Cap'n's Comics

Freebooters Ad by Barry Smith

2026-04-27T20:00:00.000-07:00

I haphazardly obtained The Buyer's Guide For Comic Fandom through about issue 50, so when this Storyteller ad appeared in issue 1103, I had no idea! Also, here's that Axus illo in a better format. When I slapped it up in the wayback, I was wish'n it twernt so tiny and blurry. They say if wishes were dishes, you'd never have to wash stuff after a meal, but, hey, every once in a while

Robbie by Al Williamson

2026-04-25T21:33:00.000-07:00

Okay, I lie like a dog on a rug in front of the fireplace on a cold winter's night. The first one is not even Robbie, but (per usual for the Cap'n) I have no idea what it REALLY is. The other two ARE Robbie, from the unsuccessful bid to start a new newspaper strip

King Of The Bad (Hair) Guys by George Metzger

2026-04-23T22:09:00.000-07:00

From another wordless story, thisun in the fanzine Promethean Ent #1

Coupla Barbaric Bob Kline Fanzine Pictures

2026-04-21T22:30:00.000-07:00

In my mind, this is kinda the end of a geeky era for me (sigh), in that these two illos pretty much wrap up fanzine Kline on here. All I got. See, look, I've turned all four jean pockets inside out. Poke me with a fanzine fork, and you'll see--I'm done. But, as Firesign Theater useta say, If the sun's going down, just stand me on my head, and it's a whole new day! If you know of sump'n sump'n, please holla, and stand me on my head

Our Time Is Now! by Gil Kane

2026-04-21T11:23:00.000-07:00

Eeerrrr....out time is now!(?)

From Thunder Agents #14, the Kane machinery was sharp (get the point?), and the same issue included some Andor by Wood & Ditko, but, as with most Tower comics, the writing left a lot to be desired

Thor Eyes by Jack Kirby

2026-04-20T11:57:00.000-07:00

You'd have Thor eyes too, if you lay in the dark scroll'n on your phone every night

The Best Of EC Cover by Frank Frazetta

2026-04-20T11:50:00.000-07:00

Yeah, yeah, the unused Buck Rogers has already been up on here a bazillion times, but not as this nifty cover (I don't think), and the image is, after all, my super-nova of geek'n on comic art, ever since I first saw it as a newspaper print in TBG

Gil Kane Changes Up Blackmark

2026-04-19T17:07:00.000-07:00

I just looked at the first image for the first time in a long time, and finally figured out what was haunting me. It hasn't been up here before because the others are on here in the wayback, and I always thought it was the same, but it's not. It's the back cover of a 1978 fanzine (the others are dated). Kane got me in a similar fashion with Warlock back in the day

(Once Again) Everything's Up In The Air Right Now by Berni Wrightson

2026-04-19T16:55:00.000-07:00

The last four were up in the wayback with pretty much the same title, but not the first image. It was up cropped even wayer back under some nonsense like "fanzine drawings," and it really shoulda been here

Orange You Glad?

2026-04-19T16:43:00.000-07:00

Yep, this is exactly the kinda post that makes some folks wonder why the Cap'n is even allowed to have a blog

"I'm A Steamroller, Baby" by Gil Kane

2026-04-18T07:54:00.000-07:00

"'bout to roll right over you/ I'm a burn'n urn of churn'n funk" In my opinion, having Kane work on Metal Men was pretty much a waste of his talent (sorry, but there's some DC titles from that era that just rub me the wrong way), but this steamroll'n monster is che cool

What's Old Is New by Rich Corben

2026-04-18T07:37:00.000-07:00

First is the yellow variant I held in my hands at the beginning of the century, but did a Pasadena on it cause I thought it had been in the window of the comic shop too long and had faded from the sun, and I already had the next image at home. As I recall, it was dirt cheap, and the yellows are few and pricey, so ANOTHER collect'n mistake by the Cap'n! If I had a nickel for every nickel I've missed out on in comics values, I'd have a lotta nickels. Finally, here comes an awesome book this summer

Spanish Conan by Barry Smith

2026-04-17T20:10:00.000-07:00

And then all the usual versions of this amazeballs illo

Best The Batman by John Fantucchio

2026-04-16T19:08:00.000-07:00

So, a year ago April Fool's Day (again, the date shoulda given me a clue), I put up a fistful of Fantucchio Batmans, fittingly called Batman by John Fantucchio. At the time, I didn't realize I'd left out his best Batman, this fanzine draw'n from 1972. We know it's the best, cause John told Rickey it was

