WHAT IF...

What if Captain America were brainwashed by the Red Skull in WWII.  Who would bring him in?

Well in true elseworlds style the best man for the job would be SGT ROCK. 

The premise is while under the influence of the Red Skull Cap killed Nick Fury and Bucky...so the only logical recourse would be to bring in SGT ROCK.  I was in a mood...felt like drawing so I imagined this scenario.  I cold swiped both images and squared off Cap against Sarge in a battel of the All star Americans.  I'm hoping to do the full mock up on this cover...soon.  I'll keep ya posted

The Thought factory , posters...Memories

I was 11 years of age when these posters came out.  I had the HULK and Captain America...I wanted the Superman and Thor and ( featured in an earlier post on this blog ) so badly but I never did get them.  The Bat Man as well was on my want list.  These posters are all currently on ebay for varying prices.  The posters themselves represent a more innocent time in my life from an era that no longer exists.  You can't go back there is no such thing as a time machine.  ( Unless you're in a jet plane and heading to the west coast...then you're travelling 3 hours into the past )  But...you can think back fondly to childhood and days of daydreams and reading comic books with not a worry in the world.  Adult life is rough...responsibility is rough and just keeping a job these days is rough.  In times like these the last thing a guy needs is a fascist Nazi perfectionist with OCD's pushing his zero tolerance policies on you.  These are tough times and basically...people should be judged on honesty as well as merit.  But thank the lord ...I am breathing.  I have my wife and I have my comics,toys,blogs and can still hold a pencil...Happy blogging folks.

Giant size Man-Thing

Here is a Gallery of some of my favorite Man-Thing comics...the regular series was great but these Giant sized issues hold a special place in my heart.  Mike Ploog, John Buscema,Gil Kane,Frank Brunner put out just some great untouched perfect story telling in these macabre tales of astonishing suspense and fear.  The King of the Macabre for this era was definately Mike Ploog whose work is timeless.  His work goes without saying as the greatest.  He was the man when it came to the macabre.  His work today shows no signs of any change or slowing down. He has a project coming out called GOLIATH...a giant white gorilla story...I can't wait for it to see print. Enjoy...the macabre renderings of THE MAN -THING

There can be only one Nick Fury!

Yeah yeah yeah we've been down this road before "Why did they make Nick a black dude?"

    Yes we also know that Marvel created a story around the introduction to the world as to why there is a black Nick Fury ( See BATTLE SCARS a series put out by Marvel about 3 years ago ) He's actually the real Nick's son and FURY is actually his SHIELD code name.
    This created a new dynamic and yes while it was a good derivitive plot contrivance we still only see Sam playing Nick on the big screen.
     That's not what I want...I want SGT. Nicholas Fury leader of the Howling commandoes!  There is a whole history of Marvel comics being whitewashed over so we can have Samuel L. Jackson as FURY ( who may be losing the job I hear )
     I love Sam...I love PULP FICTION , I love Stretch from Goodfella's I love SNAKES ON A PLANE I love DEEP BLUE SEA!  But I love COMIC BOOKS...and that aint the FURY I know and love.  Just sayin'.   I'm going to watch these Marvel films no matter what!  ;)

One minute later - Cap 153 by Sal Buscema

Who better to do a ONE MINUTE LATER cover than the original guy responsible for the MINUTE BEFORE!!! Our Pal Sal!!!

Absolutely my all time favorite Cap run...Sal's Cap is the picture in my mind when I hear the name Captain America...as is Tarzan to Joe Kubert or Conan to John Buscema and Jim Aparo to Bat Man and Most importantly Curt Swan for Superman. I'm sure most of you can agree.

I love Ernie Chan's INCREDIBLE HULK!!!

The 70's has always been my absolute favorite era in comics.  The art and stories were polished a bit more than the comics of the earlier decade but taking nothing away from the 60's I was only born in February of 67' so the 70's was the era I grew up in and where all my interest was generated.  Of course the 60's comics are a hairsbreadth away from the 70's as far as my favoritisim goes. I'd trade my right arm for a collection of either.  Because I love comic books.

One particular bit of history revolving around my love of comics is the art and the artists who rendered the comic books with style and flair.  Ernie Chan was one of those men whose work graces the pages of many a comic book I know so well and love.  I'm not really certain of the whole Chua era but I do know Chan is the man's real last name.  Ernie has drawn every super hero under the sun you can name.  Bat-Man , Superman , Conan ,Thor you name it he's drawn it.  One of my favorite runs from any era was Ernie's run on the Incredible HULK.  He drew the HULK so powerful and impressive with a technique and style like only he could deliver.  Ernie passed away but his work will live on and I will forever Marvel at his work and admire him.  He was one of the reasons why I myself picked up a pencil and started to draw.  He will always be an inspiration to me and I will forever love Ernie's HULK...here are several covers I lifted from various places on the web.  I do own these comics in my collection...it was just easier for me to save and post this way.  Enjoy...Man these bring back memories.

