Gene Colan | Magazines and Monsters!

The Spider: Scavengers of The Slaughtered Sacrifices (2002)

Posted on November 30, 2015 by billyd75

When you have a character that has been around since 1933, it’s kind of double-edged sword if you try to modernize him. Most creators don’t though, and that’s a good thing. Sure you might miss out on the youth that doesn’t care about pulp characters, but you will hit your target demographic. The character in this story is called The Spider. He’s Richard Wentworth, a rich, playboy type guy, that uses his wealth to help him in his fight against injustice…no, not Batman, The Spider! When Harry Steeger created this character, the only other big time pulp characters were basically The Phantom, and The Spirit. Steeger did a good job at using the momentum those characters had generated, but The Spider definitely stood out from them.

Fast forward to the year 2012, Dynamite Entertainment put out some promotional material stating a new series starring this character was soon to be published. It definitely piqued my interest, and the series paid off with great talent (David Liss, Colton Worley, Alex Ross, Francesco Francavilla, and others), that brought intriguing stories, incredible artwork, and quite frankly, a breath of fresh air to the medium.

This introduction got me thinking that perhaps there was more material that I could feast upon? The first book I encountered was an immediate buy. Why? Because when I saw Don McGregor (writer) and Gene Colan (art) at the top of the book (The Spider: Scavengers of the Slaughtered Sacrifices – 2002 Vanguard), that’s all it took. I knew nothing about the story but had faith in Don’s reputation, and of course, it didn’t hurt that my favorite artist was also one of the creators either. If you like crime, action, Noir, and a twist of the macabre, then this is a book you must seek out right away. It’s like mashing Tomb of Dracula and Batman meets Ghost Rider. No joke, it’s that cool.

The Wedding of Dracula (1991- Originally 1974-76) “Blood Rites”

Posted on October 22, 2015 by billyd75

It’s time once again, to spotlight the best comic book title from the Bronze Age! Yes, you read that correctly. Not the best horror comic, THE best comic book, period. The Tomb of Dracula ran for 70 issues, from 1972 until 1979, and was without a doubt one of the best series ever. This little reprint book from 1992 has three issues in it. Two of the issues are back to back (45-46) and one is a standalone (30). The two consecutive issues revolve around Dracula using his influence on a satanic cult, and getting married. Good stuff, but I love the standalone issue better. That one shows Dracula reminiscing about some adventures he had in the past. One in particular where he meets a blind girl is quite fascinating.

The dream team of Marv Wolfman (writer), Gene Colan (pencils), and Tom Palmer (inks and colors), was in place for a while when these issues were published. They were on a roll by this point, and churning out fantastic stories. You add John Costanza (letters), and the crew is complete. This creative team would go on for 70 issues total in this series, and Wolfman and Colan would do more Dracula work in the future as well (Tomb of Dracula, 1991-92 – Epic, and The Curse of Dracula, 1998 – Dark Horse). Whatever the format, get out and grab one of the best books around!

Tales of the Zombie 6, 1974 “Child of Darkness!”

Posted on October 9, 2015 by billyd75

The Marvel black and white magazines from the Bronze Age are nothing short or astonishing. The painted covers, great creators, and over-sized goodness are just a few reasons why I’ve decided to make a concerted effort to grab more every time I hit a convention. One of the books at the top of my list, is Tales of the Zombie. This particular issue only has two stories (most had more), but they’re great ones! The first is a Simon Garth tale, and as you can imagine, it involves something eerie. A prominent couple that leaves all their wealth behind to move into a voodoo infested swamp! The second tale involves Brother Voodoo! Yes, Jericho Drumm himself, as he battles The Black Talon!

As far as creative teams go, this book is tough to beat. The Zombie story has Steve Gerber (writer), and Pablo Marcos (art)! Both men made their names in the 1970’s, and their work still resonates to this day. The second story is brought to us by Len Wein (plot), Doug Moench (script), and the art team of Gene Colan (pencils) and Frank Chiaramonte (inks). The fabulous cover is by the late Earl Norem. He did a few of these great covers for Marvel’s magazines, and really seems to have been an unsung hero of the industry.

Marvel Double Feature #19, 1976 “A Time to Die–A Time to Live!”

