Greg Goldstein's Comic Art Gallery

Tag: Marvel Comics

Shaky Kane — Of Bubblegum & Kings

Original Art and The Artists

Captain America, Jack Kirby Tribute, August 2024

Marvel’s superhero business “blew up” in 1966. A cliché, maybe. But thanks to the Marvel cartoons airing in nationwide syndication that fall, Marvel’s licensing and merchandising business went from pretty much from negligible to ubiquitous, overnight.

I loved those cartoons. I didn’t fully understand that they were pretty much “animating” on the cheap by mostly directly lifting and moving around the actual comic book pages and panels, and at six-years old I didn’t care. (Technically, these cartoons are not much more than primitive motion comics.)

I bought a lot of that merch. The comics of course, were the main thing. But the cards. And the stickers. Dumb gags I admit. But I loved the Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, et al, art in miniature.

So, when I saw Shaky Kane’s original painted tribute to Marvel “bubblegum” cards at the Jack Kirby art exhibit in LA this past summer, it knocked me out, flooding me with (literally) sweet memories.

Unfortunately, it had already sold. This bummed me out of course, until one of my pals with me that day, the brilliant (and extremely logical) designer Stan Madaloni, said to me:  

“Why don’t you reach out to him see if he’ll make another one for you.”

Uh. Duh.

Shaky agreed, and, although I hate to use another cliché, the rest, is in fact, history.

The second one is now fortunately, and gratefully, in my possession.

Both Donruss and Philadelphia Gum (“Swell”) beat Topps to the punch in the Marvel business in 1967, with cards and stickers respectively. Topps found a way in with the odd Marvel Flyers collection (designs from Wally Wood’s studio) and the mini-comics satire “Krazy Little Comics”, with art by Wood, Gil Kane and others. (Scripts by Roy Thomas.)

Final thoughts: If I could go back in time and tell seven-year Greg that he would one day work for both Topps AND Marvel, he’d probably tell me I’m nuts and chase me away.

What a trip.

Mike Ploog — Marvel Goes Ape

Original Art and The Artists

Planet Of The Apes #3, December 1974

Things you learn.

According to Roy Thomas, in an editorial in the first issue of Planet of the Apes magazine, it was my friend and old Topps colleague Len Brown who persuaded Roy — and Marvel — to acquire the POTA license. Roy’s article on that process is worth a read.

Another fun fact: Mike Ploog insisted he draw the series, which was developed as a sequel to the fifth and final original Apes film, Battle of the Planet of the Apes.

And that’s cool, because Mike provides us with some very lovely artwork throughout, including this terrific page. 

Mutants! Monkeys! Maniacs! What more could you ask for?

(Special note: Pretty much  everyone was late to the party on the POTA license, but when they finally got there in time for the final film and then the TV series, It became, as they say,  “a thing.”) 

Roy Thomas tells us the origin of Marvel’s Planet Of The Apes.

Mike Machlan — Jack Kirby Revisited: Hulk Vs. FF

Original Art and The Artists

Commission, Undated

Original Jack Kirby recreation art from Mike Machlan --- from the collection of Greg Goldstein

Jack Kirby created this iconic cover of the first meeting between the Hulk and The Fantastic Four in 1963. It would be the first of many, many epic fights between the Thing and The Green Goliath.

The late Mike Machlan takes Jack’s moment in time, and brilliantly adds a second or so to show what happens when the heroes actually come upon each other. One thing is certain — that cave will never be the same.

Machlan loved classic comics, and his recreations and reinterpretations can be found on the Comic Art Fans website and elsewhere. His professional career was much too short.

Original Machlan art and published page from Marvel Fanfare #41 as posted previously:

https://greggoldsteincomicartgallery.com/mike-machlan-avengers-2-redux/

Carmine Infantino & Pablo Marcos — Way Of The Wookie!

Original Art and The Artists

Star Wars Weekly #95 (Marvel UK), December 1979

Marvel Comics 1979 Star Wars original comic book art by Carmine Infantino and Pablo Marcos from the collection of Greg Goldstein.

Here’s a terrific 1979 Star Wars splash page from Carmine Infantino; like a few other stories from the same era, it was originally exclusive to the Star Wars UK weekly.

