CRIVENS! COMICS & STUFF!: PART TWO OF MISTER, WE NEED A MIRACLE...

Wednesday, 19 March 2014

PART TWO OF MISTER, WE NEED A MIRACLE...

Images copyright DC COMICS

Would you believe it?! It's been almost a year since I posted the first instalment of this two-part pulse-pounding, power-packed pictorial presentation of MISTER MIRACLE covers. Therefore, I'd better not hold you back any longer from the remaining nine cover images of JACK KIRBY's SUPER ESCAPE ARTIST's 18 issue run. Enjoy!

And, as a bonus, here's the cover to the 1987 MISTER MIRACLE SPECIAL by MARK EVANIER and STEVE RUDE. Nice, ain't it?!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...: I don't know anything about this character due to my almost zero knowledge of DC but I always loved Jack Kirby's art. I know his mid-70s work gets criticised for looking unrealistic blah blah but I loved the way he gave everything a shiny, futuristic sci-fi look. Actually the more realistic super-hero art looks the less I like it - I don't like that "photo-realism" style of Alex Ross at all.; 19 March 2014 at 21:34
Kid said...: Don't like Alex Ross? (Gasps and falls over.); 19 March 2014 at 22:26
Unknown said...: I was about 11 years old when Mr Miracle was published and just recall thinking it was just so strange for a superhero comic - I have since come to like the character a lot although I much preferred Englehart and Marshall Rodgers short lived version in the late 70s. I felt a lot of Kirbys 70s DC output (not counting -imho- the great Kamandi series and to a lesser degree the "fun" the Demon comic) were pretty dated at the time but now looking back , although some of the stories were a bit "stiff" the premise of some of them was pretty cool (ie OMAC etc) - Wow not heard of many folk that don't like Alex Ross' art Colin , saying that as wonderful an artist as I think he is, I prefer "line" type art; 19 March 2014 at 23:30
Kid said...: I think they reached a compromise on art styles on a Justice League comic, McScotty. Alex Ross art, but inked by someone else so that it was a combination of painted and line art. It was something along those lines anyway, if I recall correctly.; 20 March 2014 at 03:35
baab said...: Not much I can add.
When these or Omac or Kamandi were in a fellow comic readers 'swap' pile I would be filled with joy.

I have the Steve Rude edition and he really captures the Kirby essence without copying it.

As for Alex Ross,I admire his work but sometimes it does lack a certain pizzazz.; 20 March 2014 at 04:42
Kid said...: Alex Ross is an American equivalent of Frank Hampson in some ways, in that he photographs models and then draws from them. Seems like a slow process to me.; 20 March 2014 at 12:46
baab said...: I listen to Smodcast with Kevin Smith and they had a great three part interview with Neal Adams in which he advised any budding artist to trace and use photographs,anything to get the pages done.

He reveals that the great American artist Norman Rockwell became the legend when he bought a camera.

I am going to take my own photographs based on my thumbnails for the next wee project I am doing.

The podcasts are free and Kevin Smith is a great host.

There are 60 so far including a few with Grant Morrison,Denny O'Neil, Jeph Loeb and of course Stan Lee.

http://smodcast.com/channels/fatman-on-batman/; 20 March 2014 at 14:59
Kid said...: Thanks for that, Baab. I'll be sure to check it out (as will others, no doubt).; 20 March 2014 at 16:44

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.