Redartz: Greetings, art lovers! Today we shall look at some panels of Bronze age goodness as presented in the pages of everyone's favorite Marvel family, the Fantastic Four. There were numerous prominent artists featured on the title during the 70's and 80's, each with stylistic elements all their own. But on this book, a famous inker gave the artwork a consistency in appearance unlike most other books published at the time. Yes, we're talking about Joltin' Joe Sinnott.
Joe inked most of the panels you'll see today, so it sort of becomes an exercise in spotting the fundamental differences in pencilling style showing through Joe's fantastic (of course) inks.
And there are, of course, several examples we'll see of FF art as inked by others as well. So with no further delay, let's see some of what made the FF "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine". In chronological order, more or less...
Jack Kirby pencils, Joe Sinnott inks (Fantastic Four 91)
Where else would we start, but with the King? His reign on the FF ended early in the Bronze age, but here are a couple panels from a late issue with his pencils. Everything just Looks Right. And very few can render the Torch like he does. Also, note the tight influence of Joe Sinnott's inks. He sets a standard early on that he will maintain for a long while.
Where else would we start, but with the King? His reign on the FF ended early in the Bronze age, but here are a couple panels from a late issue with his pencils. Everything just Looks Right. And very few can render the Torch like he does. Also, note the tight influence of Joe Sinnott's inks. He sets a standard early on that he will maintain for a long while.
After a brief stint by John Romita Sr., Big John Buscema took over the pencilling chores on the FF. And they were in very capable hands, indeed. Buscema gave the figures a classic, noble look while plainly exhibiting the power of Kirby. Just check out the Thing's (literally) jarring knockout of Annhilus below. Oh, and this full pager of Gabriel is spectacular. Normally I try to avoid full pagers on these panel posts, but as you'll see, some here were irresistable.
Also, the overall look of the book remains consistent, thanks to Sinnott's flawless inks. We see a pattern emerging here.
(Fantastic Four 141)
John Buscema pencils and inks (Fantastic Four 175)
Here we have a rare example of John inking his own pencils. Different, but very nice.
Rich Buckler pencils, Joe Sinnott inks
Rich Buckler came on late in 1973, and brought a very Kirby-esque look to the book. That said, I always felt Buckler had a fine dramatic sense and could design a killer composition, He was pencilling the book when I started reading it, so he's a personal favorite.
From FF 157
This page from issue 157 is a beaut. Incredible use of the borders; incidentally making it impossible to select a single panel from the page. Buckler's Mephisto is a vision of malevolence.
From FF 150
One of my favorite FF stories. From the pageantry of the wedding to the action against Ultron , Buckler handles it flawlessly (with, of course, the continuing eloquence of Sinnott's inking).
From FF 148
Another fine issue, spectacular battle scenes choreographed effectively . Sandman sure looks potent here. And I always felt Buckler drew a perfect Ben Grimm.
George Perez pencils, Pablo Marcos inks (Fantastic Four Annual 14)
I recall being disappointed upon learning that Rich Buckler was leaving the Fantastic Four. But that disappointment was short-lived. The incomparable George Perez came on and gave the book his famous detail.
In these first panels we see the solid inks of Pablo Marcos. He did some very nice work over Perez on the Avengers, and it works again well here. Love that monochrome panel of Ben and Johnny. And that panel with the possessed FF, with their blanked eyes- creepy. Sort of like Little Orphan Annie...
I recall being disappointed upon learning that Rich Buckler was leaving the Fantastic Four. But that disappointment was short-lived. The incomparable George Perez came on and gave the book his famous detail.
In these first panels we see the solid inks of Pablo Marcos. He did some very nice work over Perez on the Avengers, and it works again well here. Love that monochrome panel of Ben and Johnny. And that panel with the possessed FF, with their blanked eyes- creepy. Sort of like Little Orphan Annie...
George Perez pencils, Joe Sinnott inks
From FF 176
Here we get the great Perez teamed with the FF's perennial inker Sinnott. And a wonderful team it is. Perez puts so much into a panel, it's incomprehensible. The Impossible Man as a pair of dangling booties is positively inspired. And, you have to enjoy the fun with the Marvel offices...
