NO NEED TO WONDER - SHE'S DEFINITELY A WOMAN...

Lynda Carter as the wondrous Wonder Woman

If anyone out there is considering

buying me a Christmas present this year,

the above photo is a little hint as to what I'd

like to find in my stocking.  In fact, if I were

to find myself in her stockings, that would

be perfectly acceptable as well.

The DAREDEVILS COVER ROUGH...

Characters copyright MARVEL COMICS

Don't be fooled - you're looking at a photocopy of a 100% pencil drawing (lettering included), not an inked piece of art.  Way back in 1983, MARVEL U.K.'s The DAREDEVILS held a competition to design a cover, so I dashed off this rather plain cover-rough for their consideration.  Looking at it now, it's not too bad, but the highlights on SPIDER-MAN's thighs need some work.  Had I ever inked the piece, I would've sorted out all the little imperfections, but, overall, it's not the worst drawing I've done.  (Or seen - no names, no pack-drill.)  Obviously, it would've had much more impact in colour - might add some one day (and fix those thighs).

No, I didn't win.  I'll have to dig out my back issues and see what did.  I think at least I should've got a runner-up prize.

YOWZA! MIGHTY MARVEL COVER GALLERY - PART EIGHTEEN...

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

Well, we're very nearly there.  In our next cover gallery post in this series, we'll feature the first Birthday issue of The MIGHTY WORLD Of MARVEL (#53) as the comic celebrated a year of publication.  The early issues had been impressive, with their spot and full-colour pages, and reprints of the best classic stories that STAN, JACK & STEVE had to offer.  However, the later issues, with their sombre grey tones, weren't such a visual delight, but I continued to buy them like the good little Marvelite I was.

Cop a gander at the cover of #51: This is one of my favourite covers, as it has its own personal associations for me and because it's an extremely evocative illustration in its own right.  But take a closer look at ol' HULKIE.  He appears to be stuck in mid-transformation and not quite as 'incredible' as he should be.  He looks just like a powerfully built, normal human (one with green skin, I grant you) and not the 'hulking' seven foot creature with which we're all familiar.  Still a good drawing though.

Anyway, feel entirely free to share your own memories of these early British Marvels in the comments section.  Most of the responses are a good deal more interesting than the posts which inspire them, to be honest with you, so put your digit to keyboard and get typing.

  

Oh dear, what a terrible 'paste-up' job. Even allowing for foreshortening and
his crouching position, The Thing looks as if he's only about four foot tall