Flea Market finds part 3

The coolest find I found at that flea market was this awesome Marvel comics poster book...it has about 16 terrific reproductions of Marvel comics classic covers and since this is MY FAVORITE COVERS blog...I want to share with you the cooler covers in the book. I don't know why they gave the covers that stressed look...it kind of ruins it for me...but...since these images are a little larger than magazine sized they would make mighty cool posters if'n provided I hung them up...but I'm not gonna do that...they go in my COOLECTION. The coolest part about it is....I PAID A BUCK FOR IT!!!!

Flea Market finds part 2

In my little browsing session at the same dollar store in the flea market I mentioned in the post before this one I also found this neat weird and strange Marvel comics calendar from Mexico...the months and days are in Spanish and the guy who owns the place said he got them from Mexico....here is just a few of the pages as an example...I did not really like the idea and the layout and compositions are really cheapo but...It's a cool find for a buck.

Flea Market finds part 1

I am always out on the hunt for cool super hero related stuff...I went to an indoor flea market not too far from my home about 8 towns east of me...I was looking for new mototcycle gloves and I like to look at all the t-shirts my rotund body won't fit into...( They only carry up to 3 x and I'm a 4 )

In that flea market there is a little dollar store kind of shop...they get their supplies from the strangest vendors from all across the world. I found cool spider man stickers in a 2 pack. These are huge. The Spider man head is about 12 inches high as is the standing figure. I got these neat little stickers for a buck! I'll never stick them on anything...( Don't know why they won't be worth more than a buck) But it's for my collection of coolness...I call it my " Coolection " Hang in there I got two more cool posts to show ya!

Conan w/axe recreation....from a Joe Jusko picture.

I love comic art and I love CONAN and I love original works by popular greats...but sometimes an original piece might be out of ones price range...so...being an artist myself ( I attended the Joe Kubert school for 2 years ) I decided to recreate the image of CONAN I loved so much that I recently saw online by Joe Jusko. It's a huge 10 by 15 image that took me abour 5 hours to complete...drawing it just right and then it needed to be inked. It was fun all the way. So I posted it on facebook. I got some compliments and some like clicks. Then Joe Jusko himself chimed in and said..." Great Job Mike ,I'm Flattered " So me...being the big knucklehead dumb dumb that I am said..." Don't be flattered Joe be proud...blah blah blah blah" I'm such a nit wit. Anyway...I really appreciated the fact Joe himself took a moment to pass a compliment....that I should have just said thank you to. Anyway...I got me a nice big CONAN drawing that I can thank Joe for...as I see it...it's not mine. It's a copy of Joe's. Thank you Mr. Jusko for being an inspiration....I got my blood moving now and I am motivated to do more. I hope whoever is interested enjoys my blog...because If you read this thing...you'd know who I am. I just love this stuff and can never get enough!

Bruno the Bandit pin up....

Here is a pin up I did for the 3rd volume of The collected strips of The Brutal Blade of Bruno the Bandit. Go to A.I.M. comics and pre order yours today!

Mead school supplies

Earlier I posted some notebook and school folders that reproduced some DC comics classic covers. Noting that in 1978 when I was in what was then known as GRADE school I had some of these cool MEAD school supplies with classic Marvel covers on them. I myself had the Captain America binder. I loved it I carried until it fell to pieces. I aslo had the Spiderman folder. I still have it too...it's dog eared and beat to hell and the two folded sides are completely separated but I still have it.

I tried to buy the Cap binder on Ebay but the guy wanted too much. I loved the binder and would buy it again at the right price but 45 bucks is just way too much even for a small piece of history like that. I'll keep my eye out and one day...somebody will have it at the right price.

I think from now on for collectors purposes I will look out for items like this every year when it's time to go out and get some school supplies...why just for the fun and nostalgia alone it's worth the trouble. Plus...it prompted me to go look and find these cool images I lifted off the web...Enjoy ...some of my favorite covers...ON school supplies. ps this is going to be my last post for maybe a month or so..I have some projects I need to work on and I have to get the work done. Priorities ya know?

Captain America recreation

Well more of a test run...I was practicing with my new brush pen set by Faber Castell. So this is not really really really how I would want a really real homage tribute recreation to look...I spent maybe an hour on it...free handing the entire deal...( Obvious from the sloppy lettering job ) But it's getting me used to using the pens...I was a brush guy in college and I was quite comfortable. But I have to compensate for the fact that arthritis takes it's toll on my drawing hand. So I'm learning myself with these new fangled brush pens...SOON very soon I will post an actual factual really real cover recreation to Cap 193...one of MY FAVORITE COVERS.