Here we get the great Perez teamed with the FF's perennial inker Sinnott. And a wonderful team it is. Perez puts so much into a panel, it's incomprehensible. The Impossible Man as a pair of dangling booties is positively inspired. And, you have to enjoy the fun with the Marvel offices...
From FF 187
Another great issue; Klaw never looked better. And that twin panel of Blue-Eyed Benjy is magnificent. Blue-eyed, indeed.
Another great issue; Klaw never looked better. And that twin panel of Blue-Eyed Benjy is magnificent. Blue-eyed, indeed.
From FF 175
One more set of examples with the Perez/Sinnott combo. Again, Perez can handle a crowd like nobody else. And that panel of the Brute is monstrous.
One more set of examples with the Perez/Sinnott combo. Again, Perez can handle a crowd like nobody else. And that panel of the Brute is monstrous.
Keith Pollard pencils, Joe Sinnott inks
Keith Pollard joined the annals of FF-dom and quickly made a name for himself. He had a great knack for facial expressions and composition.His pleading Doom, shown below, is wonderful. As is that fine panel of a pensive Ben recalling his past encounter with Desmond Pitt, aka Darkoth.
And, as we've seen, Joe Sinnott keeps the book looking like the FF we all know and love.
First two from FF 199, second two from FF 193
Keith Pollard joined the annals of FF-dom and quickly made a name for himself. He had a great knack for facial expressions and composition.His pleading Doom, shown below, is wonderful. As is that fine panel of a pensive Ben recalling his past encounter with Desmond Pitt, aka Darkoth.
And, as we've seen, Joe Sinnott keeps the book looking like the FF we all know and love.
First two from FF 199, second two from FF 193
Bill Sienkewicz pencils, Joe Sinnott inks (Fantastic Four 230)
Bill Sienkewicz seemed a bit of a departure for the look of the Fantastic Four. It was moodier, perhaps more 'linear'. I was ambivalent at the time, but find it very attractive now. This black hole page was another case where selecting an individual panel was too difficult. Beautifully dramatic, almost abstract. And Sinnott's inks keep it comfortable.
Sienkewicz also had a talent for expressions. That panel with Sue and Ben is excellent; their faces speak volumes.
John Byrne pencils, Joe Sinnott inks (Fantastic Four 218)
Finally, we come to the incomparable John Byrne. Initially we have a panel inked by Joe, from Byrne's first run on the title. It looks good, but personally I found Sinnott's inks somewhat less satisfying over Byrne.
John Byrne, pencils and inks
Here we have Byrne pencils and inks. Aside from the inks of Terry Austin, nobody can ink Byrne as nicely as Byrne himself. This panel of Frankie Raye in space is, shall we say, stellar. Just look at the rings of Saturn. Then there is another full-page treat with Galactus and a bunch of others. It doesn't get much better than that.
From FF 244
From FF 241
Yes, here's another full-pager. I couldn't resist. The lighting effect here is magnificent.
Yes, here's another full-pager. I couldn't resist. The lighting effect here is magnificent.
From FF 236
And here's a rare, tender panel that bears presentation. Truly, Byrne could do it all and do it all well.
And here's a rare, tender panel that bears presentation. Truly, Byrne could do it all and do it all well.
John Byrne pencils, Al Gordon inks (Fantastic Four 284)
Later in Byrne's run, he enjoyed the inks of Al Gordon. Less appealing than Byrne's own, but still very attractive. Gordon has nice, tight inks and a fine sense of detail. Love the background here.
16 comments:
Lovely post Red. I must say that with Kirby leaving and Conway wrecking Spidey for me Rch Buckler with Sinnotts inks retained that classic Marvel look that I needed from comic-loving kid's perspective!!!
I was waiting for the "Galactus Falls" splash from FF 243. Also, that shot of Galactus piloting his ship into the Skrull galaxy in 257. Byrne's got a whole whack of panels worthy of inclusion.
