Bernie Wrightson
Wally Wood
Gene Colan/Frank Giacoia
John Romita
Mike Sekowsky/Joe Giella
Category: Comic Books
Calling Out Copyists
This Bizarro comic strip last week got some people exchanging views, once again, about the validity of Roy Lichtenstein’s work.
In cartoonist Wayno’s blog he tells of his thinking behind the strip. (I’m amazed Google still hosts blogs.)
http://waynocartoons.blogspot.com/2022/08/copycat-crime.html
David Barsalou’s extensive research project, Deconstructing Roy Lichstenstein, reveals every one the comic book panels that were copied by Lichtenstein.
David and I were fortunate to have had Barbara Harris as our Art History instructor in college.
http://bostonvoyager.com/interview/check-barbara-harriss-artwork/
Stapp’s Straps
Jack Kirby was born on this day in 1917. The late-50’s comic strip Sky Masters of the Space Force was superbly illustrated by Jack, with perfectly complementary inking by Wally Wood. Note: Kirby/Wood refers to writer Dave Wood, not the unrelated Wally.
The last panel in that strip reminds me of the famous rocket sled tests performed by Dr. John Stapp.
Stapp’s groundbreaking Air Force work, testing the limits of human endurance under extreme conditions, was nothing like the ghoulishly criminal experiments conducted by the Nazis. Stapp was entirely practical in considering the effects of supersonic flight on pilots, and his data was invaluable when the manned space program began. The 3-point lap belt for cars came from Stapp’s research. The PBS series American Experience profiled Stapp in its “Space Men” documentary.
Spaaaaaaaaaaaace Forrrrrrrrrrce!
Superman of Miami
Every so often I like to watch all seventeen of the remarkable Fleischer/Famous Superman cartoons from 1941-1943. Considering the Fleischer studio was originally based in New York, it’s somewhat ironic that all the animation showing Superman leaping, and then flying, around Metropolis was produced in Florida.
The official DC release is the only DVD set currently available that’s worth getting.
https://www.amazon.com/Superman-Fleischer-Clayton-Bud-Collyer/dp/B001OD8E4G/
I’ll include a few screen shots from the DC set, along with the first two cartoons from the DVD. They were upscaled and cleaned up by somebody using an AI video process.
https://youtu.be/LUFN1IjK4ww
https://youtu.be/Asc6329mx70
Palmer Art
Tom Palmer was as much a commercial artist and painter as he was a comic book inker. Here are a few examples.
I love these hard-boiled, cheesy magazine covers.
From short-lived Skywald Publishing, where Sol Brodsky continued in the tradition of his old Magazine Management boss, Martin Goodman.
From Marvel in 1978, this is the cover to the second comic book telling of the Beatles story. Joe Sinnott illustrated the first one, in 1964.
The Silver Age Slips Away
Another old comic book pro, Tom Palmer, has passed away. There aren’t too many names left from the 60’s. Palmer arrived to the business later in the decade, earning immediate recognition, especially for his inking on Neal Adams’ run on X-Men. Those issues are among my most all-time favorite comic books.
https://www.cbr.com/tom-palmer-avengers-xmen-tomb-dracula-obituary/
