Dr. Strange

Marvel’s Unsung Heroes! -Marie Severin!

Posted on by billyd75

It’s nice to see that in this day and age, women are making great strides in the comic book industry (Kelly Sue DeConnick, Emma Rios, Laura Allred, Fiona Staples, Rachel Dodson, Marjorie Liu, Jill Thompson, Jo Chen, Sara Pichelli, Siya Oum, etc.), and it’s about time. These ladies add a unique perspective to the industry that is a breath of fresh air. Back in the day though, comics were even more dominated by men, so the women of that earlier era need to be given praise for their groundbreaking work. One of those ladies was Marie Severin. Her vast body of work (Dr. Strange, Submariner, Hulk) that includes a ton of pencils, inks, and colors, cannot be overlooked, and in today’s post, you’ll get to see some of her work that I own and cherish. So, here’s to you Marie, thanks for all of your hard work not only creating art, but also paving the way for the ladies of tomorrow!

 

Image (24)

Image (25)

Image (26)

Image (27)

Image (28)

Image (29)

Image (30)

Image (31)

Image (32)

Image (33)

Image (34)

 

Marvel’s Unsung Heroes! -Don Heck!

Posted on by billyd75

Back in the very early days of Marvel Comics, there were only a couple of employees, and a few “work for hire” guys. We know of Lee, Kirby, and Ditko, but there was another face that was there from beginning as well. His name is Don Heck, and this man is responsible for co-creating many of our favorite characters (Hawkeye, Black Widow, The Mandarin, Iron Man, Wonder Man, Count Nefaria, The Swordsman, The Collector, Living Laser, Black Goliath, and Mantis)…yeah, you get the point. If not for his work the movies that now dazzle us a couple of times a year, would be less inviting, for sure.

His work on the Avengers really stands out for me personally, but not to be missed are his renditions of Dracula and Dr. Strange, too! Don passed away in 1995, from lung cancer. He may be gone, but his magnificent work lives on! I mean, who else could draw Morbius tossing a crab into the ocean or Dracula fighting a giant heart? So, here’s to you, Don Heck, may your work live on forever!

 

Image (3)

Image (4)

Image (5)

Image (6)

Image (7)

Image (8)

Image (9)

Image (10)

Image (11)

Image (12)

Image (13)

Image (14)

Marvel’s Unsung Heroes! -Dan Adkins!

Posted on by billyd75

If you haven’t already figured it out, I’m a HUGE fan of Dr. Strange, and of course, love most of the artists that have drawn him over the years. One of the guys that has drawn him once in a while, but never seems to get any mention, is Dan Adkins (RIP). This guy did a lot of inking work in comics, but not a ton of work for Marvel specifically. That said, I believe he deserves to be applauded for his work in the Marvel Universe!

Dan passed away in 2013 unfortunately, but his great pencils and inks live on in the back issue bins! So get ready, and strap on your seat belt, because it’s going to be a trippy ride! From Dr. Strange to Ka-Zar, the next few images will blow your mind!

 

Image (182)

Image (183)

Image (181)

Image (184)

Image (185)

Image (186)

Image (187)

Image (188)

Image (189)

Image (190)

Image (192)

Image (191)

Image (193)

Marvel’s Unsung Heroes! -Frank Brunner!

Posted on by billyd75

One of my personal favorites, Frank Brunner brought a huge amount of energy to his pencils, especially his fantasy and magic-based work! I’m not sure if my first glimpse of his pencils was in Dr. Strange or Giant Size Man-Thing, but either way, I was very impressed! Brunner didn’t have a huge body of work for Marvel, but what we did get, was absolutely incredible. Brunner actually did a good job inking Barry Windsor-Smith in a famous story about Dr. Strange, and that is further proof that he is the man! Nobody did Dr. Strange more justice in my opinion (I think he’s right up there with Colan & Ditko), and his webpage is an homage to everything sci-fi/horror, so check it out! Without further delay, here’s Frank Brunner! Enjoy!

 

Image (109)

Image (112)

Image (113)

Image (114)

Image (115)

Image (116)

Image (117)

Image (118)

Image (119)

Image (120)

Image (124)

Image (123)

Image (125)

Image (126)

Image (127)

Image (129)

Image (128)

Image (130)

Image (131)

Image (132)

Image (133)

Image (134)

Image (135)

Image (136)

Image (140)

Image (141)

Image (142)

Gene Colan Tribute Part 4- Dr. Strange

Posted on by billyd75

As we creep closer to the end of the month, and my spotlight on Gene Colan, I would be remiss, if I didn’t get some of his fantastic work on Dr. Strange out there for the masses! The Doc is my favorite character of all time, just edging out Thor and Captain America, and Gene’s work on the Doc is a big reason! Of course, Tomb of Dracula was the ultimate influence, and that title will get its due in my last post on Saturday! Here are some of my favorite covers, title pages, and splash pages by Gene! Quick warning, there are a lot of pics! Enjoy!

Image (2)

Image (3)

Image (4)

Image (5)

Image (6)

Image (7)

Image (11)

Image (12)

Image (13)

Image (15)

Image (16)

Image (17)

Marvel Premiere #8, 1973. “The Doom That Bloomed on Kathulos”

Posted on by billyd75

Image (32)

As if Dr. Strange, Clea, and Stonehenge wasn’t enough, you get a story inspired by the fantasy legend, Robert E. Howard, scripted by Gardner Fox, pencils by Jim Starlin, and inks by Frank Giacoia! This A-list creative team brings us a tale of the good ‘ol Doc, as he and Clea have faced down trial after trial lately. In this issue, Strange finds out that not only must he face Kathulos in some dark, creepy dimension, but that if he does, waiting in the wings is his master Shuma-Gorath! We also see in flashback, these last few days, and its bizarre adventures. From an undersea nightmare, to another demon, spawned to serve Shuma-Gorath.

Image (33)

Throughout the book, we get amazing work by Starlin, and it really shows how great he would have been on a title like this one. Don’t get me wrong, I love Frank Brunner, Gene Colan, and all the other artists on the different series, but the awesomeness of Starlin’s work cannot be denied! Just look at those panels, by Starlin, Giacoia, Hunt, and Goldberg! Let us not diminish the writing by comic book great, Gardner Fox! His Golden and Silver Age work is nothing short of astounding (JSA, Starman, Sandman, etc.)!

Image (31)

Adapting the works of a great writer like Howard doesn’t hurt your chances at making something great either though. Howard’s countless creations (Conan, Kull, Solomon Kane, etc.) have inspired hundreds of writers, artists, and authors for decades. And I’m sure they will for many more to come! See you soon!