And today’s Matt Baker St. John cover is Diary Secrets #17 (April 1953). Baker drew several covers and interior stories for this series, so I'll probably be coming back to it before long.
Not as good as the mini-series, but a decent series with nice early work from Sean Phillips, his first ongoing series for an American publisher.
See I read the Morrison mini series when it was coming out. Didn't care for it much. But loved the monthly series. Re-read both last year and my opinion hasn't changed.
Not as good as the mini-series, but a decent series with nice early work from Sean Phillips, his first ongoing series for an American publisher.
See I read the Morrison mini series when it was coming out. Didn't care for it much. But loved the monthly series. Re-read both last year and my opinion hasn't changed.
I thought the monthly started pretty strongly, but kind of fell apart a bit five or six issues into it. I’d have to reread it to remember the particulars of why I felt that way though.
Today’s dose of Baker romance: Going Steady #11 (February 1955). The Going Steady series began as Teen-Age Temptations, but was renamed starting with issue #10. With the new title, it became a reprint book. Fortunately, though, Baker provided some nice new covers until the series ended with #14. I think this one is the best of that run.
Today’s Baker St. John romance cover is from Pictorial Romances #7 (May 1951). As with Going Steady, Pictorial Romances began its life with another name. Pictorial Confessions ran for three issues before its name was changed and it became a reprint book. It lasted until issue #24, and Baker provided original covers—some of his best—for all but two issues.
Unfortunately, someone scribbled their name across the lovely fortune teller’s face. Still, a gorgeous cover for a series I'll definitely revisit.
Today’s Matt Baker goodness is Teen-Age Romances #9 (April 1950). Teen-Age Romances was one of St. John’s longest running titles (45 issues from Jan. 1949–Dec. 1955), and the first romance book Baker worked on, starting with issue #1 in January 1949. Baker drew at least two stories in each of the first 26 issues, along with 36 of the 45 covers.
Today’s Matt Baker goodness is Teen-Age Romances #9 (April 1950). Teen-Age Romances was one of St. John’s longest running titles (45 issues from Jan. 1949–Dec. 1955), and the first romance book Baker worked on, starting with issue #1 in January 1949. Baker drew at least two stories in each of the first 26 issues, along with 36 of the 45 covers.
The cover dialogue for this one is priceless.
I know what the follow up line will be. "But He Doesn't Know The Things I Do About Her....." "She's Man...BABY"
Remember how Going Steady took over from Teen-Age Temptations? Well, Matt Baker provided all nine covers for Temptations before the name change, including these from issues #4 (Oct. 1953) and 9 (Aug. 1954). I’m including two today to show the similarities in the compositions. You'll see that the romantic couple are in the extreme foreground in the bottom right corner of the image with people watching (or not) in the background. Baker wasn’t the first artist to use this type of design. In fact, the very first romance comic cover—by Jack Kirby, of course—Young Romance #1 (Sept.–Oct. 1947) featured the same basic concept, though with not nearly as much depth of background. Harvey’s First Romance (Aug. 1949–Nov. 1958) beat the concept nearly to death, with some similar take on practically every cover of the series. But to my mind Baker perfected the approach and set the standard for those that followed.
Today’s Matt Baker St. John romance cover is True Love Pictorial #4 (June 1953). True Love Pictorial ran only eleven issues, and Baker drew the covers for all but the first issue, which was a photo cover. Issue #4 has the added bonus of not one, not two, not three, but four Matt Baker-penciled interior stories—41 pages in total! Have I ever mentioned how much work Baker did for St. John? From the time his first work appeared in late 1948 until he was let go from the company in 1955 (more on that in a future post), Baker drew 219 covers for St. John, and just over 2,000 interior story pages—a little more than 24 pages a month. And for at about three years of that time, he was working freelance and producing work for other companies.
And, no, sorry, the cover story wasn't about a lesbian couple getting married, no matter what the dialogue says.
Diary Secrets #26 (Dec. 1954) shows Baker could draw horses just as well as he drew women. Baker drew quite a few westerns, including some for Marvel, where that ability was put to good use.
Pictorial Romances #11 isn’t Baker’s best cover by any means but he didn’t have a lot of space to work with. But put some glasses on the farm boy, and couldn't you just picture Lana Lang walking out on Clark Kent with an astonished Ma and Pa Kent looking on in the background?
I know the Comic Book Data Base attributes this cover to Cardy, but this looks far more like Joe Orlando to me. Unfortunately, it's not signed by either artist.
I know the Comic Book Data Base attributes this cover to Cardy, but this looks far more like Joe Orlando to me. Unfortunately, it's not signed by either artist.
No, it's definitely Nick, as verified by Nick himself in one of his art books.
I know the Comic Book Data Base attributes this cover to Cardy, but this looks far more like Joe Orlando to me. Unfortunately, it's not signed by either artist.
No, it's definitely Nick, as verified by Nick himself in one of his art books.
Well, I'm not about to argue with the horse's mouth. What's wierder is that I was just thinking that the kids all look like they were drawn by Bernard Bailey...
the GCD database lists: "Showcase Presents: The House of Mystery (DC, 2006 series) #1 and the book 'The Art of Nick Cardy' list this cover as drawn by Nick Cardy. Previously attributed pencils and inks to Carmine Infantino, and also to Joe Orlando and George Roussos."
the GCD database lists: "Showcase Presents: The House of Mystery (DC, 2006 series) #1 and the book 'The Art of Nick Cardy' list this cover as drawn by Nick Cardy. Previously attributed pencils and inks to Carmine Infantino, and also to Joe Orlando and George Roussos."
