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Post by Nowhere Man on Jan 24, 2016 20:35:56 GMT -5
One thing I'm learning about the Marvel Age is that upper and mid-state New York was rife with old abandoned castles. Who knew?
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Post by Cei-U! on Jan 24, 2016 23:56:13 GMT -5
My first serious comic page samples back in '79 or thereabouts were an 8 page sequel to the Asbestos Man story in Strange Tales #111 I both scripted and drew. I still have some of the thumbnails for it buried around here somewhere.
Cei-U! I summon the flashback!
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Post by Nowhere Man on Jan 25, 2016 2:07:47 GMT -5
My first serious comic page samples back in '79 or thereabouts were an 8 page sequel to the Asbestos Man story in Strange Tales #111 I both scripted and drew. I still have some of the thumbnails for it buried around here somewhere. Cei-U! I summon the flashback! Is this why you're not a big fan of Doctor Doom, Cei-U? You're miffed that Asbestos Man didn't become Marvel's #1 iconic villain?
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Post by Nowhere Man on Jan 25, 2016 2:49:12 GMT -5
Tales of Suspense #44 Story Title: “The Mad Pharaoh!” Cover Date: August, 1963 CreditsScript: Stan Lee (plot); Robert Bernstein (script) [as R. Berns] Pencils: Don Heck Inks: Don Heck Colors: Stan Goldberg Letters: Sam Rosen (interiors); Artie Simek (cover) Cover Art: Jack Kirby (pencils); Dick Ayers (inks) Synopsis: After waking up from a 2000 years long sleep, Hatap, the Mad Pharaoh, uses a magic charm to bring Tony Stark back in time to ancient Egypt in an attempt to use Stark’s genius to aid him in his war against Cleopatra. After defeating a Roman army as Iron Man, Iron Man then helps Cleopatra defeat Hatap when he accidentally causes the Mad Pharaoh to fall on a sword. Character Appearances: Iron Man [Tony Stark]; Mad Pharaoh [Hatap] (introduction); Cleopatra VII; Paul (archaeologist) Comments: There are some wacky things going on in this crazy time travel story. Let's start with Hatap’s 2000 year-long sleep. In the story, he takes a potion that he prepared in advance to put himself into a state of suspended animation in the case of a defeat. Thinking that Hatap was dead, Cleopatra’s soldiers take him back to Cleopatra for inspection and they then put him through the embalming/mummification process. There is a snag here. This process involves the removal of the internal organs, not to mention the draining of the bodies fluids, so this ploy wouldn’t have worked. At the very least Hatap should have been killed because of this. Apparently Bernstein thought the process simply involved wrapping a corpse up in bandages and stuffing it in a coffin. There is also the problem of Iron Man mucking up history to the point that he appears in some of the hieroglyphics once he gets back. This is par for the course with most stories like this, but you can’t alter your own past in the Marvel Universe (at least you used to couldn’t) so this story was destined for retconning. All that aside, this thrilling scene more than makes up for all the goofiness and faulty research: Character Development: Stark tags along with Hatap not just to save the archaeological crew Hatap threatens, but mainly so he could meet Cleopatra and have some fun in ancient Egypt. I’d say that’s about right for the Stark we know and love. Personal Rating: 5. I give this one a higher rating that I probably should simply because it amused me so much. It’s average at best, but I will say that Heck did a fantastic job on the art. Perhaps he was excited about the ancient Egyptian angle? Historical Rating: 5. Nothing new was introduced in terms of historically significant Marvel characters, but we did get those far out Silver Age Iron Man gadgets to laugh at. That’s the most important thing in the end.
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Post by Batflunkie on Jan 25, 2016 8:34:34 GMT -5
My first serious comic page samples back in '79 or thereabouts were an 8 page sequel to the Asbestos Man story in Strange Tales #111 I both scripted and drew. I still have some of the thumbnails for it buried around here somewhere. Did you submit them/show them to someone from Marvel at a con? If so, what was their response?
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Post by Nowhere Man on Jan 25, 2016 8:39:05 GMT -5
My first serious comic page samples back in '79 or thereabouts were an 8 page sequel to the Asbestos Man story in Strange Tales #111 I both scripted and drew. I still have some of the thumbnails for it buried around here somewhere. Did you submit them/show them to someone from Marvel at a con? If so, what was their response? I'd also like to see them. I still hate myself for never following through with learning how to draw comics. I even bought "How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way."
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Post by Cei-U! on Jan 25, 2016 8:45:15 GMT -5
My first serious comic page samples back in '79 or thereabouts were an 8 page sequel to the Asbestos Man story in Strange Tales #111 I both scripted and drew. I still have some of the thumbnails for it buried around here somewhere. Did you submit them/show them to someone from Marvel at a con? If so, what was their response? No, I didn't. My first submission was a Volstagg-centered Tales of Asgard. It was that work that prompted an eye-opening critique from Jim Shooter that resulted in an intense study, at Shooter's suggestion, of the storytelling skills of Steve Ditko. Two years later that study paid off when Shooter offered me the penciling gig which, alas, convinced me I had no future as a comics artist, not because I lacked the skills (Jim told me once he thought I had the chops to be another John Byrne, a compliment in those days) but because producing a commercially competitive number of pages every month turned out to be physically beyond my capabilities. Cei-U! I summon the might-have-beens!
