My favorite HE-MAN covers!!

George Tuska and Dick Giordano

George Tuska and Klaus Janson

Earl Norem

Artist Unknown

Here is a few pieces of work from the great George Tuska for the MASTERS of the UNIVERSE mini series put out by DC comics in the early 1980's....there was another issue that went with these 2 shown...but it's not my favorite. But I do have all these comics.

Then I had to put up the IMAGE comics MASTERS issue 1 along with a shot of the double page spread by EARL NOREM....then for good measure I stuck in a 1980's tv advert for the cartoon. That's the only one on the web I could find so it has that movie poster blurb across it.

Kinda gets in the way...just sharing with those that never saw it before. I remember seeing it before...just not certain where.

My favorite BLACK PANTHER covers

Absolutely one of the most intriguing comic book creations has got to be the BLACK PANTHER.

No other character is like him...he is unique. Not so much in looks...cuz he kinda looks like BatMan...but Wakanda...he's a Prince he's a king...he is a mighty and fierce warrior with fighting skills that can not be matched...well it's debatable in my opinion as to whether or not CAPTAIN AMERICA or the PANTHER have one up on each other.

CAP is still my fave.

I don't give a crap about what BLACK super hero this or that...I just love Super Heroes. I hate any distinction that old timey 1970's comics used to throw in there to try and create a super hero using Blaxploitation. I love that these heroes were created....but I hate why.

They created some great heroes and never ever had to even mention color. Some of the greatest comic books revolved around these guys. The PANTHER , POWER MAN , BROTHER VOO DOO...I know the PANTHER came around much sooner than the others but he had a nobility that made him different than anyone else.

The BLACK PANTHER evolved later on in comics...the PANTHER spirit and all that. Made for some great reading...I enjoyed it very much.

I don't care for exploitation at all in any form. Creating a Black Super hero...just to create a Black super hero...insults the reader. But creating a new, different and unique super hero...like the BLACK PANTHER gets people's attention.

Why are these particular covers my favorite PANTHER covers? Well...if you've been following my blog then you know that every comic book on here has something to do with something in my life. I got that Issue with the Dino/T-rex from that candy store up on the corner in ROOSEVELT that I had to walk passed bullies that beat me up because I was a different color than they were. That day...I made it by them with out so much as a shove. One kid actually took the comic book from me and said..." You like this super hero? " I said "Yeah...he's cool"

He shoved the comic back at me in my chest and said "Get goin!" Whew!!!!

The other one...I had already moved to Bay Shore but I still followed the comic series. Something about the subject matter and the way the story went down ignited a spark in me.

I came from a rough neighborhood where there was a lot of racism...towards my family...because we were the hold outs. But...I never hated anyone or held race or color against anyone. I was still a babe that did not yet understand. But I began to learn ABOUT HOW AND WHY things were the way they were. Like any good HERO the PANTHER TRIUMPHED and I could relate.

Jungle Action # 14 -cover by Gil Kane

Jungle Action # 21 -cover by Rich Buckler ( I believe )

" The BLACK KNIGHT "

The Black knight is a character created in the early 50's created by Stan Lee and Joe Maneeley. He is dude posing as a dude whose secret identity is the BLACK KNIGHT. The twin of a Brave and noble Knight of the round table who dies in battle...our hero steps in and leads everyone to believe that it is truly he who died instead while he masquerades as his own twin brother in order to avenge his name. At the same time...he is the Noble and mysterious HERO of the realm ( ala , the Lone Ranger ) The BLACK KNIGHT.

I purchased Marvel Super Heroes # 17 at that very same flea market that I mention in earlier postings. What a fantastic story....They essentially revive the character and create a story around how the villain becomes a hero. Included in this post is the BLACK KNIGHT one shot Marvel put out retelling the original origin of Sir Percy of Scandia the original BLACK KNIGHT...I love the homage style cover by Ron Frenz and his interiors are no joke either. Ron Frenz is the living breathing embdodiment and amalgamation of styles between John Buscema and Jack Kirby. So...with that kind of talent he can do no wrong.