Posted on July 12, 2015 by billyd75

As time marches on, back issues from the Silver Age and even the Bronze Age are creeping up in price. The scarcity of these gems is becoming a fact, and it drives the prices up. This is why I choose to go the route of reprints (the majority of the time)! Yeah, sometimes the colors are muddled with or the covers are tweaked, but I can live with that, as long as I get to read these marvelous books. In this fantastic issue, we get not only get a Captain America story, but also Iron Man! Both are classics, and have great creative teams behind them.

Speaking of creative teams, is there anyone that drew Captain America better than Jack “King” Kirby (cover and interior pencils)? Others have done fine work (Byrne, Romita, etc.), but no one seemed to really capture the essence of the character quite like the king! And who better to ink this story than “Joltin'” Joe Sinnott! Written by Stan Lee, and lettered by Artie Simek. The second story, was written by “Amiable” Archie Goodwin, the pencils by Gene “The Dean” Colan, inks by Johnny Craig (yeah, that E.C. Comics legend!), and letters once again by “Adorable” Artie Simek!

Marvel Adventures #1, 1975 “The Tri-Man Lives!”

Posted on June 28, 2015 by billyd75

I’ll be honest, Daredevil isn’t one of my favorite characters. I don’t dislike him, but he just doesn’t get me aroused. There are a couple of aspects about his life that I do like (his terrible love life, his relationship with Foggy), but overall, I find him slightly dull. There is always one reason to check out some DD though, and that’s because of Gene Colan. He was the first consistent artist on the book, lending his pencils to over 80 issues of that title (the 1964 original run). He penciled one of the most socially significant stories of the decade in Daredevil #47, “Brother Take My Hand.” In this reprint book we see issue #22 shown again. The story centers around three villains, the Tri-Man, The Gladiator, and The Masked Marauder! Now, granted these guys aren’t the cream of the crop in the villain category, but Colan makes them look very menacing!

At this point, DD was still in his infancy, so Stan Lee was writing the book (as he was contributing to most scripts back then (1966). Initially, the book had a couple of different legendary artist (Bill Everett, Wally Wood), but it wasn’t until Gene “The Dean” Colan took over on the book that it had the great consistency it lacked. The inks in this one were provided by two men that were absolute stalwarts in the Silver and Bronze Ages. “Fearless” Frank Giacoia and “Darlin'” Dick Ayers, were both excellent inkers that are legends in the industry. The colors were provided by Stan Goldberg, and letters by Sam Rosen.

Daredevil #47, 1968 “Brother Take My Hand”

Posted on February 15, 2015 by billyd75

With the Vietnam War in full swing, and the tragic deaths of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, the atmosphere in the U.S. (and the world) in 1968, was less than inspiring. Many rallied to try to reinforce efforts against such atrocities, and Marvel Comics would add their little story to help ease racial tensions. It might seem to some that a story in a comic book is inconsequential but I beg to differ. Comic books were definitely on the rise in the late 1960’s, and were gaining ground with the youth of America once again. This story, by Stan Lee and Gene Colan is one that still resonates to this day.

In this tale, we see a soldier, Willie Lincoln, who’s a black man who was wounded in Vietnam, and lost his sight. He’s still trying to get his bearings with his blindness, and it isn’t going well. Daredevil has agreed to entertain the troops with some of his acrobatic maneuvers, and Willie is a huge fan of his. They hit it off great, and DD tells Willie to look up a friend of his when he gets back to the states. The friend of course, is Matt Murdoch! It’s a great story that really hammers home the point of no matter what the color of your skin is, we’re all the same.

Written by Stan ‘The Man’ Lee, pencils by Gene ‘The Dean’ Colan, inks by George Klein, and letters by Artie Simek! This is one that I own in a reprint book that was a tribute to Gene Colan. I believe the proceeds (or part of them) went to help Gene with some medical expenses. If you can grab a copy of this book or a trade containing this story, don’t hesitate!

Valentines Day Special! “Panel Love”

Posted on February 14, 2015 by billyd75

In honor of Valentine’s Day, this post will show all the love in the Marvel Universe! No rhyme or reason (OK, other than starting and finishing with the Black Knight), just some good old-fashioned panels showing heroes and heroines of all different walks getting their love on! I found quite a few Fantastic Four panels, and believe it or not, some horror panels, but the variety is here for everyone! People all over the world…join hands…start a love train.., love train! Enjoy!

