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October 29th, 2009
07:51 am - Ditko Halloween Master Post
To celebrate Halloween this year, I've posted a bunch of my favorite Steve Ditko horror comics covers, all from his Charlton days. I never seem to remember that Ditko's birthday is a couple of days after Halloween (On Nov. 2nd, he turns 82).Well, I remembered this time, and although there isn't a terribly strong connection between both of these themes, it's more reason to post some Ditko. Additionally, one of his classic collaborations with Archie Goodwin, "Room With a View", is also included here. Just follow the cut for horror covers and comics at their finest.
( Ditko's Horror Comics )
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September 22nd, 2009
08:04 am - Giant Size Hernandez Bros. TWO!
About a year ago, I posted my very first Master Post entry Giant Size Hernandez Bros. (http://master-post.livejournal.com/652.html#cutid1 )
I was celebrating the release of their latest Love & Rockets volume. Well, the second issue just came out and what can I say? It’s fantastic. I think every time one of these books hits the shelves there should be a parade or some sort of citywide festival. It’s no less than what the Bros.deserve, right? I’m only one person, though, and this Master Post is my humble contribution.
This is a huge post so I’ll keep my dumb mouth shut for the most part. Like last time, I appreciate the present by looking back into some lesser seen gems of the past.
( Amor y Cohetes )
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August 31st, 2009
08:24 am - WALT SIMONSON
Walt Simonson has just about drawn every major character for every major publisher throughout the last thirty-odd years. Best known for his work on Thor, Starslammers, Fantastic Four, Battlestar Galactica and Orion, Simonson’s style has always been lauded as having the energy to rival Jack Kirby’s. But just as his legendary predecessor’s work was seen, all of the subtlety in Simonson’s work is often overlooked. Even in the most frantic piece, Simonson manages give it a quiet sense of characterization.
Hell, he just draws purty, OK?
Since I can easily make thirty different posts based on his covers alone, I’ve posted some of my personal favorite comics and covers by Simonson.
( It’s really just a dinosaur, the signature is… )
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July 1st, 2009
08:08 am - Master Post: Von Eeden Interview Extras
The Trevor Von Eeden interview I conducted is finally out today! It’s in the latest issue of The Comics Journal (#298) and like the cover states, it’s a brutally honest take on Von Eeden’s early years, working at Marvel Comics, the demise of Thriller, his relations with Lynn Varley & Frank Miller, industry politics, racism, lawsuits, and much more. An excerpt can be seen at The Comics Journal website: http://tcj.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1042&Itemid=48
Batman & the Outsiders #14, written by Mike W. Barr, November, 1984.
Behind the cut there are a few interview responses that were edited out from the final piece, a slew of artwork that complements the interview, and creator quotes by Mark Waid, David Mazzucchelli, Tony Isabella, and Erik Larsen. Major thanks to Johnny Bacardi aka ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) jbacardi for his help in connecting me with Von Eeden and for his fantastic Thriller website. Check out his side of the story at: http://johnnybacardi.blogspot.com/2009/06/looking-for-thriller-news-and.html
( Von Eeden Interview Extras )
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June 15th, 2009
08:14 am - EGGY BOO 2
Eggy Boo creator is found! Sorta...
Months ago, I was searching for any bit of information regarding the long lost "Eggy Boo" comic strips ( http://master-post.livejournal.com/3750.html#cutid1 ). All I had were a few retrieved scans from the past and a helpful comix community at my fingertips. I had to find out who the creator of this hilarious and deceptively simple cartoon was. Well, I've gotten closer to the truth. Thanks to the very kind and patient ravenface I have been given a "new" batch of Eggy Boo strips, as well as some information on the creator! Score!
"Ravenface" (let's call him... "Simon") is a friend of a friend of Eggy Boo creator "Hank DeSnow". As he tells it, the trio met and worked at some restaurant in Florida over a decade ago. Simon moved to New York shortly thereafter and never really kept in touch with the other two except through the occasional e-mail, or in the case of Eggy Boo, the occasional comic strip. Simon used to mass forward these short agents of hilarity all over the place, somehow reaching me through only a handful degrees of separation.
