Baltimore Comic-Con 2023 — Part 3 Of 4
Baltimore Convention Center, September 8-10, 2023
Tag: Alex Saviuk
Baltimore 2022 — Back To The Future (Part 3 of 3)
October 28-30, 2022
Alex Saviuk — Spider-Man’s Sinister Villains
Convention Illustration Program, 2013
Continuing our month-long celebration of Spider-Man’s upcoming 60th anniversary.
Alex Saviuk delivers a dynamic action scene of Spider-Man battling the super-villain team, The Sinister Six. (As much as I love Spidey, I’m pretty sure even he’ going to get creamed 10 seconds later.)
Here’s why good notes are important: My pal Alex drew this for a 2013 Comic Book Convention program. The only problem is, he can’t recall which convention.
If any sharp-eyed fans have seen the published piece, and can remember where it’s from, we’d love to hear from you.
Fun Fact: Our friends at Wikipedia have listed 16 numbered versions of the “Sinister Six,” along with additional lineups from alternate realities, etc. This version is close to the original team (except swap Kraven for the Lizard). Or version #10 (the “Superior Six”) from 2013. In that case, you only have to swap the minds of Spidey and Doc Ock.
Ah, comics.
Alex Saviuk — Spider-Man’s Amazing Friends
Newspaper Strip, Sunday, January 20, 2008
Pencils: Alex Saviuk.
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Stan Sakai.
Story: Stan Lee. (With ghostwriting help likely from Roy Thomas.)
It’s an all-star team of creators contributing to this Sunday Spider-Man strip, and signed by everyone.
(Well almost. If I’m correct about Roy, I hope I can get his John Hancock at a convention. Whenever conventions become the norm again, that is.)
Fun Fact: I acquired this Sunday directly from Alex, who was kind enough to Remarque it for me to distinguish from the few others that had all four autographs. A talented artist and a super nice guy.
Nuff said.
(*You can read about Stan Lee and the legend of “Nuff Said” here and here.)
Alex Saviuk — Meta Mysterio
Spider-Man Adventures #5, Unused Cover, April 1995
Spider-Man: Far From Home landed on digital streaming platforms this week, so the next few posts feature — who else? — Spider-Man and Mysterio.
Spider-Man Adventures, a ‘90s comic book title, existed mainly to support Spider-Man: The Animated Series, which ran on Fox Kids from 1994 – 1998. In fact, the first thirteen issues of the comics are direct adaptations of the first-season episodes.
The episodes themselves are adapted (albeit loosely in some cases) from original Spider-Man comic books.
So…
Issue #5, featuring Mysterio, is an adaptation of Episode #5 of the TV series, which in turn, is adapted from Mysterio’s very first comic book appearance — by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko — in Amazing Spider-Man #13. (1964).
A comic book adaptation…. of a TV show adaptation… of a comic book story. That trick definitely trumps anything up Mysterio’s sleeve.
Alex tells me that his original cover was rejected because the editors wanted more emphasis on Mysterio —and for the character to be more “dramatic and menacing,” and I think he delivered. (See below.) Still, I like Alex’s original take, especially with that iconic Spidey image.
Alex’s creative spin on the wall-crawler has lasted more than 30 years. He drew the Web of Spider-Man comic book for seven years, and then the full Spider-Man Adventures run, and then the Spidey newspaper strip from 1997 to its end earlier this year.
Nothing mysterious about that longevity — Alex’s passion for, and understanding of, the Spider-Man character is obvious anytime he puts pencil to paper.
Fan art of a Far From Home Poster that looks a LOT like the unpublished cover.
It appears Alex was well ahead of his time.