The cover for Marvel Super Heroes 17 I believe is the great Dan Adkins and possibly John Romita inks ( Let me know would you ? )

and The Black Knight one shot is by Ron Frenz. Hope you enjoy my post...now go get dem comics and enjoy dem like me.

Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends - Knights and Demons - part1

The BLACK KIGHT part 1

Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends - Knights and Demons - part2

The BLACK KNIGHT part 2

Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends - Knights and Demons - part3

The BLACK KNIGHT part 3

the HUMAN TORCH vs the HUMAN TORCH -

What? Yeah that's right back in the 70's they gave the HUMAN TORCH his own comic and he had to split the bill...with the HUMAN TORCH..seeing two TORCHES on one cover having a fire ball fight....WOW. I bought this comic off the spinner rack at 7-11 in Amityville NY when I was a kid and went back to my Uncles house and sat on his big old screen porch and sat in a wicker rocking chair slurping on my Grape Slurpee and had the time of my life ..during the best time of my life. My childhood...one that I would not trade or change for all the money in the world if it were possible. Seeing this comic book literally drags me back by force to when I was 9 or 10 and makes me relive my youth. This cover...talk about DYNAMIC ....the building the by-standers below the action..the TORCHES! That is what comics were all about...youth and imagination. You know what? Never in all my years as a comic book reader did I want to light myslef on fire to be like one of my favorite Super Heroes. NEVER and as I recall no one else has ever even done it. 70 years with the HUMAN TORCH in our lives and DISNEY has to go ruin it all with this far fetched idea that kids will try to immolate themselves in order to emulate the TORCH. BULLSHIT I say... DISNEY PEOPLE..you're stupider than stupid if you think kids are that dumb.

Remember back when DAN AKROYD made fun of that on SNL? He did that because the idea of it was stupid and he himself was actually representing DISNEY at the time and he did not know it. A bag of greasy rags and a lighter...please. lol. Trust me...kids are not that dumb. It's a little thing called imagination. You people at DISNEY over there at MOUSESHWITZ really need to get your heads out of your butts. Of all the ridiculous anal retentive nonsense.

With all that being said. I have my memories and I have my childhood. You can't kill that.

This cover I am not really sure who drew it. If anyone can help I'd appreciate it.

I heard it might be Sal Buscema and John Romita inks...from looking at the figure work.

Looking forward to finding out if anyone knows

for sure.

Have fun see you in the funnies, :)

KIRBY , TORCH , SUB-MARINER !!!

When you try..to define what makes a good or great drawing or cover you have to use your imagination and when you here the word DYNAMIC usually you think of JACK KIRBY...Jack not only helped to make Marvel comics what it is today he also drew almost all the comics being sold by Marvel in the 60's at one time. This guys rate per day was incredible...he was pumping out comic book pages like crazy. One book after the next after the next. No loss of quality or workmanship either. Look at this cover....the tones the poses the action the waves and the flames.....two elemental forces facing one another in the dog fight of the century. Back in the 40's pitting the TORCH and SUBBY against each other was an event. This here match up...no different. It was an event and this classic STRANGE TALES cover just shows you that nobody...but NOBODY can claim the mantle of KING...like Kirby.

Cover by Jack Kirby.

AMAZING 77

What can be said about good old JAZZY John Romita...the guy came to Marvel too over for Ditko and carried on the book and helped it soar to new heights of popularity. His layouts and compositions were top notch and I have to say he's MY favorite Spidey artist. Sure everyone loves Ditko and sure people clamor for Mcfarlane. But Romita has always been my SPIDEY MAN!!
Look at the situation we have here the TORCH the LIZARD , SPIDEY all on one Dynamic action packed cover. Such ambiance such athmosphere. The dock the water the webs.
Just looking at this cover brings back fond memories. Going to the flea market looking in the bins and pulling out classic gems taking them home and reading them with my PB and J and a glass of chocolate milk.

