Blue Bolt #110, Star Publications, August 1951 – Artist: L.B. Cole.
Yes we are into Cole country and this was a necessary stop. A deceptively overwhelming cover. You initially focus on the central monster but eventually the full glory of the background reaches you and you are left in awe.
Nobody ever remembers who the winning teams played in the championship games and this game went into overtime, I had Captain America #110 and Blue Bolt #110 side by side on my screen and spent a good deal of time trying to pick today’s cover, it was close. Steranko still has a couple in the running though so lets not count him out. Avengers #110 I’ve always liked and that Thunderbolts #110 Venom Variant was hard to ignore maybe perhaps a bit too much.
A great comic book cover matching each day of the year, 1 through 365. Please chime in with your favourite corresponding cover, from any era.
Even in the universe of L.B. Cole covers, this is one that rises above so many of the others. And with a Basil Wolverton association, its delicious. I see a clear and close relationship between the style of both artists. Straight-forward, massive, all elements on display. Not sure how else to put it. Wolverton’s Spacehawk is is one of my all-time favorite Golden Age series.
Lets’s talk about Steranko’s Cap issues. This was early 1969 and I was there. I was 16 years old, a hardcore fan now since 1964, buying each new Marvel issue literally off the spinners and newstands like every other kid. Gary Arlington’s San Francisco Comic Book Company, 50 miles away in San Francisco, probably was selling new issues by now, but my buddies and I were in between the first and second comic stores that we opened in San Jose, one in early 1968 that we quickly sold to one of the six partners, then the second not until the summer of 1969. Anyway, we didn’t start offering new comics in either of them—we just did back issues then.
Steranko was every fan’s favorite creator, coming off his Strange Tales with Nick Fury run, beginning in 1966, followed by his astonishing first seven issues of Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD. #7 was cover dated December 1968. Then Jim got the dream job, following up Kirby’s latest Cap run. Cap #100 was Cap’s first title of his own since the 1950s (he’d had to share all those Tales of Suspense issues with Iron Man, up until then).
Steranko’s Captain America issues were better than glorious, beginning with #110, cover date February, 1969. Steranko convincingly seems to kill off Cap in the cliff-hanger in #111, then we had to wait not one but two months, through a Kirby fill-in issue of #112, to read the next episode in #113.
And then that issue finally appears…and Cap reappears out of the night, in an amazing, Kirby-inspired, double page spread! This was a high point in comics for my buddies and me.
So, Walter, I hope you choose the right Cap issue, my friend! I love the cover of #110, Steranko’s Hulk was also an amazing high-point, but #113–that recalls the Cap of the forties even. Imagine us fans first picking that up…what, Cap buried and gone!!?? Bucky is devastated at Cap’s gravesite!!?? I was there…and it didn’t get any better for any comics fan than Steranko pulling out every stop in these three issues, on a hero he obviously grew up with and knew and loved better than just about anyone!
Joe Palooka 110 is my pick Walt. Not becaue its that great a cover, but beacause he was a great character and his comicbook had great comedy and drama. Consider 11 hollywood films, radio, TV series, and many short films not to mention a comic strip followed by millions. I have just about the whole run, and the stories have drama and humor. Very under rated and forgotten.
I like the cover as it reminds of the time the Lost in Space robot met many mini duplicates of himself. 🙂
And further…Humphrey, Palookas blacksmithing buddy, is a over weight,good guy, depicting all overweight guys around the world, as someone who could be admired and trusted, even by the Heavyweight champ of the world Joe Palooka. a description I copied online is as follows…Humphrey is a great big fella with a soft heart and an even softer head. He lives with his dear old mama and shares his pal Palooka’s gentlemanly manners. The problem is, he’s such a behemoth that every time he sets foot in the ring, he clobbers his opponents with a single swat (”Aw shucks, I didn’t mean to hit ‘em that hard!”) while he’s pre-occupied with other matters. Humphrey ambled through a series of lighthearted tales from Harvey Comics from the late 40s through the early 50s, featuring a kid-friendly mix of humor and adventure.
As I said yesterday, the safe choice.
I have almost no time to look forward today, but it seems like #111 is between Blue Bolt and Captain America, so I will go Blue Bolt. There might be something hiding in one of those romance covers but I don’t have time to uncover.
Goodness Bud what a wonderful picture you’ve painted for me of that time, late 60s the Bay Area, there might not have been a more creative place on the planet at that time. Wonderful story, thanks for sharing. And Bud, your love for Steranko shines through. Remember that Flintstones when Fred is umping the game and he calls a strike against Mr. Slates son, the kid gives him flack, fred gets his back up, the kid tells him who his dad is and then Fred says… I’ll see what I can do for you on the next pitch.
Dave, ya Palooka ! There were a few Palooka covers in the past that caught my attention but this one here didn’t have that umpffhh I was looking for.
Well, it is nice to get a live Cap on #111 rather than a gravesite, so I can live with #111 instead of #113. Keep up the good work!
Sadly I’m Humphrey to your Palooka Walt 🙁
And wonderful comments Bud. Thank you. so true