Greg Goldstein's Comic Art Gallery

Tag: Sal Buscema

Sal Buscema & Tom Palmer— Day Of The Man-Ape

Original Art and The Artists

Avengers #78, July 1970

Sal Buscema brings us a fantastic panel page featuring an over the top Man-Ape (M’Baku) defeating Black Panther and threatening the entire Avengers team. (Spoiler alert — he’s about to introduce us to the entire original Lethal Legion for the first time on the very next page.)

This issue is from mid 1970 — a classic period, as the Silver Age ends and the Bonze Age begins — and if I couldn’t find the monthly issue of Avengers at my local candy store, I would hunt it down somewhere. 

That, by the way, happened frequently. (Did your comics newsstand care which issues actually came in or sold out? I don’t think mine did.)

My obsession was a great way to get some exercise.

Bonus Page: The first appearance of Grim Reaper’s Lethal Legion.

Sal Buscema — Avengers Assembled!

Original Art and The Artists

Avengers #68, Cover Re-creation, 2002

Sal Buscema delivers a perfect recreation of his classic cover for Avengers #68 featuring the entire team concerned, shall we say — about the current health of The Vision.

Sal got a lot of mileage of these kinds of group shots.  (See Below.) 

Apparently, the cover of Marvelmania was actually his tryout piece for the series, and obviously he knocked it out of the park. (No surprise.) One lucky collector owns the original.

That illustration didn’t appear in color until it was used as a pin-up in a Marvel Treasury reprint (Jack Kirby Cover), years later.

Meanwhile, a third similar group shot appeared as a story end page, although we haven’t been able to track down its provenance — yet.

We continue with our 60th anniversary celebration of the first appearance of the Avengers.

See you Friday.

Ron Frenz & Sal Buscema — Family Ties

Original Art and The Artists

Amazing Spider-Man Family #1, October 2008

Here is a great action page from Ron Frenz and Sal Buscema, one of my favorites superhero art teams of the 21st century.

The story is set in the “Spider-Girl” universe (Earth-982) but May Parker is only a baby in this timeline as Spidey comes out of “retirement” to deal with Curt Connors turning into the Lizard again.

Story is by Tom DeFalco, completing the creative trifecta from the long running solo Spider-Girl title.

Not so fun fact: Normally I’m a fan of painter Avi Granov’s work, but this specific cover? Ooof. Nuff said.

Sal Buscema — Chanelling Walter

Original Art and The Artists

Thor #373, November 1986

Sal Buscema gamely takes over the art chores on Thor, as Walter Simonson prepares to conclude his legendary run as writer/artist on the character. This is some of my favorite Sal Buscema art from this era. He manages to channel Walter’s art without aping it, while keeping core elements from his own style, and the results are terrific.

The issue, like all the Marvel comics that month, celebrates the 25th anniversary of the launch of the “Marvel Age Comics” with the original August 1961(November cover date) publication of Fantastic Four #1.

And speaking of anniversaries, it’s Thor’s 60th anniversary this year, so we still have a few more upcoming posts lined up to celebrate Marvel’s God of Thunder. (Of course, technically, the Thor legend is eon’s old, but, as always, we digress.)

Sal Buscema — Spider-Man: Vermin’s Return

Original Art and The Artists

Spectacular Spider-Man #178, July 1991

Continuing our month-long celebration of Spider-Man’s upcoming 60th anniversary.

Here’s a beautiful splash of Spider-Man in full swinging action by Sal Buscema.

It’s another sequel of sorts of Kraven’s Last Hunt, as it features Vermin, who last appeared — and featured prominently — in that storyline.

And spoiler alert, he’s not happy.

Sal Buscema. Spider-Man. Splashy. 

Nuff said.

Sal Buscema — Hulk (& John Byrne) On The Run

Original Art and The Artists

Incredible Hulk Annual #14, December 1985

This Hulk story — from Incredible Hulk Annual #14 — is a direct outcome of one of the oddest creative moments in Marvel Comics history. 

Why so odd? The creative teams on Alpha Flight and The Incredible Hulk did a complete switch with each other. And naturally, they did a crossover to bring readers up to speed. Also, the Secret Wars sequel is involved.

But as always, we digress.

John Byrne, who had been on Alpha Flight, commenced his (ultimately brief) run with issue #314 and this annual, simultaneously. (Bill Mantlo and Mike Mignola went over to Alpha Flight.) And, as prolific as John is, even he can’t produce that many pages at once, so he enlisted art support from Sal Buscema, who penciled and inked the full double issue.

Sal Buscema on the Hulk? Always great.

Sal Buscema on everything else? Always great, too.

After a crossover — and a Secret Wars tie-in — creative teams on The Incredible Hulk and Alpha Flight fully flip-flopped, a first in comics history.

