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Author: Greg Goldstein
Greg Goldstein is a veteran publishing and media executive; most recently, he was the Chief Operating Officer, President and Publisher of IDW Publishing, managing all aspects of the company’s book and games business from 2008 to 2019.
Throughout his career, Greg has developed creative and profitable publishing programs for dozens of the world’s best-known entertainment brands including Star Wars, Transformers, Star Trek, James Bond, TMNT, Spider-Man, Batman and Godzilla.
In 2013, Greg led IDW’s acquisition of Top Shelf, an independent publisher best known for Congressman John Lewis’ March trilogy, which has become the most lauded non-fiction graphic novel series in the history of the medium.
In 2011, Greg won an Eisner award for his editing on the first-ever collection of Bob Montana’s Archie newspaper comic strips. (Published under IDW’s Library of American Comics imprint.)
Prior to joining IDW, Greg was VP of Entertainment and Gaming for Upper Deck, responsible for the company’s blockbuster slate of games, including Yu-Gi-Oh, World of Warcraft and The VS Superhero system. During his tenure, he created Marvel Ultimate Battles, the first-ever trading card game that focused exclusively on Marvel’s popular mass media characters.
As VP of Brand Development for Activision from 2000-2002, Greg established strategic partnerships with the largest Hollywood studios, and worked closely with Marvel Entertainment to successfully develop Spider-man into one of the biggest blockbuster licensed videogame brands in interactive history.
Greg’s career has also included a successful stint at Topps, where he helped launch and manage Topps Comics in the mid 1990s.
Additionally, Greg serves as an adviser for to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBDLF). He is also a frequent guest lecturer at San Diego Sate University and has presented at dozens of panels and conferences throughout the US.
He is also a well-known collector of original comic book art and rues the day he sold his collection the first time around in the late 1990s.
Gil Kane’s final completed work (published posthumously) is this fun two-parter featuring his two classic silver age characters, The Atom and Green Lantern officially teamed together for the first time.Â
Written with affection by Steven Grant, and inked by Klaus Janson, this story confirms that Gil was able to deliver quality storytelling right until he headed to the big studio in the sky.
Gil was one of a kind as a creator (and a person) and as I’ve mentioned in a previous post, I was happy to know him professionally — albeit very, very briefly.
As discussed earlier this year, 1961 is an anniversary for both the Sliver Age versions of Hawkman and The Atom.  Neither character was ultimately commercially viable for his own comic book, so DC tried combining two titles into one.  Unfortunately that didn’t work long either, but as they say, it was fun while it lasted.  Dick Dillin was one of DC”s “B-team” artists who deserves more respect than he typically receives.  Although his draftsmanship may not have been up to the higher levels of some of his peers, his ability to draw with imagination and solid storytelling was pretty on point in my book.  He pretty much drew every issue of Justice League of America for 12 years starting with issue #64 (1968) and ending with his untimely death at #183(1980). Considering all the various JLA crossovers (JSA, Freedom Fighters, etc.), Dillin likely drew hundreds of different heroes and villains during that time.  Just Atom and Hawkman? Piece of cake.
The final individual issues of the Atom and Hawkman, and the first issue of the “new” title, The Atom and Hawkman.
Secret Invasion: Fantastic Four #3, September, 2008
We close out our second celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Fantastic Four with a quick visit to the Negative Zone.
The Negative Zone, like so many of Jack ad Stan’s creations, endures. I’m sure one version or another will figure into the MCU when The FF finally receives the proper cinematic respect the team deserves.
In the meantime, we have the talented Barry Kitson, and the equally talented Mick Gray, delivering a dynamic and splashy page of Johnny Storm bursting into flames and out of the Fantasti-Car, leaving Ben Grimm unhappily behind. (With a cute piece of dialogue to showcase his frustration, as seen in the published page below.)
It’s a terrific piece of art, and if I have any beef with it all, it’s in the published version, because, after coloring, Johnny appears to have a tight crew cut or no hair at all when he bursts into flame. (And stays that way.)
Johnny Storm without his blonde locks? Even on fire? Blasphemy, I say.
Continuing our celebration of the 60th anniversary of the debut of Fantastic Four #1. (August 8, 1961)
Jim Starlin pens a love letter to the classic Hulk-Thing battles of the 60s and 70s with this fun two-parter from Marvel Fanfare.
The Hulk decks Mr. Grimm “off-screen” as it were, bridging the two issues. (See below.)
I never cared one way or another whether The Hulk or Thing was stronger (I pretty much enjoyed any crossover), but apparently this subject is very emotional for some.
That said, Thor is stronger than either of them.
Let the hate mail begin. Ha.
CBR has done a great overview of those classic battles, which you can read here.
Jim Starlin lets our imagination fill in the actual punch, as the Hulk has apparently just decked the Thing in between issues.
The Marvel Age of crossovers begins in March 1963, with a very busy FF meeting the Hulk and Spider-Man in the same month..
Tony Harris delivers a terrific cover for one of the oddest–logoed titles in Marvel History.
The title is not “4”, but actually “Marvel Knights 4”, as the publisher decided to give an edge to the FF by incorporating them into the Marvel Knights brand. (Of course this assumes you know that MK stands for Marvel Knights. And that you’re certain that “4” refers to the FF.)
It’s a puzzler how they ended up there.
