Falling in Love #121, DC Comics, February 1971 – Artist: Tony DeZuniga.
I remember back when I was thinking about doing this project, I had some issues already picked way in advance. I wrote a quick list down, Surfer #4, Spidey #50, Superman #75 (death of) and a few others, Falling in Love #121 was one of those pre-picked issues. I’ve always been a Romance Comics fan especially some of the great over the top covers.
Years ago a friend and great artist in his own right Leif Peng put me on to the great Bernie Fuchs. Wow, off the charts stuff. Falling in Love #121 always reminds me of Fuchs and so I can’t miss this opportunity to pay tribute.
There were lots of worthy contenders today, I liked Four Color #121, Doom Patrol #121 and Heart Throbs had another strong cover in #121 (trust me young lady you don’t want anything to do with that loser).
Batman #121 is famous but it wasn’t in serious consideration, Spidey #121 is also famous but as you know I’m not a big fan of my heroes showing me their backsides on the cover.
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.
No question this is something special.
Doom Patrol is a bit too simple for me. Four Color is cool but it looks like the cover of a Little Golden Book, not a comic book. I lingered over Heart Throbs but it was just too depressing – no “romance” in that cover – but Nick Cardy taking it to the level of Adams on that one. (Who was reading that title in 1969? People whose lives were just too good, so they needed to inject some misery?)
Kudos for calling it as you see it with Batman and ASM. Both pedestrian.
#122 pretty bad for “great” choices. People love Ghostly Weird but at best I will give it an honorable mention. I have to go with Police Comics. Everything in this cover says “lurid comic book excitement” to me. Without Ken Shannon coming to save the day this would be a prized Crime SuspenStories cover.
My other honorable mentions are All American Western, Captain America, and Marvel Tales.
Some others:
Adventures of Jerry Lewis – I love the Agnew totem pole but I am not going to argue for this as “great”
Batman – talk about a two-up romance cover
Blackhawk – to my curiosity about DC’s giant hands, add curiosity about flying gizmos – what’s that about
Romantic Adventures – I have a pretty good guess at “the secret of her strange romantic power”
Superman’s Girlfriend Lois Lane:
Bruce Dickinson: “I’ll be honest.. fellas, it was looking great. But.. I could’ve used a little more bondage. So.. let’s take it again.. and, Bob?”
Bob Oksner: “Yeah?”
Bruce Dickinson: “Really explore the cover space this time.”
Finally Superboy takes the JOWA award by a mile, right in line with my earlier comments on Kal-El’s twisted mentality. Whenever I think I’ve seen it all, DC comes up with a topper. First appearance of super-ventriloquism.
Great cover with really nice visual effect. In fact the image on the cover could be Gwen Stacy. Speaking of which, although Amazing Spider-Man #121 is a seminal issue, and the cover instantly recognizable within the world of comics, I can understand your reluctance to select that cover. Although, the run of covers surrounding #121 and #122 are some of the finest covers in ASM, #121 and #122 are dominated by the need to set the stage for overwhelming story contained within.
Like the pick. Has some similarities to Super DC Giant S-21. Which I really like as well.