Giant Size Marvel Comics

Cap, She-Hulk, Spider-Man pinup by John Romita Sr

2009-11-08T21:19:37Z

Here’s a nifty little pinup that John Romita Sr drew, featuring Captain America, She-Hulk, and Spider-Man standing together in a group hug. I think I saved this scan from Romitaman. Nuff said!

Red Sonja and Storm pinups by Byrne and Cockrum

2009-11-06T15:43:56Z

John Byrne drew this pinup of Red Sonja in 1975. I thought he captured everything great about this character in a single pinup. Beyond her beauty, the way she carries that sword would make you think twice about propositioning her!

Red Sonja graduated from the pages of Conan to her own series, beginning in Marvel Feature #1, also circa 1975. This title, written by Roy Thomas and drawn by Frank Thorne, lasted seven issues. You can see from this cover to issue #6 that Mr. Thorne had an unmistakable art style.

Dave Cockrum drew this great pinup featuring Storm and Red Sonja, where they swap costumes. It’s hilarious to see Storm wearing Sonja’s metal bikini, and her thought balloon says Good Lord—This bra is enormous! It’s cold too! Near Cockrum’s signature he says Heh Sorry, Ladies. I think we all celebrate Cockrum’s art and design, but let’s not forget his fantastic sense of humor!

If you’re in the mood for more laughter, check out Storm critiquing Ms. Marvel’s costume. Nuff said.

Neal Adams Avengers Kree-Skrull War cover progression: Three Cows Shot the Vision Down!

2009-11-05T15:36:56Z

Neal Adams joined Roy Thomas on the Avengers with issue #93 (1971) to kick off the Kree-Skrull War. That story was titled This Beachhead Earth by Thomas.

Adams originally wanted the story to be titled Three Cows Shot Me Down! As you all know, the story opens with the Vision stumbling into Avengers Mansion. He's severely damaged after a skirmish with three cows...who happen to be Skrulls in disguise! When the Kree-Skrull saga was collected in trade paperback, Adams was able to use his original title on this dynamic new cover.

Here are the pencils to this cover. This was published in the Neal Adams 2007 sketchbook. Adams commented: You have no idea how many years I have waited to put those words on this picture.

And now the inked version, which was featured in the Neal Adams 2008 sketchbook.

For more tidbits on Neal Adams Avengers (and other Marvel) work, you can read the excellent interview with him from TwoMorrows Comic Book Artist #3. Nuff said.

A Mike Ploog Monster Mash for Halloween

2009-10-31T18:19:01Z

What would a Marvel monster version of the Defenders look like? If Mike Ploog were drawing it, something like this nifty commission done for Leo Chuah on comicartfans.

Ghost Rider, Frankenstein, and Werewolf by Night on a moonlit night. Greatness! Nuff said.

Ghost Rider in a Marvel Swimsuit

2009-10-30T07:01:00Z

Ghost Rider in a Marvel Swimsuit? It really happened, true believer!

The 1993 Marvel Swimsuit issue had this groovy centerfold featuring the Spirit of Vengeance on a beach. Naked, which means burning on the beach. Imagine your surprise if you got to this point in the magazine, expect to see something like a sexy Adam Hughes She-Hulk? Nuff said.

The Monsters of Mike Ploog: Frankenstein Covers and Character Designs

2009-10-29T07:01:00Z

Mike Ploog brought his artistic talent to shed light on Marvel's version of the Monster of Frankenstein in 1972. Here are some of the best covers, with the original black and white art versions for comparison.

Monster of Frankenstein #2 is one of my top 10 favorite Marvel covers of all time, and perhaps my favorite Ploog cover as well. You can really feel the Monster's pain as he carries his Bride (snuffed out after a horrific rebirth by Victor Frankenstein) away from the castle. I loved this cover so much, I put a piece of light paper over it, traced it, and inked it in junior high school. There was a girl in my class who was really impressed by this: You drew that? I nodded my head. What the heck, was she gonna know who Ploog was?

There is one negative thing about the cover: that logo is one of the worst designs for a title that I've ever seen!

The original art to this piece is even more stunning, the textures and shadows are wonderful. Who is the lucky sonofagun who owns this piece? John Butler from comicartfans, unless it was sold to another person.

After Victor crushed his dream of friendship and love, the Monster gets revenge in issue #3 by murdering Elizabeth Frankenstein on her wedding night. The cover is just classic horror to the max: the Monster's rage with the full moon in the background, Elizabeth's décolletage, her expression of surprise, and the candles getting snuffed out by the sudden gush of wind. Just as Elizabeth herself will be snuffed out.

The original art to Monster of Frankenstein #3. From the collection of John Scarpone at comicartfans.

