Giant-Size Marvel

Silver Surfer by Jack Kirby, Splash Page and Black Light poster from Fantastic Four #76

2013-03-24T09:47:00.003-07:00

While perusing the latter issues of Jack Kirby's Fantastic Four run, I came across this classic splash page...

FF #76, page 6, featuring the Silver Surfer soaring in a moment of freedom.

There was a black light poster made out of this page. I did a quick search and found that it will see on eBay for over $100 now. Marvel fans of this era will remember the black light posters created around 1970 for stoners to enjoy while they listened to rock music. There were three Dr. Strange black light posters which I wrote about last year. I think I may have had one of these (although not the Surfer) next to a lava lamp. Nuff Said!

Thor Splash Pages 1968-69 by Jack Kirby, Odin, Recorder and more!

2013-03-23T15:17:00.001-07:00

As I mentioned before, Jack Kirby used splash pages quite often in Thor. Nearly every issue featured a great action shot or a titanic figure making a speech with Stan Lee's dialogue. Here are some great ones that were published during the last two years of Kirby's run on Thor.

Thor #161. My god has a hammer! And he loves to swing it.

Thor #159, Dr. Don Blake needs to find out the truth between his relationship with his godly alter-ego. How does he do it? By going to sleep and dreaming. I just recently read this one, never knew that they fully explained the Blake/Thor dichotomy.

Thor #162, Odin makes a speech that only Stan Lee could deliver, while dressed in a costume that would make Bob Mackie envious. Kirby didn't skimp on the details in a splash page.

Thor #170, the Recorder jets off into space after Thor and Galactus! Loved how Thor was a blend of mythic fantasy meeting characters in the science-fictional realms.

Incredible as all these pages were, Kirby was just warming up for his work on DC's New Gods series in the 1970s. I am currently re-reading those right now, they are still awesome decades later. Nuff Said!

The Thing Splash Pages by Jack Kirby

2013-03-19T07:07:00.000-07:00

How many splash pages of the Thing did Jack Kirby draw? Quite a few, but here are some that will knock your socks off.

Fantastic Four 93, 1970. The Thing versus Torgo, destroyer of men!

FF #73, 1968. The Thing versus Thor!

Fantastic Four 95, 1970. The Thing holding up a building and bantering some of Stan Lee's wittiest dialogue.

FF #80, the Thing dancing as he plans a weekend trip to Vegas. Nuff Said!

Galactus Splash Pages by Jack Kirby

2013-03-18T07:39:00.001-07:00

Galactus was one of Jack Kirby's greatest characters...in reviewing the late 60s Marvel Comics, I found a number of splash pages with this cosmic being.

Thor 160, 1968. My favorite of this series!

Thor 167, 1968.

Fantastic Four 74, 1968.

FF 75, 1968. Praise the Glory of Galactus! Nuff Said.

Marvel Splash Pages (1966 - 1969) by Kirby, Buscema, Colan

2013-03-17T13:01:00.000-07:00

My first article (The Evolution of Marvel Splash Pages) in this series focused on how splash pages were used by Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko within the pages of Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, and Dr. Strange. What happened after 1966?

I wanted to backtrack a bit and take a look at Journey Into Mystery and Thor. Kirby was indeed using full page splashes in 1965 on that character. Take a look at this great page from Journey Into Mystery 121 as the Absorbing Man takes new heights in his power. Kirby uses an appropriate length page to show you how this could be a big challenge for Thor.

Indeed, I found that Kirby used splash pages more liberally in Thor than the Fantastic Four. Nearly every story after after 1965 had a full page splash, such as this one from Thor 134 (1966) where Galactus made an appearance.

Over in the Fantastic Four, after the Galactus trilogy was done, Kirby used full pagers much more frequently. Not every issue, but when the story demanded it--and with Kirby, it often did! Fantastic Four #57 featured this classic scene where Doctor Doom had stolen the power cosmic from a very naive Silver Surfer.

What about Gene Colan? He started using full page illustrations quite liberally as well in Daredevil, Sub-Mariner, and other titles. One of his most infamous full pagers was this monumental page revealing the new costume in Dr. Strange 177 (1968). I say infamous as not all fans love this costume as much as I do.

