School Daze — Welcome Back
I hope everyone caught up on their reading over the long holiday weekend. See you a bit later…
Category: Original Art and The Artists
LBCC 2019 — Pencils and Inks
I spent yesterday at the terrific Long Beach Comic-Con, and have posted photos here.
I realized after the fact that nearly all the creators I spent time with — Scott Kolins, Matt Wagner, Howard Chaykin, Gabriel Hardman , Mike Mayhew, Scott Koblish, Dave Bullock and Christian Gossett —- pretty much pencil and ink their own art, which was an odd coincidence. (Koblish inks others as well, but still…) And… they were all exhibiting within a few feet of each other in an otherwise large artists’ alley. Some sort of artistic serendipity I assume.
A great group of creators, enthusiastic fans, creative cosplay — and a good crowd, as opposed to an impossible one — made for a fun day. Kudos to Martha Donato and her team for more than 10 years of successful conventions In Long Beach and elsewhere!
Eric Powell — Field of Screams
The Goon, One For The Road (One-Shot), 2014
Imagine if the legendary cartoonist Jack Davis suddenly appeared —as a young man— and promptly joined you on a fantastical adventure.
Eric Powell imagined it, and realized it, in a special one-shot issue of the Goon. When Joe Jackson shows up in your story, you call it “Field of Dreams”. When Jack Davis, one of the all-time great EC horror artists (among many) pops in — I say we call it “Field of Screams.” (Even though the correct title is “Goon One For The Road.” Sue me. I couldn’t resist the pun.)
Davis was easily one of America’s most talented 20th-century illustrators, and one of three main influences Eric cites in his artistic career. See here for a personal story of Powell getting a dream fulfilled by getting Jack to do the cover.
And how great is this page?!? The gorilla is wearing a friggin’ Prussian war helmet! A helmet!
Gabriel Hardman — Non-Commercial Break
Our friends at Hero Initiative are running one of their great “100 projects,” this one featuring 100 different artistic interpretations of Captain America done on blank sketch covers. Lots of great original art at auction on EBay right now, including this astounding Cap cover by the amazing Gabe Hardman.
This round ends Tuesday, 9/3; Bid often — it’s for a great cause.
(Gabe along with his wife, the very talented writer Corinna Bechko, will be attending the terrific Long Beach Comic Con this weekend, 8/31-9/1. Hope to see you there.)
Al Williamson — This Date in History
X-9: Secret Agent Corrigan Volume 5, 2013
Truly one of the most talented comic artists ever, the late Al Williamson spent 13 years illustrating Secret Agent Corrigan as a daily strip. (With writing by the late, also great, Archie Goodwin.) Here from 1977, is the 8/29 strip, with Corrigan dealing with one of those startling revelations that happened… well… quite regularly back in the day.
It matters not. Archie was a terrific writer of course, but Al Williamson could have illustrated a guide to Windows XP, and I would have devoured it anyway.
I miss Al’s work. I also miss newspaper adventure strips, but that’s a lament for another day.
The complete five-volume collection of Williamson’s Corrigan (Also referred to as X-9) is one of my favorite series form the Library of American of Comics, and one of my favorite projects at IDW Publishing. Yes, that makes me biased. So?
Jack Kirby — Happy 102!
Jack Kirby and Steve Rude, Jimmy Olsen: Adventures by Jack Kirby – Volume 1
Today, let’s celebrate The King’s birthday with some help from an unabashed professional Kirby admirer — Steve “The Dude” Rude. Steve completed a previously unpublished Kirby Jimmy Olsen cover rough for a TPB collection in 2003. I love the power and playfulness in this image, and Steve’s inks nailed it.
Interesting that the initial color version of the cover, used for solicit purposes, is realized in the “classic” style, while the final printed version is digitally rendered in the “modern” style.
Anyone want to guess which version I prefer? Anyone?
(On the subject of Superman’s likeness in the DC Kirbyverse, Kirby expert and author Mark Evanier has some illuminating background here.)
Happy Birthday Jack!
