The first series of Jurassic Park comics in nearly 15 years is, unfortunately, nothing to write home about. Or write about here, for that matter. Neither the writing the art (especially) the art were up to snuff of the other licensed books we published at IDW. The less said, the better.
But… the covers were pretty terrific. Frank Miller, Bernie Wrightson and many others contributed to those covers. Included in the group is this one, wonderfully executed by the terrifically talented — and often criminally underrated — Tom Yeates.
Tom channels some Valley of Gwangi with his cowboys vs. dinosaurs scene depicted here.
If you’re not familiar with this film, give it a try. It’s not like we all don’t have a bit of extra time on our hands these days, unfortunately. Might as well dive into classic dinosaur films.
As Ray Bradbury had said, who doesn’t like dinosaurs?
Or great dinosaur art for that matter.
Tom’s cover immediately reminded me of the 1969 film, Valley of the Gwangi, which had its own comic book adaptation. Also pictured above is the original film concept art, which actually reflects the dino to cowboy scale a bit more accurately.
Perhaps best known for his work on Micronauts and the Nam, Michael Golden is simply put, a superstar artist.
Perhaps some of his most fascinating art, and possibly least known by anyone other than hardcore Golden fans, are his covers (and portfolios) for Topps’ Jurassic Park series.
Beautifully detailed, wonderful compositions, these covers transcended the JP sequels and side stories that we published at Topps. They are simply stunning. While some are better than others, there’s not a bad one in the bunch.
Michael did 18 different covers, and added two new ones to two separate portfolios. Interestingly, until I looked it up, I didn’t realize that Image actually published the portfolios, which are long out of print and challenging to find on the secondary market place.
(I have no memory of how we were able to swing that with Universal, but I’m glad we did.)
This specific piece? Dinosaurs. Gorillas. Mad scientists. It’s like some crazy Republic serial, gorgeously illustrated.
And for you Golden Micronauts fans? The terrifically talented and tenacious Scott Dunbier has somehow figured out a way to carve out a deal with Golden, Marvel and Hasbro to create an Artist Edition for later in the year.
I can’t imagine it will be anything less than great.
Cover as it originally appeared, and then re-colored for a trade collection 15 years later.
Michael Golden’s portfolios of Jurassic Park art, both of which — especially volume 2 — are very scarce today.
Jurassic Park: The Devils in the Desert#1, January 2011
I have no memory of how I acquired a few pieces of art. A chance dealer transaction at a convention perhaps … or possibly a last minute sweetener in a trade? Too much art probably, too many years definitely, and as they say…. hard drive almost full.
But this art’s provenance I remember very well.
NYCC about 5 years ago. I had heard a lot about John Byrne’s house and all the various art collectibles that made up some of the décor, but hadn’t had a chance to get up to the wilds of Connecticut to check it out.
This time I was determined. So, one rainy day at the end of the convention day, Chris Ryall and I trudged our way through monsoon-like rain (no exaggeration) to the train station, missed our connection, but eventually made it up to John’s town. After a nice Chinese meal, we headed back to John’s house.
It was everything as described. Great collectibles and memorabilia, and some great art hanging in his studio by comic book legends John admired. (No surprise, lots of Jack Kirby.)
Chris had already a direct working relationship with John, and in fact had been to his house previously. But I had actually not seen John since the early 90s, and he had no memory of our meeting, nor should he.
As many colleagues can share, John can be reserved at times. Regardless, he was gracious to his publisher, and he definitely warmed up a bit as we discussed art in detail while I enjoyed the tour.
At the end of the night, He pointed us to his flat files of art and told us to each take something. These file were a potpourri of recent projects, pieces he had yet to give to his art representative Jim Warden to sell for him.
Chris found a page from DC’s OMAC series that John was especially proud of. I was a bit more interested in something that we had published at IDW, and after some deep digging, I came up with this great Jurassic Park double-page spread from the mini-series John created for us.
He was delighted that I admired it, and I, of course, was delighted with his generosity. It is a great piece, and to date, I walk past it every day and smile. Permanent collection, for certain.
Getting it back to California from New York wasn’t easy, but that’s a story for another day.
Thanks again, JB!
I love the way the covers link up, especially issues #1 and #2.
Michael Crichton’s
Jurassic Park novel turns 30 this year, so the next few posts pay tribute to
the book that became a blockbuster film franchise.
Gil Kane and George Perez teamed up on artistic chores for the original Topps Jurassic Park film adaption. (with writing by Walter Simonson). It was an unique pairing suggested by EIC Jim Salicrup, and for the most part, worked very well. All four issues came out on the predetermined schedule, not an easy feat, especially in those days with newsstand distribution considerations. But the schedule was… tight.