If you flip thru a Marvel Comic by Colan, more often than not you will see a full page illustration for dramatic effect. Even this flashback scene, from Captain Marvel #2 in 1968, brings out Mar-Vell's early adventures fighting the Skrulls.

John Buscema used splashes as well, though a bit less liberally than Colan or Kirby. He drew this classic page from Silver Surfer #1 (1968), featuring the moment that Norrin Radd was transformed by Galactus.

Over in the Avengers, one of the first usages of a full page splash occurred in Avengers #58 (1968) which had two such occurrences! The first one had a little recap of Avengers history featuring their most prominent members. I can't understand why Spider-Man is here, he wasn't an Avenger at all during the early period! He had an early team-up with them but that was about it.

The classic ending scene to this story featured the Vision, in his iconic "Even An Android Can Cry" page. This was the second story to feature the android Avenger and the team debated whether to allow him to become a member of the team. A bit of an unusual case for a full page illustration, which is normally used for an action scene, but here it is a highly emotional moment.

Back to Jack Kirby, who created one of the best splash pages ever in Fantastic Four #72 in 1968, featuring the Silver Surfer soaring over Manhattan.

There were probably many many Silver Age Marvel splashes that I didn't have room to include here. I am left with another question, though: when did double page splashes become the norm? Kirby started using them quite frequently in his DC Comics work. Mike Grell made the double page splash intro a regular thing in Warlord. I can't quite remember how this caught on with Marvel and intend to investigate that topic later. For now, Nuff Said!

Spider-Man by Jim Steranko

2013-03-16T10:28:00.001-07:00

This illustration has been around since the Bronze Age, I first saw it on the back cover of FOOM magazine, but I believe it may have been originally done for Marvelmania.

Spider-Man by Jim Steranko. The color job looks very recent, I wish I remembered who did it. Nuff Said!

The Evolution of Marvel Splash Pages (1963-1966) by Kirby and Ditko

2013-03-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

Comics evolved into small magazines from their roots as newspaper comic strips. Indeed, the first comic book ever published (Famous Funnies in 1933) was basically a reprint of humor strips. Which is why they are "comic" books or as my parents used to call them, "funny books". When Speedy shot heroin into his veins in Green Lantern I made a point to show them it wasn't funny any more. But I digress! Comics evolved from strips, which is why there was the grid on the page: 6 and 9 panel grids being the most commonly used in Golden/Silver/Bronze age books. I started wondering, how did splash pages evolve at Marvel? Who did the first splash page, Kirby or Ditko?

I am factoring out the title page, which was usually a full page illustration, and also pin-up pages. I am more interested in when did Marvel's artists start deciding to use a full page illustration to knock out the reader with an impact in the middle of a story. The earliest one that I could find was actually a double page splash, which Kirby used to great effect in Fantastic Four Annual #1 in 1963, to showcase the majesty of Prince Namor's kingdom.

But in the regular FF comic, in 1964 you could see that Kirby was itching to bust out of the conventional grid system. This page to FF #26 was a prime example, where the Hulk takes up half the page as he rages out of control and threatens to clobber not only the FF but the Avengers, too.

Nowadays we almost expect to see at least 1 full page or double page splash in any given modern comic. I remember reading Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 in 1964, featuring Spidey versus the Sinister Six, and being knocked out by several excellent full page splashes, such as this one with Spidey and Electro. The annuals seemed like special events and the double length stories allowed the artists to break the rules. Or maybe they just had to fill more pages! But at the time, the full page splash was an awesome special effect for a kid. Steve Ditko pulled this off six times within the same annual, one page for each villain. My favorite Marvel annual ever. If you want to see this in prime glory, get the 1975 Marvel Special Edition which reprints this story in a treasury sized edition.

1964 seemed to be the turning point for splash pages. In Fantastic Four #33, Kirby presented the readers with this mind blowing page featuring the wonders of the ocean, as the FF travel towards Atlantis. The first Kirby collage? He did several more of these in the FF and continued to do them in other series.