Preliminary color 
Published color
Howard Chaykin — Blackhawk Up
Blackhawk #2, April 1988
As I was preparing the earlier post today about Howard Chaykin’s Scorpion work for Atlas, I ran across an announcement that the 1988 “controversial” Chaykin Blackhawk series is being collected for the first time — along with some additional “modern” Blackhawk stories — into a deluxe hardcover.
I had forgotten that the series (originally 3 issues in “prestige format”) had never been collected. Each issue must have been optimistically overprinted. You can purchase copies today pretty much from any back issue comic book retailer — 30 years later — for less than cover price. I wouldn’t be surprised if Diamond Distributors still has them in stock.
Why was this series “controversial”? The alternate universe setting, the different spin on the lead character and his politics — or perhaps, most likely, Blackhawk’s sexual appetites — and an implied oral sex scene. Today, in an age of “mature” reboots and retcons, plus an overwhelmingly (and unhealthy) lack of interest in political history — even the modern kind — those features would hardly be discussed.
Controversy or not, Chaykin’s Blackhawk remains a worthy follow-up to his American Flagg series. It has many similarities — not the least of which is innovative and dynamic visual style and design throughout. It’s no wonder that when I started collecting original art again about 12-13 years ago, I was pleased to find this page available to purchase right off the bat.
Hawk-a-a-a indeed!
If you want to head down the academic rabbit hole on this subject, try this:
Howard Chaykin — Atlas, Shrugged Off
Scorpion #1, February 1975
Atlas/Seaboard announced its 1974 entry into comic book publishing with plenty of talent and plenty of marketing. Founded by former Marvel Comics publisher Martin Goodman and featuring marquee names like Neal Adams, Steve Ditko, Wally Wood and many up-and-comers, it seemed the possibilities for the new company were endless.
But… those possibilities ended just 23 issues later (no individual title lasted more than four) in late 1975. Many of the titles had rebooted midstream, providing a capricious and confounding publishing strategy.
Howard Chaykin’s Scorpion was easily one of the better Atlas titles — so naturally, after two issues, Seaboard canned Chaykin, hired Alex Toth, and never actually published the pages Toth produced. (They turned up later, elsewhere.)
Not one to waste a great character, Howard quickly transformed Scorpion into Dominic Fortune at Marvel, where he has lived on and off for the last 40 years.
This great page captures Chaykin inventive and dynamic sense of storytelling. Literally “thinking out of the box,” Chaykin flies the airplane right through the outer panel walls, and somehow Atlas’ production dept. made it work — years before full bleed pages were practical in comic book printing.
(Related — there are a few videos available on-line on the short history of Atlas/ Seaboard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzhcYa23PI0 ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJn7NlnjLy8)
And, as Luke narrates in the recent Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker trailer, “No one’s ever really gone.” To wit, Atlas just made another comeback of sorts:
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/who-owns-atlas-comics-1212677
Walter Simonson — Cover Me
Walter Simonson’s The Mighty Thor: Artist’s Edition HC, Original Art Cover
Editor/Original Art expert Scott Dunbier brought his Artist’s Edition idea to IDW Publishing, and the rest as they say, is history. In 2011, Walter Simonson’s groundbreaking Thor run became the very first of the many Marvel Artist’s Editions in this extraordinary series. (And the second IDW Artist’s Edition overall, following Dave Stevens’ Rocketeer the year prior.)
Scott also had the wild idea to do actual original art covers of these original art reprint books on a super-limited basis, and Walter went along with it. These are not “sketch” covers, but rather very nicely detailed individual pencil and ink full-figure drawings of Thor done on blank cover variants. Walter only did about 10 of these — 15 at the most.
The only drawback — I can’t think of any way to frame it. (It’s also the heaviest piece of original art I own. Artist’s Editions are not light, but that is definitely the textbook definition of a first world problem…)
John Byrne — What’s Up, Doc?*
Amazing Spider-Man 15, March 2000
Now here’s a proper villain — done properly! Nice Dan Green inks throughout — but especially on this page.
(*Please see published page — Mackie’s pun, not mine…)