Simon, a fellow LJer, caught up with my "Master Post" series and contacted me immediately. He provided me with this new collection of strips and filled me in on the story but didn't feel comfortable giving me DeSnow's real name. When you read the following strips, you'll understand why. They go from nonsense funny to just nonsense (inspired by DeSnow's older schizophrenic half-sister) to awkward truth and tragedy. In other words: it's fantastic.
( EGGY BOO 2 )
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May 11th, 2009
12:42 am - David Mazzucchelli
Some of you may know the work of David Mazzucchelli through his late 80s superhero work and some of you may be more familiar with his indy friendly output. It’s a gross overgeneralization but Mazzucchelli’s fan base has always been divided into those two camps (with the occasional gray areas) so I’m sticking to it. The tail end of Batman: Year One and the emergence of Rubber Blanket is about the time that Mazzucchelli redefined himself and, for better or worse, the industry. What’s interesting are the elements that led up to that era and the projects that followed.
Ranging from franchise characters to cover illustrations, this Master Post shows an inkling of Mazzucchelli’s artistic transition and range.
Don’t judge too harshly…
( …you were once young, too. )
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April 28th, 2009
08:07 am - THRILLER by Fleming & Von Eeden
Thriller is quite possibly one of the most underrated and forgotten gems from modern comics. It was a critical and commercial failure by the standards of the day, but it still holds up as a sharp and compelling comic book series. Robert Loren Fleming gave life to a great cast of odd and inviting characters without giving in to cliché and Trevor Von Eeden is the one who shaped the idea with a wildly imaginative vision. Perhaps what made Thriller unique is what killed it. How Thriller was ever released in the first place by DC Comics seems like a fluke, but the proof is in the short lived run: there was no comic out there like it and there never will be.
( Ladies and gentlemen… THRILLER )
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April 9th, 2009
12:17 am - JOSE LUIS GARCIA-LOPEZ
So it's settled then, right? Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez is the best artists in comics, right? I know, I know... "best" is a highly subjective term, so let's get it clear: Garcia-Lopez can draw just about anything with masterful elegance and natural subtlety. He can make the mundane seem compelling and the ridiculous seem plausible, his eye for detail and design is underrated and his sheer cartooning skills are as sharp now as they were in the past 3 decades. Hailing from the Hal Foster/Alex Raymond school of realism, Garcia-Lopez is one of the rare few modern artists who make that style seem full of life and enthusiasm as opposed to the stiff, dull and practically traced hack work that it has devolved into. Is it too far fetched to say that everything Garcia Lopez draws is perfect?
( JOSE LUIS GARCIA-LOPEZ )
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March 29th, 2009
04:50 pm - KEVIN NOWLAN
Kevin Nowlan is a modern cartoonist that is undeniably a master of the craft. "Artist's artist" is a term that's casually thrown around in regards to certain comic book art people types, but Kevin Nowlan is the one of the very select few that can absolutely claim that title. I've been meaning to do a "Master Post" about Kevin Nowlan for a while, so it's only fitting that it somewhat coincides with his attendance at the recent New York Comicon.
I've narrowed down the scope of this post to a few early works and some of the covers he signed for me at the NYCC, as well as a very special and very cool sketch he did for me. The majority of the post is cover art but that isn't meant as a way of ignoring the fact that Kevin Nowlan is one of the finest storytellers ever. I'm just saving for another post!
( KEVIN NOWLAN )
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01:51 pm - TY TEMPLETON
Ty Templeton is one of my favorite comic book creators ever. As an artist he has incredible technical skill and an inspired, clear line. As a writer he's just as witty and poignant as he is funny. Did I mention that he can letter beautifully? And color to boot? In effect, Ty Templeton is the perfect cartoonist. Although he's mostly worked on many hilarious stories and projects, "funny" is too simple a term to describe the scope of Templeton's work. Yes, scans_daily, after the cut you will find a few of my personal favorite Ty the Guy's works, funny or not.
