Pencil Ink comic book artists blog / checklist 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s

Moon Knight #12 - Frank Miller cover

2012-01-28T21:44:00.002-05:00

Moon Knight #12, 1981 - Uncommon for comic book covers, Frank Miller gives readers a close-up view of Moon Knight and his foe Morpheus. The composition is cropped in tight, almost uncomfortably so. Both combatants' hands seem jarringly out of proportion and distract from the drawing's otherwise competent rendition. Other artists in this issue include Bill Sienkiewicz (in a style paying homage to

Frontier Doctor / Four Color Comics #877 - Alex Toth art

2012-01-28T08:00:00.001-05:00

Frontier Doctor / Four Color Comics #877, 1957 - Rex Allen, well-known cowboy actor, takes on the role of a country doctor in this 1950s television show. Alex Toth used a variety of line thicknesses during this period but here he opts for thinner, finer strokes that result in a loss of dimension and realism. Still, the lead story is not without its moments. The outdoor winter scenes that appear

Thriller #10 - Alex Nino art & cover

2012-01-27T07:58:00.001-05:00

Thriller #10, 1984 - On this breathtaking cover, Alex Nino provides a surrealistic and painterly backdrop for his central figures. Its decorations are reminiscent of handmade oriental rugs or medieval tapestries. The artist's page layouts begin innocuously enough, but soon transitions into an artfully composed spread depicting the world's end. Well designed sequences support his graphically

Tarzan's Jungle Annual #5 - Russ Manning art

2012-01-26T16:19:00.000-05:00

Tarzan's Jungle Annual #5 / Dell Giant, 1956 - Russ Manning's Tarzan story unfortunately begins with a slow monotonous start. His artistic style is barely evident, improving only from the fourth page on. Tarzan and his friend Buto discover a passage to a lost civilization of giant vikings. The armor and weapons of these ancient warriors nicely contrast with the jungle surroundings. Manning's

Fear #11 / Man-Thing - Neal Adams cover

2012-01-26T08:39:00.000-05:00

Adventure into Fear #11 featuring the Man-Thing, 1972 - For the first nine issues, this title reprinted Atlas monster stories from the 1960s. Original material began with the tenth issue, featuring the Man-Thing in his first solo book after his premiere in Savage Tales #1. Here the character marks his third appearance, starting with this terrific Neal Adams cover. The juxtaposition of children

Amazing Ghost Stories - comic series checklist

2012-01-25T20:20:00.000-05:00

- - - - - - - - - - Amazing Ghost Stories St. John 1954-55 14 - Matt Baker cover 15 - Matt Baker cover 16 - Matt Baker cover, Joe Kubert reprint - - - - - - - - - - See today's posts, more series checklists or the master list of series. See also this blog's artist checklists, top 10 lists or readers polls.

Time Warp #1 - Steve Ditko, Don Newton art, Michael Kaluta cover

2012-01-25T07:34:00.001-05:00

Time Warp #1, 1979 - One of DC's few science fiction titles during the bronze age, Time Warp displays a collection of short stories within the large dollar format. Mike Kaluta's excellent cover design sets the tone, followed by two Steve Ditko stories that generally meet expectations. "Forecast", the shorter tale, is more graphically interesting despite the page length. Don Newton's tale of a

Space 1999 #5 - John Byrne art & cover

2012-01-24T19:52:00.000-05:00

Space 1999 #5, 1976 - The space station crew of Moonbase Alpha encounters the original Greek gods of Olympus. John Byrne continues to explore new layout designs, from the thin vertical panels on pages 13-14 to the sharply diagonal scenes on the following page. Though the panels are well drawn, the backgrounds become more sparse toward the end. Though not tragic, it does seem to lessen the

