Comic Book Artist #21 by TwoMorrows Publishing

A plea from the publisher of this fine digital periodical: TwoMorrows, we’re on the Honor System with our Digital Editions. We don’t add Digital Rights Management features to them to stop piracy; they’re clunky and cumbersome, and make readers jump through hoops to view content they’ve paid for. And studies show such features don’t do much to stop piracy anyway. So we don’t include DRM in our downloads.

However, this is COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL, which is NOT INTENDED FOR FREE DOWNLOADING ANYWHERE. If you paid the modest fee we charge to download it at our website, you have our sincere thanks. Your support allows us to keep producing magazines like this one. If instead you downloaded it for free from some other website or torrent, please know that it was absolutely 100% DONE WITHOUT OUR CONSENT. Our website is the only source to legitimately download any TwoMorrows publications. If you found this at another site, it was an ILLEGAL POSTING OF OUR COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL, and your download is illegal as well. If that’s the case, here’s what I hope you’ll do: GO AHEAD AND READ THIS DIGITAL ISSUE, AND SEE WHAT YOU THINK. If you enjoy it enough to keep it, please DO THE RIGHT THING and go to our site and purchase a legal download of this issue, or purchase the print edition at our website (which entitles you to the Digital Edition for free) or at your local comic book shop. Otherwise, please delete it from your computer, since it hasn’t been paid for. And please DON’T KEEP DOWNLOADING OUR MATERIAL ILLEGALLY, for free. If you enjoy our publications enough to download them, support our company by paying for the material we produce. We’re not some giant corporation with deep pockets, and can absorb these losses. We’re a small company—literally a “mom and pop” shop—with dozens of hard working freelance creators, slaving away day and night and on weekends, to make a pretty minimal amount of income for all this hard work. All of our editors and authors, and comic shop owners, rely on income from this publication to continue producing more like it. Every sale we lose to an illegal download hurts, and jeopardizes our future. Please don’t rob us of the small amount of compensation we receive. Doing so helps ensure there won’t be any future products like this to download. And please don’t post this copyrighted material anywhere, or share it with anyone else. Remember: TwoMorrows publications should only be downloaded at

www.twomorrows.com TM

TwoMorrows.Celebrating The Art & History Of Comics. (& LEGO! ) TwoMorrows • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA • 919-449-0344 • FAX: 919-449-0327 • E-mail: twomorrow@aol.com • www.twomorrows.com

Last-minute bits about the Community of Comic Book Artists, Writers and Editors

The New York City Comic Book Museum announces its Honorary Board of Trustees

THE BIRTHPLACE OF COMICS discussion seen on PBS networks nationwide; and most recently for the highly publicized exhibition “Heroes Among Us: The Artwork of 9-11,” which embarks on a nationwide tour this fall. The NYCCBM is dedicated to engaging its audience and bringing the highest quality programs and activities to its members and friends. The New York City Comic Book Museum started its mission in 1999 to preserve the historical and artistic legacy of comic book culture, place it in the context of a changing society, show its usefulness in educating and entertaining, and instill in audiences the value and joy of this rich American heritage. It is the nation’s only museum dedicated to the art of the comic book. The NYCCBM has concentrated on its outreach programs with traveling exhibits, industry gatherings, panel discussions, virtual exhibits and comic book promotions all around the city and the country. The museum is searching for its permanent home to serve as a research facility, library, and showcase for comic books and the creators of this American art form. More information available at: <www.nyccbm.org>

The New York City Comic Book Museum is proud to announce the creation of an honorary board of trustees. Ten of the biggest figures in the comic book world—legends if you will—have agreed to become a part of this esteemed body. The line-up includes: Neal Adams, Brian Michael Bendis, Michael Chabon, Neil Gaiman, Carmine Infantino, Stan Lee, Joe Quesada, Trina Robbins, Kevin Smith, and Matt Wagner! From a Pulitzer Prize-winner to one of the most popular and successful women in the industry, this list has them all. “We are very fortunate to have the support of such distinguished and talented individuals in the comic book industry,” said Executive Director and Founder David Jay Gabriel. “It just goes to show that the industry wants to see a comic book museum in New York City as much as we do.” Over the past three years, the NYCCBM has come to be recognized as a leading force both inside and outside the comic book industry: For its award-winning comic books and AIDS documentary and exhibition; for the Comics Code and Free Speech televised panel

We’re working fast and furious on the next issue of CBA, this one devoted to “The Legend of Gold Key,” and we’re determined to put together a comprehensive look at that publisher’s output. Behind an all-new Bruce Timm cover painting (depicting a certain fave robot fighter), we will be looking at the company’s eclectic adventure material, especially Russ Manning’s stints on Magnus and Tarzan, Jesse Santos and Don Glut’s Dr. Spektor and Dagar, Albert Giolotti and Paul S. Newman’s Turok, Son of Stone, as well as Doctor Solar, Mighty Samson, and (yep!) even Total War! But we won’t neglect the kiddie’s comics either, as CBA pal Alberto Beccatini has compiled a wealth of information to share. We’ll also be chatting with Mark Evanier, Mike Royer, Don Spiegle, and others, as well as featuring the most thorough history of Gold Key/Western Publishing to date. We’re still struggling to get back on schedule, so expect this one in Sept.

It's cool! It's happening! It's Blackbird! The premiere comic book by CBA associate editor Chris Irving and artist Chris Samnee, Blackbird is the story of a ’40s crimefighter who fights Nazis and mobsters with the help of his sidekick brother Inky, and a kid gang called the Radio Patrol. Throw in a sarcastic girl reporter and a comical genius named Porkpie, and it's complete! The cover to Blackbird is penciled by newcomer Eric Yonge (Moonstone Books’ upcoming Hat Squad with Jay Faerber) and inked by legend Joe Sinnott (yes, the Elvis of inkers!). The back cover is penciled by Irving and inked by Mary Worth and The Phantom's Joe Giella! Limited to a very small print run ready this August, Irving and Samnee are using Blackbird primarily as a portfolio. But if you're aching to see it, email Irving at clirving@yahoo.com… If enough people request it, a second printing is always a possibility.

PAGING ALL NATLAMPERS! Few themes have got Ye Ed as excited as he is for the upcoming CBA to be devoted to the comics of legendary satirical magazine National Lampoon. As we’ve repeatedly mentioned in these pages, we’ve finally located legendary Lampoon design director Michael Gross and he’s solidly behind this retrospective. We’re looking forward to meeting up with Mr. G in San Diego! If any contributors to NatLamp would like to be involved in this look back, please contact Ye Ed as soon as possible at (401) 783-1669 or e-mail me at jonbcooke@aol.com Thanks!

DANNY DREAMS… “My Mom’s the Greatest by Danny Cooke. Scout Space Derby (organized by Ye Ed, but I

The things an editor-slash-dad has to do! As I promised the seven-year-old, here’s my youngest son Danny’s whale drawing, which he asked Pop to put in that “comic book” I allegedly put together. But it’s the least I can do, seeing that the lad had a banner year in first grade, getting fantabulous grades, as well as winning a Mother’s Day essay contest, and taking home a prize in the Cub

swear his prize is legit!). Currently Daniel Jacob is a budding naturalist, wild about birds and the entire Animal Kingdom! At right is a picture of the boy and his mom, Beth. Here’s the text of Danny’s award-winning essay:

She helps me with homework. She helps me with games and reading. She lets me sleep in her bed when I don’t feel good. Who’s nice not mean when I’m sick. My Mom drives me to baseball. I love her so much. She loves me.” ©2002 Daniel Jacob Cooke.

CBA’s Jon Cooke is back in April! Make ready for COMIC BOOK CREATOR, the new voice of the comics medium! TwoMorrows is proud to debut our newest magazine, COMIC BOOK CREATOR, devoted to the work and careers of the men and women who draw, write, edit, and publish comics, focusing always on the artists and not the artifacts, the creators and not the characters. Behind an ALEX ROSS cover painting, our frantic FIRST ISSUE features an investigation of the oft despicable treatment JACK KIRBY endured from the very business he helped establish. From being cheated out of royalties in the ’40s and bullied in the ’80s by the publisher he made great, to his estate’s current fight for equitable recognition against an entertainment monolith where his characters have generated billions of dollars, we present Kirby’s cautionary tale in the eternal struggle for creator’s rights. Plus, CBC #1 interviews artist ALEX ROSS and writer KURT BUSIEK, spotlights the last years of writer/artist FRANK ROBBINS, remembers comics historian LES DANIELS, sports a color gallery of WILL EISNER’s Valentines to his beloved, showcases a joint talk between NEAL ADAMS and DENNIS O’NEIL on their unforgettable collaborations, as well as throws a whole kit’n’caboodle of other creator-centric items atcha! Join us for the start of a new era as TwoMorrows welcomes back former Comic Book Artist editor JON B. COOKE, who helms the all-new, allcolor COMIC BOOK CREATOR!

80 pages • $8.95 All-color • Quarterly Digital Edition: $3.95 COMING THIS JULY: COMIC BOOK CREATOR #2 (double-size Summer Special) Former COMIC BOOK ARTIST editor JON B. COOKE returns to TwoMorrows with his new magazine! #1 features: An investigation of the treatment JACK KIRBY endured through FRANK ROBBINS spotlight, rememberreturns to TwoMorrows with his new magazine! #1 features: An investigation of the treatment JACK KIRBY endured through FRANK ROBBINS spotlight, remembertures: An investigation of the treatment JACK KIRBY ing LES DANIELS, WILL EISNER’s Valentines to his beloved, a talk between NEAL ADAMS and DENNIS O’NEIL, new ALEX ROSS cover, and more! (84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $17.95 (Digital Edition) $6.95 • Ships July 2013

4-issue Subscriptions • PRINT: $36 US with FREE Digital Editions • DIGITAL: $15.80 ($45 First Class US • $50 Canada • $65 First Class International • $95 Priority International) Subscriptions include the double-size Summer Special

TwoMorrows. A New Day For Comics Fans! TwoMorrows Publishing • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA • 919-449-0344 • FAX: 919-449-0327 E-mail: store@twomorrowspubs.com • Visit us on the Web at www.twomorrows.com

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NUMBER 21

CELEBRATING THE LIVES & WORK OF THE GREAT CARTOONISTS, WRITERS & EDITORS

AUGUST 2002

EDITOR’S RANT: CBA: PHASE TWO Ye Ed goes on and on about everything changing but somehow still staying the same........................................4

Editor/Designer JON B. COOKE

A DAY IN THE LIFE: INSIDE UNIVERSE ROSS Alex Ross’s writer collaborator Steve Darnell spends the day with the artist to check out his hectic existence ....6

Publisher

LAND OF THE LOST STORIES: THE END OF THE NEVERENDING BATTLE? George Khoury gives us a look at an unpublished Superman story by Dave Gibbons, Garry Leach, & others ....10 CBA COMMUNIQUES: TIN SOLDIERS AND GOLD KEY’S COMING You though the debate over Vietnam was finally put to rest? Well, think again as a reader takes us on ..........12 THE ADAM HUGHES SPECTACULAR AH-HA! ADAM HUGHES BARES ALL! In an uproarious interview, the wunderkind cover artist from Jersey talks about his life and work ....................14

TWOMORROWS JOHN & PAM MORROW Associate Editors CHRIS KNOWLES DAVID A. ROACH CHRISTOPHER IRVING GEORGE KHOURY Contributing Editors ROY THOMAS JOHN MORROW

ADAM HUGHES PORTFOLIO With an incredible array of work, the wildly popular artist shares with us his bodacious talent..........................39

Proofreader ERIC NOLEN-WEATHINGTON

CELEBRATING “BIG JOHN”: THE JOHN BUSCEMA REMEMBRANCE CBA’s multi-part look at the life, work and legacy of the renowned Marvel comic book artist ....................Flip us!

Cover Art & Color ADAM HUGHES

COMIC BOOK ARTIST™ is published 10 times a year by TwoMorrows, 1812 Park Drive, Raleigh, NC 27605, USA. 919-833-8092. Jon B. Cooke, Editor. John Morrow, Publisher. Editorial Office: P.O. Box 204, West Kingston, RI 02892-0204 USA • 401-783-1669 • Fax: 401-783-1287. Send subscription funds to TwoMorrows, NOT the editorial office. Single issues: $9 postpaid ($11 Canada, $12 elsewhere). Six-issue subscriptions: $36 US, $66 Canada, $72 elsewhere. All characters © their respective owners. All material © their creators unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter © their respective authors. ©2002 Jon B. Cooke/TwoMorrows. Cover acknowledgements: Art ©2002 Adam Hughes. Wonder Woman ©2002 DC Comics. First Printing. PRINTED IN CANADA.

Editor’s Rant

CBA: Phase Two Ye Ed on revitalizing Comic Book Artist and staying on-mission Transcribers LONGBOX.COM JON B. KNUTSON BRIAN K. MORRIS SAM GAFFORD STEVEN TICE Logo Designer/Title Originator ARLEN SCHUMER Visit CBA on our Website at:

www.twomorrows.com

Mascot WOODY by J.D. King Issue Theme Songs DROPS OF JUPITER Train &

SOAK UP THE SUN Sheryl Crow Issue dedicated to

Owen O’Leary Buscema Afficionado

Contributors Adam Hughes • John Buscema Sal Buscema • Christopher Irving Tom Palmer • Alex Ross Dave Gibbons • Garry Leach Owen O’Leary • Larry Dempsey George Khoury • Steve Darnell Paul Gravett • Alan Woollcombe Tom DeFalco • Mike Arnold Enrico Savini • Michael Maikowsky Fred Hembeck • Stan Lee John Romita, Sr. • Virginia Romita Neal Adams • John R. Borkowski Joe Sinnott • Tony Isabella Ernie Colón • David Lloyd John Workman • Arlen Schumer Dave Stevens • Frank Brunner Marv Wolfman • Mike Collins Mike Friedrich • Bob Wiacek Mike Royer • Patrick Olliffe Paul Neary • Roger Stern Steve Mitchell • Batton Lash Scott Rosema • Claudio Castellini Bill Sienkiewicz • Sandy Plunkett Jerry Ordway • Mark Evanier Eric Yonge • Albert Moy Jerry K. Boyd • Royd Burgoyne Mark Burkey • Rob Kirby Terry Austin • Allen Milgrom Ed Fields • Roy Thomas Kevin Nowlan Previous page: The Amazon Princess, Wonder Woman, in a portrait by Adam Hughes. Courtesy of the artist. ©2002 DC Comics. N E X T I S S U E 4

If we may be immodest for a minute or two (yeah, right!), we’d like to brag that this issue of Comic Book Artist has the distinction of receiving the highest number of orders yet from retailers for our humble mag (thanks!). And while we’d like to think that other fan enclaves are succumbing to some buzz about wonders awaiting them within each ish of CBA, we know better. The truth of the matter is that Adam Hughes, “Good Girl Art Guy,” is a fantastically popular artist, plus never mind the fact we also showcase in this special a tribute to much beloved Marvel artist John Buscema as well as a feature on Alex Ross, no slouch himself when it comes to success in this medium. (Let me take a sec here to give my thanks to all who participated in this issue for pulling through so valiantly, especially Adam, Alex, Steve Darnell, and most of all, my oft-collaborator and cohort, associate editor George Khoury.) So, I like to think that there’s a whole gaggle of “first-timers” out there, each slapping down their own $6.95 to pay for the opportunity to crack open their first CBA, and frankly, I’d love to keep you new people comin’ back for more. Alas, I’d also hate to alienate any loyal readers who may feel a bit put-off by our new mix of the contemporary and the retro. CBA has won awards for digging deep into comics history, and we’re proud (rightfully, we like to think) of our detective work. We’ve featured comprehensive examinations of numerous neglected publishers, and zeroed-in on the behind-thescenes stories of the Big Two—DC and Marvel—and readers have responded quite enthusiastically. In our four years of existence, TwoMorrows has published over 20 issues of CBA, amounting to approximately two million words and heaven knows how much previously unpublished and rarely seen artwork has now seen the light of day, never mind those interviews with artists who have rarely—if ever—had their remembrances printed before. (And I’m not even counting Collections or the Special Edition!) So, hopefully, you’ll consider that we done purty good so far. But change can be a good thing, folks! Y’see, I don’t just love old comics—I love comics period—and I’d rather not feel limited to merely focusing on funny books published between 1965 and ’85. Sure, a great deal of my interest does lie within those years but still, there’s an awful lot of good stuff coming out these days, whether from Fantagraphics, Marvel or other continents, material worth exploring and artists worth noting. For instance, I’m crazy for Dave Cooper’s cartooning, Tony Harris’s dark ink lines, Chris Ware’s delicate design, Johnny Romita, Jr.’s solid pencil work, Sergio Aragonés’ hilarious simplicity… well, you get the idea. And, like it or not, CBA is an extension of me and my interests. Sure, there’s a pragmatic commercial consideration here, but overwhelmingly, I’m taking a partially contemporary approach because I’m, quite simply, interested in a lot of newer artists, as well as the old, and sincerely hope you will get as jazzed about younger talent as well. Don’t fret about us losing sight of a primary mission of CBA’s; i.e., to seek out and record for posterity those graying contributors to the industry who too often have been neglected for far too long. We —

U N L O C K I N G

T H E

will be inaugurating an off-topic interview section in the near future, as it can be a tad frustrating trying to shoehorn any number |of creators into a given theme issue. We gotta have latitude! Another aspect of CBA I’ve grown concerned about is redundancy. TwoMorrows publishes a tidy group of nifty magazines and we suspect a goodly number of readers pick up The Jack Kirby Collector, as well as CBA and Alter Ego. And, as we’ve both been backward-looking periodicals, sometimes Roy Thomas and I have overlapped the same territory here and there. A perfect case in point is the respective John Buscema tributes in the current issue of sister mag A/E and inside this very CBA, with each featuring peer testimonials, convention interviews with Big John, and copious amounts of rarely-seen artwork. Now, I’m sure Roy sees—as I do—our respective approaches as distinctly different (as Mr. Thomas worked a good many years with the artist, after all), but I wonder how casual readers feel. So, to that end, I’ll be looking to work a bit closer with my editor brethren in the future to avoid even the appearance of duplication. Still, when events such as the passing of an enormously wellregarded artist as John Buscema come into play, we feel compelled to respond and will continue to do so, each in our own manner. We do hope you enjoy the new departments being introduced in this issue, as well as those to come. (Consider them eclectic appetizers before the main meal!) George Khoury debuts his “Land of the Lost Tales” column, focusing on the greatest stories never told. A combined Khoury/Cooke inspiration is the “Day in a Life” feature (also in this ish), where a CBA correspondent spends the day with an actively working comics professional, hopefully giving the reader some insight into an artist’s daily routine (which is usually anything but routine!). This time out, superstar artist Alex Ross shares his hectic existence with friend and sometime collaborator, writer Steve Darnell. We’re also radically increasing our art content each issue, devoting a number of double-page spreads to our subject in any given issue (an approach we started last time with the Kuberts and Romitas), and just trying to become more appropriately graphic as we are celebrating a visual medium here, right? (We might be increasing our text size (as we’re making our proofreaders—and doubtless more than a few readers—blind as bats with our tiny type) but won’t know til the last minute due to production concerns.) Also, look for small features here and there just to keep things interesting, and maybe an art gallery or two, where we take a gander at noteworthy material by an “offtopic” creator. Finally, we had hoped to begin our “Big Shots” feature this ish (where we interview notable folk who work outside the comics field but have some connection to it) but our first subject has been tough to nail down so we’ll continue trying; hopefully next time. So, if you’re joining us for the first time, we hope you’ll stick around for the enticing mix to come in CBA, and to our faithful longtime readership: We sincerely hope, too, that you’ll give these format modifications a chance and, whatever anyone does, let us hear about whether you like it or not, y’hear! —Jon B. Cooke, Editorman

T R E A S U R E S

O F

G O L D

K E Y

C O M I C S !

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

August 2002

A COMICS HISTORY GAME-CHANGER!

AMERICAN COMIC BOOK CHRONICLES

THE

1960-64 Volume NOW SHIPPING! 1980s Volume ships in MARCH!

This ambitious new series of FULLCOLOR HARDCOVERS documents every decade of comic books from the 1940s to today! Each colossal volume presents a year-by-year account of the comic book industry’s most significant publications, most notable creators, and most impactful trends.

This ongoing project enlists TwoMorrows’ top authors, as they provide exhaustively researched details on all the major events along the comics history timeline! Editor KEITH DALLAS (The Flash Companion) spearheads the series and writes his own volume on the 1980s. Also in the works are two volumes on the 1940s by ROY THOMAS, the 1950s by BILL SCHELLY, two volumes on the 1960s by JOHN WELLS, a 1970s volume by JIM BEARD, and more volumes documenting the 1990s and 2000s. Taken together, the series forms the first cohesive, linear overview of the entire landscape of comics history, sure to be an invaluable resource for ANY comic book enthusiast! JOHN WELLS leads off with the first of two volumes on the 1960s, covering all the pivotal moments and behind-the-scenes details of comics in the JFK and Beatles era! You’ll get a year-by-year account of the most significant publications, notable creators, and impactful trends, including: DC Comics’ rebirth of GREEN LANTERN, HAWKMAN, and others, and the launch of JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA and multiple earths! STAN LEE and JACK KIRBY’s transformation of superhero comics with the debut of FANTASTIC FOUR, SPIDER-MAN, HULK, X-MEN, AVENGERS, and other iconic characters! Plus BATMAN gets a “new look”, the BLUE BEETLE is revamped at Charlton Comics, and CREEPY #1 brings horror back to comics, just as Harvey’s “kid” comics are booming!

NOW SHIPPING! The Best of FROM THE TOMB Compiles the finest features from the preeminent magazine on horror comics history, along with never-seen material! (192-page trade paperback with COLOR) $27.95 • (Digital Edition) $8.95 ISBN: 9781605490434 • Diamond Order Code: AUG121322

The co-founder of Filmation Studios tells all about leading the last American animation company through thirty years of innovation and fun! (288-page trade paperback with COLOR) $29.95 • (Digital Edition) $9.95 ISBN: 9781605490441 • Diamond Order Code: JUL121245

MATT BAKER: The Art of Glamour The fabled master of glamour art finally gets his due! (192-page HARDCOVER with 96 COLOR pages) $39.95 • (Digital Edition) $11.95 ISBN: 9781605490328 • Diamond Order Code: JUN121310

PRINTED IN CANADA

LOU SCHEIMER: Creating the Filmation Generation

1960-64 VOLUME: (224-page FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER) $39.95 • (Digital Edition) $11.95 • ISBN: 9781605490458 • Diamond Order Code: JUL121245

A Day in the Life

Inside Universe Ross A “typical” day with the world’s most popular comic book artist Editor’s Note This portrait of an “average” day of work for artist superstar Alex Ross is the first of a column dedicated to showing the typical routine of those who work in the comics industry. We had intended CBA associate editor George Khoury to write this piece, but after circumstances kept George from the assignment, we are very grateful that Steve Darnell—sometime comics writer and collaborator with Alex on Uncle Sam— jumped in as the deadline loomed, thus saving the day. This visit took place on an early June weekday. We also thank Alex for going along with this little experiment, which occurred during a very hectic time for the artist. The article is ©2002 Steve Darnell.

Below: The last year or so has been a very busy time for Alex Ross, complete with incredible national exposure: The Spider-Man and Smallville TV Guide covers, as well as an Academy Award poster. Spider-Man ©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc. Smallville ©2002 Warner Bros. TV. Oscar ©2002 AAMPAS.

by Steve Darnell The assignment sounded simple enough: Spend a day with my good friend and sometimes collaborator Alex Ross, pay attention to what goes on and report back with the cogent details so readers have an idea of what goes on during a typical day for the man whose résumé includes Marvels, Kingdom Come, Superman: Peace on Earth and some other titles which elude me at the moment. The thing is, these aren’t exactly typical days for Alex. A week before our meeting, he moved into a newer and larger house; a week after our meeting, he’ll be taking the matrimonial plunge. The result is a scene of fractured domesticity: most everything is still in boxes, except for the all-important drawing table and the even more important CD player. (Drawing being the solitary endeavor that it is, Alex invariably works with the CD player or television on. There have been occasions where I’ve heard both going at once.) In fact, this day there's a very familiar disc playing…. “It’s your White Stripes disc,” Alex says. “You lent it to me right before my move.” 12:15 P.M.: Knowing that Alex is something of a night owl— the late-evening hours are his best chance to get work done with a minimum of distractions—we arrange to meet during the noon hour to guarantee that I don’t wake him up. When I arrive, it turns out he's been up for two hours.“I didn’t work last night,” he explains, “so I got to bed around three.” As a result, he was up earlier than usual, touching up the cover he’s painted for the forthcoming Anthrax CD. “I’d like to believe it’s the final version,” he says as he shows me where the band requested “more vibrant color.” For now, the piece goes off to the side; later, Alex will package it up as part of his nightly trip to the Federal Express offices. The opening act taken care of, it’s off to the main event:

Today, Alex’s main project is a cover for Battle of the Planets, the Top Cow comic based on the popular Japanese cartoon of the 1970s. Alex is serving as cover artist and art director for the series. It’s funny to see Alex—who made a career out of photo-realism—tackling characters with such a rigidly defined, cartoony look. “I’m trying to bring realistic light, shadow and color,” he explains, “but I’m going to try to stay true to the look for the show. It’s not my realistic take on these characters as human beings. I simply need to make you believe that humans could have eyes this big.” In this instance, the cover started out as a very tiny, penciled layout. Later, Alex copied the layout at 235% its original size and put a piece of graphite on the back. Now, he’s tracing that drawing to make an impression on the page that will become the cover. “This is for placement,” he explains as he starts going over the original drawing. “Usually there are quite a few alterations as I bring in the photos of my models.” Yes, even when it’s time to approximate animated characters from Japan, Alex is never without his photo references—one of whom bears an eerie resemblance to the man himself…. 12:30 P.M.: The first of the phone calls begins. Like a marshal strapping on his six-gun for a day of dueling, Alex slips on his trusty headset and takes a call from his friend Sung Koo, former comic shop owner and longtime Secret Asian Man. Not wanting to eavesdrop, I decide this is a good opportunity to investigate Alex’s bookshelves. I see a copy of Cheese Monkeys, the debut novel by Alex’s pal, renowned book designer Chip Kidd. (The book’s cover was designed by another mutual friend, Chris Ware. Ware’s Acme Novelty Library is, of course, must reading.) I remember asking Alex about borrowing this book from him some time last year, but he declined, explaining that he was going out of town the next week and that he’d probably read it during the plane trip. I seize the moment and start to read. Twenty pages into this story of an art major going to college in the late ’50s, I'm hooked. 12:45 P.M.: Alex raves to Sung about Wizard’s recent Battle preview. “Oh, God, I was so happy… when I saw it in print, I thought it looked really nice.” The White Stripes disc finishes and a mix disc—made for Alex by Sung Koo—goes on. 12:55 P.M.: Alex finishes his phone call and I ask about maybe borrowing Chip’s novel. Alex declines, explaining that he’s getting ready to go out of town for his honeymoon and he’ll probably read it on the plane trip. I’m starting to see a pattern here. 1:10 P.M.: Time for some food, courtesy of the local Taco Bell. At present, the kitchen exists as a place to store glassware and soft drinks; for all his artistic genius, Alex’s genetic makeup has never been threatened by the “chef gene.” (And in spite of all his success and affluence, Alex has repeatedly refused all suggestions to install a Craft Services table.) Alex takes the moment to show off his new HDTV, although finding a program that really highlights the difference between COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

August 2002

Clockwise from top: Alex Ross begins his day working the phone and finishing up an Anthrax CD cover, seen top right. Then (far right) the artist sketches for a project near and dear to his heart, the Battle of the Planets comic book revival (also above). Always nearby to Alex’s drawing table is a trusty CD player with a many an album to help him through his crushingly busy schedule. All photos by Steve Darnell. (It’s tough to see, but Alex is wearing an Uncle Sam T-shirt, promoting the Darnell/Ross collaboration, the U.S. two-issue mini-series.

regular and high-definition television is tricky. Finally, we light on a nature program for a few minutes as Alex contemplates his immediate workload. “I don’t have a background to contend with, so I’ll probably have this finished by the end of the night.” 1:50 P.M.: Two men arrive to install blinds throughout the house. In an effort to clear a path for the workmen, Alex dashes off to the “trophy room”—where he plans to display his enormous collection of action figures and related delights—to move boxes away from the windows and into the center of the room; before I know it, I’m right there alongside him, schlepping boxes around the room. (Note to myself: Include a workmen’s comp claim with the invoice for this article…) Actually, this particular task doesn’t take long and soon Alex is back at the drawing table, calmly plowing ahead with his cover as if nothing was going on. It turns out that the young man helping to install the blinds went to school with Bill Reinhold’s daughter. Bill is a good friend of Alex’s and the inker of Earth X. At this point, I begin to contemplate introducing a new game called “Six Degrees of Alex” at my next party. 3:10 P.M.: Having more or less completed the initial reproduction of his graphite-backed drawing, Alex looks over the penciled product and decides to make some changes. Two of the team’s five members August 2002

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

must be erased and re-drawn. This means tearing into one of the many unopened boxes for some reference material—in this case, Japanese publications featuring the characters from the show. “I’m intent on getting the details right, even if that means erasing a lot of work and starting again,” he says calmly. “I’ve always doublechecked every single drawing, even if it’s just to make sure I’ve got the swerve of Wonder Woman’s hair consistent from panel to panel.” Alex gets back to work. I indulge in my own artistic obsession by picking up a stray copy of Kingdom Come and methodically putting mustaches on all the characters. 3:35 P.M.: The glass-tinters call to confirm their upcoming visit. I’m wondering how the Cubs are doing. 3:50 P.M.: Speak of the devil: Bill Reinhold is on the phone to talk about Paradise X, the last of Alex’s Earth X-related series. At Alex’s suggestion, I peruse the new Wizard, which features a lengthy interview with our pal Alan Moore and an illustration by… Alex Ross. Alex and I had lunch with Alan several years ago during a trip to London. Alex and I both agree we can hear these words coming off the page and coming out of Alan’s mouth. 4:20 P.M.: Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Alex gets a phone call! This time, it’s Charlie Kochman, the DC editor who’s manned the helm for Alex’s recent collaborations with Paul Dini, 7

Clockwise from below left: Alex looks up reference in Japanese editions of Battle of the Planets. Next is Alex showing us a typical Polaroid shot used for photo reference, this one for his Battle of the Planets cover. Bottom right: Alex puts the final touches on the Anthrax cover and prepares to ship the art via FedEx. Bottom left: Alex using photo reference for the BOTP cover. All photos by Steve Darnell.

which seem to get better as they go along. Today, Alex and Charlie are talking about plans for a Secret Origins book, which will use the two-page “backstory” format of their previous books and present the origins of a number of characters, including several members of the Justice League—which will make an appropriate lead-in to Alex and Paul’s Justice League project, due sometime in 2003. Oh, in case you were wondering, the guys with the blinds left a while ago. I hope you weren’t hanging around just to find out how that story ended. 5:00 P.M.: One of the disadvantages of moving to a new house in a new neighborhood is you have to start a completely new collection of takeout menus. Alex recommends a local Chinese place—for which he has a menu—and one seafood dish in particular, the name of which eludes him. So as not to distract him from the task at hand—and to hear how the Cubs are doing—I venture forth to bring back the grub. The Cubs are leading 4-2 in the 8th. Cub fans know this is a rare and unusual occurrence. 5:20 P.M.: It’s chowtime. Alex takes another break and we head into the spacious but (at this point) sparsely furnished living room. T.J. and I discuss the various furnishings that will eventually make their way into the house, while Alex ruminates about the Alan Moore interview—in particular, the possibility that Alan will announce his

retirement from comics. It’ll be fascinating to see what Alan does once he finishes writing super-hero comics more or less once and for all, whenever that might happen. 6:15 P.M.: The food is put away, the blinds are installed, the phone has stopped ringing for the moment, the DJ has been set straight on what to play at the wedding reception, and the penciling and re-penciling is over—now the painting can begin! Given that the Battle characters have a very well-defined look about them, it looks like Alex will be able to crank this out with no problem…. 7:00 P.M.: As it happens, Battle of the Planets will have to wait… Alex still has to get that Anthrax cover over to FedEx and the final pick-up time is approaching. With the speed of an experienced professional, Alex seals the package shut, fills out the paperwork and prepares to leave the sanctuary of home for the uncertain world outside. And so it is with a heavy heart that we leave the artist's natural habitat, but we also know that someday we would return—probably to hold some outlandish pose while Ben Folds Five blare away in the background…. [Steve Darnell is a longtime comic book reader and the author of Uncle Sam (the comic book collaboration with artist Alex Ross) and Empty Love Stories.]

visit www.alexrossart.com 8

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August 2002

THE RETRO COMICS EXPERIENCE!

Edited by MICHAEL EURY, BACK ISSUE magazine celebrates comic books of the 1970s, 1980s, and today through recurring (and rotating) departments like “Pro2Pro” (dialogue between professionals), “BackStage Pass” (behind-the-scenes of comicsbased media), “Greatest Stories Never Told” (spotlighting unrealized comics series or stories), and more!

Go to www.twomorrows.com for other issues, and an ULTIMATE BUNDLE, with all the issues at HALF-PRICE!

BACK ISSUE #54

BACK ISSUE #55

DIEDGITIIOTANSL E

BL AVAILA

BACK ISSUE #51

BACK ISSUE #52

BACK ISSUE #53

(NOW WITH 16 COLOR PAGES!) “AllInterview Issue”! Part 2 of an exclusive STEVE ENGLEHART interview (continued from ALTER EGO #103)! “Pro2Pro” interviews between SIMONSON & LARSEN, MOENCH & WEIN, and comics letterers KLEIN & CHIANG. Plus JOHN OSTRANDER, MICHAEL USLAN, and longtime DC color artist ADRIENNE ROY! Cover by Englehart collaborator MARSHALL ROGERS!

Bronze Age Mystery Comics! Interviews with BERNIE WRIGHTSON, SERGIO ARAGONÉS, GERRY TALAOC, DC mystery writer LORE SHOBERG, MARK EVANIER and DAN SPIEGLE discuss Scooby-Doo, Charlton chiller anthologies, Black Orchid, Madame Xanadu art and commentary by TONY DeZUNIGA, MIKE KALUTA, VAL MAYERIK, DAVID MICHELINIE, MATT WAGNER, and a rare cover painting by WRIGHTSON!

“Gods!” Takes an in-depth look at WALTER SIMONSON’s Thor, the Thunder God in the Bronze Age, “Pro2Pro” interview with TOM DeFALCO and RON FRENZ, Hercules: Prince of Power, Moondragon, Three Ways to End the New Gods Saga, exclusive interview with fantasy writer MICHAEL MOORCOCK, art and commentary by GERRY CONWAY, JACK KIRBY, BOB LAYTON, and more, with a swingin’ Thor cover by SIMONSON!

(84-page magazine with COLOR) $7.95 (Digital edition) $2.95

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $2.95

BACK ISSUE #56

BACK ISSUE #57

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“Liberated Ladies” eyeing female characters that broke barriers in the Bronze Age: Big Barda, Valkyrie, Ms. Marvel, Phoenix, Savage She-Hulk, and the sword-wielding Starfire. Plus a “Pro2Pro” interview with JILL THOMPSON, GAIL SIMONE, and BARBARA KESEL, art and commentary by JOHN BYRNE, GEORGE PEREZ, JACK KIRBY, MIKE VOSBURG, and more, with a new cover by BRUCE TIMM!

“Licensed Comics”! Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Man from Atlantis, DC’s Edgar Rice Burroughs backups (John Carter, Pellucidar, Carson of Venus), Marvel’s Warlord of Mars, and an interview with CAROL SERLING, wife of ROD SERLING. With art and commentary from ANDERSON, BYRNE, CLAREMONT, DORMAN, DUURSEMA, KALUTA, MILLER, OSTRANDER, and more. Cover by BRIAN KOSCHACK.

“Avengers Assemble!” Writer ROGER STERN’S acclaimed 1980s Avengers run, West Coast Avengers, early Avengers toys, and histories of Hawkeye, Mockingbird, and Wonder Man, with art and commentary from JOHN and SAL BUSCEMA, JOHN BYRNE, BRETT BREEDING, TOM DeFALCO, STEVE ENGLEHART, BOB HALL, AL MILGROM, TOM MORGAN, TOM PALMER, JOE SINNOTT, and more. PÉREZ cover!

JENETTE KAHN interviewed by ROBERT GREENBERGER, DC’s Dollar Comics and unrealized kids’ line (featuring an aborted Sugar and Spike revival), the Wonder Woman Foundation, and the early days of the Vertigo imprint. Exploring the talents of ROSS ANDRU, KAREN BERGER, STEVE BISSETTE, JIM ENGEL, GARTH ENNIS, NEIL GAIMAN, SHELLY MAYER, ALAN MOORE, GRANT MORRISON, and more!

“JLA in the Bronze Age”! The “Satellite Years” of the ‘70s and early ‘80s, with BUCKLER, ENGLEHART, PÉREZ, and WEIN, salute to DICK DILLIN, the Justice League “Detroit” team, with CONWAY, PATTON, McDONNELL, plus CONWAY and GEOFF JOHNS go “Pro2Pro” on writing the JLA, unofficial JLA/Avengers crossovers, and Marvel’s JLA, the Squadron Supreme. Cover by McDONNELL and BILL WRAY!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $2.95

BACK ISSUE #59

BACK ISSUE #60

BACK ISSUE #61

BACK ISSUE #62

BACK ISSUE #63

“Toon Comics!” History of Space Ghost in comics, Comico’s Jonny Quest and Star Blazers, Marvel’s Hanna-Barbera line and Dennis the Menace, behind the scenes at Marvel Productions, Ltd., and a look at the unpublished Plastic Man comic strip. Art/comments by EVANIER, FOGLIO, HEMPEL and WHEATLEY, MARRS, RUDE, TOTH, WILDEY, and more. All-new painted Space Ghost cover by STEVE RUDE!

“Halloween Heroes and Villains”! JEPH LOEB and TIM SALE’s chiller Batman: The Long Halloween, the Scarecrow (both the DC and Marvel versions), Solomon Grundy, Man-Wolf, Lord Pumpkin, Rutland, Vermont’s Halloween parades, and… the Korvac Saga’s Dead Avengers! With commentary from and/or art by CONWAY, GIL KANE, LOPRESTI, MOENCH, PÉREZ, DAVE WENZEL, and more. Cover by TIM SALE!

“Tabloids and Treasuries,” spotlighting every all-new tabloid from the 1970s. Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man, The Bible, Captain America’s Bicentennial Battles, The Wizard of Oz, even the PAUL DINI/ALEX ROSS World’s Greatest Super-Heroes editions! Commentary and art by ADAMS, GARCIA-LOPEZ, GRELL, KIRBY, KUBERT, MAYER, ROMITA SR., TOTH, and more. Wraparound cover by ALEX ROSS!

“Superman in the Bronze Age”! JULIUS SCHWARTZ, CURT SWAN, Superman Family, World of Krypton miniseries, and ALAN MOORE’s “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?”, art & comments by ADAMS, ANDERSON, CARDY, CHAYKIN, PAUL KUPPERBERG, OKSNER, O’NEIL, PASKO, ROZAKIS, SAVIUK, and more. Cover by GARCÍA-LÓPEZ and SCOTT WILLIAMS! Edited by MICHAEL EURY.

“British Invasion” issue! History of Marvel UK, Beatles in comics, DC’s ‘80s British talent pool, V for Vendetta, Excalibur, Marshal Law, Doctor Who, “Pro2Pro” interview with PETER MILLIGAN & BRENDAN McCARTHY, plus BERGER, BOLLAND, DAVIS, GIBBONS, STAN LEE, LLOYD, MOORE, DEZ SKINN, and others. Fold-out triptych cover by RON WILSON and DAVE HUNT of Marvel UK’s rare 1970s “Quadra-Poster”!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $2.95

(84-page TABLOID with color) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

Land of Lost Stories

End of the Neverending Battle? Khoury examines a lost Superman tale by Dave Gibbons & Co. by George Khoury [“Land of the Lost Stories” is the first in a ongoing series of examinations of initiated but never-published comic book stories. Conceived by our ever-helpful associate editor George Khoury, we hope that those folks who have this type of material in their files may consider contributing to this “Greatest Stories Never Told” feature. Special thanks to Dave Gibbons, Tony Isabella and Garry Leach for their invaluable help—Ye Ed.]

Above: Dave Gibbons’ splash page to the unpublished “Transatlantic Tribute” to the Man of Tomorrow. Courtesy of the artist. ©2002 DC Comics. Opposite page: Garry Leach’s contribution to the unrealized project, a pastiche of the old Mort Weisinger-edited annuals. ©2002 DC Comics.

A long time ago when the grass was greener and all of us more innocent, Earth’s greatest and most recognizable super-hero Superman would celebrate the greatest of all his milestones: His 50th anniversary. The year was 1988 and the anniversary would be a global with enormous mass media celebration for the Man of Steel, a beloved character that has many a times singlehandedly saved our comics industry from the most dire of fates. For someone at 50, he was as youthful, handsome and awesome as ever, also extremely busy appearing on the cover of Time magazine, an exhibition at the Smithsonian Institute, his own primetime TV special, and other countless festivities and honors across his adoptive home planet of Earth. But whatever happened to the boys from Cuyahoga County who created the Man of Steel? Were they forgotten? Nineteen eighty-eight was also an important year for the Cleveland natives named Jerome Siegel and Joseph Shuster, lifelong friends, who together originally envisioned the Man of Tomorrow. There was renewed interest and demand in them as they finally received the worldwide attention and praise that had eluded the partners after so many years of hardship and bitter litigation. Even the folks of Cleveland wanted to honor them and thus a booster club was created named The Neverending Battle. That group sought to ensure that the citizens and tourists of Cleveland never forget where Superman was originally conceived. The Neverending Battle (NEB) was definitely an attempt to take

the title as “Hometown of Superman” away from the city of Metropolis, Illinois. A non-profit organization, NEB had many plans among others converting an old Greyhound bus station into a beautiful Superman Museum. One of the group’s supporters, comics writer and columnist Tony Isabella, precisely remembers the objectives of the group. “The goals of the organization were to honor Siegel and Shuster during the 50th anniversary of Superman, to host a convention for that purpose, to erect a Superman statue honoring them, and to create a Siegel & Shuster Museum of Comics and Science Fiction. It accomplished the first of two of those goals.” Another thing that Neverending Battle wanted to achieve was an elaborate tribute comic book that would help raise funds for the museum. This project was initiated by Isabella and to be prepared as a joint project by DC Comics and NEB. Tony envisioned the book to feature the best comic artists creating short Superman stories for this dream anthology comics extravaganza. So in 1987, he contacted many creators including one of the hottest artists, fresh off the heels of his breakout hit Watchmen, Dave Gibbons, an overall nice guy, and the artist took it upon himself to create a gem of a story. The tale was titled “Such Stuff As Dreams Are Made On…” and was drawn by some of Her Majesty’s greatest comic book artists. Having personally volunteered to see the completion of this story, Dave sought a framing device, which would allow freedom for the other artists to illustrate their favorite aspect of the Superman mythos. The story involved Krypton’s Last Son discovering an exotic crystal that would allow him to see various existences of himself. In hindsight, Dave would write and pencil the first two and last pages while the other artists were free to draw and write their own sequences. The artists Dave sought were friends and accomplished creators in their own right like Brian Bolland, Alan Davis, John Higgins, Garry Leach, Paul Neary, Richard Starkings and Mark Farmer (the latter who inked Dave’s own pages). Gibbons would also scribe the openings of each page to keep a follow to this story and rewrite—when needed—to ensure DC’s continuity was not violated. The results of their combined efforts were an affectionate and poignant six-page Superman classic that remains unseen to this day. The story captures Mort Weisinger’s quaint mythology that made the timeless super-hero both wonderful and fantastic. So what went wrong, you ask? Tony Isabella can answer that better than I: “The most concise version of why the benefit/tribute comic book wasn’t completed and published was that NEB went bust in rather spectacular fashion. There’s much more to the story than that but, forgive me, I’m saving that for a project of my own.” Once the Neverending Battle was over and left many of its volunteers devastated—the possibly of this tribute book was sunk. Ironically, there was only one other completed story, which was written by Mike W. Barr (based on a rough concept by Tony) and illustrated by the immortal Curt Swan and the legendary Kurt Schaffenberger. For Dave Gibbons, it was a small defeat that he quickly turned into a positive, “Although the story never saw print, I did use the idea in an intro and outro that I wrote for a paperback called The Further Adventures of Superman, edited by Martin H. Greenberg.” So this tale doesn’t have a happy ending because Dave Gibbons and friends’ great little Superman story remains lost in a vacuum where a plethora of other lost tales roam waiting for a home. Despite all of that, all was not loss; after all of these years, Superman remains, in print and in movies, the hero deserving of the relentless virtue and integrity bestowed to him by two young Jewish lads from Cleveland. COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

August 2002

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CBA Communiques

Tin Soldiers & Gold Key’s Coming You think the 30+ year debate on Vietnam is over? Think again!

