A TRIBUTE To GENE COLAN...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

Back in 2008, three years before he passed away, MARVEL COMICS, in conjunction with The HERO INITIATIVE, released a 100 page Special called A TRIBUTE TO GENE COLAN.  As everybody and their brother knows, Gene Colan was an artistic master of light, shade and atmosphere.  True, sometimes his figures looked as though their limbs were sprouting from odd points on their torso and, in his later years, his perspectives could be a little wonky, but, those weaknesses (and banana fingers) aside, Gene was, in his heyday, one of the undoubted comicbook greats of all time.

Doubtless his occasional lapses were down to the glaucoma which impaired his sight for the latter part of his life and made the act of pencilling difficult.  In fact, given that he was virtually blind in one eye and suffered tunnel vision in the other, it should have been impossible, so it's all the more remarkable that he could draw as well as he did.  It's almost akin to a paralysed man being an accomplished gymnast, but Colan turned out page after page of incredible art for decades, much to the delight of his many fans across the globe.

Anyway, if you're a fan of great comicbook art in general, or Gene (the Dean) Colan in particular, this ace mag is one you might want to have in your collection if you don't own it already.  Five great tales of Mighty Marvel Magnificence at it's finest.  So what more can be said, apart, that is, from "Face front", " 'Nuff said" and "Excelsior!"?   Oh yeah - "Make Mine Marvel!"

(BOND) BABE Of The DAY - CATERINA MURINO...

Here's all the relevant info you

need to know about CATERINA

MURINO, Italian actress who was

in BOND film CASINO ROYALE

 - she's a complete BABE!!!

HULK ARTIST HERB TRIMPE PASSES AWAY...

HERB TRIMPE, former penciller of THE INCREDIBLE HULK and MARVEL comicbook artist extraordinaire, has passed away at the age of 75.  Herb was also the original artist on CAPTAIN BRITAIN and illustrated a number of other iconic characters during his career, being the first artist to draw WOLVERINE (though it was LEN WEIN and JOHN ROMITA who came up with the idea and design for the X-MEN's most popular member). 

Who can forget Herb's wonderful artistic collaborations on the Hulk with JOHN SEVERIN, one of the chief delights of comicbook publishing back in the 1970s?   Herb was a giant of a man and a giant of an artist.  Considering his stature and where he surely is now, he's probably thinking at this very moment that "Heaven is a very small place!"  Rest in peace, Herb.

******

HERB TRIMPE -

Born:  May 26th 1939 - Died:  April 13th, 2015.

BETTIE PAGE COMICS...

Images copyright DARK HORSE COMICS

The ol' memory may be going, I'm afraid.  I thought I'd already featured this comic in a previous post, but I can't find it on the blog.  So, just to be on the safe side, I thought I'd better do it again (or the first time, if I haven't already done it).

I'm not sure whether the above art by the late DAVE STEVENS was originally drawn as an imaginary comic cover then turned into a real comic by DARK HORSE, or was simply a pin-up (sans masthead) utilised fifteen years later when the comic was published, though for some reason I have the impression it was the former scenario.  This is the only ish in my collection, but I think there were at least another two issues.

BETTIE PAGE, as every fully paid-up perv will know, was a '50s pin-up model who had the uncanny ability of being nude without appearing to be naked (if you know what I mean), so natural and unselfconscious was she in her 'birthday suit'.  In later life she suffered from psychiatric problems and tried to stab three people, for which she spent some time in a mental institution.  Before all that, however, she had been PLAYBOY's 'playmate of the month' in the January 1955 issue.

Unfortunately, the tremendously talented Dave Stevens died at the ridiculously young age of 52 on March 11th, 2008, and Bettie Page herself passed away nine months later on December 11th, aged 85.  If you're a fan of Bettie (or Dave), this is one you might want to consider tracking down on eBay.  Shouldn't be too expensive.

BABE Of The DAY - CATHERINE BACH...

So who likes classical music?

Okay, here's a bit of BACH for you.

Whaddya mean, it's the wrong one? 

 You're complaining?  Sheesh!  

PART TWO OF SCREAM! COVER GALLERY...

Copyright REBELLION

Welcome to part two of our SCREAM! cover gallery.  As revealed in part one, Scream! lasted for 15 issues before being cancelled due to an industrial strike.  The comic contained such stories as The DRACULA FILES, The NIGHTCOMERS, The THIRTEENTH FLOOR, TALES From The GRAVE, LIBRARY Of DEATH (a different tale every week), FIENDS And NEIGHBOURS (a humour strip, looks like a reprint), MONSTER, and A GHASTLY TALE (again, a different tale every issue).

IPC decided that, after eight weeks of absence from newsagents due to the printers' strike, the title had lost momentum and wasn't worth continuing.  However, given the immense cost of launching a comic, this suggests that the sales figures had been less than encouraging.  Had it been a runaway hit, it would surely have been kept going. After all, nobody cancels a sure-fire money-spinner.

Another part still to come, chums!  Be sure not to miss it - on this, the absolutely best blog in the history of best blogs that most people have never heard of!

BABE Of The DAY - LIZ FRASER (AGAIN)...

Your tongues have hit the floor

and you're simply not interested in any

waffle from me with the above heavenly

vision gazing out at you.  So I'll now make

myself scarce while you lot slobber all

 over this hot pic of LIZ FRASER.

FRANK HAMPSON'S MARVEL CENTRE-SPREADS From SUPER SPIDER-MAN...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

If you have to ask who FRANK HAMPSON is, then hang your heavy head in shame, O false-believer.  Call yourself a comics fan?  Here are a couple of pin-ups he did for MARVEL U.K. back in 1976 & '77, and I've included the covers of the comics they appeared in as well.  (No, he didn't draw the covers, Melvin!)

Right, JP - that's a tenner you me.  I'm going to start charging folk for fulfilling requests from now on.  (No, I don't accept cheques.  Are you crazy?  Boiiing, boiiing!)

SCREAM! COVER GALLERY - PART ONE...

Copyright REBELLION

The first issue of SCREAM! hit newsagents' shelves in Britain on Saturday, March 17th (dated 24th) 1984.  Hard for me to believe that was over 30 years ago, but then, when I think how my home town has changed in that period, it seems like a lifetime away.  However, you're not here to read about that, I'm sure.

Contrary to popular misconception, Scream! was discontinued after a mere 15 issues because of an industrial strike by printers, and not because of complaints from concerned parents about the alleged 'horrific' content.  The name was later added to the masthead of EAGLE weekly and there were 5 Summer Specials to continue the legend of one of Britain's shortest-lived and best-remembered comics.

Here, then, is the first part of a gallery of Scream! covers for you to salivate and swoon over.  Enjoy!

******

(Incidentally, the six back pages combine into one large poster.  Why not print them out and put them together?)