( TY the GUY )
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March 20th, 2009
12:59 am - EGGY BOO by ???
I was recently going through my old computer back home to see if I had some cool scans I may have forgotten about. You know, something to start the New Year here at Master Post. I didn't come across much... except one of the best comic strips ever in the whole world, except I didn't know who the hell really did it. It goes by the name "EGGY BOO".
Back in 2003, there was a a website (sent to me by a friend) specifically for "Eggy Boo", in which a brand new strip would be posted every week. If I remember correctly, this lasted for a few months, disappeared for a year, then would reappear once in a while. I started to save my favorite Eggy Boos and thank God I did! That site no longer exists. In fact, there is no mention of this comic strip ever existing. The friend who originally sent it to me doesn't remember exactly where he heard of it first but it was probably a word of mouth thing.
I've tried to find any shred of info on Eggy Boo. Did it continue elsewhere... under another name? Why did it disappear? Who is the creator? Well, I've learned that Hank DeSnow shouldn't be confused with Country Legend Hank Snow and that aside from being the title of a great comic strip, "Eggy Boo" also happens to be some 41 year old boat lover from Freeport, Bahamas.
I need your collective help, readers! Did any of you stumble upon this back in '03-'04? Is the creator a reclusive genius or some guy with a cushy office job or someone on Death Row? Maybe you know someone that knows someone that knows someone that knows about Eggy Boo, too! If not, that's cool. At least I have these 18 strips behind the cut. They're kinda funny one by one, but there's something that makes it hilarious once it's read in one continuous shot.
You tell me, am I wrong?
( EGGY BOO )
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12:09 am - TREVOR VON EEDEN'S Green Arrow
The previous Green Arrow post showed clear examples of what would become Trevor Von Eeden's signature style: design heavy layouts, masterful pacing, and figure rendering that summons everything from Neal Adams to Alex Toth... sometimes in the same page!
In the 1983 Green Arrow mini series written by Mike W. Barr, Trevor Von Eeden seemed to have found a comfortable vehicle for expression in comics, a vibrant and smart enthusiasm in an industry on the brink of a renaissance. Actually, Von Eeden's personal artistic epiphany came before this GA mini series in the form of a Batman Annual #8, 1982.
After the cut you will find one of the best renditions of Oliver Queen ever (inked by Dick Giordano) in a mini series that may never see reprint, so hunt these back issues if you can. They're inexpensive and beautiful. See for yourself!
( TREVOR VON EEDEN'S Green Arrow Mini Series )
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March 18th, 2009
08:44 pm - KYLE BAKER'S X-men
After the cut you will find the rarely mentioned "It's Genetic" gag strip written and drawn by Kyle Baker. These one panel punchlines featured the cast of the X-men and ran through Marvel Age in the mid eighties.
( It's Genetic by Kyle Baker )
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08:39 pm - ALAN MOORE'S X-men
In December 1st,1985, Marvel Comics put out a benefit comic to help raise funds to provide famine relief and recovery in Africa. Initially conceived by Bernie Wrightson and jump-started by Jim Starlin and Jim Shooter, this "jam" comic featured a slew talents including Frank Miller, Chris Claremont, Brian Bolland, Archie Goodwin, John Byrne, and Stephen King. What stands out to me, though, is the dual contribution of Alan Moore and Richard Corben. Not only is this portion of the story notable because of its unique creepiness, but it is the only known work Moore has ever done for Marvel proper (Captain Britain originally ran at Marvel UK, so that doesn't count). It's interesting, moody, and well executed...