Sal Buscema & Jimmy Palmiotti — Send In The Clones

Original Art and The Artists

Spectacular Spider-Man #232, March 1996

Ben Reilly is Peter Parker’s clone. Ben Reilly died, Peter Parker lived. 

No, wait. Ben Reilly lived; it was actually Parker that died.

Scratch that. Ben Reilly thought he was Peter Parker, but he actually WAS Peter Parker, who thought he was Ben Reilly.

No, wait, that’s not right either…

The clone saga is one of Marvel’s most controversial storylines from the 90s. I remember having a very spirited conversation about the subject with Tom Defalco back in 1995 or so at SDCC when it seemed like it was going to go on forever and ever. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one.

In this issue of Spectacular Spider-Man, this is actually Ben Reilly fighting as Spider-man, (theoretically) while Peter Parker is in brief retirement with the very pregnant Mary Jane.

Regardless, Sal Buscema draws a knockout cover, with inks by Jimmy Palmiotti, as Spidey (real or Memorex) faces Lady Octopus in mortal combat. 

And where did that crazy moon go from original art to final colored, published version? I have no idea. Although I almost titled this post, “Goodnight Moon.”

The 1994-1996 clone saga has its roots in a much more accessible run of Spider-Man 20 years prior.

Ron Frenz and Sal Buscema — Split Screen

Original Art and The Artists

Spider-Girl #97, June 2006

Continuing our celebration of the two-year anniversary of the groundbreaking animated film, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse. 

The original Spider-Girl (The “future” daughter of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson) is a member of the Spider-Verse who refused to die. Every time her series was on the verge of cancellation, a small, but very passionate group of fans persuaded Marvel to keep he book going. You can read more about that here and here.

In this story arc, the final one of the first 100-issue ongoing series, the original Hobgoblin returns, and Spider-Girl switches to the black spider-costume. This of course echoes the choice made by her dad way back in the historic Amazing Spider-Man #252 (May 1984), also penciled by the talented Mr. Frenz. (And Ron also drew the original Hobgoblin saga in ASM as well.)

And this vertical split screen “mirror” effect on the final page? Seldom used, but very cool. I don’t own another page like it.

Ron Frenz & Sal Buscema — Ragnarok & Roll

Original Art and The Artists

Thunderstrike # 4, May 2011

FRenz Kirby etc

Ron Frenz goes full on Jack Kirby (with perhaps a dash of John Buscema) with this wonderful Mangog splash from the second Thunderstrike (Thor — sort of) mini-series.

Just because the “Monster Age” at Marvel ended when the superheroes took over the publishing schedule (early 60s), that didn’t mean that Kirby stopped creating great monsters during the era. 

In fact, the monsters had to be fiercer, meaner, and smarter — to provide antagonists worthy of our intrepid heroes.

Take Mangog here. His appearance typically means the end — of everything. Hence, Ragnarok. Stan and Jack introduced him in Thor 154 and 155 back in 1968 and he’s created havoc from time to time ever since.

As for Mr. Frenz? Another great looking effort, with terrific inks by Sal Buscema.

Kirby Crackle included, no extra charge.

To be-eth continued, as always…

Sal Buscema — Belated Birthday Bash (II)

Original Art and The Artists

Spectacular Spider-Man #137, April 1988

Sal Buscema celebrated his 84th birthday earlier this week — how did that happen, you ask? I don’t know either. (January, by the way, is obviously a great month for the Marvel “bullpen.”) So, we continue our better-late-than-never tribute series.

Sal, one of Marvel’s most versatile and prolific artists, cites the Hulk as his favorite character. Nevertheless… he penciled and (mostly) inked 100 issues of Spectacular Spider-man. (That’s 100!)

Included in that record-setting run is this dynamic page from early in his return to the title in 1988. It’s the end of black spider-suit era — pretty much the final appearance of the costume before Peter ditches it for good (mostly) a month later in Amazing Spider-Man #300. (MJ is not too happy that her husband looks like Venom when he wears it, but I digress.) I love the way the three middle panels work cinematically to show Spidey getting the upper hand on the gunmen.

Sal wanted to be an inker. He has said in various interviews (emphatically, in some cases) he prefers it. And it’s clear that it took him some time to find his own voice penciling. (In fact, if you compare his early 70s work to his late 80s work, it’s obvious that, like many great artists, his voice evolved.)

But I think we are all happy that Stan and Marvel’s editorial team pushed him into pencils. He’s an amazing a spectacular storyteller.

Sal’s first professional work for Marvel is inking over Larry Lieber on Rawhide Kid, followed soon thereafter by pencilling on Avengers. (Both 1969.)