Greg Goldstein's Comic Art Gallery

Tag: Scott Dunbier

Darwyn Cooke — Pulp Friction

Original Art and The Artists

Rocketeer Spirit #1 and #2, (Cover Preliminary Art) July/August 2013

Continuing our celebration of “Will Eisner Week,” with other creators’ takes on the beloved and influential character, The Spirit.

As noted last year, the late Darwyn Cooke was likely the closest modern creator to fully realize Will Eisner’s legacy.  Darwyn was an astonishing storyteller, designer illustrator, letterer and more. (Among dozens of awards and nominations, he also received an Emmy nomination for his work on the 2008 animated film Justice League: New Frontier.)

DC launched its ongoing Cooke Spirit series with a Batman / Sprit crossover, and this Spirit / Rocketeer crossover (covers only) brings some closure to that brief run.

The covers are designed to form one single unit, and a limited variant wraparound cover might exist, although I can’t find it in my collection — or on-line. ( I can’t recall if we ended up printing it or not.)

As for these prelims? They are oversize on real art board… and they are spectacular.

“I can remember it was one of those days when I was thirteen, and I was in a comic store, and there was nothing that I wanted to get. On the wall was a copy of Warren’s Spirit magazine. I think it’s number three, where he is running down the elevated track straight at you, and the train is behind him. It’s just one of the most exciting images I have ever seen…”

-Darwyn Cooke interview From Will Eisner: A Spirited Life by Bob Andelman

Alex Toth — Toys For The Holidays (Part 1)

Original Art and The Artists

Hot Wheels #2, June1970

Mattel’s introduction of Hot Wheels in 1968 brought the 60s Cultural Revolution into miniature toy cars.

I had casually collected matchbox cars previously, and enjoyed them, but Hot Wheels’ souped up designs and colors were game changers. I couldn’t get enough.

And those crazy bright orange track sets and accessories? Near the top of my list for Hanukah 1969 and 1970, if I recall correctly.

DC jumped into the Hot Wheels business with a short-lived (six issues) licensed comic book series based on the animated TV series. Alex Toth, who knew both comics and cars well, and had developed the look and feel of the TV series, drew many of the stories.

I’ve tried for years to collect those six issues into a deluxe hardcover. In fact, I’ve had multiple meetings with senior execs at Mattel who all agree that it absolutely should be collected. Then, when push comes to shove, a contract never appears. My theory, and it’s based on similar situations, is that no one wants to take responsibility for the legal time and money spent on a project that ultimately doesn’t have much revenue potential in the scheme of things.

Sigh.  Alex Toth’s art should never, ever remain in limbo.  

Hot Wheels advertising dominated nearly all comic book publishing in the late 60s and early 70s.

Walter Simonson — Cover Me

Original Art and The Artists

Walter Simonson’s The Mighty Thor: Artist’s Edition HC, Original Art Cover

Editor/Original Art expert Scott Dunbier brought his Artist’s Edition idea to IDW Publishing, and the rest as they say, is history. In 2011, Walter Simonson’s groundbreaking Thor run became the very first of the many Marvel Artist’s Editions in this extraordinary series. (And the second IDW Artist’s Edition overall, following Dave Stevens’ Rocketeer the year prior.)

Scott also had the wild idea to do actual original art covers of these original art reprint books on a super-limited basis, and Walter went along with it. These are not “sketch” covers, but rather very nicely detailed individual pencil and ink full-figure drawings of Thor done on blank cover variants. Walter only did about 10 of these — 15 at the most.

The only drawback — I can’t think of any way to frame it. (It’s also the heaviest piece of original art I own. Artist’s Editions are not light, but that is definitely the textbook definition of a first world problem…)