( ALL HAIL MOORE'S MAGNETO )
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09:19 am - MIKE MIGNOLA'S Batman & X-Men covers
Before the Hellboy franchise we're all familiar with, Mike Mignola was a work-for-hire artist primarily working for DC and Marvel Comics in the 80s and 90s. His distinctive style developed throughout a lot of great stories such as Cosmic Odyssey (w/ Jim Starlin), Gotham By Gaslight (w/ Brian Augustyn), Ironwolf (w/ Howard Chaykin), and Wolverine: A Jungle Adventure (w/ Walt Simonson). Mignola did a whole lotta covers, though, and they are some of my favorite works of his. I decided to limit this post to Batman and X-men related covers so as to narrow the focus a bit.
To paraphrase an Alan Moore quote...
( German expressionism + Jack Kirby = MIKE MIGNOLA! )
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08:57 am - JACK KIRBY'S Iron Man vs Namor the Sub-Mariner: Best Fight Ever!
Back in August 1966, Jack Kirby did a fill in issue for Tales to Astonish #82, which was a split comic between Namor and the Hulk. According to the credits box, Gene Colan couldn't finish the art chores on that particular Namor story (guest starring Iron Man), so Kirby was called in to make the deadline. I heard somewhere these TEN pages took Kirby a weekend to draw. Whether that specific time constraint is factual or not, what he produced was a loud & brutal, over the top masterpiece. It's the quintessential Marvel Comic: beautiful, majestic, hilarious, short and fun. From his first drawing on page 3 until the abrupt yet casual end, "The Power of Iron Man" ranks as one of Kirby's finest moments.
Not a single drop of blood is spilled. I dare you to find a better fight scene.
( What are you waiting for, True Believer? )
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08:51 am - TODD McFARLANE covers
I don't know what compels me to post this. Maybe it's nostalgia, maybe I'm a glutton for punishment, maybe I wanna air out my guilty pleasures. Whatever the case may be, I feel the need to show you a bunch of old school covers drawn by fan favorite Todd McFarlane, who was an anomaly in his time. We all know that he went on to sell millions of comic books and has created an empire for himself since. We also know that he's been criticized for not knowing how to draw, which was a bone of contention amongst his peers. All I know is that when I saw The Amazing Spider-Man on the rack at the 7-11 when I was a kid, and it was drawn by McFarlane, I got excited (which is more than I can say for the other Spidey titles of the time). Back then, I didn't follow fandom, I didn't care about "collector's item" value, nor was I aware of industry politics. I liked Todd's Spidey because it was fun and weird and unique looking. How many comics can we say that about these days?
I present Todd McFarlane's Marvel Tales covers, pin-ups, and random drawings below the cut. For nostalgia! For masochism!
( Find the hidden spider on the cover! )
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08:38 am - FRANK MILLER
As you may know, Frank Miller's "The Spirit" movie debuted and crash landed to the glee of most comic book pundits. In celebration of Miller's longtime flirtation with Hollywood, though, I have put this post together consisting of a few of his odds and ends that have nothing to do with Hollywood. They're essentially bits and pieces that I've always liked.
( Booze, Broads and Batman )
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08:06 am - DAVE GIBBONS' Creeper
Dave Gibbons' most celebrated project may arguably be the Watchmen, in collaboration with Alan Moore. The main characters in the Watchmen are reinterpretations of old Charlton characters, most of them which are Steve Ditko creations. Before the Watchmen, though, before his Green Lantern run even, Dave Gibbons' first job for DC Comics was for another Ditko character... the Creeper. As a short back up for Flash #318, Feburary 1983, Carl Gafford scripted "New Hopes, New Fears" as well as "Turnabout Is Deadly Play", which originally appeared in Flash #319, March 1983.
( Dave Gibbon's CREEPER! )
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12:23 am - STEVE DITKO's Birthday
Four months ago, on November 2nd, 2008, it was Steve Ditko's 81st Birthday. You may recognize the name Ditko as the creator of many of your favorite comic characters such as... ah, the names escape me... Spider-something or other. Anyway, he's a comics legend, an innovator, and he's still making comics. I have cobbled a few of my personal favorite Ditko pieces, some not seen too often and others never to be reprinted elsewhere.
Like Ditko often suggests, there is black and then there is white...
( ...and there is no inbetween. )
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