Tale of Two Covers! SPIDER-MAN # 81! John Romita Sr. Strikes Again! 1970 Marvel Comics!

Yow! Two titanic cover scenes for the now-classic SPIDER-MAN # 81?! TRUE! Take a look at the awesome 1970 original art (below left) by the incredible John Romita, Sr., as the less-than-great super-foe, the Kangaroo, comes savagely stomping into Spidey's life! Then, look below to see the original original art for the same issue! Stan musta decided readers needed to see Spidey's front, not his back, to make this sensational scene even MORE power-packed and attention-grabbing! Great to see after all these years! Click to enlarge!

Below: The Marvel maven himself, John Romita, Sr., in a recent pic!

THE INCREDIBLE HULK! The TV Show Overseas! Lou Ferrigno! Bill Bixby! Marvel Comics!

We're all familiar with the long-running INCREDIBLE HULK TV series. It ran on CBS from 1977-1982, and even spawned a few late-80s reunion films with it's stars, Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno. But, take a gander at these fantastic and unusual overseas posters, touting several HULK episodes that were released there as full-blown motion pictures! Some shows were joined to make a 2-hour epic, like the 2nd season premiere,"Married," and others represent the original 2-hour pilot film! Great graphics on these little-seen artifacts from the late Bronze Age of Marvel Comics Hulkness! Click to enlarge!

BONUS! Click below to enlarge these rare HULK images! Behind-the-scenes! Cameos! RETURN OF THE HULK reunion pics (with Stan Lee)!

Silver Age Superheroes Now at Office Max! Spider-Man! Captain America! Marvel Comics!

Take a gander at these swell back-to-school items now in stock at your local Office Max! Great and colorful Jack Kirby and John Romita Sr. graphics greet you, as Spidey, Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, and the X-Men leap out in full Silver Age glory! Can you identify the pulse-pounding pulp issues each panel originally appeared in? These magnificent motifs are available on binders, notebooks, and folders! Click to enlarge!

The Final Score? SUPERMAN 4! Fans 0! Unseen 1987 Chris Reeve Movie Pics! DC Comics!

Most fans wisely avoid the film, SUPERMAN 4-THE QUEST FOR PEACE. The once great cinema series, that began with the sublime SUPERMAN-THE MOVIE in 1978, ended with a whimper with this unfortunate outing. The under-funded Cannon Films (home of many Chuck Norris 80s epics) grabbed the franchise then, and it certainly showed, with sad special effects, a pot-holed script, and phoned-in performances. It is always fun, tho, to glom any cut or little-seen bits from any comics film, and here are a few, thanks to this SUPERMAN 4 kid's picture book from 1987! You can also see a great deal of rare footage in most SUPERMAN 4 DVD and Blu Ray sets now on the market! Thanks to John Thompkins for this entry! Click images below to enlarge!

Super Sunday 70s SPIDER-MAN Strip! The Many Loves of --Dr. Octopus?! 1977 Marvel Comics Greatness!

Back again with another sensational example of why SPIDER-MAN is the longest-running syndicated adventure strip in newspapers everywhere!  Spidey is STILL trying to puzzle out just why the evil Doc Ock has taken a shine to his sweet and naive Aunt May! What can he be up to? And, what will come of Mary Jane's new museum job? Foreshadowing at it's finest in this 1977 entry by Stan Lee and John Romita! Click to enlarge, web-heads!

Remembering Gene Colan! 1968 MARVEL SUPERHEROES Original Cover Art! Medusa! Marvel!

The comics and illustration world has been rocked by the news that Gene Colan has passed away. Colan's amazingly moody and dramatic artwork has thrilled many a comics fan since the 60s ,when he came to full prominence on such Marvel titles as DAREDEVIL, CAPTAIN AMERICA, and, later, TOMB OF DRACULA, among numerous others. Gene also drew a great many attention-getting covers, such as the one seen below, for this issue of MARVEL SUPERHEROES # 15, from 1968! Note Gene's mastery of the human form in action, his sense of shading, and his ability to lead a viewer's eye across a scene! Click to enlarge!

CAPTAIN AMERICA #137! Marie Severin 1971 Cover Roughs! Original Art! The Falcon vs Spider-Man! Marvel Comics!

More Marvel greatness! Gaze gratefully upon these two 1971 cover roughs by "Mirthful" Marie Severin! Both were done in preparation for the final brain-blowing cover art for CAPTAIN AMERICA # 137 (with final art chores handled by "Our Pal" Sal Buscema)!  Marie was doing tons of these captivating cover designs then, each one more amazing than the last! Click to enlarge!

BELOW: The final cover art to this never-to-be-forgotten landmark issue!

It's The Hulk! 1973 MARVEL SUPERHEROES Original Cover Art! Herb Trimpe! Marvel Comics!

