Category: Joltin’ Joe Sinnott

The late, great Marvel Comics Legend, Joe Sinnott

Kirby Before Sinnott

The Kirby Museum’s first publishing project is here and I’m impressed. My copy of Sky Masters of the Space Force: The Complete Sunday Strips in Color came with a print and t-shirt.

Copies of the book should become available in comics shops. Publication was crowd-funded on ZOOP, with much of the interest coming from Wally Wood’s ink finishes over Jack Kirby’s pencils. Wood’s run on the comic strip was actually somewhat sporadic, until he eventually dropped out altogether.

Woody never stuck with any one thing for very long, especially after Bill Gaines limited EC to publishing MAD and nothing else. But the work Wally did on Sky Masters is outstanding and wouldn’t be equaled until Joe Sinnott’s run inking Kirby on the Fantastic Four.

(Note to mih: I will have the book with me when visiting in May.)

Words of Discouragement

The first time I met Joe Sinnott was at the 1972 New York Comic Art Convention that I attended with, and thanks to, mih.

That was the first time Joe met Jack Kirby, as well as my only time meeting Kirby. It was made extra memorable when, with me an earnest 16-year-old fanboy, Kirby actually pushed me out of his way to speak with someone! Joe never pushed me out of his way, but I used to push him around when he found a wheelchair useful. 🙂

Another interesting New York ’72 encounter was with the comic book professional named Kane who wasn’t Bob. When I mentioned my hope of drawing comic books, he replied, “Kid, we don’t need the competition.”

Using a thinly disguised name, this is another less than flattering memory of the pro in question, from the highly respected comic book writer/editor, Archie Goodwin. Keep in mind that Goodwin had previously written numerous projects for him to illustrate.

Dead Heads

These talking heads are all deceased now, but fortunately they were interviewed before it was too late for them to share their EC memories.

Wait, don’t go away yet! What about the other comic book companies that were publishing horror comics along with EC? This video features my dearly departed pal Joe Sinnott.

The earliest known surviving original art that Joe drew for Stan Lee is from a horror story. It’s page 1 of “The Terrible Trunk”, published in the Atlas pre-code comic book Adventures Into Weird Worlds #5, April 1952.

https://pappysgoldenage.blogspot.com/2007/12/number-233-terrible-trunk-from-atlas.html

Thanks to comic art dealer Mike “Romitaman” Burkey, the page now belongs to Joe’s son Mark.