Simon Townsend's Wonder World!: Comic book store

Are comics art or junk? Let's rewind to 1985, when Simon Townsend’s Wonderworld! dropped in to one of Australia’s largest comic stores. Presenter Brett Clements dives into the debate, name-checking American Flagg and its three nominations for the Nebula, an award for traditional books. But he comes down on the ‘junk’ side, singling out some less-than-literary dialogue in American Flagg and drawing a Superman parody on the wall.  

The rebranding of comic books as graphic novels and their ascent to the literary section was years in the future. With a Flash Gordon soundtrack, pulpy effects and Brian Mannix shout-out, the segment skates over the surface of the shop’s 5,000-strong collection with a mix of curiosity and camp.  

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