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Here's one I meant to show you last week - The Fantastic Four #2 Facsimile Edition. Indicia in the wrong place (should be under the inside cover's ad), though it's got the 'Continued After Next Page' lines, which adds to its 'archival authenticity'. Here's a few images to whet your appetite Crivvies - it'll look good sitting next to your facsimile of FF #1. I wish Marvel would do FEs of all the Lee/Kirby FF issues - that'd be awesome.
At the story's end, one of the Skrulls disappears, meaning Jack perhaps intended him to have died when his rocket-pack exploded after colliding with Johnny, or a page was omitted for reasons of space. If the former, maybe Stan wanted to avoid casualties, hence there being no reference to any demise. Four Skrulls are shown tied up in one panel, but unless a page was cut, one Skrull might've been added by another hand to make up the numbers, before Stan decided just to explain the absentee with a hastily-contrived (and inadequate) remark from Reed.
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Below is the cover as it was originally drawn and lettered, before being amended for publication at the behest of Stan (in all probability). It's likely that the production stat of this (uncoloured) version of the cover was used to re-create the appearance of the published version for reprints years later, with a couple of things being inadvertently overlooked in the process.
Namely, when the blurbs and speech balloons were deleted, part of the tail of Johnny's was missed and some floorboard lines were overlooked when the floor was 'lowered'. (Where are the proofreaders when you need 'em?) Though it's possible the original '60s altered cover stat was used (if it survived) and some process white had cracked and dropped off in the intervening years, but to reiterate, I suspect its a re-creation utilising an unaltered stat of the initial version.
And below is the facsimile cover after I've applied a little smattering of digital technology to remove the 'extended' floorboards and the balloon tail. My talent knows no bounds. (Or should that be my bounds know no talent?) Aside from the barcode and Marvel logo, this is how the cover looked when originally published.
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Cover not accurate either, carrying the floorboard lines into the wall. The real ish 2 didn't have that. I hope the following ten are more accurate.
ReplyDeleteIf there are any more in sequential order, that is. Actually, Jack originally drew the cover with the floorboards going right up to the two horizontal lines under the window, but changes were made before it was published. The floorboards were moved further away from the window (with the simple application of some process white), the caption was slightly revised, the speech balloons were removed, and so were the characters' name blurbs.
DeleteThis was either created from a stat of the original cover (as drawn) which was revised to that of the published cover, or it's perhaps the original altered stat and some of the process white has fallen off. Either way, the editor of these reprints should've noticed. It's been overlooked in earlier reprintings going back many years.
I've added the cover as originally drawn to the post so that you can see for yourself.
DeleteI'm looking forward to picking up some of the later issues in this facsimilie series , issues 10 to 12 in particular were favourites of mine when I first read them in the Mighty World of Marvel . Have you seen the trailer for the new FF movie yet Kid?
ReplyDeleteHaven't seen it yet, McS, any good? I'll Google search it later.
DeleteI thought it looked fun. A few things purists won't like, there's the robot from the 1980s ( I think) cartoon series, The Thing seems to be totally CGI and wears a costume. The costumes themselves look like the original ones although bright blue .
ReplyDeleteSounds like something to look forward to, McS. I'll catch the trailer tonight - off for a lie down at the mo.
DeleteI noted the disappearing Skrull in an essay I wrote years ago, but I confess I never considered the possibility that one of them just got blown to atoms. It would have been a good editorial save, one Stan could have used rather than the one he did use, but I think it's likely that Kirby just got caught up in the story and forgot to keep count.
ReplyDeleteI addressed the matter in a post back in 2012, called Even More Loopy Lapses In Logic Dept - The Mystery Of The Missing Skrull... - give it a look-see, GP.
DeleteHit those Skrulls with that vase Sue!!!
ReplyDeleteShe's obviously got Glaswegian ancestors.
DeleteI recently bought an original, coverless copy of this book for 25 cents. Some space conscious collector had ripped out most of the ads and restapled the whole mess! It's the sort of thing I would have done when I was a weird kid in the 60s! A friend of mine offered to buy me the whole facsimile 12 issue set, to which I said THANKS! I already have them in Marvel Collector Item Classics, but...
ReplyDeleteI didn't know there was a 12 issue set, LM - separate issues or collected edition? I've just pre-ordered the facsimile of #3 and I see #4 is due out soon too, so hopefully others will follow.
DeleteThey are supposed to do the first twelve issues in facsimile format, as well as 48,49, and 50.
ReplyDeleteOh, can't wait - I'm wishing my life away, LM.
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