I will say seeing a bunch of those Perez and Pollard panels brings back happy memories (that Klaw/Molecule Man encounter was one of my first FF comics).
-david p.
Beautiful! Perfect choices all round. It's amazing how solid FF remained from issue 1 up until the end of the Byrne era. Still my favorite run of any superhero title ever.
Terrific retrospective you've put together here, Red. It totally puts me in a frame of mind to revisit the FF run. And I am a HUGE Sinnott fan, of course. For years I've crowed about how he, simply as an inker, managed to keep Milgrom's Avengers run afloat when there seemed to be little else to recommend it.
Quick-shot responses:
- I wouldn't mind seeing a panel or two from Romita's brief post-Kirby run on the book. I NEVER saw those issues as being artistically poor at all-- I think it was just the unavoidable reaction to being so stylistically different from Jack (who himself had been kinda phoning it in for many months). And Joe's inks still kept everything looking "right" regardless.
` Your examples here REALLY high-light Buckler's long-recognized mimicking ability. "Draw the book like John Buscema would"-- and he totally does. Albeit I do think Buckler may have a slight advantage in clever panel layout and usage. If our long-ago pal Sharkar (from the old AVENGERS ASSEMBLE page) were here, she would immediately be able to spot which of these panels Buckler "swiped" from other artists/sources.
- I do like Joe's inks over Byrne's first stint on the book, honestly. It works for the FF--- although I'm not sure it would've elsewhere.
-NOT a fan of Bill S's run as penciler, and credit Joe S a LOT for making that run work visually. IIRC, this was a creative low-point for the book overall--- aimless arcs, atypical & questionable threats- been a long time since I've read it, and I don't have a single notable memory from it. Brain Parasites? Was that in there?
- Byrne's writing/drawing/inking run remains high on my Best of All Time list. And I'm not at all a Byrne-is-God type of fan.
--Hoo. . . CH47, I'm guessing you came to the book after Gerry Conway's run, then, yes? Like, when he had Reed kill Franklin's brain in issue #141, there? Conway had a rather bloodthirsty stretch in the early 70's. . .
HB
Joe you and I must have been twins separated at birthLOL. I feel likewise about FF and am astounded it is no longer a title though it appears Marvel may have a resurrection in process. But I have to wonder if the FF is generational in its appeal? I.e., is the FF uninteresting to a millennial or kid today???
Yo Charlie! I have no idea. I can't even fathom a world where the FF isn't even on the radar like today. Tastes change and nostalgia is probably coloring much of my opinions but that book just had it all: action, wonder, comedy, family, bickering (!), drama on both the human scale as well as the cosmic ... that's part of what made The Incredibles so great after all.
But I have high hopes for the new FF book. And if (fingers crossed) this "DIsney buying Fox's entertainment lines" goes through, it could usher in a new era for Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben. Marvel sure knows how to make appealing movies catered to modern audiences without losing the gist of what made those characters so enjoyable in the first place.
P.S. (slight spoiler for the very end of the Avengers: Infiinity Wars credits scene) Was it just me, or was anyone else hoping (against all odds) that final scene was going to be a shot of a blue 4 in a circle? I think if that had happened I would have screamed right there in the theater!
That big Mephisto panel by Buckler looks very much like one in Silver Surfer #3. Can't say I'm surprised.
All great examples, good topic.
When I first read the Byrne-Sinnott issues, I didn't care for them. I expected it to look more like Byrne's other work (I was a huge "Byrne Victim" at the time). Now I love them, great combination of (then) old school and new school.
HB/ regrettably Charlie's memory is not 100% 45 years later LOL, and I am just recounting the gist of it all. Make no mistake Conway wrecked Spidey and the FF for me with Gwen's death and Sue's divorce papers!
Somehow I recall being grateful in the midst of that that the FF kept a certain "look" close enough to Kirby's FF to console me.
Perhaps I have my time line scrambled??? I just seem to recall Marvel launching a slew of other books at this time which I felt were way below the standard of their Silver Age output and really finding consolation in the FF.
