Keith Pollard - There's a Reason He Penciled Three Anniversary Issues

Keith Pollard - now here's a guy whose work I always looked forward to. And put that in context. The man followed Ross Andru on Amazing Spider-Man, John Buscema on Thor, and Buscema and George Perez on the Fantastic Four. Many artists might shy from those three assignments, give the stature of the departing artists. But man... Keith Pollard jumped onto all three books and made them his own. It's no wonder the powers-that-be at Marvel Comics had no problem entrusting the man with Amazing Spider-Man #200, Fantastic Four #200, and Thor #300.

As I was winding down on my initial comics buying mania in the late 1970s, it was Pollard who was the guy left minding the store on many of the books I was buying. I've always felt it a shame his career wasn't longer. Truly, I can't say enough good things about how much enjoyment he brought me when I was elementary school and middle-school aged. Fond memories!

Enjoy a sampling of his sketches and original art today. And as always, my gratitude knows no bounds for all the collectors around the interwebs who make these documents available for all of us to enjoy. They retain all ownership; I'm just thankful that I can Ooh and Aah at them!

 

 

 

 

Gene Colan - Born for Black & White

An artist for whom my appreciation has grown throughout my comics reading life is Gene Colan. It's tough to recall where I first encountered Gentleman Gene's work - it was most likely in Daredevil, though we all know he had lengthy tenures on Iron Man and Captain America (Tales of Suspense, as well as their solo titles), and of course Tomb of Dracula. I am less familiar with his time at the Distinguished Competition, though DC fans I'm sure have fond memories of his Batman and Wonder Woman output.

If ever there was a penciler who could look better in black & white, it's Gene Colan. His mastery of both motion and shadow make his work really pop without colors. Hopefully the samples I've provided today show this. And if I ever find a little extra cash laying around, I'd love to be able to purchase a copy of the IDW Artist Edition that showcases Colan's Dracula series.

Many thanks to all the wonderful people around the World Wide Web who have posted their Gene Colan treasures - they retain all ownership of these resources.

 

The Unmistakeable Forms of George Tuska

What's your experience with the art of George Tuska (1916-2009)? When I think of Tuska's career, my attention tends to focus on Daredevil, Iron Man, and the Champions. Those were the books where I most often encountered his pencils, often inked by Vince Colletta. As I grew older and my collection began to reach back into the Silver Age, I found that Tuska had done work on some of my all-time favorite titles, including the Avengers and the X-Men. And how many of you remember the DC Super-Heroes comic strip of the early 1980s? Tuska.

I've always found Tuska to be a serviceable storyteller. While I'd never list his work among my favorites, I don't want to go so far as to merely say I "tolerated" him. No, it's more than that. There's a sort of "comfort" in his work, a familiarity that I do not find off-putting. As a comics reader with several decades of experience behind me, what I now find charming are Tuska's "stock poses", those movements and contortions that you will always find in a George Tuska superhero mag. I think the images below serve to show what I'm writing about -- enjoy!

 

*Thanks for checking out this space all week. Beginning Monday, I'll begin what should be my regular schedule. When you return in three days, look for a review of Ross Andru's Amazing Spider-Man Artist Edition. Then on Thursday we'll discuss John Byrne's Star-Lord. Have a wonderful weekend!  -Doug