Here's one of my favorites - this one's for Mr @JamieD
Avengers #151 September, 1976 Cover Artists: Jack Kirby Dan Adkins
The plot of this story is the Avengers' line up change, gaining the attention of everyone including the Fantastic Four's Thing and the Champions. Captain America decides to stay with the group along with Iron Man. The Vision and Scarlet Witch agree to remain with the group. When it comes to the Wasp and Yellowjacket's turn to answer if they are going to stay, the Wasp agrees to stay with the team, but to her surprise Yellowjacket declines.
This is one of the most recognized Golden Age comic book covers featuring “good girl art” (the depiction of a strikingly beautiful woman, with emphasis on her female form and features). This cover, and many like it, was drawn by the great African American comic book artist, Matt Baker. Phantom Lady was a creation of the Iger Studio for Quality Comics, and was originally drawn by Allen Peddy and others in a manner that today would hardly be described as “good girl art”. She first appeared in Police Comics #1 (August, 1941) and was a regular in that title until her series ended in issue #23 in August, 1943. After a 4 year hiatus, the character was repackaged by Iger for the Fox Feature Syndicate, where she made her debut in Phantom Lady #13 (August, 1947). It is in this issue where the great Matt Baker took over the character and worked his magic. Not only did Baker make the character a much more voluptuous super hero, he also changed her costume from a yellow and green one piece outfit, to a skimpy blue and red costume with a plunging neckline. The character’s popularity soared under Baker’s hand, and continued until 1949 when Fox ceased operations. In 1956, DC Comics acquired the rights to the Fox characters and has published several incarnations of Phantom Lady since reintroducing her in the pages of Justice League of America #107 (October, 1973).
While records from the Golden Age of comic books are not very detailed, it is believed by some that Baker was the first African American to draw comic books. Baker was born in 1921 in North Carolina, and began drawing comics in the 1940’s. He was educated at Cooper Union in New York and did his first comic book work for the Iger studio. Because the studio packaged comics for various publishers, Baker’s work appeared in the titles published by Quality, Fox, Fiction House and others. He even drew Lorna Doone for Classics Illustrated in 1947, his only work on that title. In addition to Phantom Lady, Baker’s “good girl art” can be found in such titles as Jumbo Comics, Sheena, Queen of the Jungle, Jo-Jo, Rulah-Jungle Goddess and others. He is credited with such characters as Sky Girl, Flamingo, South Sea Girl, Glory Forbes, Tiger Girl, Mysto of the Moon, Mitzi in Hollywood and others. Notably, Baker is also credited with creating the first graphic novel in comics for St. John with It Rhymes with Lust, published in 1950.
Lorna Doone was my favorite issue of Classics Illustrated. It's a cool story, but the art was so much better than the average issue as to burn itself into my memory.
This is one of the most recognized Golden Age comic book covers featuring “good girl art” (the depiction of a strikingly beautiful woman, with emphasis on her female form and features). This cover, and many like it, was drawn by the great African American comic book artist, Matt Baker. Phantom Lady was a creation of the Iger Studio for Quality Comics, and was originally drawn by Allen Peddy and others in a manner that today would hardly be described as “good girl art”. She first appeared in Police Comics #1 (August, 1941) and was a regular in that title until her series ended in issue #23 in August, 1943. After a 4 year hiatus, the character was repackaged by Iger for the Fox Feature Syndicate, where she made her debut in Phantom Lady #13 (August, 1947). It is in this issue where the great Matt Baker took over the character and worked his magic. Not only did Baker make the character a much more voluptuous super hero, he also changed her costume from a yellow and green one piece outfit, to a skimpy blue and red costume with a plunging neckline. The character’s popularity soared under Baker’s hand, and continued until 1949 when Fox ceased operations. In 1956, DC Comics acquired the rights to the Fox characters and has published several incarnations of Phantom Lady since reintroducing her in the pages of Justice League of America #107 (October, 1973).
While records from the Golden Age of comic books are not very detailed, it is believed by some that Baker was the first African American to draw comic books. Baker was born in 1921 in North Carolina, and began drawing comics in the 1940’s. He was educated at Cooper Union in New York and did his first comic book work for the Iger studio. Because the studio packaged comics for various publishers, Baker’s work appeared in the titles published by Quality, Fox, Fiction House and others. He even drew Lorna Doone for Classics Illustrated in 1947, his only work on that title. In addition to Phantom Lady, Baker’s “good girl art” can be found in such titles as Jumbo Comics, Sheena, Queen of the Jungle, Jo-Jo, Rulah-Jungle Goddess and others. He is credited with such characters as Sky Girl, Flamingo, South Sea Girl, Glory Forbes, Tiger Girl, Mysto of the Moon, Mitzi in Hollywood and others. Notably, Baker is also credited with creating the first graphic novel in comics for St. John with It Rhymes with Lust, published in 1950.