Amazing Spider-Man #33 (Feb 1966 but published in 1965), one of the greatest Marvel comics of all time, featured this dynamic splash page from "The Final Chapter". Even more ingenious is how Ditko played with the grid length on the preceding pages, using a 7 panel grid on one page, a 6 panel grid on the next page, a 4 panel grid, then exploding into the greatness of the splash page above. Ditko will forever be remembered as one of the masters of comic art just based on this single issue alone.

When did Kirby draw his first in-story splash page in the Fantastic Four? From my findings, it appears to be this one, from FF #38 in 1965 ("Defeated by the Frightful Four"). The Wizard just got thumped by the Trickster (Paste Pot Pete) and needs to show the gang who is really in charge. He thrashes Trickster, Sandman, and Medusa with his anti-gravity power--along with the contents of the room! A very nice effect. This issue, for my money, kicks Kirby into a higher gear with his storytelling that lasts for years. He opens up his panels to showcase even wider vistas of action.

The following issue, FF #39, featured the team set against a cosmic collage as they try to figure out how to restore their powers. Kirby had figured out how to place the drawings of his own characters against the collage. It must have been a bit tricky back then; I wonder if modern artists truly appreciate their software tools which make layering images a snap!

The debut story of S.H.I.E.L.D. in Strange Tales 135 had a scene that was perfect for a full page splash by Kirby. It's a classic scene where Nick Fury has been summoned to SHIELD headquarters and he discovers a bomb. Fury throws the bomb out the window, thinking he's in a building on the ground. To the readers surprise, when they flip the page, they see the HQ is a flying helicarrier!

One of the most dynamic Fantastic Four splash pages occurred in FF #45, featuring the Airjet-Cycle carrying Reed, Sue, and the ever-loving Thing racing off to help Johnny Storm, who just discovered the Inhumans. The angle on this page composition is genius. You are viewing the cycle from a downward angle, just like a person walking on the street below. Stan Lee's dialogue here is really funny, too!

Steve Ditko never did another in-story splash page for Spider-Man after ASM #33. He left that series, but continued to draw Doctor Strange in Strange Tales. ST #138 (1965) features the first even meeting of Doc and the abstract entity known as Eternity. To make this a monumental event, Ditko used a splash page to depict the vastness of Eternity.

Over in the FF, Kirby had a similar being to depict. Fantastic Four #49 (1966) was the middle part of the Galactus trilogy and featured that awesome being in splash page, confronted by the Watcher. My first exposure to this page was in Marvel Treasury Edition #2, which made it look even more grand. Surely one of the most famous pages ever from the history of Marvel.

Strange Tales #146 (1966) was the conclusion of epic storyline pitting Doc against Dormammu. This time Dormammu meets Eternity along Doc and decides to attack Eternity in his thirst for power and control. Ditko again uses a splash page to great effect.

This issue is Ditko's finale from Doctor Strange and he made this last story so epic that there were two splash pages. The incredible cosmic battle between Dormammu and Eternity threatens to tear apart the entire universe! Ditko made a grand exit with this story which did not disappoint fans who had been reading Doctor Strange over the past two years. Although it left us wondering what might have been if Ditko had stayed on.

In reviewing these old comics, I wonder how much Kirby and Ditko knew what the other guy was doing in their books? I had the impression that Kirby was working so hard he didn't have much time to read other comics. Perhaps he flipped thru each month's Marvel comics and saw what Ditko was doing, and vice versa? Did they feed off each others ideas and energy? Did Kirby see Dikto's splash page in the Final Chapter and say, hey, I can do something like that?

This brings us to the year 1966 in Marvel's history. Ditko left Marvel, but Kirby stayed and continued to knock out fans with his artwork in the FF and Thor. I primarily covered the FF, Spider-Man, and Doctor Strange here to uncover the history of splash pages. But were there more? I did not check Thor or Sgt. Fury. I have no idea when DC Comics started using splash pages in-story. I can't recall seeing any DC book with a splash page until Neal Adams came along. What did I miss? Please let me know! Nuff Said!

Thing Tuesday: A Football Charge of Marvel Heroes

2013-03-12T08:31:00.001-07:00

I'm always on a scavenger hunt for artwork featuring Benjamin J Grimm. A few months ago I came across this nifty illustration by John Buscema.

