FOREVER IS A LONG, LONG TIME...

Copyright DC COMICS

Following on from the KIRBY-fest of OMAC art in the previous post, we now continue with every single cover to DC COMICS' 1970s title The FOREVER PEOPLE.  Unfortunately, there was nothing 'forever' about the comic, which lasted only 11 issues before being blasted through a BOOM TUBE into oblivion.

Although I eventually grew to enjoy most of Kirby's DC mags, I initially resisted buying them because they just seemed out of step somehow.  The characters were rather dull-looking and didn't much appeal to me (the BLACK RACER, anyone?), lacking the visual inspiration and impact of Jack's work over at MARVEL.

They'd probably have worked better as supporting characters, as none of them - with the exception of MISTER MIRACLE - were really strong enough to carry their own mags, a fact which the comic-buying public of the time seemed to be in agreement with - as witnessed by the relatively rapid cancellation of the FOURTH WORLD series before it could be fully developed. 

But that was 'yesterday'; today, we look at Jack 'King' Kirby's brave attempt to create new worlds for Marvel's 'Distinguished Competition'.  Alas, his efforts were considered failures back in the day, but echoes still reverberate down through the years and will probably do so for some time to come.  That's probably as close to 'forever' as anyone can hope to expect.

ARE YOU READY FOR OMAC?

Images copyright DC COMICS

OMAC - ONE MAN ARMY CORPS!  According to former JACK KIRBY assistant MARK EVANIER, the character was based on an unrealized idea for a futuristic version of CAPTAIN AMERICA that Kirby had come up with around 1968 while still freelancing for MARVEL.  Whether he decided to hold off due to growing dissatisfaction with the company, or because he felt the time just wasn't right for such a character, we'll probably never know for sure.  However, the future Cap finally saw the light of day as Omac over at DC COMICS when Jack jumped ship in the early '70s.

Unfortunately, it never really caught on - lasting a mere eight issues before cancellation.  If DC had expected Kirby to infuse new life into their comics line due to their mistaken belief that Jack had been the 'main man' behind the fortunes of Marvel Comics (a rumour that was doing the rounds back in the late '60s, early '70s), they must have been sorely disappointed.  With the exception of four magazines (JIMMY OLSEN - 15, MISTER MIRACLE - 18, KAMANDI - 40, and The DEMON - 16), his other titles were all cancelled before they had seen out a dozen issues.

(Jack's tenure on The LOSERS lasted for twelve issues exactly, but the comic predated his involvement and continued after he left.  None of The Losers were Kirby characters, unlike the GOLDEN GUARDIAN and the NEWSBOY LEGION in Jimmy Olsen's mag.)

So Kirby went back to Marvel - and failed to make much of a dent there either on his second time around.  The problem was that, although Jack was a solid and dependable storyteller in his own right, without the input (one might say magic) of his former collaborator STAN LEE, his stories were competent but uninspired, with leaden dialogue and an increasingly abstract style of art.

However, even lacklustre Kirby is well-worth looking at, and I have fond recollections of most of his DC output from this time.  (Just a shame he didn't use a scripter in the style of Lee to 'punch up' his stories a bit.)  Anyway, enjoy the covers of all eight issues of Omac, even if the last one is by JOE KUBERT and not Jack himself.

     

PART EIGHT Of MIGHTY MARVEL COVER GALLERY...

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

From the days when The MIGHTY WORLD Of MARVEL was still the toughest new kid on the block, comes another three covers with internal images to thrill and delight you.  JIM STARLIN is still handling the cover artwork, with interior power-packed pages by JACK KIRBY and STEVE DITKO.  Interestingly, you'll notice that, on the second-last page from the bottom, the illustration which originally graced the cover of JOURNEY Into MYSTERY #83 (which, back in 1962, was published with fewer STONE MEN From SATURN) has had the central figure of THOR The MIGHTY 'beefed up' from his original appearance.

There - edification as well as entertainment.  So who said I never give you anything?  Whoever it was, they were lying.

HEEEEERE'S JOHNNY - PART FIVE...

 

Copyright REBELLION

 

I can actually remember reading this specific episode of JOHNNY FUTURE back in 1967. There's nothing particularly unusual about that though, as I recollect quite a number of comic strips from the first time I read them. I especially recall taking note of the 2nd panel in the above page as I sat on the floor in front of the TV, almost 46 years ago. At one time I could probably have told you what programme was on, but age has dimmed my ability to educe such extraneous detail with the same accuracy as I was once able to.