I’ve never seen a definitive answer on this, but I suspect writer Archie Goodwin wrote several stories as “placeholders” until Lucasfilm gave Marvel some indication on the storyline/ direction of Empire Strikes Back. No one at Marvel could have been possibly known when that would be. So, Archie and Carmine kept going with “isolated” storylines, until they were brought into the loop. 

(The ESB embargo date must have changed a few times too. Marvel advertises the adaptation at the end of #37 for the very next issue — which ends up as a filler story — because Empire doesn’t start till #39.)

Lovely brushwork from Pablo Marcos nicely compliments and enhances Carmine’s “loose” pencil work. (As Carmine aged, his styled became looser and looser. Check his 80s return to DC’s original Flash series a few years later.)

Another quirk about this story. It ultimately appeared in color (from Marie Severin) in a Marvel US paperback collection of “new” Star Wars stories. Cropping on the panels is inconsistent because the pages had to fit the odd format. (See below.)

Ernie Colon & Al Williamson — A New Hope

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?

Klaus Janson — The Apprentice

Original Art and The Artists

Star Wars Annual #3, 1983

Original Star Wars Comic Book art by Klaus Janson, from the collection of Greg Goldstein

1983 was a busy year for Star Wars… and Klaus Janson.

Janson pencils, inks, and colors a terrific looking stand-alone Star Wars annual which releases in the summer. At the same time, he’s inking and penciling over Frank Miller’s layouts on Miller’s legendary Daredevil run. (Ultimately penciling and inking four issues on his own.)

On the Lucasfilm front, Return of The Jedi releases in May 1983, concluding the original trilogy — with the gazillion licensed products that follow suit. (The Jedi adaptation from Marvel is released as a separate series, in addition to the monthly Star Wars ongoing comic book.)

The first three pages of this Star Wars annual came up for auction late last year and fortunately, I snagged one.

Russ Manning — Star Wars, Sunday Best

Original Art and The Artists

Star Wars Sunday Strip, #39, December 12, 1979

Russ Manning Star Wars Original Comic Strip Art From The Collection of Greg Goldstein

I finally checked off a piece of art from my OA “bucket list” with the acquisition of this terrific Russ Manning Star Wars Sunday strip late last year.

I own some great Star Wars original art, but not much focusing on Leia, so I’m especially pleased I won this strip at auction. Coincidentally, I was the underbidder the previous time it had appeared at auction — second time is the charm, apparently.

When we had the opportunity to collect the complete Star Wars strip collection at IDW Publishing, it was yet another box checked off from the publishing bucket list. Dean Mullaney and the Library of American Comics (LOAC) crew produced (as always) an amazing three-volume set.

Welcome to Star Wars “month.”  May the force be with you throughout.

Did your newspaper make room for the full strip, or the “abridged” version, featuring Sundays without the top tier?
Screenshot

Frank Thorne —Emperor Of Doom

Original Art and The Artists

Savage Sword of Conan #23, October 1977

Frank Thorne original comic art featuring Red Sonja --- from the collection of GREG GOLDSTEIN

Here’s a gorgeous and splashy Frank Thorne washtone page from a terrific Red Sonja story published in the black and white Savage Sword of Conan magazine.

Thorne is one of those artists that I enjoyed as a kid but did not fully appreciate until much later. Excellent draftsmanship, storytelling, and an imaginative sense of design.

And, of course, beautiful women. That part was always obvious.

I acquired this page earlier this year at OAX. Paid too much for it.

But not sorry about it.

George Perez — Avengers & JLA, Assemble!

Original Art and The Artists

Avengers / JLA #4, May 2004

George Perez Original Art, JLA / Avengers --- from the collection of Greg Goldstein

Captain Marvel fighting alongside… Captain Marvel? Only on this great battle page by the legendary George Perez from the Justice League / Avengers crossover that took more than 20 years to make happen.

And, appropriately, 2024 is the 20th anniversary of its publication. Twenty years ago? How on Earth (1,2, or 616) did that happen?

(Thanks to pal and super collector Michael Lovitz for parting with this one.)

Howard Chaykin — ‘Round About Midnight

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.