Wow! A terrific cover of the Hulk in action? Yep! It's from 1973's MARVEL SUPERHEROES # 41! Drawn by the Hulk's main artist from that period, "Happy" Herb Trimpe (with some facial touch-ups by John Romita Sr.), this is one memorable cover for Marvel's long-running Hulk/Sub-Mariner reprint title! A great depiction of ol' Greenskin, in all his mighty glory, rallying against a seemingly invincible foe! Another Bronze Age beauty from the mighty Marvel "Phase Two" period! Click to enlarge!

CATWOMAN! Original Comic Art by Gray Morrow! Batman! DC Comics!

You heard right! Here are more pieces of original CATWOMAN comic art, by famed artist Gray Morrow! Gray did little mainstream superhero comics work, so it's a real thrill to be able to view such work from a real comic art master! Gray not only excelled at anatomy and mood in his renderings, but also realistic shading! Terrific work all around! Click to enlarge and enjoy these sensational sketches from the 80s!

Not the WORLD'S FINEST COMICS Cover! 1976 Albert Bigley Comic Art?! DC Comics!?

All right. I'm not even gonna comment on this one. I'll leave that to you, faithful follower. Drawn by me at age 11, in 1976, this is sorta based on a 60s WORLD'S FINEST COMICS cover (or maybe a BATMAN comic?), obviously, but--?! Click to enlarge.

Stop The Presses! "Davy Jones Gets a Haircut!" 1968 Monkees Teen Mag Article!

Here we go again with another fantabulous Monkees feature from the frantic FLIP magazine! Published in 1968, while the group was filming their oddball film, HEAD, here is the Monkees' mane man Davy Jones taking time out for a bit of a trim! Nothing was beneath the notice of the teen mag producers, nor the rabid legions of Monkees fans! Notice the cigarette in Davy's right hand? It was a little known fact that Davy smoked like a bad Chevy transmission in those days, and most teen magazines carefully air-brushed such offending butts from the pics! Not this time! Also, dig the ad for Davy's pre-Monkees 1965 solo LP! Click to enlarge, follicle fans!

BONUS! Click below to hear the fabulous and rare 1967 flexi-disc, "All About Davy Jones!" These discs were packaged with the Hasbro "Show-Biz Babies" Monkees toys, and are narrated by famous DJ Gary Stevens!

Super Sensational SPIDER-MAN Sunday 70s Strip! The Origin of Dr. Octopus! Marvel Comics!

Ol' Web-Head is still feeling the pressure from his greatest foe, Dr. Octopus, in this installment of the great 1977 SPIDER-MAN Sunday color newspaper strip! We also get a quick re-cap of the evil Doctor's origins, as he makes his move for dear old May Parker, not knowing she's the Aunt of his greatest enemy, Spider-Man! And all this drama with sweet Mary Jane in tow! What a tangled web! Click to enlarge!

Spider-Man and Iron Man! MARVEL TEAM-UP # 72! Original 1978 John Byrne Cover Art!

Yet another biggie! Take a glom at this fantastic cover to MARVEL TEAM-UP # 72! Pencilled by John Byrne, with terrific inks by Bob Layton (soon to make his mark on the IRON MAN comic), this is a great example of dynamic comic art at it's finest! Notice the use of "shading film" (hand-applied black dots to create fields of "gray"), as well as the extra shades added in the colors! A very unusual effect for the day, before the advent of today's over-done computer coloring! From 1978, the days when any new Byrne art caused a fevered reaction from frenzied fans! Yep! That's Whiplash as the featured foe, later to be seen in the recent IRON MAN 2 movie! Click to enlarge!

THE CHAMPIONS! 1976 Original Marvel Comic Art! Black Widow! Ghost Rider! Spot the Changes!

This time, it's a "three-for!" First, you get treated to the amazing original cover art for CHAMPIONS #7, from the sizzlin' summer of '76! This memorable art by Rich Buckler fronted a very unique and quirky comic that teamed some of the "loners" that fringed the Marvel Universe then, such as Hercules, Black Widow, Ghost Rider, and the remaining original X-Men! 

Next, take a gander below at the original original cover art! You heard right! You get to see the rejected first cover (right), as compared to the finished published version(left)! Can you spot all the changes, frantic one? Click images to enlarge!

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN # 126 Original Cover Art! The Kangaroo Bounces Back! 1973 Marvel Comics Madness!

Wow! This has to be one of the greatest SPIDER-MAN covers of all time! Representing the comic art mastery of John Romita, Sr. at the height of his powers, here is the original art to the cover of SPDER-MAN # 126! It's 1973, and the (somewhat tame) Spidey foe the Kangaroo bounces back (last seen in SPIDER-MAN # 81), but this time he's been enhanced with special upgrades and abilities. Like that matters. Ol' Web-Head puts him back "down under" in no time flat! A terrific cover, spotlighting tremendous action, drama, danger, perspective, and a dizzying sense of height and depth! Click to enlarge!

