My random 1974 cover today is part of the "Secret Empire" storyline written by Steve Englehart. I was a big fan of Englehart even as a kid (along with Gerber and others) and I remember feeling very sophisticated at the age of 9 or 10, reading about corruption running all the way to the White House.
Pencils & inks by Sal Buscema (though GCD credits "layouts" to John Romita, Sr.)
A bit of 1974 team-up action, with Gil Kane pencils and John Romita Sr. inks...
Sometimes you love a cover for no discernable reason. This is one of those covers. It makes me want to read the issue. If I had been a kid and this was on a spiner rack it would have been an instant purchase.
A bit of 1974 team-up action, with Gil Kane pencils and John Romita Sr. inks...
Sometimes you love a cover for no discernable reason. This is one of those covers. It makes me want to read the issue. If I had been a kid and this was on a spiner rack it would have been an instant purchase.
Agreed -- something about the dynamic action, those two teaming up -- and a dinosaur bad guy! Of course, for me it wasn't in theory -- I DID buy it off the rack. (ha)
Today is Klaus Janson’s birthday—he’s 62. So here’s a cover from the 2003 Batman: Death and the Maidens mini-series, which he both penciled and inked (covers and interiors).
Happy 84th birthday to John Romita! Romita broke into comics in 1949 when he became a ghost penciler for an inker by the name of Les Zakarin. Up to that point, Romita had been doing advertising illustration for Forbes Lithograph, but working with Zakarin he built up a portfolio of work for Timely that he was then able to turn into a freelancing job with Timely of his own. Then he got drafted into the Korean War in 1951, where he served for two years in a Stateside post.
But before his freelance career took off, while he was still assisting Zakarin, he did a few jobs for Avon and Trojan. It’s unclear what his first published cover was, but this cover to Crime Smashers #7 (Nov. 1951) is one of those early jobs.
Romita, along with many of his peers, was a huge fan of Milt Caniff. And as with Carmine Infantino, Lee Elias, etc., the Caniff influence was very evident in his early work, as seen in his first cover (pencils and inks) for Timely/Marvel, Captain America #77 (July 1954).
Romita’s second cover for Timely was for Western Kid #1 (Dec. 1954). He also penciled and inked three of the four interior stories. For this cover, Romita used Gil Kane’s work on Rex, the Wonder Dog as a reference for the Kid’s dog Lightning.
A bit of 1974 team-up action, with Gil Kane pencils and John Romita Sr. inks...
Sometimes you love a cover for no discernable reason. This is one of those covers. It makes me want to read the issue. If I had been a kid and this was on a spiner rack it would have been an instant purchase.
What I like about most 70s covers was that they had a certain kinetic quality to it, and they seemed to leap of the page...
This had to be one of my top 10 favorite comics when I was a kid. Loved. It.
Cover by Gil Kane with inks by Frank Giacoia. Interiors were written by Len Wein with art by Sal Buscema & Klaus Janson inks.
Nebulon is working with the Squadron Sinister, and Nighthawk ends up siding with the Defenders...and eventually joins the team.
I think Giacoia was probably Gil Kane’s best inker, even better than Murphy Anderson. Giacoia was able to add texture and depth to Kane’s linework without losing Kane’s chiseled style. The result is much more dynamic looking than what Murphy did over Kane.
I think Giacoia was probably Gil Kane’s best inker, even better than Murphy Anderson. Giacoia was able to add texture and depth to Kane’s linework without losing Kane’s chiseled style. The result is much more dynamic looking than what Murphy did over Kane.
Insightful as always...
[and that translated to a cover which made me say "what an awesome fight!" when I was 9 years old -- ha]
Romita’s first cover of 1955 would not only be his only cover work in 1955, but his last cover for Marvel for many years. He was still keeping busy with interior work—mostly westerns—but within a couple of years his work at Marvel would dry up. So here’s the cover to Western Thrillers #4 (Feb. 1955).
