This and That: All about Pin-Up Pages...

Redartz:  Hello culture fans!  Today we have a treat for you. Nothing but eye candy, comic style. Yes, we're talking about pin-up pages. Just a little extra goodie added into a comic, not part of a story but always a welcome addition. There have been dramatic, artistically breathtaking pinups. 'Cheesecake' and 'beefcake' type pinups. Humorous pinups. Educational/historic pinups. Tribute pinups. Indeed there are feature  pages galore. Often found in Annuals and anniversary issues, frequently seen in romance and teen comics. And certainly a common inclusion in good old superhero comics. So Marti and I will offer up a smorgasbord of one-page (and sometimes two-page) wonders. By the way, the Batman /Robin two-pager below is a seldom-seen gem; by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson- from Batman 181, the intro of Poison Ivy. Often removed, which is why finding that key book complete can be challenging...

Martinex1:  I have to start by saying that I love pin-ups.   My start with comics included pass-me-down books from the Silver and early Bronze Age, and those comics seemed to be laden with extras including pin-ups, diagrams, and team poses.   But when we first traded messages about discussing this topic, my mind immediately went to the Fantastic Four.  That book seemed to always have some pin-up and Jack Kirby seemed to relish in the creation of those.

Redartz:  Great call on the FF. That book really did feature some amazing pinup shots. Kirby was a master at these, just as he mastered so much more. 

Martinex1: I always enjoyed when when the team "autographed" the art as if they were directing a message right to the reader.   During John Byrne's tenure on the book he reinvigorated the concept and created some of his own; he even included the "signatures" on his team pin-up.

Redartz:  Quite right, Marti. Byrne was just as adept at these pinups as the King was. I love how much personality he gives the team members. 
 Of course, Marvel's other early giant, the web-slinger, was no slouch in the pinup department either. Here's my favorite pinup from the Amazing Steve Ditko. Steve did so many pinups, in regular issues and annuals, it's hard to pick just one, but this is just plain fantastic.

Martinex1:  I was just looking at that page the other day.   Not only does it make Spidey wonderfully mysterious, it acted as almost a checklist of all the villains he faced up until that point. I wonder if Ditko inked that himself.

Redartz: And, how can we not give Mr. Romita Sr. a nod?   By the way, the center page below is from Amazing Spider-Man 600, just to show that the pinup is not completely dead! The page on the right, below, is a wonderful bit of fun from "Unknown Tales of Spider-Man" Annual 2, by Archie artist Dan DeCarlo.  I just love that...

Martinex1: I would have liked to see DeCarlo draw a Marvel hero comic; that would have been fun.  In the early heyday, Marvel stretched the Pin-Up Pages to include some oddball characters, lesser known entities, and even villains.  Thor, and all of the characters therein, was second on my mind when thinking about this topic; that book had some great pin-ups.  In some cases I learned about the characters as there was added script to explain their history.  It was a bit of a precursor to the handbooks of the 1980s.

Martinex1: I also recall pin-ups with cutout outfits and fashions.  My sisters used to play with those paper dolls and their clothes.  Betty, Veronica, Katy Keene, Chili, and even Sugar and Spike had those pages.  I am sure that type of theme is lost to the ages.   

Redartz:  Glad you noted these, and especially my good friends Sugar and Spike! Of course, many of the pinups found in Archie comics were sort of one-panel jokes, such as this beaut :

Martinex1:  Although not nearly as frequent, there were some pin-ups that crept later into the Bronze Age that I really enjoyed.  I remember being intrigued by these Micronauts and ROM pages.

Redartz:  Those are sharp, indeed. Some of the coolest artwork in comics can be found in pinups, such as these from Barry Windsor-Smith, Bernie Wrightson, Curt Swan...

 Adam Kubert, Will Eisner, and Brian Bolland:

And of course Dell/Gold Key often had pinups in their television-based comics, sometimes using photographs...

And finally, let me add a big favorite from Legion of Superheroes 300, an incredible two-page spread from Kieth Giffen and Larry Mahlstedt. If you look closely you might find a couple guest stars.

Martinex1:  Well Red, this was a fun journey and it had me looking at some art that I hadn't perused in decades (and some I had never seen).   It really goes back to a nostalgic time, and it was interesting to see how much extra effort the creators and publishers put into their work back in the day.  Maybe pin-ups were just page filler, but I always liked how they were presented and what they added to the comic book experience. Thanks for inviting me to opine on the topic.

Redartz:  Thank you, Marti, for joining me in saluting these great extras found only in the world of comics (you don't get pinup shots in movies, or a special insert paragraph in a novel). Just one more reason to love the medium of comic books!