I love "BLACK LIGHTNING"

A few years back I sold 2/3 of my comic book collection my BLACK LIGHTNING run went along with the package.  So I looked up the lot on ebay and ordered them to replace my lost collection. 11 comics for 14.99 seemed like a fantastic bargain so I bought them right up.

Back when these comics came out I was around 11 years old and one of my favorite comic book characters was Marvel comics' POWERMAN  I was iimediately drawn to BL because of the costume design it jumps right out at you and this costume goes down in my book as one of the greatest costume designs in comic book history.  The idea he was an exploitation character went right over my head.  I was 11 innocent to things like that...he was just a cool Super Hero.  I can't wait to open that package up and re-read all these comic books one more time and pour over the art and enjoy the stories from a more innocent time in my life.  Wiffle ball in the street , Two hand touch , Riding bikes with Baseball cards int the spokes and COMIC BOOKS...I love comic books.

The Final issue of CAP...PERFECT.

I have always been a CAP fan and one of my favorite bits of history revolving around him is the creation of the fiftie's Cap... a man who idolized Steve Rogers so much he went to great lengths to become CAPTAIN AMERICA....The 1970's storyline where they pretty much introduced him in order to explain why there were CAP comics in the 50's was brilliant.
    He popped up in the comic from time to time and the last we heard from him he'd been shot by BUCKY AMERICA and fell off the Hoover dam.  They never recovered his body.  I knew he was still around.
   With the advent of NEW Marvel titles popping up it was decided to end the current run of course.  So they could start all over with a number one. Sure enough in the final issue written by Ed Brubaker and illustrated by artistic phenom Steve Epting they wrapped up the last chapter of the Captain America of the 1950's.

I knew right from the start what was going on when I saw Steve Rogers...or someone who looks like him laying in a hospital bed.  Then they continue the story with some action as CAP ( 50's CAP ) foils the plans of some Evil clowns robbing a train.  The moment I saw him land with a crunch on top of that train I knew it was him ( William Burnside )  When it's all over Steve Rogers crashes the party and Burnside runs in a panic right in front of a speeding truck.  Which is why he ends up in the hospital.  What follows is one of the greatest wrap up stories along with a history of CAP depicted in the most entertaining manner.  From Steve's point of view.
   I still hope that with rehabilitation and guidance Burnside can actually become a Shield agent or some other Patriotic hero.  He's too great a character not to use again. 

   Do yourselves a favor an go out and get this issue and read it 12 times in row like I did.  It's a great story.  I love it.

SWAMP THING COVERS I love!!!...Original production art by Ernie Chan

This cover was totally pencilled and inked by Ernie Chan...powerful, POWERFUL composition!!!  The earlier post states in the comment section that Nestor Redondo did this cover....But I was in err...it was ERNIE CHAN...this looks to be a color guide.  I borrowed it from Mike Burkey's comic art auction site ROMITA MAN...      Nevertheless...it is an awesome cover.

SWAMP THING COVERS I love!!!

Of course I love the Bernie Wrightson issues...in fact I have a post here from a couple of years back.  But #22 holds a special place in my heart...because of course I remember it from when I was an itty bitty boy.
  Then I had to get the following issues 23 and 24...which was the last issue of Volume 1.
  Collecting the rest of the series came later in life when I was older and had a job.  I got number 22 when I was sick...in the Hosptial with kidney issues.  You all know the story...sick Hospital,Dad,Comics...memories.  Comic books brought me good memories from a miserable time spent in the Hospital. 
     I don't regret or look back and say I wish life were different then...those experiences molded me and made me who I am today...a Man Child!  lol...That would make a cool comic book eh?  "MAN CHILD the child who walks like a Man!"  Or vice versa  Heh heh heh....This I share with you today.

BLOD one shot

well the time is almost upon us...a long awaited moment. For me anyway. My comic book is comin' out. It will be available on Indy Planet.com soon. Right now it's been sent off to the printer and me and Cromsblood from "CROM the ultimate Conan fan blog" ( My partner in crime) are waiting with baited breath. So next month...go to Indyplanet.com and order yourself a copy or two. It's a full color comic book...Treachery,greed and Vengeance await around the corner. This here is the cover and right below that the pin-up...enjoy

RAWHIDE!!!

I doctored up an old drawing of mine....based on an original Larry Lieber cover....just for kicks