The Thing in a quarterback pose with a football tucked in his arm, leading a charge of Marvel's Greatest Heroes (and Doc Doom!) into battle. Anyone know where this first appeared? I am guessing it must have been used in some Treasury Edition as the back cover? Nuff Said!

Update: A fan named Isaiah wrote that he believes this image was from a promotion that Marvel did with the NFL back in 1971.

Monster Monday: Sci-Fi Man-Wolf covers by Gil Kane and Klaus Janson

2013-03-11T09:45:00.002-07:00

When Spider-Man's nemesis, Man-Wolf, finally appeared in his own strip inside Creatures on the Loose, it was hard to make this character distinct from Marvel's other lycanthropian, Werewolf by Night. David Kraft, who wrote the later issues, fixed this problem by turning Man-Wolf into a sci-fi hero. The gem that had grafted to his chest was a ruby from another dimension, known as the Godstone.

This led to some ultra cool covers by Gil Kane and Klaus Janson! Creatures on the Loose #35 features Man-Wolf on a runaway rocket sled--shades of Barsoom! The blood red haze on top is terrific, I bet you could spot this cover halfway across the drugstore on the spinner rack. The color scheme reminds me a bit of Gil Kane's Morbius cover on Fear #23.

But the action scene itself is similar to this cover from Amazing Adventures #29, which again is very John Carter like, with a sky sled plummeting downward. Gil Kane loved the adventures of Barsoon and drew the John Carter strip, which probably led to these influences.

Creatures on the Loose #36 features Man-Wolf in a terrible spot, out in the vacuum of space. I thought this was an ultra cool idea, having a werewolf in space, he would never turn human would he, since the moon was always in view?

Creatures on the Loose #37 was the last issue featuring the Man-Wolf (his story wrapped up in Marvel Premiere #45-46). But this is another great idea, the creature fighting an army in anti-gravity.

Strange Sunday: Doctor Doom vs Dr Strange by Paul Smith

2013-03-10T10:59:00.002-07:00

Here is a doozy from the archives...

Vintage Paul Smith commission, circa 1983, featuring Doctor Strange fighting Doctor Doom, Ditko-style. Who wouldn't want to own this piece? Nuff Said!

Silver Surfer by Marshall Rogers and Joe Rubinstein

2013-03-09T10:52:00.000-08:00

After losing his own regular series in 1970, the Silver Surfer finally returned in 1987 with a series written by Steve Englehart and drawn by one of his best collaborators, Marshall Rogers.

The first issue featured this dynamic double page splash by Rogers and Joe Rubinstein, with the Surfer hurtling through space. The story would eventually allow Norrin Radd to break through the prison Galactus had placed around the Earth. I was a big fan of the Englehart/Rogers team and eagerly awaited their first Marvel project. This image knocked me out when I first saw it.

Here is the original artwork to this splash page, which I discovered a few months back on Tom Breevort's Marvel Age of Comics tumblr page. Interesting how all the creators actually signed the credits page when it was published. Nuff Said!

Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus covers by Todd McFarlane, Gil Kane, Sal Buscema

2013-03-06T09:25:00.000-08:00

Remember the days when Spidey and Doc Ock weren't the same person? LOL. I do get a kick out of reading Superior Spider-Man. But here are some old Marvel Tales covers when their relationship wasn't so close.

Marvel Tales #224 by Todd McFarlane in 1989 features a classic battle between Doc and Spidey on the rooftops. This one reprinted the classic issue of Amazing Spider-Man (#89) where Captain Stacey dies saving a child on the street below.

Marvel Tales #223, another McFarlane cover features Spidey getting a full frontal attack by those robot arms. You have to admit McFarlane draws a great Spidey, and he kept the underarm webbing!

Marvel Tales #40 from 1971-1972 featured a Gil Kane cover. Spidey had lost his memory and became temporarily convinced he was Doc Ock's partner in crime? Crazy huh? Good thing the internet wasn't around then or we would have fans screaming about tentacle porn.

Marvel Tales #38 cover by Sal Buscema featured one of those Doc Ock larger than life motifs. Now I feel even more creepy about those tentacles. Nuff Said!

