CRIVENS! COMICS & STUFF!: THE FABULOUS FANTASTIC FOUR COVER GALLERY

Friday, 25 October 2013

THE FABULOUS FANTASTIC FOUR COVER GALLERY - PART THREE...

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

I have to confess that I was never much of a fan of GEORGE ROUSSOS's inking on JACK KIRBY's pencils for FANTASTIC FOUR #s 21-28 - with the exception of issues #25 & 26, that is. For some reason, George (working under the surname of BELL) managed to lift his game for the two-part adventure, wherein The HULK and The THING have one of the best 'knock 'em down, drag 'em out' battles ever seen in the pages of a comicbook (or two).

However, that's another post for another time, perhaps. For the moment, we're more interested in the 10 cataclysmic covers that graced these classic issues - so here they are, presented just for you! Peel back your palpitating peepers and simply enjoy, frantic ones! Got a favourite? Then let's hear all about it in the comments section.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...: Wow. I've always considered myself to be a bit of an authority on Marvel comics, but most of this stuff I've just got in reprints, so I've never seen these covers before. What a treat. Thanks, Kid. M.P.; 26 October 2013 at 02:43
Kid said...: Glad to be of service, M.P.; 26 October 2013 at 03:12
Anonymous said...: I haven't seen all those covers before either, although I do recall most of the stories themselves from the first year of MWOM - Issue 26 is my favourite as it's a strange one (the building site one). For an artist that probably has a low profile amongst comic fans George Roussos was actually an amazingly prolific artist in his day and seems to have been involved in so many major covers and stories such as the FF books, Superman and the cover of Avengers number 1 - I recall him mostly from those Mighty Comics strips of the 60s (mostly reprinted via Alan Class' titles in the UK) like the Mighty Crusaders (which I think he drew all the early strips) and Steel Sterling etc. - McScotty; 26 October 2013 at 12:46
Kid said...: I remember reading that FF #26 tale in the pages of Smash! way back around '67 - in class in primary school. (Must've been when the teacher was out of the room, obviously.) George was a great colourist, and his inking style wasn't too bad on Ditko, but for some reason it didn't always suit Kirby.; 26 October 2013 at 12:50
John Pitt said...: #25 & 26 were the very first CB's I ever bought ( off a school-mate ) after getting hooked on The Hulk in Smash! I couldn't understand why they were calling him BOB Banner. I think when these 2 were reprinted in an FF annual it was back to Bruce again. Then on the tv he was David ( Robert Bruce ). Things were to get even more confusing with the "HULK" film with David being Bruce's dad and then I heard there was going to be another TIH film with an Eric!! As for today with all the different Hulks I havn"t got a clue!!; 26 October 2013 at 14:30
Kid said...: Same here, JP. Why do they always complicate things; 26 October 2013 at 14:33
baab said...: The Hatemonger was the first bad guy that I could actually imagine being real.

I just realised as I type this,that a nightmare I had when I was about twelve years of age that has stayed with me all these years, was a character not unlike him.
I never linked the two together before.
Wow! Kirby nightmare.; 26 October 2013 at 18:53
Anonymous said...: Kid, as to John Pitt referring to another TIH movie with an Eric, he is certainly a little confused - The character Bruce Banner in the 2003 movie was actually played by an actor with the name of Eric Bana!
It was actually Stan Lee, who no doubt due to his heavy schedule of scripting a number of comic books each month in the early 1960's, forget his character's name and called him Bob Banner in a couple of issues. (This was not the only time he made such an error, he once changed Peter Parker to Peter Palmer!) It's been suggested that when the mistake was pointed out to Stan, he rectified it in an issue of the FF, revealing that Banner's full name was Robert Bruce Banner!!!
The producers of the 1970's Hulk TV show did not want to have the lead character called a corny comic-book sounding name as Bruce Banner, double B!! Or worse; Bob Bruce Banner, Triple B!!! (they probably took this decision haunted by the memories of the campy comicy 1960's TV Batman). On TV he was David Bruce Banner, but he was actually played by the actor named... Bill Bixby (the irony!) So it could have been Bill Bixby starring as Bob Bruce Banner!!!
I hope that uncomplicates things a little.
(marko); 26 October 2013 at 20:47
Kid said...: Thanks for the info, Marko, which I knew, but it explains things for others. I'd guess that JP knew most of it, but sometimes, in the agony of haste, we don't say precisely what we intend to say.; 26 October 2013 at 20:55
Anonymous said...: I remember Avengers Annual #4 (1970-71), which reprinted Avengers #5 (1964). That story referred to the Hulk's alter ego as "Bob Banner." And I've heard before that Stan used the "full name Robert Bruce Banner" dodge to explain away the inconsistency. Also that the TV show changed Bruce to David because they thought an alliterative name was too cartoonish. Another thing: the name "Bruce" had an unmanly connotation in the US at the time. It was often used as a sort of metaphor for "gay." For example, comedian Ronnie Schell played a recurring character in skits on a variety show. He was an interior decorator and a stereotypical mincing, prancing, limp-wristed sissy. The character's name was "Bruce Baroque." -TC; 26 October 2013 at 21:27

About the artist:

From 1985 to 2000 A.D. (little joke there), I contributed to a variety of high profile comics and magazines for various companies.

For IPC/FLEETWAY/EGMONT, I freelanced as a lettering and logo artist on various weekly comics and monthly magazines, and also as a resize comic artist and spot illustrator on pocket books, summer specials and annuals.

For MARVEL U.K., BLACK LIBRARY, REDAN and USBORNE BOOKS, I again freelanced as a lettering artist, also working as a restoration artist for MARVEL U.S., restoring and re-creating certain pages of JACK KIRBY art for their MARVEL MASTERWORKS editions.

I also lettered the MARVELMAN sample pages submitted to MARVEL U.S. when they were considering acquiring the character, which - as we all now know - they DID.

Supplied comic strips, cartoons and illustrated advertisements for local business campaigns and newspaper publication on a professional basis since the age of 16. Did my first paid art job for publication at 14 or 15 for Lanarkshire Education Board.

Have also made TV appearances as a collector of memorabilia.

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Just some of the titles I worked on are:

2000 A.D. * JUDGE DREDD MEGAZINE * DICEMAN * SONIC The COMIC * JUDGE DREDD, LAWMAN Of The FUTURE * CRISIS * REVOLVER * EAGLE * TIGER * BATTLE ACTION-FORCE * BUSTER * WHIZZER & CHIPS * WHOOPEE * NIPPER * SCHOOL FUN * ACE VENTURA, PET DETECTIVE * The REAL GHOSTBUSTERS * DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE * COUNT DUCKULA * RUGRATS * The TRANSFORMERS * DEATH'S HEAD * THUNDERCATS * GALAXY RANGERS * DRAGON'S CLAWS * SINDY * MARVEL MASTERWORKS * The TROLLS * LOADED * INFERNO * WARHAMMER * ROSE BLACK.

Copyright Notice:

Images remain the property of their respective copyright owners and are used here only for the purpose of review, promotion, and nostalgia.

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In the case of images culled from my own collection where copyright of an item isn't mine, I impose no copying restrictions on fellow bloggers.

(Although, if you don't allow copying on your own site, then you really shouldn't be copying from others, should you?)

And while you can credit this blog if you like, it's not mandatory. Who has time to make notes of every casually visited site during an idle browse of the internet?

In the case of anyone copying images of my own artwork and calligraphy, I affirm my right to be identified as the creator, and any such copying should not be for the purpose of monetary or material gain. (Unless it's mine.)

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Please also note that this blog is not sponsored by, affiliated with, or connected to, any organisation, business, or group, and is wholly independent.