Was it during Romita's run that Amazing became the top selling title in the industry?
Amazing Spider-Man became Marvel’s top selling book in 1966, the same year Romita took over (though it very likely would have become #1 even if Ditko had stayed on, as it was already a close second). But it didn’t pass Superman in sales until 1974, long after Romita had stopped drawing the interiors.
Rather than post the Spider-Man #50 cover, which everyone has seen a billion times, I'm going with a different cover for 1967: Amazing Spider-Man #55 (Dec. 1967). This probably wasn’t the first comic book cover with an extreme close-up, or the first comic book cover with a character reflected in another character’s glasses, but it was certainly a rarely used idea at the time.
Romita typically kept his Spider-Man covers very basic. There was usually very little in the way of backgrounds—the focus was always squarely on Spidey and the villain he was fighting that issue. But issue #64 (Sept. 1968) was something of an exception. There’s a whole lot of detail and crosshatching in this background, but to keep it from competing with the figures, an ink wash was done on the buildings instead of coloring, and the figures pop out easily.
I'm impressed by how many classic Marvel covers have no dialogue, which makes them more timeless (even though the covers reflect the story inside). It seems like silver-age DC -- especially with Superman stories -- had more people talking on the cover, then again I might not be remembering correctly.
I'm impressed by how many classic Marvel covers have no dialogue, which makes them more timeless (even though the covers reflect the story inside).
That is why I prefer the old style of covers verses the new "strike a pose" covers that are nothing more than posters that usually have nothing to do with the story inside.
I'm impressed by how many classic Marvel covers have no dialogue, which makes them more timeless (even though the covers reflect the story inside). It seems like silver-age DC -- especially with Superman stories -- had more people talking on the cover, then again I might not be remembering correctly.
No, you got it right. Except for the very beginning of the Marvel Era, the covers throughout the 60's were done (with the occasional exception) without balloons, which gave them that poster quality, especially those covers done by the top artists: Kirby, Adams, Steranko... When they resumed using balloons in the 70's, it was actually kind of... jarring. (In fact, around 1970, if I remember correctly, Marvel or perhaps it was one of their licensees, was selling poster versions of a few of their best known covers of that time.)
DC was the opposite: it was unusual and noteworthy whenever there wasn't a word balloon present.
Romita did a fair number of non-Spidey covers in 1968 as well, including this cover for Captain Marvel #7 (Nov. 1968). Outside of his work on Captain America back in the ’50s, this is Romita at his most Kirby-esque. Of course, Kirby would have done something more with that eyebeam blast, and the highly detailed machinery in the background would have been much more abstract, but the Stan Lee directive, “Draw more like Kirby!” was in full effect here.
We can’t leave 1968 without mentioning Romita’s painted cover for Spectacular Spider-Man magazine #2 (Nov. 1968)—he also did layouts and corrections (and maybe some inking) on the interior story. Romita has said that Martin Goodman didn’t want to do the magazine, and it was cancelled with this issue not because of sales, but because Goodman got cold feet.
Darwyn Cooke told me that this particular issue, which he read when he was 13, is what made him decide to become a comic book artist. Shows what Martin Goodman knew.
Some of the publishing stories from back in the day are hilarious. A publication could be started because someone had half an idea, and then the publication could be killed because someone was having a bad day. Sales data either didn't matter or didn't exist.
Then again, we have lots of metrics today but print is still getting clobbered.
This is the first 25 cent comic I ever bought. The idea that comics might increase in price wasn't really on my radar...until I realized I could only buy four instead of the planned five with my one-dollar allowance. Obviously, traumatic, since I remember it so well. ;)
For both pencils & inks, this one is listed on GCD as "Herb Trimpe; John Romita (alterations)"
By 1969, Romita was doing far more corrections on other artists’ covers than he was penciling his own. And he was only doing layouts for Amazing Spider-Man for Jim Mooney to finish. Below is the earliest issue of Spider-Man I own is issue #77 (Oct. 1969), which is also the first issue where John Buscema took over the layout duties from Romita.
Romita may have left DC’s romance department behind, but he didn’t escape the genre entirely. In 1969, Marvel dipped its toes into the water with two romance titles, and of course, they called on Romita to supply the covers. Here’s Our Love Story #2 (Dec. 1969).
One last cover from 1969, and another with Romita doing his best Jack Kirby interpretation: Thor #167 (Aug. 1969). Kirby actually did a cover for this issue, but it was rejected. Kirby was living in California by then, so for time’s sake, Lee called on Romita to do the job.
Kirby’s cover also had Loki manhandling (or god-handling, I suppose) Don Blake with a ghostly head of Thor looking on in horror. But whereas Kirby used a long shot of the action—where you could see an injured Balder through the window of the hospital room just below the roof on which Loki and Blake are standing—Romita zoomed in on the principle players. And, frankly, Romita’s cover is much better for it.
This was the first Thor cover not drawn by Kirby. Just goes to show, not even Jack Kirby batted 1.000.
Chuck, I’m guessing that Kirby’s version didn’t have enough dramatic impact for Stan’s taste. Notice how in Kirby’s version there’s not a lot of emotion outside of Thor’s face. And Loki is trying to pry the walking stick out of Blake’s hand. Blake still has a chance to summon Thor to his aid. Romita’s cover, on the other hand, has much more dramatic, emotional facial expressions. And Loki has complete control of the walking stick, leaving Blake (and Thor) seemingly helpless.
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DC was the opposite: it was unusual and noteworthy whenever there wasn't a word balloon present.
Darwyn Cooke told me that this particular issue, which he read when he was 13, is what made him decide to become a comic book artist. Shows what Martin Goodman knew.
Then again, we have lots of metrics today but print is still getting clobbered.
Roll on May
For both pencils & inks, this one is listed on GCD as "Herb Trimpe; John Romita (alterations)"
My all time favorite ASM cover.
Kirby’s cover also had Loki manhandling (or god-handling, I suppose) Don Blake with a ghostly head of Thor looking on in horror. But whereas Kirby used a long shot of the action—where you could see an injured Balder through the window of the hospital room just below the roof on which Loki and Blake are standing—Romita zoomed in on the principle players. And, frankly, Romita’s cover is much better for it.
This was the first Thor cover not drawn by Kirby. Just goes to show, not even Jack Kirby batted 1.000.
Chuck, I’m guessing that Kirby’s version didn’t have enough dramatic impact for Stan’s taste. Notice how in Kirby’s version there’s not a lot of emotion outside of Thor’s face. And Loki is trying to pry the walking stick out of Blake’s hand. Blake still has a chance to summon Thor to his aid. Romita’s cover, on the other hand, has much more dramatic, emotional facial expressions. And Loki has complete control of the walking stick, leaving Blake (and Thor) seemingly helpless.