So…. you like Science Fiction Bookcovers, yes?
Yes.
One of the best, in my estimation, at the creation of said products, was Robert Pepper.
Pretty good, yes?
Should you wanna see more, heres a place you could go
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21631299@N07/sets/72157603661657927/
Hey. Hello there. Its been awhile. Here…heres a cool picture…
I cant find the artist. I looked, but I didnt break my back. Any info/knowledge is appreciated. Also, plus…a bonus:
The back of the very same book
You seen this one? Its kinda famous. It was even in the New Yorker…kind of. Last year, last May in fact, Harry Bliss made an homage to this image for a caption contest. Feathers were ruffled, authorities alerted, heads rolled, as it seemed like credit wasnt being given where it was due.
But all thats behind us now.
The GCD credits Kirby with the pencils and Dick Ayers and John Romita with additional material which include inks colors and letters(and Im guessing the woman and the man there). All these credits come with question marks. The Original cover, though similar, is much closer to the front page
If you scroll up and down reallll quick it looks like hes yawning, and or growling. So thats the cover. But what’s inside? Welllllll…..
What will become of our scarlet hero? What is the nefarious intent of the Windowsill Watcher?
Well, as it turns out, Window Monster there is in fact a big, big fan. Call him a Super Stalker perhaps. And he just wants a literary portrait, of himself, and his family.
Now thats a true artist, through and through. No Compromise!
So heres a connection for you. Im walking the streets, my eyes scouring the landscape, and what do I see? A pile of discarded books. And whats in this pile? That comic, the one right there, that youre looking at. Its a reprint collection of “The Coming of Galactus” from Fantastic Four #48,49 and 50. And then I think of this comic:
which I just got via the postal service. So, to the point. Moebius in the last post, Moebius in this one, Kirby in so many of the posts, Kirby in this one. Connection Established.
maybe, just maybe youre saying “Where’s Kirby? I dont see him!” In that case I would reply: ”Hes right here, Inside the book.”
You prolly woulda spotted him sooner had you seen the covers he’d done, way back when
So now back to the Moebius part. He did his Silver Surfer book, Parable, back in 1988. Stan Lee wrote it, Moebius drew it, inked it, lettered it, and colored most of it. Wikipedia mentions: “The graphic novel by Lee/Moebius won the Eisner Award for best finite/limited series in 1989.” Now you know.
Here’s these 2 titans of comics, Mammoths of picture books, Kings amongst men…theyre both here, theyre both drawing the same subject, feast your eyes:
Moebius:
Kirby:
Its enough to make the world lose its mind
Moebius:
Kirby:
Speaking of Tony Salmons and old monsters….The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft just came out this very week. Its good. You should read it. Even own it. I was comparing Paul Reinman to Tony Salmons before, that doesnt seem so apt anymore. Tony is really getting expressive with his brushwork, doing some unique, top notch picture making, let me tell you.
Set in those roaring decadent 20’s, Lovecraft is a man obsessed, whose destiny will be intertwined with an ANCIENT EVIL.
A horrific evil, one who strikes terror in the hearts of the ancients. These guys make me think reflexivly of Moebius’s Arzarch…its like a brain kneejerk
Not the same…but thats the way memory works, smears the details.
Oh…and yeah…theres also this connection:
Lovecraft Triclops comes through with the third eye from satan.
Im telling you, that Spyman #2…solid gold. In the back of the issue, after all that other Spyman glory, they hid an even rarer gem, in the name of
Here comes Carl Pfeufer and Otto Binder.
Nuclear helmets, Mindless Zombies, Workers Needed In The Miniature Plastic Workshop…
…A lil Orwell, A lil OMAC…
…being chased into a Yves Tanguy painting…
…A wonderfully descriptive sign”Condemned Building of 20th Century”, a resort to gunplay…
…women in the future…
…men from the past…
….this thing…
…The Underground Resistance and the Human Hunters….
…And oohhhh man, the TWIST! The question the woman asks is in fact the end of the story, the comic, and the final note in the opera that is ROBOLINK.
Ohhhh No. Its Spyman! And hes fighting the Cyclops. How is this not common knowledge? I found this comic when looking up Steranko and his SHEILD issues. Here I was thinking I was in for early psychadelic comics by the man who made things such as:
The original on the left, the reprint on the right….anyway…yeah so here I am waiting on young Steranko. Turns out he didnt too much of the art. Instead he was the creator, the plotter. So. Let down? Ohhhhhh no. I wouldnt say that.
Spyman and his incredible hand thwart evil. Thats not that crazy. Triple eye forehead? No we’re talking. Secret Statue of Liberty Fortress?
Yup. Got that. Well, thats only natural right? I mean where else is Spyman gonna train and research weaponry? C’mon.
Now heres a twist. The third eye…not in fact an eye at all. It takes a Chief Doctor to notice the peice of paper glued to this mans forehead. Am I dissapointed that my Triclops has been revealed to be a charlatan? Not just yet….Not as such…
I can always trust the Cyclops to remedy the situation.
With Authority.
So you get the idea, youve been exposed to the main players . You may think you have a solid understanding of what Spyman is all about.
Watch out though, theres a curveball up his sleeve, hes gonna throw you for a loop.
Mmmhmm. In his spare time Spyman participates in the Aztec rodeo. On giant robot Queztecoatls.
So yeah. This winds up being one of the best comics Ive ever seen. Its even got yer classic big finish showdown!
Wait for it…..
Aww man. Im one part sad to never see the Cyclops again, one part overjoyed at how well everything was wrapped up. Its funny. Ive been developing a comic about a cannibal cyclops private eye and the world he lives in….but after uncovering this gem…I dont know if theres any wind left to power those sails.
Incidentally, George Tuska and Dick Ayers made Spyman a reality with the inks and pencils. And Joe Simon blessed the cover. So be sure to thank them in your mind.
Please dont confuse this battle scene with one that actually took place.
Ditko describes a terrible, unfathomable attraction