I was delighted to pick up the original art for Gil’s
variant cover for issue #4 a few years ago at auction.
The scene is from the climax of the film where our young
heroes are menaced in the commissary kitchen by the crafty velociraptors. It’s
a cool composition that captures the terror of the moment.
Here’s the rub — Is that a chubby raptor missing a neck? Or a deformed T-Rex? I mean, what the hell kind of dino did Gil actually draw?
You can’t tell from the scan, but there’s an art patch on
the dino’s face. Clearly some of it absolutely, positively needed to be altered
to be approved overnight. But someone in Universal’s licensing department must
have ultimately taken pity on our harrowing schedule, and us, because the final
version is definitely not on model.
Since this is technically not the “main” cover, which is by
Dave Cockrum, maybe they gave us a pass. (I don’t remember who did the art patch
— George, our production department or for that matter, Gil.)
Ah, Gil. We sent him lots of photo reference. I can’t recall
if we sent this exact scene specifically, but regardless, he had reference.
Like I said, lots of it. Only problem is, as I found out later on, Gil didn’t
have much use for reference.
It doesn’t matter. He was one of the best. I consider myself
fortunate to know him professionally, albeit briefly. Stories about him were legendary
by the time I met him in 1993.
And, I got at least one “Greg, my boy…” out of him, so I could cross that off the list. Whew.
Gil’s published variant cover, along with Cockrum’s “main” cover.
Actual Velociraptors menacing our protagonists in the film.
2020 is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ray Harryhausen, movie visual effects pioneer who inspired generations of filmmakers.Interestingly, Harryhausen and Ray Bradbury, subject of our previous post, were lifelong best friends.
Harryhausen’s cinema creatures are iconic, including The Cyclops from his first color feature, the 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958).
Bill Stout drew this impressive Cyclops (plus a few supporting “characters”) to use as his cover for his tribute book to Haryhaussen in 2003. Stout has done a number of these tribute books, including one appropriately enough for Willis Obrien, Haryhausen’s special effects mentor.
The art ended up in the collection of film director Frank Darabont, and was auctioned off when Darabont sold much of his collection in 2019.
Leading comic art dealer Mike Burkey then acquired it, and I acquired it from Mike.
And now, to paraphrase, the Cyclops stops here.
The original 1958 US posters featured a hodgepodge of images from the film, but in 1975, the Japanese re-release poster dramatically emphasized the Cyclops.
The legendary SF author Ray Bradbury would have turned 100 years old this year. He passed away in 2012.
Ray Bradbury’s A Sound of Thunder is my favorite time travel short story.
It’s also the very first time travel short story I ever
read. (I had already read HG Wells’ novel, The Time Machine, at that point.
Multiple times in fact.)
Thanks to the progressive spirit of my secondary school system, we read the Bradbury short story collection “R is For Rocket” in eighth or ninth grade.
A Sound of Thunder: Time travel. Adventure. Dinosaurs. In other words, for my tastes, perfect.
Nearly 20 years later, Byron Preiss and Topps struck a deal to publish comic book versions of Preiss’ graphic novel series, Ray Bradbury Illustrated. Main feature in the first issue? A Sound of Thunder, cover by the incredibly talented Bill Stout, who is generally in a class by himself when it comes to Dinosaurs.
(The comic features a new adaptation by Richard Corben and
the reprint of the classic EC story by Al Feldstein and Al Williamson.)
And 25 years after that? Stout decides to part with the
cover, and I literally stumble upon at his booth at SDCC. Hanging in the frame
that hung in his studio for many years.
Serendipity at work. Lets call this one a part of the “ permanent collection.”
Covers for both the Topps comic book version and the Byron Preiss “graphic novel.”
Richard Corben did an outstanding job on the “modern” version of Sound, while Al Williamson drew both the cover and the adaptation of the beloved EC Comics version.
Ray Bradbury’s intro for the first issue of Topps Bradbury comics, along with the cover of the 70s paperback version of R Is For Rocket, ubiquitous at the time.
Concluding — for now — our two-week series celebrating a few important X-Men anniversaries in 2020.
A full-page splash of an iconic superhero… on the phone?
Well yes, why not, if done well?
And here in Alpha Flight it’s done very well, by the talented June Brigman and Whilce Portacio.
I love the look on Logan’s face. And, his coif reminds me of
the line from great Warren Zevon song “Werewolves of London:”
“His hair was perfect.”
Wolverine is not self-quarantining here. I double-checked. He’s just chilling at the moment. Also, note there are two things you won’t see anymore in a Marvel Comic. A phone cord and a cigar; old technology and a bad influence on kids, in the order.
