The Late 60s Convention Scene! Early Cosplay! Justice Society!

Dig this wonderful 1969 piece on early conventions, from the pulpy pages of the famed fanzine, MONSTERS AND HEROES! Those early (and infrequent) cons sometimes had as few as a dozen frantic fans, but still can't be matched for excitement and fun! Costuming!  Creator meet-and-greets! Original art viewed and traded! And, if you think cosplay is a new thing on the scene, think again! Look at the many wonderful home-made costumes of the various cavortin' comic characters! Click below to enlarge images, and see all about the sensational 60s Silver Age convention world!

Wanna hear all about Spider-Man Don Glut's involvement in
comics and comics fandom? Take a listen here!

Yes, it's that Len Wein, a staple of the convention scene then!
What Captain America novel did Ted White author? 
Click here to see!

1975 HULK Treasury Edition Original Cover Art! Romita on The Rampage!

What's that? Yet another precious piece of rare Romita original cover art? You heard right! Peer below to see the fantastic cover art for the sensational '75 Marvel treasury reprint, HULK ON THE RAMPAGE! Created by the peerless John Romita, Sr., this one has it all! Impeccable linework, draftsmanship, and action! Click below to enlarge!

Above, left: The original art for the cover of this awesome oversized tabloid, and (right) the cover
as seen on the published version! Thanks to Heritage Auctions and Jose Luis Moral for this one!

Bonus: Glance below to glom a few of the other ways the above cover art was put to use!

Above: A unique UK advert, hyping this terrific tabloid
to the feverish fans over there!

Above two images: A 1977 glass and cup from the 7-11 folks, both
sporting riotous Romita wrap-around images based on the
above artwork!

Rare 1972 MARVEL TALES Sal Buscema Cover Art! Spidey Strikes Back!

Wow! Another piece of beautiful Bronze Age original cover art! This time, it's the front of an issue of the famed Spider-Man reprint title, MARVEL TALES, from Sal Buscema! Sal was Marvel's go-to guy in the 70s, lending his versatile art to almost every one of their titles (and covers)! Click below to enlarge and enjoy!

Above, left: Sal Buscema's original cover art for
MARVEL TALES #37, and (right), the published cover!

Spidey vs. Iceman! 1971 Marie Severin Original Cover Sketch! Marvel!

Was there anything Marie Severin couldn't do? Once again, we take a loving look at another of her fabulous cover sketches! This time, it's one doodled for the front cover of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #92, from 1971! Again, "Mirthful" Marie delivers depth, drama, action, and movement, as Spidey is attacked by an angry Iceman, from the X-Men! Click below to enlarge and enjoy!

Above, left: The cover rough for this classic Bronze-Age cover, and (right) the
 published art, as created by John Romita! Thanks to Heritage Auctions
for the above image!

Batman and Robin in Action! 1971 Curt Swan Original Cover Art!

Another example of just why the Silver and Bronze ages of comics were so darned great! Here is Curt Swan's unbelievable artwork (with crisp inks by Murphy Anderson) for the cover of BATMAN #228! Curt's impeccable skills are on display here, as we get treated to several sensational shots of the Dynamic Duo in awesome action, recalling past adventures reprinted within this oversized issue! Click below to enlarge!

Thanks to Heritage Auctions and Jose Luis Moral for this one!

The Making of the "Classic Spider-Man" Cosplay! Step-By-Step! Bronze-Age Madness!

One of the costumes on my "bucket list" has always been "Spider-Man done right!" I finally committed to tackling this project in late 2018, keeping the classic 60s and 70s Spidey comics (are there any other kind?) foremost in my mind! Click below to take a look into what went into making this snazzy, jazzy set of swingin' threads, frantic one!

Spidey, as drawn by "Jazzy" John Romita, Sr., has always been
the definitive version of the Web-Slinger to me, and I always wanted
to try assembling a cosplay that depicted this classic
Silver/Bronze Age icon, so...

Above: After months of studying so many Spidey costume designs,
I set into creating one that would best represent the 70s version
of the Wall-Crawler...A big learning curve (that took a few
attempts), but I was able to build the above design, and get it
off to the suit printers in plenty of time to get to work creating the
other elements needed...

Above two images: Let's start with a hard plastic faceshell
that lies beneath the mask. I carefully cut away the entire
lower half of mine to better facilitate breathing....

Above: Here is the finished printed costume, complete with commercially-made
SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING lenses in place. Not quite right...Too 
wide, not enough "black area," etc...And, the costume has too much
material at the neck...

Above three images: I just had to create my own custom lenses, and it 
took tons of time (and felt eye-pieces) to nail the exact look I was 
after for the lenses and outlines....But, at last....

Above: The right shape and form! Now to add the white buckram
material, and magnets carefully attached on the rear sides...

Above two images: The half-shell, with the
custom eye pieces magnetized in place!

Above two images: Suiting up! Sure looks weird without
the lenses in place!

Above: Almost there!

Above: My very helpful seamstress, Kalliste Cosplay!
She was able to nip and tuck the costume here and there,
add the much-needed eye-slits, and make and attach
the "web-cape!"

Above: Yep! Unless Spidey wanted to howl with pain
every time he stepped on a rock or twig, soles had
to be created and added to the feet of the
costume!

Above: After months of planning and work, Spidey debuts at last! A fun
day at the Heroes Con comics convention, in Charlotte,
North Carolina!

Even tho I aimed for a definite Romita feel, the costume
still has a bit of a Steve Ditko vibe...

My "Mary Jane" makes the scene! Perfectly portrayed by Kalliste Cosplay (center image), here
she is as first seen (drawn by John Romita, Sr.) in 1966, and (right) by Adam Hughes
in a special painting whipped up for the fine folks at Heroes Aren't Hard to Find!

Above two images: Spidey and MJ are joined by "Jolly"
Jonah Jameson, in the peeved person of Victor Goldberg!

Above: Cut and painted wooden dowel rods stood
in for the exposed portions of the famed
web-shooters!

Pic by Jamie Earls.

Pic by Jamie Earls.

"But it's Aunt May who has a
heart attack every two days....!"

Above four images: Playing with the look of "mirrored lenses...."

BONUS! See (below) a sensational video that details

the many comic and media influences that went into

the making of this crazy comic-centric costume!