Baker didn’t really draw as much of the Iger “Phantom Lady” material as he usually gets credited for. In this first issue, he penciled the cover (or maybe only the figure) with probably Al Feldstein doing at least some of the inking; he penciled one interior story; and he may have done some work on one other interior story, which was primarily penciled by Alex Blum. And that’s pretty typical of his involvement with issues #13–20, though the last few issues he was even less involved with. There are probably only four stories in the entire series where he did all of the penciling.
As for the headlights, Baker wasn’t the only one drawing this way. It was something of a studio style, with Jack Kamen and Al Feldstein also drawing the female form in that same manner. Who influenced who is hard to say, though Al said it wasn’t a studio mandate.
Baker was not the first African-American comic book artist. That honor probably goes to Alvin Hollingsworth, who got comic work a few months before Baker.
And technically Baker was only the co-creator of It Rhymes with Lust. Arnold Drake and Les Waller came up with the idea of a long-form “picture novel” (as they described it) while they served together in the Army Air Corps during WWII. They sold the story to St. John, and Baker, who was one of St. John’s main artists by that point, was brought in to draw it.
[Edit: For anyone interested in Matt Baker, I suggest you track back to page 51 (you'll have to scroll down a ways) and pages 95-98 of this thread. Lots more covers and info there.]
[Edit: For anyone interested in Matt Baker, I suggest you track back to page 51 (you'll have to scroll down a ways) and pages 95-98 of this thread. Lots more covers and info there.]
There's also a really good book on Baker by some dude or another...
[Edit: For anyone interested in Matt Baker, I suggest you track back to page 51 (you'll have to scroll down a ways) and pages 95-98 of this thread. Lots more covers and info there.]
There's also a really good book on Baker by some dude or another...
I try to avoid pimping my wares here, but I'm more than happy to let you do it for me. :D
Happy birthday to my favorite Filipino artist, Alex Niño! Here’s his cover to Thriller #9 (Aug. 1984). It’s funny that for all the work he did for DC in the early ’70s, he didn't do a cover for them until the ’80s.
I try to avoid pimping my wares here, but I'm more than happy to let you do it for me. :D
This is one of my favorite things about CGS forums. I read Alter Ego and Backissue all the time (I love the digital service), and we have a guy that posts here that writes for twomorrows. When we have a question about comics history (especially if it was covered in a BI/AE) he can not only give us the answer, he can give us the exact place to get the expanded story.
The one thing I would love for twomorrows to do is create an index for AE and BI (set up like a cookbook index) where you could look-up articles by title, topic, main character, or main creator(s) discussed in the article. I know it would be ridiculous to create.
The one thing I would love for twomorrows to do is create an index for AE and BI (set up like a cookbook index) where you could look-up articles by title, topic, main character, or main creator(s) discussed in the article. I know it would be ridiculous to create.
I started to create one several years ago, just for my own use. I think I cataloged the first three issues of A/E before giving up on it. I just don't have the time. I've had to rely on the catalog blurbs to spur my memory instead. Maybe one of these days.
I started to create one several years ago, just for my own use. I think I cataloged the first three issues of A/E before giving up on it. I just don't have the time. I've had to rely on the catalog blurbs to spur my memory instead. Maybe one of these days.
It would be herculean, and I would never think it easy or even feasible to do. I just can't remember where I read the article was published. What issues were the 3 part Major Wheeler's involvement in DC's creation published? (one of them is AE 88). I remember basics about articles, like the many Doom Patrol/Arnold Drake articles (to bring it back to Matt Baker), but I couldn't tell you the issues they were published in.
May the Fourth be with you, or something like that. Here’s the first Star Wars comic I bought off the spinner rack, Star Wars #7 (Jan. 1978), with pencils by Gil Kane and inks by Tony DeZuñiga. It's still one of my all-time favorite Star Wars covers, even with Han using a goofy looking blaster.
How about some fantastic 1978 Mike Grell "all up in yo face"?!
GL/GA is one of my favorite series (granted, moreso for the historic stuff at the beginning) and I LOVE when Earth Two meets Earth One. And ANYTIME Alan shows up on the cover of some classic GL, I love it. Like one of my favorite covers EVAR....
which was awkwardly followed 5 issues later with....