Issue #4 featured a departure from the general story of Mary Shelley's novel. The Monster winds up meeting a tribe of native aborigines who adopt him. The creature finds a home for a while--until a war with a neighboring tribe kills all of his friends.

The original art to Monster of Frankenstein #4 looks a lot more striking in black and white. If this scan is correct, Marvel flipped the cover. Notice the mountain and sky in the background--completely erased in the printed cover. Once again from John Butler's gallery. I am getting really envious of that dude.

Now here's an interesting behind the scenes look at the design of Marvel's Frankenstein Monster. This character design sketch was done by John Romita Sr. There is a note written in ink by Roy Thomas to Ploog.

Mike --

This is (the) version Stan wants to see. Please call me to discuss.

Roy

Ploog then created this Frankenstein conceptual drawing based on Romita's sketch and Roy Thomas' comments. I think I first saw this in the Essential Monster of Frankenstein a few years ago. Both of these character design pieces are from Doug Edelman on comicartfans.

Many thanks to all of the Mike Ploog fans on comicartfans for these scans. It's nice to know that many people love Ploog!

You can also view Ploog's recreation of Frankenstein Monster #6 from a post I did in Jan 2009. Nuff said.

Mike Ploog Man-Thing Recreations

2009-10-28T07:01:00Z

A number of years ago, Mike Ploog produced a series of cover recreations for some of his most famous Marvel Comics from the 1970s. I'll showcase a few each day leading up to Halloween.

Man-Thing #9 from 1974 has a great yarn about the creature discovering a hidden enclave of Spanish soldiers who had discovered the Fountain of Youth. They have miraculous potions which can possibly change the monster back into Ted Sallis. But construction magnate F.A. Schist (fascist) throws several wrenches into this plan.

The recreation to this cover accentuates everything. The Man-Thing is gloopier than ever and the wizened skeletal man in the lower right is scarier.

Giant-Size Man-Thing #1 is one of my favorite all time comics. Ploog and swamp monsters slugging it out in a giant-size comic, what could be better?

The recreation is pretty cool--notice how great the colors are in this version.

You can find all these Mike Ploog cover recreations (and more) on comicartfans. Nuff said.

Attack of the Neal Adams Man-Thing

2009-10-27T15:55:48Z

Finding that Neal Adams pinup yesterday reminded me that wasn't the only time the Nefarious one drew Marvel's muck-monster!

There was this terrific cover to Monsters Unleashed #3 in 1973, featuring Man-Thing cracking a couple of redneck heads as a young woman looks on in horror. If she's feeling fear, then I don't like the way Man-Thing is looking at her!

But wait--if we go back even further in time--we can find this Man-Thing story that Neal Adams drew, featured as an interlude in Astonishing Tales #12, 1972. Ka-Zar, the star of the series, met Man-Thing in the Florida everglades. Since Manny had only appeared in Marvel's black and white Savage Tales #1, this story introduced him to Marvel's color comics. Man-Thing would become the lead character in Adventure Into Fear #10, a few months later in 1972.

You'll notice the story doesn't have color, it's printed in black and white with yellow tones. Perhaps it was originally meant for publication in Savage Tales #2?

One panel in this story always stuck in my memory--the one above where Man-Thing watches an old lady walk across the swamp. Notice the way Manny stands, left arm braced against a tree, right arm supporting himself on the muddy floor.

This same pose was used in the Man-Thing cover, the one Marvel usually put on the left-hand upper corner, featuring an iconic shot of the titular character. Neal Adams' drawing isn't used line by line--but someone must have used that panel above as a reference. It's exactly the same pose. Nuff said!

Monster Monday: Neal Adams Man-Thing

2009-10-26T20:24:35Z

I found this drawing of Marvel's Man-Thing in Neal Adams 2008 Sketchbook.

Startling, eh? Fantastic point of view, as if the viewer were sitting in a tree and seeing Man-Thing trudge through the swamp below. What makes Manny look up? Perhaps it is because the voyeur suddenly feels...fear? Nuff said.

Silver Surfer Saturday: The Vision, Avenger vs Defender!

2009-10-24T07:01:00Z

One of the opening chapters to the Avengers-Defenders war started with Avengers 116, with this fantastic cover.

Silver Surfer vs the Vision, as Wanda looks on somewhat helplessly in the background--never mind that she could wipe them all out with a hex spell! This cover is really well executed by Johnny Romita, with the silver guy nearly flying into the viewer. Nuff said.

Vision and Scarlet Witch by Dave Cockrum

2009-10-23T14:14:41Z

In Foom #12 (1975), Dave Cockrum provided this double-page look at the Vision and Scarlet Witch.

You have to picture the Vision's romance with Scarlet Witch as being the high point of Avengers soap opera. Cockrum presents their love affair, with Ultron seeking to pull him back to the robotic side on the left, while Quicksilver (Pietro, Wanda's brother) was highly against her sister sleeping with an android. Nuff said.