Tower of Shadows #1 - Jim Steranko art

2012-01-24T07:50:00.000-05:00

Tower of Shadows #1, 1969 - Greed drives an already wealthy couple to the remote, foreboding mansion of a deceased relative. Jim Steranko breaks new ground on this relatively short horror tale. His illustrative style is graphic and harsh in execution. Dark panels and shadowy shapes are pervasive, emphasizing the house's sinister nature. Steranko's greatest innovations, however, are his precise

The Phantom v2 #25 - Jeff Jones art

2012-01-23T07:54:00.000-05:00

The Phantom v2 #25, 1967 - A young Jeff Jones contributes a short story following the lead Phantom features. Historical in nature, it chronicles the battle of Fort Sumter and the beginnings of the American Civil War. One of the earliest works in his career, Jones' drawings are generally sloppy and the layouts poorly planned. A majority of backgrounds are devoid of detail, suggesting a lack of

Adventures of Jerry Lewis - comic series checklist

2012-01-22T18:52:00.002-05:00

- - - - - - - - - - Adventures of Jerry Lewis DC 1957-71 (continued from the Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis) 41-50 51-60 61-70 71-80 81-90 91-100 101 - Neal Adams art & cover 102 - Neal Adams art & cover 103 - Neal Adams art & cover 104 - Neal Adams art & cover 105-110 111-120 121-124 - - - - - - - - - - See all Adventures of Jerry Lewis artist issues See today's posts,

Race for the Moon #2 - Jack Kirby / Al Williamson art & cover

2012-01-22T12:12:00.000-05:00

Race for the Moon #2, 1958 - Jack Kirby's cover works perfectly in sync with the masthead, although I prefer the interior page it was borrowed from. Al Williamson provides the inks over Kirby's pencils throughout the issue, resulting in some exceptionally drawn pages. The pairing of these two artists is not only a rarity, but their disparate styles work unexpectedly well together. Additionally

What If (Phoenix had not died?) #27 - Frank Miller cover

2012-01-21T09:02:00.000-05:00

What If (Phoenix had not died?) #27, 1981 - The landmark issue X-men #137 is newly interpreted with an alternate ending. The cover by Frank Miller is not among his best efforts. The composition is all too common and the drawings are hurriedly drawn. The edges of the Phoenix's flame is too prominent, moving the character into a separate, unintended space. The remaining X-men appear too loosely

Pictorial Romances #5 - Matt Baker art & cover

2012-01-20T18:59:00.000-05:00

Pictorial Romances #5, 1951 - A young woman finds shelter from a snowstorm, just as her friends arrive, worried for her safety. Matt Baker's cover cleverly inserts visual clues to enhance the scenario. A wine bottle and cups are suggestively romantic while the stonework on the floor hints at an unseen fireplace. Baker's interior story is unrelated, focused on a woman's ambition to become a

Superman Family #183 - Neal Adams cover

2012-01-20T07:52:00.000-05:00

Superman Family #183, 1977 - delvers his A giant spectral Superman implores Lois Lane for help while she cowers in a flying bed. Despite this unusual theme, Neal Adams delivers his best cover of the series. Impeccably drawn and composed, I especially like how the characters on the right turn spontaneously toward the larger scene. Other artists in this issue include Bob Brown, Tex Blaisdell, Kurt

Paul Revere's Ride / Four Color Comics #822 - Alex Toth art

2012-01-19T08:03:00.004-05:00

Walt Disney's Paul Revere's Ride with Johnny Tremain / Four Color Comics #822, 1957 - Disney breathes new life in the retelling of Paul Revere's ride. Alex Toth's opening intro page is timidly basic, but brings readers up to speed on the Boston Tea Party raid. The story picks up immediately afterward, as the disguised colonists begin to disperse. The artist captures the era with convincing

Machine Man v2 #4 - Barry Windsor Smith art & cover

2012-01-18T18:31:00.000-05:00

Machine Man (limited series) v2 #4, 1985 - A final battle between the Iron Man of 2020 and Machine Man comprise the anticipated climax of this limited series. Unlike the previous three issues, Barry Windsor Smith produces the artwork in its entirety. The layouts, pacing and above all, the drawings are breathtaking. The fight scenes are violent but not gratuitous, yet beautifully choreographed.