March 2013 Mighty Marvel Calendar Retro Style by Dusty Abell

2013-03-05T09:13:00.001-08:00

I've been remiss in keeping up with Dusty Abell's Mighty Marvel 2013 retro calendar! He did indeed cover the merry month of March.

The bad guys dominate the top part, while the birthdays featured include Our Pal Al Milgrom (tomorrow), Mark Waid (same day as Al Williamson, who knew) and Todd McFarlane. Print it out and stick it on your wall! Check out Dusty's Facebook and DeviantArt pages for more good stuff, Nuff Said!

Mike Zeck: Spider-Man and Punisher Marvel Tales covers

2013-02-19T08:33:00.001-08:00

Dipping back into the well of Marvel Tales covers, there was a series of them in 1988 featuring reprints of Punisher and Spider-Man team-ups. Mike Zeck, the Punisher's main man, drew some of the fantastic covers.

Marvel Tales #209 features Frank Castle front and center with Spider-Man in the crosshairs. Despite the fact that he is holding pistols instead of a rifle!

Marvel Tales #211. The Punisher spews bullets out of twin Uzis as he and Spidey crash through a window. Forget about stun bullets!

Marvel Tales #216. Off to save Jonah from Hitman. Nice angle on this cover.

Marvel Tales #219. There is a Gil Kane feeling with many of Spidey's poses by Zeck, don't you think?

Marvel Tales #218. Brings back the tried and true formula of the hero having his identity revealed, and it works great on this cover! Nuff Said.

Hawkeye: Best New Marvel Comic in Years

2013-02-09T11:05:00.000-08:00

I pretty much like to discuss the past here on Giant-Size Marvel, particularly the comics of the 1960s/70s/80s. I shy away from modern comics, for the most part because I want to focus that I stuff that I really love. There is one comic being published by Marvel which is giving me a thrill I haven't had since I read Frank Miller's Daredevil.

Hawkeye, by Matt Fraction, David Aja, Javier Pulido, Matt Hollingsworth, Chris Eliopoulos and others. I am late to the party on this one, a lot of fans have been raving about it for months. I suppose I had some reservations based on past series featuring Hawkeye. Hawkeye is usually at his best in a team book, bouncing off other characters with his temper and impulsive behavior.

This series is about Hawkeye when he is not an Avenger. For each of the seven issues published thus far, he's not even in costume. It's what he does when he is not saving the world. The stories range in flavor: one issue he fights a gang to take control of his apartment building; issues 4-5 have Clint traveling to Madripoor where he has to evade a host of bad guys like Madame Masque and the Hand. The latest issue (#7) features Clint trying to save people from the effects of Superstorm Sandy. The supporting cast includes Kate Bishop (the Hawkeye from Young Avengers), Hawkdog (a dog Clint saves in issue #1, what else could we call him?), and several neighbors from Clint's building in Brooklyn. Kate is a wonderful cast member and works well in Hawkeye's life, pulling him out of scrapes whenever he needs the help. There is a lot of humor in this book and much of it comes from Clint's arguments with Kate.

The storytelling in this series is what makes me compare it to Frank Miller's Daredevil. The artwork is like nothing else you've seen lately. Tired of non stop splash pages? Do you long for the return of nine panel grids? This book is for you, forget about nine, sometimes there are 16 grids on a page. The design is wonderful, and the stories by Fraction are very clever. There are time-hopping flashbacks from page to page, a device that allows him to start the story off with action and clue you in on the details as it progresses. I would not only compare Hawkeye with Miller but also with Will Eisner's The Spirit. The variety of stories that Fraction can tell here matches the way the Spirit could face off with criminal goons one week and go hunting for Sand Saref in Paris the next week.

Hawkeye is best series Marvel has published in years, if you're a lapsed Marvel reader, this is one you should consider reading. Nuff Said!

Monster Monday: Man-Thing by Lee Weeks

2013-02-04T08:36:00.002-08:00

When Mondays get tough, the tough start thinking about Marvel's Man-Thing.

A great pen and ink illustration of the muck monster rambling through the swamps of Florida. Nuff Said!

Strange Sunday: Doctor Strange by David Finch

2013-02-03T09:55:00.001-08:00

A 2004 commission featuring the Mystic Master.