Yeah that divorce era ... I didn't like anything about it, including Johnny's new costume and that short time they were using periods in word balloons -- commonplace now that word balloons aren't in ALL CAPS, but boy did it stick out like a sore thumb back then. Art was still terrific though. I've come to appreciate that era more later.
Ha ha--a horn blast from Gabriel that shatters building cement for blocks, but what do you want to bet that the eardrums of the entire FF at ground zero are somehow still intact? Of course, the outrageous is part and parcel of memorable comics art. :D
Comics fan - that observation about Gabriel is awesome! I've always held that first Gabriel FF cover where he is walking on air as one of my all-time favs! I never thought about the logic of his horn tearing up Ear drums LOL and now I want to go and reread the whole timeframe again!
Likewise Joecab - I want to look for those periods!in the word balloons !
C-Fan & CH47-- I just betcha the hyperbolic building-wrecking yet hearing-sparing trumpet-blast image was a Stan thing-! "John, here's what I wantcha to draw for that last panel!" It seemed so characteristic of Stan's lack of understanding of even the basic logic of the most fundamental aspects of physics that I checked to see if he was still writing the book at that point. . . and by golly he was! It's sort of a delightful throwback to Stan's scientifically-cavalier Silver Age heights. I could imagine John B smiling at the logical inaccuracy of a panel like that, but knowing he could put it over regardless, with no one really being the wiser. . .
(Just my theory, of course. . . )
HB
HB I assumed Stan was a scientific wizard who practiced various forms of alchemy and knew that Gabe could blow his horn at a frequency that would not destroy ear drums? I mean, what the hell's the point of being a herald if no one can hear you? So John B did not need to suspend any scientific beliefs I figure. By the way I am not serious LOL! Hey wasn't one of Fury's Howlers named Gabe and he blew a horn too? Makes me wonder if he was not a clone of Gabriel the Herald and he eventually infiltrated Shield and killed Nick Fury and replaced him with a cyborg like Darkoth? Now that would be scientifically plausible LOL!
Thanks for commenting, everyone- it's a pleasure to share some love for the original "Fab Four".
Charlie- glad to hear you liked Buckler's work too. It was a great period on the title. Incidentally, considering your feelings on Conway's divorce arc, what did you think about the resolution courtesy of the Inhumans and Namor? And as for the FF's popularity, I think they'd do fine today, given the proper treatment. If Ant-Man and the Wasp gain earn a following, surely Bashful Benjy and co. can do so.
joecab- so pleased you enjoyed the post. I agree with your assessment of the FF's overall quality; some hits and misses occasionally but for the most part it remained a top-shelf book. Perhaps it doesn't get the attention it deserves due to the current focus on Avengers and X-Men, two other bronze age powerhouses.
HB- thanks for your kind words as well! As for the Romita issues, I'd be the last person to give short shrift to the Jazzy One. To be honest, I didn't have any samples when putting all this together. But I recall a nice house ad from that time of Sue and Lady Dorma being held by, was it Attuma? And even with Sinnott's distinctive inks, the ladies showed that Romita finesse.
Great FF post and discussion throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed George Perez’ run on FF and #187 remains one of my early collecting favorites. There was so much story and detail packed into issues back then.
Historically the FF was the premier group and team and comic; surely somebody can guide it back to greatness. But perhaps the overriding theme of friendship and family doesn’t fit the modern trend of angst, individualism, grit, and shadows. I’d be enthused to see the FF make a real comeback. I also think that the creators have to ratchet up the “weird worlds exploration” aspect - the worlds Galactus saw, the Negative Zone, and even the moon seemed so much more exotic in the Silver and Bronze Age. The FF need something new and dangerous to explore.
CH47 - it is hilarious that you mention the Gabriels, horns, and SHIELD! Don’t forget that back in Strange Tales (circa #150) Nick and SHIELD had to find and dismantle the Overkill Horn! It was Hydra’s latest weapon and capable of igniting nuclear weapons from the other side of the world with a piercing noise akin to a “laser beam of sound”! Those days were the best for comics!
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