Art by Tony DeZuniga

Art by Gene Colan and Tom Palmer

Art by Jack ‘King’ Kirby & Joe Sinnott

Art by Jack ‘King’ Kirby & Frank Giacoia

Art by ‘Big’ John Buscema & Dan Adkins

Art by George Tuska & Vince Colletta

Art by Gil Kane & Joe Sinnott

Art by Jack ‘King’ Kirby & Vince Colletta

Art by Tom Sutton & Ernie Chan

Art by Gene Colan

Art by Gene Colan & Tom Palmer

Art by ‘Big’ John Buscema & Jose Marzan

Vault of Evil #14, 1974 “Midnight in Haunted Manor”

Posted on January 7, 2015 by billyd75

It’s been a little while since I presented a horror comic, so I thought, “why not now!” Of course, when you make that decision, it must be a good one, so today we have Vault of Evil #14! This series presented some older material (mostly from the 1950’s), and showcased some of the greatest artists of all time! In this issue, we see some eerie stories, some of which don’t even have proper credits attached to them. We do know the artists, but not the writers. Four weird tales of horror adorned this issue, and believe me when I say, they nothing less than awesome!

The first story is rendered by Steve Ditko, and we all know that he can do “creepy” as well as anyone! The last story is one that is quite spectacular, and features artwork by none other than Gene Colan! Wedged in the middle of those two stories is one (The Albatross) by long time DC editorial stalwart, Joe Orlando. He was actually an assistant to Wally Wood early in his (Orlando’s) career! Any way you slice it, this title is one that every collector needs, provided you don’t have the originals! Cover by ‘Rampaging’ Ron Wilson and Frank Giacoia!

Giant-Size Daredevil #1, 1975 “Electro, and The Emissaries of Evil”

Posted on January 3, 2015 by billyd75

As we all know, Daredevil has had some ups and downs over the years as far as sales are concerned. But honestly, the ups far outweigh the downs, especially when you look at some of the off the wall things Marvel was doing with the character during the Bronze Age. Lets face it, the creative teams changed often, and the quality suffered for a while, but personally, the crazy stories are a hoot, and should be looked at as more of a lark anyway. This was the only Giant-Size book for DD, even though most of the titles in that decade had more, and it was actually a reprint of Annual #1. The Emissaries of Evil were a rag-tag group of villains, led by Electro (also including Frog Man, Gladiator, Stilt Man, and The Matador), and offered very little trouble for Daredevil!

The story was written by Stan Lee, but the visuals told in this story, and the pin-up pages, were the real treat in this issue. Gene “The Dean” Colan, was at his best, and really gave us something to see. The inks were by John Tartaglione, who did an admirable job over Gene’s pencil work. The letters were provided by the always reliable Sam Rosen, and you know he could be counted on to get the job done! Not to be outdone, is legendary artist, Gil Kane, who provided the great cover! Enjoy!

Doctor Strange #42, 1980 “The Black Mirror!”

Posted on December 16, 2014 by billyd75

I think you’d be hard pressed to find a better cover/interior combination than this one. Gene Colan’s career had already seen some of the highest of the highs at this point, having already spanned over thirty years. Michael Golden was just getting started with his career, and he was a change of pace that the industry needed as far as I’m concerned. A great mix indeed, and when you get a strong story from another pro who was rather young in his comic book life, it cannot be denied that this was a good time for comics, and for the Sorcerer Supreme, Dr. Strange! In this wild tale, Clea and Sara have switched bodies for the moment, and the Doc ends up almost getting beheaded!

A story this awesome could only be brought to you by Chris Claremont (writer), Gene Colan (pencils), Dan Green (inks), Jim Novak (letters), Bob Sharen (colors), Michael Golden (cover) and Jo Duffy (editor)! Doctor Strange versus a cadre of sorcerers bent on his destruction, and a dragon that would make J.R.R. Tolkien jealous! All this and more wait inside the pages of this Bronze Age classic! Enjoy!