And speaking of puzzlers — this storyline deals with time travel and Ramades, son of Ram-Tut, who makes his first appearance the issue prior.
Rama-Tut, of course, is also Kang AND Immortus, and also ultimately retconned to be Nathaniel Richards. Reed’s father. The Time Variance Authority and the Time-Keepers are also involved.
Frankly, as mentioned previously, I could never keep any of this straight, and even the very-detailed Wikipedia page can’t help my brain get around the various iterations of this character. (Not blaming them, though — it’s probably just me.)
Great cover art, though, and Tony colored it himself — adding the background texture as well.
(As for Ramades? He has yet to reappear since this storyline was completed in issue#18.)
Continuing our celebration of the 60th anniversary of the debut of Fantastic Four #1. (August 8, 1961)
Ron Garney — with the help of Jason Keith — delivers a dramatic cover of Ben Grimm and Franklin Richards preparing for a last stand against an unseen foe in a cemetery, indicating the rest of the team is dead.
It’s a time travel story, and a sentimental one at that — as it explores The Thing’s near-immortal life span. In fact, Jonathan Hickman’s one-shot story itself feels like it would be right at home in a Superman comic.
If I have any small gripe — and I think it has happened elsewhere— is that the older Franklin Richards (Reed’s son) often looks too much like a younger Nathaniel Richards (Reed’s dad) in some of the time travel or multiverse stories. Confusing from time to time. (That pun was not intended. Seriously.)
Continuing our celebration of the 60th anniversary of the debut of Fantastic Four #1. (August 8, 1961)
How many brick walls has the Thing crashed through? That’s not some sort of rhetorical question — I have no idea what the answer is.
I do know, when I saw this cool commission, it reminded me in high concept (minus the silly tank top) of John Byrne’s great cover of the ever-lovin’ Thing’s return in Fantastic Four #274.
The Thing. Breaking through a wall. And smoking a cigar.
Jack Kirby Homage, 2002 Cover Re-imagination, Fantastic Four Annual #6, November 1968
Continuing our celebration of the 60th anniversary of the debut of Fantastic Four #1. (August 8, 1961)
The great Italian artist Giorgio Comolo, a Jack Kirby fanatic, creates a terrific alternate cover for Fantastic Four Annual #6, one of the best solo FF stories to appear during the Lee and Kirby run.
Ironically, despite the acknowledged greatness of the issue, the published cover feels a bit lifeless. Comolo’s take is certainly a much more dramatic representation of the issue’s key moment.
As for that vial? Well, for a spoiler, you can read Marvel’s marketing copy below. Let’s just say its importance is yet another reason why we refer to Fantastic Four as the world’s greatest superhero soap opera.
For a look at some other Comolo Kirby homages, click here.Â
Issue synopsis: The baby is coming! With Sue going into labor, Reed must make a perilous journey to obtain Element X, the only thing that can keep the baby safe from the cosmic rays in Sue’s body. The bad news – it can only be found in the Negative Zone! The WORSE news? It’s in the hands of one of the deadliest beings in any universe – ANNIHILUS!
One comic book. One grasp (and possibly a final one) at straws for a struggling comic book publishing company.
Sixty years ago today, Fantastic Four #1 hit the newsstands.
DC had slowly started its own superhero revival five years prior with the appearance of the Silver Age Flash. By the time the FF appeared, DC had establishes enough heroes to create a Justice League team comic book.
Heck, even Archie Comics launched some superhero titles (The Fly, The Shield, etc.) ahead of Marvel.
But Fantastic Four made an impression. Flawed heroes, who barely got along with each other? Fearsome Foes and supporting characters? Continuity, for goodness sakes?
Talk about late to the party — but making an entrance.
Within a few issues, Fantastic Four was the first, and ultimately greatest, soap opera saga in comics. And it didn’t take much longer for Jack Kirby to fully establish himself as the greatest visual storyteller the medium had ever seen, and for Stan Lee to become the greatest showrunner (and, for better or worse, showman) in comics’ history.
The original stories, of course, were much less complex and sophisticated than they are today. (As were the readers.)
Example: This great Steve Epting splash page from issue #586 is from a story that features time travel conundrums and a multiverse gone somewhat amok.
Heady stuff. But you should expect nothing less from Marvel’s First family.
The World’s Greatest Comics Magazine, indeed.
Stan the modest Man: The slogan “Greatest Comic Magazine in the World” became “The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine” in the following issue, and stuck around for more than 30 years.
On Tuesday, August 8, 1961, Fantastic Four #1 hit the newsstands.
The rest, as they say, is history.
As promised back in January, we’re adding a few more Fantastic Four posts to continue the 60th celebration of “The Marvel Age Of Comics.”
And yes, we’re cheating a bit by re-running this great page by Jack from the beginning of the FF’s peak period.
But… no Stan Lee AND Jack Kirby… no Fantastic Four… likely no Marvel Age, period. So, in our mind, worth a repeat.
See you on Sunday.
1980: Jack had left Marvel, again, this time for the world of animation and independent creator-owned comic book projects. Stan was busy in Hollywood woking tirelessly (and mostly unsuccessfully) to make Marvel a brand in entertainment. I never take sides in the endless Lee-Kirby debate, so I say to the photographer who captured this pic (quoting from The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance): “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.”
It all starts here: Cover and opening page for FF#1.