But Snik?!? Someone
apparently forgot the “t” in Snikt? That’s an odd one. Chris Claremont first used
“Snikt” way back in X-Men #116. And, apparently it’s become a legit trademark
for the sound of Wolverine’ claws.
Fun fact: The story continues — with Wolverine — in Alpha Flight #53 and, while also inked by Whilce, its penciled by none other than Jim Lee, whose very first Marvel work was two issues earlier, in #51. But this time, he draws Wolverine, a sign of things to come.
Fun fact #2: Whilce
and I bumped into each other —- both of us with unscheduled visits — on
Free Comic Book Day a few years ago. Pretty fun and random coincidence — its
not like San Diego is a small county, or only has one comic book store.
Fun fact #3; If for
any odd reason you have not read the Power Pack series by Brigman and Louise
Simonson, well, stop what you’re doing and get to it. Brilliant. And fun!
More X-men and Wolverine related posts late in the year. Stay tuned.
Claremont and Byrne introduce “Snikt” as Wolverine’s trademark claw sound effects in X-Men #116, December 1978
Beginning on the last page of Incredible Hulk # 180 and continuing through the now iconic (and ultra–expensive) Incredible Hulk #181 the introduction of Wolverine foreshadowed the “new” X-men a few short months later.
(FYI, he also appears on the first page of #182, where get’s
forced to leave by the Canadian authorities he works for. Remember when it was
a big deal that Wolverine was “Canadian?” But I digress…)
Since that moment 46 years ago, Hulk and Wolverine have crossed paths more than a few times. And why not? Feels like a reasonable match-up.
This commission jam piece by Ken Lashley on Wolverine, and Paul Pelletier on Hulk — with Mark Morales on inks — captures he dynamics of this battle perfectly.
The original commissioner had a very specific vision in mind —- and obviously realized it — but then chose to sell / trade it shortly thereafter to a comic art dealer. Apparently, the original collector has MANY pieces featuring Hulk vs. Wolverine.
I don’t normally collect commissions (unless it’s a
recreation or re-imagination) with some notable exceptions by comic art
veterans, but this one called it out to me, and it ended up in my possession as
part as a larger acquisition.
All three artists knocked it out of the park.
Which, based on the scene itself, is about to happen to ether Hulk or Wolverine — or both — in a millisecond.
The commission reminds me of this great cover of World War Hulk by Ed McGuinness— up close and personal.
It all starts here. The Incredible Hulk #180 and #181. The Wolverine definitely strikes MORE than once.
Two different Hulk #181 re-imaginations by John Byrne, and one by Art Adams are among the many versions of this cover in existence.
As noted earlier, John Byrne had returned to X-Men with X-Men: The Hidden Years.
His original collaborator, writer Chris Claremont, returned much later on in 2010 via a more direct route, in X-Men Forever.
Basically picking up after he left off in 1991 — and then immediately diverging — Claremont quickly killed Wolverine and had the remaining X-Men team deal with the ramifications of his death.
Tom Grummett’s character-packed cover deals with the team laying their fallen comrade to rest. Grummett was the many artists on the Forever series, which also included X-men mainstay Paul Smith on this issue, and others.
It’s an interseting choice — and a good one, commercially — to leave Wolverine’s uniform on top of the coffin. Contextually, of course, it makes little sense.
Sean Chen’s variant cover takes a look at an imaginary one moment later — when “zombie” Wolverine breaks out of his coffin(In uniform). This event is not in the series. Wolverine in fact stays dead. This image seems a tribute to the popular (and multiple) Marvel Zombies series.
It’s a clever set-up, and one of the few times a main cover and a variant are done in this manner. Kudos to editor Mark Paniccia — or whoever came up with the imaginative idea.
X-Men: The Hidden Years # 17, April 2001 & #20, July 2001
John Byrne returned to the X-Men in 1999. Not his beloved X-Men of Wolverine, Storm, Colossus and Phoenix, however. This time it was the “original” X-Men — in the period between their cancellation and rebirth. The “Hidden Years.”
It’s an often overlooked series and shouldn’t be. John brought great energy — and closed some outstanding story loops — in the 22-issue series.
Inks are by the terrific Tom Palmer, which gave the series a
classic look, reminiscent of those great original Neal Adams issues, while still
keeping it clearly Byrne.
Lots of fun guest appearances in the series as well, including the Fantastic Four — inked in one issue by the legendary Joe Sinnott.
X-Men: Hidden Years #20 is a Byrne homage to Jack Kirby’s Fantastic Four #1. It was the sixth (and final) Marvel-related FF #1 homage that John drew.