I must have seen one of those Joe Orlando attributions somewhere at some time... But I wouldn't be surprised if Infantino at least designed the cover layout for Cardy to draw; that was his job at that time, and Cardy was one of his favorites.
the GCD database lists: "Showcase Presents: The House of Mystery (DC, 2006 series) #1 and the book 'The Art of Nick Cardy' list this cover as drawn by Nick Cardy. Previously attributed pencils and inks to Carmine Infantino, and also to Joe Orlando and George Roussos."
I must have seen one of those Joe Orlando attributions somewhere at some time... But I wouldn't be surprised if Infantino at least designed the cover layout for Cardy to draw; that was his job at that time, and Cardy was one of his favorites.
Most likely Carmine did lay it out. He designed most, if not all, of DC’s covers from ’67 to ’69, and a good many more into the early ’70s. Of course, Nick wouldn’t always follow Carmine’s layouts exactly, and sometimes would completely ignore them. He probably wasn’t to that point yet in 1968 though.
And whoever thought George “Inky” Roussos inked that cover had no idea what they were talking about. Roussos would have never inked the stone texture with that much subtlety. He was much more graphic in his inks, with bolder blacks and less fine line work. Joe Orlando isn’t an unreasonable guess, but I’ve never seen him draw stone that way either. And I can almost see Bernard Baily (no “e”) in the figures of the kids, but he inked his own work, and his inking style, like Roussos’ was never as organic as the inking on those figures. Nope, definitely Cardy.
the GCD database lists: "Showcase Presents: The House of Mystery (DC, 2006 series) #1 and the book 'The Art of Nick Cardy' list this cover as drawn by Nick Cardy. Previously attributed pencils and inks to Carmine Infantino, and also to Joe Orlando and George Roussos."
I must have seen one of those Joe Orlando attributions somewhere at some time... But I wouldn't be surprised if Infantino at least designed the cover layout for Cardy to draw; that was his job at that time, and Cardy was one of his favorites.
Most likely Carmine did lay it out. He designed most, if not all, of DC’s covers from ’67 to ’69, and a good many more into the early ’70s. Of course, Nick wouldn’t always follow Carmine’s layouts exactly, and sometimes would completely ignore them. He probably wasn’t to that point yet in 1968 though.
And whoever thought George “Inky” Roussos inked that cover had no idea what they were talking about. Roussos would have never inked the stone texture with that much subtlety. He was much more graphic in his inks, with bolder blacks and less fine line work. Joe Orlando isn’t an unreasonable guess, but I’ve never seen him draw stone that way either. And I can almost see Bernard Baily (no “e”) in the figures of the kids, but he inked his own work, and his inking style, like Roussos’ was never as organic as the inking on those figures. Nope, definitely Cardy.
You've a good eye. Yeah, I ruled Roussos out right away; his inking is much more brusque.
Pictorial Romances #11 isn’t Baker’s best cover by any means but he didn’t have a lot of space to work with. But put some glasses on the farm boy, and couldn't you just picture Lana Lang walking out on Clark Kent with an astonished Ma and Pa Kent looking on in the background?
I don't know. The gesture on that pose is really nice.
Pictorial Romances #11 isn’t Baker’s best cover by any means but he didn’t have a lot of space to work with. But put some glasses on the farm boy, and couldn't you just picture Lana Lang walking out on Clark Kent with an astonished Ma and Pa Kent looking on in the background?
I don't know. The gesture on that pose is really nice.
Oh, I agree, it is. But the composition as a whole isn't his strongest work, and the inking doesn’t have quite as much life as usual. But even his weaker covers for St. John were better than average.
Comments
“Did I give my lips too freely?” indeed!
after Carlos Ezquerra
Unfortunately, someone scribbled their name across the lovely fortune teller’s face. Still, a gorgeous cover for a series I'll definitely revisit.
The cover dialogue for this one is priceless.
"But He Doesn't Know The Things I Do About Her....." "She's Man...BABY"
And, no, sorry, the cover story wasn't about a lesbian couple getting married, no matter what the dialogue says.
Meanwhile @ Neil Roberts
http://2000adcovers.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/henry-flint-tights-xavier-action.html
"Showcase Presents: The House of Mystery (DC, 2006 series) #1 and the book 'The Art of Nick Cardy' list this cover as drawn by Nick Cardy. Previously attributed pencils and inks to Carmine Infantino, and also to Joe Orlando and George Roussos."
And whoever thought George “Inky” Roussos inked that cover had no idea what they were talking about. Roussos would have never inked the stone texture with that much subtlety. He was much more graphic in his inks, with bolder blacks and less fine line work. Joe Orlando isn’t an unreasonable guess, but I’ve never seen him draw stone that way either. And I can almost see Bernard Baily (no “e”) in the figures of the kids, but he inked his own work, and his inking style, like Roussos’ was never as organic as the inking on those figures. Nope, definitely Cardy.
It's Mr Neal Adams