Above: Back when U.S. involvement in Vietnam seemed a swell idea, the shortlived comics publisher Milson produced two issues of perhaps the most atrocious comics of the 1960s, Tod Holton, Super Green Beret #1 & 2. Here’s artist Carl Pfuefer’s centerspread pin-up of our VC-killin’ hero (a character astonishingly based on the wholesome Captain “Shazam!” Marvel). ©1966 Milson Publishing Co., Inc. 12

Chet Hamilton Santa Fe Springs, California It's kind of interesting to note the contrast between the creators who worked during the Golden and Silver Ages of comics and the crop that turned up during the Bronze Age. The former usually talk with pride about their service in World War II or Korea while the latter (Dave Stevens, Steve Englehart) brag about how they weaseled out of the draft or otherwise dodged going to Vietnam. Well okay, a lot of people didn't want to go to Vietnam and it's their freedom to express that opinion. But, when history is distorted to justify that decision and the interviewer is basically operating as an “Amen Corner” in the discussion against U.S. policy at that time, I think something needs to be said. Comic Book Artist is not the place to debate the entire Vietnam War but let me give you a couple examples of what I mean by “distortion.” In the Englehart interview, Jon B. Cooke chimes in with, “Obviously after Kent State and the widening of the war into Cambodia….” Hate to burst your balloon, Jon, but the U.S. didn’t expand the war there. The NVA had already had their bases established four years earlier and were using them to strike and kill U.S. soldiers as well as SVA troops from a protected “sanctuary” the U.S. could not go into (some divisions as close as 30 miles from Saigon). That is, until Nixon bit the bullet and authorized a cleaning-out of those enemy nests in 1970. Here’s another example from Steve himself regarding the Kent State shootings: “The students weren’t rioting, they weren’t doing anything other than protesting and going to class.” Well, that sounds like someone who got his education on this from a Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young song ’cause it has no resemblance to the facts. Actually the rioting started May 1 with students and other local troublemakers tearing up Water Street near the campus and continued the next day with students and various outside agitators trying to torch the ROTC building. The fire department showed up but the students wouldn’t let them get close enough to stop the fires. Not only that, the students cut their hose to pieces. All this and years later there’s controversy over who actually burned the place to the ground? That’s the reason the National Guard was on campus in the first place. Two days later the students started pelting the Guard with rocks and bottles chasing them up a small hill next to a fence. The

Guard had already fallen into a firing formation once before the shooting hoping to scare the kids off but they just kept on coming until tragedy struck. I certainly don’t think the students deserved to be shot for being stupid and reckless in the face of people with live ammunition. However, I also believe had the students kept their protest peaceful, like Steve would like to remember it was, nobody would have been killed that day. Indeed, the Guard wouldn't even have been on campus in the first place. [While I don’t think the history of American comics is better served by digressing into a debate over the particulars of U.S. involvement in South Vietnam or the anti-war movement—and any distortions of that history—events during those years did have a profound effect on comic books of that time, so the conflict needs to be taken in context. By my reckoning, that war was an atrocity, both in the planning and execution, and in hindsight—as an ex-hippy—my only personal regret is the poor reception given by Leftists to our returning war vets. I happen to disagree with all of your statements here— particularly the odious inference that somehow it was the innocent Kent State students’ fault for getting in the way of National Guard bullets—but I’ll leave it at that before some reader calls me an effete snob of the liberal media establishment! (Old Spiro T. Agnew reference, kids… What? “Who’s Spiro?” Oh, never mind.)—Ye Ed.] John Workman Hazlet, New Jersey Got the [comp] copies of Comic Book Artist Collection Volume Two. Great stuff. Packed solid with wonderful things. Seeing the Cancelled Comics Cavalcade images brought back memories. Mike Gold put that together not too long after I had gone over to Heavy Metal [after leaving my job as a DC staffer], so I never got a copy. Bob LeRose sold his almost immediately. Bob Smith sold his for an incredible amount just a year or so back. You know… one thing that you could emphasize to the readers is the fact that they’re getting so much for their money. If they sat down and read this Collection (or, for that matter, any regular issue of CBA), and kept track of the time spent doing so, they’d find that they’re getting more for their money than from any other entertainment experience. Congratulations on Volume Two. You’ve done a great job. Andy Fish via the Internet Picked up CBA Collection Volume Two the other day, even though I have all the [original] issues. The new material makes it well worth it. That’s Entertainment [of Worcester, Massachusetts] had a nice display to promote it so I couldn’t resist. I’m sure you’ve been told, but that Bernie Wrightson headshot in the book was indeed a published cover: Batman #320 from 1980. I remember the thrill of seeing this on the stands, and was disappointed that the art wasn’t by Wrightson on the interior. Sam Henderson via the Internet Thanks for printing a photo of the enigmatic Tony Tallarico [in CBA #16], I’ve wondered what he looked like for years! As a kid, I devoured every humor magazine, and I remember him appearing frequently in every one that wasn’t Mad. I also remember his Christian comics, how-to-draw books, Dell comics with the deceptive photo covers, pseudonymous Warren stories, etc. I never thought he was very good, but I’ve always been fascinated by his prolific output and instantly recognizable style. One of the things I like about CBA is that the interviews with the creators of bad comics are just as interesting and informative as the good ones. Is there any chance of ever running a career-spanning COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

August 2002

interview with Tallarico in CBA? [We do hope to speak to tantalizin’ Tony Tallarico in the near future and have made plans with a correspondent to tackle just that. (Jazz: Are you listening? Call home now!)—Y.E.] Marie Steinberg via the Internet [Marie is daughter of the late George Roussos] Received your generous copies of the interview with my father and it is great! I have a question about the picture of my father in a suit with another man in England: Did Dad ever mention who this other person was? We have many pictures of him and have no idea who, what and where…? [No, I’m sorry, Marie. We have no idea.—Y.E.] I am learning so much about my father and his “comic book life” that I had never heard before. He was very unassuming about his work and never talked much about it at home. Had he not had a drawing table and a little office there, we would know less. He never mentioned that he was interviewed. I had heard from Florence that people wanted to interview him but that was all I knew. I only wished that he was here to read it… I am sure he would have loved it. His Transisto character which we all loved, has finally gotten its day. Seeing it in print makes me feel good...I know my father is pleased. I know he was very disappointed when it didn't go through as he had planned. Seeing his Arboretum book again in print also was a joy to see… I have the original art in a frame on my wall… I love it. He put a lot of time and effort into that project, and did a great job with it. Again, you really did a great job. I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done to keep my father’s memory and talent alive… you’re a good guy! [Thank you, Marie, but it was your father who was the good guy. In the short time I was his friend, I found the artist to be simply a wonderful, loving human being, and I continue to miss George. Still, it’s nice to keep up an e-mail correspondence with you, Marie!—Y.E.] Ernie Colón via the Internet I think what you’re doing is so important—this is a field to which so many craftspeople devote their whole lives; to see their efforts celebrated and set down is really just wonderful. Your style—informal, witty, personal—fits perfectly with the medium we love and are so often frustrated by. To have comics and its denizens—warts and all; the foibles and the fabulous—collected in this handsome publication is precisely what the field needs so badly. So, from my view, let me give you my sincerest admiration and congratulations. Great luck to you. Pocho Morrow Wilds of Pennsylvania Now let me see: What do I say? “Vundebar, manifico, excellenté, and magnifico!” In other words, itsa nicea booka! I have read it over and over and over! No one is touching any of these priceless magazines you sent me. I cannot believe how beautifully you designed the articles about Gray. I know he was reading it with me with tears in his eyes also. Never have I seen an article about an artist done in this way, the heartfelt stories of G from his fellow artist friends, the humorous picture of G's butt, ones of his friends at our cabin, Alan Kupperberg’s of his studio, our horse Autumn, and most of all the portrait on the back cover—OUTSTANDING!!!!! Reading what Chris Irving wrote about the memorial party, the serene surroundings of the area, Pippi the cat, pictures on the wall, references of how G and I met was like almost being there at those moments!! How sweet are these memories and now I can relive them by just reading your tribute to Gray. A hundred thank you’s… no, a million. Thank you and Chris for keeping my husband’s entity alive. He will never be gone from our hearts and I have you to thank for that. [Pocho is one of the sweetest—and appreciative—persons I have ever had the pleasure to deal with, and my heart and affections go out to her. Thanks, Pochita, for the kind sentiments but your husband was more than deserving of the tribute and my only regret is that he did not read it in his lifetime.—Y.E.] Mark Cannon Canberra, Australia Just a note to say how much I've been enjoying Comic Book Artist since it started. Even those issues on comics that I've never really read or collected, like the Warren issue and #15's "Love and Rockets" coverage, still manage to interest me (and in the case of the Warren August 2002

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

issue, the coverage of the Spanish artists helped me to identify a particular artist whose other work I'd enjoyed in Australian reprints as a child!). I've just gotten #16, and while as yet I've only had time to skim the contents, it looks good. I'd imagine that my experience of the 1970s Atlas was similar to that of many other readers; I noticed the comics in the shops, was intrigued enough to flip through several of them, but never bought any of them at the time. I was still in high school, my limited comics budget was largely dominated DC and Marvel, and the Atlas stuff just didn't seem interesting enough for me to drop other books. Soon afterwards they vanished and I didn't actually buy any of them until I found a pile a couple of years later, still in the comics rack at a railway station news agent in the middle of Sydney. Presumably they'd never been removed because replacement issues had never arrived. This time I bought them, and while for the most part they justified my earlier caution—there weren't too many world-beaters in the pile—they were still enough fun to make me to pick up several more as I found them over the subsequent couple of decades. I'm certainly glad to see the comics, and the story of the creators and company behind them, receive the coverage that you've given them. I'm a little saddened to read that you've been accused, even jokingly, of building "monuments to mediocrity.” Companies like Tower, Atlas and Charlton may never had the influence of a DC or Marvel, but they were still part of the Silver and Bronze Ages, and have their role in comics history. There's a lot more to comics in those eras than the modern day Big Two! Nobody seems to object to the attention given to, say, minor pre-Code horror publishers of the early ’50s or the more obscure Golden Age publishers, so what's wrong with looking at the lesser lights of more recent eras? I'm pleased to see you have an issue coming up on Harvey—just as with Atlas, I found some of their super-hero comics in a shop a couple of years after they were published! I wouldn't mind eventually seeing issues with a similar focus on ACG, 1960s Archie (including Mighty Comics and the spy and super-hero trends that hit the mainstream Archie books), Gold Key/Whitman, Dell and others. Hey, I wouldn't even mind seeing some articles on some of the real obscurities of the ’60s, like Lightning Comics (which published both CC Beck's wonderful Fatman, the Human Flying Saucer and the appalling Super Green Beret) and the Myron Fass-published version of Captain Marvel. Boy, if some people think you've covered mediocrities, they ain't seen nothin' until they've seen that one!

Above: We forgot to mention last ish that Joe Kubert and his students now have the PS magazine account (an Army instruction periodical still being published, 50 years after Will Eisner created it!). Each issue features (gulp!) new continuity by the master (see page below). Now I’m joining the Army to get me some new Kubert!

CBA Interview

Adam Hughes An uproarious chat with the ultimate “good girl” artist Conducted by Jon B. Cooke Transcribed by the LongBox.com staff Look, folks: We could debate the pros and cons of objectifying women in the form of comic book cheesecake till the cows come home, but one thing is certain: Whatever the intent, Adam Hughes draws absolutely mesmerizing and delightfully charming women. However provocatively staged, there’s a wholesome (and almost ironic) element to AH!’s adoration of the female form (with distinct emphasis on the bosom, natch!), and it’s infectious. Mutual pal Mark Chiarello, DC’s superb art director, introduced Ye Ed to the wunderkind artist at the 2001 International Comic Con: San Diego, and I found AH! to be, well, a bit subdued. Yet when I conducted this interview via phone in May 2002, Adam was very friendly, outgoing and downright hilarious (reminding me a bit of a character in one of Kevin Smith’s good movies), but also reflective of his standing in the industry. Adam copyedited the final transcript.

This page: Artist and model. Adam Hughes, the subject in question, poses with Julie Rapp, his oft-model for the Wonder Woman covers. This and all images in this section are courtesy of Adam Hughes.

Comic Book Artist: Where are you originally from? Adam Hughes: The fashionable west coast of New Jersey. I was born and raised in a little town called Florence, on the Delaware River. CBA: Do you have any siblings? Adam: No, not really. Like that line from the Superman movie: “Any more at home like you?” “ Uh, no, not really.” It’s just me. CBA: Did you have an introduction to comics at a young age? Adam: Yeah, I actually even remember my first comic book, which was Fantastic Four #81. It’s the issue when Crystal joined the FF. I had two older cousins who outgrew comics (like all people seem to do; all normal people), and they gave me their box of comics which included scads of Fantastic Four, which I immediately fell in love with. My deepest love of comic books as a child was the Fantastic Four. There were also a couple issues of National Lampoon because this was, like, the early, early ’70s. I was wee, tiny, and I remember cracking open this National Lampoon and there was this weird fumetti comic with talking breasts or something like that. You had a breast coming out of the ocean and a whaler saying “Thar she blows!” My mom’s talking to my cousin about Kent State or something and I’m sitting there going, “Wow, what are these?” My mom saw and flipped out, “Oh my God, he’s looking at boobs!” [laughter] And look where I am now… CBA: Drawing boobs for a living. Adam: It was a seminal moment. [laughter] My Uncle Bill, my mother’s only brother, taught photography at the Smithsonian and I was a frequent study of his back in the late ’60s, early ’70s. I have tons of black-&-white photographs of me, just being a kid, and this one of me sitting in a chair at my grandparents’ with the January 1970 issue of Playboy in my lap! [laughter] I’m two-and-a-half! [See pg. 16.]I’m literally fresh off the label of a Gerber’s baby food jar and ready for a Norman Rockwell Saturday Evening Post cover and I’ve got this Playboy with Barbie Benton on the cover [laughter]. Everybody looks at that and goes “Hmmmm.” CBA: That’s foreshadowing for you! Adam: If I ever write a novel or ever publish a sketchbook, that’s going to be the author’s photo. [laughter]. CBA: So you were born in 1967? Adam: Correct. CBA: So when did you see these Fantastic Four comics? Was it the early ’70s when you were literally five years old? COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

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Bares All! on his career, medium and future Adam: I must have been four or five. There may have been comics before that, Archie and Juggie Do Paris digests at that point. I seem to remember Richie Rich, Hot Stuff, and the other sorts of stuff for kids that’s safe to read. But the one I remember reading was FF #81. That and the other comic in there that stood out, that scared the sh*t out of me, was Tales of Suspense #66, which contained the secret origin of the Red Skull. Man, that big, scary Red Skull! That Jack Kirby leering head literally haunted my nights! Jack basically just thrilled and scared the sh*t out of me. CBA: Kirby’s just got this distinctive style. Did it grab you as a kid? Adam: It did, I think. One of the things about Kirby’s stuff is that both the greatest artist in the world and the simplest layman can get something out of it. I think that’s why Kirby has such appeal, that’s why he’s the “King of Comics.” Jack didn’t have a target audience. Anybody could find something to dig in Jack’s work, throughout his whole career. It jumped out at me and I really, really dug the way he and Joe Sinnott drew women. Kirby really never got the kudos that he deserved for drawing really pretty women like a lot of the stuff he did in the ’50s that I really haven’t seen a lot of. I think he dabbled in the romance stuff, I’m not really sure…. CBA: With partner Joe Simon, Kirby invented the romance genre. Adam: He did? That shows you how smart I am. I’m editing that the hell out. [laughter] He got so known for drawing the cranky monsters and guys with pancake fingers, but look at Crystal: She’s a hoo-ah! I like her. [laughter] I think I found it compelling and was really lucky because I had that box of Marvels. CBA: So this was primo Marvel stuff? Adam: This was literally my little Ark of the Covenant and what was really cool was that there were some incomplete comics in there. They had (I think) FF Annual #2 without the cover which had an original story (I think) and a reprint of FF #5 which was Doctor Doom’s first appearance. Just when the FF did their time-travel thing and the Thing is doing his “Blackbeard the Pirate” deal, that’s where one of my cousins had ripped off the last of the pages and lined the cat box with it or something and I was going, “How’d they get back to their own time?!?” [laughter] It took me forever to find a reprint of FF #5 and go, “Ohh, that’s how!” CBA: Did you immediately become a collector because of this box of comics? Adam: Do you mean at age four, did I all of a sudden get fat, bearded, and become obsessed with Mylar? [laughter] No, I loved comics and like every kid that age I was bumming money off everyone I could find and actually volunteering to do chores so I could buy the latest stuff. CBA: Did you get into Jack’s work at DC at the time? Adam: I didn’t even understand the world of the comics industry. All I understood was every week some new ones showed up down at the general store and there was this flea market in the next town over that my grandmother would take me to on Sundays and this guy had a box of comics with no covers for like a quarter or however much. This is, like, mid- to late 1970s, at this point. I do remember getting a couple issues of the New Gods and totally digging them because it was by “the FF guy.” The newsstand distribution, especially for a little town in New Jersey, wasn’t entirely consistent so you might get one issue of something and never see the subsequent issues. CBA: Did you pick up the reprints like Marvel’s Greatest Comics? Adam: That’s where I got my fix; because Marvel was reprinting all that 1960s material back when they were hurting in the ’70s and they were reprinting everything and just flooding the market with old stuff. I think Daredevil and X-Men were bi-monthly and on the verge of cancellation. I loved the polished quality of the second half of the Kirby and Sinnott run. Everything from the Galactus stuff to when they left the book, was absolutely brilliant to me. I was actually lucky because I got to hang out with Scott Dunbier, the editor for Wildstorm, who used to August 2002

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Inset right: Talk about foreshadowing! This pic of a cheesecake artist in the making—that is, twoand-a-half year old Adam Hughes perusing an issue of Playboy—was taken by the artist’s uncle in the early 1970s. Blame it on Hefner!

Below: Sketchbook cartoon by AH of Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher—in character as Han Solo and Princess Leia respectively— from the first Star Wars film, a movie of great importance to Adam and his entire generation. Art ©2002 Adam Hughes. Star Wars ©2002 Lucasfilm.

be an art collector, and he at one point had the original art to the issue where Doctor Doom stole the Silver Surfer’s power cosmic. CBA: FF #57 or 58, something like that? Adam: I don’t remember exactly, I just recall the World’s Greatest Comics issue and he had the entire original issue, all 22 pages or however many and whoever owned that issue, when they sold it, said it has to stay together and I think every person’s hands that it has fallen into has honored the beauty of an entire, unbroken Jack Kirby issue of the Fantastic Four. So to sit there and actually read an entire issue of the FF by reading the original art, this is about as good as it gets! CBA: Did you notice the margin notes by Jack? On the original art, the notes show you that Jack was deeply involved in the plotting. Adam: I bet the notes were there, but I had tunnel vision with each panel. [laughter] I was just thrilled with the art. Over the course of this interview, you’ll realize that I’m no Sherlock Holmes when it comes to paying attention. CBA: Did you pick up a pencil at a young age? Adam: My mom, like all moms do, kept everything that I drew, so I’ve got some pretty bizarre Spider-Man, Star Trek, and Captain Scarlet drawings. Scarlet was one of Gerry Anderson’s bizarre adventure super-marionette shows. I’ve actually still got that Captain Scarlet comic. It’s not finished because, well, it’s by me [laughter], but I showed it to the guys in the studio where I work and they’re still making fun of me. The dialogue in it is primo. It’s cherce. [laughter] Maybe I’ll give you some of that for the art. CBA: There’s the cover right there! [laughter] So you drew your own comic book stories? Adam: I was really weird. I never really created my own characters. I tried to do it in the mid-’80s but I just realized that they were pale imitations of my favorites. I had a lot of talented cousins growing up and we would always work on things together. We’d all do these little projects together. I remember when Walt Simonson’s Thor was really popular, me and a cousin just basically concocted an entire mythology because gods and monsters were hot. But on my own I had more fun drawing a Star Trek comic or drawing Captain Scarlet or Spider-Man. I remember in the Summer of ’77, I had the incredible cheek to not like the Howard Chaykin art for the Star Wars adaptation. Being a 10-year-old, I said, “Harrumph!! I can do better than that!!” [laughter] It was just because it didn’t look exactly like the movie. Howard Chaykin is not going to sit there and go, “Likenesses, look at me go.” [laughter] We’re just lucky we didn’t get Luke Skywalker with sexual hang-ups. [laughter] Also, I was really pissed off that there was stuff that was in the movie that wasn’t in the comic. So I embarked on this David Lean-ian epic

of retelling Star Wars word for word and I got up to page 140. I’m not kidding you! It was all drawn in ballpoint pen on typing paper that my mom stole from work and they were just getting into the trash compactor when I stopped. [laughter] The only reason why I stopped was because The Empire Strikes Back had come out and I realized that I had blown my deadline. [laughter] I went “Aw sh*t, the second movie’s out. I’ve got to get started on that one.” At that point I knew I would never get caught up so I just quit. CBA: Is that the beginning of your deadline problems? [laughter] Adam: Definitely the precursor of things to come. CBA: Did you have a script to work from? This was pre-VCR days. Adam: I remember this thrill when my Uncle Bill got the top-loader. This was one of those things where he ran it because he was the only one strong enough to actually push the top down. [laughter] It was just this marvel that we could watch movies that were in the theaters. Somehow long before the Internet existed and all those cable channels existed, my uncle somehow knew video tape pirates. So when the top loader was still fresh and smelling like new plastic, my uncle had a library of 300 films. This was in the late ’70s, early ’80s, so I was sitting there and my uncle would go, “Hey, you ever seen a Clint Eastwood spaghetti western?” I’m 11, and going, “All right, but can I just watch Star Wars again?” [laughter] Actually, I believe I used the novelization of Star Wars up until the dinner scene with Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, at that point I had seen the film so many times in the theater. Back then—this was before lasers and CDs and microwaves, kids—Stars Wars got re-released every summer up until 1982 or something. I got the chance to see Star Wars every year in the theater and I had it memorized by the time I got to the dinner scene and at that point I was doing it by memory. CBA: Were you also into Star Trek and into the other trappings of those days? Adam: Being an only child, I literally, every night, was plopped down in front of the TV during the wonder years of syndication. These were the early ’70s when the studios said, “Hey we can show this old sh*t and not have to really pay anybody!” I was raised on Star Trek and to this day I have the most fond of memories of being a little kid sitting in my grandparents’ living room in New Jersey and can remember what the weather was like, can remember the sounds outside, and watching the best Star Trek episodes. What was really funny was I did a Star Trek comic when I was seven or eight and it was pretty awful, but it had Captain Kirk meeting God and basically having the conversation with Him in this library that had smoke all over the floor. When I saw Star Trek V, I went, “You’ve got to be kidding me! [laughter] I did this when I was eight!” Star Trek was a big, big deal for me as a kid. CBA: Did Star Trek: The Motion Picture live up to your expectations? My brother and I called it The Motionless Picture. Adam: We called it Star Trek: The Motion Sickness or The SlowMotion Picture. Yeah, because I was in danger of growing out of it, just like everybody else did. “Girls don’t have cooties? [laughter] Screw comics, I want to mess around with the teenage girls I’m going to school with.” Star Wars is the thing that I credit with why I’m doing a creative thing now. I’m an artist because when all my cousins were growing out of comics and sci-fi and they were getting away from it and getting distracted by all the other things that you can get distracted by as you go through your teens, I never fell out of love with Star Wars. That kept my interest in science-fiction, in comics, in basically using my imagination. So when the Star Trek movie came out, it lived up to my expectations because it was like Star Wars. Even as a kid, I knew that every planet that Captain Kirk went to seemed to be made out of papier-maché. The horizon was only 20 feet away. COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

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Even as a kid I knew it was phony as heck and I totally dug Star Trek: The Motion Picture. As a kid in ’79, I was 12 and it was Star Trek with nice special effects. CBA: What about comics? Did you buy the entire run of super-heroes or were you selective? Adam: I was selective because there was not a whole lot of money and there are only so many lawns to mow or chores to do to get comics. What was really funny was that me and my cousins, we formed a comic collection club because we were all Marvel Zombies. We all universally despised the DC universe because it was ‘silly and stupid’ in our opinion and we all realized that we all liked different corners of the Marvel universe, so we said why don’t we pool all of our collections into a big community library we could all share. Since we all buy different books anyway, we’ll cover everything that Marvel puts out. For a couple of years, we were able to keep up with everything and got exposed to stuff we wouldn’t normally check out. I would have probably never paid attention to Frank Miller’s Daredevil, but my cousin Oliver was reading it and he said, “You have to check out Daredevil. It’s getting really cool right now. Daredevil’s got a gun!” “Wow, that’s pretty neat.” I take credit with getting all my cousins into X-Men because at point one of my older cousins said, “I read Defenders, Doctor Strange, and The Avengers. What do you read?” I said, “I read FF and X-Men are really cool right now.” All my cousins pointed to me and laughed. It was around X-Men #110, 111, just when John Byrne and Terry Austin were getting set to pretty much own the comics industry for a number of years. My cousins were like, “The X- Men: Those are those five weird guys that are bi-monthly.” I was going, “No, no, no, no! There’s this cool guy with metal claws and this cooler guy who can teleport and looks like a demon and there’s this big metal guy.” They were like, “You’re stupid. You’re a moron.” [laughter] Like six months later— CBA: “Who’s laughing now?” [laughter] Adam: All of a sudden, we’re all playing X-Men and I have to fight just to be Kitty Pryde. [laughter] All of a sudden, my bigger, older, and taller cousins told me, “I’m going to be Wolverine!” CBA: “But I found them first!” Adam: “Shut up! You’re still a moron.” [laughter] CBA: Roughly what ages were your cousins? Adam: All older. I was the youngest of the bunch. They ranged from one to four years older than me. CBA: Were they in the same town? Adam: Yeah, we all lived several streets away from each other. CBA: You saw each other every day? Adam: Every Friday night we took turns sleeping over each other’s place. Thinking back that must have been hell for all of our parents, but we’d all just sit around and read these comics and draw and play Risk and eat the world’s worst frozen pizza and just do what kid’s did before the Internet and color Game Boy. CBA: So you really had the opportunity of having brothers but not having them muscle in on you at home. Adam: Kind of; I didn’t have any midnight atomic wedgie attacks. [laughter] Nobody roused me from my slumber to give me a August 2002

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swirlie. It was the best of having pseudobrothers without the sh*t of “Where’s my underwear? Who borrowed them again?” [laughter] So yes, it was pretty cool…. CBA: When did you start the inkling of the idea of being a professional artist? Adam: I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t 100% positive that that was what I was going to do. CBA: Was it comics specifically? Adam: Yeah, I had this thing that I was going to grow up and work on a Star Wars movie and they’re going to make one every three years so hopefully I’ll get into it before they are done and 1989 or 1990, whenever the original plan was. [laughter] I looked at a lot of the Joe Johnston and Ralph McQuarrie artwork and I was just

Inset left: Being a huge fan of the first trilogy (Episodes Four to Six, if that makes sense), AH jumped at the chance to portray the Star Wars characters on the covers of these Dark Horse mini-series. ©2002 Lucasfilm. 17

blown away by it. Joe Johnston’s storyboards are better than most comic books and— CBA: He went on the become the director for The Rocketeer. Adam: The Rocketeer, Jumanji, October Skies, Jurassic Park 3… CBA: I didn’t know he started out as an artist. Adam: Yeah, are you kidding me? He’s the guy that designed the X-Wing, the TIE Fighters, the Star Destroyer. The guy who designed the greatest space ships ever and his storyboards, if you check out the illustrated screenplay to, say, The Empire Strikes Back and it’s filled with his storyboards of these beautiful marker drawings with wash. I remember going, “That’s the way to do it.” What was really weird was, I was talking to Dave Stevens at a comic con once. Now, Dave Stevens is my hero and I loved sitting around listening to his stories because Dave’s met everybody and Dave’s been everywhere. I just ate up that interview that you did with him, because it’s like sitting around with Dave and he’s relating these stories. Dave’s the guy who’s the gatekeeper of all these stories of the really great older guys. CBA: Oh yeah, I’ve met him. It’s second nature. Adam: He’s sitting there talking to me and apparently Dave went to art school with Joe Johnston and I was talking about Star Wars and he says, “Yeah, I know Joe Johnston. I knew Joe Johnston well before we worked on The Rocketeer film together.” He said, “I remember back in 1976.” They’d been out of school for a while and he said that Joe called him up and said something like, “Hey, I’m working on this sci-fi movie, it’s kind of like Flash Gordon. Do you want to come down to the warehouse and see what we’re doing.” Dave’s like, “Oh, whatever…” and he went

down and he said his impression was, the models were pretty cool. Dave was there in the fetal Industrial Light and Magic, which was a warehouse in Van Nuys at that time, looking at the Star Destroyer and the Millennium Falcon and the TIE Fighter. “This is probably going to suck, but the toys look neat,” and I was like, “Oh, my God!!!” I think the fact that Joe Johnston went on to become a director speaks of his drawing and storytelling abilities; he knows what he’s doing, regardless of the medium. CBA: Joe is actually a good director. How far away did you live from New York City? Adam: Florence is about 65 miles from New York. CBA: Would you go into the city with any frequency? Adam: As a kid, no. I remember going on a field trip to New York City which was embarrassing because I went to a private Christian school and we had one of the worst uniforms you could imagine to embarrass small children with. [laughter] And I remember that one of the teachers thought that the kids are hot, let’s get them all Gatorade. I’d never had Gatorade in my life and I just puked Gatorade all over New York City. [laughter] Statue of Liberty? Bleeh! I was this kid puking up Prestone antifreeeze. [laughter] My first memories of New York were not pretty, but once I got into comics I discovered I could buy myself an extra half-day instead of FedExing to New York, just taking it up myself the following day. So I would regularly go to New York City and drop off pages at DC and the occasional Marvel job. CBA: So you didn’t attend the Creation Cons? Adam: I did, but I attended them in Philadelphia. I was actually not very far away. Florence is 20-25 minutes northeast of Philadelphia, just across the river. I’d go to the Creation Conventions as a kid. I remember Bob Schreck working with those guys and somebody was supposed to come out, some panel guest was late, so he got out and started talking about The Empire Strikes Back. This was 1980 and Bob works at DC now. Bob was there for one of the first gigs in comics, my first color comic gig at Comico. When I discovered there were conventions and I could get my mom to let me go across the river with friends, we would go. We did everything we could to get over there. I remember one time one of my more unscrupulous cousins and I—I just make it sound like I have all these cousins, I just don’t want to name them by name to keep it safe—and we went around with a Folgers coffee can and tricked the label to make it look like it was for Jerry’s Kids. We went around Florence—this was like six months away from the Jerry Lewis Telethon—and we collected $84. This was 1981. We collected 84 bucks between the two of us and we split it and spent that at the convention the next day. CBA: Were you buying back issues of Marvel comics? Adam: Yeah, because when I discovered that now I can find out how the FF got back from that damn Blackbeard incident! A comic that I was loving to death was Marv Wolfman and Gil Kane’s John Carter, Warlord of Mars, and that got me interested in reading sci-fi because at that point I was reading comics and I bought the first issue of their John Carter book inked by Dave Cockrum and to this day I still think it’s a beautiful, beautiful piece of work; a very personal favorite. The first issue showed up at my general store and never again did they get a John Carter comic. I just felt like there’s got to be more of this and I was able to go and buy more of these. That was when I discovered the glory that is the long box. [laughter] CBA: Did you read Comicscene? Adam: I didn’t read any of that stuff until like ’86 or ’87. I didn’t know it even existed. CBA: What was your plan when you were in high school? Adam: To get laid. [laughter] CBA: But you still kept up with comic books? Adam: Because I wasn’t getting laid. [laughter] CBA: Did you wonder why you weren’t getting laid? Adam: Actually, no. I went to a small Christian school called Life Center Academy (we all called it Life Sentence Academy); there weren’t a lot of prospective dates. I was bummed. I was damn charming in high school! I was even senior class president. I got kicked out halfway through the year. Ronald McDonald is more of a real leader than I was. The class asked me to step down because all I would do is make speeches and talk. They were like, “We actually need somebody who’s going to get crepe paper for the harvest festival.” [laughter] I basically disappeared into retirement to write my COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

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memoirs. Actually my school was so small that I graduated with 18 people. The largest student body was 400 and that’s Kindergarten through 12th grade. It’s not like there were a lot of girls to choose from, it was an uphill battle and comics kept me from going insane. [laughter] I didn’t have a career plan and I was starting to get a little distracted by girls. I think back now about how much I slept as a teenager, to the point where my family wanted to take me to a doctor for me to get drug tested because apparently I could sleep 12 to 14 hours a day if left to my own devices. I really don’t know what I was doing to tire me out so much. I really wasn’t working that hard at my studies by the time I got to high school. I didn’t have a plan. It’s kind of weird. A lot of times (and this continues to this day), I just have a feeling that things will work out. I never had to go, “How am I going to get into comics? I don’t know anybody. I don’t live in New York.” Something will happen. CBA: Is that in general your feeling about life? Everything will take care of itself? Adam: Most of the time, but every once in a while you get a low, inside pitch that hits you in right the joy department. [laughter] You fold over and go, “That didn’t happen for any good reason that I can think of at the moment.” Every once and a while something bad happens and you go, “There’s no good that can come of this. I don’t care what lesson I will learn that I’ll value in 20 years. This moment right now sucks big time.” [laughter] Nine times out of ten, I don’t get too bent out of shape about bad things. CBA: What did your parents think about your comic book habit, your drawing and the fannish aspects? Adam: It was pretty much just me and my mom, who was completely cool about it. She never screamingly supported it but August 2002

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never said, “Don’t do it.” I was a free-range chicken, as far as being a kid went. Did what I wanted. CBA: She never threw out your collection. Adam: No. I lost my collection in a bizarre sewage catastrophe. My whole street was evacuated by the police, and all the basements were filled with waste. All my comics were lost. I was an amazingly good student growing up in high school. In my day, sonny, girls didn’t get breasts until 14 or 15. I remember walking around a mall, three or four years after graduation, and we were like, “Do you remember 12-year-old girls being built like 18-year-old girls when we were in school?” It didn’t happen. Nowadays, eight-year-olds look like Britney Spears and they’ve got make-up. That was a senior when I went to high school! [laughter] It— what was the question? [laughter] I got baffled. CBA: Your mom supporting your habits…. Adam: Oh yeah, I was a really good student when I discovered girls were “A-Okay.” I actually went to high school a year early. I got to high school and hit a brick wall. All I wanted to do was sleep and draw and do as little as possible. I think I spent most of my high school years grounded and punished and my mother realized she could have me on lockdown, basically denying my paper and pencil and that would straighten me out. I remember she would say, “Oh, my God! You skipped school! You’re grounded! You can’t go out for two weeks!” I’d go “Woo-hoo! And I can sit and draw.” She would sit there in the warden’s office and go, “Well, that didn’t work. [laughter] This is not going well. This is that Gandhi passive-resistance thing that I don’t understand.” I remember the first time she took away my pen and paper, I went, “This sucks. This actually is punishment.” So that was the only stuff she actually took away.

Above: Wraparound cover art by Adam Hughes for the Ghost trade paperback collection. Besides the Amazonian super-heroine, Ghost is probably the costumed character most closely identified with the artist. ©2002 Dark Horse Comics, Inc.

CBA: Were you getting into major trouble? Adam: I was just getting into trouble because I wasn’t into my studies and I started to sleep a lot. Everybody thought I was into drugs. I slept all the time and was friends with a couple of the drug addicts at my school, but only because they were the ones that were into music and liked to draw. They made fun of me because I was a Star Wars geek and they were into Zeppelin but we all liked to draw together and do stuff. They were the only sort of fun and creative people at this Christian school. I remember one time I didn’t feel like going to school for a week and I don’t know why I had the audacity to think I could cut school for a week and nobody from school would call my mom and go, “Where’s Adam?” I made it to Friday and she got a call from school. She was like, “Where have you been? What have you been up to?” Because in her mind, I was out knocking down Girl Scouts and eating their cookies and doing cocaine. And she would not buy the fact that every day I would leave the house, go down to the alley and sit on the tree stump. I’d wait for her to go to work and I’d go back home, turn on I Dream of Jeannie and draw. [laughter] I would cut school to stay home, sit in my living room and watch The Price is Right and draw. She didn’t buy that. [laughter]

CBA: Did you have a knack for drawing girls early? Adam: I always tell people that I suffer from a Christian upbringing. I was raised to believe that that kind of stuff was “No, no, no. Keep you hands above the sheets young man. You shouldn’t be drawing stuff like that!” I remember distinctly thinking, “If I’m going to draw a girl, I’m going to draw girl! I’m not going to be afraid to get in trouble with God. I’m going to draw a girl.” Then I was acting like a kindergartner taking a test. I hid it from God by leaning over the drawing and wrapping my arm around it. [laughter] It didn’t occur to me that God might have Superman’s powers and see through me. I think the drawing was of Supergirl and I felt extremely dirty and awful because I drew a girl. Oh, my God! The horror of horrors. CBA: And she was clothed! Adam: Yeah, completely! That shows you what religion has done to little kids. So I was drawing pretty girls early on. CBA: The homemade comic stories you were doing: Can you look back and say that you were starting to get it? Did you get aspects of storytelling? Adam: No, I didn’t start breaking the process down until ’87 and that’s when I started to realize if you actually thought about what you were actually doing, you can actually get better at it. Literally, up until the Summer of 1987 I was just running on pure talent, pure instinct. Not in a conceited way; I was just drawing whatever came to my mind. After the Summer of ’87, I started to analyze the process so I could breakdown what I was doing and be honest about what I was doing. The sad thing is I haven’t been happy since. I was a completely happy moron with my artwork up until I discovered some really cool individual comics in the Summer of ’87 and after that point it became the “Van Gogh tear my own ear off, oh, my God, everything I do is awful” deal. Up until then I was a happy moron. CBA: What were the comics you encountered? Adam: Love and Rockets and Nexus. I was working in a very, very small comic book shop and I’d read all the Marvels and DCs and there was quite an independent thing going on in the ’80s and I remember looking at this Love and Rockets comic because there was a girl on the cover. She was stacked. It was Gilbert Hernandez’s character Luba from “Heartbreak Soup,” and I remember going, “Wow! She’s really stacked! This kid needs to check that out.” I was 19, 20, so bear with me. I was enraptured by the stories, just blown away by the stories and the depiction of characters, especially these female characters. They seemed really real—which sounds like an odd thing to say—but they came across as much more like people you’d actually know. They had aspects that you could recognize much more so than, say, the Scarlet Witch did in The Avengers. At the same time I started checking out Nexus and the one-two punch of artwork of Jaime Hernandez and Steve Rude in the course of a week really opened up my eyes, and I asked somebody, “Why do these guys’ stuff look so good? Why does Nexus look so much better and more real?” In the eyes I had at the time it looked real and I said, “Why do these seem more real than other characters?” A friend of mine, a comic book artist named Neil Vokes who helped me get in the business, answered. He just brushed it off and said “he’s been classically trained” and, literally, you could have lit a city with the light bulb over my head. “What?” I was like, “What does that mean?” And he said he learned to draw by looking at stuff from outside of comics. He was trying to break it down for me because I was really a bit of a dope. [laughter] I went, “He learned to draw outside of comics.” I was absolutely baffled by this notion and it’s been downhill ever since. CBA: “George Bridgman? What comic did he draw?” Adam: When I was 16 or 17, you couldn’t have told me, at that point, that I could learn something from Rembrandt that you could apply to a comic book. You can actually learn something from Norman Rockwell that you can apply to a comic book cover. To me, that was bullsh*t. They were apples and oranges. “They’re not comics.” Now, honestly, I think that the best guys in comics, no matter what part of comics that you’re involved in, whether its writing, drawing, editing, lettering, coloring, the best guys in comics are those that bring something to the table from outside the medium. CBA: I just interviewed Mike Mignola and I think that is an essential part of his art. He’s brought a lot of the sensibility that he learned from illustration and other forms outside comics. With both COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

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your generation and his, there’s a major problem with artists being incestuous, just looking at John Buscema and copying him without understanding the foundation of the approach. There’s John Buscema clones, Gil Kane clones and Jack Kirby clones who are not that well rounded. Adam: That was what I thought with all the good and the bad that happened with Image Comics in the early ’90s. The good side was that comics were hotter than ever. The bad side was the fact that you had all these kids that are trying to draw like Jim Lee and they ended up getting into comics and drawing like Jim, killing a little bit of Jim’s shelf life as a fan favorite. “Hey, there are eight different Jim Lee comics and he only drew one of them! These seven others are close enough.” Most of these guys never took what they learned from Jim’s work and proceeded to go home and learn where Jim gets his inspiration or what is there outside of comics that could inform this style and make the artist grow. The best example of the guys that came in and started out by aping fan favorite artists but then brought something to it: Travis Charest started out a Jim Lee August 2002

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clone and somewhere got an art education above and beyond comics and brought in this wealth of talent and knowledge. That’s what you do. You can grow up drawing like Jack Kirby, you can go up and draw like Alex Raymond or Hal Foster or Jim Lee or whomever. But you need to leave the nest at some point. CBA: Would you ask professionals where they got their inspiration? Adam: Yeah, I’d sit there and say, “Where can I learn to do this?” I just tried to figure out a basis for self-tutoring. The first step, for me, is to figure out what you don’t know, which is the hardest part, and then go find out where that information that you do not possess is. I don’t understand color theory so where would I learn about color theory? Maybe a painter. So I get some painting books and talk to some painters. That kind of stuff in addition to getting critiques on my work from comic book pros. A little art history. A little “hey, where do you get your bag of tricks from.” CBA: Because you are known as one of the premier pin-up artists, did you look at men’s magazines with any frequency? Adam: Oh, dear God, yes. I told somebody once that the day a boy becomes a man is the day he cracks open an issue Playboy and the Playmate is younger than him. [laughter] I remember I was 19 and I cracked open a Playboy and the girl was born six weeks after I was. I went “Whoo-hoo! That’s pretty cool. I’m going to be shaving soon.” [laughter] Yeah, there was a healthy respect for the “work” of Hugh Hefner. In addition to discovering Steve Rude and Jaime Hernandez’ work, I discovered Dave Stevens. Dave was

doing his covers for Eclipse and I was just totally stunned. I always liked drawing pretty girls. I grew up on John Byrne’s artwork, who always drew really, really pretty super-heroines. Seeing the Stevens covers and finding The Rocketeer, I thought, “Oh, my God! Is it actually legal to draw women this pretty?” [laughter] That’s when I really decided that being a pin-up artist was the way to go. CBA: What other pin-up artists did you admire? Adam: I didn’t; not at the time. I didn’t know too much about it. I knew that there was that Vargas guy in Playboy. I knew there was another guys that drew like him, but not the same. I didn’t discover that that was George Petty until many years later, but it wasn’t until I was able to talk to Dave Stevens and actually have him impart all this arcane knowledge, like the thousand steps of the Dali Lama had been climbed. He’d lean over and whisper, “Gil Elvgren.” and then walk away. I’d then go find some Elvgren and go, “Yes! That’s the answer!” [laughter] CBA: Grab the Bud Plant Catalog and there you go. Adam: Yes, that’s the situation I mentioned earlier, you go talk to the guys that apparently know what they are doing and ask them, “What’s the magic word? What’s the secret?” Dave really clued me into a lot of guys. I would only see Dave at conventions—we never corresponded—but when we see each other we’re friendly and he always has something new to lay on me that I can walk away with and go, “Damn, that’s really cool.” [laughter] I do remember him talking about Elvgren and then couldn’t

find any of that artist’s work except for at an antique store, like, old magazines and stuff like that. Then they put the Elvgren card series out and now you can get these great coffee table books. Dave was lucky because he got to experience that stuff almost firsthand and I’m just glad I met a wise master that was able to impart this to me because, in the ’80s, Dave was the guy who was doing it, but there wasn’t a whole a lot of real art going on. In magazines and such, I mean. CBA: What was it about Stevens’ art you found so interesting? Adam: The fact that Dave’s women were beautiful but never came across as crass. They never were, to me as a guy, exploitive. They were just titillating enough to go, “Ooo, that’s exciting,” but never where I would sit there and think, “Errr, that would just offend somebody.” I’ve learned so much about the craft of inking from Dave’s work. My first convention as a professional comic book artist, he was the guest of honor. Dave sat with me for about an hour-and-a-half going over all my work, giving me tips and advice. and the greatest thing he ever told me was, “Ink with a brush. Just pick up a brush and ink it.” I hated the thought of it, I could never get a brush to work, but Dave Stevens said it works and Dave Stevens says “this is how to accomplish the artwork you like, young man, so give it shot.” CBA: And the rest is history. Adam: I’m still in the business so I guess he’s right. CBA: Did you see him with any frequency or did you see him every couple of years? Adam: Every decade, it seems. My first convention as a pro was the Chicago Convention of ’88. I didn’t see Dave again until a couple of years after The Rocketeer was out, maybe ’93 in Oakland. Every time I see Dave (I see every now and then here in Atlanta at Dragon Con, bump into him at San Diego), we exchange a few pleasantries and ask how it’s going, but I think that for some reason, at this point, Dave just doesn’t give out advice to me anymore. [laughter] He just throws up his hands and says, “You know what you’re doing, you draw better than me.” I just go, “Dude! You’re Dave Stevens! Help me!” [laughter] He’s going, “You kids!” and I’m saying, “Don’t do that. I still want to learn from you.” CBA: Do you make him feel old? [laughs] Adam: I don’t know. CBA: He’s got pens older than you, dude. [laughter] Adam: It’s really funny because Dave’s one of those guys that doesn’t seem to age. CBA: Right, I know what you mean. Like The Picture of Dorian Grey. (I’m kidding, Dave.) [laughs] Adam: I was reading the interview that you did with him and I’m looking at the pictures with Dave as a punkish teenager and Dave as the pirate king with his goatee and fluffy shirt and I’m going, “He doesn’t look different. How can a man not put on a pound in 25 years?” Bastard. CBA: From the ’70s to the ’80s, there was a real craft element that got into men’s entertainment. Obviously Dave was on the high end of that, with really classy material coming out that was really a throwback. Did you embrace that and just basically want to do classy work? Adam: I don’t think I’d call what I do “classy,” but didn’t want to do the “bigger the boobies, the better.” Even though it seems that way. I liked the fact that there was art and craftsmanship, and that there was something more than just curves and big boobs and how much leg can I show. There was personality and there was craftsmanship going on in Dave’s stuff and those were the doors that were being opened up for me in the mid- to late ’80s. That’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to draw these pretty girls, but I want it to be something resembling art. CBA: Naturally, your stuff is sensual as well as sexy. There’s a real quality that makes it attractive. It’s cheesecake with an almost wholesome edge. Adam: It’s weird because a lot people say, “Hey, you’re one of those guys that’s keeping the ‘Good Girl’ thing going.” And I say, “Yeah.” But I don’t really do that. Dave’s stuff is so nostalgic and has a retro, classic quality. He is a guy whose work is really grounded in the Good Girl art in the 1930-50s tradition. My stuff really isn’t; I’m just trying to draw a pretty girl that doesn’t look awful and the inks are okay and the colors are only a little messed up. Since I don’t COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