Outer Space #18 - Steve Ditko art

2012-01-18T08:06:00.002-05:00

Outer Space #18, 1958 - This premiere issue marks a change in format from horror (previously named This Magazine is Haunted) to science fiction. Four early Steve Ditko stories grace the interiors, most drawn in his quietly minimalist style. The exception is the third tale, "Assignment Treason", which stands out for its high level of effort and detail. The compositions within the panels are

Unknown Soldier #256 - Walt Simonson art, Joe Kubert cover

2012-01-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

Unknown Soldier #256, 1981 - Walt Simonson's superb drawings grace the Captain Fear back-up feature one last time. In his large opening panel, seabirds waft about two 18th century warships, perfectly setting the historical period and tone of the story. Simonson utilizes typography and some memorable and innovative sequences (including the interior page above). On page 3, the arc of a lit cigar

Tarzan's Jungle Annual #4 - Russ Manning art

2012-01-16T19:22:00.000-05:00

Tarzan's Jungle Annual #4 / Dell Giant, 1955 - Attempting consistency, Russ Manning adheres to previous artist Jesse Marsh's rendition of Tarzan's face. It looks oddly out of place but with minimal distraction. Manning's two stories this issue are an improvement from the previous one, although page layouts still lack clarity. His art has a textured quality, especially on animals and backgrounds.

Rampaging Hulk #4 - Jim Starlin / Alex Nino, Marshall Rogers art, Starlin cover

2012-01-16T08:22:00.000-05:00

Rampaging Hulk magazine #4, 1977 - A Jim Starlin cover evokes a powerful yet mysterious tone, setting the stage for the main feature inside. A alien wizard kidnaps the Hulk in an act of desperation for his cause. Starlin's pencils transform into otherworldly images, thanks to Alex Nino's distinctive inking. The combination results in visually lush pages, grounded by astute pacing and brilliant

Space 1999 #4 - John Byrne art & cover

2012-01-15T09:52:00.001-05:00

Space 1999 #4, 1976 - Although one of his earliest comic book works, John Byrne displays a confidence and verve on this sci-fi tv-based series. His three full page splashes are nicely composed and inserted at opportune moments in the story. Additionally, the artist experiments with page layouts that are unusually effective. A diagonal tilt on the center spread (pages 13-14) has the suggestive

The Sandman #5 - Jack Kirby art & cover

2012-01-14T18:40:00.001-05:00

The Sandman #5, 1975 - A confidently drawn splash opens this tale, depicting Jed and his grandfather fending off a sea serpent. Jack Kirby's well-honed sense of design is evident in this issue, despite some crowding on the final pages. Mike Royer's inks do justice to Kirby's pencils, but much less so on the minimally-finished cover. This is number 5 of 6 Sandman issues with Kirby art and/or

The Phantom v2 #18 - Wally Wood art

2012-01-14T09:58:00.000-05:00

The Phantom v2 #18, 1966 - Without even a mention on the cover, Flash Gordon appears in a back-up tale in this issue. Wally Wood, a master of the science fiction genre, delivers a dependably well-drawn story. His first panel expands the usual confinement by omitting most of the ruled border. It nicely suggests the rocket flying into vast and limitless space. There is also some fine detailing of

Kull #13 - Mike Ploog art & cover

2012-01-13T07:36:00.000-05:00

Kull the Destroyer #13, 1974 - Mike Ploog's cover looks a bit hastily drawn, despite the fine textural effects. John Romita may have also altered Kull's face and/or figure. The interior pages are better, but lack some detail due to inker Al Milgrom. The bulk of the story art effectively shows the action and savagery of the barbarian genre, particularly the supernatural dueling on pages 15-17 (