Dial "H" for "Hero"

It was way back in 1980, that I was in the Gift Shop of St. Joseph's Hospital in Albuquerque, NM.  I saw Legion of Superheroes 272.  In the 70s, late 70s that is, they were my favorite group.  I had only read like three Teen Titans comics by then, and they were few and far between.  Remember, this was before the Comic Shops and Internet.  There were some Book Exchanges that I would buy comics, Eubank Book Exchange, Menual Book Exchange, Hoffmantown Book Exchange, and what became my home, Don's Paperbacks Book Exchange.  I would buy my comics at drug stores and convenience stores.  Walgreens was a good source because you could get the Whitman Packs.  I would get the Wonder Woman, Superman, World Finest, Brave and the Bold, and Legion Packs. So I have many issues of The Legion of Super Heroes and Phantom Girl and Dream Girl were my favorites.

I remember reading about Dial H for Hero because Marv Wolfman was the writer and was glad to get the free insert.  Well, I carefully read that issue, because what I wanted most in the world back then was to become a comic artist and writer.  I wanted to create my own superhero.  I never sent one in, however, because I felt the compensation was too little which was a T Shirt.  And, you would lose all rights to the characters.  Even at the age of 12 and 13, I already knew about the process to copyright.

Needless to say, I only read four comics back then,  Wonder Woman, Justice League of America, The New Teen Titans, and Adventure Comics featuring Dial H for Hero.  In fact, I got a subscription to these four titles.  Which I am glad, because my father was injured and could not work at that time.  So I would not have been able to read comics back then.

Everyday, I would come home from school expecting to get some comics in the mail.  Sometimes, two came in the same day, other times it was normally once of my titles per week.  I would love to read about Chris King and Vicki Grant.  They would become various heroes that had been created by the fans.  This was wonderful because I was able to read the exploits of so many new characters that came from their mystic dials.  I would always love that the kids would always make the mistake of calling Detective King by his name.  He never figured it out, but always had his suspicions.  I enjoyed the story when they had to testify, and since they never became the same character twice, they went in to testify after they had converted to another set of heroes, but took off their costumes and went in as their "civilian identities."

Dial H for Heroes also was in the 60s and even as recent in the 00s.

Dial H for Heroes is another title that will make it's debut soon in the New 52 DC Universe, here is hoping that they keep the spirit alive of the cherished  series I read.