Greg Goldstein's Comic Art Gallery

Category: Original Art and The Artists

Eddy Barrows — Darkseid At World’s End

Original Art and The Artists

Earth 2: World’s End, June 2015

Darkseid dispatches a number of earth’s greatest heroes in this great looking title page of the final issue of Earth 2:World’s End.

If you like your superhero universe grim and gritty, (as per our last post), this series, set in an alternate universe, should do nicely. 

Darkseid is inarguably Jack Kirby’s greatest legacy at DC comics.  Although his “fourth world” books didn’t last long at DC, Darkseid untimely became the “big bad” of the DC Universe. Shockingly, before Jack’s era, there was no over-arching multi-title super villain. This, despite the fact that by 1970, Marvel had at least a few. (Doctor Doom, Galactus, Kang, The Super Skrull, et al.) 

Marvel had focused on continuity well before DC figured it out.  In fact, Jack’s fourth world books, introduced the first cross-title continuity to the DC Universe.

But, as always, we digress.

Brazilian Artist and DC mainstay Eddy Barrows regularly combines quality draftsmanship and creative storytelling into a highly compelling story. Another Brazilian artist, Eber Ferreira, known for his detailed and meticulous brushwork, typically inks Eddy’s pencils.

More on Jack Kirby’s legacy at DC in the next few posts.

Bryan Hitch — Happy (Mostly) Together

Original Art and The Artists

JLA #50, February 2001

I’m not the ideal audience for Zach Snyder’s vision of the DC Universe. 

I find it grim and dreary. Pretentious. Soulless. 

Ultimately pointless.

These “Elseworlds” versions of the characters are for someone, obviously, just not me.

The four-hour version (“Snyder Cut”) of Justice League isn’t as much as a movie, but a living collection of splash pages, complete with sound effects.

If you’re an art fan, especially, there are indeed some gorgeous images, many conveniently unfolding in slow motion so you can catch all the visual eye candy without pausing the stream.

But, like I said, as a movie, not for me.

Bryan Hitch’s great cover from 20 years ago (!) is the type of iconic image of the team I can embrace. Superman happy. Batman grumpy. Everyone else somewhere in between.

That seems about right.

Fun fact: The JLA has had dozens — if not hundreds — of incarnations during its 60-year run, but here, if you swap Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner version) for Cyborg, you end up with the modern Snyder team. 

A great image never goes to waste if you’re a smart publisher: Comic book cover, trade book cover, and full-bleed print.

Gabriel Hardman — The True King Of The Monsters

Original Art and The Artists

King Kong, Commission, 2014

Godzilla got most of the attention in the last few posts. But Kong needs some love as well.

So here’s a terrific commission by Gabe Hardman to provide a solution.

Between American and international film releases and re-releases, there is a ton of great movie poster art out in the world. Much of it is quite striking, and my favorites always involve the penultimate scene of Kong fighting the “air force” on top the Empire State Building. (Spoiler alert: he loses and plummets to his death moments later.)

So this piece is a no-brainer for my collection. (Plus, my dad loved King Kong, and he would have seen its original release as an 11-year old, so there’s that reason to own it too.)

And even though Kong “died” in the original classic, he came back 30 years later to fight — and apparently defeat — Godzilla in the original match between those screen titans.

I wonder who wins this time around. I guess we will find out tomorrow.

It took more than 30 years for the original King Kong film to receive a comic adaptation, but it when it did, it was a glorious 64 pages for a quarter. Cover by the incredible George Wilson.
A few interior pages from the end of the Gold Key King Kong adaption , and Marvel’s classic parody cover that somehow manages to combine Kong, The Marvel Universe, and Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In.

Geof Darrow — Godzilla Forever

Original Art and The Artists

Godzilla (and Shaolin Cowboy) Commission, 2015

Geoff Darrow imagines the crossover (via commission) that you will never see anywhere else. Darrow’s own Shaolin Cowboy attacking Godzilla.

Geof’s intensely detailed line art is perfect to capture all the scales, fins and bumps on Godzilla’s figure.

Perfect.

And as mentioned previously, he is also one of the nicest and most entertaining creators you will ever meet.

Crossovers you are unlikely to see again include Godzilla vs. The Avengers and Godzilla vs… Charles Barkley?!
This student film made us laugh at festivals and midnight features every single time.

Mark Nelson — Shades Of Godzilla

Original Art and The Artists

Godzilla #2, July 1988

Godzilla’s origin generally begins with atomic testing and radioactivity. (You can catch up on all the versions of his origin here.)

So maybe he is getting ready for a nice atomic snack on this great cover by Mark Nelson.

Nelson executed the art on Craftint specialty paper, which used a chemical process to add an amazing level of tone and depth to the art. Artists like Roy Crane, Wallace Wood and Howard Chaykin are among the many who used the paper regularly (and well) to enhance their storytelling.

The paper was readily available to artists in the mid to late 20th century and ultimately discontinued in 2009 with more commercial artists switching to digital.

I believe Kevin Eastman (TMNT) purchased a large supply when he heard the paper was being discontinued. But, like a fine vintage wine, sooner or later, the supply will run out.

A lost art — although you can replicate the effect in Photoshop, and other similar digital programs.

But, unfortunately, at that point, you don’t get a great piece of art to hold in your hands.

The original (1962) King Kong vs. Godzilla featured a somewhat sketchy version of Kong, especially noticeable in the marketing material, but as a kid, I ate it up anyway.