DC comics Notebooks and school supplies

I found the ACTION COMICS notebook and folder while wandering around in Target waiting for the Pharmacy to fill a scrip for my son who happens to be sick. While I was there I searched for the other notebooks but found only folders with the Wonder Woman and the Batman covers...I searched really hard for the JLA cover but alas it was a fruitless effort. I will hit another Target and see if I don't have better luck. The folders are only 99 cents and the notebooks are a Dollar 99. I provided scans of the backs of the WW , Batman and Action folders. There were some Green Lantern items there but...I was never really that big of a GL fan. So I passed them up.

I remember as a kid Marvel had the market on Notebooks , folders , binders and school supplies

I had a Spiderman folder a Captain America binder and a Fantastic four notebook all depicting classic marvel comics covers...similar to what this company is doing with the DC comics covers.

While looking for these notebooks and folders I felt like a 12 year old all over again. That's why I do it...that is what all this super hero stuff is all about a simpler more innocent time of my life.

Back then I did not have a child or any other monumentally normal and tedious repsonsibilities like getting up at 5:45 to go to work........EVERY DAY.

So for the sake of temporarily reliving my childhood for even the briefest moment...it's all worth it to me. Enjoy..."Oh BTW the ACTION COMICS number 419 with the Neal Adams/Murphy Anderson cover happens to be one of my favorite comic book covers."

Vampirella

A nice collage of Vampi covers...art by Enric ( Enrique Torres )
A big thanks to Joe Jusko for spotting my error and setting me straight. As great as Sanjulian's work is...we must appoint proper credit to the artists for their work.

AVENGERS COVERS

Here is a montage , collage of a gaggle of cool covers...posted by someone on comicartfans.com

I actually have 2 thirds of the issues the collage features. I wish I had them all. Number 4 would be primo for me to have...but...I don't. Sad face... :(

Marvel visionaries , John Buscema

Yesterday I treated myself to a book I've always wanted.....that'll put a smile on my face. So...I bought this book. Inside it's filled with the brilliant comic book work of John Buscema the greatest most talented artist Marvel ever had. He had few peers and certainly nobody as talented when it came down to the human figure. His mastery of human anatomy was second to none. He was The Michelangelo of comics. Read here below in the text I lifted from Amazon.com for this book. Then go order yourself one. It's a must have for all the fans who love Big John's work.

Text from Amazon :

The Incredible Hulk, the devastating Dragon Man, the epic end of the gods themselves... none of it was too much for Big John! One of comicdom's most acclaimed creators takes center stage in this genre-spanning gathering of greats! Nick Fury vs. Hydra! Thor vs. the Silver Surfer! The origins of Wolverine and Dracula! The twilight of the Masters of Evil! Includes crime, horror, romance and western work from the pre-Marvel era! Plus: rare Silver Surfer stories unseen for decades! Collects Crime Fighters #4; Western Outlaws & Sheriffs #60; Strange Tales #22 & #150; Tales To Astonish #85-87; Avengers #41-42, #75-76, #277 & Annual #2; Silver Surfer #4; My Love #2; Fantastic Four #111-112; Thor #200; Dracula Lives #3; Marvel Spotlight #30; Epic Illustrated #1; Wolverine #10 and Marvel Shadows & Light #3

My favorite CHRISTMAS cover ...

...has two versions. My friend ( JEFF BRENNAN , professional cartoonist and fellow JOE KUBERT SCHOOL alumnist ) sent me a Christmas card he doctored up using the image from the cover of Marvel comics...

" GIANT SUPER HERO HOLIDAY GRAB BAG , Marvel treasury special " tabloid sized edition. The original drawn by John Buscema had the heroes flying out of the wreath all with angry scowls on their faces ready to kick some butt. I have the actual treasury edition that this cover appears on. But I never even knew there was another version. Marvel in their infinite wisdom decided to issue a second printing of ye said treasury edition and had JAZZY JOHN ROMITA do some touch ups to the piece. He added smiles...thus...now there are two versions. A fact I did not know until yesterday. So...provided see the images of my friend's card and the two different versions of the cover in question. Enjoy and "MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!"