In late 1956, early ’57 Romita started doing romance stories for DC to make extra money. Stan found out and told him that if he wanted to stay on the “A-list,” he'd have to give it up. So Romita did.
But 1957 was a tough year for Marvel—and for their artists. Page rates were cut dramatically (Romita went from making $40/page to $24/page), and eventually most of the artists were cut loose, including Romita. Luckily, Editor Zena Brody still wanted Romita drawing romance comics for DC. And so, Romita soon became one of DC’s top romance artists. Here’s one of his early romance covers, Secret Hearts #58 (Oct. 1959).
In late 1956, early ’57 Romita started doing romance stories for DC to make extra money. Stan found out and told him that if he wanted to stay on the “A-list,” he'd have to give it up. So Romita did.
But 1957 was a tough year for Marvel—and for their artists. Page rates were cut dramatically (Romita went from making $40/page to $24/page), and eventually most of the artists were cut loose, including Romita. Luckily, Editor Zena Brody still wanted Romita drawing romance comics for DC. And so, Romita soon became one of DC’s top romance artists. Here’s one of his early romance covers, Secret Hearts #58 (Oct. 1959).
One of the things I loved about Romita's early work on ASM was that it wasn't far removed from his romance work. Ditko had a spastic energy in the Spider-man scenes that has rarely been matched, but it was the Romita era that made me fall in love with Pete's civilian life. It was so melodramatic... something I didn't see in other books from that time period.
I really enjoyed the recent focus on Nick Cardy, and I love Romita just as much (maybe more). I suppose he will always be overshadowed by Ditko on ASM, and he shouldn't be.
In late 1956, early ’57 Romita started doing romance stories for DC to make extra money. Stan found out and told him that if he wanted to stay on the “A-list,” he'd have to give it up. So Romita did.
But 1957 was a tough year for Marvel—and for their artists. Page rates were cut dramatically (Romita went from making $40/page to $24/page), and eventually most of the artists were cut loose, including Romita. Luckily, Editor Zena Brody still wanted Romita drawing romance comics for DC. And so, Romita soon became one of DC’s top romance artists. Here’s one of his early romance covers, Secret Hearts #58 (Oct. 1959).
Wow. Face it, Tiger, the man sure could draw pretty women.
Comments
I loved "versus" covers when I was a kid, and read this issue until it fell apart.
Gil Kane with inks by Dave Cockrum, two of my favorite 70's artists.
Gil Kane with inks by Frank Giacoia
GCD says pencils & inks by Bob Oksner
Pencils & inks by Sal Buscema (though GCD credits "layouts" to John Romita, Sr.)
Gil Kane
Coincidentally, I had a Deadly Hands pop up today...cover by Neal Adams!
Today is Klaus Janson’s birthday—he’s 62. So here’s a cover from the 2003 Batman: Death and the Maidens mini-series, which he both penciled and inked (covers and interiors).
But before his freelance career took off, while he was still assisting Zakarin, he did a few jobs for Avon and Trojan. It’s unclear what his first published cover was, but this cover to Crime Smashers #7 (Nov. 1951) is one of those early jobs.
Ernie Chan from 1978
Cover by Gil Kane with inks by Frank Giacoia. Interiors were written by Len Wein with art by Sal Buscema & Klaus Janson inks.
Nebulon is working with the Squadron Sinister, and Nighthawk ends up siding with the Defenders...and eventually joins the team.
[and that translated to a cover which made me say "what an awesome fight!" when I was 9 years old -- ha]
But 1957 was a tough year for Marvel—and for their artists. Page rates were cut dramatically (Romita went from making $40/page to $24/page), and eventually most of the artists were cut loose, including Romita. Luckily, Editor Zena Brody still wanted Romita drawing romance comics for DC. And so, Romita soon became one of DC’s top romance artists. Here’s one of his early romance covers, Secret Hearts #58 (Oct. 1959).