Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Follow the Leader: Episode 108: Online Reading and New Creative Teaming!


Martinex 1:  What do we have today? Movies? Comic Books? Creators? Music? Art? Theater? Television?  Bronze Age?  Bring us a topic and we will all jump in.  Cheers!

19 comments:

J.A. Morris said...

How do you feel about online comic books? I find myself buying lots of electronic versions of reprint books lately, because I have limited space in my house and can't afford everything. And price factors into this decision too. For instance, I'm glad Marvel reprinted Killraven's stories from the 70s, but I didn't want to spend $75 for the book. You can get the ebook for $16.99 on Comixology.

Do others buy comics or reprint books via Comixology, Google Books or sites?

Doug said...

Good morning, friends!

Today's query is a What If? for the great runs. Here's the question:

Pick a favorite run of yours and keep the writer. Now pair that writer with a different artist(s), and consider the results.

For example, keeping Stan Lee on the Silver Age Fantastic Four - all stories remain as we know them (so obviously Jack Kirby's plotting suggestions would remain intact for the purpose of this discussion), who in the Marvel Bullpen at that time would you have liked to see on the illustrative side of things? In some cases, choices might seem slim - in the earliest years, we'd have Don Heck or maybe Steve Ditko to consider. But as we move past the introduction of Galactus and the Silver Surfer, John Buscema, Gene Colan, Marie Severin, John Romita, Neal Adams, Jim Steranko and others had come into prominence.

For Steve Englehart's run on Captain America, which included the 1950s Cap and the Secret Empire arcs, removing Sal Buscema... who would you have liked to see on the penciling chores?

Thanks in advance for playing along.

Doug

Doug said...

Ah, J.A.!! We were typing at the same time!

In answer to your question, I do not do Comixology, et. al. I'm still a "book guy", but I hear you on the cost. I will occasionally read from the old Gitcorp DVD-ROM files via my Kindle Fire, but I find that it's not my go-to.

I do think it's wonderful, however, the amount of material that has become available digitally. The Golden Age of Reprints, indeed!

Doug

J.A. Morris said...

I'll stick with Englehart, but I'll go with his Avengers run in the 70s. I wish Cockrum had penciled the entire Celestial Madonna arc. It would've given the story the truly epic, (sometimes) cosmic grandeur it deserved.

Doug said...

A hearty "Second!" to that, JA! Of course, I've long thought that just about any Bronze Age artist could have penciled G-S Avengers #4 and it would have been an improvement.

How about Roy Thomas's tenure on The Invaders, but penciled by Jack Kirby? Or Joe Staton?

Back to your question... One thing I really like about the comics that have been specifically formatted for the digital platforms is the single panel or easy zoom features.

Doug

J.A. Morris said...

The Ivaders penciled by Kirby or Staton or Buckler or either Buscema brother would have made it one of the greatest series of the Bronze Age. I bought a few issues, but sorry, I can't get into Robbins' pencils. Yes, I know he was imitating Milton Caniff, still doesn't make me like it.

Mike Wilson said...

I like digital comics; they're not too expensive and take up a lot less space :)

As for Doug's question, how about Garcia-Lopez on Roy Thomas's Conan run? I'd read it.

Anthony said...

Hey Doug, how about Bill Mantlo's run on the Incredible Hulk,drawn by the great Sal Buscema? I'd replace Sal with Keith Giffen and Larry Mahlstedt, who produced stellar work on Legion of Super Heroes during the same period. They'd do a great job of conveying the cosmic elements of Bill's tales.

J.A, I'm still a print guy at heart. I love the look, feel and smell of the printed comic or book. But I take your point about space, and digital might allow for some experimentation with titles that I don't wish to collect.

Hope everyone is having a happy start to their new year :)

Edo Bosnar said...

On the first question, I prefer physical books, but in the past few years I have been making quite a few digital purchases. Both the fact that digital formats are cheaper and take up less space are paramount considerations for me.

As to the second question, first I have to say that for me Sal Buscema is the definitive Hulk artist, so there's very few artists I can think of who would be a worthy replacement for him during Mantlo's run.
Staton on Invaders, though, would have been absolutely sweet!
And Mike W. and I are sort of on the same wavelength, as I immediately thought of Garcia Lopez, but not necessarily on Conan. Personally, I would have loved it if he had done an extended run on any of Marvel's superhero titles, like the first part of Roger Stern's run on Avengers (before John Buscema and Tom Palmer took over the art chores), or maybe the X-men after Byrne and Austin left the book, or just a straight run of a dozen or two issues of Marvel Team-up or Marvel 2-in-1.
I also think it would have been cool if Berni Wrightson had done - if not a whole stretch - at least a few issues of Man-Thing during Steve Gerber's run.

Killraven said...

Digital comics aren't for me, but I do understand why someone who is currently reading would prefer it. Does bring me to a question though, can we still call it "collecting comics" if it's all digital? Just wondering.

Second question. Lots I agree with up thread. Especially regarding the Invaders!
For Marvel I would liked to have seen Byrne during Wolfman's run. Bob Brown was a capable artist but for DD I like a more fluid line like Colan's.

For DC, How about Marshall Rogers during Levitz' run on Justice Society. I would've said the whole run but he didn't start at DC until the beginning of '77.

Humanbelly said...