Totally Tubular Total War Hovercraft by Wally Wood

2026-04-14T22:32:00.000-07:00

Although his hovercraft only appear in issue #1, Wally totally rocked the first three issues of Total War (except for the covers-drat). If you like Wood obscura (#Jungle Jim#Heroes, Inc.#Unearthly Spec), and you don't possess these, don't walk, take your hoverboard to your friendly neighborhood comic shop, and buy all three

The Jack Kirby Collector 100th Issue Cover

2026-04-13T16:39:00.000-07:00

My fingers were itch'n to type "by Jack Kirby" at the end of this title, so I'm gonna take another allergy pill and keep on keep'n on. Always admired John Morrow for doing what a lotta us just dreamed of-bring'n fandom the whole Kirby enchilada

Triceratops Rider by Roy Krenkel

2026-04-11T22:39:00.000-07:00

Not entirely sure why, but I am totally mesmerized by this sketch. The idea that someone could hunt by riding a T top and using a longbow is nothing short of delightful. If we think of Rhinos as their descendants, and knowing that Rhinos can gallup somewhere just above 30 MPH, it makes perfect sense. I do have a big ask about this rough (think it was Pee Wee Herman who wondered why people always have a big ask): did Roy ever do a more finished illo of this? If you know of sump'n sump'n, please holla

Daze later, I finally remembered another Triceratops I dig, a fanzine drawing by Bob Kline

Psychon's Psweet Ride by Jack Kirby

2026-04-10T22:16:00.000-07:00

The published panel was in the comic that tied with New Gods #7 for the greatest comic ever (in Cap'n's mind)-Fantastic Four King-Size Special! #5, so the pencils are a moot point this time, as Joe Sinnott also ties Mike Royer for greatest Kirby inker ever. But the pencils are still wondrous to me. Love how Kirby says what's happen'n in a five-word note that detracts not one bit from the art. Other notes in the original art call this new baddie Psychon, instead of the published Psycho-Man. Either way, it's better than Master of Emotions

Nick Fury by Gil Kane

2026-04-09T22:48:00.000-07:00

Bite'n my tongue here, so let me just say Kane did an amaze'n Fury that I never saw, and too many chefs spoil the soup

Squa Tront Mail'n Envelope by Kenneth Smith

2026-04-08T16:59:00.000-07:00

My last post, New Cover by Wally Wood (which was apropro dated April Fool's day, as it ain't a new cover) led to Russ providing, right there in his comments, all of Squa Tront in all it's splendor to all of us (and that's not all-it's triple all!). Now, I find out Squa Tront was originally mailed out to folks in illustrated envelopes! Who knew? Not I, as I obtained #3 and #4 way after the fact. This Kenneth Smith one is for issue #4 (I think), and if you seek Kenneth in the wayback, you know how much I dig him. I'd be remiss to leave out the first time I knew of him, the cover of Phantasmagoria #1. Fanzine on fanzine on and on, sooooo cool

New Cover by Wally Wood

2026-04-01T22:40:00.000-07:00

Yeah, yeah, just new to me, but I'm glad I finally saw it! They used onea the panels from my favorite Wally Wood story, the unpublished The Spawn of Venus. Turns out it may be everybody's fav, judg'n by the thousands of views my waywayback post has gotten. Loved it so much, I posted the entire story in three formats

Pencil Me In For Makkalet! by Barry Smith

2026-03-31T12:13:00.000-07:00

I was so fired up for some new Barry Smith when Conan #19 came out, I rushed home, plopped on my basement bed with it, and just stared. Dunno if I started to read it, but I definitely started to devour it panel by panel, and this top panel on page 15 freaked me out, and not in a good way. I acourse had not even looked for or seen the letters page, which explained they had run out of time to submit to the printers, and Dan Adkins couldn't ink the rest of the issue from here on (could the incredible detail of this panel made it the stop'n point? hhhmmmm....)

Genocide Spray! by Jack Kirby

2026-03-30T21:57:00.000-07:00

Onea my favorite things about da blog is when I can put up two or three versions of the same picture

Comicon Coke by Larry Todd

2026-03-30T13:14:00.000-07:00

I can't remember last week, but just look'n at it, I think this was part of a page in The Buyer's Guide For Comic Fandom. Wonderful illo that harkens back to a lota Todd's other aliens (#Moby Gleep #Broken Sparrow), but why did this one illo take three years to draw? Among a bazillion other things, I woulda loved to chat with him about that

New Frank Frazetta!

2026-03-28T17:36:00.000-07:00

Yeah, yeah, just new to me. The actual paperback for Tarzan And The Lion Man has been in my stacks since I was just a pup, and the pencils were in a local adzine back when I was lion about my age (college), but I never imagined there was this che great rough. Maybe just me, but Tarzan looks much better in the rough