1976 Albert Bigley COMIC ACTION HEROES Art?! Joker vs Batman! DC Comics?!

I was such a fan of Neal Adams' art in the 70s, not only as seen in many Marvel (X-MEN, INHUMANS) and DC Comics (BATMAN, GREEN LANTERN), but also as used on tons of superhero products, such as record albums, book covers, puzzles, and toys! One such toy line making big use of Neal's art was the Mego-issued "Comic Action Heroes" offering of small all-plastic action figures. The actual toys left a lot to be desired, but the great Adams art seen on the packaging promised the world! I was so inspired by said illustrations, that here is my own attempt (at age 11) to capture some of that Adams' flare! Hey, I tried! Click to enlarge!

Below: My inspiration for the above masterpiece! The actual 1976 Neal Adams-drawn package art for this Batman action figure playset!

Albert Bigley 1977 IRON MAN # 100 Cover Art?! Jim Starlin? Marvel Comics?!

Hoo Boy! You can sorta tell I was inspired by the well-drawn cover (by Jim Starlin) to 1977's IRON MAN # 100, can't ya? Here, below, is my attempt at re-creating that once-in-a-lifetime (twice?) cover art, and, considering I was 12 that year, I guess it ain't so bad. Note that such a dynamic and simple cover was a rarity in those days, with its lack of captions, word balloons, and general hyperbolic ballyhoo announcing ol' Shellhead's anniversary issue! Nowadays, in a failed attempt to create the same kinda vibe, almost every cover looks like this one, with the same characters preening, posing, and grunting in an endless parade of costumes and muscles that blend into one big mush...Click to enlarge!

Here Comes--TIRE MAN?! 1982 Albert Bigley Original Comic Art!

Are you ready for this one? Here is a hand-drawn (no other kind, then) comic strip featuring my own father as--TIRE MAN! Drawn by me in 11th grade (1982) for a run in the local newspaper (THE LAURINBURG EXCHANGE), here is my tire-shop owner Dad in action! The "Tire-Man" character was something I dreamed up for "Bigley Tire" ads and such, and we even had a portrait (painted by me) of the superhero on the side of my father's tire shop! I was inspired by artist Marie Severin's late-60s work in Marvel's NOT BRAND ECHH spoof comic, which I was collecting then via access (hello, driver's license!) to comic shops and conventions at the time! My "Art 3" teacher, Mr. Glenn, even allowed this particular strip/ad to be part of my end-of-semester art project, and, to speed things up, inked my pencils (mostly during class) on this! Click to enlarge!

1976 Albert Bigley BATMAN AND ROBIN Original Comic Art?! DC Comics?!

Whew. Here is the Dynamic Duo, Batman and Robin, as drawn by me (age 11) in 1976! I was influenced not only by artist New Adams, but specifically his comic illustrations that came with the "Robin Meets Man-Bat" book-and-record set, from the Power Records folks! Neal was, of course, the master of photo-realistic comic art, and you can see I was trying to create that same feel with this anger-drenched image! Why does Robin look like an enraged Ringo Starr, and why is he mad at Batman, even attempting to strike him?! What is Batman yelling about?!  Who cares? It was angst and anger and "in your face" excitement, and all that other nonsense the young comic artist cares about at age 11! Click to enlarge, if you dare!

Above: The original art to 1976's "Robin Meets Man-Bat" book-and-record
comic, for the Power Records folks!

1980 Albert Bigley X-MEN vs HULK Original Comic Art! Marvel Comics?!

Another biggie from me, drawn at age 15 (in 1980)! Hulk vs the still-new "new X-Men," in an blazing (?) action scene! Looks like I used markers, Flair pen, and maybe even brush, on this bumbling, fumbling, attempt! The revived X-MEN book was the hottest thing going at the time (due to it simply being amazingly good), and I wanted to try my hand drawing these well-designed (mostly by artist Dave Cockrum) characters! Click to enlarge!

1977 Albert Bigley BATMAN Epic! "Best Cop in Gotham City?!" DC Comics?!

Another attempt to draw (and write) my own comics, this one from early 1977! You can see that I (age 11) was very influenced by Neal Adams' BATMAN work, but also by my back issue of DETECTIVE COMICS # 428, from 1972, which introduced a new supporting player to the Batman books. That issue introduced a tough cop called "Shotgun Smith," created in the mold of then-current movie cops such as DIRTY HARRY and such. So, I tried to add my OWN law-enforcing thorn-in-the-side for the Caped Crusader in my own tale! I decided to give Batman a dapper, by-the-book kinda policeman, one who wouldn't take so kindly to vigilantes, the way Commissioner Gordon and his crew did!  Also, in the tradition of all the cop shows of the day, my new character needed a very visual accessory, ala IRONSIDE (and his wheelchair) or KOJAK (and his lollypops and bald pate). Alas, only 2 pages were ever produced before I moved on to other things. But, get a load of that great dialog! Batman holds the murder weapon in front of his face and mutters, "probably a .45 caliber?!" That's "the world's greatest detective?!" Click to enlarge!

Below: My inspiration! A page from the aforementioned DETECTIVE COMICS # 428, showcasing the friction between Batman and newcomer "Shotgun Smith!" Art by Bob Brown and Dick Giordano!