MARVEL SUPERHEROES COVER & IMAGE GALLERY - PROLOGUE...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

As a little taste of what's in store, here's a teaser for an upcoming cover gallery I'm planning.  I no longer have every issue of MARVEL SUPERHEROES, but I have enough to get a few posts out of them.  Take a look at The WONDERFUL WORLD Of MARVEL feature by DEZ SKINN somewhere below.  The cover to MWOM #1 appears to have been reproduced from an actual published comic (as does the centrespread), but, interestingly, it bears the legend Reg TM and (c) Marvel Comics Group 1972, whereas the copies I have all say Reg TM and (c) 1972 Magazine Management London Ltd.  So was the one available to Dez for his article a 'dummy', or one from an early try-out printing which was changed at some stage before the finished comic was published?

Another one of life's little mysteries to puzzle and perplex us.  Anyone know the answer?

MOOD INDIGO...

One of my favourite vocal groups is The MILLS
BROTHERS - here's why.  Click that link, man!

BLOWING MY OWN TRUMPET DEPT...

Dustjacket in protective sleeve

Behold - a copy of The Wind In The Willows I purchased via eBay a few months back.  A stock photo of the book - with a dustjacket - was used to advertise the tome, but the copy I received was without one.  Upon studying the small print of the original listing, I noticed  it said that the condition of books may vary and may not have dustjackets, which annoyed me as I'm of the opinion that photographs used to advertise an item should portray the actual one for sale.  (Or at least one of a similar condition and appearance.)

Anyway, it was a nice little volume (see pic below), so rather than moan about things I decided to create my own dustjacket.  I wanted to use the cover illustration originally used for this particular edition (Scribner's, 1960) so I scanned the dustjacket of a centenary edition (Atheneum, 2008) and used computer technology to remove any references to its anniversary status from the cover and inside jacket notes.  The cover I scanned was from a different-sized book so it wasn't quite so straightforward as it sounds, but with a bit of trial and error I eventually produced a result I was happy with.

So, being proud of my handiwork, I thought I'd share it with you here so that you can all tell me how creative and multi-talented I am.  Obviously you don't have to mean it, I just like to read paeans of praise exalting me to the heavens.  Doesn't everybody?

        

The book as I received it

The SUPER HEROES COVER & IMAGE GALLERY - PART THREE...

Images copyright DC COMICS

Here we are again with the next part of The SUPER HEROES cover gallery, for which you've all been wishing your very lives away.  Just look at the above image - an absolute stoater, wouldn't you say?  Okay, perhaps it's not clear exactly where the Kryptonian bad guys are aiming their heat vision, but that aside, it's a belter.  One of the best pieces of artwork featuring the late CHRISTOPHER REEVE I've ever seen, as well as being a ruddy good painting in its own right. 

However, that's enough chit-chat from me - I'll let you get on with savouring the iconic images awaiting your attention.  And don't forget to return for part four.  You'd hate to miss it!

TOO MANY LINKS, TOO LONG A CHAIN...

Being of an artistic bent (stop it), I've been useful over the years to quite a number of people.  "Gordon, my boss-manager-teacher-pastor has put me in charge of organising the advertising-posters-illustrations-publicity* for our upcoming jumble sale-Christmas party-school reunion-rally* and I thought of you.  Could you help me out by doing me a banner-cartoon-diagram-map* to help raise people's awareness-interest-curiosity-attendance*?"  Then they call up another poor schmuck to talk them into doing some other aspect of the task assigned to them, while they sit back and take all the credit for the fruits of other people's labour.  (*Delete as applicable.)

This chain of events usually operates in descending order, with one person being assigned the task, who then asks someone else to arrange it all, who then asks someone else for help in some area of said task, who then asks various other people to do the actual work.  Too many middle-men in my opinion.  The person who initiates the process should earn their wage by making themselves aware of exactly who can do the job required and contact them directly.  Then all the useless people whose only area of expertise is knowing someone else capable of doing their work for them could be eliminated from a needlessly long process.

Someone I know who works for a design/ad agency was once tasked with thinking up a name for an in-house magazine for one of their customers and asked me for ideas.  I thought for all of two minutes before coming up with one that the person was delighted with.  I was told later that the customer was also delighted, and no doubt lots of cash changed hands.  I never saw a penny and received nary a thanks, yet was given the distinct impression that I should regard my invitation to 'participate' as being accorded a great honour.

Local government seems to operate on this principle.  Just think of the dosh we would save taxpayers if we could eliminate all the pointless levels of bureaucracy whose only purpose in the overall scheme of things is to get other people to do the job that they can't do themselves.  It's the old, old story, I fear - 'too many Chiefs and not enough Indians'.  Got any examples of such instances that you'd care to share?  The comments section awaits.

GREAT MOMENTS IN HULK HISTORY...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

Here's a Saturday quickie for all who are craving a Criv-ite fix.  A random gallery of GREAT MOMENTS IN HULK HISTORY, from MARVEL U.K.'s RAMPAGE MONTHLY (which we looked at in the previous post).  The last pic is a bit 'washed-out', but that's how it was in the mag.  Despite that, hope you enjoy them.

RAMPAGE MONTHLY COVER GALLERY...

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

Before your awestruck orbs are the catchy covers for issues 1-9 of RAMPAGE, which in a previous incarnation had been a U.K. weekly comic before being revived as a monthly magazine shortly after the weekly was merged into another title.  I probably had all or most of them at one time, but now only have those that reprinted the main tales from The RAMPAGING HULK, a black and white mag produced by MARVEL in the States.

I've also included the covers of the first and last issues of the American title for you to compare with the British one, and to show that, as discussed in previous posts, inferior printing in this country often rendered some interior pages as a murky morass, with delicate shades of grey coming out almost black and obscuring (if not obliterating) artistic detail.  (They're not quite as bad in this instance, but they're still not as good as they should be.)

Anyway, enjoy the covers and be sure to return for my next post - once I decide what the heck I'm going to do next.  Any suggestions?  (No dice, Charlie - I ain't jumpin' off a cliff to please anyone!)

Above - the same page from both editions.  Note the U.K. one has much darker tones.

The above page from the U.S. edition wasn't used in the U.K. mag.  Presumably the editors considered it redundant - or space was tight in that first issue.

A painted version by Bob Larkin of the above illustration was used as the cover of the 1978 Hulk book below by Simon & Shuster.

No pin-up on back cover, so none here either

Ditto re pin-up

Ditto re pin-up

Ditto re pin-up

The same two pages from #9 of the U.K. & U.S. editions.  Once again, note the darker tones in the British mag.  I know which one I prefer - how about you?