John Buscema and P Craig Russell’s Vision

2009-10-22T17:01:08Z

This cover to FOOM #12 (1975) featuring the Vision was a unique John Buscema drawing, inked by P. Craig Russell!

I love any cover that makes inventive use of the logo—and having the Vision intangibly glide through FOOM was simply inspired. Russell keep Buscema’s lines intact, but you can see his style here and there. Nuff said.

The Vision Needs to be Restored to Full Avenger Glory

2009-10-21T08:15:40Z

I think the Avengers comics are pretty darn great these days. Bendis has shaken up the team with one big event after another: Disassembled, House of M, Civil War, Secret Invasion, and Dark Reign. But there's one classic element to the Avengers team that seems lost in all of this. And that is the Vision.

Fans who loved the 1970s era of the Avengers will know what I am talking about. The Vision was the standard bearer of the Avengers. He appeared front and center on many covers as well as the above pic from the 1975 Marvel Calendar.

The Vision was popular for a number of reasons. The design of the character and his costume was out of this world. He looked spooky and unreal--like DC Comics' Spectre--and his power to control density and transform into near-ghostly intangibility contributed to this effect. The Vision was also a robot who struggled with emotions, as you can see on the cover to Avengers 96 by Neal Adams.

The Vision, along with the Scarlet Witch and Hawkeye, were characters who made the Avengers' stories exciting. That was because Roy Thomas and Steve Englehart could actually change them over time--sometime they couldn't do that easily with Thor, Captain America, and Iron Man.

Sure, I know the Vision's been resurrected in Young Avengers, and he's now in Dan Slott's Mighty Avengers team. But that version sure as heck isn't the Vision I grew up with. I want the Vision with Simon Williams' brain patterns, the one who remembers his failed marriage to Wanda, and his entire history with the Avengers' team. It should be a snap to bring all of this back--just find some memory backups somewhere and rebuild his android body according to original specs.

Here's the biggest flaw to me in the entire Avengers saga since Bendis took over. The Vision was destroyed, ripped apart by She-Hulk during Disassembled, yet none of the Avengers made an effort to restore him back to life? It doesn't compute. The Vision saved his team-mates and the world countless times since he joined the team. In West Coast Avengers #45--after the Vision was taken apart by the US government--Hank Pym rebuilds the Vision very quickly (ok, minus a few memory tapes). You could say that Skrull Pym would have no incentive to rebuild the Vision after Disassembled--but why wouldn't the rest of the Avengers?

I think 2010, which brings Thor, Captain America, and Iron Man back in Siege, is the perfect time to restore the Vision back to full glory. And maybe the Scarlet Witch as well. Do you agree? Nuff said.

Thing Tuesdays: Chris Stevens Illustration of Aunt Petunia’s Favorite Nephew

2009-10-20T15:51:32Z

I featured Chris Stevens’ Doc Strange illo last Sunday, and his Thing really rocks as well:

Thing- Marker Illo by *chriss2d on deviant ART

I love not only how he uses the markers to indicate shadow and texture, but this is a fairly classic portrayal of Benjamin J Grimm as well. Nuff said.

Monster Mondays: Mike Ploog’s October 1975

2009-10-19T15:32:29Z

Marvel Comics started producing calendars in 1975. For the very first calendar (which I've been able to acquire recently, thanks to eBay), they tapped the best artists of that year...including Mike Ploog, who they unleashed in the month of October.

The October illustration featured the trio of monsters that Ploog had drawn in their own comics: Frankenstein, Man-Thing, and Werewolf by Night! The big bad daddy of all supernatural characters, Dracula, lorded over all of them--Ploog had drawn this character as well, when he teamed up with Jack Russell in Werewolf by Night #15.

The month of October itself is ridden with monster-sized jokes by Marvel staffers.

Oct. 4th: Man-Thing with the caption: Save the Everglades--Or Else! That scares me into taking care of the environment.

Oct. 8th-9th: Son of Satan asks pop for the hell-horse drawn chariot, but sister Santana asked for it first.

Oct. 13-15: Three nights of the full moon with Werewolf by Night. Jack Russell's eyes go left, middle, right.

Oct. 19th: Jim Starlin's birthday. Which is today, Happy Birthday Jim!

Oct. 28th-29th: Two creatures called IT! The first one was featured in Supernatural Thrillers #1, the second one was a hero who appeared briefly in Astonishing Tales.

Oct. 30th: The Halloween party in Rutland Vermont, which was featured by Roy Thomas in both Avengers and Defenders (Marvel Feature #2). Several comics creators made the trek to this party. If only we could go back in a time machine!

Many thanks to Sanctum Sanctorum Comix for providing the scans of the Marvel Calendars! Nuff said.