This cover is by JOHN ROMITA

MARVEL TEAM UP

As a young boy of about 9 or 10 I was given an allowance and every week ( 50 whole cents ) I'd go to the store and buy comics. I collected Marvel Team up because I loved to see Spider man along side some other stupendous hero , fighting bad guys.

This particular week When I found this issue of TEAM UP I saw the HUMAN TORCH. Inside was one of the coolest stories I'd ever read. It kind of spooked me a little but that is why I liked it...I was spooked...moved..thrilled. The TORCH was sporting a red costume which I thought was pretty darned cool. I had a smattering of FF comics and in those he wore blue. I later found out that he was in the FF books in his red costume. To me...Johnny Storm was and is one of the best and greatest characters Marvel ever created. Even though the HUMAN TORCH was basically Marvels first character along with KA-ZAR and the SUB-MARINER and they all appeared in MARVEL COMICS # 1 together...Only NAMOR remained as the same incarnation.

KA-ZAR and the TORCH became revamped heroes. But still as great.

This cover is by Gil Kane.

ESSENTIALS

The HUMAN TORCH...any true fan of comics the FF or specifically the TORCH need to go out and get this reprint compilation. It's bascially an OMNIBUS. The reason I chose this as one of my favorites is because of that classic Kirby drawing of the TORCH soaring through the air in all his heavenly mighty glory.

Inside is a treasure trove of adventure that can only be decribed but telling you to go get one for yourself!!!!

cover by JACK KIRBY

CAPTAIN AMERICA # 216

Cap 216 is a reprint of STRANGE TALES # 114 where the HUMAN TORCH squares off against CAPTAIN AMERICA in a classic tale by JACK KIRBY who also did the cover for ST 114.
The story is a classic one shot short tale where everything is wrapped up neatly in one story.
Johnny is reading an old Cap comic book and later on has to confront Cap who is out robbing armored cars. As it turns out it's not really Cap but a villain named the ACROBAT and Johnny captures him and turns him in to the Police.
But to see Cap swinging around was a thrill I am sure to people reading this comic book when it originally came out.
This cover by Gil Kane and Ernie Chan showed us what action is all about. I used to love reprint fill in issues because we got an education. Soon after I sought out ST 114 and added it to my coolection....but I could stare at CAP 216 for a long time and the entire story runs through my mind vividly
STRANGE TALES - 114 was drawn by JACK KING KIRBY
and CAPTAIN AMERICA - 216 was drawn by Gil Kane and Ernie Chan.

My favorite HUMAN TORCH covers.

I chose to do this in several parts because I would like to write a little about each and every cover and give it the attnetion it deserves. I can post the whole bunch in one shot but it will take away from the importance of each cover to me. I want to expound.

FF # 252 - the Whole book was sideways....Why? I dunno but it was clever. Because it seems that every page had all this detail crammed into it and the splash pages came out extra nice in a wider scope. John Byrne is one of those classic MASTER cartoonists who can relay to you his work in sequential art without having any words or blurbs in a story. In order to even be a comic book artist this skill is important and Byrne is absolutely a master. Not to mention his figure work.

This cover exemplifies the FF in their glory it's a classic TEAM shot and each character seems as important as the next. There is no central character to focus on. Which is all part of good story telling. I think Byrnes run is one of the best FF runs in history and there have been a lot.

It's tough to say who has the best run ever...Guess we have to give that to Lee and Kirby for getting it going. But I stopped reading FF after Walter Simonson left and have not really gone back since. Oh sure bought a few issues here and there for specific story arcs. But lost interest around the year 2000...can't say why. But the FANTASTIC FOUR are the worlds greatest!!!

The cover for this one here is done by JOHN BYRNE. Dig it!!