Not that such a trivial thing will spoil your enjoyment of the fantastic LUIS BERMEJO extravaganza which now lies before you, I'm sure.  And whom am I to hold you back from its delights with my seemingly never-ending intro? Feel free to get stuck right in. And, if you'd like to leave a comment of appreciation for this classic superhero adventure strip from the '60s, then don't let me (or anyone else) stop you.

   

SPIDER-MAN COMICS WEEKLY COVER GALLERY - PART FIVE...

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

Here's the latest power-packed presentation of captivating covers and incredible interiors from the sensational SPIDER-MAN COMICS WEEKLY published in 1973.  The printing quality may not always have been particularly good, but the iconic images were certainly colourful.  (Apart from the black and white pages of course.)

On the page above, the THOR panel is based on the cover of JOURNEY Into MYSTERY #95, wherein the tale first appeared. (If I remember correctly, the JACK KIRBY version was used as a pin-up inside a subsequent issue somewhere down the line.)

So, I'll let you lose yourselves in memories of yesteryear as you become reacquainted with these pulsating pics from an earlier time.  And if you have any related reminiscences you'd care to share with your fellow Criv-ites, feel free to do so in the comments section.

PUTTING The 'BOOTS' In...

When I was a mere callow youth of 17 in 1976, I worked in the back warehouse of my local BOOTS The CHEMISTS.  One day, at home, I drew a cartoon strip for my own amusement and, as it was nominally set against the backdrop of my workplace, I took it in to show my boss (SAM GREENHALGH) the next day.  Quite a few others saw it too, of course, and eventually someone suggested I send it in to the BOOTS NEWS in Nottingham.  (Looking at how well the strip matches the page dimensions of said publication, I can't help wondering if that someone was me.  Could be a coincidence though.)

So I did, and imagine my surprise and delight when the editors replied, enclosing a £20 cheque and saying they were going to publish the strip in the upcoming Christmas issue.  (Could've been £25, I can't quite remember.)  I was overpaid regardless of the exact amount, because the strip had been dashed off and wasn't much more than an extended doodle.  I'd lightly sketched out the basics in pencil, then used a PENTEL ROLLERBALL to quickly draw over the rough outlines, with no attempt to add variety or weight to the inked linework.  In fact, I drew it as fast and with as much indifference as I would've scribbled out a shopping list or a 'post-it' note.

Also, I hadn't really considered the balloon placement and just scribbled them in wherever I thought they'd fit, without the use of guidelines or regard for natural word-splits - resulting in a confusing, eye-straining, totally amateurish attempt at a comic strip.  It hadn't been produced with publication in mind, and it showed!  Well, it did to me - the rest of the store thought it was brilliant, which just goes to show you can fool most of the people most of the time.

I suspect one of the reasons it was popular was that, aside from myself, three of the bystanders in the strip were simple but spot-on likenesses of two of the warehouse women and one of the department managers.  (Panels 1 & 9.)  I no longer remember the women's names, but the manager (number 9 contestant) was called Mr. SCOTT, first name JOHN, I think.  Why the awful name GORDIE GOOSE?  Simply because of the alliteration, nothing more.

Not wanting to void any credibility I might have as an artist (cue some smart-aleck to say I have none), I decided to re-letter the strip to an acceptable standard, thicken the border lines, and add a bit of weight in places to the inked outlines to make the figures more discernible.  So I photocopied the printed page and did exactly that - though there are limitations to what one can do with a .3 drawing pen on photocopy paper.  Back in '76, I didn't really have a fixed style of my own, so I just made it up as I went along.  Apart from a little bit of general 'tidying up', the strip you see is essentially just as I drew it all those years ago.  The same, but neater.

What do you mean, it's still crap?  Gimme a break - I was only 17 at the time.  (Everyone's a critic.)

******

UPDATE, October 27th, 2013: And here's a colour version, completed with acrylic inks.

PART FOUR Of BRITAIN'S 'MAN Of TOMORROW'...

Copyright REBELLION

  

It's possible that you may be fed up of me saying how brilliant an artist LUIS BERMEJO is, but it's a safe bet that you won't be fed up of his art itself.  Isn't it fantastic?  (Could that be a pun?)  You should know the necessary background by now, so there's no point going through it all again and reminding you that JOHNNY FUTURE first appeared in FANTASTIC, one of five paper periodicals collectively called POWER COMICS and published by ODHAMS PRESS back in the late '60s.  As I said, there'd be no point, so I won't.  (And aren't you glad I didn't?)  So, let's not waste another second - let's get straight into the action!