Spider-Variant

I think Gerry Conway changed the entire trajectory of the Amazing Spider-Man universe with ASM 121-122.

Nicely done. I can honestly say I have never seen the cover to this issue nor do I recall ever seeing this title.

Prove it! Post it!

(no need for a bunch of words, you captured my thoughts perfectly)

Of course, I already did this one. Ravenswood Generating Station, NYC

This thread needs some new material. Ok, how about a few examples of Ross's real life ASM references that carried over to his work after he left. Here is one I found today. USS Maine Monument, Central Park, NYC Which do you like better? I actually think that Vigilante panel has more detail.

My bronze age really ended with Spider-Man 185. Everything after that seemed more cartoony. I did like JR Jr. first run on Amazing, which probably kept me in the hobby for a longer time. My interest waned again until McFarlane picked up the book, then I was determined to get the entire run. I bought Amazing Fantasy 15 in 1992 for $1700. I knew if I didn't pull the trigger then, I would never own it.

Wow, just checked, I haven't bought an issue of Spider-Man in twelve years. Where the hell did that time go?

Maybe he was following my poor lead, as I had posted a non-Andru cover as well. I'll take the heat on this and try not to stray going forward. Agree Steve, not a great cover IMHO. For a long time (no idea about today's books), there were only a handful of covers that featured Peter Parker and not Spider-Man. Not sure I liked any of them.

Yes, I remember buying the second off the stands, but it wasn't as good as the first, IMHO. Yes, I think I lost some interest after Ross left but I do remember getting excited again with those early John Romita, Jr. issues. Man, it's not Ross, but I really loved this cover.

I dissected that issue so much, I'm not sure I can even open it any more, lol. I think the fact that it was set in the town that Ross was living during that timespan really drew me in. My entire life I thought Ross created this creepy, decrepit area to set his ASM 138 story in, never knowing it was his own backyard (ok, a mile away, but who's measuring). I knew though that when I found the fact about it being a real house, that I had to find a picture of it.

Seems like most of my favorite early Amazing Spider-Man covers had yellow backgrounds. ASM 97 is probably my all time favorite, but really like this one too.

Congrats, and good job by Roy Thomas in giving you some credit as well. He hates these cans! More Cans!

I never bought Superman vs the Amazing Spider-Man off the stands. I remember looking for that book in 1976 at a Rexall Drug store, with no success.

That was a great analogy Steve and totally captures it. I must say, I really like Giordano's inks over Ross's pencils. Great choice for that book.

I loved me some Twinkies, but I was definitely a Hostess Fruit Pie guy, back in the day.

You are correct Steve! I'll post the page when I get a free moment. I does look "well done", like many panels of the Superman vs the Amazing Spider-Man treasury-sized story. I probably wouldn't have recognized it right away either but would have deduced its origins like you did.

How about a game of name that panel? Or maybe just name where that panel appeared? Here's a cool panel by Ross. Love this view.

I started a list sometime back, but put it on hold. I do have one for all of Dave's references, if anyone wants to see it.

Yes and Yes. I always loved the Backgrounds by Hunt snuck into the pages. As usual, your Ross Andru thread No-Prize is in the mail, as well as @Get Marwood & I's half-eaten Twinkie from 1976.

I thought that perhaps Ross used some real life references on this page, but I couldn't find any. I do see that Dave Hunt inked the backgrounds, as he left two indications. Anyone else see them?

That my friend looks most definitely like an unsold copy that the vendor was supposed to cut off the top and mail the cut off portion back to Marvel for a refund, or credit, etc. not 100% sure exactly how it worked. But the comic itself was supposed to be destroyed. No need to ship the whole comic back, just cut the mast head off, destroy the book.. Remember, this was before the time of direct sales. So, 500,000 copies may have been produced, but any unsold copies got this treatment. Note, before this, they ripped off the entire cover. That's what it looks like to me, but I haven't researched this topic in years. https://rarecomics.wordpress.com/2015/11/08/comic-book-newsstand-editions-understanding-the-difference/

I agree Foggy. ASM 145 was really the first issue I remember having read, with issue 153 being the one that started my collection. Scorpion was strong enough to more than hold his own against Spider-Man and he started going the direction of being slightly crazy, so it made it more interesting too.

Not sure how that was decided Steve, but here is a joint example, in my opinion, and a bad one at that. Amazing Spider-Man 146 lists the inkers as John Romita and the Gang. I can't recall and am to lazy to look up who the Gang were, but this rivals some of the MTUs with Spidey and Iron Man as being bad. If Romita inked that Spider-Man in that last panel, he did it with his left hand and one eye closed. That's 100% the Gang there.

Here is that Andru DeZuniga Jonah Hex original art page. For me, this works really well. It's gritty and scraggly. That's a western comic. I didn't care for Andru and DeZuniga on Amazing Spider-Man though.