David Messina — Godzilla’s Kingdoms

Original Art and The Artists

Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters #9, November 2011

My pal David Messina delivers a terrific cover for one of IDW’s many Godzilla comic series from a few years back. I love the composition and scale here.

Godzilla returns (again) this coming week with the much-hyped Godzilla vs. Kong. In theaters or on HBO Max, as they say.

Godzilla has made a few returns to comics as well. Originally a somewhat goofy series at Marvel during the 70s, Dark Horse picked up the rights to the Big G in the 90s. Ultimately, we published quite a few issues at IDW, and the “modern” film version from Legendary has made it into their own sporadic comics line from time to time.

Meanwhile none of the pre-IDW series are available to purchase as collections (print or digital) because of… well, Toho. I tried to make progress there many times. Many, many times.

Trust me on this.

Rich Burchett — Mechanical Monsters

Original Art and The Artists

Superman Adventures #1, November 1996

The Fleischer Studio Superman Cartoons — the very first time Superman appeared on the big screen — continue to be regarded as animation legends.

Watching them today, 80 years later, they appear more astonishing than ever. This is especially true when you realize how much the studio was able to accomplish with the technology of the day.

The best known — and perhaps highest regarded — of these 8 original Fleischer shorts is the second one, “The Mechanical Monsters.”

Superman vs. an army of robots?

What’s not to love?

So it’s only fitting that the first issue of Superman Adventures, adapting the contemporary (1996) animated series, features Superman battling… an army of robots.

Writer Paul Dini and artists Rich Burchett and Terry Austin provide us with an action-packed “all ages” adventure, which includes Superman fighting a fairly powerful Superman robot.

Superman vs. Superman?

What’s not to love?

Side note: Superman The Animated Series, coming in the shadow of the phenomenal Batman animated series, doesn’t get enough love. My daughter and I watched them all. It’s a terrific version of Superman. Trust us on this.

Superman Adventures #1 pays homage to the classic 1941 cartoon “The mechanical monsters.”

Pete Poplaski — Superman’s Golden Age

Original Art and The Artists

Superman Retro Advertising Tin Sign, 1994

Nostalgic collectible tin advertising signs became all the rage in the 1990s.

At first, “reprints” of authentic signs started popping up at flea markets and street fairs. Many were classic brands and logos, some long defunct.

Shortly thereafter, inventive entrepreneurs created new signs designed to emulate the retro look and feel of the classics. You can still find many of these at shops and vendors that specialize in nostalgic candy, soda, etc.

Kitchen Sink, publisher at the time of the Superman and Batman newspaper strip reprint collections, issued two very cool Superman “advertising” tins designed and illustrated by the amazing Pete Poplaski. (This one is marked #3, but I’ve only seen two, so I’m assuming at least one design was tabled.)

As with nearly all of Pete’s illustrations, everything you see, including the lettering, is fully hand drawn. (The line detail on the buildings alone is astonishing.)

And no one captures classic comic art styles like Pete. (Well, maybe the equally amazing Paul Mavrides, but that’s a tale for another day.)

As mentioned previously, when we picked the DC strip reprint rights at IDW in 2013, Pete was our first choice to create all the cover material. 

And, as always, he knocked it out of the park.

Celebrating the 80th anniversary of the original Superman cartoons, created by the incredible Fleischer Studios for Paramount Pictures.
Paul Mavrides, Pete’s only real “competition” in recreating other artist styles, illustrated the Comic Book Confidential film poster art back in 1988, mimicking the art style of each individual artist. (Paul and the original art provide a funny intro to the film itself.)

Michael Cho — Happy Days

Original Art and The Artists

Superman: The Golden Age, Volume 2, Fall 2016

Michael Cho delivers one of the best images this century of the Golden Age Superman.  

Superman. In action. Happy and upbeat.

You’d be happy too if you were the most powerful human on earth — even if you had some serious crime to fight.

I’ve gone on the record that a grim and gritty, introspective (even mopey) Superman is not for me. In other words, most of the modern versions of the character.

Call me old school.

Michael says this early era of Superman is his favorite. It’s certainly among mine as well.

It’s a Superman week here on the blog as we celebrate the 80th anniversary of the debut of the amazing Paramount Fleischer Studios Superman cartoons. Those wonderfully produced animated shorts were the very first time Superman hit the big screen.

In a few days, the most recent filmed version of the character will appear in the re-edited “Snyder cut” of Justice League on HBO.

Don’t take any bets on which version I prefer.

Printed cover, digital prelim, and full-bleed litho version.
George Reeves and Christopher Reeve both knew it was (mostly) cool to be Superman.

Darwyn Cooke — Martinis And Bullets

Original Art and The Artists

The Seventh, Short Story, Parker Martini Edition, 2013

Here’s the best page from The Seventh, an Eisner-winning short story adapted from Richard Stark’s (Donald Westlake) Parker novel of the same name.

Adapted, designed, illustrated, lettered, and hand-colored by the late, great, Darwyn Cooke.

Most of the original art pages from Darwyn’s Parker graphic novels feature two smaller pages on a standard-size board. This one is a full-size page on board (aprox.11X17). It was created as a special bonus for the “Martini Edition,” the beautiful oversized collection of The Hunter and The Outfit, edited by the terrifically talented Scott Dunbier.

The second Martini Edition, collecting The Score and Slayground finally debuts later in 2021. And its bonus material will include a new story by Ed Brubraker and Sean Phillips (Criminal, et al).

I can’t wait. Bam!

The Seventh debuted in The Martini Edition, and can also be found as a bonus story in Slayground, hardcover or softcover.