There are some things I treasure from my youth that kids today will just never get to experience. Film strips in school, for one. Buying your favorite song on a 45rpm vinyl record, for another. And, most of all, those book-and-record sets you could get from the local department store.

When Dave gave me his hi-fi record player recently, one of the first things I listened to was my book-and-record set of The Hobbit. I love it still after all these years.

While browsing at the Marvel Masterworks forum (where I’ve been mostly a lurker for over five years, though I visit it every night), I discovered a lost treasure. Apparently some enterprising folks have taken it upon themselves to actually record some of these old book-and-record sets and upload them to YouTube.

For example, here’s Spider-Man and the Invasion of the Dragon Men, a set I actually owned as a boy:

While listening/watching, I was grinning from ear to ear. I remember this distinctly, and have thought of it many times over the years. I never thought I’d have a chance to hear it again, though.

There are other book-and-record sets on YouTube, including:

• Planet of the Apes (part one, part two)
• Star Trek: Dinosaur Planet (part one, part two) — This is awful in every conceivable way.
• The Incredible Hulk at Bay (part one, part two) — The Hulk’s voice is hilarious.
• The Black Hole movie adaptation (part one, part two) — Actually uses incidental music from the movie. (Yes, I have the DVD.)
• The Fantastic Four: The Way it Began (part one, part two) — I had this record, too.
• The Origin of Daredevil (part one, part two, part three, part four)
• Wonder Woman: Secret of the Magic Tiara (part one, part two)
• Star Wars (part one, part two) — Doesn’t show the pages.
• The Hobbit (part one, part two) — This isn’t the version I have. I have the 12-inch/33rpm version, which is longer and uses actual clips from the TV movie.

If you’re a fan of these recordings, too, then hold onto your seat because I’m going to let you in on the mother lode: Check out The Power Records Pages, which has audio files and image files on separate pages. Wow!