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Following the theme of the previous post, this one is similar in that it involves the acquisition of an item 40 years after the fact. Let's see now, it was back in 1986 that Solson Publications released the first issue of Rich Buckler's Secrets Of Drawing Comics. There were four in all, but, curiously, although I had the comic on standing order (I think) with Glasgow's AKA Books & Comics, I only ever got numbers 1, 2, and 4, with issue 3 disappearing into the Twilight Zone without me ever seeing it.
Anyway, to cut a long story short (even when it doesn't merit being a long story, it usually is by the time I get through with it), the elusive third issue arrived at Castel Crivens today, finally enabling me to complete the set. It didn't just manifest out of nowhere though, I ordered it from an eBay seller in the States and I'm as happy as a pig in sh...erbert to now have the set of four. Interestingly, the previous year, in 1985, John Byrne did a comic for the same publisher, called How To Draw Comics Comic.
This was meant as the first in a series, but I never saw any subsequent issues, so can only conclude they never actually appeared. If you type the name into eBay's search box, only #1 shows in the results, so that seems to settle the matter as to whether there were any further issues. Interestingly, in 2014, Collins published a book titled Learn To Draw Comics by John Byrne (which I've just bought from eBay), though there's nothing really to indicate whether it's the John Byrne or not.
The late Rich Buckler is considered by many comic fans as not much more than a 'swipe' artist these days, due to his copying panels and figures by Jack Kirby when Buckler was the regular artist on Marvel's Fantastic Four mag. This is probably unfair, as he was likely encouraged to draw as close to Kirby as he could, though probably more in 'spirit' than in actual art style or swiping whole panels, but I've seen a variety of work by him that shows he wasn't restricted to merely imitating the work of others and had his own style.
In 1986, Solson also published two books by Buckler, one being How To Draw Superheroes (which I've owned for many years), the other being How To Become A Comic Book Artist (which I've just bought on eBay), so who knows, maybe I'll be inspired to buckle down (or should that be Buckler down?) and produce a comic strip or two. Having said that, perhaps How To Draw Comics The Marvel Way is the definitive book on the subject, and even that never prompted more than a page or three out of me.
Anyway, thought you might like to see all four Buckler comics together - for the first time in 40 years! Solson became Showcase with #s 2-4, though the indicia of the third and fourth issues also include the name Solson Printing Corp. Were you a Buckler fan? Then tell your fellow Crivvies in our scintillating comments section and share your appreciation as to why you 'dug' his style. (Or not, as the case may be.) And, just for the hell of it (hee-hee, naughty me, I said 'hell'), that's Byrne's 'How To Draw' comic below.
8 comments:
I was a Buckler fan, I loved his work on Deathlok ( still one of my all time favourite comics) the JLA and his work on Archie's Crusaders etc. I preferred his John Buscema/ Neal Adams influence art over his Kirby style but both were good.
I remember, back in the late '70s, McS, a friend of mine never noticed that it wasn't Curt Swan who'd drawn that month's Superman, it was Rich Buckler. To the untrained eye, he'd done a pretty close imitation of Swan, though whether he chose to do it that way or was responding to an editorial direction, I couldn't say.
I think he had a very specific vision of how certain characters should look and stuck to that style regardless i e. choosing Kirby for FF , John Buscema for the Avengers etc. I remember when his Demon Hunter character for the 1970s Atlas group folded he took the character with him for his own publishing company and then to Marvel barely changing the characters look or origin as Demon Hunter, Blood wing and Devil Slayer respectively.
I don't think I picked up Bucklers Superman, I will need to check that out .
That last cover picture is great.
It looks like a tribute to the magnificent work of Norman Rockwell.
Thanks for posting this! I picked up #2 in a back-issue bin a few yers back but I’ve never seen the other three. Maybe it’s time to get on EBay.
That makes sense, McS, as regards him having a specific vision of how characters should look. I must be suffering from the ol' brain fog at the moment (just woke up after a kip) as I can't recall Demon Hunter right now, or his other two names.
Yes, that's what I thought when I dug it out today - Norman Rockwell 'homage'.
It's always time to get on eBay - bargains galore (with a few rip-offs, admittedly). If it weren't for eBay, I wouldn't have been able to acquire some great collectables/treasures.
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