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This page: The three primary stages for a finished cover (this one for the Tomb Raider comic book): At right, the finished penciled design; left, the inked version, and below, the final fully-colored piece. Lara Croft, Tomb Raider ©2002 Core Design Limited.

come from the same background as Dave, I knew that if I tried to go for that nostalgic quality, I’d fail. Dave’s take on the material is very honest. His inspiration stretches back into his childhood. For me to copy that, it would be a hollow attempt at basically doing what somebody else is much better at doing. CBA: How would you characterize your approach? Adam: I really don’t know. I don’t try to be difficult, but I really am just a litmus test. Meaning, I have a hard time breaking it down; I just go on reaction. I look at myself and I go, “What would look good?” (I realize this is a terrible answer for an interview.) CBA: You met Neil Vokes and what was the process of you getting into the industry from there? Adam: A pin-up for Eagle #6 featuring the villainess of the story. Her name was Acacia. At that time, I discovered the miracle that was Zip-A-Tone and because it was a black-&white comic, the piece abuses that Ben Day process. It was really funny because I did that and really didn’t do anything more for a couple of months. Then at Apple Comics, which was doing b-&-w comics at the time, Neil was drawing Blood of Dracula, and they had me do some breakdowns and stuff. CBA: Who are you looking at at that time for sequential storytelling? Adam: Steve Rude. Like I said, my whole August 2002

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life at that point was my being enamored with Nexus. That was the stuff I was really, really digging and I had to be dragged kicking and screaming back to the masters. It’s really funny because somebody could sit there and hand me a Hal Foster collection and I’ll go, “Hmm, okay, fine, whatever,” and then six months later, I’d come across the same collection on my own and feel like I’d discovered the Rosetta Stone. [laughter] I’m one of those people that really has to discover things on their own time. It’s a terrible thing because if somebody is going to try to help me, if somebody had given me Dave Stevens stuff back when I was trying to be a John Byrne clone, I wouldn’t have cared about it. I had to be me discovering it in my own time. I was looking at Steve’s stuff, Jaime’s stuff. Nexus and Love and Rockets were big. CBA: Rude and Jaime, as well as Mignola, are artists who are not afraid to use a lot of ink in their work, not afraid to use a lot of blacks. Adam: That was one of the things I respected because personally I was terrified. I remember the first time I met Mike Mignola. I was up at the DC offices and I got to look at some of his pages for Gotham by Gaslight. I couldn’t understand what was going on, it was just a page full of Xs. You know the little Xs that the penciler uses to tell the inker where to put all the blacks. It just looked to 23

me like, “What the hell am I looking at? Is there Batman? I see two eyes.” [laughter] Mike explained to me what he was doing and then I realized, “Oh, my God! It’s art!” Before it was a field of Xs. You have to be a brave sole to fill up your art with a lot of black. That’s actually a crucial moment when you sit there and go, “I did the most amazing figure drawing of a beautiful character that I’ve ever done and now I’m going to slap some shadows on it.” I had to coerce myself into thinking that I really needed to be able to do this to help my storytelling. CBA: Were you attracted to Alex Toth’s work and the other heavy black guys? Adam: No, I really wasn’t. It took me a while longer to understand what those guys were about. It was one of those things. I look at their work now and go, “I could learn so much from these guys.” I’m very much aware of my own shortcomings in that there are probably artists right now whose work I don’t get or pay attention to that in ten years I’ll be going, “Oh, my God! I so get Monet!” [laughter] At no point in my life have I thought that I’m in full possession of all the facts. So it’s a growing process for me. It will never stop until the day I die. I know that ten years from now, I will get into some comic book artists that right now I go, “Well it’s nice, but I don’t get anything from it.” I’ll be at a point where I can learn from them down the road and that’s really what it all boils down to. The comic book artists that I love the most at the points of my life were guys that I could learn from. When I felt like I had learned the most that I could possibly learn, I moved on. I basically lost interest in their work and moved on to somebody else. It’s all about me learning from somebody’s work. CBA: Would you characterize most of the artists that influenced you have realistic styles? Adam: No, I once used the term realistic until somebody came and told me that a better term was naturalistic. I used to think that Steve Rude drew the most realistic people ever, but, no, he doesn’t. They have a natural quality to them. I would look at Horatio Hellpop and think, “What are those little things on his hips? What are those little things? I don’t know what they are.” Neil or somebody said, “Those are obliques. We all have them. Super-heroes shouldn’t be built like action figures, they actually have these little muscles on the sides of their abs.” I was like, “Really?” and then I went and looked at pictures of real guys and you know what? They do! Not everybody’s torso ends in a pair of trunks. [laughter] Naturalism is the term that I think works best. You can get lost, especially if you are somebody doing life drawings or using your eyes to draw the world, you can get lost in the pursuit of realism. It’s not about that. It’s about you interpreting the world through your art and making somebody think it’s natural, believable. Making somebody think that these squiggles and lines on the paper are actually a person who is saying these words. That’s why I think naturalism is a better description. CBA: That describes quite a lot people in the field, wouldn’t you say? To what extreme would you characterize naturalistic? Is Robert Crumb naturalistic? Adam: I’ve never thought about that. I don’t know. CBA: I’m just wondering how cartoony it gets. Adam: I don’t know. Art is such a grey area and so subjective that sometimes it’s hard to put brackets on a definition. To say this guy falls within the definition, that guy falls out. I haven’t looked at enough of Crumb’s work to say where he falls. It’s one of those things. I don’t art but I know it when I see it. When I see something that appears naturalistic to me as opposed to abstract or cartoon style work, it’s hard to say. You wouldn’t call Chuck Jones’s artwork naturalistic, but yet in a strange sort of grey way it is because it convinces you that this duck is real and he talking to me about how greedy he is. In the context that we are using the term, it’s guys like Steve Rude and Jaime Hernandez who are naturalistic, and they introduced me to it and then I started looking at other guys. I remember finding an Alex Raymond Flash Gordon collection. I had never seen Raymond’s work before and I was blown away. I could see where others were influenced by that work. Then I went and found some of Raymond’s Rip Kirby and other work and these people, these comic strip characters, really convinced me that they are really talking to each other, the folds in their clothing, the way they are lighting their pipes and tipping their hats, that seems real to me even though it’s not drawn in any less of an abstract line than R. Crumb or Bill Watterson or whomever. It’s all the same pen and ink line. It’s all an abstract line describing a form but something about, they pull off a person like an Alex Raymond, where those lines really convince me that a person is doing what they’re doing and saying what they’re saying. CBA: Did you see any appeal in Milton Caniff’s work? Adam: Not at the time, and for a really awful, terrible reason. When I was a kid, I used to love this 24

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Marvel comic book called The Invaders but I hated—hated—Frank Robbins’ art on it. So when I looked at Caniff all I could see is Frank Robbins! [laughter] I thought, “It’s that guy who drew Captain America in all those weird poses!” Those twisted legs and he’d be jumping around like a ballerina with the splotchy ink lines. Karl Kesel is the guy that got me to look seriously at Caniff’s work. He had all the Terry and the Pirates stuff and I was finally at a point that I could understand it. I can see the art in Robbins’ work now too. I’m growin’. CBA: This was well into your professional career? Adam: Yeah, but like I said, it’s such an ongoing process for me. It never ends. CBA: When did you did your first real mainstream professional job? Adam: After Apple Comics, it’s been one assignment after another since then. Lots of b-&-w comics during that B-&-W Boom for companies that no longer exists. I did my first color work at Comico on Mike Barr’s Maze Agency. It was a good old fashioned guy-girl detective book. That was my big color gig, back then it was really big to be in color, as we were all coming out of the b-&-w movement. I was penciling, and that work led to me being hired to draw Justice League America. CBA: This was after Kevin Maguire’s run? Adam: Right. I was hired to draw wacky, expressive faces to match Kevin Maguire’s style. CBA: Did you admire Kevin’s work as it was coming out? Adam: I sure did, because I was selling Kevin’s work. In the comic shop, I was selling Justice League and I’d open the book up and say, “Look at this guy! He’s drawing all this amazing, funny stuff and the characters actually look like they’re saying what’s in the balloons.” It was just a really neat approach and a breath of fresh air at that time. CBA: How did you score that gig? Adam: During that Chicago Summer of ’88 Con I was talking about, I met Bill Willingham who was really riding high off The Elementals at that point. Bill was doing some work at DC for Andy Helfer, and he said, “Let me introduce you to Andy.” I showed Andy my work and, as he was editing Justice League at the time, Andy was the main guy responsible for that big hit. He said, “Whenever you’re free, give me a call.” What was really funny was that ever since I have started doing that stuff for Blood of Dracula in the Summer of ’87, I haven’t been without work. I’ve been lucky that I’ve been going from one assignment to another with the exception of when Maze Agency got put on hiatus. I got a call from the editor, Mike Eury— CBA: Was that due to the financial troubles of Comico? Adam: Yes. Mike said, “The book has to be put on hiatus. We’re really sorry about this. Please don’t tell anybody about this for a couple of days because we don’t want other Comico writers and artists finding out about this until we tell them. We’re trying to get in touch with them as well.” So I was out of work and was like, “Oh sh*t, I’m out of work!” So I just sat around sharpening pencils and playing with eraser shavings and an hour-and-a-half later, I get a call from Andy Helfer saying, “Hey, I hear you’re free.” [laughter] I said, “I wasn’t supposed to tell anybody.” Andy said, “Come up to DC. We want to talk to you.” So in my 15 years in comics, the longest I’ve been out of work is an hour-and-ahalf. [laughter] But it was a rough hour-and-a-half! I was ready to sell the children. [laughter] So I immediately started to work on Justice League for Andy. CBA: How was Andy as an editor? He seems quite a nice, easy-going guy. Adam: He is. I certainly gave him a lot of gray hairs with my shenanigans, but he’s a fun guy and pretty much knows what he’s doing. I think that first year with him and J.M. DeMatteis, Keith Giffen and Kevin Maguire—that was the Golden Age for him. I was patently aware that I was the replacement guitarist of the Rolling Stones. [laughter] Those guys loved that August 2002

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first year together. They really had a good thing going. CBA: How long did you stay doing interior pages? Adam: About 12 issues, I think, plus covers. I then did a Star Trek graphic novel for DC Comics (which was me addressing my childhood and all the Star Trek stuff). Then I went over to Dark Horse and did Ghost for a while. That’s when I realized that I’m so bent out of shape about making these pages beautiful that I’m really of no use to anybody. CBA: Were you satisfied with your sequential work? Adam: Not really. I hated the compromises that I had to make to get it done. I’m one of those people who wants it all to be beautiful. I can’t accomplish that under the best of circumstances so when you’re doing a book on a deadline, it just doesn’t work. CBA: After working on Justice League and Star Trek, did your star rise? Did you believe that you were getting attention? Adam: I felt at that point that I was “last year’s girl.” I felt that was the most popular that I was ever going to get was as a pseudofan favorite artist of Justice League. I thought that was the the best it was going to get and it was going to be downhill from there. CBA: Did you give up the assignment or pass on to do other things or was it just a parting of the ways? Adam: I had a choice of doing another year of Justice League or doing the Star Trek

Opposite page: Top are AH’s pencils for Voodoo #2 cover; bottom is the inked version of another Voodoo cover, #3; inset is Voodoo drawing from AH’s sketchbook. Art ©2002 Adam Hughes. Voodoo ©2002 the respective copyright holder.

Below: Preliminary AH sketchbook drawing of the X-Men/WildC.A.Ts: The Modern Age cover. Art ©2002 Adam Hughes. WildC.A.Ts ©2002 Wildstorm Productions, an imprint of DC Comics. X-Men ©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc.

graphic novel, and I really, really wanted to recreate all those Star Trek comics I drew as a kid. CBA: So the graphic novel was based on the original series? Adam: It was Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, but it covered everything from the original series up to, at that time, the latest film in development. CBA: Did it work out your jones? Adam: Yes, it did. Since then I’ve been offered several Star Trek assignments and turned them all down. I’ve done my time in the 23rd Century. It’s all a matter of public record, and they don’t need me anymore. CBA: Do you use photo reference? Adam: Sure. CBA: How do you go about doing that? Adam: Books, magazines, walk out in the streets; I view artwork as a blank piece of paper, a blank piece of art board, it’s just a problem that needs to be solved. There are these little solutions along the way to that big solution, which is filling up that blank sheet of art board. Problem #1: What you going to put here? Problem #2: Composition. Then you get into little problems like what’s your color theory? What are you trying to say with this cover? What are trying to get across? Just little things like that and they go down to the most minute problems in the world like how do you create a painting. My particular thought process is there’s a solution to almost any problem, this is basically a math problem. There is a way to do this and a lot of time it’s a matter of “I’m not sure how light would fall across an Angora sweater in these conditions so let’s go find one and look at it and study it and try to get the right idea.” CBA: Do you still use sketch books? Adam: All the time. CBA: Do you save them or sell them? Adam: I started selling them a few years ago to make the IRS a happier organization. I think they have my photo hanging on the wall down there. CBA: Was it mostly still lifes? Adam: Actually, my sketchbooks are filled with preliminary

works for my assignments. I get no time to do actual art study. For me everything is on-the-job training. CBA: Have you ever seen Steve Rude’s sketchbooks? Adam: That was my main inspiration for starting to keep one. CBA: There’s some amazing stuff in there. Adam: It’s brilliant. I was so stunned by the two that I first got to see when I met him and then, when he published his sketchbook, I was so dismayed because some much of the stuff in his published sketchbook was Steve’s studies of other people’s work. Steve understands that you walk in the footsteps of masters to learn their processes, but there’s so much stuff in his sketchbook that’s just pure Steve that I was going, “You should have published this, you should have published that.” That was the longing of a fan. CBA: Where were you living in the late ’80s? Were you still in Jersey? Adam: Still in Florence, New Jersey. I think I moved into the next town over for my first apartment. I stayed in Jersey until ’92 and then to Atlanta, Georgia to be a member of Gaijin Studios. CBA: What is Gaijin Studios? Adam: Gaijin is a loose collection of freelance artists that operate under one name. We just share studio space together. Not much different than the famous Kaluta/Wrightson Studio of the ’70s, I imagine. Just a bunch of guys who work together, do their own assignments but don’t want to the have a grisly co-dependent relationship with the FedEx guy so they need other people around them. CBA: Who do you share the studio with? Adam: Right now, my studio mates are Brian Stelfreeze, Karl Story, Cully Hamner, Georgés Jeanty and Stine Walsh. CBA: How did you come about getting the studio together? Adam: Through comic book conventions. We would gravitate towards each other at cons in the late ’80s, early ’90s, and we realized in the evenings when everybody else was going off and doing strip clubs, partying and having fun, we’d end up in somebody’s room sketching. We’d all just be sitting around working on convention sketches and we had a blast. We were like “Wow! This would be a lot of fun to have this all the time.” CBA: Basically, yakking back and forth and getting the job done while you’re doing it? Adam: Yes, and just having contact in this insular career that we all share. So, Karl Story and Brian Stelfreeze decided to find space to rent here in Atlanta, GA and we all moved. CBA: So this was a nice tonic because, as you said, producing comic books can be terribly lonely and there aren’t many studio experiences that you can come across so you just make your own. What did you think of other inkers on your work? Adam: I was never entirely happy, no offense. It has nothing to do with them or their skills and what they are able to do with my work which wasn’t always top shelf. It’s just that I always had pretensions of being the next Dave Stevens or something. I want my work to be lush. No compromises whatsoever. I just felt that I need to do as much of this myself as possible, so that way if it sucks, I can’t blame somebody else because they backed me up and inked it. I had a lot of guys do a lot of great work on me, but it wasn’t what I was personally shooting for. CBA: Who’d come closest to approximate? Adam: I’ve always been really happy with Karl Story’s inks. I really love Mark Farmer’s inks. Those guys do great work over my pencils. CBA: Who inked your Ghost work? Adam: That was all Mark Farmer, who does a really nice job of inking me the way I wish I could ink myself. CBA: Have you ever inked your own sequential story? Adam: On one or two occasions. It’s pretty grizzly, pretty bad. CBA: Wouldn’t you think that you were the best inker on your artwork? Adam: Until I realized that inking a page is a lot of work. I had eye burnout real fast and I’d get sloppy and miss deadlines. Another reason why I’ve devolved into being a cover artist, it’s the perfect venue for my talent default as an illustrator. CBA: I suspect Brian Bolland gets people coming up to him sighing and telling him, “Aw geez, I’d wish you do more inside work.” Do you get that a lot? Adam: All the time, every convention that I go to, and I agree with COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

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them. I really love telling stories and right now since I haven’t done it in three or four years, I miss it. Of course, the next time I do it, three pages into it, I’ll be going, “I remember why I hate doing this. This is work. This is a lot more than the concentrated work you put into the cover. This is a marathon.” A cover is a sprint where you do a glorious illustration in one ‘sitting’ that you can be happy with, but doing interior work is the artist’s equivalent of the Iron Man competition. You have to have the chops to go all the way with that kind of stuff. Sometimes I fear that I don’t. CBA: Perhaps, in the more lucid moments, you feel you do, right? Adam: Interior work takes a lot more discipline than covers. CBA: You lived through a time when creator-owned series emerged, and some creators made a lot of money. Do you have projects you’d like to get off the ground? Adam: I have a couple in my head but I’m still pretty much the same cat I was when I was a kid. I get more jazzed about the thought of doing somebody else’s characters. The thought of doing Star Wars characters seems like more fun to me than any stupid character I could come up with. Unfortunately, it stills remains that way. CBA: When will you grow from that? Adam: I don’t know, but I know I’m going to have to at some point. CBA: Is your approach to every cover different or is there a set process you go through? Adam: No, that’s the thing, I don’t have a process. A lot of time, I don’t know what I’m doing when I’m working on a cover. I just hope I get lucky and pull something by in the end. There’ve been so many covers that I worked on, especially now in the last three or four years where I’ve just become a hired gun, a cover guy. Ever since I got the Wonder Woman gig, I’ll start a cover with the best of intentions and halfway through I’ll f*ck up and panic. I’ll go, “I need to salvage this because this is going to turn into the worst cover on the rack if I don’t do something with it.” In the end, I finish up with something that looks neat, but it wasn’t what I planned. But nobody knows otherwise. People come up to me and say, “Your subtle use of the Munsell color circuit is sublime…” and I’ll go, “Whatever. I just faked it.” I wish I did have a process. I wish I did have something that I could rely on because with me it’s way too free form and the plus side of that is sometimes you end up with some really serendipitous little bits of brilliance. You’d come up with something and say, “Oh, my God! Look at this happy accident. Wow.” The problem is you can’t reproduce it. It’s not something that you have control of at your fingertips which you can call on anytime. All you can do is hope that inspiration strikes again. CBA: It’s the chaos of the moment? Adam: That’s why I really envy the guys who don’t have that chaos. They really seem to have their “Get up at 7:00, start drawing by 8:30, take a break at noon, back at 1:00” that kind of stuff. They got it down and have this science to their artwork that they seem to be able to make work. And I envy that. CBA: Is there an ambivalence or animosity as to the assignment side of the equation? Adam: Sure! Are you kidding me? That 20-year-old girl who just won the lottery and walked away with $34 million? I wish I were her. CBA: What would you do if you did win? Adam: If I didn’t have to sing for my supper, I could do whatever I wanted and I could do comics in my own time. I could do that page-every-three-days and have the luxury to throw out a page when things don’t work the way I want, to really just make it work, to be as much a perfectionist as I wanted. I know I would keep drawing and maybe enjoy it a little bit more because I wouldn’t have to do it, I’d be doing it because I wanted to do it. Right now, I draw because I have to. CBA: Do you see the limit of the genre sometimes? That perhaps you’re working on the trappings of your youth whether it’s Star Wars/Star Trek (literally)? You’re in a field where the content is usually adolescent. Do you yearn for something beyond genre? High art? Adam: No. I don’t really look down upon what I do as low art, so consequently I don’t think I felt that there’s a higher art to work on. I think it’s all what you make of it. I think art can be found anywhere and there’s art to be found even in goofy super-hero comics. I don’t just mean drawings as art, I think anything that is creative is art, in all August 2002

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different genres. CBA: Is a part of having the studio having that enforced? Not discipline, but does it help you get to work and work the job ‘til it’s done? Adam: It used to, but I’ve been a member of Gaijin for 10 years now. It’s another part of the day. Sometimes I work at home and sometimes work in the studio. It’s just another aspect of my life. I look at other people and say, “You don’t have a studio? You don’t have a room full of artists that you can collaborate and hobnob with when you desire?” It’s really weird, I look at people with nine-to-five jobs and I can’t even remember what it’s like to have one. CBA: Do you go into the Studio anytime you feel like it? Adam: Honest to God, sometimes I work until I’m sleepy and then sleep until I’m done sleeping and then get up and draw. It’s a real scatterbrain way to work. It’s living like a house cat: Eat when you’re hungry, sleep when you’re tired. I firmly believe that an artist’s talent, his or her ability to create in the medium that they have chosen, is a beast. Sometimes you can tame and control that monster, have it do tricks for you and jump through hoops. But sometimes that beast controls you. I’m one of those where the

art controls me. Every time I’ve attempted to control what I do for a living, I’ve stepped up with the worst piece of art in the universe. The best thing that ever happened was to realize that art doesn’t serve me; I serve the art. I may start working on a job, but that piece of art starts taking on a life of it own, much like when you give birth to a child, you created that child, you made that child come into existence, but once that child starts to live his own life and make his own decisions and decides that he doesn’t want to be a doctor, he wants to be a lawyer, you can either help him along the path he has chosen for himself or you can fight it to make it what you think he should be. A lot of times you don’t get a good response from the work; you and that child don’t get along and you don’t have a good relationship. I firmly look at my artwork that way. There’s been many times when I’ve been working on an illustration where I’ll get halfway into it and I’m thinking, “This isn’t what I set out to create.” I have to take a step back and ask, “What have I created here?” Then when I figure out what life it’s taken on, that’s the point where I have to help it be the best of what it’s trying to be. I can’t keep trying to shoehorn it back into my original concept because it’s not going to fit there. CBA: Do you reach a point that you have to let go without being satisfied with what you’ve done? Adam: Definitely, I’m one those that keeps working. George Lucas has nothing on me. I keep working on one piece of artwork until it’s about to die. It’s always the deadline that forces me to let go. It’s always, “If you don’t get it in, Adam, it’s not going to ship on time. It’ll be returnable and you’re going to cost a lot of people a lot of money.” It’s always that. CBA: When did you get the Wonder Woman gig? Adam: Four years ago at the Heroes Con in Charlotte, North Carolina. I met up with Mark Chiarello, art director of DC Comics. He said to me, “Adam, I’d love to get you to do covers for a character that I’m working on.” The girl that I was going out with at the time leaned over my shoulder and whispered in my ear, “Wonder Woman.” She wanted to see me do Wonder Woman and I told Mark, “How about Wonder Woman?” It started out as I was going

to do two fill-in covers for the title and when I was working on the two covers, Mark said, “Hey, John Byrne is leaving the book, I need to find somebody else to do the covers. Can you think of somebody who can draw some really nice girls?” I said, “I’ll do it.” He said, “Are you free?” I said, “Well, kinda. Yeah.” Mark said, “Can you do a cover a month?” I said, “I can do that.” And here it is four years later. CBA: Is it lucrative? Does it pay the bills? Adam: It does. I make my meager little money off covers and sometimes selling the original art. The guys who do interior work often get it collected into trade paperbacks, and these days, that’s where all the money is, because it stays in print forever. But since I only do covers, I don’t see much of that money. I’ve been able to focus on my craft as an illustrator and not so much as a comic book artist who has to pound out 22 pages a month. I’ve been able to get some jobs outside of comics that I’d probably wouldn’t have gotten if I was tied to a monthly interior assignment. CBA: Where does Ghost fit into the chronology? Adam: After Star Trek, the timing would be 1993, ’94. Then I did some issues of Gen13 for Jim Lee. CBA: Did you help create Ghost? Adam: Not really, but I did develop the character to some degree. Ghost was created by Barbara Kesel and designed by Chris Warner, who draws the toughest characters in the world and unfortunately his women are sorta tough too, He drew one of the first Terminator comics at Dark Horse, and his design for Ghost was very tough looking to me. Essentially, my version was the same as his, a woman with a white cloak and all that kind of stuff. I saw this design and I’m thinking she looks really tough, so she needs to be a lot more feminine. I could immediately see some Alphonse Mucha poster art complementing Ghost, so I basically redesigned her in my own take on what the character was. Everybody seemed to like that and then when we were working on the book, they asked me, “What do you want to do for this book?” Originally, I was going to stay on for longer than I did. The writer, Eric Luke, had come up with four to six issues worth of ideas and I said, “Here’s what you need to do in the first 24 issues. If you are looking for ideas, here’s something to consider.” I laid out everything about the character’s background stuff and Barbara loved it, the writer loved it; after I was fired off the book, every once in awhile, somebody would ask, “Did you check out the latest issue of Ghost?” And I found they were using some of my concepts. One that I suggested that they used—which is cool because it’s work-for-hire and you’re hired to be creative, so when I was let go, it was perfectly in their right to keep using those ideas—and it was just neat to sit there and go, “That’s me! Most of those ideas were mine.” CBA: So you refined the look of the character or completely redesigned her? Adam: I refined it. Chris Warner draws the manliest men in comics, but he also draws the manliest women in comics. His first drawing of Ghost looked tough. [laughter] She looked like the kind of girl that rolls her own tampons and kick-starts her vibrator [laughter]. She looked like a real tough diesel dyke and I said she really needed to be feminine because she’s an angry character shooting people with guns, so she can’t look tough at the same time. She needs to be as sexy as I can make her. I’d recently gotten into the work of Alphonse Mucha. CBA: Those turn of the century French posters? Adam: Right. And I thought, “Wow.” I wasn’t one of those, COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

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“Here’s what I’m into so I’m going to shoehorn it into my latest project.” I really saw her there and it was a bad thing because for a while all people would ask me to do is, “Hey, Adam, do that Mucha thing again.” People would hire me to do this Alphonse Mucha stuff. It’s fun to take some inspiration into a project, but keep it with the project because after a while you ending up repeating yourself. CBA: I recall one of the Ghost collections has a cover of her sitting being contemplative with elegant Mucha flourishes around her. That seemed to work beautifully. Adam: It was odd because I got a left-handed compliment. Somebody told me that Barry Windsor-Smith wanted to buy that original. He’d inquired to find out if that original was available. Part of me was like, “Barry Windsor-Smith wants to buy a piece of my artwork!” Then another part of me was going, “Because I’m doing Mucha!” [laughter] He may not give a sh*t about my work as it stands normally, but that was one of the sobering moments where I said I can’t do this art nouveau thing all the time. I’m all for bringing inspiration to an illustration or a project, but I gotta be me. CBA: My first exposure to your work was through Ghost. I was drawn to your depiction of women not for the sexuality as much as the sensuality of your rendition. Adam: I really was in love with that character and even though we were taking our inspiration from The Shadow and a couple other sources—hey, the pulps were where Batman came from, as well as The Mark of Zorro and The Scarlet Pimpernel. It’s okay to have people spot your influences but I really felt that Ghost had the potential to be one of those popular characters, if we take her all the way. I think she could be a character that people remember fifty years from now. She has a neat look, a cool set-up. I don’t know where they went with it, but in her original incarnation, she had a fun premise. CBA: What was the premise? Adam: She was introduced during that whole Dark Horse superhero launch, and she was a reporter that got whacked by the mob because she learned something she shouldn’t have. She comes back as a ghost. She then suffers amnesia and can’t remember what is was she’d learned. Basically, this story was about a woman who is dead trying to find out who she was and how she was killed. She knows her name but doesn’t have any concrete memories. At its conception, it was a big guns a’blazing detective story. She’s trying to figure who she was, what she learned and why she was killed for it and basically take revenge on the people who did her in. She’s invisible and intangible, but she can concentrate and become visible and, if she concentrates harder, she can become solid. I thought that it was great that her natural state was as a ghost, but if she puts a little effort she can be seen and if she puts a lot of effort she can be seen and felt. I thought that was great because that why I suggested the romantic character of the guy falling in love with her because she can’t have a normal life because if you’re kissing somebody and get lost in the moment she turns invisible and intangible. The kicker of all of it is, Ghost is not really dead. Basically the core event that created all these para-human super-powered people in this Dark Horse universe, she was unknowingly infected by this retrovirus that the government was developing to create super-agents who could turn invisible and intangible. Because she contracted it, she didn’t know she had it and the trauma of being shot at by the mob August 2002

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guy, triggered the power and because she contracted a bastardized version of it, she can’t control it. All she knows is somebody shot at her and when she woke up she can walk through walls. Her first assumption is that she’s dead and I thought that’s the great revelation that should have happened at the end of the series. Maybe it did but I didn’t read it all the way to the end. I thought the premise was great because you can play with all the supernatural stuff. I told them from Day One that this should not be a superhero comic. I’m not going to draw it like a super-hero comic, it shouldn’t be. It’s more of a Gothic horror story, a Gothic opera. Hellboy was just coming out at that time, and I thought Hellboy was exactly the mood Ghost should be shooting for. Is it super-hero? Is it horror? Is it monster comics? We can’t tell but it sure as hell isn’t people wearing their underwear on the outside jumping off buildings and stopping bank robbers. CBA: Mignola has got an interesting formula at play with his comics in that he uses his own character in story arcs. He completes them not at pleasure of the audience or the publisher but for himself, when he can schedule the time. Could you ever be disciplined enough to do a story on the side without any scheduling, but down the line coming out with something that is all yours? You obviously came up with some clever ideas in Ghost. Adam: In another interview I’ll tell you all the ideas I had. I always thought about jotting them all down with an illustration and putting them up on the Internet and saying, “By the way this is what I came with, I don’t know how much they used or didn’t use, but if I would have stayed with the book this is what you would have gotten.” That’s been pretty much all I’ve been looking for all these years to write my own stuff now. I accidentally got into writing because of Jim Lee. I did a Gen13 project and ended up writing it. It was not planned, but I did discover that writing can be fun. I wouldn’t think to demean the craft of writing by saying that even I can do it, but I was certainly enjoying the process. CBA: What is your approach to writing? Is it comic book Marvel style or full scripts? Adam: Full script because I like to know exactly what the character is saying. If I know, I’ve already figured out what they are thinking. I’m not a big fan of “after the fact” writing. Galactus attacks, whole world blows up, then you draw it. Maybe the person writing it doesn’t know what the characters are thinking at each moment. That was the very disconcerting thing about the Star Trek graphic novel that I did because that was written by Chris Claremont who certainly knows what he’s doing, but that was the very first time I worked Marvel style. I had

a very odd experience because I was so used to the idea of getting whole scripts and knowing actually the words that were going to come out of the characters’ mouths and I could draw the corresponding facial expression with what they were saying. There were a couple instances where Chris’ plot would have Dr. McCoy scream at Captain Kirk who screams back, so I would draw them screaming at each other. But the scene ends up with two sentences ending with periods like, “Are you okay, Jim?” [laughter] That doesn’t work for me, personally. When I’m working for myself I try to take it as close to full scripts as possible. CBA: Did you look at the success of the Image guys with envy? Adam: I look at their money with envy. It was nice to see guys take their big work-for-hire successes at one of the big companies and go off and form their own business ventures, some successful, some not. It was neat. We all sat back and said, “Wow! There’s

something going on there. These guys are certainly bucking authority.” I was happy because it got me the opportunity to do some writing. CBA: What have you written? Adam: Gen13: Ordinary Heroes, a mini-series I did for Jim Lee. I wrote and drew it. Originally, I was only supposed to draw it. Jim asked what kind of story would I want to tell, so I rattled off something off the top of my head and he said, “Cool, think up a rough plot.” So I did and they said start drawing it and we’ll get somebody to write it. I ended up plotting it and thought, “Wait a minute! I’m doing everything but putting the words in the characters’ mouths. I’m already drawing it so why don’t I just try to script it. If the dialogue sucks then find somebody else to do the dialogue, but if it’s okay then let me be the writer on the project.” That’s how it ended up and it led me to write and draw a Superman/Gen13 crossover for Wildstorm. But after I had written the script, we were just sitting around waiting for script approval and I thought I’ll wait a while because you guys always wait for me, but how long does it take to read a script and give it a thumbs up or down? It got pretty ugly after a while so I said, “I really don’t need this, I don’t like this treatment. I’m going to go do something constructive.” Because of their delay, I had to turn down some pretty cool projects. Marvel wanted me to do some Spider-Man which never hurts. Dark Horse called and said, “Hey, would you be interested in doing the Star Wars Episode One adaptation?” I turned down a lot of choice work to do Superman/ Gen13 which I had to eventually walk away from. Then the project eventually came out with a different guy drawing it! It was weird because I never, ever wanted to write a story that someone else would draw. I have no interest in that whatsoever. Lee Bermejo did a wonderful job, especially given the fact the scripts that I wrote were not really good. In fact, my scripts did not provide any stage direction. Basically I was writing them plot style and the person at DC who was in charge of overseeing the Superman end of things, this was around the time when DC bought Wildstorm, and they were just like “I don’t know if Superman would do this or if he would part his hair on that side,” and all this other non-constructive horsesh*t. I said they were not getting the gist of what I’m going for here. I need to write full script, so issues two and three were written full script. There was only enough editorial meat in there for those to have a solid grasp of what was going on, but not a lot of stage direction because I knew what I wanted to put on the page; I didn’t want to waste time describing stuff I already knew in my head. I was just giving the people at DC and Wildstorm something to look at and then when I quit they give this plot and script to Lee Bermejo, and Lee did an amazing job with taking that bare bone description with a lot of dialogue and figuring out a story. He was actually able to tell the story from what I was describing. CBA: What much did you have drawn of that? Adam: I didn’t draw any of it. CBA: The entire time you were awaiting DC’s story approval? Adam: I love working for DC Comics, but I know how they work. I may be shooting myself in the foot here, but I’m going to call a spade a spade: DC Comics has the tendency of building half a ship and then putting it in the water. Then, as it’s sinking, they say, “We’re going to finish the other half before it goes all the way under.” Meaning, more often than not, starting a book and getting it out before you’ve doped out how it ends. I didn’t want this to happen to this story because I really, really believed in its structure and that everything should be in a story for a reason and if it doesn’t take place for a reason it shouldn’t be in there. I knew that if I started drawing the story before all three scripts were approved, I would start drawing the first issue and they would reject the ending. They would go, “No, it doesn’t work. You have to change it.” I would say, “But everything in issue COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

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one that I’m drawing now leads up to that.” It’s not like a salad bar where you can take out one bit. You take out one bit and the stories I like to tell are like a game of Jenga: You take one piece out and it all falls down. I knew that was going to happen so I told Wildstorm from Day One, I’m not going to put pencil to paper until all three scripts are approved. CBA: Do you think that type of policy is indicative of comic books by committee, with having group editor, continuity editor, character editor, title editor and assistant editor? Are there too many editors involved? Adam: It’s possible. All I know is how it effects my work. CBA: Is it losing the purity, what the appeal of comic books is, by making it confusing? Adam: I think it’s possible. It’s really funny because a lot of people ask me, “So what do you think of the industry these days? What do you think about what’s going on in comics?” I have no idea what’s going on in comics. I sit in my cave and do what I do. The only things I have opinions on are the things that effect me directly. CBA: Under Joe Quesada, has Marvel been in touch? Adam: Sure. CBA: Have you been curious about the situation that’s going on over there? He may be the first artist as editor-in-chief since Carmine Infantino at DC. Certainly there is greater buzz at Marvel than there has been in 25 years. Adam: Joe is quite the boat rocker but they are putting out some pretty darn interesting comics. CBA: Damn, Peter Bagge doing Spider-Man! [laughs] Adam: The funny thing is lots of people working for a big company don’t want to hit for the fence, they just want the really safe singles and doubles. But Joe is giving Marvel a serious workout. CBA: Out of the park or strike out. Adam: Yeah, and he’s not afraid to do some stuff that going to strike out, it seems. I really don’t read a lot of comics. Hellboy is the only thing that I read unless somebody hands me something. Cully Hamner will come up to me and say, “Have you checked out Ultimates? Check out Banner. Check out Grant Morrison’s X-Men. He’ll hand it to me and I’ll go, “Wow.” I haven’t said “wow” about a Marvel comic since I don’t know when. That’s not to put down a lot of people’s hard work; it’s just that there wasn’t anything that interested me personally and now there’s some stuff that is personally interesting. CBA: The unexpected. Adam: The completely unexpected. CBA: Do you want to go into Marvel’s playground? Adam: I’d certainly be interested, but DC’s being very nice these days. CBA: Have you done work for Marvel? Adam: Little bits and pieces but not enough to fill a book. CBA: Is there a reason for that? Adam: If I was struggling to find more work, I’m sure I’d be knocking on Marvel’s door as much as anybody else’s. But the bottom line is people call me up, offer work and I say sure if I can fit it in. Most of the time it’s somebody at DC or Playstation Magazine. Joe Quesada and I have talked three or four times at conventions. I’d met Joe when he first came into comics back in the early ’90s. Joe and I were recently trading e-mails for awhile (and this is really funny so, if Joe reads this, I hope he understands the humor). Joe wrote, “Anything you want to do for us, we’ll find you a nice home. We’ll find you something to do.” I wrote back that my dream project would be Captain America. I’m a big World War II aficionado. Total history buff. And I’ve always loved Cap. It dates back to that Red Skull thing that I was talking about. I said I would just kill to do Captain America and you could tell Joe weighed the prospect of me drawing guys in grimy overcoats fighting August 2002

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each other versus the possibility of me doing The Girls in The Avengers Work at the Car Wash. [laughter] I get this e-mail back going, “Mmmm, that would be kind of a hard sale. I don’t know if that would work.” I realize that if I ever get to do my Captain America dream project, I’ll probably have to do a Black Widow Goes Undercover in a Health Club mini-series to grease the wheels first. [laughter] I love what they are doing with Captain America in The Ultimates, because that’s what I want to do. I want to do a Captain America comic book with as much realism as possible. Cap has been an ideal in an idealized world for so long, I just want to do Captain America with a Tommy gun running out of bullets and wondering how he’s going to get out of this one. CBA: But please put wings on his head, that’s all I can say. [laughs] Adam: But people just want to see me draw girls. CBA: You do draw perhaps the most bodacious females in comics but you would think that people

would just want to see you draw, no matter what it was. Adam: Yeah, but if they can make more money off of me drawing whatever I wanted. CBA: Do you think that you are nearing a certain level in your career where if you really pushed hard enough you could get what you want? Adam: Probably, but I’m leery of pushing. What niche I occupy, I know where I stand. I know I’m not the best comic book artist and I’m not the worst. I know that I take forever to hand work in but nine times out of ten, it looks pretty cool and most of time people are happy with it. I’ve got most editors trained that if they hire me it’s probably going to come in on the wire, but they are going to get something that they didn’t bargain for. I hope that doesn’t come across as arrogant but I know I could churn out a book a month, I really could. I can draw really fast when I need to, but the problem is, it would be crap, complete and utter garbage. There would be nothing that separated it from the rest of the work that’s

out there, but if I put my nose to it and really take my time and really struggle through the art, I can produce art that people take note of and sit there and go, “You’re doing something quite interesting, Wonder Woman has never quite looked like that. We really like what you do in Photoshop.” If you give me a choice between these two: A really prolific hack or being a guy known for being slow and putting his all into it, I’d rather be that slow guy. CBA: So you’ll definitely be back to sequential work, someday? Adam: I’m talking right now. I’m supposed to do this Tomb Raider mini-series with Top Cow and that’s taking a long time to get off the ground, I don’t know if that’s going to happen. I’m talking with Jeph Loeb about doing something. What I really need to do is hook up with a really great writer, someone who will talk to me and want to collaborate with me, but basically I can concentrate on the craft of drawing. That’s what I need to get back in to and I’m talking right now about a project. CBA: Did you admire Brian Bolland’s cover work? Adam: Hell, yeah! When I got the Wonder Woman gig, Bolland was the one thing that was on my mind. What am I going to bring to the table that Brian Bolland didn’t already? It had better be better or different or new. CBA: What do you bring to the table? Adam: There you go again with a question for which I don’t have an answer. CBA: Just something different? Adam: Yeah, something different. There’s so much stuff that Brian does better than me, but I do the pin-up girly-girl stuff more than Brian does. Brian is much more of a straight hands-on illustrator. Brian will tell a story on his covers. Brian will give you a big panel from the story and what I do is cheesecake. CBA: You occasionally go for a dramatic moment, right? Adam: I try to, but never at the expense of cleavage. [laughter] I’ve been on the Wonder Woman covers for so long that people don’t realize that these covers are a partnership between myself and art director Mark Chiarello. Mark is one of my best friends in the business. He’s such a brilliant artist. When some editor tries to tell me that this cover shouldn’t have purple on it and his main reason is his mother wore purple and he didn’t like his mother. That is not art direction. That just weird arbitrary bullsh*t but when Mark tells me this doesn’t work or Mark says, “Think about doing this.” I know that it’s coming from a brilliant artist with a background grounded in illustration. When Mark says something, I listen. Nine times out of ten when Mark tells me to change something, he actually asks me to change it. I don’t think Mark has ever ordered me to do anything. Mark has a tremendous amount of respect for the process, being an artist himself, and he will sit there and ask, “Would you please do this?” or “Could you please consider this as an option?” He has a very gentle hand when dealing with talent, which I think, is a lost art for a lot of editors. I can trust Mark’s opinion in that respect. If you like the Wonder Woman covers, if you love those covers, they’re that way because of Mark. I think that a lot of other editors would really try to control me or get me to do things that I’m really not good at. Mark really lets me run around and play but not so I’d play in the highway. He’s good about pulling my energy back in the right direction. Those covers are a total collaboration. The first thing that pops into my mind is The Beatles working with George Martin. You might say, “On their own, they worked with different producers and did good things. And on his own, George Martin worked with a lot of other talent and made good music, but when they all worked together, they did something really cool, a perfect synthesis of talent and talent management.” COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

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CBA: The greatest editor comics ever had was the late Archie Goodwin, in my opinion. As opposed to many other editors, he had a real soft touch that would gently prod the the writers and the artists in the direction that he thought best that they should go and evenly describe what he felt some of the problems were. In reaction to that, they often wanted to please him, to make him happy, because there was such a joy to the collaboration. Is working with Mark the same way? Adam: Exactly the same way. It’s an interesting connection because Archie was Mark’s mentor. When Archie passed away, Mark was really shipwrecked. Archie was a really good friend of Mark’s but he was also Mark’s role model as an editor. Mark told me he learned all his editorial techniques as far as dealing with talent at Archie’s feet and that’s exactly how Mark deals with me. I think it goes to show that if you look at the nominees for this year’s Harvey Awards for Best Cover Artist that more than half of the nominees were hired to do their covers by Mark. CBA: So he’s a great asset to that company? Adam: Yes, he is. He’s definitely that. I really love working for DC. I’ll bitch and complain just like anyone else, and they can bitch and complain about what a flake I am. That’s part of the business, but we have a good working relationship, me and that big, old company, but there have been many occasions when I wanted to walk. I’m sure they’ve wanted to fire me many times. CBA: It’s a very small industry. It’s a very incestuous. It really often gets down to management style, right? Adam: I think that works for everything. That could work for the mom-and-pop grocery store that’s got one employee sweeping up in the back or those that work for AOL Time Warner. CBA: Sometimes it seems that the industry believes it is a world unto itself, and those within it don’t look outside to other industries for the bigger picture. You could have plopped Archie and Mark in almost any kind of creative industry whatsoever and you’re probably going to get magnificent work. That’s because you are treating people with respect and getting respect in return. What CBA is for me is it’s really a lesson in editorial style. If I can pontificate for a second, the greatest job an editor can do is introduce an artist and a writer together who will potentially create great work; to facilitate that relationship and keep it going smoothly. The problem is, I don’t know where the hell I was going with that. [laughter] Adam: It sounded good, man. CBA: This magazine is a lesson that I’m learning and mostly it’s how not to deal with people. How you don’t deal with people like cattle. There are many ways, but basically it’s the Golden Rule: You treat them like you would like yourself to be treated. I was talking to Johnny Romita, Sr., a couple of weeks ago and he finally shed light for me on why Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko might have quit the company while at the top of their game. Adam: Until recently, Stan has always been a concept, as much concept to me as Buddha. [laughter] Stan has never been a human being to me because he was a television personality or something. I’m the back cover artist on the Stan Lee Just Imagine series and I finally get to meet Stan and it’s really, really weird because I’m thinking, “Wow! Stan’s a real person.” You have so many things going through your head. I know so much about this guy. I know about his politics and history, good and bad. I know about his work. I know about this legend. You hear the weird stories and then sit there and go, “Here’s a guy who’s been in comics for sixty years.” It’s an overwhelming thing as a little guy, a footnote in comic book history, and—good or bad, whatever the politics about the guy—this is one of the top main celebrities. CBA: The most recognizable name in the industry. A brand unto himself. Adam: You sit there and exchange pleasantries about the book you’re working on and at the same time, it’s just a disconcerting feeling. You forget all the stories. You forget all the good and bad things that you’ve heard and you go, “Wow, I shook hands and received a compliment from Stan Lee.” CBA: He’s a very nice guy. Adam: He was cool, and not only did I meet him, I had to do a signing with him for an hour. It was very strange sitting between Dave Gibbons and Stan Lee. Really weird. CBA: I used to be a vehement pro-Jack Kirby guy. I felt that Jack was totally sh*t upon, but I’ve ended up being somewhat pragmatic and I confess that I genuinely like Stan. I appreciate his 60 years in the business and what he’s done. We all need to be honest about the contributions of Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby, but let’s also acknowledge the guy who acknowledges himself best. Adam: There are some issues in life that are confrontational, no matter where you stand. Abortion, the Catholic Church, homosexuality, Jack and Stan, whatever. Hot button topics. Everybody’s got to be so black-&-white and so cut-&-dried. If you’re not for me, you’re against me, and I just think that most things in life are so gray. There’s so many layers to what’s going on, so many things that you don’t know about and very, very rare circumstances can you actually have a cut-&-dry clean answer. Whatever went on with Jack and Stan, a lot of good stuff, a lot of bad stuff. I don’t know all the facts so, it’s hard for me to comment on it. All I read are the words of people who take Jack’s side or vice versa. The Great Debate. But few of us were around to witness these August 2002