While I never owned this issue of Detective Comics, I vividly remember this cover art in the DC house ads of some of my old Superman back issues. This cover was for Detective Comics #365 (July 1967) with art by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson.
May the Fourth be with you, or something like that. Here’s the first Star Wars comic I bought off the spinner rack, Star Wars #7 (Jan. 1978), with pencils by Gil Kane and inks by Tony DeZuñiga. It's still one of my all-time favorite Star Wars covers, even with Han using a goofy looking blaster.
Quite possibly one of my all-time favorite comic book covers right there.
Comments
Avengers #151 September, 1976
Cover Artists: Jack Kirby Dan Adkins
The plot of this story is the Avengers' line up change, gaining the attention of everyone including the Fantastic Four's Thing and the Champions. Captain America decides to stay with the group along with Iron Man.
The Vision and Scarlet Witch agree to remain with the group. When it comes to the Wasp and Yellowjacket's turn to answer if they are going to stay, the Wasp agrees to stay with the team, but to her surprise Yellowjacket declines.
This is one of the most recognized Golden Age comic book covers featuring “good girl art” (the depiction of a strikingly beautiful woman, with emphasis on her female form and features). This cover, and many like it, was drawn by the great African American comic book artist, Matt Baker. Phantom Lady was a creation of the Iger Studio for Quality Comics, and was originally drawn by Allen Peddy and others in a manner that today would hardly be described as “good girl art”. She first appeared in Police Comics #1 (August, 1941) and was a regular in that title until her series ended in issue #23 in August, 1943. After a 4 year hiatus, the character was repackaged by Iger for the Fox Feature Syndicate, where she made her debut in Phantom Lady #13 (August, 1947). It is in this issue where the great Matt Baker took over the character and worked his magic. Not only did Baker make the character a much more voluptuous super hero, he also changed her costume from a yellow and green one piece outfit, to a skimpy blue and red costume with a plunging neckline. The character’s popularity soared under Baker’s hand, and continued until 1949 when Fox ceased operations. In 1956, DC Comics acquired the rights to the Fox characters and has published several incarnations of Phantom Lady since reintroducing her in the pages of Justice League of America #107 (October, 1973).
While records from the Golden Age of comic books are not very detailed, it is believed by some that Baker was the first African American to draw comic books. Baker was born in 1921 in North Carolina, and began drawing comics in the 1940’s. He was educated at Cooper Union in New York and did his first comic book work for the Iger studio. Because the studio packaged comics for various publishers, Baker’s work appeared in the titles published by Quality, Fox, Fiction House and others. He even drew Lorna Doone for Classics Illustrated in 1947, his only work on that title. In addition to Phantom Lady, Baker’s “good girl art” can be found in such titles as Jumbo Comics, Sheena, Queen of the Jungle, Jo-Jo, Rulah-Jungle Goddess and others. He is credited with such characters as Sky Girl, Flamingo, South Sea Girl, Glory Forbes, Tiger Girl, Mysto of the Moon, Mitzi in Hollywood and others. Notably, Baker is also credited with creating the first graphic novel in comics for St. John with It Rhymes with Lust, published in 1950.
As for the headlights, Baker wasn’t the only one drawing this way. It was something of a studio style, with Jack Kamen and Al Feldstein also drawing the female form in that same manner. Who influenced who is hard to say, though Al said it wasn’t a studio mandate.
Baker was not the first African-American comic book artist. That honor probably goes to Alvin Hollingsworth, who got comic work a few months before Baker.
And technically Baker was only the co-creator of It Rhymes with Lust. Arnold Drake and Les Waller came up with the idea of a long-form “picture novel” (as they described it) while they served together in the Army Air Corps during WWII. They sold the story to St. John, and Baker, who was one of St. John’s main artists by that point, was brought in to draw it.
[Edit: For anyone interested in Matt Baker, I suggest you track back to page 51 (you'll have to scroll down a ways) and pages 95-98 of this thread. Lots more covers and info there.]
The one thing I would love for twomorrows to do is create an index for AE and BI (set up like a cookbook index) where you could look-up articles by title, topic, main character, or main creator(s) discussed in the article. I know it would be ridiculous to create.
GL/GA is one of my favorite series (granted, moreso for the historic stuff at the beginning) and I LOVE when Earth Two meets Earth One. And ANYTIME Alan shows up on the cover of some classic GL, I love it. Like one of my favorite covers EVAR....
which was awkwardly followed 5 issues later with....
But I fixed it so.... :-bd