It is these new splash pages that make the Marvel UK books so unique. 

Multiple stories within a single weekly title meant that page count was an important factor in the editing process.

Panels would be removed and the page format adjusted, whilst in extreme cases whole pages would hit the editing room floor.

Due to the UK page size, slight cropping from the top or bottom of panels was a regular feature.

 

Editing of the text and images was also a regular undertaking.

Dialogue would be changed from a heavy American bias to a more British phrasing, suited to a younger readership.

Pencil work would be adjusted to fit changes to the panel format or embellished with topical British characteristics.

Spotting these editing changes can be great fun, so let's, with a focus on Splash, cast our eyes over the pages of The Incredible Hulk #1. 

The Hulk's origin story was reprinted in the first two editions of "The Mighty World Of Marvel".

 

 

Part 1 "The Coming Of The Hulk".

A direct copy of the first splash page with the imposing character of The Hulk.

Part 2 "The Hulk Strikes!".

For editing purposes this splash page was removed from MWOM #1 for page count reasons.

Part 3 "The Search For The Hulk".

MWOM #2 begins with a cropped panel 1 and the "Part 3" icon replaced with an update text.

Panels 2 and 3 are also cropped to make way for the indicia.

 

Part 4 "Enter... The Gargoyle".

Panel 1 sees its size cropped, whilst the "Part 4" icon is replaced with a "Part 2" version in order to tie-in with the previous splash page.

There are many changes to the text and dialogue within this page, primarily to remove any context to the Soviet Union.

Panel 1 replaces "Red Spy" with "Arch-Spy".

Panel 3 replaces "Behind the Iron Curtain" with "My Foreign Masters".

Panel 4 replaces "Comrade" with "Colonel".

Part 5 "The Hulk Triumphant".

Panel 1 is completely removed, with panels 2 and 3 being edited into the story to reduce the page count.

Panel 2 has dialogue added in order to maintain a flow of continuity with the previous panels.

See you at the Week End.