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Above and below: AH shared these studio pix of Julie Rapp, model for the artist’s Wonder Woman covers. Her likeness is quite evident in the cover of Wonder Woman #164, as seen inset right. Wonder Woman ©2002 DC Comics.

events. A lot of times what the guys actually did accomplish gets lost in the argument. CBA: They’re not only icons, but human beings with foibles, good, bad, and that’s how it is. But you’ve got to be at least slightly disingenuous in your comparison to Stan Lee. You certainly do have a big fan base. Adam: I guess. I’m one of those people that try not to take a compliment to heart. CBA: Are the compliments helpful? Would you rather take criticisms, something that you can learn from? Adam: I don’t know. I’d love a happy medium. People come up and say, “I was going to come up and tell you how much I enjoy your work, but you hear it all the time, so I didn’t do it.” [laughter] But I would have liked to hear it, because maybe I had a sh*tty day. For the longest time people were going, “I don’t want this to go to your head…” [laughter] CBA: When did you get introduced to the computer software program, Photoshop? Adam: When I was working on Gen13: Ordinary Heroes for Jim Lee. They had heard of my wonderful reputation, so they said, “Hey, we want you to do this book for us, but we want to watch you work on it.” I went, “What does that mean? They said, “Well, we want to fly you out here to La Jolla, California. We are going to put you up in a furnished apartment, and you have to come in and work every day at Wildstorm.” I said, “Okay, that’s near San Diego.” They said, “We’re only two blocks from the beach.” I went, “Yeah, right! That sounds like work!” So I went and they have a coloring department called Wildstorm Effects and when I got done drawing and because I didn’t have a car and my little furnished apartment was only three blocks from Wildstorm, there wasn’t a lot to do when I wasn’t drawing. So, I’d go down and work in the coloring department and eventually started to ask questions. Because for me, its always been about being able to control every aspect of my work and some pretty amazing artists down there taught me how to use Photoshop. One of them is Laura Depuy who is so talented, she’s got awards shooting out her ass. She just got nominated again for Ruse and she’s won a bunch of awards for coloring The Authority. She was very instrumental in helping me find what I feel is my muse. CBA: Your muse is color? Adam: Coloring on the computer. I’ve wanted to do color work. I’ve always been a colossal fan of color illustration. Most of my favorite artists can do it all and I’ve always struggled with paint. I’ve always struggled with the application of the color medium until I got the computer and took to it like the proverbial duck to water. I really, really feel at home when coloring one of my illustrations in Photoshop. CBA: Now have you worked in the traditional methods of coloring before? Water coloring? Adam: A few. I've done a lot of pieces in the water-based mixed media technique that Drew Struzan has made popular. It really funny because the

technique that he has come up with is a technique that anybody can grasp. His materials are not like ‘fugitive’ materials like gauche or even oil paint which require a master’s hand to even pull off something halfway nice. What separates Drew from anybody else is that he is a master. He came up with this water-based media technique that allowed him to produce art very quickly for editorial purposes and a lot of lesser artists have glommed onto the technique thinking they could produce the same stuff and they can’t. His technique is a great entry into color theory, because it’s a fast technique. CBA: Is there an advantage to computer coloring over traditional methods? Adam: If you’re neurotic you are able to go back and change what you just did. The ability to undo, Command+Z. We’ve all talked about in real life, we all wish there was a Command+Z button [laughter] or from my end, Control+Z. I’ve said before, Photoshop is the most amazing thing when you’re working on it, it’s like the Swiss Army knife of the graphic media tool kit. When you’re not working, it’s like a video game. You sit and play with it and you can do anything and I love the fact that it dovetails nicely with coloring comics books and I feel that myself and a few other artists have taken it above and beyond the mere coloring books aspect of it. We’re applying color to line art in a digital fashion. I feel like I’m doing some kind of wacky, fun illustration that hasn’t been seen yet. I feel like a couple of us are really doing some neat things with Photoshop and finding a neat corner of the creative spectrum and we’re exploiting some possibilities here, doing some stuff that maybe the people who created the program weren’t thinking you could do. CBA: How deep do you get into it? Adam: Sure, I can get very deep. CBA: For the readers that may not be computer savvy, do you literally draw on the computer? Can you walk us through the process? Adam: I draw the same way people have been drawing since The Yellow Kid. I take a pencil, a piece of paper and draw a pretty picture. I ink it with India ink so that it’s easier to reproduce and at that point the digital age takes effect and I slap it on my scanner and scan the art into the computer, open the scanned image into Photoshop and basically start applying color. CBA: Is the appeal that you can undo almost ad infinitum? Let’s say you made a wrong turn at Albuquerque, you can go backwards COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

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15 streets to get it right and then proceed in the right direction to Pismo Beach, not having to totally wash the palette clean, but going halfway? Adam: You can, but I personally don’t. For all you kids out there, what he’s talking about is the History Palette in the most recent versions of Photoshop which let’s you undo not just the last thing you did, but the last 20 things you did in order. The last 20 brushstrokes, you can go back one brushstroke at a time. I don’t use that function because primarily it’s a memory hog. I color very high res but also because my theory is that if you can go so wrong that you need to go back 15 steps then you made a bad decision to start off with and you shouldn’t be making decisions like that. It keeps me honest. It keeps me on my toes. I just love coloring this way and I’ve actually done some cool illustrations with this program. Experimenting with the possibilities; I think it’s all about that word: possibilities. It’s just a really amazing tool. It’s not more than that. It’s no difference between my computer that I color with and the pencil that I draw with or the ruler that I draw straight lines with. It’s just another tool. CBA: So it does not replace the drawing table? Adam: No. For me, it’s whatever it takes. Whatever tools you August 2002

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use—pencils, drawing table, computer, bones of a dead cat, I don’t care—whatever it takes to get your idea on the page and into the comic, then use it. For me, there are no rules. You do what you can to make it work. I know people that have to set up boundaries for themselves. They have to set up lines in the sand. “I can’t cross this line, I will produce whatever I can produce on this side of the line.” To me, just go where your artwork needs to go. My artwork needed me to go to computers and I think in the wrong hands, it’s a terrible thing. There’s a line in the book and the film Jurassic Park that I’ve always taken to heart. Jeff Goldblum’s character, Ian Malcolm, says that the problem with the genetic engineering technology that they are using in the story is the fact that since they didn’t come up with the technology themselves, they don’t possess the discipline that comes with the mastery of the technology. There’s a certain discipline that is the direct side effect of the years that it takes to master something whether it’s drawing or genetic engineering or learning to play the guitar. There is a certain discipline that comes with that experience and whenever you come to a tool that enables you to have a short cut to the finished result, a synthesizer that enables you to reproduce an Eric Clapton solo, a computer program that enables you to fake an oil

Above: DC art director (and CBA contributor) Mark Chiarello (left) stares down a particularly nastylooking Adam Hughes in this comic con picture. AH deals with Chiarello for his memorable Wonder Woman covers. 35

painting, you end up with powerful skills without the common sense of the master’s hand. You can make it sound like an electric guitar solo, you can make it look like an oil painting, but it’s going to be missing something ineffable because the true hands of a master like Eric Clapton or an oil painter, there’s something in their brain that comes with the thousands and thousands of hours that it takes to master something that is not there in the brain of the person that makes something on the computer. That’s the thing you can’t shortcut, that’s the thing you can’t get somebody a pill and all of a sudden they instantly have the discipline and the experience of a genius. CBA: There is a realistic side, a negative side that you just described well about the computer revolution, is that it gave great power to people with little sense of responsibility. Adam: Thank you. That’s the exact term: Responsibility. Just because you can do a thing, it doesn’t mean you have to do a thing. The best artists in the world are those who know when to stop; they know the exact moment when any less would be too little, and any more would be too much. CBA: When I used to be an art director in advertising (forgive me), I would get interns in all the time to help out and I would challenge them to come up with concepts for ads. They would immediately jump on the computer, and I would literally go over, pull them away and tell them, “No, you cannot be on the computer. Now, that may

be your habit, but here you’re going to start by sketching first.” These art school students would look terrified and say, “But I don’t know how to sketch.” I would say, “You’re a graphic design major and you don’t know how to sketch?” I had to force it on them that first you have to learn to tame a flame before building a bonfire. There’s that sense of responsibility that you have to learn. A computer is enormously powerful. Sorry to spout off like this. Do you have high-speed Internet where you are? Adam: Yeah. The Internet is like the world’s largest reference library. I get a script or Mark tells me that in the next issue of Wonder Woman she’s going to have an ocelot. I need to figure out what an ocelot looks like. I can go to my library in the studio or go the Internet, use a search engine, type in “ocelot” and see what comes up. It’s just amazing. It’s the world’s largest reference library. It’s what the Internet was originally intended for, I guess: A vast interconnected network of knowledge. And the porn is fun. CBA: For you, the porn is sometimes used for reference? [laughter] Adam: I just did a Spider-Man illustration and was thinking, “I want to put a spider’s web in this piece.” Not the cartoon spider web Steve Ditko taught me how to draw. What does a spider web really look like? What are the visual cues that I can get from a spider web? So I went on the Internet, typed in “spider web,” and I went to a couple arachnophile sites, and was immediately able to look at the way a real spider web looks and how light plays across it, the way it hangs with drops of dew on it, and it gave me an idea about what I could do. It fueled more ideas, it informed the process. It’s the same as going to your local library. Also the thing I like about the Internet is that I cannot remember the last time I shipped something to a publisher. Because I have a high-speed connection and DC has the same, I’ve handed in my last 20 covers electronically. CBA: So FedEx is in serious trouble now? Adam: Well, you know. It saves money. DC doesn’t have to worry about returning the art. CBA: That takes away those excuses, doesn’t it? Adam: It does, but I’m creative. CBA: “I pushed F6 and the modem ate it.” [laughter] Adam: What gets me is that people will look at something on one of my computer colored covers and they will ask, “How did you do that? Oh, my God, how did you do that? You didn’t do that with Photoshop!” They are all over-thinking the plumbing. They don’t realize that what I am doing is so basic, so simple. A lot of the time people ask, “What filter is that?” It’s not a filter, you just have to learn painting techniques. You have to learn art. Here’s Step One: Go out and learn how to paint. Then come back and I’ll show you what to do with a computer in under 20 minutes. Nobody wants to learn to do that. They, as I say, want the F13 key. They want the Magic Phantom Key to do all the shortcuts. What I do on my Wonder Woman covers are the basic simple theories and principles that date back hundreds of years ago of oil painting and water color and so forth. I’m applying it with this new tool, and that’s all. When they think oil painting or watercolor, they’re thinking what filter is it that makes it looks like an oil painting. They are not understanding the application of color, the application of color theory. They don’t want to hear that. That’s one of the things that I hope that whatever turn this revolution takes, that we don’t forget about where we came from. CBA: It’s experience, having real world experience. Not everything is virtual. Sometimes you have to actually use your hands. Adam: I love talking craft. Talking about me, I joke about it because it’s not always pleasant or interesting talking about where I come from, but when I talk about craft I’ll go on all day. But then there a lot of times where I go, “I’m only 35. I haven’t been doing this that long. Do I really have anything substantial to contribute verbally at this point?” I still think that I’m at the point where I maybe should let the work speak for itself. Somebody like Dave Stevens, who’s been around the block enough that you go, “This guy’s stuff has got spark.” You read an interview with Norman Rockwell, you go, “This guys been around the block. He knows what he’s talking about. Let’s see what he has to say about art and the world that inspired him.” It’s unusual sometimes to be in the same situation and not go, “God, I hope I don’t come across as COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

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pretentious.” [laughter] You’ll see your words in print without the off the cuff sarcasm you used to deliver it and you go, “Wow, in print, I’m a pompous assh*le.” [laughter] CBA: I do it every issue. Thank God, I can usually edit myself and hopefully sound pretty lucid in print. Another guy whose star has really risen, and he may be the most successful comic book artist in the business today, if not ever, Alex Ross. Do you see lessons to be learned from him? Do you admire his work? Adam: Lessons to be learned from his actual work or his career? CBA: I guess, we are talking about two separate things. First, his work. Adam: His work, definitely. I think Alex is brilliant. He’s the ultimate of application of the naturalism that I was talking earlier. Alex’s artwork can never be confused with cartooning. Alex’s stuff goes all the way to convincing you that what you’re seeing is real. You really can believe that a man can fly and all that. Here you go and that’s what is really special about his work. I envy his passion. I really wish I had his passion and ambition. Apparently, he wakes up screaming every morning and runs to the drawing table and just produces. “Oh, I just did another graphic novel today.” I’m like, “F*ck! I just sharpened my pencil.” CBA: But while he’s working, he’s on the headset to his agent, too, you know. He’s a very pragmatic businessman, it seems. An industry unto himself. Adam: I envy him. He’s got his art figured out. Every day for me is a struggle. Every day is a dog-eat-dog, tooth-&-nail struggle to figure out where I am as an artist. I really think Alex figured out where he is as an artist a long time ago and just ran with it. He’s basically said, “This is who I am and I’m going to be the best ‘me’ there is.” He doesn’t seem to have any horrible insecurities or problems. Bastard. CBA: Could you have the discipline? Would you like to go that route? When I went to WizardWorld last year, it was amazing because he was such a brand presence. Everything was yellow. He had women with the yellow Polo shirts and it was Alex Ross all over the place. He was in his element with Wizard. Would you like to be more business conscious? Adam: If we’re going to talk, like, elves, leprechauns, and Adam Hughes being disciplined and producing a lot of work and being a sensible businessman, but of course. [laughter] Alex’s artwork is one of the things that make him who he is and the sort of pragmatism that gets him in trouble left and right with the press and his skills and business acumen that’s all part of the experience of Alex Ross. Unfortunately, the beverage known as Adam Hughes, some of the ingredients are sloth, lack of discipline, insecurity and, unfortunately, if you change any of these things that might make people happy but how much will that change me? At what point will I stop being the thing that I am? Not that I wouldn’t mind changing, I would love to be Joe Prolific. CBA: Do you see yourself in the same level as him? He’s known for the covers. He does does very symbolized art. Do you look at his material and admire it on that level too, that you are doing like material? Adam: Yeah, I do think that Alex and I don’t draw anything like each other, but the one thing we have in common is the same impulse. The same naturalistic impulse, I mean; I think I can convince August 2002

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people that this character is real. They don’t want to, they don’t have to use their imagination to have closure. CBA: Do you use models? Adam: Yeah, now that I’ve gotten into more illustrative type stuff. I’ve got to say this, it’s definitely fun to have a half-naked chick next to your drawing table while you’re chained to it drawing Wonder Woman. [laughter] CBA: Do you do use models at home or in the studio? Adam: In the studio. CBA: Is there a single Wonder Woman model? Adam: Nah, I’ve had several. When I started to get into the really painterly stuff where I was really getting serious with lighting and color theory and I just was trying to find an elbow with the right lighting in my morgue file, it’s really weird because there is this really weird stigma about working with models and working with life. Like, “You didn’t draw this, you copied this. I’m going to beat you up.” [laughter] Grade-school trauma, I guess. CBA: “You’re a big, old fake.” [laughter] Adam: “A phony!” [laughter] But Norman Rockwell and other brilliant artists worked and work from life all the time because it improved their craft and made them who they are. I’m less interested in cartooning and more interested in illustration at this point.

CBA: Returning to Alex, I look at his work and sometimes I dismiss it because I think, “Well, it’s not comics. It’s painting.” Other times I’m totally cool with it. But I can never deny Alex’s intense love of comics that’s at the core of the work and I get the same feeling from your work. Is that true? Do you love comics? Is it a part of you? Adam: That’s a question that I’ve been asking myself for about two years now. CBA: Could you walk away?

Adam: Maybe. CBA: Are there places to go? Adam: That’s why it’s a “maybe.” [laughter] If there was, this might be a moot point. I don’t know. I really don’t read a lot of comics any more and that bothers me. CBA: But the form? The medium, the art form? Adam: The form, I love. I have had opportunities to dive into other areas of art and haven’t done it. I really like this place where I am right now. CBA: I was definitely not talking about the industry. Have you ever taken any rap from feminists saying that you objectify women? Adam: Not really, though you’d think I would. You’d think I’d have burning bras raining down on me. But the feminists I’ve talked to will come up to me at conventions and say, “You know I really hate the way that women are portrayed in comics.” They give the whole deal and I’m waiting for the attack on my work, but they always end with something like, “But your stuff doesn’t offend me.” They tell me that there’s a spark in the eye or something that saves it from being pure exploitation and gratuitous. They say it’s titillation and that’s what I’m shooting for. I’m not sitting around going, “I love just crapping all over women and it’s just grommets and O-rings to me.” [maniacal laughter] “Turn the game on, boys, and let’s go objectify women.” It’s not my goal or motivation. You draw what you like and I like beautiful women. It’s weird because I did a poster of Heroines of the DC Universe for DC Comics a few years back and I was up there looking at proofs of the poster and this one woman who works there came up and said, “Oh, my God! Look at that. No woman is built like that.” She was pointing at the way I drew Catwoman. “No woman has a waist that small! Totally unreal.” This must have been a low blood sugar day for me. I didn’t have my Wheaties, I don’t know. I was just in a pissy mood and said, “You know what, I don’t look like Superman, but I don’t go around bitching about it.” [laughter] And it’s true. CBA: You look at Neal Adams’ work and then you meet the guy and he matches his work. You look at Dave Stevens’ art and then you meet the guy and he matches his work. I have to admit that when I met you I was surprised, because you did not look like your work, so to speak. You look like a pretty regular guy. Adam: Like Robert Duvall in Apocalypse Now, “Forget the ‘sir’ crap; I’m Bill Kilgore, I’m a goofy foot.” [laughter] That’s me all over. Even when I was in comics for a few years people expected me to already be in my thirties. CBA: Well, you’re still a punk. [laughs] COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

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This page: Pencil sketches by AH of characters from the UPN TV show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Word is that series honcho Josh Whedon dug these so much, he bought the original art! Pencil art ©2002 Adam Hughes. Characters and poster ©2002 UPN.

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This page: Preliminary design work of the Daily Planet gang by AH for the Gen13/Superman team-up, except for the Supergirl sketch, which was drawn for a Wizard cover featuring various super-heroines. Art ©2002 Adam Hughes. Characters ©2002 DC Comics.

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Above: AH’s original cover thumbnail for the first issue of the Gen13/Superman team-up. Below left: Wonder Woman head sketch by AH. Below right: Power Girl by AH pencil sketch. Gen13 ©2002 Wildstorm Productions, an imprint of DC Comics. Superman, Wonder Woman, Power Girl ©2002 DC Comics. Art ©2002 Adam Hughes.

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Inset: Nightcrawler rescues a WildC.A.T. in this AH pencil sketch for X-Men/WildC.A.T.s: The Modern Age. Art ©2002 Adam Hughes. Nightcrawler ©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc. WildC.A.T.s ©2002 Wildstorm Productions, an imprint of DC Comics.

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Inset: Penciled head portrait of CrossGeneration Comics character Scion. ©2002 CrossGen. This page: Yet another AH sketchbook page, again for X-Men/ WildC.A.T.s: The Modern Age. Art ©2002 Adam Hughes. Characters ©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc. 52

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This spread: AH sketchbook pages featuring the X-Men. Art ©2002 Adam Hughes. X-Men ©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc. Center inset: Gen13 beauty, Fairchild, in a pencil sketch by AH. Art ©2002 Adam Hughes. Fairchild ©2002 Wildstorm Productions, an imprint of DC Comics.

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This page: AH preliminary sketches and final cover art for Wonder Woman #184 cover, featuring Adam’s WW meeting the Golden Age heroine, as though drawn by H.G. Peter! Pencil art ©2002 Adam Hughes. Cover and characters ©2002 DC Comics. 56

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Heroine Addiction

The Adam Hughes Checklist The definitive index to the artwork of AH! by Larry Dempsey Compiled by Larry Dempsey [Many thanks to Larry Dempsey for permission to use his authoritative—and exhaustive—Adam Hughes checklist taken from his (currently without a home page) Web site. Kudos to Aussie Royd Burgoyne for his welcome help. Notes: r: means “reprinted from:”; tpb means “trade paperback”; hc means “hardcover”] #

DESCRIPTION/STORY TITLE

DATE

COMIC BOOKS & MAGAZINES A-1 TRUE LIFE BIKINI CONFIDENTIAL (Atomeka Press) 1 cover, pin-up 1990 ACTION MASTER (Evolution Comics) 2 cover pencils 1991 ALTER EGO (TwoMorrows) 9 pin-up (r: ’98 Heroes Con program book pin-up) 7/01 AMAZING HEROES (Fantagraphics) 136 pin-up 2/29/88 164 pin-up 5/1/89 189 cover AMAZING HEROES SWIMSUIT SPECIAL (Fantagraphics) 1 pin-ups 2 pin-ups 3 pin-up 6/92 AMAZING SPOOF HEROES SWIMSUIT ISSUE (Fantagraphics) 4 cover pencils 1993 BARBI TWINS SWIMSUIT COMIC ART CALENDAR (Topps) nn pin-up 1995 BATMAN CHRONICLES GALLERY (DC Comics) 1 back cover co-pencils/co-inks 5/97 BATMAN VERSUS PREDATOR (DC Comics/Dark Horse) 2 pin-up 1992 BATMAN VS. PREDATOR COLLECTED ED. (DC/Dark Horse) nn pin-up (r: Batman Versus Predator #2] 1993 BEST OF AMAZING HEROES SWIMSUIT SPEC. (Fantagraphics) nn cover, pin-ups BEST OF DARK HORSE PRESENTS (Dark Horse Comics) Vol. 3 (r: Dark Horse Presents #50) 1993 BIG BAD BLOOD OF DRACULA (Apple Comics) 2 “A Chronology of Dracula” 9/91 BLOOD OF DRACULA (Apple Comics) 4 5 “Count Dracula” pencils 8/88 7 “Count Dracula” pencils 10/88 8 “Count Dracula” pencils 11/88 9 “Count Dracula” pencils 1/89 10 “Count Dracula” pencils 3/89 11 “Count Dracula” pencils 5/89

CHASSIS (Millennium) 1 cover 1996 CHASSIS VOL. II (Hurricane Comics) 1 cover 6/98 CLASSIC STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (Dark Horse Comics) 2 cover 7/94 CLASSIC STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (Dark Horse Comics) nn boxed set edition tpb inside back cover 11/95 (r: Classic Star Wars: A New Hope #2 cover) CLASSIC STAR WARS: RETURN OF THE JEDI (Dark Horse) 1 cover 10/94 CLASSIC STAR WARS: RETURN OF THE JEDI (Dark Horse) nn Boxed set edition tpb inside back cover 11/95 (r: Classic Star Wars: Return of the Jedi #1 cover) COMICS GREATEST WORLD: GHOST (Dark Horse Comics) nn main story pencils***title? 6/93 CYNDER/NIRA X (Immortelle Studios)***listed only as Cynder 1 variant cover 1996 DANGER GIRL (Image Comics) 3 cover 8/98 DARK HORSE PRESENTS (Dark Horse Comics) 50 "Hip-Deep in the Consciousness Stream” 4/91 co-writer/pencils DEATH GALLERY (DC Comics) 1 pin-up 1994 DEATH HAWK (Adventure) 1 pencils***title? 5/88 DETECTIVES (Alpha Productions) 1 cover 4/93 DIRTY PAIR: RUN FROM THE FUTURE (Dark Horse Comics) 1 variant cover pencils 1/00 DOC SAVAGE: THE MANUAL OF BRONZE (Millennium) nn pin-up (r: Pat Savage: Woman of Bronze #1) 8/92 DRACULA IN HELL (Apple Comics) 2 cover pencils 3/92 THE DREAMING (DC Comics) 55 co-pencils/co-inks on pgs 10-11 12/00 DV8 (Image Comics) 1 cover pencils (“Pride”) 8/96 EAGLE (Crystal Publications) 6 pin-up (first published work) 6/87 9 background pencils 9/87 10 background pencils 10/87 11 background pencils 11/87 12 background pencils? 12/87 EAGLE: THE DARK MIRROR SAGA (Comic Zone) 1 cover 12/92 2 cover 2/92 3 cover 4/92 4 cover 7/92

ELEMENTALS VOL. 2 (Comico) 12 cover, interior pencils, back cover 2/90 17 cover 5/91 FLAXEN: ALTER EGO (Caliber Comics) 1 back cover 1995 FOX KIDS MAGAZINE nn? pin-up Win/99 nn? cover Spr/00 FRANK CHO: ILLUSTRATOR (Insight Studios Group) nn “Brush Strokes and Paint,” writer, chapter intro 6/00 (tpb & hc) GAMORRA SWIMSUIT SPECIAL (Image Comics) 1 pin-up 6/96 GATECRASHER: RING OF FIRE (Black Bull Entertainment) nn cover (tpb) 11/00 GEMINAR 72-PAGE SPECIAL (Image Comics) nn half-page art (pg. 68) 7/00 GEN13 BIKINI PIN-UP SPECIAL (Image Comics) nn pin-up 1997 GEN13 YEARBOOK ’97 (Image Comics) nn third-page art (pg. 40) 6/97 GEN13 : ORDINARY HEROES (Image Comics) 1 cover, interior: writer/pencils****story title? 2/96 2 cover pencils, writer/pencils****story title? GHOST (Dark Horse Comics) 1 cover, interior pencils 4/95 2 cover, interior pencils 5/95 3 cover pencils, interior pencils/co-inks (Ghost versus 6/95 Nemo seq.) 5 cover 8/95 6 cover 9/95 7 cover 10/95 GHOST HANDBOOK (Dark Horse Comics) nn cover, pin-up, back cover 8/99 GHOST SPECIAL (Dark Horse Comics) 1 cover 7/94 GHOST STORIES (Dark Horse Comics) nn cover, "Story One: I'm Already Dead" interior pencils,4/95 sketches (tpb r: Comics Greatest World: Ghost) GHOST/BATGIRL (Dark Horse Comics/DC Comics) 1 half-page art 8/00 GHOST: BLACK OCTOBER (Dark Horse Comics) nn (tpb r: Ghost #6 and 7 covers) 1/99 GHOST: NOCTURNES (Dark Horse Comics) nn (tpb r: Ghost #1 and 3) 5/96 G.I. JOE (Marvel Comics) 111 pin-up 4/91 GLAMOUR INTERNATIONAL 19 pin-up (r: Who’s Who in the DC Universe #4) 10/92

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Justice League America ©2002 DC Comics GREEN LANTERN CORPS QUARTERLY (DC Comics) 6 pin-up Fall/93 GUY GARDNER: WARRIOR (DC Comics) 25 pin-up 11/94 HAMMER OF THE GODS (Insight Studios Group) 3 cover****description? Date? HERO ALLIANCE Vol. 2 (Innovation) 3 cover, back cover 12/89 HOMAGE STUDIOS SWIMSUIT SPECIAL (Image Comics) 1 pin-up 4/93 JUST IMAGINE STAN LEE WITH… (DC Comics) DAVE GIBBONS CREATING GREEN LANTERN back cover 2001 GARY FRANK CREATING SHAZAM! back cover 2002 JIM LEE CREATING WONDER WOMAN back cover 2001 JERRY ORDWAY CREATING JLA back cover 2002 JOE KUBERT CREATING BATMAN back cover 2001 JOHN BUSCEMA CREATING SUPERMAN back cover 2001 JOHN BYRNE CREATING ROBIN back cover 2002 KEVIN MAGUIRE CREATING THE FLASH back cover 2001 JUSTICE LEAGUE AMERICA (DC Comics) 31 cover, interior pencils 10/89 32 cover pencils, interior pencils 11/89 33 cover, interior pencils 12/89 34 cover, interior pencils 1/90 35 cover, interior pencils 2/90 36 cover 3/90 37 cover, interior pencils 4/90 38 cover pencils, interior pencils 5/90 39 cover pencils, interior pencils 6/90 40 cover, interior pencils 7/90 41 cover 8/90 42 cover 9/90 43 cover pencils, interior pencils 10/90 44 cover pencils, interior pencils 11/90 45 cover pencils, interior pencils (pgs. 1, 2, 21, & 22) 12/90 46 cover pencils 1/91 47 cover pencils 2/91 48 cover pencils 3/91 49 cover pencils 4/91 50 cover pencils 5/91 51 cover pencils, interior pencils 6/91 52 cover pencils 7/91 JUSTICE LEAGUE QUARTERLY (DC Comics) 1 cover pencils Win/90 JUSTICE MACHINE (Millennium) 1 interior pencils 1992

JUSTICE MACHINE YEAR ONE (Millennium) nn (r: Justice Machine #1) LADY RAWHIDE (Topps Comics) 3 cover 11/95 LADY RAWHIDE SPECIAL EDITION (Topps Comics) 1 cover (r: Zorro #3 cover) 6/95 LEGENDS OF THE STARGRAZERS (Innovation) 1 cover, back cover 8/89 2 cover, back cover 9/89 3 cover, back cover 12/89 4 cover, back cover 2/90 5 cover, back cover 4/90 6 cover, back cover 6/90 LEGENDS OF THE STARGRAZERS: BOOK 1 (Innovation) 1 cover****tpb reprints ??? LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES (DC Comics) 100 interior co-pencils/co-inks (pg. 76) 1/98 LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES ANNUAL (DC Comics) 1 cover pencils 1990 6 pin-up 1995 LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES ARCHIVES Vol. 4 (DC Comics) nn cover (hc) LEGIONNAIRES (DC Comics) 7 cover, interior pencils 10/93 9 interior pencils (pgs. 16-20) 12/93 10 interior breakdowns (pgs. 10-17) 1/94 12 interior pencils (pgs. 1, 2, 7-10) 3/94 13 cover 4/94 14 cover 5/94 16 cover 7/94 50 cover 7/97 LIBERTY MEADOWS (Insight Studios Group) 20 cover LYCRA-WOMAN AND SPANDEX-GIRL (****publisher?) 1 pin-up pencils 12/92 LYCRA-WOMAN & SPANDEX-GIRL HALLOWEEN SPECIAL 1 cover MARVEL AGE (Marvel Comics) 129 cover 10/93 MARVEL SWIMSUIT SPECIAL (Marvel Comics) 1 two double-page pin-ups 1992 2 double-page pin-up, pin-up pencils 1993 3 cover, double-page pin-up, two pin-ups 1994 4 two pin-ups 1995

MAZE AGENCY (Comico #1-7, Innovation: #8-10, 12, 13, & 19) 1 cover pencils, interior pencils, back cover 12/88 2 cover pencils, interior pencils, back cover 1/89 3 cover pencils, interior pencils, back cover 2/89 4 cover pencils, interior pencils, back cover pencils 3/89 5 cover pencils, interior pencils, back cover pencils 4/89 6 cover pencils, back cover pencils 5/89 7 cover pencils, back cover pencils 6/89 8 cover pencils, interior pencils, double-page pin-up, 12/89 back cover pencils (r: Amazing Heroes #164 pin-up) 9 cover pencils, interior pencils, back cover pencils 2/90 10 cover pencils, back cover pencils 3/90 12 cover pencils, interior pencils, back cover pencils 5/90 13 cover pencils, back cover pencils 6/90 19 cover, back cover 3/91 MAZE AGENCY VOL. 2 (Caliber Comics) 3 cover 1998 MAZE AGENCY ANNUAL (Innovation) 1 interior pencils 1990 MAZE AGENCY MAZE BOOK (Innovation) 1 cover, inside front cover pencils, interior pencils/co-inks, pin-ups, inside back cover pencils, back cover pencils (tpb r: Maze Agency #1-4, #7, and #13 covers, #1-4 interiors, #13, #6, and #8 back covers, miscellaneous art from #8, #9, and #12, and Maze Agency Annual #1 story) MISTER MIRACLE (DC Comics) 19 cover 9/90 NAMOR, THE SUB-MARINER ANNUAL (Marvel Comics) 3 interior pencils (pgs. 1-4) 1993 NEW FRONTIERS (Evolution Comics) 2 cover pencils 1991 NEW MUTANTS (Marvel Comics) nn cover (graphic novel) 1994 NEW TITANS (DC Comics) 93 pin-up, double-page pin-up 12/92 NEXUS VOL. 2 (First Comics) 57 cover, interior pencils 6/89 NEXUS THE LIBERATOR (Dark Horse Comics) 1 cover 8/92 2 cover 9/92 4 cover 11/92 PAT SAVAGE: WOMAN OF BRONZE (Millennium) 1 pin-up 7/91 PENTHOUSE (Penthouse International) V.25 #3 interior pencils/co-inks (Young Capt. Adventure) 11/93

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PENTHOUSE COMIX (Penthouse International) 1 interior pencils/co-inks (Young Captain Adventure)5-6/94 (r: Penthouse V. 25, #3) 2 cover, interior (Young Captain Adventure) 7-8/94 3 interior pencils/inks? (Young Captain Adventure) 9-10/94 4 interior pencils (Young Captain Adventure) 11-12/94 5 interior breakdowns (Young Captain Adventure) 1-2/95 6 sketch 3-4/95 PENTHOUSE COMIX 1995 SPECIAL ISSUE (Penthouse Int’l) 1 interior pencils/co-inks (Young Captain Adventure) 1995 two pin-ups pencils (r: Penthouse Comix #1 story] PHANTOM LADY (Verotik) nn cover, inside front cover, pin-up, inside back cover (tpb) ’94 PLAYSTATION MAGAZINE (Imagine Media) V.2, #12 (#16) cover, two preliminary cover sketches 12/98 V.3, #3 (#19) preliminary cover sketch for 12/98 PSM 3/99 V.3, #12 (#28) interior: pencils (Holiday Buyers’ Guide ’99) 12/99 V.4, #7 (#35) cover (quarter-page art), pin-up 7/00 V.4, #8 (#36) interior co-illustrator (PSM’s Top Characters), 8/00 memory card sticker (r: PSM V.4, #7 pin-up) V.4, #11 (#39) cover, interior pin-up, three preliminary11/00 cover sketches) V.6, #3 (#56) cover, two preliminary cover sketches 3/02 PUNK AND HIS PALS SPECIAL (Absolute Comics) 1 pin-up RETURN TO JURASSIC PARK (Topps Comics) 9 interior (pg. 5) 2/96 ROLLING STONE (Wenner Media) 849 interior (pg. 134) 9/14/00 SABLE (First Comics) 19 cover 9/89 SALLY FORTH (Eros Comix) 8 cover 1/95 SAVAGE DRAGON (Image Comics) 4 interior pencils (“Rapture & Ricochet”), back cover 9/93 5 double-page pin-up 10/93 53 pin-up (r: Savage Dragon #84 trading card) 9/98 SAVAGE DRAGON: A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH (Image) nn (tpb r: Savage Dragon #4 story) SAVAGE DRAGON: SEX & VIOLENCE (Image Comics) 1 interior layouts, sketches, thumbnails 8/97 2 interior layouts, sketches, thumbnails 9/97

SCANDALS (Innovation) ? cover SCION: CONFLICT OF CONSCIENCE (CrossGeneration Comics) ? cover 5/01 SECRET FILES & ORIGINS GUIDE TO THE DC UNIVERSE 2000 (DC) V.1 interior pencils (pgs. 69-71) 3/00 SENSATIONAL SHE-HULK VOL. 2 (Marvel Comics) 50 interior writer/artist/letterer (two pages) 4/93 52 cover 6/93 SHI: SENRYAKU (Crusade Comics) Book III interior two pages 11/95 SHI: SENRYAKU COLLECTED EDITION VOL. 1 (Crusade Comics) V.1 interior (pgs. 76 and 77) (tpb & hc r: Shi: Senryaku Book III) SOLUTION (Malibu Comics) 5 interior (“The Stranger’s Origin”) 1/94 SPANDEX TIGHTS (Lost Cause Productions) 1 cover 9/94 SPECTRUM: THE BEST IN CONTEMPORARY FANTASTIC ART (Underwood Books) 5 interior one page (tpb & hc r: Voodoo #2 cover) 1998 6 interior one page (tpb & hc r: Playstation Mag. V.2, #12)’99 7 interior one page (tpb & hc r: Dirty Pair: Run from Future #1) SPOOF COMICS (Personality Comics) 1 color printing, cover 12/92 2 color printing, cover 1/93 4 cover 1993 5 cover 10/92 6 cover 11/92 7 cover 1992 STAR RANGERS (Adventure) 2 ??? 3 interior pencils (“Death Hawk: What Rough Beasts”) 12/87 STAR TREK: DEBT OF HONOR (DC Comics) nn interior pencils (graphic novel, tpb & hc) 1992 STAR TREK—THE MODALA IMPERATIVE (DC Comics) 1 cover pencils late 7/91 2 cover pencils early 8/91 3 cover pencils late 8/91 4 cover pencils early 9/91 STAR TREK: TNG—THE MODALA IMPERATIVE (DC Comics) 1 cover pencils late 7/91 2 cover pencils early 8/91 3 cover pencils late 8/91 4 cover pencils late 10/91

A STRANGER'S TALE (Vineyard Press) 3 cover ****date??? STRIKE FORCE LEGACY (Comico) 1 back cover (re: Elementals V.2 #17 cover) 10/93 SUPERMAN/GEN13 (WildStorm/DC Comics) 1 writer only 6/00 2 writer only 7/00 3 writer only 8/00 SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL GALLERY (DC Comics) 1 pin-up 12/95 TEAM TITANS (DC Comics) 1 interior pencils (“The High-Flying Origin of Redwing”) 9/92 TITANS SECRET FILES (DC Comics) 1 pin-up 3/99 TITANS SELL-OUT SPECIAL (DC Comics) 1 interior (pgs. 14-16) 11/92 TOMB RAIDER GALLERY (Image Comics) 1 pin-up, double-page pin-up 12/00 (r: Playstation Mag V.4, #7 pin-up and V.4, #11 cover) TOMB RAIDER MAGAZINE (Image Comics) 1 cover, cov. sketch, double-page pin-up (repeats cover) 6/01 TOMB RAIDER: JOURNEYS (Image Comics) 1B cover 1/02 2 cover 3/02 3 cover 5/02 TOMB RAIDER: THE SERIES (Image Comics) 18 cover 12/01 ULTRAVERSE ORIGINS (Malibu Comics) 1 interior (r: Solution #5) 1/94 VALOR (DC Comics) 8 cover 6/93 9 cover 7/93 10 cover 8/93 12 cover pencils 10/93 VAMPIRELLA (Harris Comics) 1 cover 11/92 2 cover 2/93 3 cover 3/93 VAMPIRELLA LIVES (Harris Comics) 2 alternate cover ***date? VAMPIRELLA PIN-UP SPECIAL (Harris Comics) 1 cover, double-page pin-up (same as cover) 10/95 Spoof Comics ©2002 the respective copyright holder

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August 2002

WILDSTORM FINE ARTS: THE GALLERY COLLECTION (Image) nn interior pgs. 70 (1/2 pg.), 72 (1/2 pg.), 92 (1/2 pg.), 12/98 93, 102 (1/2 pg.), 105, & 173; pencils pgs. 78, 81, 82 (1/3 pg.), and 96 (1/2 pg.) (r: Danger Girl #3 cover; DV8 #1 (“Pride”) cover; Gen13: Ordinary Heroes #1 cover, pgs. 2 and 3; Gamorra Swimsuit Special #1 pin-up; Voodoo #2 and 4 covers; Gen13 #29 trading card; Gen13 Chromium Cards #53 trading card; and Wildstorm Swimsuit Special #1 trading cards.) WILDSTORM SUMMER SPECIAL (WildStorm/DC Comics) nn cover 2001 WILDSTORM SWIMSUIT SPECIAL (Image Comics) 1 double-page pin-up pencils 12/94 WILDSTORM THUNDERBOOK (WildStorm) 1 interior writer/pencils (“Wham!”) 10/00 WILDSTORM ULTIMATE SPORTS OFFICIAL PROGRAM (Image) 1 pin-up (r: Gen13 Yearbook ’97 art) 8/97 WINDSOR (Win-Mill Productions) 3 double-page pin-up 7/93 WIZARD: THE GUIDE TO COMICS (Wizard Press) 83 cover 7/98 WIZARD: THE GUIDE TO COMICS (Wizard Entertainment) 94 cover, interior pencils (“Basic Training”) 6/99 129 cover (2 of 2) 6/02 WIZARD POSTERMANIA (Wizard Entertainment) nn cover reprints? 1999 nn cover reprints? 2000 nn (r: Tomb Raider: Journeys #1B cover) 2002 WIZARD'S SPIDER-MAN SPECIAL (Wizard Entertainment) nn pin-up (“Unusual Suspects: The Boyfriend”) 2002 WIZARD'S TOP COW SPECTACULAR (Wizard Entertainment) nn double-page pin-up, pin-up (r: Tomb Raider 2001 Magazine #1 cover and Tomb Raider: Journeys #1B cover) WONDER WOMAN (DC Comics) 50 pin-up 1/91 139 cover 12/98 140 cover 1/99 141 cover 2/99 142 cover 3/99 143 cover 4/99 144 cover 5/99 145 cover 6/99 146 cover 7/99 150 cover 11/99 151 cover 12/99 152 cover 1/00

153 cover 2/00 154 cover 3/00 155 cover 4/00 156 cover 5/00 157 cover 6/00 158 cover 7/00 159 cover 8/00 160 cover 9/00 161 cover 10/00 164 cover 1/01 165 cover 2/01 166 cover 3/01 167 cover 4/01 168 cover 5/01 169 cover 6/01 170 cover 7/01 171 cover 8/01 172 cover 9/01 173 cover 10/01 174 cover 11/01 176 cover 1/02 177 cover 2/02 178 cover 3/02 WONDER WOMAN SECRET FILES (DC Comics) V.2 cover, pin-up 7/99 WONDER WOMAN: GODS OF GOTHAM (DC Comics) nn cover, pin-ups (r: Wonder Woman #164-167 covers) 2001 X-MEN ANNUAL (Marvel Comics) 1 co-pencils (“The Slaves of Destiny, Shattershot Pt. 1”) 1992 X-MEN CLASSIC (Marvel Comics) 71 cover 5/92 72 cover 6/92 73 cover 7/92 74 cover 8/92 75 cover 9/92 76 cover 10/92 77 cover 11/92 78 cover 12/92 79 cover 1/93 X-MEN POSTER MAGAZINE (Marvel Comics) 1 double-page pin-up (r: X-Men Classic #79 cover) 1992 3 pin-up (r: X-Men: The Early Years #3 cover) 1994 4 pin-up (r: X-Men: The Early Years #12 cover) 1995 X-MEN: THE EARLY YEARS (Marvel Comics) 3 cover 7/94 12 cover 4/95 15 cover 7/95

VAMPIRELLA STRIKES ANNUAL (Harris Comics) 1 cover 12/96 VAMPIRELLA/DRACULA: THE CENTENNIAL (Harris Comics) nn pin-up (r: Vampirella #2 cover) 10/97 VAMPIRELLA/SHI (Harris Comics/Crusade Comics) 1 cover 9/97 VAMPIRELLA: DEATH & DESTRUCTION (Harris Comics) 2 cover 8/96 VAMPIRELLA: DEATH & DESTRUCTION (Harris Comics) nn page (tpb r: Vampirella Death & Destruction #1 cov.)12/96 VENGEANCE OF VAMPIRELLA (Harris Comics) 6 cover 9/94 7 cover 10/94 10 cover 1/95 VOODOO (Image Comics) 2 cover 12/97 3 cover 1/98 4 cover 3/98 VOODOO: DANCING IN THE DARK (WildStorm/DC Comics) nn three pgs., back cover (tpb r: Voodoo #2-4 covers) ’99 WARRIORS (Adventure) 1 interior pencils (Sultar: "Two Sides of the Man")11/87 2 interior pencils (Shadowlok: “The Contest”) 12/87 3 interior pencils (Sultar: “Demon Smoke”) 3/88 WHO'S WHO IN THE DC UNIVERSE (DC Comics) 1 pin-up 8/90 2 pin-up pencils 9/90 3 pin-up 10/90 4 pin-up 11/90 5 pin-up pencils 12/90 7 cover pencils, pin-up pencils 2/91 11 pin-up pencils 7/91 13 pin-up 9-10/91 14 pin-up 11/91 THE WILD WILD WEST (Millennium) 1 cover 10/90 WILDC.A.T.S/X-MEN (Image Comics/Marvel Comics) nn interior pencils (tpb r: WildC.A.T.s/X-Men: 12/98 The Modern Age #1 cover and interior) WILDC.A.T.S/X-MEN: THE MODERN AGE (Image/Marvel) 1 cover, interior pencils 8/97 WILDC.A.T.S/X-MEN: THE MODERN AGE (Image/Marvel) 1 3-D (r: WildC.A.T.s/X-Men: The Modern Age #1) 12/98

