This week its all stuff I found in the pile destined for our eBay auctions, hopefully, a few of these will be “first time on the net” pics. Let me know which ones you liked best.
I really like the effect of sharing the text with the art in this splash by Gil Kane, this is the backup story from All-Star Western #6, from July 1971.
I hope I didn’t use this one already, great double splash from the double splash master Jim Steranko, this guy’s imagination with his layouts was off the charts. X-Men #50 from November 1968.
Nice Bernie Wrightson splash from the backup story in House of Mystery, Bernie had such an easy and distinctive style, love his work. From August 1969.
I have a confession, well two actually. The first one is that I had to read the whole story once I read this splash, the second one is I’m keeping the book, eBay will have to suffer next week! No artist is credited, from Sweetheart Diary #8, December 1951.
Everybody knows the famous Carmine Infantino cover to Flash #155 where Flash is about to run through the gauntlet of six villains, well Carm shows us how it all goes down on this splash from page 20. From September 1965.
Another back up story splash, this one from Conan #10. Marie and John Severin do up this great Kull splash, from October 1971.
Darn! Now I want to see how that story ends too! Guess I will have to get a copy of that book….oh yeah… nice splashes!
I was ready to say you are hitting on all cylinders this week, then the Romance page comes up. But ok, Walter, I am with you on the appeal of the story…I’d want to read it too. I’ve slipped (well, actually jumped in with bith feet) to collecting romance stuff, mostly pre-1960, but strictly for the artists I like. However, some of the stories are just irresistible, and for very little effort you get some really wacko stuff in a six or eight page tale. The titles alone are often prize-winners.
But back to splash pages, hey, wonderful choices. I don’t recall you posting the Steranko before. What a genuis! And I agree, the Gil Kane text & art is brilliant. The Wrightson looks early, not quite so polished but like early Frazetta comics, showing all the promise to come. And the Severin, he could do no wrong, always delivered. The Infantino Flash is pretty busy, but gutsy to attempt to show all that in one panel.
Hey, a slight correction to my earlier post. Myron Moose, the underground comic, is by Bob Foster AND Vince Davis. My Promethean Enterprises page that I linked to, from #4, 1971, spoofing comic cons and collecting, that’s by Vince. If Bob helped on it, and I would not be surprised, he didn’t get credit. Vince also did Travels With Myron, a short strip in our last issue, #5, in 1974. Bob Foster did further Myron things so today its more his character. bob worked for Disney for decades, much of his work in the Danish and European Duck and Mouse comics. Vince was (is?) a close buddy of Bob’s, who I think also worked for Disney.
I also just posted, in last week’s comments on the comic page shards, a related bit about Edgar Church’s pulp clippings that you guys might enjoy.
All great stuff, thanks Walt. Wrightson was one of my influences when I was drawing fan art and illustrations.
Thanks for the clarification Bud and its nice to see you are deep into the romance books, treasures abound in that genre.
Romance comics actually have a lot of great art. But the biggest kick I used to get out of them was the sometimes odd phrase used that would mean something entirely different to a modern audience. There is, for instance, one such book that deals with a fellow who must use the back door when he visits his girlfriend because his gal’s father doesn’t approve. Simple story. Crazy funny blurb. “The Love That Dare Not Mention It’s Name: Back Door Love!!!” Can’t remember the name of the book, but it was one of the Kirby romance books, and I had no trouble reselling it just because of the weird blurb. Way to turn ten bucks into a hundred and fifty!!! Never give up on romance!
cheers, mel
… or Archie comics.
Archie 271’s cover had Archie showing Betty the frisbee he was getting Veronica for Christmas, saying won’t she be surprised. Betty replies she will because she was expecting a pearl necklace.
An honest joke back in the day but with a totally different meaning today. Look up the term pearl necklace on urbandictionary.com for the reason this comic is accelerating in value. It gives Betty and Me a run for its money.