CAPTAIN AMERICA # 217! Nick Fury! Falcon! 1977 Marvel Comics Original Cover Art!

Behold the great original cover art to CAPTAIN AMERICA # 217, direct from 1977! Drawn by "Big" John Buscema, this bold cover depicts Cap about to face off against some of his closest pals, such as Nick Fury and the Falcon! Say it ain't so!  This CAP ish was produced during a sorta "spinning our wheels" period, as Jack Kirby's long return engagement (22 issues, two annuals, and an oversized treasury edition!) on the book had ended, and a new creative team and direction was being furiously sought out! The previous issue was even a reprint (note the "All New!" blurb on this cover), to give the new creative team a chance to get up and running and on their way! Click to enlarge!

More of the Monkees! Rare Promos, Ads, and Posters! Davy Jones! Peter Tork!

Another go-round of Monkees business! Super-rare promo items such as: Trade ad for the 1967 DAYDREAM BELIEVER single! Industry ad for the 1968 BIRDS, BEES & THE MONKEES LP (and 8-track) release from the Colgems label! An odd overseas poster for the 1968 HEAD motion picture! And a terrific full-color fold-out poster that was packaged in a foreign "greatest hits" LP collection! Click each to enlarge!

1980 BRAVE AND THE BOLD Cover Art! Batman and Hawkman! Jim Aparo! DC Comics!

Terrific! That's the only word to describe this 1980 BRAVE AND THE BOLD cover art by the great Jim Aparo! Jim had a long run as one of the foremost 70s/80s Batman artists, mostly on B & B, but also on the later BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS comic! It was always a rare delight to see Jim draw Batman's many B & B superhero co-stars, and I can't think of too many he missed! Click to enlarge!

Super Sensational 70s SPIDER-MAN Sunday Strip! Doc Ock Loves Aunt May?! Marvel Comics!

Back again for another in-sequence look at the famous (and long-running) AMAZING SPIDER-MAN comic strip! This early installment, from the strip's first year, 1977, spotlights the ever-evil Dr. Octopus, and his not-so-delightful designs on dear ol' Aunt May! Doc Ock has her convinced that it's he who has her best interests in mind and not Spider-Man, who's her own nephew, for cryin' out loud! Bronze Age Marvel magic from the masters: Stan Lee and John Romita Sr.! Click to enlarge!

Superman and Batman!? 1973 Albert Bigley Art! DC Comics?!

My work again! This time, it's a 1973 Superman and Batman illo I scribbled, at age 8! Dunno why I was hankering to draw the WORLD'S FINEST duo, but here they are, in full gallivantin' glory! Was this another first attempt at a collection of similar superhero drawings? A comic book cover? What exactly is Superman doing? And what's with Batman's legs? Click to enlarge and wonder why!

Behind the Scenes of the MARVEL UNIVERSE HANDBOOK! 1983 MARVEL AGE Article! Jim Shooter!

Wow! Direct from an early issue of MARVEL AGE (a promotional magazine spotlighting Marvel projects, creators, and staff), we get to go behind the curtain as the ground-breaking MARVEL UNIVERSE HANDBOOK is created in 1983! Ubiquitous now, this kind of handbook guide was new and trend-setting then, and here we get an insight into what was included, omitted, the kind of artwork used (and why), and more! It's interesting to note that Marvel included dry facts about their characters ("how much can Thor lift, how tall is Spider-Man"), while DC's similar handbooks were all about motivation, methods, and characterization! A real switch! Click images to enlarge!

Below: All the interlocking MU covers combined! Great mind-bending design by artist Ed Hannigan!

1978 INCREDIBLE HULK Article and Rare Pics! Lou Ferrigno! "Women Want to Grab Me!" Marvel Comics!

Another brain-bursting find! Here is a 1978 magazine article detailing the early days of the INCREDIBLE HULK 1977-1982 CBS-TV show! Star Lou Ferrigno speaks candidly about his new series, bodybuilding, the Hulk, his future acting career, and more! The spotlight on Lou was white-hot intense during this period of the show's debut, and this article is only one of many to feature Lou and the series! Dig those rare pics of the early HULK make-up! Click to enlarge!

1963 Silver Age DC Comics House Ads! ATOM! HAWKMAN! JLA! BATMAN!

Ah, the early 60s days of comics...Still looking like the 50s, but with tantalizing touches of the wonder just around the corner! Here we see some great DC Comics house ads, all pulled from the pages of a 1963 BATMAN issue! Fairly new characters like the Atom, Hawkman, Metal Men, and Flash are spotlighted here, in ads and cover reproductions that almost demand you to seek them out! Sure, these ads seem staid and somewhat dull compared to the then-emerging powerhouse of Marvel Comics, but there was still a ton of excitement at DC! Thanks to fan Robert Rowe for these ads! Click images to enlarge!