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COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS: THE ORPHEUS TRILOGY (Topps) 1 cover, double-page pin-up (same as cover) 3/98 XXXENOPHILE (Palliard Press) 4 interior inks (“Now Museum Now You Don't”) 2/91 XXXENOPHILE COLLECTION (Palliard Press) V.2 cover inks, interior inks (tpb r: Xxxenophile #4) 8/97 XYBER 9 ? cover ***date?? YOUNG INDIANA JONES CHRONICLES (Dark Horse?/Disney?) 1 interior two pages ***date?? ZORRO (Topps Comics) 3 cover 3/94 ZORRO: THE LADY WEARS RED (Image Comics) nn cover (tpb r: Zorro #3 cover) 12/98 ARTICLES & INTERVIEWS ADVANCE COMICS (Capital City Distribution) 76 back cover, interview w/accompanying art, sketch 4/95 (r: Ghost #1 cover) AMAZING HEROES (Fantagraphics) 154 cover pencils, article w/accompanying art, two 12/1/88 character sketches (r: Maze Agency #2 & 3 covers, #2 back cover, and miscellaneous art from #1 & 2) 190 cover, interview, sketchbook 5/91 AMAZING HEROES INTERVIEWS (Fantagraphics) 2 interview, pin-up 1993 COMICS INTERVIEW (Fictioneer Press) 150 interview w/miscellaneous illustrations 1995 DARK HORSE INSIDER (Dark Horse Comics) 40 cover, interview w/accompanying art (r: cover and 4/95 miscellaneous art from Ghost #1) DIRECT CURRENTS (DC Comics) 23 ? ***date?? INSIDE COMICS (Double Barrel Productions) 3 article w/Gaijin Studios, sketch, photos 8/92 NEWSLETTER OF ARTISTIC INFLUENCE (The Independent Press) 18 interview, sketches 12/98 PREVIEWS (Diamond Comic Distributors) V.5, #2 back cover, interview w/accompanying art, 2/95 sketches (r: Ghost #1 cover and Ghost Stories #1 cover and sketch) SPECTRUM (Win-Mill Productions) 4 interview w/accompanying art, unpublished art and 7/95 sketches, checklist, photo, back cover (r: Ghost #1 cover;

G.I. Joe #111 pin-up; Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #6 pin-up; miscellaneous art from Warriors #3; Catwoman Tshirt art; DC Cosmic Teams #90 trading card; Creators Universe #001 and #036 trading cards; Marvel business card (Dana Moreshead); and Marvel Christmas card 1990) UP ’N’ COMING (Styx Publications) 41 article w/accompanying art, unpublished art, checklist 6/94 WIZARD (Wizard Press) 45 interview w/accompanying art, photos (r: Classic 5/95 Star Wars: Return of the Jedi #1 cover; Ghost #1 cover; Ghost Stories #1 cover; Vampirella #2 cover; and miscellaneous art from Penthouse V.25, #3) POSTERS CHASSIS (Hurricane Comics) nn (r: Chassis V.2, #1 cover) 1998? DV8 (Image Comics) nn promo pencils (r: DV8 #1 (“Pride”) cover) 1996 GEN13 FAIRCHILD (WildStorm) 1998? GEN13 RAINMAKER (WildStorm) nn (r: Gen13 Chromium Cards #53 trading card) 1996 GHOST (Dark Horse Comics) nn (r: Ghost Stories #1 cover) 1997 GHOST LIMITED EDITION LITHOGRAPH (Dark Horse Comics) nn (r: Ghost Stories #1 cover) 1997 HEROES AREN'T HARD TO FIND nn promotional, co-pencils ? HEROES CONVENTION 1994 nn promotional, co-pencils LIMITED EDITION IRIS PRINT X-MEN (Marvel Comics) LYCRA-WOMAN AND SPANDEX-GIRL HALLOWEEN SPECIAL nn (r: Lycra-Woman and Spandex-Girl Halloween 1997 Special #1 cover) PENTHOUSE COMIX (Penthouse International) nn (r: Penthouse Comix #2 cover) ?? PENTHOUSE COMIX (Penthouse International) nn promotional ?? STAR TREK: DEBT OF HONOR (DC Comics) nn promotional, pencils (r: miscellaneous art from 1992 Star Trek: Debt of Honor) ULTRAVERSE/MANTRA (Malibu Comics) nn promotional 1993 VAMPIRELLA'S SCARLET LEGION FAN CLUB (Harris Comics) nn (r: Vampirella #2 cover)

WIZARD (Wizard Press) nn promotional (r: Vampirella Pin-Up Special #1 cover) WIZARD (Wizard Entertainment) nn promotional (r: Wizard #94 cover) WOMEN OF THE DC UNIVERSE (DC Comics) WONDER WOMAN (DC Comics/DC Direct) nn (r: Wonder Woman #150 cover)

1992 1999 1993 2000

T-SHIRTS BATBABE (Personality Comics) (r: Spoof Comics #2 cover) CATWOMAN (DC Comics/Graphitti Designs) 1995 FAIRCHILD VS. SKIN (r: Marvel vs. Wildstorm #61 trading card) GEN13 (WildStorm) 1995 GHOST (r: Ghost #3 cover) GHOST (r: Ghost Stories cover) 1995 HEROES CONVENTION 1994 art jam w/Gaijin Studios NIGHTCRAWLER (Marvel Comics/Graphitti Designs) [reprints WildC.A.T.s/X-Men: The Modern Age #1 art)1999 PENTHOUSE COMIX (Penthouse/Graphitti Designs) (r: Penthouse Comix promo poster) PENTHOUSE COMIX: HERICANE (Penthouse/Graphitti Designs) (r: Penthouse Comix #2 cover) 1995 SPIDER-FEMME (Personality Comics) (r: Spoof Comics #1 cover) 1995 VAMPIRELLA IV (Harris Comics/Graphitti Designs) (r: Vampirella #2 cover) TRADING CARDS ALIENS/PREDATOR UNIVERSE (Dark Horse Comics/Topps) promotional 1993 ALIENS/PREDATOR UNIVERSE (Dark Horse Comics/Topps) 46 1993 AVENGELYNE (WildStorm/Maximum Press) 15 1996 BATMAN VS. PREDATOR (DC Comics/Dark Horse Comics) bound in Batman vs. Predator #3; uncut sheet 1991 (r: Batman vs. Predator #2 pin-up)

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

August 2002

SATANIKA ? SAVAGE DRAGON (Image) 84 1997 SHI CHROMIUM CARDS (Crusade Comics) 68 (r: Shi: Senryaku Book III art) 1996 SPAWN CHROMIUM CARDS (Image Comics) 68, 85 1996 SPIDER-MAN (Marvel Comics/Fleer) 1994 73-81 inks SPOOF COMICS (Personality Comics) Justice Broads (r: Spoof Comics #6 cover) Superbabe (r: Spoof Comics #4 cover) X-Babes (r: Spoof Comics #7 cover) Swimsuit Special (r: Amazing Spoof Heroes Swimsuit #4 cov) ULTRAVERSE (Malibu Comics/SkyBox) C5 promotional, polybagged with Mantra #1) 1993 ULTRAVERSE SERIES I (Malibu Comics/SkyBox) 85 (r: Ultraverse C5 promo card) 1993 VAMPIRELLA (Harris Comics/Topps) 53 (r: Vengeance of Vampirella #10 cover) 1995 61 (r: Vampirella #1 cover) 63 (r: Vampirella #3 cover) 64 (r: Vampirella #2 cover) 68 (r: Vengeance of Vampirella #6 cover) 75 back only (r: Vengeance of Vampirella #7 cover) VAMPIRELLA GALLERY (Harris Comics/Topps) 1 (r: Vampirella Pin-Up Special cover) 1995 WILDC.A.T.S (WildStorm/Topps) 83 1993 WILDC.A.T.S. CHROMIUM CARDS (Wildstorm) 65 1994 WILDSTORM PREMIUM SIGNATURE SERIES (Wildstorm) 8 WILDSTORM SULTRY SUMMER (Wildstorm) 3 WILDSTORM SWIMSUIT (Wildstorm) 42 (pencils), 50 (pencils), 92 (pencils) 1996 WILDSTORM ULTIMATE SPORTS ? WILDSTORMS: …COLLECTIBLE CARD GAME (Wildstorm) Ricochet (r: art from Savage Dragon #4 back cover) 1996

XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS SERIES II (Topps) 67 (r: Xena: Warrior Princess—The Orpheus Trilogy #1 cover)’98 MISCELLANEOUS ART OF WILDSTORM 1997 CALENDAR (Wildstorm) February art 1996 CAPITAL CITY DISTRIBUTION 1995 CALENDAR (r: Ghost Stories #1 cover) 1994 COMICS' GREATEST WORLD: SOURCEBOOK (Dark Horse) nn interior pencils (pg. 13), sketch (r: page from Comics 3/93 Greatest World: Ghost) COUNTDOWN TO ULTRAVERSE (Malibu Comics) promotional flyer, interior (pg. 8), back cover DC UNIVERSE ROLEPLAYING GAME (West End Games/Yeti) pin-up (r: Wonder Woman Secret Files V.2 cover) 1999 DIRECT CURRENTS (DC Comics) 53 interior pencils (Star Trek: Debt of Honor promo art) 8/92 FANTASTIC FOUR POSTCARD (Marvel Comics) FLAXEN TRADING CARD BOX SET COVER (r: Flaxen: Alter Ego #1 back cover) GAIJIN STUDIOS PORTFOLIO “Sushi” print 1992 GAIJIN STUDIOS BLANC NOIR HEROES CON PORTFOLIO “adam hughes’ no one” print 1996 GEN13: ORDINARY HEROES LIM. ED. COLL. PORT. (Wildstorm) (r: Gen13 T-shirt) 1996 GHOST ACTION FIGURE (Dark Horse Comics) comic book insert cover (regular, chrome, and 1998 glow-in-the-dark versions) GHOST ZIPPO LIGHTER (Dark Horse Comics/Zippo) (r: Ghost Handbook cover art) 2000 HEROES CON PROGRAM BOOK (HEROES AREN'T HARD TO FIND) cover, double-page pin-up 1990 pin-up/promo art 1991 two pin-ups (r: Pat Savage: Woman of Bronze #1 pin-up) ’92 two pin-ups (r: DC Cosmic Teams #90 trading card) 1993 pin-up, back cover co-pencils (r: Classic Star Wars: 1994 Return of the Jedi #1 cover) pin-up (r: Catwoman T-shirt) 1995 two pin-ups (r: Gen13 T-shirt and Cyberforce #51 1996 trading card) pin-up (r: WildC.A.T.s/X-Men: The Modern Age #1 cov)’97 pin-up 1998 pin-up 1999 double-page pin-up: co-pencils/co-inks? 2000

C-23, JIM LEE'S (Wizards of The Coast) 19 COMICS' GREATEST WORLD (Dark Horse Comics) 10, 13, M2 CREATORS UNIVERSE (Dynamic Entertainment) CL2 promotional 1993 CREATORS UNIVERSE (Dynamic Entertainment) 001, 036 (r: Creators Universe CL2 promo card) 1993 CYBERFORCE (Top Cow/Intrepid) 51 1996 DARK HORSE PRESENTS: GHOST (Dark Horse/Comic Images) P2 promotional 1997 DARK HORSE PRESENTS: GHOST (Dark Horse/Comic Images) 3, 4 (pencils), 12-16 (pencils), 37 (pencils), 65 1997 DC COSMIC TEAMS (DC COMICS/SKYBOX) 85, 90, 92, 97 1993 DEATHWATCH 2000 (Continuity Comics) 1 Ms. Mystic (polybagged with random copies of 1993 Armor Deathwatch 2000 #1, Cyberad Deathwatch 2000 #1, Urth 4 Deathwatch 2000 #1, Hybrids Deathwatch 2000 #1, Megalith Deathwatch 2000 #1, and Ms. Mystic Deathwatch 2000 #1) GEN13 (WildStorm) 29 1996 GEN13 CHROMIUM CARDS (WildStorm) 53 1995 GEN13 CLASSIC (WildStorm) ? (r: Gen13 Chromium Cards #53 trading card) GEN13 POWER PACK (WildStorm) 49 1998 JACK KIRBY'S TEENAGENTS (Topps Comics) 0 (Aurik) (polybagged with Jack Kirby’s Secret City Saga #4)1993 LADY DEATH CHROMIUM CARDS SERIES I (Chaos/Krome) 3 chase card 1994 MADMAN X 50 BUBBLEGUM CARDS II (Dark Horse/Legend) 10 10/96 MAGNUS ROBOT FIGHTER (Valiant) 11 bound in Magnus Robot Fighter #8; uncut sheet 1/92 MALLRATS: MOVIE & COMIC ART TRADING CARDS (Bacon & Eggs) 78 1995 MARVEL VS. WILDSTORM (Marvel/Wildstorm/Fleer/SkyBox) 61 pencils 1997

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COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

cover co-pencils/co-inks, pin-up (r: Tomb Raider 2001 Magazine #1 cover) JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL BUTTON SET (DC Comics) three buttons, pencils (r: Justice League America 1990 #31 & 32 art) LADY DEATH POG 3 LEGENDS OF THE STARGRAZERS PORTFOLIO (Innovation) (r: Legends of the Stargazers #1-6 covers) 1990 MALIBU SUN (Malibu Comics) 27 character design (r: Ultraverse/Mantra promo poster) 7/93 MARVEL BUSINESS CARD (Marvel Comics) Dana Moreshead 1991 MARVEL CHRISTMAS CARD (Marvel Comics) 1990 NEWSLETTER OF ARTISTIC INFLUENCE (The Independent Press) 16 cover 9/98 OVERSTREET COMIC BOOK PRICE GUIDE (Avon Books) V.21 interior (pg. A175), pencils (pg. 473) 1991

PENTHOUSE COMIX (Penthouse International) nn interior pencils/co-inks (Young Captain Adventure) (ashcan) PENTHOUSE COMIX MAGNET SET PRO'S GUIDE TO COMIC ART TECHNIQUES (Whiz-Bang Prod.) instructional video 1999 SHOTLOOSE postcard STAR WARS/PRINCESS LEIA MODEL (D-Boy/Polydata) packaging art 1998 STAR WARS INVASION OF THEED ADVENTURE GAME (Wizards of the Coast) packaging art (r: Star Wars Roleplaying Game Free 2000 Sneak Preview cover) STAR WARS ROLEPLAYING GAME FREE SNEAK PREVIEW (Wizards of the Coast) cover, six character designs 2000 VAMPIRELLA: DEATH & DESTRUCTION PREVIEW ASHCAN (Harris) 1 4/96

VAMPIRELLA 1995 CALENDAR (Harris Comics) (r: Vampirella #1-3 covers) 1994 VAMPIRELLA 1996 CALENDAR (Harris Comics) (r: Vengeance of Vampirella #7 & 10 covers) 1995 VAMPIRELLA MASTERVISIONS COLL. CARDS (Harris/Topps) 19 (r: Vengeance of Vampirella #10 cover) 1995 20 (r: Vampirella #3 cover) WILDSTORM 1996 SWIMSUIT CALENDAR WILDSTORM STICKERS (Wildstorm) 4 pencils (r: Gen13: Ordinary Heroes art) 1997 WONDER WOMAN PLATE (DC Comics/Warner Bros. Gallery) 1996 X-MEN POSTCARD (r: X-Men Classic #72 cover) Special thanks to: Will Allred, André St. Aubin, Jeffrey Bartoletti, Royd Burgoyne, James Cushman, Ray Cuthbert, Thierry Felip, Casey Jones, Nigel Lowrey, Craig Miller, Jennifer Murray, and Michael Oachs for help with the checklist.—Larry Dempsey

The Storyteller’s Story Official Selection in over 25 film festivals worldwide “The best comics bio I’ve ever seen… It’s wonderful, well done.” Brian Michael Bendis “An essential doc for comics fans, ‘Portrait’ will also enlighten the curious.” John DeFore, Austin American-Statesman “Entertaining and insightful. A great film about a visionary artist!” Jeffrey Katzenberg Arguably the most influential person in American comics, Will Eisner, as artist, entrepreneur, innovator, and visual storyteller, enjoyed a career that encompassed comic books from their early beginnings in the 1930s to their development as graphic novels in the 1990s. During his sixty-year-plus career, Eisner introduced the now-traditional mode of comic book production; championed mature, sophisticated storytelling; was an early advocate for using the medium as a tool for education; pioneered the now-popular graphic novel, and served as inspiration for generations of artists. Without a doubt, Will Eisner was the godfather of the American comic book. The award-winning full-length feature film documentary includes interviews with Eisner and many of the foremost creative talents in the U.S., including Kurt Vonnegut, Michael Chabon, Jules Feiffer, Jack Kirby, Art Spiegelman, Frank Miller, Stan Lee, Gil Kane, and others.

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The forerunner to COMIC BOOK CREATOR, CBA is the 2000-2004 Eisner Award winner for BEST COMICS-RELATED MAG! Edited by CBC’s JON B. COOKE, it features in-depth articles, interviews, and unseen art, celebrating the lives and careers of the great comics artists from the 1970s to today. ALL BACK ISSUES NOW AVAILABLE AS DIGITAL EDITIONS FOR $3.95 FROM www.twomorrows.com!

TwoMorrows Publishing 10407 Bedfordtown Drive Raleigh, NC 27614 USA • 919-449-0344 E-mail: store@twomorrowspubs.com

Order online at www.twomorrows.com COMIC BOOK ARTIST COLLECTION, VOLUME 3 Reprinting the Eisner Award-winning COMIC BOOK ARTIST #7-8 (spotlighting 1970s Marvel and 1980s indies), plus over 30 NEW PAGES of features and art! New PAUL GULACY portfolio, MR. MONSTER scrapbook, the story behind MARVEL VALUE STAMPS, and more! New MICHAEL T. GILBERT cover! (224-page trade paperback) $24.95 • ISBN: 9781893905429

#3: ADAMS AT MARVEL #4: WARREN PUBLISHING

#5: MORE DC 1967-74

#1: DC COMICS 1967-74

#2: MARVEL 1970-77

Era of “Artist as Editor” at National: New NEAL ADAMS cover, interviews, art, and articles with JOE KUBERT, JACK KIRBY, CARMINE INFANTINO, DICK GIORDANO, JOE ORLANDO, MIKE SEKOWSKY, ALEX TOTH, JULIE SCHWARTZ, and many more! Plus ADAMS thumbnails for a forgotten Batman story, unseen NICK CARDY pages from a controversial Teen Titans story, unpublished TOTH covers, and more!

STAN LEE AND ROY THOMAS discussion about Marvel in the 1970s, ROY THOMAS interview, BILL EVERETT’s daughter WENDY and MIKE FRIEDRICH on Everett, interviews with GIL KANE, BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH, JIM STARLIN, STEVE ENGLEHART, MIKE PLOOG, STERANKO’s Unknown Marvels, the real origin of the New X-Men, Everett tribute cover by GIL KANE, and more!

(80-page magazine) SOLD OUT (Digital Edition) $3.95

(76-page magazine) SOLD OUT (Digital Edition) $3.95

#6: MORE MARVEL ’70s #7: ’70s MARVELMANIA

NEAL ADAMS interview about his work at Marvel Comics in the 1960s from AVENGERS to X-MEN, unpublished Adams covers, thumbnail layouts for classic stories, published pages BEFORE they were inked, and unused pages from his NEVER-COMPLETED X-MEN GRAPHIC NOVEL! Plus TOM PALMER on the art of inking Neal Adams, ADAMS’ MARVEL WORK CHECKLIST, & ADAMS wraparound cover!

Definitive JIM WARREN interview about publishing EERIE, CREEPY, VAMPIRELLA, and other fan favorites, in-depth interview with BERNIE WRIGHTSON with unpublished Warren art, plus unseen art, features and interviews with FRANK FRAZETTA, RICHARD CORBEN, AL WILLIAMSON, JACK DAVIS, ARCHIE GOODWIN, HARVEY KURTZMAN, ALEX NINO, and more! BERNIE WRIGHTSON cover!

More on DC COMICS 1967-74, with art by and interviews with NICK CARDY, JOE SIMON, NEAL ADAMS, BERNIE WRIGHTSON, MIKE KALUTA, SAM GLANZMAN, MARV WOLFMAN, IRWIN DONENFELD, SERGIO ARAGONÉS, GIL KANE, DENNY O’NEIL, HOWARD POST, ALEX TOTH on FRANK ROBBINS, DC Writer’s Purge of 1968 by MIKE BARR, JOHN BROOME’s final interview, and more! CARDY cover!

Unpublished and rarely-seen art by, features on, and interviews with 1970s Bullpenners PAUL GULACY, FRANK BRUNNER, P. CRAIG RUSSELL, MARIE and JOHN SEVERIN, JOHN ROMITA SR., DAVE COCKRUM, DON MCGREGOR, DOUG MOENCH, and others! Plus never-beforeseen pencil pages to an unpublished Master of Kung-Fu graphic novel by PAUL GULACY! Cover by FRANK BRUNNER!

Featuring ’70s Marvel greats PAUL GULACY, JOHN BYRNE, RICH BUCKLER, DOUG MOENCH, DAN ADKINS, JIM MOONEY, STEVE GERBER, FRANK SPRINGER, and DENIS KITCHEN! Plus: a rarely-seen Stan Lee P.R. chat promoting the ’60s Marvel cartoon shows, the real trials and tribulations of Comics Distribution, the true story behind the ’70s Kung Fu Craze, and a new cover by PAUL GULACY!

(60-page magazine) SOLD OUT (Digital Edition) $3.95

(116-page magazine) SOLD OUT (Digital Edition) $3.95

(100-page magazine) SOLD OUT (Digital Edition) $3.95

(96-page magazine) SOLD OUT (Digital Edition) $3.95

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#10: WALTER SIMONSON

#11: ALEX TOTH AND SHELLY MAYER

#8: ’80s INDEPENDENTS

#9: CHARLTON PART 1

#12: CHARLTON PART 2

Major independent creators and their fabulous books from the early days of the Direct Sales Market! Featured interviews include STEVE RUDE, HOWARD CHAYKIN, DAVE STEVENS, JAIME HERNANDEZ, MICHAEL T. GILBERT, DON SIMPSON, SCOTT McCLOUD, MIKE BARON, MIKE GRELL, and more! Plus plenty of rare and unpublished art, and a new STEVE RUDE cover!

Interviews with Charlton alumni JOE GILL, DICK GIORDANO, STEVE SKEATES, DENNIS O’NEIL, ROY THOMAS, PETE MORISI, JIM APARO, PAT BOYETTE, FRANK MCLAUGHLIN, SAM GLANZMAN, plus ALAN MOORE on the Charlton/ Watchmen Connection, DC’s planned ALLCHARLTON WEEKLY, and more! DICK GIORDANO cover!

Career-spanning SIMONSON INTERVIEW, covering his work from “Manhunter” to Thor to Orion, JOHN WORKMAN interview, TRINA ROBBINS interview, also Trina, MARIE SEVERIN and RAMONA FRADON talk shop about their days in the comics business, MARIE SEVERIN interview, plus other great women cartoonists. New SIMONSON cover!

Interviews with ALEX TOTH, Toth tributes by KUBERT, SIMONSON, JIM LEE, BOLLAND, GIBBONS and others, TOTH on continuity art, TOTH checklist, plus SHELDON MAYER SECTION with a look at SCRIBBLY, interviews with Mayer’s kids (real-life inspiration for SUGAR & SPIKE), and more! Covers by TOTH and MAYER!

CHARLTON COMICS: 1972-1983! Interviews with Charlton alumni GEORGE WILDMAN, NICOLA CUTI, JOE STATON, JOHN BYRNE, TOM SUTTON, MIKE ZECK, JACK KELLER, PETE MORISI, WARREN SATTLER, BOB LAYTON, ROGER STERN, and others, ALEX TOTH, a NEW E-MAN STRIP by CUTI AND STATON, and the art of DON NEWTON! STATON cover!

(108-page magazine) SOLD OUT (Digital Edition) $3.95

(112-page magazine) SOLD OUT (Digital Edition) $3.95

(112-page magazine) $6.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

(108-page magazine) SOLD OUT (Digital Edition) $3.95

(112-page magazine) $6.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

#13: MARVEL HORROR

#14: TOWER COMICS & WALLY WOOD

#15: 1980s VANGUARD & DAVE STEVENS

#16: ATLAS/SEABOARD COMICS

#17: ARTHUR ADAMS

1970s Marvel Horror focus, from Son of Satan to Ghost Rider! Interviews with ROY THOMAS, MARV WOLFMAN, GENE COLAN, TOM PALMER, HERB TRIMPE, GARY FRIEDRICH, DON PERLIN, TONY ISABELLA, and PABLOS MARCOS, plus a Portfolio Section featuring RUSS HEATH, MIKE PLOOG, DON PERLIN, PABLO MARCOS, FRED HEMBECK’S DATELINE, and more! New GENE COLAN cover!

Interviews with Tower and THUNDER AGENTS alumni WALLACE WOOD, LOU MOUGIN, SAMM SCHWARTZ, DAN ADKINS, LEN BROWN, BILL PEARSON, LARRY IVIE, GEORGE TUSKA, STEVE SKEATES, and RUSS JONES, TOWER COMICS CHECKLIST, history of TIPPY TEEN, 1980s THUNDER AGENTS REVIVAL, and more! WOOD cover!

Interviews with ’80s independent creators DAVE STEVENS, JAIME, MARIO, AND GILBERT HERNANDEZ, MATT WAGNER, DEAN MOTTER, PAUL RIVOCHE, and SANDY PLUNKETT, plus lots of rare and unseen art from The Rocketeer, Love & Rockets, Mr. X, Grendel, other ’80s strips, and more! New cover by STEVENS and the HERNANDEZ BROS.!

’70s ATLAS COMICS HISTORY! Interviews with JEFF ROVIN, ROY THOMAS, ERNIE COLÓN, STEVE MITCHELL, LARRY HAMA, HOWARD CHAYKIN, SAL AMENDOLA, JIM CRAIG, RIC MEYERS, and ALAN KUPPERBERG, Atlas Checklist, HEATH, WRIGHTSON, SIMONSON, MILGROM, AUSTIN, WEISS, and STATON discuss their Atlas work, and more! COLÓN cover!

Discussion with ARTHUR ADAMS about his career (with an extensive CHECKLIST, and gobs of rare art), plus GRAY MORROW tributes from friends and acquaintances and a MORROW interview, Red Circle Comics Checklist, interviews with & remembrances of GEORGE ROUSSOS & GEORGE EVANS, Gallery of Morrow, Evans, and Roussos art, EVERETT RAYMOND KINSTLER interview, and more! New ARTHUR ADAMS cover!

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#18: 1970s MARVEL COSMIC COMICS

#19: HARVEY COMICS

#20: ROMITAs & KUBERTs #21: ADAM HUGHES, ALEX #22: GOLD KEY COMICS & examinations: RUSS MANNING ROSS, & JOHN BUSCEMA Interviews & Magnus Robot Fighter, WALLY WOOD &

Roundtable with JIM STARLIN, ALAN WEISS and AL MILGROM, interviews with STEVE ENGLEHART, STEVE LEIALOHA, and FRANK BRUNNER, art from the lost WARLOCK #16, plus a FLO STEINBERG CELEBRATION, with a Flo interview, tributes by HERB TRIMPE, LINDA FITE, BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH, and others! STARLIN/ MILGROM/WEISS cover!

History of Harvey Comics, from Hot Stuf’, Casper, and Richie Rich, to Joe Simon’s “Harvey Thriller” line! Interviews with, art by, and tributes to JACK KIRBY, STERANKO, WILL EISNER, AL WILLIAMSON, GIL KANE, WALLY WOOD, REED CRANDALL, JOE SIMON, WARREN KREMER, ERNIE COLÓN, SID JACOBSON, FRED RHOADES, and more! New wraparound MITCH O’CONNELL cover!

Joint interview between Marvel veteran and superb Spider-Man artist JOHN ROMITA, SR. and fan favorite Thor/Hulk renderer JOHN ROMITA, JR.! On the flipside, JOE, ADAM & ANDY KUBERT share their histories and influences in a special roundtable conversation! Plus unpublished and rarely seen artwork, and a visit by the ladies VIRGINIA and MURIEL! Flip-covers by the KUBERTs and the ROMITAs!

ADAM HUGHES ART ISSUE, with a comprehensive interview, unpublished art, & CHECKLIST! Also, a “Day in the Life” of ALEX ROSS (with plenty of Ross art)! Plus a tribute to the life and career of one of Marvel’s greatest artists, JOHN BUSCEMA, with testimonials from his friends and peers, art section, and biographical essay. HUGHES and TOM PALMER flip-covers!

Total War M.A.R.S. Patrol, Tarzan by JESSE MARSH, JESSE SANTOS and DON GLUT’S Dagar and Dr. Spektor, Turok, Son of Stone’s ALBERTO GIOLITTI and PAUL S. NEWMAN, plus Doctor Solar, Boris Karloff, The Twilight Zone, and more, including MARK EVANIER on cartoon comics, and a definitive company history! New BRUCE TIMM cover!

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#23: MIKE MIGNOLA

#24: NATIONAL LAMPOON COMICS

#25: ALAN MOORE AND KEVIN NOWLAN

COMIC BOOK ARTIST: SPECIAL EDITION #1

COMIC BOOK ARTIST: SPECIAL EDITION #2

Exhaustive MIGNOLA interview, huge art gallery (with never-seen art), and comprehensive checklist! On the flip-side, a careerspanning JILL THOMPSON interview, plus tons of art, and studies of Jill by ALEX ROSS, STEVE RUDE, P. CRAIG RUSSELL, and more! Also, interview with JOSÉ DELBO, and a talk with author HARLAN ELLISON on his various forays into comics! New MIGNOLA HELLBOY cover!

GAHAN WILSON and NatLamp art director MICHAEL GROSS speak, interviews with and art by NEAL ADAMS, FRANK SPRINGER, SEAN KELLY, SHARY FLENNEKIN, ED SUBITSKY, M.K. BROWN, B.K. TAYLOR, BOBBY LONDON, MICHEL CHOQUETTE, ALAN KUPPERBERG, and more! Features new covers by GAHAN WILSON and MARK BODÉ!

Focus on AMERICA’S BEST COMICS! ALAN MOORE interview on everything from SWAMP THING to WATCHMEN to ABC and beyond! Interviews with KEVIN O’NEILL, CHRIS SPROUSE, JIM BAIKIE, HILARY BARTA, SCOTT DUNBIER, TODD KLEIN, JOSE VILLARRUBIA, and more! Flip-side spotlight on the amazing KEVIN NOWLAN! Covers by J.H. WILLIAMS III & NOWLAN!

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Previously available only to CBA subscribers! Spotlights great DC Comics of the ’70s: Interviews with MARK EVANIER and STEVE SHERMAN on JACK KIRBY’s Fourth World, ALEX TOTH on his mystery work, NEAL ADAMS on Superman vs. Muhammad Ali, RUSS HEATH on Sgt. Rock, BRUCE JONES discussing BERNIE WRIGHTSON (plus a WRIGHTSON portfolio), and a BRUCE TIMM interview, art gallery, and cover!

Compiles the new “extras” from CBA COLLECTION VOL. 1-3: unpublished JACK KIRBY story, unpublished BERNIE WRIGHTSON art, unused JEFF JONES story, ALAN WEISS interview, examination of STEVE ENGLEHART and MARSHALL ROGERS’ 1970s Batman work, a look at DC’s rare Cancelled Comics Cavalcade, PAUL GULACY art gallery, Marvel Value Stamp history, Mr. Monster’s scrapbook, and more!

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REMEMBERING JOHN BUSCEMA

™

No.21 August 2002

$6.95 In The US

T H E

L I F E

A N D

NUMBER 21

L E G E N D

O F

“ B I G ”

J O H N

B U S C E M A

CELEBRATING THE LIVES & WORK OF THE GREAT CARTOONISTS, WRITERS & EDITORS

AUGUST 2002

REMEMBERING JOHN BUSCEMA: A CBA TRIBUTE FRED HEMBECK’S DATELINE@!!?* Sir Fred memorializes those great “scowling” characters drawn by Big John Buscema..........................................3 CBA RETROSPECTIVE: THE LIFE OF LEGENDARY “BIG JOHN” BUSCEMA Chris Irving talks to the friends of the renowned Marvel artist about the man behind the art ..............................4 CBA TESTIMONIALS: REMEMBERING BUSCEMA Over 25 of the artists’ peers recall the life and work of the Marvel legend ........................................................14 CBA INTERVIEW: A TALK WITH JOHN BUSCEMA Alan Woollcombe shares a 1994 conversation with the artist, conducted at the UK Comic Art Convention ......26 SAL BUSCEMA INTERVIEW: MEMORIES OF BROTHER JOHN Tom DeFalco talks with John’s brother and the “other” Buscema, a legendary Marvel artist in his own right ....34 ARTIST SHOWCASE: JOHN BUSCEMA SKETCHBOOK Some of the best Buscema art ever done was his warm-up sketches on the back of his comic book pages ........36 Cover: A lovely portrait painting of John Buscema by his friend—and one of Big John’s best inkers—Tom Palmer. Our profound appreciation goes out to Mr. Palmer for all of his support and contributions to this issue. Characters ©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc. Art ©2002 Tom Palmer. Above: John Buscema commission piece featuring the Cimmerian, Conan. Courtesy of Mike Arnold. Conan ©2002 Conan Properties, Inc. Art ©2002 the Estate of John Buscema. Please send all letters of comment, articles and artwork to: Jon B. Cooke, Editor, Comic Book Artist, P.O. Box 204, West Kingston, RI 02892-0204 Phone: (401) 783-1669 • Fax: (401) 783-1287 • E-mail: jonbcooke@aol.com

Editor/Designer JON B. COOKE Publisher

TWOMORROWS JOHN & PAM MORROW Cover Painting TOM PALMER Transcribers LONGBOX.COM JON B. KNUTSON BRIAN K. MORRIS SAM GAFFORD STEVEN TICE Logo Designer/Title Originator ARLEN SCHUMER Editorial credits on flip side

COMIC BOOK ARTIST™ is published 10 times a year by TwoMorrows, 1812 Park Drive, Raleigh, NC 27605, USA. 919-833-8092. Jon B. Cooke, Editor. John Morrow, Publisher. Editorial Office: P.O. Box 204, West Kingston, RI 02892-0204 USA • 401-783-1669 • Fax: 401-783-1287. Send subscription funds to TwoMorrows, NOT the editorial office. Single issues: $9 postpaid ($11 Canada, $12 elsewhere). Six-issue subscriptions: $36 US, $66 Canada, $72 elsewhere. All characters © their respective owners. All material © their creators unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter © their respective authors. ©2002 Jon B. Cooke/TwoMorrows. Cover acknowledgements: Art ©2002 Tom Palmer. All characters ©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc. First Printing. PRINTED IN CANADA.

CBA Retrospective

The Life of Legendary

Christopher Irving takes a journey to discover the artistry by Christopher Irving John N. Buscema was born on December 11, 1927 in Brooklyn, New York. It was less than two years before the infamous “Black Thursday” would bring about the beginning of the Great Depression, and during the advent of the adventure comic strip. Harold Gray’s Little Orphan Annie and Roy Crane’s Wash Tubbs had debuted two years before baby John Buscema, while Dick Caulkin’s Buck Rogers and Hal Foster’s Tarzan strips would make their first appearance within the next couple of years. Foster’s Prince Valiant and Alex Raymond’s Flash Gordon (itself created in response to the aforementioned 24th Century space adventurer) were early inspirations of Buscema’s. Cancer claimed “Big” John’s life this past January 10th, and his passing leaves behind a legacy of artwork (mostly for Marvel Comics) and generations of fans, both personal and professional. “John Buscema was one of the most natural people I’ve ever known,” Stan Lee, a frequent collaborator with the artist, reflected. “Totally unaffected and totally honest. He spoke whatever was on his mind truthfully, though people often thought he was kidding. One example was when he said he hated doing super-hero comics. He really meant it. He never enjoyed drawing costumed heroes. He preferred things that he considered natural, like Conan. Mainly, though, he really wanted to paint; painting was his true love. He often told me he couldn’t wait to retire so that he could spend his time painting. As for the kind of person he was— he was a genuinely decent human being and a great friend; a sincere, loyal, helpful, gruff bear of a man with a warm and gentle soul.” “He was a man of very strong convictions, and he knew what he loved and didn’t love,” cartoonist Stan Goldberg of Archie fame said. “When he did love it, he gave it his heart and soul. What he didn’t love, he had certain descriptions of how he’d handle that. People who met him for the first time and heard him describing what he didn’t love would say ‘That guy is terrible, look what he just said.’ “But he was the biggest, sweetest, kindest man you could ever imagine. I haven’t felt this way about losing a friend in a long time. He was our friend.” “[John was] a big teddy bear, and someone who’s imposing when you meet him, but a big pussycat when you get to know him,” Mad magazine artist Mort Drucker observed. “He had a wonderful sense about him, very modest and a delightful man. “He didn’t suffer fools lightly,” Irwin Hasen, cartoonist behind Dondi and DC Comics’ “Wildcat” said. “He had this

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“Big” John Buscema and experiences of one of the greatest comic artists of all

wonderful hearty laugh. He was a warm, friendly guy, but you couldn’t be a wise guy with him. He’d put you down if you started to be a smart-ass. He was just one of those rare guys, and I’m so grateful that I finally met him after so many years of my life.” Bill Seay, chair of the Berndt Toast Gang of artists, also focused on John as a professional. “A tall, imposing guy, beautifully trimmed beard. He was a genial, delightful person to spend time with, and loved to talk about the illustrators of the 1940s. He really idolized some of those people, like Dean Cornwell, Floyd Davis, Albert Durer, and loved to discuss their work. He spent hours and hours in the museums studying the old masters. In addition to studying the old masters, he loved the illustrators of that period in illustration. “He was a wonderful person, just delightful.”

Four-Color, Roy Rogers), American Comics Group (Forbidden Worlds and Adventures into the Unknown) and St. John’s. By 1958, after the crippling attacks on comics by Dr. Frederic Wertham and government authorities, along with the creation of the Comics Code Authority, coupled with the advent of television and homogenizing of the medium, Buscema left funny books behind and re-entered the marketing and advertising world. Yet even his innate ability to produce quickly could not provide steady enough work.

Opposite page: Commission piece by John Buscema commemorating a number of his most fondlyrecalled Marvel characters. Characters ©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc. Below: Conan commission piece. Conan ©2002 Conan Properties, Inc. Both courtesy of Mike Arnold. Art ©2002 the Estate of John Buscema.

As a youth, Buscema attended Manhattan’s High School of Music and Art, as well as took nightly lessons at the Pratt Institute for a year-and-a-half, topped off with another year studying life drawing at the Brooklyn Museum. Buscema worked in advertising for a short time; his advertising work included everything from paperback book covers to layout work for Seagrams’ Whiskey. In 1948, John Buscema became a staffer at Timely Comics, the company that would eventually become Marvel. His association with the comics house was only short-lived: After a year-and-a-half, Martin Goodman laid off the entire staff of artists, reducing them to freelancer status after the comics mogul discovered a closet-full of half-finished and rejected story art (accumulated because young editor Stan Lee felt obligated to keep the staffers earning their daily bread, regardless if the produced material would ever see print or not). According to the Grand Comics Database, Buscema’s first published work was 1950’s Two-Gun Western for Timely/ Marvel, although the artist once claimed in an interview that his first work was a story about grave-robbers at Lincoln’s tomb. It is possible that, with the plenitude of reprints done throughout the various companies, John’s work was not printed until years after its completion. Or just as possible, it was unsigned and remains unaccredited. Artist and a former student of John Buscema, Bob Hall, cites Buscema’s self-discipline during this early period: “I remember him saying that he worked with an alarm clock when he was starting, and once he had the experience of taking forever to do something. He realized you can’t survive by doing that, so he trained himself to draw faster. He literally did time himself. I don’t know if this is exactly what he said, I may be tweaking things (but, John was highly disciplined, so this might be true), but that when the alarm went off, that drawing was done. He was good enough to be able to time himself and get a drawing. He wasn’t going to screw around after that. He felt that, in order to exist in the business and be fast, you had to discipline yourself to draw fast. For a while you may turn out bad drawings, but that’s the way to do it.” Buscema stayed freelance in the then-dwindling comics market, working for such publishers as Dell (where he drew August 2002

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His re-acquaintance with that industry would last nearly a decade, but according to John’s younger brother Sal, it took a chance meeting with Stan Lee on a Manhattan street to coax the artist back into the comics’ fold. Stan called him up in 1966 to help out the former Timely Comics, now called the Marvel Comics Group. Head writer and the entire line’s editor-in-chief, Lee had brought the company out of the slumps with a radical array of costumed characters created by himself and artists Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko: primarily Spider-Man and The Fantastic Four. In order to balance the enormous burden of writing over a dozen titles, Lee created what is commonly called today “The Marvel Method,” where the writer would submit a brief plot outline to the artist— instead of the usual full, finished script as was the case with all the other publishers— and the artist would flesh out the plot and hand it back to the writer to finalize the story and write the dialogue. “One thing I loved about Big John is the fact that I didn’t have to spend time writing synopses for him when I gave him a story of mine to draw,” Lee recalled. “He’d always growl over the phone, ‘Don’t bother sending me any outlines, Stan. I hate to waste time reading them. Just tell me what you’ve got in mind over the phone, I’ll remember it.’ So I’d tell him the story I wanted, and I have a hunch he didn’t even write any notes while I spoke—because I spoke too fast—but it didn’t matter. He remembered every last detail and the stories always came out perfect—at least, as far as I was concerned. Though he never bragged about it, I’m convinced the Big Guy had a photographic memory!” “I probably met [John] when he came back to Marvel in the mid-’60s,” comics veteran Stan Goldberg recalled. “I remember I was out with Stan [Lee] at lunch, and him saying ‘We’ve got John Buscema.’ I’d seen his work but hadn’t met him at the time, and I liked it. Stan was so happy, and everything was going to be all right since we had John back in the fold. “As a freelancer, I would come up and see whoever was coming by that day and delivering or picking up work. That’s how we got to know each other. At that time, we were both making a living and had children. He’d go ‘Hey, Stan, how’s it going?’ and we’d talk, pick up our work, and just doing it. We were fortunate enough to have work on our desk, and we did it.” Buscema would have a successful run on The Avengers before landing one of his most acclaimed stints as artist on 1968’s Silver Surfer with Lee. The title would last a mere eighteen issues, plagued from sales woes and a lack of editorial direction, but is still fondly and especially remembered for Buscema’s sensitive delineations. At the same time as Silver Surfer, Buscema’s exquisite work in Sub-Mariner and The Avengers was earning notice from fans. “The Silver Surfer was the first thing I had done with John,” stalwart Marvel inker Joe Sinnott said. “I inked #1-3. It was the first time I’d seen John’s work [at Marvel]. Looking back at his work on The Surfer, I recognized his style from way back in the ’50s. That was the first time I worked with him, and the first time I had any communication with him.” It wasn’t for another year that Sinnott would meet Buscema in person, at a 1969 Phil Seuling comic art convention in New York City. “My first impression was that he reminded me of a modern-day Michelangelo,” Sinnott said. “John was a hulk of a guy, flaring nostrils…he drew his characters very much like he looked. He was a character that seemed a little mythical. He was just heroic-looking: he was big, had a big beard and flowing hair. He reminded you of a Michelangelo or Moses character, really. He was very impressive, physically, and he had a big, booming voice that went with his physique. He was very forthcoming, honest and humble, yet he wasn’t afraid to speak his piece on any book or character. He told you what he thought of it and he didn’t mince any words at all.” Buscema and Sinnott would collaborate on The Mighty Thor, a title Buscema would first work on in 1970 and endure a successful run as primarily a layout artist. “When I worked with him on The Silver Surfer, there were complete pencils that 6-B

were fantastic,” Sinnott commented. “The more John and I worked together, the stuff got very loose, but John’s breakdowns were very easy to work with. There were no blacks, but they were just fine-line sketching. You had no problems with John’s work: the anatomy was there, and you didn’t have to redraw. Everything was there. On some of the last things we did, his breakdowns and layouts were extremely sparse, and there was still no problem. If somebody else had given me what John had, I would’ve felt I was doing 75% of the work, and would’ve resented it.” The reason behind Buscema’s prolific output was in his doing the layouts rather than full pencils. Former student Bob Hall feels that Buscema’s work was best when it was fully done by the artist. “John’s solution for a long time was to do breakdowns, because he could do them so fast, and could produce six or more breakdown pages a day. The difference is not incremental. You could do more breakdown pages (and I understand this completely as an artist), but it takes longer to do finished work on a page than if you just did breakdowns. You did get less money for doing breakdowns, but when you got someone like John who could do so many of them, he wound up getting more. Of course, at that time there was nobody saying ‘We’d rather have your finished pencils, and we’ll pay you more money.’ That didn’t come until later. “There was a period when John first started doing Silver Surfer, and some Avengers stuff, that were wonderfully styled as well as laid-out and dynamic. For a long time, you got dynamic action and storytelling, but you didn’t get his style. His finish wouldn’t figure out, it would be somebody else, like the inker that’d make the contribution. With someone like Tom Palmer on The Avengers, or Joe Sinnott on Thor, it became somebody people got used to. God knows it was good, but if you compare what Thor looked like every month with John’s breakdowns to what he looked like in that Silver Surfer issue [#4]…. There was a certain loss in that ten to fifteen year period where John was primarily turning out breakdown work.” Marie Severin, long time Marvel “Bullpenner” first met Buscema in the 1960s, upon his return to Marvel. “I first saw John Buscema’s art when I started at Marvel Comics in the 1960s. It was so good-looking I didn’t know why I’d never seen it before. John had been in advertising and, like so many of us, came back to comics as Stan Lee and Jack Kirby revitalized the industry. “Stan wanted everybody to use the Kirby ‘approach.’ John studied and understood Kirby’s powerful movement, wonderful design and storytelling… and did it his way. John’s stories were always beautifully drawn and his fellow artists, as well as the readers, are his fans.” Former Marvel staffer and longtime freelancer Herb Trimpe reflected many of Severin’s feelings towards Buscema. “From the beginning, I was totally in awe of his artwork. I thought he was the best technician. I was in awe of his artistic abilities. Jack was the King and still is the King. He defined what the Marvel philosophy was, along with Stan. I thought John was the best in terms of reachability. There was something with Jack’s stuff where you’d say ‘I could do those lines, but if I could just do that composition together.’ Jack’s drawing was easily imitated. John was not easily imitated, his drawing was excellent, first-rate stuff.” Although Trimpe never knew Buscema intimately, John’s reputation preceded him whenever he visited the Marvel offices. “He was highly respected,” Trimpe stated. “He was one of the most highly respected people that Stan worked with, back in the day. Everybody was happy to see him when he came in the office. He was always friendly, outgoing, and willing to talk to everybody. Very strong personality, I always thought. Of course, he was also a big guy, too, not the kind of guy you’d take liberties with!” Conan the Barbarian #25, dated April 1973, was John Buscema’s first work on a title that he would endure a legendary run on as penciler. Working with writer/editor Roy Thomas, John would remain one of the definitive artists on Conan for his 151 issues over twelve years, as well as his nine-year, almost-continuous run on the Savage Sword of Conan black-&-white magazine. COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

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The run on Conan still remains Buscema’s most honored and remembered body of work. The Cimmerian was, for Buscema, more fun than a conventional super-hero title due to the believability of the character in comparison to a man in tights. During his run as Conan artist, John started teaching a small class on drawing comics. “I was working for Charlton on a couple of jobs,” Bob Hall reminisced. “I do not know whether they would have given me any more. Buscema talked about how he started out like that, where his first job would take him two days on one page. I was at that stage, where I was doing everything, inking and lettering, and they were terrible. Not only were they terrible, but it was taking me days. I knew some people who were taking John’s class, and I decided that if I wanted to continue doing this, I had better learn something. “He was teaching this class at a hotel in New York, in Manhattan. He’d rented a suite, and we’d come in once a week. We would have assignments, and he’d teach us how to draw stuff. “It was extremely cool. I was lucky in the sense that I was older, I had had some art experience (scene design training). Although I was August 2002

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distinctly an amateur at that point, I had done some commercial artwork. I had put myself through school doing theater department posters and student union posters. I kind of knew how to draw, but enough that I think I was able to make more of a show than others in the class, because they were fans primarily.” By 1978, John Buscema’s inclination to be an art instructor, coupled with Stan Lee’s desire to do a book on comic art, led to the publication of the book (and later a video) How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way, which soon became the bible for aspiring comic book artists everywhere. The mechanics of basic drawing and draftsmanship were taught, as well as principles of dynamics and storytelling. “I had wanted to do a book about drawing for comics for a long time,” Lee said. “Then, when I learned that John was teaching a course in art, and when I visited a class and saw for myself what a great instructor he was, I knew I had found the perfect guy to do the book with. And, man, was I right! Wouldja believe that book is still on sale, after all these years, and still selling very well?”