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Post by Batflunkie on Jan 25, 2016 8:57:38 GMT -5
I'd also like to see them. I still hate myself for never following through with learning how to draw comics. I even bought "How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way." My foray in learning how to draw was a rather lewd book called "How To Draw Those Bodacious Bad Babes Of Comics" Naturally, I got rather good at drawing the female anatomy, but my skills at drawing men severely lacked. Also brought the book to school one day with me in fifth grade, I'll let your mind wander as to what the reactions were....
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Post by Nowhere Man on Jan 25, 2016 9:09:10 GMT -5
Did you submit them/show them to someone from Marvel at a con? If so, what was their response? No, I didn't. My first submission was a Volstagg-centered Tales of Asgard. It was that work that prompted an eye-opening critique from Jim Shooter that resulted in an intense study, at Shooter's suggestion, of the storytelling skills of Steve Ditko. Two years later that study paid off when Shooter offered me the penciling gig which, alas, convinced me I had no future as a comics artist, not because I lacked the skills (Jim told me once he thought I had the chops to be another John Byrne, a compliment in those days) but because producing a commercially competitive number of pages every month turned out to be physically beyond my capabilities. Cei-U! I summon the might-have-beens! That's an impressive compliment. Did you continue to draw comics for your own pleasure and amusement?
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Post by Nowhere Man on Jan 25, 2016 9:13:40 GMT -5
I'd also like to see them. I still hate myself for never following through with learning how to draw comics. I even bought "How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way." My foray in learning how to draw was a rather lewd book called "How To Draw Those Bodacious Bad Babes Of Comics" Naturally, I got rather good at drawing the female anatomy, but my skills at drawing men severely lacked. Also brought the book to school one day with me in fifth grade, I'll let your mind wander as to what the reactions were.... First off, that books existence is hilarious. That must have been the field manual for early Image artists. I don't think a book like that is safe for a boy going through puberty. I might have exploded if I took that art course.
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Post by Cei-U! on Jan 25, 2016 9:36:11 GMT -5
No, I didn't. My first submission was a Volstagg-centered Tales of Asgard. It was that work that prompted an eye-opening critique from Jim Shooter that resulted in an intense study, at Shooter's suggestion, of the storytelling skills of Steve Ditko. Two years later that study paid off when Shooter offered me the penciling gig which, alas, convinced me I had no future as a comics artist, not because I lacked the skills (Jim told me once he thought I had the chops to be another John Byrne, a compliment in those days) but because producing a commercially competitive number of pages every month turned out to be physically beyond my capabilities. Cei-U! I summon the might-have-beens! That's an impressive compliment. Did you continue to draw comics for your own pleasure and amusement? Draw, no. Since my cataract surgery in '09, I can't work that close up any more (because I draw holding the tool in my mouth, my eyes are only a couple of inches from the paper). Part of me would still love to write for DC or Marvel but our sensibilities are too far apart nowadays, methinks. So instead I write *about* comics, not only for pleasure and amusement but for a paycheck. Cei-U! I summon the profitable upside!
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Post by MDG on Jan 25, 2016 15:30:46 GMT -5
That's an impressive compliment. Did you continue to draw comics for your own pleasure and amusement? Draw, no. Since my cataract surgery in '09, I can't work that close up any more (because I draw holding the tool in my mouth, my eyes are only a couple of inches from the paper). Part of me would still love to write for DC or Marvel but our sensibilities are too far apart nowadays, methinks. So instead I write *about* comics, not only for pleasure and amusement but for a paycheck. Cei-U! I summon the profitable upside! Did you ever do any fanzine illustrations in the 70s?
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Post by MDG on Jan 25, 2016 15:35:37 GMT -5
I'd also like to see them. I still hate myself for never following through with learning how to draw comics. I even bought "How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way." My foray in learning how to draw was a rather lewd book called "How To Draw Those Bodacious Bad Babes Of Comics" Naturally, I got rather good at drawing the female anatomy, but my skills at drawing men severely lacked. Also brought the book to school one day with me in fifth grade, I'll let your mind wander as to what the reactions were.... I used to pick up any "How to draw comics" things that I could find cheap, including these two: And, yes, the idea of "Rich Buckler's Secrets of Drawing Comics" did generate several jokes.
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Post by Action Ace on Jan 25, 2016 19:20:47 GMT -5
I'd also like to see them. I still hate myself for never following through with learning how to draw comics. I even bought "How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way." My foray in learning how to draw was a rather lewd book called "How To Draw Those Bodacious Bad Babes Of Comics" Naturally, I got rather good at drawing the female anatomy, but my skills at drawing men severely lacked. Also brought the book to school one day with me in fifth grade, I'll let your mind wander as to what the reactions were.... Yes, the same Frank McLaughlin that inked much of Dick Dillin's run in Justice League of America.
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,051
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Post by Confessor on Jan 25, 2016 19:54:21 GMT -5
It's particularly impressive when compared to modern comics. As great as Ditko was on Spider-Man, I think his real masterpiece was Dr. Strange. Ooh...controversial. I like Dr. Strange a lot and I think Ditko did some incredible work in those early stories, but, I dunno...the Ditko/Lee era Amazing Spider-Man really is pretty amazing! One thing I'm learning about the Marvel Age is that upper and mid-state New York was rife with old abandoned castles. Who knew? And so is England, apparently. Every time a Silver Age Marvel superhero goes to England they seem to visit someone who lives in a castle or stay in one themselves. My first serious comic page samples back in '79 or thereabouts were an 8 page sequel to the Asbestos Man story in Strange Tales #111 I both scripted and drew. I still have some of the thumbnails for it buried around here somewhere. I, for one, would really love to see those posted in the Fan Fiction & Fan Art sub-forum.
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