By David Finch and Walden Wong. Nuff Said!

Silver Surfer Saturday: Barry Smith

2013-02-02T09:38:00.001-08:00

Here's a little gem from the early career of Barry Smith...

Back when Smith's style was heavily influenced by Jack Kirby, this illustration of the Silver Surfer in space has all the hallmarks of the King's style. No idea what year this was from, but it's clearly pre-Conan! Nuff Said.

Marvel Funnies: Marie Severin celebrates Dave Cockrum's birthday

2013-02-01T08:39:00.002-08:00

Here is how Marie Severin celebrated Dave Cockrum's birthday in 2004...

With one of his favorite creations, Nightcrawler, toasting him, and drinking the rest of the X-Men under the table. Nuff Said!

Feb 2013 Mighty Marvel Calendar Retro Style by Dusty Abell

2013-01-31T08:33:00.000-08:00

Dusty Abell's 1970s retro inspired calendar take on January 2013 knocked my socks off! He delivered February 2013 a while ago, but since it starts tomorrow, why not share it here?

A terrific pin-up of Ben Grimm adorns the top half by Mike McKone. The bottom calendar features an array of art by Neal Adams, John Byrne, Michael Golden, Art Adams, and many more. The birthdays are also cool, with celebrations for Rich Buckler, Ron Wilson, Curt Swan (even though he worked for the Direct Competition) and Doug Moench. Print it out and stick it on your wall! Check out Dusty's Facebook and DeviantArt pages for more good stuff, Nuff Said!

Spider-Man and the Arms of Doctor Octopus by Michael Golden

2013-01-30T07:37:00.003-08:00

This illustration was circa 1982 but I bet you can't place where it was originally published...unless you lived in the Lone Star State!

Michael Golden's illustration of Spider-Man leaping over Doctor Octopus was published on the cover of the El Paso Comic Con program guide in 1982. Great work isn't it? Nuff Said!

Captain Marvel, Warlock and Dr Strange by Jim Starlin

2013-01-29T08:44:00.001-08:00

I discovered a 2004 commission or pin-up by Jim Starlin and Al Milgrom, aka Gemini!

Captain Marvel, Warlock, and Doctor Strange together, the cosmic heroes teaming up with the mystic master. Nuff Said!

Monster Monday: Man-Wolf Premiere Cover Art by John Romita and Gil Kane

2013-01-28T09:47:00.002-08:00

One monster I haven't gotten around to is Spider-Man's nemesis, Man-Wolf. He premiered in Spidey's title (Amazing Spider-Man #124), teamed up with Morbius in Giant-Size Superheroes #1, then launched into his own solo series soon afterward.

Creatures on the Loose #30 was the premiere of Man-Wolf's solo adventures. Funny enough, this first issue was written by Doug Moench, who also wrote Werewolf by Night! The cover is a classic collaboration by John Romita Sr and Gil Kane. The cover is playing up the traditional horror aspect of a lycanthrope, though as the series evolved, Man-Wolf became more of a science fiction character. There is a classic setup here, this fellow obvious brought his girl up for some rooftop romance when he was surprised by J. Jonah Jameson's son!

Here is Gil Kane's original pencils on Marvel's art board for this issue.

Here is a closeup view of Gil Kane's pencils for this cover. It's interesting to examine this before Romita applied his inks. The character of the Man-Wolf is kept mostly intact, but the girl is glamorized in Romita's style and the horror on the guy's face is more intense after Romita finishes him.

Gil Kane and John Romita Sr had two drastically different styles and approaches which usually produced visually stunning work! Nuff Said.

Thing Tuesday: Hulk vs Thing by Lee Weeks

2013-01-22T08:08:00.000-08:00

A great illustration that brings to mind some of the past meetings between the monsters!

Nuff Said.

Silver Surfer and Galactus by Pat Broderick

2013-01-19T10:46:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite artists from the 1980s was Pat Broderick. He did great work on Legion of Super-Heroes, Firestorm, Captain Atom and many other titles. I looked him up on Facebook the other day and found this piece!

The Surfer gliding through space with Galactus in the background. Please look up Pat Broderick on Facebook to see more great commissions! Nuff Said.