Above: Courtesy of perhaps John Buscema’s Number One fan, Owen O’Leary, here’s a JB Silver Surfer commission piece. Opposite page: Owen also contributed this recreation of JB’s Silver Surfer #1 cover (though we’ve obviously digitally manipulated it). Inks are by JB, not Joe Sinnott (who inked the original). Art ©2002 the Estate of John Buscema. Silver Surfer ©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc. Following spread: Outstanding Fantastic Four commission piece penciled by JB and inked by Bob McLeod. Courtesy of Mike Arnold. Art © the Estate of John Buscema & Bob McLeod. Characters ©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc. 7-B

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Above: Conan head by JB, courtesy of Mike Arnold. Art ©2002 the Estate of John Buscema. Conan ©2002 Conan Properties, Inc. Inset right: JB art for a 1970 comics fanzine. Courtesy of Michael Maikowsky. Art ©2002 the Estate of John Buscema. Below: Frontispiece illustration of everyone’s favorite barbarian from Cimmeria from Sal Q’s Conan the Portfolio. Courtesy of Michael Maikowsky. Art ©2002 the Estate of John Buscema. Conan ©2002 Conan Properties, Inc.

Bob Hall was working for a brief time in the Marvel bullpen during Jim Shooter’s reign as Marvel’s editor-in-chief era in the early to mid-1980s. According the Hall, Buscema’s influence was still felt in the offices at that time, although the legendary artist was no longer quite as active as before: “[Buscema] would sometimes come into the office. One time, Jim Shooter had him enter the office to teach people how to draw faster. It ended up being, like a lot of John’s workshops, just everyone watching John draw. It would boil down to being in awe of these magic hands that emerged on the paper. When I was a kid, there were these things you could buy where you brushed water on a page, and a drawing emerged. That’s what John was like: The drawing would kind of emerge out of the paper in some mysterious way. Shooter had him in to do that. Buscema’s only advice was to move your hands faster! He literally meant that, even though it sounded funny at the time.” Buscema continued to step in and out of comics throughout the late ’80s into the early ’90s, doing occasional fillin jobs such as Fantastic Four 2099 for editor Joey Cavalieri. When the comics industry took another nosedive in the early to mid-’90s, Herb Trimpe found advice from Buscema on the downsizing of Marvel Comics. “I talked to him on the phone during that bad time at Marvel when everybody was being downsized,” Trimpe said. “The company was dumping veterans and hangers-on, as well as anybody trying to maintain some kind of career in the business. I can’t remember what we talked about, but I remember he was extremely encouraging, having to deal with the negative side of the Marvel experience.” “I think he was drawing on some of that experience, and relating anecdotal stories and encouragement. I called him about some specific thing on Marie Severin’s suggestion. It was in that period where we weren’t too sure which way the wind was blowing. From what I understand, I don’t think he was getting that much work either. It wasn’t looking good for anybody there. In retrospect, it was time to move on, especially when the place doesn’t look too good anymore.” John Buscema’s frequent trips to European comic book conventions brought him in touch with other professionals in the field. Perhaps his hesitancy to attend as many American

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conventions could be due to the fact that comic books are generally more highly regarded in other parts of the world. Whatever the case, Buscema’s meeting up with other professionals provide a few interesting anecdotes, including this one from veteran cartoonist Irwin Hasen: “Three years ago at JFK Airport, I think it was, Stan Goldberg and his wife, John and his wife and I went to Lucca [Italy] to a comic book convention. I had never met John. I was carrying this big bag, and they were all sitting at a table having coffee and getting ready to get on a plane. I had never met him, but was never into his work at all. As we were getting to go to the aircraft, he grabbed my bag and said ‘That’s too big for you.’ He did that all through the trip, and we both fell in love with each other. “He was a big guy, but as big as a big bear like he was, he had a gentle touch. Later, I saw his work and saw the gentleness and vitality of his work. I became a fan instantly after knowing the man. What a wonderful guy he was.” “Years ago, John, Tom DeFalco and I went to Italy as guests of some convention or other,” Stan Lee remembered. “I was in puppy heaven, happy as hell because I’d be going to Italy with two Italians which meant there’d be no language barrier for us. In the past, I always had to have an interpreter because all the Italian I know is ciao and arriverderci. Well, when we arrived in Italy, I was amazed to learn that Señor DeFalco knew even less Italian than I did, and Señor Buscema knew only a few words more! I’d have been better off going with some school kids who had taken Italian for one semester! Actually, we all had a great time, but I’ll never again figure a guy can speak a foreign language just ’cause he’s got a ‘foreign’ last name!” Stan Goldberg would first get to know Buscema because of one of these trips and, as a result, the two became close friends. “John had once told me that he liked the conventions most in Europe. Being Italian, there was one in Italy that he liked a lot. A few years later, I was asked to go down, and it sounded good. Then I was thinking, ‘I better go to the source and find out how it really was,’ and I called John up. He was feeling so bad that he couldn’t come because his daughter-in-law was giving birth at the time we were supposed to leave. He was saying ‘I wish I could go, I wish I could go.’ Right after, he called me up and said ‘I’m going with you. I’m going to see my grandchild forever. My daughter-in-law can give birth, and my son will be there, I’ll see them when I come back.’ “I said ‘Terrific, if you’re not doing anything this weekend, come down to the house and we can sit and talk about it.’ That was great. That kicked everything off, and the four of us sat in the house into the evening, and talked about a lot of things. His wife, Dolores, is one of the sweetest ladies in the world. I had fun with John because he’d talk about ‘This business…’, but you couldn’t tell me that someone who did all that great art couldn’t be putting his heart into it. I said ‘When you retire, you can do whatever you want to do.’” It was within the last couple years of Buscema’s life that he joined with a small group of fellow cartoonists in the Long Island area called the Berndt Toast Gang. This small group of artists would convene the last Thursday of every month in a small restaurant called The Thatched Cottage in Centerport. Members would each hold an exhibition of work each meeting, on a rotating basis. Aside from his family, it was this small group of artists that would be John’s closest support as he battled cancer. “We’ve got a lot of comic people in the group, like Joe Giella and Sy Barry, Stan Goldberg and Dave Gantz, who goes back to Timely Comics with John, and of course John Romita [Senior],” Berndt Toast chairman Bill Seay said. “We open each meeting with a toast to somebody that all of us know that has died, when I did the toast to Don Heck and talked about all the comic book things he’d done, John Buscema said ‘You left out that Don worked on Terry and COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

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the Pirates and Steve Canyon.’ He contributed that sort of thing frequently. The thing that I think impressed all of us most of all were his sketches. He brought, to the exhibition, several looseleaf books jammed with sketches, because he drew all the time.” “A beautiful man, just a beautiful man,” is how Mad cartoonist Mort Drucker described his initial impression of Buscema. “I knew of his work, and as wonderful as his work is, that’s how wonderful a man he was. We became very close in those two years.” “He’d come to the Berndt Toast, and we’d hug and talk about different things,” Drucker added later. “With the Berndt Toast, once a month an artist shows his work. When he brought his work down, everyone was struck, it was awesome. I’ve been to his home many times and have seen his paintings which were oh-so superb.” Buscema attended the 2001 Comic Con International: San Diego during the summer, partly to promote The John Buscema Sketchbook from Vanguard Communications. It had been John’s first appearance at that convention for some time, and he headlined as their top guest. Despite apparently feeling ill, Buscema made his appearance and had a rather high profile, participating in many panels. “[John was] never sick,” Bob Hall said. “I think illness hits people harder when you’re in that kind of shape and, all of a sudden, you can’t do what you’re supposed to do. He felt that even at San Diego, and he was first aware that he was ill and was going to hear from the doctor when he got back. I don’t think he knew what was wrong with him at that point. He was very frustrated, because he wanted to go to the con and have fun. He wanted to do things and there was something keeping him from doing them. It was wrong, just wrong.” It was after his return from San Diego that he was diagnosed with cancer. Good friend Stan Goldberg was one of the first to be made aware of the crushing news. “When he came back from San Diego, he went in for more doctors, and they found the cancer,” Goldberg sadly remembered. “I remember his daughter calling us up and crying and saying that the doctor gave him two months to live. That was a real tough time for us. “He got home and before I could get the phone to call him up, he called us up, and I heard his voice. He sounded good, not great, August 2002

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but it sounded like he was out of the hospital. His daughter had told us they were going to try some chemo on him, and try [other things]. I didn’t hear any more of the diagnosis of two months. He was home, and I spoke to Dolores, and he sounded good by being home. He had work on his desk, and worked every day, until the last week or so, when things were going really bad for him. His hands would shake too much, and he wanted to draw in the worst way. It was the toughest thing. He would say ‘Why me?’ and we’d have conversations about that. I used to call him twice a week.”

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Center inset: The Golden Age of The Avengers occurred in the late ’60s and early ’70s under the superb hands of writer Roy Thomas and penciler John Buscema, ably assisted by the glorious inking of a number of artists, including John himself, George Klein, John Verpoorten, and (of course) Tom Palmer. Here’s a pin-up of JB’s pencils of the classic line-up. Courtesy of Jerry K. Boyd. ©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc. 12-B

The Berndt Toast Gang provided John with much of the support he needed, outside of his family. Illustrator Art Cummings truly became closer with both John and his art after the diagnosis: “We met at the Berndt Toast Gang, then he got the cancer. I went over to his house because I’d had cancer, and was in remission. I figured it’d be something to talk to about him with. I went over there as a friend, and then I saw his artwork. I didn’t realize, coming through illustration… a lot of the commercial artists get to be famous before they get good. I’ve known illustrators that didn’t know how to draw, but they could render from photographs and all that stuff. The time that I remember that made an impression on me was when he brought this work out with Conan the Barbarian. I’d known in the back of my mind that he was one of those guys who did this realistic stuff, but I never realized what a caliber of an artist he was. He could actually express himself with his drawings. He had a sketchbook there, and in it he had these sketches that really blew my mind. It was like I was looking at ToulouseLautrec. Lautrec loved life and, when I met John, he said ‘I love to draw life,’ and he didn’t like to draw buildings, but he liked to draw life. Unbelievable stuff, really. “He was one of the best draftsman I’d ever met. He just thought like an artist and, to talk with him, he was very strong and had a criteria of evaluation. The way that he saw what he did, he had a very high level for himself. Of all the drawings that he had, at the time I saw him at the Berndt Toast Gang, the way he would do a glass or tumbler on table had a beautiful shape. “I’ve met a few people in illustration who can draw like that, but I never realized the ability needed to draw Conan. When I met Buscema and got to talk to him about art, he talked as an artist. He really talked about the idea of doing stuff that had life in it. I think that Conan was so fantastic was because I didn’t see any bad drawing. Very beautiful stuff.” Through it all, Buscema continued to participate in the Berndt Toast Club, as well as work in comics. Cummings continued, “Just shortly before he died, he said ‘I’ve got just one complaint about this group. We only get together once a month, I wish it was once a week!’ He really had a good time there. So, in that relatively short time, we all got to know him very well.” Buscema’s final released work before his death, would be the DC Comics Just Imagine… Stan Lee and John Buscema Creating Superman, which presented an alternate version of the Man of Steel, as envisioned by the classic Marvel Comics creative team. “Several times over the years, DC had called John to do the original Superman character,” DC Executive Editor Mike Carlin said in explaining the choice of Buscema. “This was just the time it worked. As a one-shot I don’t think it does compare to any series he spent time finding the

groove on,” Carlin continued. “Silver Surfer, Avengers and Conan became his! The actual drawing on Just Imagine Superman was as accomplished... just not enough of it to make the character and backstory as iconic as those mentioned above.” The Superman project was drawn during Buscema’s bout with cancer. According to friends, he was drawing up until the last couple weeks of his life. According to Irwin Hasen, Buscema still did not let his cancer embitter him. “He was not a recluse, and had the same personality in those last couple of months: That wonderful, robust, attitude. He had this wonderful, nasal twang, and he would laugh. I get sentimental over him, since I’d only just met him. I was never able to discuss his work with him.” “I’m also a friend of Stan Goldberg’s, and we visited John towards the end of his life. He was very sick, very sick. I visited his house, and his wife Dolores, a darling, lovely lady. We had a lunch, thank God, a last lunch, as it were. He was really in bad shape.

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“But through it all, he was laughing. Through it all.” John Buscema succumbed to his cancer on January 10, 2002. He was buried with a brush in his hand. How will Buscema be remembered? Through a batch of countless comic book pages drawn over half a decade? Or for his human, life-like characters, super or otherwise? “The main impact he had on me was—he showed me what truly great illustration was all about,” Lee reflected. “As a writer, I found him a delight to work with. I had only to give him the barest bones of a plot and he’d flesh it out magnificently. He didn’t even want a written synopsis most of the time. We’d discuss the story over the phone for a few minutes and days later he’d deliver a terrific strip that looked as though we had spent weeks going over every last detail!” “I always felt John was one of the underrated artists in comics history,” Joe Sinnott explained. “When people ask me about artists who I favor and like, I usually don’t include the DC artists, because I mainly didn’t know their work like I knew the

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Marvel artists. Buscema was right behind Jack Kirby. I’ve always said that Buscema was the greatest draftsman in comics. Nobody could draw like John. There were greats, but John was always a notch above everybody. Kirby was the great storyteller and innovator, but as a draftsman and artist, nobody could touch Buscema; his women were great, his Conan and his anatomy… nobody could draw anatomy like John could. In my estimation, he was either two or three behind Kirby. All around, John Buscema could do anything.” “He became one of the top comics storytellers in a short time and his versatility,” John Romita, Sr. said of his old friend. “Beautiful characters and powerful action dynamics made him one of my idols. I admired his work and came to know him as a good man and a giant in the industry.” “John was a lucky man—” Marie Severin said. “Intelligent, tremendously talented, a great work ethic, loved to draw, and was still an unselfish family man. I am proud to have been his friend.” “[Buscema was] one of the finest draftsman to ever draw super-hero comics,” Carlin, who also had a lengthy staff as a Marvel staffer in the 1980s, stated. “With an easy sense of storytelling that always served the story. He was the consummate professional. Reliable in quality and deadline. Not someone who wanted or craved constant hand-holding: Ya sent the story, he sent it back fully realized, ya sent the check, like clockwork. Never a problem in any way!” “Buscema, to me, couldn’t fudge it,” Art Cummings said. “If he didn’t like somebody’s work, he would say it very definitely. For example, I love humor as much as illustration. I love Charles Schulz. I was talking to John about him, and he said ‘He was a dog artist!’ I think that he was the consummate draftsman. Through being the draftsman, he was the artist. He could have been anything he wanted. Although there are a lot of illustrators who are professional and famous, but they’re not that good. You see little areas where, if you have any kind of eye for what a picture should be and what you can do… Buscema was the best, and consummate master of his craft.” Many will remember Buscema for being a bear of a man with a matter-of-fact nature, as well as a dedicated provider to his family. Apparently, he was not a man with a great number of intimate friends, but one who made many casual friends and acquaintances. As a person, however, it seems very clear that he left the impression of being a man unparalleled by any other. As an artist, many (including Buscema himself) see him as coming behind Jack Kirby as a storyteller and cartoonist. “We all know his talent, and there was no question about it,” Goldberg said. “First there was Jack Kirby, and a very close second was John Buscema. That’s it. According to John, Jack was the best, and no one was better than Jack.” Perhaps the impact left by John Buscema is best encapsulated by fellow Berndt Toast member Mort Drucker, in one sentence: “It was a great loss, since he was an icon, and will be missed as not just a person, but also an artist.” 13-B

CBA Testimonials

Remembering Buscema Over 25 of the master’s peers reminisce about John and his art Below: Certainly one of JB’s most fondly-recalled comic books are his short but sweet run on the early Sub-Mariner issues. Here’s a detail of his cover art on Sub-Mariner #1, as inked by Marvel production manager Sol Brodsky. ©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc.

Stan Lee

writer, editor, publisher John Buscema, one of the greatest artists the comic book world has ever known, was a complete anomaly. While doing illustrations that many of the old masters would have been proud to call their own; while doing illustrations that served as models and inspirations for new, aspiring artists as well as experienced old-timers; while doing illustrations that depicted stories so well that one would think they were done by a screen director who also happened to be a fantastic artist; while doing illustrations that never resorted to flash or exaggerated style to cover up imperfections in his drawing (because such imperfections seldom if ever existed); John Buscema constantly surprised those who were his greatest fans by stating that he was simply in comics for the money— for his real love was painting! Therein lies much of the greatness of John Buscema. Such a master of visual storytelling was he, such a perfect depicter of the human form at rest and in action, that even though his heart may not have been totally in his work, his skill, dedication and brilliance were in every figure and every panel he drew. Knowing John as I did, and knowing his subtle and offbeat sense of humor, I feel there’s always a chance that his gruff remarks were just his way of putting on his panting public, but whether or not that’s the case, my hat is off to a masterful artist, a wonderful man who never gave his colleagues or his fans less than his absolute best—an artist who brought dignity, beauty and genius to our field—an artist who will never be forgotten as long as comics exist. Excelsior!

John 14-B

Romita John Romita

artist, art director John Buscema’s name conjures up so many feelings that it’s hard to chose. A peerless draftsman, obviously, he was also a fine storyteller. While he often “put down” comics as unimportant his work said something else. Powerful, majestic, subtle and beautiful characters filled his pages and always with sensitivity. The real Buscema showed on those pages. Professionals like us should be immune to a fellow artist’s illusions, but I fell in love with his heroines and rooted for his heroes. Only Caniff and John could do that to me. One of a kind and truly an artist’s artist… that’s how I think of John Buscema. Our hearts are with Dolores and the family. We miss him terribly.

Joe Sinnott

artist To fully appreciate the brilliance of John Buscema, you had to work with him. I had the good fortune to collaborate with him on many of his greatest characters. To see the incomparable draftsmanship in the originals of The Mighty Thor, Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer, Conan, Ms. Marvel, Nova, and others was a most rewarding experience. Much of my most satisfying work was with John. He was in a class by himself! No one was more forthright than John. I’ll forever miss him.

Neal Adams

artist, writer, publisher It is significant to know and understand how the world may deal brutally with its talented creatives and what danger we face when it happens. It, of course, is not required of the world that we support and coddle our talented artists. So, in all honesty, there should not be any guilt to be parsed out. In fact, the more you coddle and support talent, the more you spoil it, so supporting and coddling is not a good idea. There is a middle ground that for John Buscema, as an artist, and I, as a fan, was torn away. As a kid, I got my hands on a comic book called Mr. Muscles. It was about, as you might suspect, a guy with a lot of… muscles. Thing was, the artist seemed to know where all the muscles go. I realized this by instinct, not by knowledge. This character had incredibly beautiful muscles, but no one, no one in comics knew this much, not even my heroes at the time. One comic… and then he was gone! As a kid, I got into comics sporadically because my family was in Germany with the occupation forces. When we got back to the States, the world of comics had changed. Whole comic companies had closed down. It was the Dark Ages. Archie, Harvey, DC, Dell, and Gold Key had survived. Oops! And Timely… who cared about them? Couple of others, Charlton, whatever. I moved on to high school, an art high school. New friends, etc. Third year, 12th grade. The Steve Reeves Hercules movie came out. Oh my God, it was great. Real men with real muscles. And Steve Reeves. What healthy guy didn’t know about Steve Reeves?! From the black-&-white pages of the Muscle and Fitness magazine (or whatever it was called then). Then Dell printed the Hercules comic book based on the movie. But, good lord! It’s that guy… that Hercules artist. The guy who knew anatomy. The guys in my group went totally apesh*t. We couldn’t believe Dell had hired the right artist for the right job. We were numb at the thought. COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

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Then, he was gone. Poof! Who was he? Did he draw anything else? Nothing surfaced. Archivists will tell you differently, but this is the truth: He was a Will-o’-the-Wisp… we didn’t even know his name. But that Hercules book burned like a beacon. Jack Kirby and Wally Wood’s Challengers, Kubert, Heath, then Drucker on the war books, Kubert inking Carmine on the first issue of The Flash, random appearances by Williamson and a few others… and that Hercules book. No, he didn’t draw Steve Reeves, more’s the pity… but he drew Hercules. Many years later, Stan sucked John back into comics and the rest is history…. Yes… but you know the mid-’50s to the mid-’60s, all things being equal, I think—I know—that the light of John Buscema would have shined brighter by three times! John’s rise came at the plummet of the comic book medium. I think we all owe Stan the Man a round of applause for urging John back for one more try at the golden ring. And try he did and succeeded, and as they say of Davy Crockett, “He made himself a legend forever more.” Will I blame our industry for delaying this flame? Yes. Because now the flame is out. And I, selfishly, do not want it to be so. John: That last bear hug we gave each other last San Diego, it should have not been our last. But, I’ll say this, Big Guy: You sure did good work. You sure did damn good work.

Ernie Colón

artist, writer, editor I was given an issue of Conan the Barbarian to do while at my brief stay at Marvel. At first, I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to draw this great icon of Hyborean adventure. Then, as John Buscema’s unparalleled work on Conan began to seep into my consciousness, beads of sweat began to appear on my forehead. With good reason. Fred Astaire has just completed his act and the audience is wild with cheers and applause. The stage manager then points to me and says,“Okay, kid: Let’s see what you can do.” My response, appropriately enough, is, “Hah…?” I did the story. I did my best and it was okay. John came back from vacation—or wherever—sat down to continue his amazing work on Conan, and the universe was once more in order. I was, and am, a fan.

David Lloyd

artist I met John Buscema at a festival in Gijon, Spain. A nice guy and typical of his generation of comics artists, workmen in a trade is how they largely see themselves, despite the enormous number of people their skills have influenced over the years. John didn’t know my work, so my constant desire for instant approval from the elite and respected craftsmen of my youth was frustrated once again. All those invited to the festival were separately interviewed on stage as examples of their creations were displayed on a big screen. If he sees mine, I thought, he might August 2002

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tell me he liked it when I talk to him later. He saw some of my interview and saw some of my work, but he left before the end. He might have been hungry, he might have had an appointment to keep, he might have been tired from jet lag and wanted to rest. But it could just have been that he wasn’t greatly impressed with what I do. Of course, I didn’t ask him what he’d thought of what he’d seen at my interview or why he’d left before it finished but, even now, five years later, I still occasionally wonder what he had thought and wish I’d heard a few complimentary words from him about my efforts. That’s what John Buscema was to me, one of the awe-inspiring greats by which we judge our own value, to keep us on our toes in an industry in which it’s very easy to become flat-footed and trudge a well-worn path. John may not be with us any more but his example will stick around for as long as his work is published and there are artists like me around to learn something from it.

John Workman

artist, writer, letterer, art director When I was much younger, I used to daydream quite a lot about changing the minds of those who saw comic book reading as a worthless pursuit. This attitude really bothered me, and I set out, within the confines of my imagination, to inform the ignorant about the truly great things that had been done with the comics form. From recent memories, I gathered examples of stories that had real value and worth for any reader of any age. A couple of those stories that ranked high on my list (most especially for their visual wonders) were drawn by John Buscema, and I was stunned a few years later to find that he saw them as complete failures. In a couple of issues of the early Marvel black-&-white magazine Savage Tales, John Buscema drew some Conan stories that were inked by Alfredo Alcala. When I saw them, I couldn’t believe the sheer beauty of the images. It was as if Joseph Clement Coll had come back to life and taken to drawing comics. The product of the two men working together was the most amazing collaboration that I’ve ever seen. The surprising thing was the fact that the whole was greater than the sum of its parts. Neither Buscema nor Alcala could

Above: Gorgeous splash-page detail of Wolverine, penciled by JB and inked by Klaus Janson. From Wolverine #1. Courtesy of a generous fan whose name was misplaced at presstime. Our apologies, amigo, and please tell us who you are and we’ll get you your comp issue of CBA. ©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc.

Below: Splash page detail of Conan the Barbarian, penciled by JB and inked by Yong Montano. This was swiped from the Marvel fan club magazine, FOOM #14, the Robert E. Howard issue. Conan ©2002 Conan Properties, Inc.

possibly have done the work alone. If John Buscema had done the entire art job, he wouldn’t have finished it in the way that Alfredo did. He would have done a beautiful job in inking his own pencils, but the delicate detail and sense of lighting that Alcala brought to the jobs would not have existed. And, as good an artist as he was, an all-Alcala story could not have had the dynamic quality that was so evident in Buscema’s penciled figures. But in those Conan tales, Alcala managed to make his own mark without disturbing the raw power of John Buscema’s creations. Along with my comic-collecting compatriots, I was astounded by what looked to be a major advance in comics work. Thirty years later, I can acknowledge that the Buscema/Alcala Conans, Will Eisner’s arrival at Warren, the amazing work that Alex Toth was doing, and several other things, both large and inconsequential, lulled me into an impossible belief in the imminent arrival of comic books as an accepted and important form of expression. It was disconcerting to us all when the next issues of Savage Sword appeared with Buscema art that had none of the potency of those that had been finished by Alcala. Though clearly drawn by Buscema and possessing his unique, dynamic energy in every figure and background, the stuff seemed pedestrian and common when compared to the beauty of the earlier work. We wondered what had happened. What had happened, I was later told, was that John Buscema was bothered by what had been done to his penciled art in the Alcala-inked stories. He felt that the finished art was too fussy. Years later, I was lucky enough to be able to examine the original art to a story that was both penciled and inked by John Buscema. It was incredibly beautiful stuff. In looking it over, I got a sense of what Buscema might have intended with those Conan stories. I still believe that, as can happen with the best of us, he was wrong. Wally Wood once said that “life is not an either/or.” We’re lucky that John Buscema was as prolific as he was. He gave us so many pages of great comics. We can all have enjoyable arguments for a long time to come about what work was his best and which of his collaborators came closest to the perfection of the man himself. There’s so much of his work and his life left to us that we’ll never have to accept “either/or.”

Dave Stevens

artist, writer John Buscema was the first specific introduction to anatomy that I ever got from reading comics. I say “specific” because it was accurate, not faked or stylized beyond my comprehension. I could see actual muscle groups and how they wrapped around each other and connected to joints; flexing and extending; fluid and graceful. For the first time, hands, feet, hips and rib-cages suddenly became real, functional components of the body; no longer mysterious! But beyond his brilliant anatomical skills, what sold his authority with the figure was his ability to give it life. His characters breathed, as we do. They shouted, laughed, recoiled, and soared through scenes with a dramatic urgency that was riveting and inspiring. The emotions he brought to faces and figures had wonderful depth and 16-B

range, making for some truly memorable reading experiences in comics. As a reader, I could easily connect with each character in dramatic moments, feeling those emotions that I could see in their faces and read in their body language. His gift for physical drama was perhaps his greatest tool. Buscema was a masterful stylist. Completely in command of every element in any given story, all beautifully

designed with great economy. And he made it look effortless! His influence on me as an artist and storyteller was profound and lasting. It was important to finally be able to tell him so (when I met him for the first and only time, last summer). To be able to shake that talented hand and say “thank you” was a big, big moment for me! I’m glad I got that chance because to me, “Big” John Buscema was a giant.

Frank Brunner

artist, writer I only met John briefly on two occasions, the first time was when I was working on staff at the Marvel offices. This shortly after his masterpiece work on Silver Surfer #3, I guess I didn’t say much to him because I was too in awe of this giant of a man and artist! So I won’t pretend I knew him well, but what his work meant to me was, well, enormous! Jack Kirby’s work laid out the parameters of dynamic/dramatics, and Steve Ditko’s artistry, a sense of mood and imagination. But Buscema’s work was what made it possible for me to become a “Marvel artist.” His grasp of realistic figure drawing, combined with the dramatics and, yes, a sense of mood and lighting. were the opening of Marvel to other styles like my own, So I say here and now, thank you, John! I couldn’t have done it without you! I will miss seeing his work.

Marv Wolfman

writer, editor Pretty much everyone is going to say the same things about John: John’s draftsmanship remains unparalleled. He could literally draw anything. Unlike many others in comics, he knew art. Most artists in comics are either illustrators or cartoonists. For example, Jack Kirby was a brilliant cartoonist. So is Steve Ditko, Todd McFarlane, Will Eisner, etc. Neal Adams is a wonderful illustrator. So is Gene Colan, Joe Kubert and Alex Toth. But John actually was able to blend the two approaches. John drew like an illustrator, but when he did comics, he understood how to cartoon. This made him unique. He had the precision of the illustrator and the visceral energy of the cartoonist. John also had a unique ability to keep all his characters in character no matter who they were or what they were doing. The Vision wouldn’t stand the same way Captain America did. Hawkeye wouldn’t throw a punch the same way Conan did. John always said he couldn’t care less about comics, but one could not do what he did, one could not understand what made every character tick, unless he was vitally interested and involved with every step of what he was doing. John was great to work with. When I’d get his pencils or layouts I knew the storytelling would be perfect, that I would never have to write expository dialogue to explain what should have been in the art but wasn’t, that he would always leave exactly the right amount of space for my dialogue balloons, that he’d always understand which character was going to speak first and place that character to the left of the panel so balloons wouldn’t cross, and, when it was all over, that the page would simply look beautiful. You can’t ask for anything more.

Mike Collins

artist John Buscema simply was comics to me. But it took me a time to realize that truth. COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

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I got into American comic books in the early 1970s when Marvel started a British reprint line. The cover of the very first issue of Mighty World of Marvel featured a kick-ass shot of Spidey, Hulk and the FF barreling towards you. A real shock after the well-mannered and lush painting style of traditional British weekly comics. The weird Kirby and Ditko art inside took a while to get

used to… it was frankly odd to eyes accustomed to stories based on TV shows and fastidious likenesses. What the hell was this stuff?? I started picking up imported Marvel comics at the same time—here were the heroes I started reading about, but there was something different, something special…. The first books I bought were the FF and Thor. This was 1972, and both were drawn by Big John. Here was a link to the naturalistic styles I’d been used to but also the sheer power and enthusiasm of these new, strange American adventure comics. I became a Marvel comics junkie from then on—I discovered the eye popping dynamism of Gil Kane and Jim Starlin shortly afterwards, the realism of Gene Colan and Frank Brunner made my head spin. It was a gorgeous, vibrant time to be a comics fan (as any eleven-year-old would tell you, though I always like to think it’s truest for me and what I saw). I started to notice that all the artists with the flashier styles I enjoyed dropped in and out of books. It became a game to track them down. What I became aware of as well though, was that Big John was there every month on more than one book! He made it look effortless, he gave his characters a humanity and grace… and he was doing this at two pages a day!! When he took over Conan, he suddenly became a real barbarian rather than the delicate, beautifully rendered fantasy illustrated by Barry Smith. When John did Savage Sword with Alfredo Alcala I was in heaven… here was a storyteller at the top of his game, enthused by his subject and inked by a master (though at the time all I could think of was ‘cool pictures!’). Marvel started issuing their tabloid editions of old strips… I got to experience the classic Avengers work of Buscema & Klein, Buscema & Palmer… at almost original art size. I was in heaven… Marvel UK was running strips on a weekly schedule accelerated through the back catalogue, so in a very short time, I got to see John draw SpiderMan (and damn, doesn’t the movie JJJ look just like the John Buscema/Jim Mooney version??), and all of Marvel’s pantheon every seven days… his Silver Surfer stands as one of the most expressive dynamic runs on a book ever. No question. It took me a while, but I eventually got to appreciate the work of Kirby. I’ve written elsewhere about how I came to see the power and glory of Jack’s vision…. Yet for me Thor and the FF were John Buscema’s. Those strips were when these characters first seemed authentic to me. Kirby’s Thing had power—John’s had heart. When I drew my own strips, John was my benchmark. He drew “real.” Kane might have informed me in dynamic posing, but John gave things weight and credibility. It’s still the same today for me. When I wrote and drew Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt for DC in the early ’90s, I was drawing my tribute to the ’70s Marvels that inspired me in the first place, and John was oh-so high on that list. I was working at a time when the whole pin-up culture, manga-lined Image style was king but it wasn’t what I wanted, or what I wanted August 2002

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to do—it wasn’t “real” comics. John Buscema was a comics craftsman. His work dazzled and informed. He could make gods look human and understandable, he could make a man in street clothes look like a god. I always regret not meeting John when he came to a UK comics show a few years back… I knew I would’ve geeked out… but at least here I can say how he influenced and inspired me. I got to understand storytelling, positioning and clear design work from reading John’s comics. As a professional looking back I got to understand more of how things work. John Buscema was a steel rail link to the classic American illustrators, and his work lead me back to seek out Raymond, John Prentice and the rest. It also made me appreciate him more in how he’d taken these influences and integrated the power and dynamism of Kirby. More than Kirby, more than Ditko, John Buscema defined Marvel for me. Defined comics. Thanks, John.

Mike Friedrich

writer, editor/publisher, art rep I have one short personal story to share about John Buscema. Around June of 1972 I was writing for Marvel and living with a few other comics guys in a house in Staten Island. Late one warm Saturday somebody said, “Hey, why don’t we go visit John Buscema!” I don’t remember how this came up, and none of us really knew him. I had his phone number and although he was puzzled by the request, agreed to have us come visit. So Jim Starlin, Bill DuBay and maybe somebody else piled into my Volkswagen Bug and we drove out in the dark to Long Island (where I’d never been) and found his place.

Below: Bob Wiacek did an admirable job inking JB’s Captain America pencil drawing in John and Stan Lee’s book, How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way. Courtesy of Bob. Captain America ©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc.

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Below: Red Sonja, a character developed by Roy Thomas, occasionally appeared in the regular Conan the Barbarian comic book. Here’s a detail of her lethal loveliness as penciled by JB. Red Sonja ©2002 R.E. Howard Estate.

I don’t remember much about the visit other than John was totally relaxed and friendly to a bunch of guys a generation younger than he, as if he hung out with us all the time. I’ve tried to remember that attitude as I age and come in contact with artists and writers much younger than myself. We’re all in this together.

Mike Royer

artist I’m not sure what I may add to that which has undoubtedly been voiced by others much more eloquently than I can offer about a fine and unique talent, but I’ll try to offer a couple thoughts about a talent whose work inspired me, years before I knew his name and even how to pronounce it correctly. In the 1950s, most of the comic books I devoured were Dell (in the ’60s, Gold Key) comics produced by Western Publishing and Lithography out of New York and Los Angeles. One of the uncredited artists whose efforts appeared in Indian Chief and many other Dell titles, in 1958 illustrated the Dell Movie version of Kirk Douglas’ wide-screen epic The Vikings. At 17, I was convinced that this was the artist to one day succeed Hal Foster on Prince Valiant. Almost 44 years later, that well-worn comic book is still in my collection, and my succession opinion remains unchanged. That comic book collection is quite small today. With the exception of boxes full of a couple copies of each book I ever contributed to, the collection would barely fill a shelf of four-and-a-half feet wide, and I’d like to point out that almost all the Marvel Comics material in it is the work of John Buscema. His Silver Surfer never fails to please and some of my favorite material is from 1969: Love comics drawn by John Buscema, most inked by John Romita. Others can wax articulately about his Avengers, Conan (the only Conan artist in my book) and all the other larger-than-life heroes he brought to life, but I place his romance art right up there at the top. I’ll wrap this up and let the experts eulogize this great talent. Unfortunately I only met the man once, and that was in San Diego, 2001. We shared a panel and I talked a little with him during the con weekend. I found him to be a refreshing, unpretentious gentleman who did not take himself too seriously. He spoke of his work as “what he did” and that he “did the best he could in the time allowed.” If only it were that simple… So long, John Buscema. You’ll be missed.

Patrick Olliffe

artist When I look back on my career, inking John Buscema will be one of its greatest moments. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. I was sharing studio space with Ron Frenz when I overheard him talking on the phone to Tom DeFalco. They were wrapping up Thunderstrike and John Buscema was going to be drawing an issue of Thor that tied in with the end of that series. I was sitting at my drawing board as I heard Ron describe that they needed an inker who could turn the job around fairly quickly and was familiar with the Thunderstrike characters. I thought to myself, “Hey, I can ink… I could meet the deadline… I know the characters… and it's John freaking Buscema… say something, you idiot!” I spun around in my chair and blurted out, “I can do it!” Calls were placed, decisions were made and, in no time, I was holding pages of John Buscema’s pencils in my shaking hands. 18-B

“I can't do this! What was I thinking!” was the first thought I had. I don't remember inking the first couple of pages, but I calmed down and finished the issue. I’m sure this was just another job to John, but to me, it was a chance to work with a man who was one of the most talented and influential artists in the history of our business. All because I was in the right place at the right time.

Paul Neary

artist, editor John was a giant of the industry. His work at Atlas and ACG during the ’50s and ’60s was crowned by his great amount of beautiful work for Marvel. The Avengers #49 and 50 by John, which were unusually inked as well as penciled by the artist, still linger in my memory as milestone issues. His pencils were ably embellished over the years by great inkers, my personal favorites being George Tuska and Tom Palmer but, like most pencilers of note, he was best on his own. I was in an office at Marvel with Tom DeFalco some seven or eight years ago when John stopped by to talk contracts with Tom and I stayed quiet while they left for lunch. I wish that, in hindsight, I had taken the opportunity to play geek and tell John how great I thought he was.

Roger Stern

writer John Buscema didn’t like drawing super-heroes. I know this because he once told me so himself. As I recall, his words were along the lines of: “Aww, I hate those guys!” But despite that, he still drew them better than just about 90% of the other artists on this little planet. Of course, John drew just about everything better than 90% of those artists. Some may have produced work that was more dynamic or more flashy, but he was far and away the greater illustrator. And what illustrations! John was equally adept in drawing cowboys or pirates, boxers or fire fighters, men attired in uniforms or loincloths or suits. His ladies were so pretty that they could break your heart. And sometimes, that was just on the backs of his art boards! Conan was the book he really loved. John’s artistry on Conan was a thing of beauty. But so was his work on the Silver Surfer and Sub-Mariner and The Avengers and all of the other books featuring “those guys” he professed to hate so much. Can you imagine what the books would have looked like if he’d liked super-heroes? The fact of the matter was that John Buscema was a great artist. I believe he could draw anything. I once saw him draw a picture of the Easter Bunny for a tiny little girl. That drawing was as magnificent as any sketch of Conan; I wish you could have seen it. I wish you could have seen the look in that little girl’s eyes. Better still, I wish you could have seen the smile on John’s face. And I wish you could have heard him laugh. It was a great, hearty laugh. My wife and I once had John as a house guest, and we spent the better part of an afternoon telling one goofy story after another, just to crack him up. See, John Buscema wasn’t just a great artist, he was also a COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

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warm, loving man. I could see that in the way he looked at his son over dinner, I could hear it in the way he spoke of his wife and family. Oh, John could be a bit of curmudgeon. (In fact, I got the distinct feeling that he enjoyed being a curmudgeon.) But he was also honest and direct. John Buscema told you what he thought—no beating around the bush, no B.S. And he didn’t like super-heroes— no way, no how— but no offense, you know? I think that on some level he knew it was a generational thing. He told me that the comic-strip heroes of his youth were Flash Gordon and Tarzan and Prince Valiant. “But John, weren’t they sort of like super-heroes?” “Aww, it’s not the same!” What to do? I couldn’t make Conan a member of The Avengers. So I tried to work a little more sword play with the Black Knight into the stories, and have Hercules visit a saloon or two. I hope that made him grin every once in a while, even if he was drawing a bunch of super-heroes.

Steve Mitchell

artist, art director I remember the first time I saw John Buscema’s name. I was in my early teens and a rabid Marvel fan and collector. My first response was, “Who is this guy and how do I pronounce his name?” I thought that it was Bush-eema, and a buddy of mine thought that it was pronounced Bus-keema. We were obviously confused. What I wasn’t confused about was just how good John Buscema was. There was such power and strength to the work, kind of like what I was used to seeing in Kirby’s work, but much more grounded in what I understood the real world to be. Granted the real world was a mystery to a teenager even then, but there was no mystery about Big John’s work. I loved it. John had a sense of drama unlike any of his contemporaries. His characters acted in a way that was new, fresh and seemingly more grown up. Sure they wore the nutty costumes and did super-hero stuff, but they seemed more real on the page. John knew how to draw men and women. If you listen to actors talk about what is important in their work, they will usually say: Listening and thinking. John Buscema’s characters did that. To me that is why John’s work had such great power, even in scenes where the characters just stood around and talked. So much more than words was happening in those panels. I was lucky enough to have inked some of John’s work early in my career. Louise Jones offered me the chance to finish up an issue of Savage Sword of Conan—sorry, I don’t remember the issue number— and I grabbed it. (Just in case I didn’t sound appreciative enough for August 2002

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the shot at the time: Thanks again, Weezie.) I brought the pages home to my apartment and sat and just looked at the pencils for about an hour. They were beautiful and daunting. I swallowed hard and started to ink away. I thought that my inks were pretty decent at the time, but now I know that I was barely equipped or qualified to do John’s mighty pencils justice. The depth of drawing knowledge in those pencils was deeper than whatever I understood about the craft at the time. I always hoped that I would have another shot at inking John’s work, but that never came to pass. I always preferred John’s inks on his own pencils anyway. Al Williamson’s, too, for that matter. You don’t always get the chance to play with your gods. I was lucky enough to have had the chance and the privilege. Bye, John.

Tom Palmer

artist John Buscema was amazing! He produced thousands of elegant comic book pages in his career with a seemingly effortless ease. He really was a hard-working, immensely talented, and self-effacing professional, whose wizardry just made it look easy. Anyone privileged to work with him quickly became ardent fans. We had frequent conversations in recent years, and I grew to understand what made this talented man an exceptional master of the medium. John was always drawing as a kid, growing up in Brooklyn, he collected the Prince Valiant and Flash Gordon comic strips, and came to revere Hal Foster's work. He loved the comics and turned to them at an early age to make a living, leaving the field in the 1950s to work at a large art studio in New York City. While at Chaite Studios, John worked with some of the notable illustrators there—Bob Peak, Howard Terpning and Frank McCarthy—honing his artistic skills even further. Those years of executing advertising and editorial art turned John into a first-rate illustrator. Returning to comics in 1966, his adroitness immediately influenced the field, and he quickly grew to be one of Marvel's greatest. John's drawing skills were unsurpassed; all the essentials for great comic art were there on the page, regardless of how tight or loose those penciled pages were. His virtuosity affected all of us, his masterwork will be studied and embraced by artists everywhere. It was indeed my good fortune to be associated with John Buscema when I began my career in comics, that participation grew into a long term friendship, one that I shall always treasure. We will all miss you, John, the artist, the mentor, but especially the man, and the good friend.

