Howard Chaykin – Greg Goldstein's Comic Art Gallery

Ernie Colon & Al Williamson — A New Hope

May 22, 2024 Greg Goldstein Original Art and The Artists

Droids #8, June 1987

Original Marvel Comics Star Wars comic book art by Ernie Colon & Williamson from the collection of Greg Goldstein

George Lucas thought SF comics legend Al Williamson (EC, Flash Gordon) was an ideal choice to draw the original Marvel adaption of Star Wars. (Now officially titled Chapter IV: A New Hope.)

Unfortunately, Al was locked into his deal for the Secret Agent Corrigan newspaper strip and couldn’t take the gig.

(Fortunately for George, his other choice came through: Howard Chaykin, who was extraordinarily familiar and comfortable with SF and swashbuckling came on board for the adaptation and a few additional issues. But, as always, we digress.)

Al ultimately ended up doing wonderful adaptations of both Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. The stories are gorgeous.

But… Al gets another shot on the original film, when, 10 years after the fact, Marvel decides to adapt A New Hope again — this time as a three-part story in the kids’ comic, Droids.

Ernie Colon provides lovely storytelling, and Williamson provides his beautiful inks, giving him credits on all three Star Wars original trilogy films.

As for the story itself — the main selling point is that this adaptation is told from the Droids’ point of view — which seems odd, since Lucas told interviewers that the films were told from the Droids’ POV, in the first place.

Deja Vu all over again?

Howard Chaykin — ‘Round About Midnight

March 19, 2024 Greg Goldstein Original Art and The Artists

Midnight Men #4, September 1993

Howard Chaykin, Original Art page from Midnight Men #4, from the collection of Greg Goldstein

Never let a great idea go to waste.

Howard Chaykin turned an unused Batman pitch into an imaginative new series for the extremely short lived “Heavy Hitters” imprint from Marvel/Epic in 1993.

I’ve seen most of the original art for this title, and each page is beautiful: Great storytelling, terrific draftsmanship, and a generous use of deep India ink and screen tone for depth and effect. He worked his ass off on these pages, and it shows.

Bonus: Great lettering, as always, by John Workman.

Honestly, the only thing I don’t like about the series is the coloring (not by Howard), but hey, it was the 90s.

The four-issue series has never been collected, but individual issues typically turn up in dollar bins, and are worth seeking out.

Remember, you can’t kill the Midnight Men.

*I’m sure I’ve used this photograph elsewhere, but, we are pals, and I like it. Sue me.*

Baltimore Comic-Con 2023 — Part 4 Of 4

September 19, 2023 Greg Goldstein Original Art and The Artists

Baltimore Convention Center, September 8-10, 2023

Baltimore Comic-Con 2023 — Part 1 Of 4

September 14, 2023 Greg Goldstein Original Art and The Artists

Baltimore Convention Center, September 8-10, 2023

Once again, HUGE thanks and congrats to all the terrific folks who made this past weekend’s Baltimore Comic-Con just as perfect an event could be.

As noted in previous years, It’s easily one of my favorite conventions — an absolute delight to attend. I had a blast catching up with old friends and colleagues, making some new acquaintances, and hosting some fun panels.

I’m exhausted, but it’s a happy exhaustion, and once again, I miss all of you already.

Walter Simonson, Ron Garney — Ron Garney, Walter Simonson

Howard Chaykin — Not Your Typical Superhero

December 17, 2022 Greg Goldstein Original Art and The Artists

Guy Gardner: Collateral Damage #1, January 2007

Here’s the loveliest page from Howard Chaykin’s very entertaining Guy Gardner Green Lantern series from DC’s “prestige” format. (Less issues, but longer stories, nicely presented in a deluxe package.)

Lovely is somewhat ironic in context here — Guy just killed a bunch of bad guys, but he does seem to be enjoying it, and the storytelling and illustration are indeed… lovely.

So let’s stick with it.

Welcome to Day Seven of the 12 DC Days of DeCember.

Baltimore 2022 — Back To The Future (Part 2 Of 3)

November 3, 2022 Greg Goldstein Original Art and The Artists

October 28-30, 2022

More photos from a stellar event!

Baltimore 2022 — Back To The Future (Part 1 Of 3)

November 2, 2022 Greg Goldstein Original Art and The Artists

October 28-30, 2022

Big thanks and congrats to all the folks who made this past weekend’s Baltimore Comic Con just as perfect an event could be.

It’s easily one of my favorite conventions — an absolute delight to attend. I exhausted myself catching up with old friends and colleagues, making some new acquaintance, and trying (ultimately not quite succeeding) to see all the great comics-related material in the room.

I miss all of you already.

Howard Chaykin — Breaking & Entering

September 17, 2022 Greg Goldstein Original Art and The Artists

Batman / Catwoman: Follow The Money #1, January 2011

Batman picking a lock while Catwoman looks on?

Just perfect.

(And with dialog even more so, but I had not read the issue when I acquired the page.)

Such a fun page by my pal Howard. (In a one-shot issue edited by one of oldest friends, Joey Cavalieri. But as always, we digress.)

It is “Batman Day” today — and we’ll pay tribute to that with a few more Bats-related posts through the rest of the month.

Its also our 500th post(!) and there will more to say about that in the next few weeks as well.

HC and GG — At Long Beach Comic –Con Two weeks ago

Long Beach Comic-Con 2022

September 6, 2022 Greg Goldstein Original Art and The Artists

September 3-4. 2022

It’s been a minute (specifically, three years!)… Glad to be back in Long Beach with friends and fans!

Paul Gulacy — Shaken…

October 7, 2021 Greg Goldstein Original Art and The Artists

James Bond 007: Serpent’s Tooth #2, August 1992

Until the last few years, James Bond’s appearances in comic books are rare. Added all together prior to 2016, they most definitely would not fill an omnibus.

Rights issues are always tricky with this franchise; although Eon Productions —and its merchandising arm, Danjaq — manages film rights, the literary property itself remains controlled by the Ian Fleming Estate.

Which explains why this run at Dark Horse features a James Bond who doesn’t in fact look like any other Bond we’ve seen previously. In fact, here he looks a little bit like — Paul Gulacy.

Regardless, It’s great Gulacy page from a good-looking miniseries; even if this specific example looks like it would be more at home in an Indiana Jones comic book.