Soooo, I've never purchased any digital comics at all, I must confess. The few times I've read comics on-line (there was once an unauthorized "comic book library" that got closed down about 20 minutes after Disney purchased Marvel. . . go figure. . . ), it was. . . okay, at best. I think I'm just too hard-wired towards having books & comic books be physical entities all their own in my hands. Luddite-thinking, I know-- but I'll stick with it.

Man, Doug's question is a good one and a tough one. I honestly don't know if any of Stan & Jack's contemporaries could/would be suitable replacements for that run--- even at its lower points. I could see the John Buscema of a few years later, or perhaps Neal Adams (ditto) being worthy fellas to take on the original Surfer/Galactus trilogy, of course.

Oooo-- more to add, but gotta go have dinner first. . .

HB

Martinex1 said...

Late to the discussion. I’m still mainly a physical book guy. But for some obscure books that I just want to sample I will go digital.

Re question 2 - I often think about this “what if.” I wonder what George Perez would have done instead of Byrne on the Claremont / Byrne run of X-Men. Seeing Perez handle “The Dark Phoenix” or “Future Past” tales would be interesting especially since Byrne plotted a lot of it.

I’ve grown to really like Frank Robbins butcany more popular artist would have been interesting on that title and would have moved it to the elite class. Mostly I may have liked to see John Buscema handle WWII.

There was a bit of a revolving door on the Defenders but what if Byrne had handled the art there for an extended run when Gerber was writing?

I also would have loved to see a “Batman and the Outsiders” with Mike Barr and Michael Golden instead of Jim Aparo. Aparo is fantastic of course - no question. But Golden would have put a “new” look to the under appreciated characters

Redartz said...

Count me among those who prefer physical comics to hold in my two hands. That said, I have gone digital occasionally. And of course I've scanned numerous coverless/shredded comics onto my tablet. So technology does have it's advantages.

Question 2: love Edo's suggestion of Wrightson on Man-thing. As for a new suggestion, I'll go out in left field : Bill Messner-Loebs did great work writing the late 80's Comico "Jonny Quest" series. Several covers and a couple stories were provided by JQ designer (And artist extroardinaire) Doug Wildey. Wildey was known for his dramatic style, heavy shadows and beautifully drawn details, such as WW1 planes. Soooooo, as an Enemy Ace fan, I submit the great Joe Kubert on Jonny Quest!

Humanbelly said...

Ah-- but we're talking about FAVORITE runs, I lost track of that, yes.

John Romita was great on ASM for years, but a sentimental favorite run for me was the stretch between Man-Mountain Marko and the Silvermane/Lizard saga (inclusive). An unusual stretch of stories that seemed to take place at night and/or in dark places. And--- I do wonder how that run would have looked with Gene Colan doing the pencils? I feel like his brand of moodiness-- even early on in his Marvel years, would have been a great fit for Lizzie's swamp digs- as well as for the more Daredevil-esque, seedy trappings of that section of the crime world. Did Colan ever have a passing shot at penciling Spidey, in fact? Given a "clean" inker, I imagine the results would have been quite favorable.

Neal Adams did exactly one issue of CONAN- #37 (which no one seems to know about), and it was darned good. I would have loved to have seen him do some of that John Buscema run w/ Belit, the She-Pirate. The book kinda lost me at that point.

Incredible Hulk--- honestly, I can't think of anyone I'd have ever wanted to put in besides Herb Trimpe and Sal Buscema. We'd have to get down to preferred alternate inkers on that score. . .

HB

Anonymous said...

Why anyone would spend money to purchase digital comics when there are tons of sites that have just about every comic ever written available for free is beyond me.

Yoyo

Charlie Horse 47 said...

Hi All, Sorry for being late!

Though I read a ton of articles online, never a comic. The comic is part of the experience for me.

Bill Everett - he did a handful of beautiful Sub Mariner issues right before he passed, like around issue 55-ish. I could only wish he'd done the entire run.

I also wish he'd had a crack at the Invaders, though dead by then. His beautiful art - realistic enough, yet nostalgic enough - would have defined Invaders as a top Marvel comic, IMHO.

Charlie Horse 47 said...

Hulk King Size 2 (Steranko, Hulk getting crushed by his logo).

Avengers King Size 2 (John Buscema, black background of Old vs. New Avengers)

Those covers provide the sizzle to the most perfectly seared, succulent, piece of beef heading your way from Charlie Trotter's kitchen. Yet, when you opened them up you had a plate full of luke warm corned beef hash from Aldi's.

I can't recall more disappointment when the goods failed to meet expectations. I would gladly have joined a class action suit against Marvel for false advertising, LOL.

Steranko should have drawn the insides to Hulk King Size.

John B should have drawn the insides to the Avengers King Size.

Anthony said...

Interesting responses to my suggestion of replacing Sal on the Hulk - as Doug suggested I selected a favourite run. I like Sal's work very much indeed, just thinking outside the box :-)

Martinex, I would love Perez on the X-Men! Loved his cover for #128, the final part of the Proteus saga.

Humanbelly said...

Y'know-- I wonder how Byrne's Fantastic Four would have looked under Dave Cockrum's pencils?
And, hunh, how about Marie Severin as a replacement for Gene Colan for Silver Age Daredevil (though I don't have a specific arc to cite--)?

And touching on Anthony's mention of the Hulk as well--- Joe Staton (IIRC?) was the inker that sustained the Trimpe to S.Buscema seismic shift-- and Staton at his least stylized, w/ a very clean inker, might himself have been an interesting pencil choice--- although probably not so much for the Crossroads of the Universe arc. . .

HB

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