Batton Lash

artist, writer, publisher In the early ’90s, I wrote the Archie Meets The Punisher crossover for Archie and Marvel Comics. The conceit of the project was that the Archie characters would be drawn by a sanctioned “Archie” artist while The Punisher would be penciled by a more “traditional” Marvel artist (with both artists inked by Tom Palmer. The editor in charge at Marvel informed me that the Punisher artist would be John Buscema. Well, I couldn’t be happier or more excited—I fondly remembered his classically-drawn Thor, Sub-Mariner and Conan. I thought those characters suited his style perfectly; powerful and brooding. I thought his approach to The Punisher would be a wild counterpoint to the Archie style (in this case drawn by Stan Goldberg). Buscema turned in a solid job and I was very happy with the results. Cut to the 2001 San Diego Comicon International: John Buscema was one of the guests of honor and he was striding towards my booth. Now, this was the first time I ever saw “Big John” in person. He immediately reminded me of a relative from Brooklyn who used to work on the docks; he had that strapping, blue-collar, working class, salt-of-the-earth/take-no-gufffrom-nobody look about him. Factor in that he was also one of comics’ all-time greats, he seemed larger than life—and there he was, coming straight at me! In truth, he wasn’t coming to talk to me at all. 19-B

Center inset: One of JB’s more memorable villain designs was the elegant simplicity of the Red Guardian’s uniform. This cover detail of the Commie bad guy is from The Avengers #43. ©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc. 20-B

He had a question about the con and was told my wife, Jackie Estrada, might be able to help him. I said Jackie was away from the booth, but she’d be back momentarily. He said he’ll wait for her. Well! I wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip by—how many people get to have Big John Buscema hang around their booth? I introduced myself, shook his hand and said that we once collaborated on a project. He cocked an eyebrow—he worked with so many writers, I’m sure he didn’t recognize my name—and asked what the project was. When I told him it was Archie Meets The Punisher, his eyes lit up and his nostrils flared. He took a step back, raised his fist to me and says, “You wrote that?! I oughta punch you in the nose!” I was stunned! When I asked why, he told me it was a horrible idea mixing the two genres together. Before I can stammer out a defense, he reassuredly grabbed my shoulder, leaned in and whispered to me, “But it sure sold a ton of copies, eh?” With that, he nudged me with his elbow and let out a deepfrom-the-gut laugh. For the rest of the con, whenever I would see him, he would good-naturedly rib me like, well, a relative! John Buscema had a tremendous talent and a great personality—I was fortunate to have experienced both.

Scott Rosema

artist It’s a quiet, summer day, one of such countless, perfect days, right around 1970, give or take a few years, in a rural area of Michigan, near the northern area of Muskegon County. It’s a wild, beautiful, area, on the western-most side of the state. An eclectic mix of deep, thick forests; old farm land; hills and fields dotted with thin trees and bushes; sand dunes; swamps; streams; ponds; cliffs; all of these geographic traits tumbling together in a random pattern. You can step from a pine tree forest that rivals the Northwest right into a swamp that mirrors a Louisiana bayou. A brush-filled thicket that reminds you of the wilds of Virginia can empty out into a sand dune that’s right off the coast of Florida. Geographically speaking, it’s right on the cusp of Lake Michigan, though that huge, glittering fresh water pool is fully 12 miles from this neighborhood. Poor pavement and a rolling terrain make it a daunting bike ride, so hot kids cool with patience as they wait for a parental drive to the beach and the crashing waves that only 11-yearolds can be satiated with. Still, the air is a rich lake breeze and the trees rustle; branches creak with leaves clapping. Bright, crisp sunlight rolls through the day. Growing up in such an area, among such beauty and contradiction, imagination is easily sparked by just walking. Not to mention what happens when you throw comic books into the mix. I’m 12 years old, maybe 10, could be 14. I’m sitting under a huge oak tree. Or in a patch of tall wild grass. Thin trees dot the field, throwing odd-shaped shadows that dance and fight with the sunshine

and splash across the pages of my comic books, making small changes to the printed colors. Most of the neighborhood kids, my friends, are out and about this day and I am happily left to myself to read my comic books as I often do. I tend to completely immerse myself in their pages. To look at the art. To feel the thrills. I’m not just entertained. I learn things. Such as understanding fear. To ponder what true courage is. To wonder at what else is in the cosmos. To see ancient mythologies come to life. To learn new words as they pop out of balloons. To learn how to draw. To hear the voices of heroes. And to try to hear that voice inside myself. More than “just” comics; and yet nothing more than paper, folded around colored inks and pinching two staples. But, those inks and papers truly come alive when they’re filled with talent, skill, passion, creativity, honesty, integrity, goodness, conviction. They build whole worlds, whole galaxies, a universe teeming with the architecture of imagination. And for me, one of the truly, truly great architects of those pages, those worlds, was, and will always be, John Buscema. To me, he was more than just one of the artists in those comics. He punctuated my young life with visions and art and characters that made my physical world explode with imagination. What was a simple sand dune became a rolling desert battle field, filled with shrieking horsemen led into battle by a northern Cimmerian. A quiet forest was suddenly the wilds of Asgard. The streams and swamps of my neighborhood most certainly housed a… a man-thing… or something. Though I never saw

it completely, at twilight I still shuddered, and sometimes ran, from what had to be the sounds of it stalking out of the muck. Laying in an open field, at night, I watched the stars and knew a supersonic craft, filled with heroes, soared next to a mirror-skinned alien and battled tremendous evil with unbelievable courage. John Buscema brought those vistas into my life. Inspired me to emulate that ability. He literally was the one who taught me how to draw. All the way from New York to under an oak tree in Michigan, he sent his lessons. In every issue of The Avengers. Every copy of Savage Sword. Every panel in Thor. I watched, I practiced, I copied; I looked and listened to his pencils, pens, and brushes. Over and over. I could hear the voices of heroes growing louder inside of me. All that work, all that talent, a whole lifetime of experience being opened up to a kid who had barely started his. The one person whose work started me, as a boy, down a path in life that enriches me to this day. That was what he was to me. That’s what John COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

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Buscema means to me. I try to imagine what his close, loved ones feel now; what his friends and colleagues have gone through and I know my sorrow falls pitifully short before their grief. My condolences, for all of their depth and sincerity, will fail to console them. I did not know John personally; I truly envy those who did. For those who got to sit by him and actually watch him draw, you will find no greater fan of your experience than me. For those who learned directly from him, either as a student or as a peer, you are the most fortunate people I can imagine. For me, I will continue with what was started all those years ago. Look, watch, study, imagine, work, learn and grow. Frank Frazetta once said, “Don’t be a second-rate me, be a firstrate you.” If there was ever anyone who truly embodied that sage advise, it was John Buscema. He was first rate, all the way. He was unique and unabashed in his talent and passion to express it. And beyond everything else, perhaps that’s the best thing he taught me. To do what I love and go all the way in doing it. To be a firstrate guy. And, God willing, in the end, that’s what I’ll be, because of him. Peace be with you, John Buscema, and God speed.

Claudio Castellini

artist It is really too difficult to me to try and find the words to express how important Big John was to me and how his passing, which is still too recent, deeply and painfully struck me. In the past, much has been written about his greatness as an artist but there are no words to remember how deeply his personality enlightened and affected the world of comics. In this circumstance, I would like to express what he represented, both as an artist and as man, in my life. I owe a lot to John. If I hadn’t seen those unforgettable stories of Silver Surfer as a boy, I wouldn’t have got so keen on comics. I’ve always considered John as a mentor, as an inspiring master, and his art work as a model to emulate. It was really a Michelangelo of modern times. No one has ever managed, as he did, to convey so much strength and power as well as solemnity to the human body, nor could anybody be as skilled in reproducing the anatomy with such a mastery and dynamism. What I have always been struck with is his unique skill in conveying with unequalled anatomic impulse, the sense of epic, his matchless skill in moulding monolithic but, at the same time, plastic characters, which always betray a sense of movement, of action, even when they are static. His art is absolute, universal, unaffected by cliché whatsoever, as it is often the case today, nor was he restricted to transitory trends; August 2002

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he’s got a graphic language which stands out as a strong and an evocative one; like classic artists of ancient times, his art work will be long lasting and enjoyed by readers of all times. I’d always longed to meet John, and I had my great chance in 1992, here in Italy, in the town of Prato, in Tuscany, where he was a special guest of a cartoon event. I still can remember the excitement at shaking hands with him and at showing him my drawings. That day will be unforgettable; I found out that the artist I had always admired was a pleasant and extremely friendly person. He made me feel immediately at ease thanks to his charming sociability and smart sense of humor. I still can remember his smile when he said, while making his remarks on my drawings, that they were better than his own, this is why he would hate me! After spending the whole evening kidding at each other, he promised he would show my works to Tom DeFalco, then the editor-in-chief of Marvel, and that’s exactly what he did. If I currently work for Marvel and for American comicdom, it is because he had once trusted my abilities. I’ve always tried to show him my consideration and thankfulness as much as I could, as when I dedicated my first Marvel comic book to John; I decided to draw that very Silver Surfer that led me to my first steps as cartoonist, so as to join the ends of an open circle. The years after our first acquaintance turned into deep and true friendship. The deeper our friendship became, the more I could appreciate his quality of being a generous man of deep feelings, strong and sensitive at the same time, always ready to lend a hand; he was always there with a smile, even when his health problems became really serious, he always managed to find the words for a joke to defuse the situation and the growing pain that I was unsuccessfully trying to hide. I have such a pleasant memory of the days spent together with him and his inseparable wife, Dolores, that I hold in such a high esteem and affection, our happy evening spent enjoying delicious Italian food of which he was so fond, our cheerful moments and the fun we had together, our professional conversations, all these memories will be forever stuck on my mind. Whenever John came to Italy, he always did me the honor of a visit, and every time he brought me a ray of refined humanity, a clever joke or a wise piece of advice. I hold him in the highest esteem, the highest allowable among men, I’m proud to have had the honor of meeting him, both as an inspiring master and as a person, I’m proud of having had the privilege of enjoying his friendship. Since cruel fate has denied me the opportunity to tell him personally all that for the last time, by such few lines I’m probably trying to express my last eternal good bye, which is one of thankfulness, friendship and admiration towards an unequalled artist and great man.

Bill Sienkiewicz

artist, writer Speaking, for a moment, only as a finisher, one of those fortunate enough to have worked over John Buscema’s penciled layout stories, and not as a fan—nor as one who has lost a source of inspiration, I have to say that John’s pencil art was to me both a marvel of econo21-B

came thunderously alive with that character. He wasn’t imitating anyone here; he owned the character! I only wish he had found more opportunities in his work to really show the depths he was capable of....

Jerry Ordway

artist, writer John Buscema was my big inspiration, and it was through his work on The Avengers with Roy Thomas that he grabbed me! I still marvel at his figure work, and how damned effortless he made it seem, though I’m too much of a realist to believe he didn’t struggle! Of special note was the great splash page he drew of Hawkeye and Giant-Man arguing with the beautiful Wasp trying to separate them! Maybe issue 50 or so? A defining moment for me, and I’m still working hard to attain that level of draftsmanship several decades later!

Tom DeFalco

my and the end product of years of knuckle-busting draftsmanship, distillation, and refinement. John never used two lines where one would do, and one doesn’t simply arrive unvarnished at the high level of John’s “less-is-more” perfection unless one has learned over the years just what—for anatomical and storytelling purposes—can be omitted as superfluous and what is absolutely essential. His layouts were the sturdiest foundation an inker or an embellisher could possibly hope to build on, and their beauty was not in their attention to fastidiously rendered minutiae, but instead, were marvels of deceptive simplicity. Each page an example of grace, elegance and power. All that was required of the finisher was to simply not screw it up, while adding as little or as much detail as the inker saw fit. Now having said all this—and as if the drawing and storytelling bar John set weren’t high enough—often the most breathtaking examples of John’s sheer ability, enthusiasm and outright love of drawing could be found—not on the front of pages—but on the back. There, on the flipside of Conan, the FF or The Avengers, were drawings of such beauty and joy, that the only possible “less-ismore” response I can offer to describe them is—quite simply and appropriately—awe-inspired silence. Miss you, John.

Sandy Plunkett

artist I’m not sure I’m the best one to write a tribute to John Buscema, since I was never a big fan of his work. The thing is, to anyone with a pair of eyes, it was clear that he was a master of the comic medium, the kind of artist whose firing on all cylinders—impeccable draftsmanship, flawless storytelling, a strong sense of character and dramatics. When he first got into the field, his drawing reflected his early influences very clearly: Raymond, Foster and the illustrators from the ’40s. But at Marvel in the ’60s, Stan Lee groomed him to be the next Jack Kirby and John bent his style in that direction, apparently without breaking a sweat. I always got the feeling something of his true self was lost it the process. The exaggeration he used in his super-hero work often lacked the appeal of Kirby’s, suggesting to me he wasn’t doing what came naturally. I remember him most for his visualization of Mephisto in the Silver Surfer series. His innate theatrical sense 22-B

writer, editor “Did I wake you?” That’s how Big John began every telephone call… at least to me. It didn’t matter what time he called. He just assumed that an editor was always asleep on the job… and he didn’t think I became more industrious after leaving the Marvel staff. No matter how I answered his question, he would then explode into some tirade, usually complaining about his editors, writers, inkers or page rates. On occasion he would also include politicians, news stories and the general state of the economy, and we routinely argued about wrestlers versus boxers and Edgar Rice Burroughs versus Robert E. Howard. John Buscema would visit Marvel Comics a few times a year so that he could deliver his complaints in person. He was a very intimidating individual. Not only was he an incredible artist but John was also physically imposing. He lifted weights and told me that he usually exercised a few hours each day. He was a great big bear of man who loved to storm into a room and growl at some unsuspecting editor. He routinely accused everyone around him of being an idiot and he got a real kick out of winding people up. He also liked to horrify comic books fans every time he attended a convention by telling them that he hated super-heroes and considered all comics crap. But Big John had a secret… although it couldn’t have been much a secret since most of the people who knew him were in on it. Big John was a bear all right—a teddy bear! The man loved to draw and he loved drawing comics. Okay, maybe he thought a lot of the stories he was asked to draw were silly. (Let’s be honest—a lot of them were!) Maybe he didn’t like to draw certain characters. (Hey, there are some I don’t like to write!) Maybe he hated the deadlines. (As if anyone likes them!) The truth about Big John is that he was as big a fan boy as the rest of us. He often waxed poetic about his admiration for artists like Harold Foster, Jack Kirby and John Romita, Senior and Junior. He’d occasionally call me because he spotted a new artist in one of our comics that he wanted me to keep an eye on. His favorite comic strip was Prince Valiant and he loved to draw Conan, Thor and the Silver Surfer. On the few occasions I was privileged to work with John, he always went out of his way to mention that Roy Thomas was his favorite writer and that Roy always gave him something interesting to draw… unlike some people. Though John was thrilled when I told him that Marvel planned to collect his Silver Surfer run in the Marvel Masterworks series, he called me an idiot for reprinting some of his stuff before I had finished with all of Jack Kirby’s work. If you’re reading this, John, I hope you don’t mind that I revealed your secret. I just have one question, “Did I wake you?” Thanks for being there!

Mark Evanier

writer The thing I found most interesting about John Buscema was that he loved to draw. This was true of most artists of his generation but it was startling to realize that about John… because he never seemed to COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

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like anything else. First time I saw him chatting with fans at a convention, the dialogue quickly fell into an easy, if disconcerting pattern: They'd tell him they loved such-and-such a comic he'd done; he'd tell them how much he hated the strip. Spider-Man? Hated drawing it. The Avengers? Hated drawing it more, because there were more of those damn super-heroes. Thor? Hated it, but at least he didn't have to draw buildings and people in suits… usually. Silver Surfer? Sub-Mariner? Hulk? Hated them all, he said, being careful to make clear that he didn't hate his collaborators; only the inanities of super-heroes and the boredom of Manhattan street scenes. Only if you mentioned Conan would get a grudging "Yeah, that wasn't too bad." I'm sorry. I don't buy it. I don't buy that he disliked what he said he disliked as much as he said he disliked it. You don't put that much work, that much skill, that much care into work you hate. That Buscema should have hated a lot of the comics he drew, I wouldn't question. He was assigned to a lot of mediocre or miscast comics, often not because he was appropriate but because he was dependable. He was also too often pressed into doing sparse pencils or breakdowns, instead of the full art he'd have preferred, and into emulating Mr. Kirby. Still, somehow he produced wonderment. I never saw a bad art job by John Buscema. Saw some that were ruined by later hands but never by John. He had the kind of art skills that made even the best artists stare with open mouths and ask, “How can he do that?” He could do it because he loved to draw. And who among us wouldn't if we could do it even half as well?

Owen O’Leary

art collector When John Buscema got his first comic book job in 1948, Harry S Truman was serving as the 33rd President of the United States. And at the time of John’s passing in 2002; George W. Bush, was the 43rd U.S. President, and John was working on the second issue of a fivepart mini-series for DC Comics. During John’s long & successful career, eleven Commanders-in-Chief served in the Oval Office and our nation was involved in three major conflicts, the Korean, Vietnam and Gulf Wars, not to mention the current “War Against Terrorism.” It’s amazing to think at how many famous people’s careers started and ended during the time John was working: Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Johnny Carson, Muhammad Ali, Pete Rose, Magic Johnson and Wayne Gretzky… Thousands of other athletes and celebrities came and went off the world stage between the years ’48 and ’02, while John just kept on working away in his studio, decade after decade, while America and the world changed all around him. John Buscema’s powerful and consummately beautiful drawing style was a perfect reflection of the man he was. John was a boxing fan, and liked to lift weights for exercise, but he also enjoyed opera and visiting art museums, as well as doting on his grandkids. I’m sad that John is no longer with us, but am happy that this extremely gifted and talented man, chose to make his living drawing comic books, a medium I love.

Arlen Schumer

artist, comics historian John Buscema will go down in comic book art history as one of its most dynamic heroic artists, with an individual style that, for a significant time, was so synonymous with Marvel Comics that How to Draw The Marvel Comics Way could only have been done by Buscema. But he also occupies a more idiosyncratic place as the artist who had the most unenviable job in comics history: Filling the cosmicsized shoes of Jack Kirby after Kirby left Marvel, after arguably the greatest creative and prolific era ever created by a single artist. August 2002

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For Buscema was the Lou Gherig to Kirby’s Babe Ruth, a great artist who lived in the reflected light of the greatest. I respected Buscema’s FF and Thor, but loved Kirby’s archetypes more. The same goes for Conan; for me, it’s the later Barry Smith Conan, the Conan of “Red Nails,” say, that is my idea of the definitive version of the character, more so than even Frazetta’s. Buscema followed in his departure and "Marvelized" Conan into a standard Buscema brute character, much in the same way that Romita had to follow Ditko on Spider-man, and turned him into a standard super-hero, with none of the idiosyncratic twitches that made Ditko’s Spider-man so unique (if you’re like me, no disrespect to Romita, there have always been only 38 issues of Spider-man and two Annuals). Though Romita certainly has his adherents (as recent homages by Steve Rude and Tim Sale attest), and like Buscema, ranks as a Hall of Fame comic book artist, their work on those characters will never outshine that of their predecessors. And that’s how I always felt about Buscema vis-à-vis Conan— until I saw the first of those black-&-white Savage Sword of Conan stories he illustrated, "Iron Shadows in the Moon" (#4, Feb. 1975), that was inked by the great Filippino artist, Alfredo Alcala. From the very first splash page, we are in awed witness to the unveiling of a new look to Conan and his world, one that combines the superheroic dynamism of Buscema with the organic texturing of Alcala. From that point on, in ten issues that spanned a two-and-half-year period (’til #24, Nov.’77), the team of Buscema and Alcala created a body of Conan artwork that, as the epitome of Buscema’s works on the character, stands with the best of Smith’s, but also as epitomes of black&-white comic book art. How ironic. Here Buscema has just passed away and yet, when I think of his career, the work I think of most are those Savage Swords, primarily because of the inks of Alcala, who passed away a few years ago. Critics of this work usually cite Alcala’s overpowering inks as the problem; I say it’s no different than citing Sky Masters as great work—though maybe not Kirby’s best—because of the incredible Wood inking. Murphy Anderson gets the same rap for his teamings with infantino and Swan; in fact, Infantino himself has gone on record for not caring for Anderson’s inks. Yet, in the same way Vince Colletta’s praised for his scratchy rendering of Kirby’s pencils on Thor—those that he inked, of course—while he’s often pilloried for his inking elsewhere, because his scratchy look suited the rough-hewn world of the Norse warriors more than the slick, high tech world of the FF that Sinnott rendered so well (though for my money I’d still rather have seen Sinnott on Thor!), so too are Alcala’s heavy-handed inks—while often looking out-of-place in slick, hightech modern world, were right at home in a more

ancient world. And especially in an ancient, black-&-white world. There are two schools of inking for black-&-white reproduction, the artists who modify their approach to suit the special demands and limitations—yet infinite possibilities—of the black-&-white concept, and those whose work looks essentially the same in color. Sure, Alcala, along with all the other great Filipino renderers Alex Niño, Rudy Nebres and Nestor Redondo, were basically known for a heavy rendered approach that was expected to be applied in either color or black-&-white, but in these Savage Swords, Alcala goes that extra step to make each page—yeah, practically every panel—a tour de force of brush-&-pen and ink hatching and 23-B

Opposite page: Exquisite full-page by the renowned art team of John Buscema (pencils) and Alfredo Alcala (inks). From an issue of Savage Sword of Conan. Courtesy of Arlen Schumer. Conan ©2002 Conan Properties, Inc

cross-hatching to rival Joseph Clement Coll or Charles Dana Gibson, or any of the past masters of pen-&-ink. Spotting of blacks, lighting, brush feathering and rendering of a panoply of organic and rustic textures, from wood to stone, from vine and vegetation, resulted in a staggering amount of pages (remember, these were all roughly 40page stories) that became virtual tapestries of pen-&-brush virtuoso, giving the finished work an appearance to rival that of any exquisite engraving. Which made, therefore, perfectly awesome stages upon which to tell Conan stories, and therefore makes for the best Buscema Conan art of all, and perhaps Buscema’s best work. He claimed to enjoy his Conan work the most of all his Marvel output because he didn’t have to draw the modern world, so the swaggering, sinewy figure dynamics and strong sense of place and perspective that is found in all of Buscema’s work are on fuller display in Conan, the fullest in black-&-white in these Savage Swords, because the most lush and atmospheric rendering by Alcala ensures that this singular body of work will stand the test of time as the definitive artistic legacy of John Buscema.

Bruce Timm

artist, animation producer When I first began seriously collecting comics back in the early ’70s, John Buscema was the first artist I worshiped/obsessed over/swiped from. Silver Surfer #6 was my Bible; I copied the fluid, clean-line, slightly melodramatic figures over and over. His work on Thor, Fantastic Four, and especially Conan, knocked me out, month after month. I've said elsewhere that John’s work on Conan #38 (the first ish he inked his own pencils) is my definition of perfect comic art.

Upon reflection, I think I'd have to say it's probably my favorite single issue of any comic ever; definitely the one comic I'd want on that hypothetical desert island. But the list of superbly-drawn Buscema comics is long: His run on Sub-Mariner is pretty near the top, as are his Surfers (of course), Avengers, Wolverine, etc. All that swiping paid off in the end; “Buscema-isms” still pop up in my work from time to time. Hopefully, they always will (I should be so lucky!). I had the great good fortune to meet the man himself last year at the San Diego con, and he was gracious and sweet. I miss him. 24-B

Eric Yonge artist I’ll always consider meeting John Buscema one of the best moments of my life. He was pretty much the main reason I flew from Mississippi to the 2001 San Diego Comicon. Money was tight, but I just was not going to miss my chance to meet my favorite comic book artist of all time. I distinctly remember finding How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way in a bookstore and almost hearing the Heavenly chorus sing “Alleluia!” I just had a visceral reaction to how powerful an artist this guy was. I wanted to incorporate that kind of substance and energy into my own work, which was pretty amateurish at that early point in my life. I’d always been curious about being a comic book artist, but now I was committed. I believe that inspiration is based on choice, not on random appeal. I discovered that a lot of artists I followed after had focused on style over substance. That worked for me because there was little substance in what I drew, but I could heap a heck of a lot of style on it. In our industry, “flash” can become a detriment if it’s emphasized before solid storytelling. John Buscema was a storyteller. As my work matured, so did my choice of inspirations. In college I devoured everything pertaining to the classic Old Masters such as Michelangelo and my personal favorite, Peter Paul Rubens. His figure work and dynamic compositions thrilled the art spirit in me and presented me with a feeling any true inspiration should accompany: humility. I think that anyone wanting to objectively mature as an artist must remain humble, and there’s nothing like staring at a truly great work of art to make you feel that way. So there I sat watching the Comic Con panel featuring John Buscema. During the time we could ask questions, I was hesitant to say anything. I was sure that once I stood up, I’d either stutter or fall over my portfolio. I finally got it together and asked John, “Who are your artistic influences outside the comic industry?” I was genuinely curious, because that’s not a question that gets asked a lot, especially to someone that’s influenced so many others. I know that Buscema studied and even studied Jack Kirby’s storytelling techniques, but who inspired that art spirit of his? When Buscema replied that he “lived” at the library to devour the work of Rubens and Michelangelo, it just all made sense. As a young man, he responded to the sheer power he found in those works of art, just as I had responded to his. These were artists that had never touched a comic book page, and I believe that is a large reason as to why Buscema has made such an impact on our craft. He didn’t bring anything especially new to the world of art: he brought something that was proven. I thanked him for that personally when I got a chance to meet him at his booth. He appeared as I imagined him: A solid, rugged looking man with a white beard and firm handshake. He was kind and yes, extremely humble. After I had him personalize the John Buscema Sketchbook, I showed him my own comic book pages. I had been nervous before, but I was relaxed at that point. This was a man who had gone out of his way to help people learn to draw. I wanted to show him how much his investment meant to me. “Did you do this? This is great!” He went on to critique my work and offer a few valuable tips. His encouragement meant so much to me. He then asked, “This is good stuff… why aren’t you doing regular work?” I didn’t know quite how to respond. I just said, “Well, I’m getting some good feedback from editors, but I guess I’m not quite there yet.” He pressed further: “Why? What are they saying?” Now I’d definitely say the feedback I’ve received from editors has been extremely helpful, but there’s one common remark: “Some say I’m too ‘old school’…” Buscema banged his hand on the table and responded, “What?? Where do they get this stuff?? I can’t believe that!” It was a pretty funny moment, and I must say a DC editor later told me at the con, “Saying you’re ‘old school’ is not a bad thing in this business.” That experience clarified a lot for me. I no longer believe in an “old school” or “new school” of art. There’s simply art. Whatever style and methods we have as artists, we have an obligation to humbly refine our craft and imbue it with substance. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to meet John Buscema before he died. Thanks for letting me express what a huge impact he’s made on my life. COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

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CBA Interview

Talking with Big John That loveable curmudgeon at the ’94 UK Comic Art Convention Opposite page: Enrico Savini shares this JB commission piece featuring the Thunder God and two of the Warriors Three. Bob McLeod did some revision work. Below: A poignant representation of the passing of a master comic book artist. This unfinished commission by JB featured his favorite assignments at Marvel Comics. Courtesy of Mike Arnold. Art ©2002 Estate of John Buscema. Thor, Silver Surfer ©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc. Conan ©2002 Conan Properties, Inc.

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Conducted by Alan R. Woollcombe On Oct. 2, 1994 John Buscema was in London as star guest at UKCAC (United Kingdom Comic Arts Convention). Securing John was a major coup for the organizers, who had lined him up on panels and signings throughout what must have proved a very long day. During a break, we sat in a corner and he good-naturedly granted the following interview. The artist was good-humored, sharp, and not above catching me out occasionally—in short, far from the intimidating ogre of rumor. The interview appeared originally in the March 1995 issue (#37) of the long-defunct British magazine Comic World. This is the verbatim transcript [if slightly edited by Y.E.]—ARW Alan R. Woollcombe: I read an interview with Steve

Englehart recently. He said that in the mid-1970s you and he were both hired by Jenette Kahn at DC briefly, but then Stan [Lee] came back to you with a bigger offer of money. John Buscema: That’s a fabrication. I never worked for DC in my entire life. I was approached three times: once many years ago by Carmine Infantino and twice by Jenette Kahn. (Actually, I shouldn’t say Jenette Kahn, it was one of her editors.) I did meet Jenette twice, and twice we couldn’t, err, come to any sort of, err… They couldn’t take me away from Marvel, okay? What I had at Marvel I could never get at DC. Alan: What do you have at Marvel? John: One of the things I have at Marvel is Conan, which I love. DC wanted me to work on Superman which I think is probably as dull as Spider-Man—I wouldn’t be happy working on it. Also, the benefits that I have, which is very difficult for another company to match, really. I’ve been there a long time and they’ve been very generous with me, and DC could never match what I have at Marvel. Alan: Have you ever worked for another comic company? John: Oh, before—many years ago I worked with quite a few companies, but every one of them closed up like a domino effect. This was back in the ’50s. [chuckles] Alan: Did you ever work with Joe Kubert? John: No, no, never worked with Joe Kubert. It’s a funny thing—if I’ve been in the field for 47 years, I think Joe has been in it for about 50 years or better. I met him [for the first time] about five years ago. I met [DC editor] Julie Schwartz at a convention and I mentioned that I would love to meet Joe Kubert. He told me that the next time I got up to the city [New York] to give him a call and he would make sure that Joe would be there, and we would meet. In fact we did, we had lunch together and I was very impressed with Joe. I think he’s a fabulous artist, I think he’s fantastic, and I think he’s the same thing as a man. He’s really a very interesting person, and we seemed to get along very well. I had an embarrassing situation. Joe has a school [the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art] and he asked me if I would be willing to have a graduation exercise or some-thing with the students, would I be willing to go to [New] Jersey [where the school is] and be a guest speaker? I agreed, and then I had to back out because I was so busy and that’s quite a distance—I would have had to kill an entire day and I just couldn’t have afforded that day. And he said “Well, maybe next time”—and I had to turn him down a second time because of the same situation. He never called me again! [chuckles] So I feel kind of embarrassed—I don’t want to meet him face to face! [laughter] Alan: You mentioned you were bored by Spider-Man, but you did ink some early issues of Amazing Spider-Man…. John: No, I have never inked any job except mine up at Marvel. I penciled—I forget who inked, maybe…. Alan: Mickey Demeo? John: Mickey Demeo was Frank Giacoia by the way, did you know that? Alan: I thought Frankie Ray was Frank Giacoia. John: And I think he was also… wait a minute, Mickey Demeo is Esposito. That is not a real [name]—somebody is using a double, like Frank Giacoia used Frankie Ray, and Demeo is the same situation. Alan: And Gene Colan used Adam Austin. John: Yes, I know that. And John Buscema used John Buscema! [chuckles] I don’t know why the hell they do it. Well I do know about Giacoia, I know why that happened but I won’t go into it, because it’s COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

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Above: Some rarely-seen JB & Tom Palmer work—at least stateside—are their collaborations on Marvel’s British comics, including the above Captain Britain splash page (courtesy of Mr. Palmer) and these Mighty World of Marvel covers (courtesy of Rob Kirby). ©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc.

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his personal affair. Alan: But you did pencil Amazing Spider-Man? John: Yes, I did pencil Spider-Man—I did maybe half a dozen issues, but all I did was breakdowns. I didn’t do finished pencils. I can’t remember who inked, but I know I didn’t. In fact I was very upset doing Spider-Man, I thought it would blow my mind if I kept working on it. I mentioned it to Roy Thomas, and he told Stan Lee and Stan Lee took me off the Spider-Man. Alan: So what is it about Spider-Man? John: I think it’s dull, I don’t like the character. Look, I feel that way about most super-heroes. The only one I have a bit of interest in—a bit—would be Thor because of Asgard.

Whenever I did Thor and they had it on Asgard, I enjoyed doing it. They’d take him off Asgard and put him on Earth, I was bored to tears with it. Alan: What about The Avengers? John: I never had a care for it—in fact, I hated it because they had so many damn characters running all over the place. I can’t remember the past two or three books that I’ve done, I completely obliterate everything from my mind…. Alan: Well, that sounds like a promising introduction for my questions about your career! John: [Laughter] Oh, that I can [do]. My career started in ’48 with Marvel, which was Timely at the time. They were in the Empire State Building at the time, on the fourth floor—I remember that, I can never forget that! Alan: Was Stan [Lee] in charge at the time? John: Yes, he was. That was April 1948, and he gave me my first job at Marvel, on staff, for a salary. I started off with $75 a week, a hell of a lot of money in those days. Alan: Were you sweeping the floors? John: No, no, I was drawing with all the greats. When I walked into that room, I was on another plane when I saw those great comic book men that I had grown up with, you know—Carl Burgos (on the Human Torch)… Alan: Bill “Sub-Mariner” Everett? John: Well, Bill Everett—I met him but he wasn’t on staff, he was freelancing. Syd Shores (great draftsman)… Alan: Did he ever ink any of your work? John: No… Yes! A few years ago, before he passed away, I think he inked one or two things that I did, I don’t remember exactly which ones. Danny DeCarlo was there, Mike Sekowsky was up there—what a roomful of talent! Absolutely fabulous—I was in another world with these guys. Alan: Do you remember your first story? John: My very first story was a four- or five-pager about these men who decided they were going to rob Abraham Lincoln’s grave, and I had the toughest time drawing Abraham Lincoln! [chuckles] The editor took a penny out of his pocket and said “This is what Abraham Lincoln looks like!” [laughter] Anyway, it was a rough four pages and I hated it, but I couldn’t wait to see it published. But we were not allowed to touch the books when they came in—they would bring all the new books into the office, place them on a table in the foyer, and no one could touch them. Today you get every book in creation—you get them from DC, you get them from Marvel, you get them from the other publishers. I’m piled with books from all the publishers. In those days you couldn’t touch them, you had to go out and buy the book if you wanted it, so that’s what I did—I went out and bought my first book! Alan: Were you penciling and inking? John: I was just penciling. I was with Marvel, Timely, for about a year-and-a-half, and then they put everyone out on freelance. I freelanced and then I started moving to other companies. I worked for small outfits—one was Our Publications (which was later known as Orbit). I worked for Western Printing (which was Dell). Alan: Anything for EC? COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

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John: No. DC. Alan: Harvey? John: I might have, but I don’t remember. I worked for several small outfits, and I don’t remember the names or what I did at those places. Alan: And did you specialize in any particular field? John: No, it was anything. Science-fiction, Western, crime, romance.... Alan: 3-D? John: No, I never did a 3-D book.—But they had a large variety of stories in them. Not today—today it’s just super-heroes. In those days you could do almost anything—it was very interesting, I enjoyed it. Alan: What about film adaptations? John: Yes, I did a hell of a lot of those in the early ’50s for Western Printing. I did the one with Tony Curtis and Kirk Douglas, The Viking, with Ernest Borgnine as the father. I did Helen of Troy, I did one with Victor Mature. I did quite a few. Also classics adaptations—I did work on the book The Count of Monte Cristo. Alan: Did you work on anybody else’s super-heroes, like the DC ones in the ’50s? John: No. In fact I went up to DC at a very bad period—they told me they couldn’t use me, they had just enough work for the people that they employed. It was a bad period in comics. Marvel had nothing—they had just a few books each month and they had the guys working on them. I think Don Heck was one of the guys that they employed. I’m not sure if Jack Kirby was doing anything for them. All I know is that Stan said “John, we don’t have that much work, and I’m sorry I can’t give you any.” That was ’58, I think— that’s when I went out into another field. I went into advertising. I was fortunate in getting into a very large studio, loaded with talent, great illustrators. It was a wonderful period of my life—I learned how to paint. I did a lot of things: I did paperback covers, layouts, editorial illustration, textbook illustrations, all kinds of stuff. I enjoyed it a lot. Alan: That was from ’58 to...? John: ’66. It was a very difficult life. Advertising was a cyclical thing, where you worked maybe six or seven months and then you sat on your hands for the rest of the year. So those few months that you worked, you made a year’s salary—but you were never home. I was never home: my son was born in 1964—and for his first year I don’t remember my son, I never saw him. Really! That’s the truth! I would get home and he would be asleep, I would leave and he would be asleep. The weekends would come around and I could go home, but I’d be working. I started out on salary for about a year-and-a-half. Then I left and I went freelancing, but I had space in the city, and you had to be available to the client. When that client approached the studio for a job, you had to be there for that client. He may not give you anything for a whole week—and then on the weekend you’d get loaded with work. I worked for a client for two years on a freelance basis, I missed one deadline and never got another account—and it wasn’t my fault, I was snowbound. He lost the account because I was late with the job and he never gave me another job. It was a real cutthroat business. Today the studio system as I used to know it (we used to work for all the agencies) doesn’t exist, because a lot of the work is being done in-house—for example, TV storyboards. Alan: What prompted you to get back into comics? John: There was a situation. I lived in the suburbs, I was commuting by train and it was a three hour trip into the city, door to door, and then three hours back. I just couldn’t continue that way—I did it for six years, then I started commuting by car, [which] was a bit better but not that much better. My wife and I had planned “Well, we’ve had it—I just don’t want to do this commuting.” My wife was upset because she never saw me, I didn’t see the kids, she was rearing up two children without me. I said, “Look, the only solution is, let’s get rid of the house and we’ll move closer in to the city.” Just about that time, I got a call from Marvel. Sol Brodsky, the production manager, called and I went up there. I was afraid, I didn’t want to leave what I had—I had a very good situation, I had clients. They made me a fabulous offer—Stan said “What do you earn?” and gave me a better offer. It was a very difficult decision. I said “I will do the books—but I’m not going to leave my job.” So I kept commuting, but it was such a hassle that finally I realized that they were serious, August 2002

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

they had plenty of work and I dropped the advertising. I didn’t want to move back into the city—I wanted to stay out where I am. I love it out there, it was very rural at that time and a great place to bring up kids. (This is Long Island.) Anyway, I went into the comics and I’ve been happy ever since. That started in ’66. Alan: And you’ve worked for Marvel ever since? John: I’ve worked for Marvel ever since, and only Marvel. I haven’t done anything for anyone else. Alan: What was the first book you did on your return? John: One of the first books I did was “Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD” [in Strange Tales]. After that, I did a “Hulk,” and after that I don’t remember what I worked on. It was a short time after I was there that they put me on The Avengers, and I worked with [writer] Roy Thomas for quite a while on that.

Above: A portrait of Big John by Michael Maikowsky. Courtesy of and ©2002 the artist. Below: Perhaps the finest Buscema homage was drawn by Italian artist Claudio Castellini in a 1996 Silver Surfer one-shot (the artist is seen here with JB in a recent pic.)

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Above: Artist Mike Royer discusses JB’s short stint as Marvel romance artist as one of Buscema’s high points in the field. Cover art to My Love #15, courtesy of Albert Moy. ©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc.

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Alan: How did you get onto The Silver Surfer? John: [The Avengers] was very popular, doing very well, and Stan came up with the idea of doing a large book on the Silver Surfer. Books were, I think, a dime at the time and this was a 25¢ book— which was outrageously expensive, but he said it would be successful. He took me off The Avengers and I started with The Silver Surfer. I did sixteen issues and Jack Kirby did the last one—it was a desperation move on Stan’s part, trying to resuscitate the book, but the character was never popular with the public. Today it’s one of the better books up at Marvel, but at the time I guess they weren’t prepared for it. Alan: Why did you change your style of drawing the Surfer himself? John: Can I tell you what happened? When Stan gave me The Silver Surfer, I assumed this guy was coated with silver. I assumed everybody would assume that, right? Well, Stan wasn’t happy. He said, “It’s not silver, John, it’s a white plastic styrofoam covering” [laughter] It wasn’t my idea! The book started off like a house on fire, and each issue sold less, less and less. Stan was nitpicking, you know? I said “Stan, okay, fine.” I wish he had told me this from the beginning, I would have made it plastic—as if anyone could tell the difference! You’re the only guy who ever mentioned that. [laughter] Alan: Is The Silver Surfer one of your favorites?

John: Yes, I enjoyed doing The Silver Surfer because it had a hell of a lot of freedom, especially in the first couple of books. Stan more or less gave me a rough outline of what he wanted, and I took it from there and developed the books. But then, as I say, the sales were going down and he was getting more and more control over the story plot. We got to a point where Stan would give me a plot over the phone and he’d say “What do you think, John?” I’d say, “Okay, Stan” or “Gee, Stan, I don’t think that’s going to work” and we’d work it over the phone. It got to a point where it just had to stop— it wasn’t going anywhere. I feel strongly that the public wasn’t prepared for a book like that. Alan: You also took over Fantastic Four and Thor. John: Jack Kirby left and I took the Fantastic Four and Thor. It was a real black period for Marvel—Stan called me in and said “Jack left and we want you to take over these books.” You’re following Jack Kirby, man—that’s a rough situation. But he felt I could do it and the books survived, they didn’t die. Let me tell you something: Everything I’ve done, I haven’t seen. I don’t know what the hell it looks like, I don’t want to know what it looks like, I couldn’t care what I’ve done… .[laughs] Alan: So you don’t have a collection of your work at home? John: I have a couple of things that I saved. The Silver Surfers have been gone for years—now I understand they’re worth quite a bit of money with people collecting them, but at the time I couldn’t care less. Maybe because I’ve been in it for so long, but I have no interest in…. Alan: Is it fair to say that you look at it as simply your nine-tofive job? John: That’s it, that’s it. It’s a job that keeps me out of debt, and that’s the only thing I look at it as. Alan: Do you do painting or something like that for relaxation? John: I wish I could, I wish I had the time for that. But when you’re working from 7:30 or 8:00 in the morning, and I don’t take a long lunch break, I work straight through, I have a bite, I take off maybe 20-30 minutes, then I’ll have another 15- to 20-minute nap later in the afternoon, and then I work right until five. That’s it. After that, I don’t have the energy—or the desire—to do anything really, I become a blob, okay? [chuckles] Until the next day, when I start the whole routine all over. Alan: So what do you do for relaxation? Are you into theatrical productions? John: No, no, no, no. No way, no how—but I’ve been teaching. It’s a workshop I got involved with last year. Jack Beal, a very well known painter in America, has this workshop, and I applied for his class. He called me up and said “Are you John Buscema who wrote How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way?” I said “Yes, I am.” He said, “I want you to teach,” which was a shock to me. So I took a stab at it and last year I taught design (this is not for comics, by the way). This year I taught anatomy, which I enjoyed. It’s sort of a vacation and I love to teach. I’ll probably do it for maybe another couple of years. At the moment, that’s what I’m doing outside of comics. Alan: Going back to your work, what are your ambitions still? John: I don’t want to do comics. I have no ambitions to do comics, I have had enough comics to last me for the rest of my life. I’m looking forward to retirement eventually—I’m thinking in the next couple of years. Because of circumstances I have… I want to retire, and what I would love to do, the ideal situation for me, anyway, is [that] I love to teach and I love to paint. I want to paint, I want to draw, I want to do what I want to do. I don’t want anyone to tell me, “John, here’s an assignment—do it.” I don’t want to work that way any more, I’ve had it, all my life I’ve worked that way. That’s all I want—I’ll be the happiest guy in the world. I don’t give a damn if I don’t sell a painting, I don’t give a damn if I sell a painting, I have no desire to sell anything. All I want to do is do it for myself, give it away to my friends if they want it…. That’s all I want to do. Alan: Would you like to say anything about your brother Sal? John: In what respect? As a brother or as an artist? [laughter] Alan: Well, you mentioned that you don’t see much of him because you’re in different parts of the country. John: We’re quite a distance apart, yeah. Alan: His style has changed incredibly over the years… John: Yeah, [it’s] become very stylized. [long pause] COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

August 2002

Alan: Is there anything you would like to say about his artwork? John: Ah, no, because I’m too close to him. If I say anything, if I don’t say it the right way, someone might say “Well, it’s because it’s his brother” You know what I’m saying? So I would just leave it that I’m very happy that he is successful at what he’s doing. It seems that as the years go by, he has become more and more popular with Spider-Man. Great, this is what I want—but I’m not going to go beyond that. I’m not going to say he’s a genius or anything, because I’m the only genius in the family! [laughter] Got you there, didn’t I? Alan: Why didn’t you get onto Conan right from the start? John: I was approached by Roy Thomas with the project to do Conan. He mailed a couple of the paperbacks to me and I read ’em and I loved it. I told Roy “This is what I want, something that I can really sink my teeth into, especially the way [Conan creator Robert E.] Howard writes it.” I could visualize this. Well, apparently at the time, Marvel was owned by Martin Goodman, and he felt that my rate was too high to take a gamble on some new kind of [project]. It was entirely different, it wasn’t a super-hero or anything that had been done before. The closest thing to that would be Tarzan. Anyway, he had no confidence in spending too much money on the book, and that’s where Barry Smith came in—[he was] very cheap. I know what he got paid, and I’d be embarrassed to tell you how much it was, because I’d be embarrassed for Marvel. I told that to Stan, too, but that’s beside the point. Anyway, he did the book and it became popular. I don’t know why Barry left and they gave it to me, but I was originally the first one. And I’ve enjoyed it ever since. I love doing it. Alan: And you did it more or less continuously up until a few years ago. John: Yeah. When Roy left Marvel, left Conan, the writers that picked it up didn’t understand the character. They were tearing him down, every story just annoyed me. It was a helter-skelter thing, picking him up here, dropping him off there. It wasn’t even Conan! In fact, I had a disagreement with the editor—he said Conan was not really the main character in this concept, he was just a catalyst for other adventures. In other words, he’s not really the important one, it’s the period—that was his concept! It didn’t make sense to me. This character is a very interesting character—he may be a barbarian but I love this character. So I said “To hell with it! I’ve had it,” and I walked out. I didn’t walk out, I said I wanted something else and they took me off and gave me something. That’s one thing about Marvel, they’re very understanding. I worked on Wolverine and The Punisher and a couple of other things, I don’t remember what the other things were. I wasn’t happy. Roy Thomas came back and I was very happy to hear it, and I decided this might be the time to go back to Conan. [Conan editor] Richard [Ashford] was very kind… At the moment, I’m happy with Conan. Next week, I may change my mind! Alan: Are you working on anything else? John: No, nothing. Alan: What about How to Draw More Marvel Comics or anything like that? John: To do it on my own is a pretty big undertaking. I’d have to draw the entire thing. It’s a very successful book, it’s been selling since 1976-77, something like that, and it’s selling better every year, which I cannot understand because Simon and Shuster, the publisher, does not spend one dime to promote the book! Marvel doesn’t promote it, because Marvel hasn’t got any interest in it, just Stan Lee and myself. Alan: Who have been your influences as an artist? John: Now, are you talking about comics or are you talking about general? Alan: I’m talking about comics. August 2002

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John: Comics. Well, the guys I admired when I first started were Hal Foster, Alex Raymond, Burne Hogarth…. As far as comics go, Jack Kirby was a great influence when I went back in ’66. In fact, I readily admit it to anyone (I really don’t care if they believe me or not), if it wasn’t for Kirby, I wouldn’t be in comics. Because what I did, when I went back to comics, the stuff was dead, dull, and I just didn’t know how to tell a story. And if it wasn’t for Kirby’s stuff, maybe I would have gotten it from someone else—but I got it from Kirby. I was at least successful in what I was doing, because of Kirby, and I have a tremendous admiration for the man. Many people have asked me “Who do you think is the best draftsman in comics?” and I’ve always said Jack Kirby. They ask me “Why the hell do you say that?” My reasoning is: drawing is communication, just like using words. If you can’t communicate with someone with words, you’re not a writer. Kirby communicates with pictures, and when he draws a picture he communicates his idea— you know instantly what the hell is going on in that panel. He’s a great draftsman because he tells you exactly what he wants you to know, and you know instantly. That’s my idea of a great draftsman. Anatomy? I know (I’m not mentioning any names) men who have absolutely flawless draftsmanship but can’t tell a story to save their lives. This is not art. What the hell good is having an extensive

Above: Ye Ed’s favorite run by John Buscema was the master’s work—as inked by George Klein— in the circa 1969 Avengers comics, written by Roy Thomas. Actually, JB’s work with Tom Palmer on the same title kicks massive booty, too! Page from The Avengers #59 ©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc.

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Above: Two pages of JB and Tom Palmer’s art job on the Arthurian epic, Quest for the King, published in Marvel Preview #22. Courtesy of Tom. ©2002 the respective copyright holder. Below: Conan sketch given to Claudio Castellini. Courtesy of Claudio. Art ©2002 the Estate of John Buscema.

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vocabulary if you can’t express yourself? It’s the same analogy: what the hell good is knowing anatomy if you don’t know what to do with the figure? Alan: Who do you rate amongst current artists? John: Young guys coming up… I admire John Romita, Jr., I think he’s a marvellous talent and what amazes me is he’s so far different than his father. Usually the fathers are a great influence, like Kubert—you can see his sons were influenced by the father. But John Romita, Jr., you don’t see his father at all. Anyway, I admire the Kubert sons, although I think they’re prostituting their talent because of what the editors want. They’re losing that wonderful draftsmanship that they had, but that’s what the editors want.

Bill Sienkiewicz, I think, is an absolute marvellous talent, but I don’t think he should be in comics. I think he should be a painter. He’s a fabulous talent. There are a couple of other guys, I cannot remember their names…. Alan: Frank Miller? John: I will not get on to Frank Miller—he may be a good writer but he’s a lousy artist. Alan: John Byrne I would think would be more your cup of tea…. John: N-no, no. Let’s not get into names. Cutesy stuff does not go with me, okay? Who the hell was it..? He was doing Wolverine but he left, he went off with these young guys…. Alan: Oh, Image. Jim Lee? John: No, no! [Ringing, gothic horror tones and laughter]… He uses a lot of blacks, solid blacks…. Alan: Mike Mignola? John: Good, great, but there’s another guy…. Anyway, there are a few guys out there that I see—I can’t remember their names because I don’t really apply myself, I don’t pick up the books and read them. I flip through, if I see something I’m interested in, I’ll look at it. Alan: And seeing as how this is a British magazine, are there any British artists...? John: I’m not familiar…. Don’t embarrass me! [laughter] I’m familiar with a couple of people in Europe, for example De La Fuente and [Jean] Giraud. Outside of those guys, I don’t know too many. I’ve seen a lot of great stuff…. Alan: So much for comics artists. What about comics writers? John: I can’t tell you any, because I don’t read ’em. The only ones I’m familiar with are the guys I’ve worked with—Roy Thomas, Stan Lee. I do not read comics—I have no desire, I have no interest and I couldn’t care less. I don’t know what that sounds like, but that’s the way I feel. COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

August 2002

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CBA Interview

Memories of Brother John Younger brother and Marvel artist Sal remembers life with John Editor’s Note: This interview first appeared in the (now on-hiatus) Webzine, Greyhaven, and is reprinted here with Tom’s permission. ©2002 Tom DeFalco.

Below and opposite page: Vignettes from John Buscema’s cover to his magnum opus, Silver Surfer #4, featuring his exquisite penciling of the epic Thor/Surfer battle. JB often cited this as the highpoint of his Marvel work. ©2002 Marvel Characters, Inc.

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Conducted by Tom DeFalco John Buscema was born on December 11, 1927 and died on Jan. 10, 2002. He was, in my humble opinion, one of the greatest illustrators the comic book industry has ever known. For the past few months, I’ve been working on a book entitled, Comic Book Creators on Spider-Man. It consists of interviews with a lot of fun people who have worked on everybody’s favorite webhead. Naturally, I interviewed Sal Buscema for it. During the course of our conversation, we started talking about John. Since my book is about Sal’s thoughts and his work on Spidey, this part of the conversation didn’t really belong in it. But I thought you might like to hear it just the same….—T.D. Tom DeFalco: How many years were there between you and John? Sal Buscema: Eight years, minus one month. He was born in December and I was born in January. John got his first job with Timely Comics when he was twenty years old. I was the big guy on the block because my brother did comic books. Tom: Cool. Sal: Yeah, it was kind of neat. John left comics in the 1950s when the whole industry kind of folded for awhile. He went into advertising and worked in an office, doing commercial illustrations, but he didn’t really enjoy it. Did I ever tell you how he accidentally ran into Stan Lee? They actually bumped into each other by

accident in mid-Manhattan. What are the chances of that happening? The odds have to be astronomical. They got to talking on the street and Stan told John that comic books were doing very nicely again and he’d love to have John come back and do some work for him. John was commuting four hours a day from Port Jefferson to New York at the time and it was killing him. He hated that commute. He decided take another crack at comics so that he’d be able to work at home. Tom: You often inked John’s pencils after you got into the industry. Did you find it intimidating to be working with your older brother? Sal: There were times when just talking to him could be intimidating. You know what John was like. Tom: A quiet and easy-going guy. Sal: Yeah, right. I remember getting a call from John because he didn’t care for the way Joe Sinnott was inking his stuff on the Silver Surfer. This is not to disparage Joe. Joe is a fantastic inker and a tremendous talent, but John felt Joe’s inking kind of overpowered his pencils. Joe has one way of drawing and John has his way. John used to go through the roof if you changed one tiny thing on his pencils. Anyway, he complained to Stan about it and said he wanted me to be given a crack at it. John even hated what I did to his pencils. He didn’t really like anybody inking his stuff. He had to ink it himself. He was such a faultless draftsman. He hated what I did, but I guess I must have done a creditable job because some of our Silver Surfers are considered classics. Tom: Especially Silver Surfer #4, which is where he fights Thor. Sal: Yeah, and I wish people could have seen the pencils on that book. John penciled it very tight because he didn’t want there to be any guesswork on my part. He also loved that particular story. He loved the character of the Surfer and he also loved Thor. Thor was one of his favorite characters and John really immersed himself in this book. He did such a beautiful job that it actually pained me to have to ink it. I wish Marvel could have just reproduced the pencils. They were tight enough to reproduce. I mean his pencils were just absolutely beautiful and I followed them meticulously. I did not change a thing. There was no reason to change anything. All I tried to do was not ruin them. All an inker can do in that kind of situation is to try not to ruin the beautiful quality of the pencils. Tom: Silver Surfer #4 was certainly a beautiful job. Sal: Yeah, John and I talked about it for years. We were both very proud of that particular job. Tom: I’m surprised to hear that John loved the Surfer and Thor because he always used to tell everybody that he hated super-heroes. Sal: Yeah, right. You couldn’t always listen to John. He used to page through the comics and get annoyed over the way some guys drew Thor. He thought Thor should always look like an Adonis, but John’s favorite character was obviously Conan. He got a big kick out of drawing Thor, and he liked doing the Silver Surfer, but Conan was always his favorite. Of course, he would never actually say that. Tom: Of course not. John always pretended that he hated doing comics. Sal: John’s passion was drawing. Literally to almost his dying day, this COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

August 2002

guy always had to be drawing. It was his life! I think he would have died much earlier if he had been unable to sit down and draw. He had to get that pencil in his hand and a blank piece of paper. I’ve never seen anybody have a passion for something the way he had for drawing, and that passion existed within him ever since he was a kid. I remember it as a kid. I remember watching him draw ever since I was old enough to understand what he was doing. He’d come home from school and draw. My mother would be on his back do his homework but he’d just sit there and draw comic book characters. He was amazing. This great passion for drawing is why he was such a monumental talent. I’m being very, very candid about this now—John did not hate comic books as he tried to make everybody believe! John drew comics because the money was good and he was able to work at home. He did not think comic books were a great art form, but I never believed for an instant that he hated them. He could not have become the great illustrator he was if he hated what he was doing. He would not have taken the pains that he took, and he couldn’t have done the kind of work that he did, if he really thought comics were crap. Tom: Yeah, there was quite a bit of difference between what John said and what he really thought and felt. I remember the time he and I worked on a Wolverine graphic novel that was called Bloody Choices. John penciled it, and decided that he also wanted to ink it himself. Ralph Macchio was our editor and he showed me the inks when they came in. I started looking through the pages and I didn’t recognize some of the figures. I compared the inked pages to copies that I had made of the pencils and I realized that John had changed almost every figure in the book. It was like he had redrawn the entire job when he inked it. He had even cut out certain figures and taped in new panels because he didn’t like the way they looked the first time he inked them. Sal: John was certainly dedicated to his craft. I wish he could have done some serious painting or even sculpting. I think he could have been a modern day Michelangelo. He had that much talent. Whatever you may think about comic books, they’re a commercial product. We have to meet deadlines and the work doesn’t always turn out as good as we wish it would. I used to tell people I’d love to be able to spend a week on one page, but that wasn’t practical. I wish John could have done some serious art, the kind of paintings you see in galleries and museums. I think he would have really left his mark in that area. He was that kind of a talent. Tom: I agree with you. I don’t know if you were aware of this, but John would decide to retire every couple of years. He’d call me up and say he was finished with comics. He’d tell me not to send him anymore plots. I would ask him what he planned to do, and he’d tell me that he had already signed up for an oil painting class or a sketching class. Sal: Why the hell did he have to take a sketching class? Tom: I asked him the same question, and he told me that he needed to loosen his hand up. He wanted to sketch for himself, but he had to get into the right frame of mind. Two or three weeks later, he calls me back and starts yelling at me because he didn’t have a plot to draw. Sal: Like it was all your fault right? Tom: I tell him that I’ll get him a plot by tomorrow and I ask him about his sketching class. He tells me he walked out of it because the teacher was an idiot. Sal: I can hear him saying that. Tom: Yeah, the teacher was an idiot because he took one look at John’s work and wanted him to teach the course. Sal: The teacher sounds pretty smart to me. Tom: I’m with you. I told John that he probably should teach a sketching class and he called me an idiot. Sal: [laughs] You’re killing me over here, Tom. I can hear him saying that. John was one of a kind, wasn’t he? Tom: I always remember the first time we worked together. He read my plot and called me. I asked him what he thought of the story and he goes, “It ain’t Shakespeare, but I think I can save it.” Sal: One thing you can say about John, he was so tactful. He was a real diplomat. I often been thankful that he didn’t work for the UN. We would have had World War III a long time ago. Tom: The only writer I ever heard him compliment was Roy August 2002

COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

Thomas. He really enjoyed working with Roy, and always said such nice things about Roy’s work behind his back. I once asked John if he ever told Roy how he felt? “Why should I bother?” John said, “The guy’s an idiot.” Sal: John thought everybody was an idiot. We were once having a political discussion and he’s lambasting everybody, including whoever was the

President at the time. He thought he should be the one running the country. I told him that he’d get my vote. That was John! Tom: It was hard to keep a straight face when he came into the office. He used growl at all the editors and complain about all the inkers and tell everyone how much he hated doing comics. I once called him on it, and told him he was full of sh*t. Sal: What did he say? Tom: He burst into laughter because he knew he was full of sh*t. He was just a big teddy bear. Sal: You had him figured out. He really was a teddy bear. He was a very imposing guy. You couldn’t help but notice him when he walked into a room. But a lot of it was bravado. Believe it or not, John was a very, very shy individual. That tough exterior was just an image he built for himself. Tom: I went over to his house one time during one of his retirement periods. He tells me that he’s getting ready to pull out his oils, and do some serious work. I spot a bunch of sketches on his desk. They’re all recent drawings of Conan and he was kind of embarrassed when I asked him about them. He didn’t want me to know that he was drawing Conan in his spare time. Sal: I’ll bet he also had some Thor and Silver Surfer sketches hidden away. This guy used to eat, sleep and breathe drawing. It didn’t matter what was going on around him. He would get bored with it and start sketching. He’d turn on the television and quickly loose interest and head into his studio. John did that almost every night. He just couldn’t stop drawing. Tom: When you turn over a lot of his original comic book artwork, you find these amazing sketches on the backs of the pages. Sal: They’re better than some of the stuff that he did on the front. That’s because he was doing it for his own enjoyment. He’d get a spark of inspiration and turn the page over and draw whatever was in his skull. He was unique in that respect. I’ve never met anybody like him and I’m not just saying that because he was my brother. I’m trying to be very objective about it. John was a tremendous talent, and he just loved to draw. 35-B

John John Buscema Buscema Sketchbook Sketchbook

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COMIC BOOK ARTIST 21

August 2002

Artist extraordinaire John Buscema was renowned by Marvel staffers and original art collectors for often putting his best work on the back of his comic book pages. On these pages, we present a good sampling of these minimasterpieces. Thanks to Owen O’Leary, Michael Maikowsky, Allen Milgrom, Terry Austi, Bob Wiacek, Roger Stern, Jerry K, Boyd, Mike Arnold, and others for sharing their Buscema art treasures with CBA. Art ©2002 the Estate of John Buscema. All characters are ©2002 their respective copyright holders.

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WALTER SIMONSON interview and demo, Rough Stuff’s BOB McLEOD gives a “Rough Critique” of a newcomer’s work, Write Now’s DANNY FINGEROTH spotlights writer/artist AL JAFFEE, JAMAR NICHOLAS reviews the best art supplies and tool technology, MIKE MANLEY and BRET BLEVINS offer “Comic Art Bootcamp” lessons, plus Web links, book reviews, and more!

Urban Barbarian DAN PANOSIAN talks shop about his gritty, designinspired work with editor MIKE MANLEY, DANNY FINGEROTH interviews “Billy Dogma” writer/artist DEAN HASPIEL, plus more of MIKE MANLEY and BRET BLEVINS’ “Comic Art Bootcamp”, a “Rough Critique” of a newcomer’s work by BOB McLEOD, product and art supply reviews by JAMAR NICHOLAS, and more!

Interview with inker SCOTT WILLIAMS from his days at Marvel and Image to his work with JIM LEE, FRANK MILLER interview, plus MILLER and KLAUS JANSON show their working processes. Also, MIKE MANLEY and BRET BLEVINS’ “Comic Art Bootcamp”, a “Rough Critique” of a newcomer’s work by BOB McLEOD, art supply reviews by “Crusty Critic” JAMAR NICHOLAS, and more!

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C o l l e c t o r

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FIRST TABLOID-SIZE ISSUE! MARK EVANIER’s new column, interviews with KURT BUSIEK and JOSÉ LADRONN, NEAL ADAMS on Kirby, Giant-Man overview, Kirby’s best 2-page spreads, 2000 Kirby Tribute Panel (MARK EVANIER, GENE COLAN, MARIE SEVERIN, ROY THOMAS, and TRACY & JEREMY KIRBY), huge Kirby pencils! Wraparound KIRBY/ADAMS cover!

KIRBY’S LEAST-KNOWN WORK! MARK EVANIER on the Fourth World, unfinished THE HORDE novel, long-lost KIRBY INTERVIEW from France, update to the KIRBY CHECKLIST, pencil gallery of Kirby’s leastknown work (including THE PRISONER, BLACK HOLE, IN THE DAYS OF THE MOB, TRUE DIVORCE CASES), westerns, and more! KIRBY/LADRONN cover!

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FIGHTING AMERICANS! MARK EVANIER on 1960s Marvel inkers, SHIELD, Losers, and Green Arrow overviews, INFANTINO interview on Simon & Kirby, KIRBY interview, Captain America PENCIL ART GALLERY, PHILIPPE DRUILLET interview, JOE SIMON and ALEX TOTH speak, unseen BIG GAME HUNTER and YOUNG ABE LINCOLN Kirby concepts! KIRBY and KIRBY/TOTH covers!

GREAT ESCAPES! MISTER MIRACLE pencil art gallery, MARK EVANIER, MARSHALL ROGERS & MICHAEL CHABON interviews, comparing Kirby and Houdini’s backgrounds, analysis of “Himon,” 2001 Kirby Tribute Panel (WILL EISNER, JOHN BUSCEMA, JOHN ROMITA, MIKE ROYER, & JOHNNY CARSON) & more! KIRBY/MARSHALL ROGERS and KIRBY/STEVE RUDE covers!

THOR ISSUE! Never-seen KIRBY interview, JOE SINNOTT and JOHN ROMITA JR. on their Thor work, MARK EVANIER, extensive THOR and TALES OF ASGARD coverage, a look at the “real” Norse gods, 40 pages of KIRBY THOR PENCILS, including a Kirby Art Gallery at TABLOID SIZE, with pin-ups, covers, and more! KIRBY covers inked by MIKE ROYER and TREVOR VON EEDEN!

“HOW TO DRAW COMICS THE KIRBY WAY!” MIKE ROYER interview on how he inks Jack’s work, HUGE GALLERY tracing the evolution of Jack’s style, new column on OBSCURE KIRBY WORK, MARK EVANIER, special sections on Jack’s TECHNIQUE AND INFLUENCES, comparing STAN LEE’s writing to JACK’s, and more! Two COLOR UNPUBLISHED KIRBY COVERS!

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FAN FAVORITES! Covering Kirby’s work on HULK, INHUMANS, and SILVER SURFER, TOP PROS pick favorite Kirby covers, Kirby ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT interview, MARK EVANIER, 2002 Kirby Tribute Panel (DICK AYERS, TODD McFARLANE, PAUL LEVITZ, HERB TRIMPE), pencil art gallery, and more! Kirby covers inked by MIKE ALLRED and P. CRAIG RUSSELL!

WORLD THAT’S COMING! KAMANDI and OMAC spotlight, 2003 Kirby Tribute Panel (WENDY PINI, MICHAEL CHABON, STAN GOLDBERG, SAL BUSCEMA, LARRY LIEBER, and STAN LEE), P. CRAIG RUSSELL interview, MARK EVANIER, NEW COLUMN analyzing Jack’s visual shorthand, pencil art gallery, and more! Kirby covers inked by ERIK LARSEN and REEDMAN!

1970s MARVEL WORK! Coverage of ’70s work from Captain America to Eternals to Machine Man, DICK GIORDANO & MARK SHULTZ interviews, MARK EVANIER, 2004 Kirby Tribute Panel (STEVE RUDE, DAVE GIBBONS, WALTER SIMONSON, and PAUL RYAN), pencil art gallery, unused 1962 HULK #6 KIRBY PENCILS, and more! Kirby covers inked by GIORDANO and SCHULTZ!

1970s DC WORK! Coverage of Jimmy Olsen, FF movie set visit, overview of all Newsboy Legion stories, KEVIN NOWLAN and MURPHY ANDERSON on inking Jack, never-seen interview with Kirby, MARK EVANIER on Kirby’s covers, Bongo Comics’ Kirby ties, complete ’40s gangster story, pencil art gallery, and more! Kirby covers inked by NOWLAN and ANDERSON!

KIRBY AWARD WINNERS! STEVE SHERMAN and others sharing memories and neverseen art from JACK & ROZ, a never-published 1966 interview with KIRBY, MARK EVANIER on VINCE COLLETTA, pencils-toSinnott inks comparison of TALES OF SUSPENSE #93, and more! Covers by KIRBY (Jack’s original ’70s SILVER STAR CONCEPT ART) and KIRBY/SINNOTT!

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KIRBY COLLECTOR #44

KIRBY COLLECTOR #45

KIRBY COLLECTOR #46

KIRBY COLLECTOR #47

KIRBY COLLECTOR #48

KIRBY’S MYTHOLOGICAL CHARACTERS! Coverage of DEMON, THOR, & GALACTUS, interview with KIRBY, MARK EVANIER, pencil art galleries of the Demon and other mythological characters, two never-reprinted BLACK MAGIC stories, interview with Kirby Award winner DAVID SCHWARTZ and F4 screenwriter MIKE FRANCE, and more! Kirby cover inked by MATT WAGNER!

Jack’s vision of PAST AND FUTURE, with a never-seen KIRBY interview, a new interview with son NEAL KIRBY, MARK EVANIER’S column, two pencil galleries, two complete ’50s stories, Jack’s first script, Kirby Tribute Panel (with EVANIER, KATZ, SHAW!, and SHERMAN), plus an unpublished CAPTAIN 3-D cover, inked by BILL BLACK and converted into 3-D by RAY ZONE!

Focus on NEW GODS, FOREVER PEOPLE, and DARKSEID! Includes a rare interview with KIRBY, MARK EVANIER’s column, FOURTH WORLD pencil art galleries (including Kirby’s redesigns for SUPER POWERS), two 1950s stories, a new Kirby Darkseid front cover inked by MIKE ROYER, a Kirby Forever People back cover inked by JOHN BYRNE, and more!

KIRBY’S SUPER TEAMS, from kid gangs and the Challengers, to Fantastic Four, X-Men, and Super Powers, with unseen 1960s Marvel art, a rare KIRBY interview, MARK EVANIER’s column, two pencil art galleries, complete 1950s story, author JONATHAN LETHEM on his Kirby influence, interview with JOHN ROMITA, JR. on his Eternals work, and more!

KIRBYTECH ISSUE, spotlighting Jack’s hightech concepts, from Iron Man’s armor and Machine Man, to the Negative Zone and beyond! Includes a rare KIRBY interview, MARK EVANIER’s column, two pencil art galleries, complete 1950s story, TOM SCIOLI interview, Kirby Tribute Panel (with ADAMS, PÉREZ, and ROMITA), and covers inked by TERRY AUSTIN and TOM SCIOLI!

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KIRBY COLLECTOR #49

KIRBY COLLECTOR #51

KIRBY COLLECTOR #52

WARRIORS, spotlighting Thor (with a look at hidden messages in BILL EVERETT’s Thor inks), Sgt. Fury, Challengers of the Unknown, Losers, and others! Includes a rare KIRBY interview, interviews with JERRY ORDWAY and GRANT MORRISON, MARK EVANIER’s column, pencil art gallery, a complete 1950s story, wraparound Thor cover inked by JERRY ORDWAY, and more!

Bombastic EVERYTHING GOES issue, with a wealth of great submissions that couldn’t be pigeonholed into a “theme” issue! Includes a rare KIRBY interview, new interviews with JIM LEE and ADAM HUGHES, MARK EVANIER’s column, huge pencil art galleries, a complete Golden Age Kirby story, two COLOR UNPUBLISHED KIRBY COVERS, and more!

Spotlights Kirby’s most obscure work: an UNUSED THOR STORY, BRUCE LEE comic, animation work, stage play, unaltered pages from KAMANDI, DEMON, DESTROYER DUCK, and more, including a feature examining the last page of his final issue of various series BEFORE EDITORIAL TAMPERING (with lots of surprises)! Color Kirby cover inked by DON HECK!

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KIRBY COLLECTOR #55

KIRBY COLLECTOR #56

KIRBY COLLECTOR #57

KIRBY COLLECTOR #53

KIRBY COLLECTOR #54

THE MAGIC OF STAN & JACK! New interview with STAN LEE, walking tour of New York where Lee & Kirby lived and worked, re-evaluation of the “Lost” FF #108 story (including a new page that just surfaced), “What If Jack Hadn’t Left Marvel In 1970?,” plus MARK EVANIER’s regular column, a Kirby pencil art gallery, a complete Golden Age Kirby story, and more, behind a color Kirby cover inked by GEORGE PÉREZ!

STAN & JACK PART TWO! More on the co-creators of the Marvel Universe, final interview (and cover inks) by GEORGE TUSKA, differences between KIRBY and DITKO’S approaches, WILL MURRAY on the origin of the FF, the mystery of Marvel cover dates, MARK EVANIER’s regular column, a Kirby pencil art gallery, a complete Golden Age Kirby story, and more, plus Kirby back cover inked by JOE SINNOTT!

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KIRBY COLLECTOR #59

KIRBY COLLECTOR #60

“Kirby Goes To Hollywood!” SERGIO ARAGONÉS and MELL LAZARUS recall Kirby’s BOB NEWHART TV show cameo, comparing the recent STAR WARS films to New Gods, RUBY & SPEARS interviewed, Jack’s encounters with FRANK ZAPPA, PAUL McCARTNEY, and JOHN LENNON, MARK EVANIER’s regular column, a Kirby pencil art gallery, a Golden Age Kirby story, and more! Kirby cover inked by PAUL SMITH!

“Unfinished Sagas”—series, stories, and arcs Kirby never finished. TRUE DIVORCE CASES, RAAM THE MAN MOUNTAIN, KOBRA, DINGBATS, a complete story from SOUL LOVE, complete Boy Explorers story, two Kirby Tribute Panels, MARK EVANIER and other regular columnists, pencil art galleries, and more, with Kirby’s “Galaxy Green” cover inked by ROYER, and the unseen cover for SOUL LOVE #1!

“Legendary Kirby”—how Jack put his spin on classic folklore! TONY ISABELLA on SATAN’S SIX (with Kirby’s unseen layouts), Biblical inspirations of DEVIL DINOSAUR, THOR through the eyes of mythologist JOSEPH CAMPBELL, a complete Golden Age Kirby story, rare Kirby interview, MARK EVANIER and our other regular columnists, pencil art from ETERNALS, DEMON, NEW GODS, THOR, and Jack’s ATLAS cover!

“Kirby Vault!” Rarities from the “King” of comics: Personal correspondence, private photos, collages, rare Marvelmania art, bootleg album covers, sketches, transcript of a 1969 VISIT TO THE KIRBY HOME (where Jack answers the questions YOU’D ask in ‘69), MARK EVANIER, pencil art from the FOURTH WORLD, CAPTAIN AMERICA, MACHINE MAN, SILVER SURFER GRAPHIC NOVEL, and more!

FANTASTIC FOUR FOLLOW-UP to #58’s THE WONDER YEARS! Never-seen FF wraparound cover, interview between FF inkers JOE SINNOTT and DICK AYERS, rare LEE & KIRBY interview, comparison of a Jack and Stan FF story conference to Stan’s final script and Jack’s penciled pages, MARK EVANIER and other columnists, gallery of KIRBY FF ART, pencils from BLACK PANTHER, SILVER SURFER, & more!

(84-page tabloid magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

(104-page magazine with COLOR) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95

COLLECTED JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR VOLUMES, edited by John Morrow Each book contains over 30 PIECES OF KIRBY ART NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED!

VOLUME 2

VOLUME 3

VOLUME 5

VOLUME 6

VOLUME 7

KIRBY CHECKLIST

Reprints JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #10-12, and a tour of Jack’s home!

Reprints JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #13-15, plus new art!

Reprints JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #20-22, plus new art!

Reprints JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #23-26, plus new art!

Reprints JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #27-30, plus new art!

Lists EVERY KIRBY COMIC, BOOK, UNPUBLISHED WORK and more!

(160-page trade paperback) $17.95 ISBN: 9781893905016 Diamond Order Code: MAR042974

(176-page trade paperback) $19.95 ISBN: 9781893905023 Diamond Order Code: APR043058

(224-page trade paperback) $24.95 ISBN: 9781893905573 Diamond Order Code: FEB063353

(288-page trade paperback) $29.95 ISBN: 9781605490038 Diamond Order Code: JUN084280

(288-page trade paperback) $29.95 ISBN: 9781605490120 Diamond Order Code: DEC084286

(128-page trade paperback) $14.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95 ISBN: 9781605490052 Diamond Order Code: MAR084008

NEW!

Lee & Kirby: THE WONDER YEARS

Celebrate the 50th ANNIVERSARY OF FANTASTIC FOUR #1 with this special squarebound edition (#58) of THE JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR, about two pop-culture visionaries who created the Fantastic Four, and a decade in comics that was more tumultuous and awe-inspiring than any before or since. Calling on his years of research, plus new interviews conducted just for this book (with STAN LEE, FLO STEINBERG, MARK EVANIER, JOE SINNOTT, and others), regular Jack Kirby Collector contributor MARK ALEXANDER traces both Lee and Kirby’s history at Marvel Comics, and the remarkable series of events and career choices that led them to converge in 1961 to conceive the Fantastic Four. It also documents the evolution of the FF throughout the 1960s, with previously unknown details about Lee and Kirby’s working relationship, and their eventual parting of ways in 1970. With a wealth of historical information and amazing Kirby artwork, STAN LEE & JACK KIRBY: THE WONDER YEARS beautifully examines the first decade of the FF, and the events that put into motion the 1960s era that came to be known as the Marvel Age of Comics! (128-page tabloid-size trade paperback) $19.95 • (Digital Edition) $5.95 ISBN: 9781605490380 • Diamond Order Code: SEP111248

NEW!

SILVER STAR: GRAPHITE EDITION

First conceptualized in the 1970s as a movie screenplay, SILVER STAR was too far ahead of its time for Hollywood, so artist JACK KIRBY adapted it as a six-issue mini-series for Pacific Comics in the 1980s, making it his final, great comics series. Now the entire six-issue run is collected here, reproduced from his powerful, uninked PENCIL ART, showing Kirby’s work in its undiluted, raw form! Also included is Kirby’s ILLUSTRATED SILVER STAR MOVIE SCREENPLAY, never-seen SKETCHES, PIN-UPS, and an historical overview to put it all in perspective!

JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR SPECIAL EDITION

(160-page trade paperback) $19.95 (Digital Edition) $5.95 ISBN: 9781893905559 Diamond Order Code: JAN063367

CAPTAIN VICTORY: GRAPHITE EDITION

Compiles the “extra” new material from COLLECTED JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR VOLUMES 1-7, in one huge Digital Edition! Includes a fan’s private tour of the Kirbys’ remarkable home, profusely illustrated with photos, and more than 200 pieces of Kirby art not published outside of those volumes. If you already own the individual issues and skipped the collections, or missed them in print form, now you can get caught up!

For the first time, JACK KIRBY’s original CAPTAIN VICTORY GRAPHIC NOVEL is presented as it was created in 1975 (before being broken up and modified for the 1980s Pacific Comics series), reproduced from copies of Kirby’s uninked pencil art! This first “new” Kirby comic in years features page after page of prime pencils, and includes Jack’s unused CAPTAIN VICTORY SCREENPLAY, unseen art, an historical overview to put it in perspective, and more! (52-page comic book) $5.95 • (Digital Edition) $2.95

(120-page Digital Edition) $4.95

NOTE: THIS IS ISSUE #58 OF THE KIRBY COLLECTOR!

KIRBY FIVE-OH! CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF THE “KING” OF COMICS

For its 50th issue, the publication that started TwoMorrows presents KIRBY FIVE-OH!, a BOOK covering the best of everything from Kirby’s 50-year career in comics! The regular KIRBY COLLECTOR columnists have formed a distinguished panel of experts to choose and examine: The BEST KIRBY STORY published each year from 1938-1987! The BEST COVERS from each decade! Jack’s 50 BEST UNUSED PIECES OF ART! His 50 BEST CHARACTER DESIGNS! And profiles of, and commentary by, the 50 PEOPLE MOST INFLUENCED BY KIRBY’S WORK! Plus there’s a 50-PAGE GALLERY of Kirby’s powerful RAW PENCIL ART, and a DELUXE COLOR SECTION of photos and finished art from throughout his entire half-century oeuvre. This TABLOID-SIZED TRADE PAPERBACK features a previously unseen Kirby Superman cover inked by “DC: The New Frontier” artist DARWYN COOKE, and an introduction by MARK EVANIER, helping make this the ultimate retrospective on the career of the “King” of comics! Takes the place of JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #50. (168-page tabloid-size trade paperback) $19.95 • (Digital Edition) $5.95 ISBN: 9781893905894 Diamond Order Code: FEB084186

NOTE: THIS IS ISSUE #50 OF THE KIRBY COLLECTOR!

KIRBY UNLEASHED (REMASTERED)

Reprinting the fabled 1971 KIRBY UNLEASHED PORTFOLIO, completely remastered! Spotlights some of KIRBY’s finest art from all eras of his career, including 1930s pencil work, unused strips, illustrated World War II letters, 1950s pages, unpublished 1960s Marvel pencil pages and sketches, and Fourth World pencil art (done expressly for this portfolio in 1970)! We’ve gone back to the original art to ensure the best reproduction possible, and MARK EVANIER and STEVE SHERMAN have updated the Kirby biography from the original printing, and added a new Foreword explaining how this portfolio came to be! PLUS: We’ve recolored the original color plates, and added EIGHT NEW BLACK-&-WHITE PAGES, plus EIGHT NEW COLOR PAGES, including Jack’s four GODS posters (released separately in 1972), and four extra Kirby color pieces, all at tabloid size! (60-page tabloid with COLOR) SOLD OUT • (Digital Edition) $5.95

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KIRBY COLLECTOR #61

ALTER EGO #118

COMIC BOOK CREATOR #1 COMIC BOOK CREATOR #2

BRICKJOURNAL #24

Former COMIC BOOK ARTIST editor JON B. COOKE returns to TwoMorrows with his new magazine! #1 features: An investigation of the treatment JACK KIRBY endured throughout his career, ALEX ROSS and KURT BUSIEK interviews, FRANK ROBBINS spotlight, remembering LES DANIELS, WILL EISNER’s Valentines to his beloved, a talk between NEAL ADAMS and DENNIS O’NEIL, new ALEX ROSS cover, and more!

JOE KUBERT double-size Summer Special tribute issue! Comprehensive examinations of each facet of Joe’s career, from Golden Age artist and 3-D comics pioneer, to top Tarzan artist, editor, and founder of the Kubert School. Kubert interviews, rare art and artifacts, testimonials, remembrances, portraits, anecdotes, pin-ups and miniinterviews by faculty, students, fans, friends and family! Edited by JON B. COOKE.

LEGO TRAINS! Builder CALE LEIPHART shows how to get started building trains and train layouts, with instructions on building microscale trains by editor JOE MENO, building layouts with the members of the Pennsylvania LEGO Users Group (PennLUG), fan-built LEGO monorails minifigure customization by JARED BURKS, microscale building by CHRISTOPHER DECK, “You Can Build It”, and more!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95 • Now shipping!

(164-page FULL-COLOR mag) $17.95 (Digital Edition) $6.95 • Ships July 2013

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95 • Ships May 2013

ALTER EGO #119

ALTER EGO #120

ALTER EGO #121

JACK KIRBY: WRITER! Examines quirks of Kirby’s wordsmithing, from the FOURTH WORLD to ROMANCE and beyond! Lengthy Kirby interview, MARK EVANIER and other columnists, LARRY LIEBER’s scripting for Jack at 1960s Marvel Comics, RAY ZONE on 3-D work with Kirby, comparing STEVE GERBER’s Destroyer Duck scripts to Jack’s pencils, Kirby’s best promo blurbs, Kirby pencil art gallery, & more!

AVENGERS 50th ANNIVERSARY! WILL MURRAY on the group’s behind-thescenes origin, a look at its first decade with ROY THOMAS, STAN LEE, JACK KIRBY, THE BROTHERS BUSCEMA, TUSKA, ADAMS, COLAN, BUCKLER, ENGLEHART, MERRY MARVEL MARCHING SOCIETY, MR. MONSTER, BILL SCHELLY, FCA, Golden Age Blue Beetle artist E.C. STONER, unused Avengers cover by DON HECK!

MARC SWAYZE TRIBUTE ISSUE, spotlighting FCA (Fawcett Collectors of America)! Salutes from Fawcett alumnus C.C. BECK and OTTO BINDER, interview with wife JUNE SWAYZE, a full Phantom Eagle story from Wow Comics, plus interview with 1950s Dell/Western artist MEL KEEFER, MICHAEL T. GILBERT in Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt, and a SWAYZE Marvel Family cover art from the 1940s!

X-MEN SALUTE! 1963-69 secrets, rare ‘60s BRAZILIAN X-MEN stories, lost ‘60s XMen “character sheet” by STAN LEE, ROY THOMAS on the 1970s revival, art and artifacts by KIRBY, ROTH, ADAMS, HECK, FRIEDRICH, and BUSCEMA—plus the MARVELMANIA fan club story, interview with Golden Age writer ED SILVERMAN, FCA, Mr. Monster, BILL SCHELLY, and JACK KIRBY’s unused X-Men #10 cover!

GOLDEN AGE JUSTICE SOCIETY ISSUE! Features on JOHN B. WENTWORTH (Johnny Thunder), LEN SANSONE (The Atom), and BERNARD SACHS (All-Star Comics inker), art by CARMINE INFANTINO, PAUL REINMAN, MART NODELL, STAN ASCHMEIER, BEN FLINTON, and H.G. PETER, plus FCA, Mr. Monster, and more! Cover homage by SHANE FOLEY to a vintage All-Star image by IRWIN HASEN!

(104-page magazine with COLOR) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95 • Ships June 2013

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95 • Ships June 2013

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95 • Ships July 2013

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95 • Ships August 2013

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95 • Ships Oct. 2013

DRAW! #25

BACK ISSUE #65

BACK ISSUE #66

BACK ISSUE #67

BACK ISSUE #68

LEE WEEKS (Daredevil, Incredible Hulk) gives insight into the artform, YILDIRAY ÇINAR (Noble Causes, Fury of the Firestorms) interview and demo, inker JOE RUBINSTEIN shows how he works, “Comic Art Bootcamp” with MIKE MANLEY and BRET BLEVINS, “Rough Critique” of a newcomer by BOB McLEOD, and “Crusty Critic” JAMAR NICHOLAS reviews art supplies and software! Mature readers only.

“Bronze Age B-Teams”! Defenders issue-byissue overview, Champions, Guardians of the Galaxy, Inhumans, PETER DAVID’s X-Factor, Teen Titans West, Legion of Substitute Heroes, an all-star chatfest of Doom Patrol interviews, plus art and commentary by ROSS ANDRU, SAL BUSCEMA, KEITH GIFFEN, TONY ISABELLA, PAUL KUPPERBERG, ERIK LARSEN, GEORGE PÉREZ, BOB ROZAKIS, cover by KEVIN NOWLAN.

“Bronze Age Team-Ups”! Marvel Team-Up and Two-in-One, Super-Villain Team-Up, CLAREMONT and SIMONSON’s X-Men/New Teen Titans, DC Comics Presents, SuperTeam Family, HANEY and APARO’s Batman of Earth-B(&B), Superman/Captain Marvel smackdowns, plus art and commentary by BUCKLER, ENGLEHART, GARCÍA-LÓPEZ, GIFFEN, LEVITZ, WEIN, and a classic GIL KANE cover inked anew by TERRY AUSTIN.

“Heroes Out of Time!” Batman: Gotham by Gaslight with MIGNOLA, WAID, and AUGUSTYN, Booster Gold with JURGENS, X-Men: Days of Future Past with CHRIS CLAREMONT, Bill & Ted with EVAN DORKIN, interview with P. CRAIG RUSSELL, “Pro2Pro” with Time Masters’ BOB WAYNE and LEWIS SHINER, Karate Kid, New Mutants: Asgardian Wars, and Kang. Mignola cover.

“1970s and ‘80s Legion of Super-Heroes!” LEVITZ interview, the Legion’s Honored Dead, the Cosmic Boy miniseries, a Time Trapper history, the New Adventures of Superboy, Legion fantasy cover gallery by JOHN WATSON, plus BATES, COCKRUM, CONWAY, COLON, GIFFEN, GRELL, JANES, KUPPERBERG, LaROCQUE, LIGHTLE, SCHAFFENBERGER, SHERMAN, STATON, SWAN, WAID, & more! COCKRUM cover!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95 • Ships July 2013

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95 • Ships June 2013

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95 • Ships July 2013

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95 • Ships August 2013

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95 • Ships Sept. 2013

Ambitious new series documenting each decade of comic book history!

AMERICAN COMIC BOOK CHRONICLES: 1960-64 & The 1980s

JOHN WELLS covers comics in the 1960-64 JFK and Beatles era: DC’s new GREEN LANTERN, JUSTICE LEAGUE and multiple earths! LEE and KIRBY at Marvel on FF, SPIDER-MAN, HULK, and X-MEN! BATMAN’s “new look”, Charlton’s BLUE BEETLE, CREEPY #1 & more!

MODERN MASTERS: CLIFF CHIANG

Spotlights the career of CLIFF CHIANG (artist of DC’s New 52 breakout hit WONDER WOMAN series) through a career-spanning interview, and loads of both iconic and rarely seen artwork from Cliff’s personal files. There’s also an in-depth look into the artist’s work process, and an extensive gallery of commissioned pieces, many in full-color. By CHRIS ARRANT and ERIC NOLEN-WEATHINGTON.

1960-64: (224-page FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER) $39.95 (Digital Edition) $11.95 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-045-8 • Out now! 1980s: (288-page FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER) $41.95 (Digital Edition) $12.95 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-046-5 • Out now!

(192-page trade paperback with COLOR) $27.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-051-9 • (Digital Edition) $8.95 • Ships July 2013

(120-page trade paperback with COLOR) $15.95 (Digital Editions) $4.95 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-050-2 Ships May 2013

THE STAR*REACH COMPANION

Complete history of the influential 1970s independent comic, featuring work by and interviews with DAVE STEVENS, FRANK BRUNNER, HOWARD CHAYKIN, STEVE LEIALOHA, WALTER SIMONSON, BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH, KEN STEACY, JOHN WORKMAN, MIKE VOSBURG, P. CRAIG RUSSELL, DAVE SIM, MICHAEL GILBERT, and many others, plus full stories from STAR*REACH and its sister magazine IMAGINE. Cover by CHAYKIN! MATURE READERS ONLY.

KEITH DALLAS documents comics’ 1980s Reagan years: Rise and fall of JIM SHOOTER, FRANK MILLER as comic book superstar, DC’s CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS, MOORE and GAIMAN’s British invasion, ECLIPSE, PACIFIC, FIRST, COMICO, DARK HORSE and more!

DAN SPIEGLE: A LIFE IN COMIC ART

PLUGGED IN!

COMICS PROS IN THE VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY

Documents his 60-year career on DELL and GOLD KEY’S licensed TV and Movie adaptions (LOST IN SPACE, KORAK, MAGNUS ROBOT FIGHTER, MIGHTY SAMPSON), at DC COMICS (BATMAN, UNKNOWN SOLDIER, TOMAHAWK, JONAH HEX, TEEN TITANS, BLACKHAWK), his CROSSFIRE series for ECLIPSE, DARK HORSE’S INDIANA JONES series and more, with rare artwork, personal photos, and private commission drawings. Written by JOHN COATES.

Offers invaluable tips for anyone entering the Video Game field, or with a fascination for both comics and gaming. KEITH VERONESE interviews artists and writers who work in video games full-time: JIMMY PALMIOTTI, CHRIS BACHALO, MIKE DEODATO, RICK REMENDER, TRENT KANIUGA, and others. Whether you’re a noob or experienced gamer or comics fan, be sure to get PLUGGED IN!

(160-page trade paperback) $19.95 • (Digital Edition) $6.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-048-9 • Ships May 2013

(104-page trade paperback) $14.95 • (Digital Edition) $4.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-049-6 • Ships May 2013

(128-page trade paperback with COLOR) $16.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-047-2 • (Digital Edition) $5.95 • Now shipping!

SUBSCRIBE! • Digital Editions: 3.95 each, or save with a digital subscription (digital editions are included FREE with a print subscription)! • Back Issue, Draw, Alter Ego & Comic Book Collector are now all full-color! • Lower international shipping rates! $

2013 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: (with FREE Digital Editions)

Media Mail

1st Class Canada 1st Class Priority US Intl. Intl.

Digital Only

JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR (4 issues)

$50

$68

$65

$72

$150

$15.80

BACK ISSUE! (8 issues)

$60

$80

$85

$107

$155

$23.60

DRAW! (4 issues)

$30

$40

$43

$54

$78

$11.80

ALTER EGO (8 issues)

$60

$80

$85

$107

$155

$23.60

COMIC BOOK CREATOR (4 issues w/Special)

$36

$45

$50

$65

$95

$15.80

BRICKJOURNAL (6 issues)

$57

$72

$75

$86

$128

$23.70

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THE BEST OF ALTER EGO, VOL. 2

This sequel to ALTER EGO: THE BEST OF THE LEGENDARY COMICS FANZINE presents more vintage features from the first super-hero fanzine, begun by JERRY BAILS & ROY THOMAS. Editors ROY THOMAS and BILL SCHELLY reveal undiscovered gems from all 11 original issues published from 1961-78, including features on Hawkman, the Spectre, Blackhawk, the JLA, All Winners Squad, the Heap, an unsold “Tor” newspaper strip by JOE KUBERT, and more!