Unca Ben

Ub Iwerks ?

Being a two-way street. When those collaborators worked with Stan, their stories were better than when they didn't work with Stan.

Tup's a scamp. I'm innocent. Actually, Tup once labeled me a gadfly. I wear that label with honor. Here's Stan's Soap Box from 1968: Let's lay it right on the line. Bigotry and racism are among the deadliest social ills plaguing the world today. But, unlike a team of costumed super-villains, they can’t be halted with a punch in the snoot, or a zap from a ray gun. The only way to destroy them is to expose them—to reveal them for the insidious evils they really are. The bigot is an unreasoning hater—one who hates blindly, fanatically, indiscriminately. If his hang-up is black men, he hates ALL black men. If a redhead once offended him, he hates ALL redheads. If some foreigner beat him to a job, he’s down on ALL foreigners. He hates people he’s never seen—people he’s never known—with equal intensity—with equal venom. Now, we’re not trying to say it’s unreasonable for one human being to bug another. But, although anyone has the right to dislike another individual, it’s totally irrational, patently insane to condemn an entire race—to despise an entire nation—to vilify an entire religion. Sooner or later, we must learn to judge each other on our own merits. Sooner or later, if man is ever to be worthy of his destiny, we must fill out hearts with tolerance. For then, and only then, will we be truly worthy of the concept that man was created in the image of God–a God who calls us ALL—His children. Nowadays, just substitute the words "trans", "non-binary", "drag queen", even "gay" - for the words "black men" or "redhead" in the first paragraph. As Roseanne Roseannadanna used to say, "It's always something".

No two covers are exactly alike. You may not be able to detect missing pages (good point) but you should be able to discern that it's a different book.

Seems on brand to me. Stan and Jack's X-Men were all about civil rights. They were outcasts who the public mistrusted and hated because of who they were. It fit right into the times; like it or not the X-Men franchise was always waken. Stan would write Soapboxes about prejudice and bigotry. Subhuman?

My favorite comics are silver-age Marvel, Shooter-era Valiant, EC comics and … Barks' duck books. Great video about one of my favorite comic creators.

just saw this after my above post.

Page rate may have had something to do with it, too. I'm gonna surmise Barry got a better page rate for the Savage Tales story than the comic books. Though it was a little earlier, Eugene Colan or Steve Ditko's work on the Warren mags was generally superior to the work they did in the color comics. I believe I read that one (or both) mentioned spending more time on the b&w pages due to a better page rate and more freedom in media. I dunno. Maybe Barry got paid the same for his ST story as he did the regular book, but it wouldn't surprise me if it were otherwise.

Just saw this - here's hoping for a speedy recovery! Take good care!

I was thumbing thru some pages and I came across this. I bought it because: a) It's Wally Wood b) It depicts a P-38, which my dad flew in the European Theater. c) I recall reading the story as a kid (I believe it may have been a reprint. IDK) d) The last panel is a self-portrait of the artist, ubiquitous cigarette and all. A Wally Wood self-portrait. I love it. NFS. -Which brings up an idea - if folks feel like it, post any of their OA that has a self-portrait of the artist on the page. That would be cool to see.

…So stuff comes up. A leak in the attic above my garage. More upgrading around the house (new door hinges, replace weather stripping, etc.). The Day of the Long Nap. It couldn't be helped. It's not my fault. It's all I got. So here's one more. Thanks for looking. Happy Holy days, everybody. Tales of Suspense #75 pg. 8 – Jack Kirby, Dick Ayers and John Tartaglione. Kirby layouts, Dick Ayers pencils, J. Tartaglione inks. Twice-up 1965 Silver Age Art Page from the issue featuring the first appearances of Sharon Carter (Agent 13) and Batroc the Leaper and a panel depicting the first meeting of Cap and Batroc. Image size is 12.5" x 18.5". Note the Hulk-sized thighs on Batroc in panel 4; Jack certainly wanted to stress “the Leaper” physique as Batroc being a master of “La Savatte – boxing with the feet”. That’s Kirby for you. Page is white and in great condition. There is white-out for lettering corrections in panel 1(the letter ‘A’) and panel 6, white-out for art corrections in panel 4 (Batroc’s chest and Agent 13’s left hand and back of head, and the object (a purse?) in the lower left corner of the panel. Whiteout in panel 6. - Batroc's mid-section. There is a small piece of scotch tape on the top margin, and two pieces on each lower left and right margin. Does not affect the artwork. I just noticed a very minor tape pull in the caption box of panel 2. I never noticed that before. The usual margin notes from Kirby, Lee, etc. See scan. please feel free to ask if you want more detailed pics. The large middle panel is awesome, depicting the very first time Captain America and Batroc the Leaper meet. Batroc would become a regular antagonist for Cap and other Marvel heroes. A NICE EXAMPLE OF TWICE-UP MARVEL SILVER AGE ART FROM MARVEL’S EARLY YEARS, with a couple first appearances in the story. Once again, another page from this story sold on Heritage earlier this year for over 21K and this is a bit nicer page. (That large middle tier panel). sold FedEx Priority w/ sig. req. CONUS. Buyer will pay for full insurance if desired. Art will safely ship reinforced with a piece of Masonite backing inside a FedEx artwork mailer. Outside Continental USA, contact me via PM first, as there will be additional shipping fees and art will ship FedEx International. Personal check, Cashier's check, MO, wire or bank transfers are welcome and preferred. PayPal is okay, no friends & family to circumvent fees. I will not sell to any Hall of Shamers or anyone on the Probation list. Buy it, make an offer via PM, or seals the deal and trumps ongoing PM's. Payment due within 7 days unless other arrangements have been made. Thanks for looking!

"A brief interlude." yeah, right.

She's about 9 pounds now, I think. That was when she was still almost a kitten. Ten years ago, she wandered up to my front porch a couple weeks before Halloween one night. I fed her some canned chicken and set up a litterbox and she decided to move in. I had no say in the matter. It's cool - she still allows me to live here, too.

-a brief interlude. Atticus Finch says hello! ... as does Scout!

Tales to Astonish #87 pg. 2 – Bill Everett on pencils and inks. Twice-up 1966 Silver Age Art from Bill Evertett’s triumphant return as penciller to his Golden-Age creation at Marvel. Image size 12.5" x 18.5" featuring the Sub-Mariner, the Lady Dorma and the Warlord Krang. This is a really nice twice-up Sub-Mariner battle page featuring a very nice portrait panel shot of the Lady Dorma in panel 2 and the Sub-Mariner being ambushed and wounded by the U.S. Army. This page is all Everett and is the first Silver-age Namor story that he penciled and inked; other artists chipped in and helped pencil and ink some of the later story pages but the first 5 pages are all Everett. (per Nick Caputo and GCD). It sure looks like all Everett to me, especially the Lady Dorma panel and the middle panel with the U. S. Army. It seems that Bill loved drawing explosions. Page is lightly toned and in great condition. There is white-out on the cheeks of Lady Dorma for an art correction in panel two, also the middle panel 3 on a cannon barrel, and white-out text and word balloon edits in panels 2, 4, and 5. Bottom right corner margin clipped. Bill Everett story notes and Stan Lee edit notes in the margins. $7,975 SHIPPED FedEx Priority w/ sig. req. CONUS. Buyer will pay for full insurance if desired. Art will safely ship reinforced with a piece of Masonite backing inside a sturdy FedEx artwork mailer. If you’re looking for an all-Everett Subby page with a nice Lady Dorma portrait for well under 5 figures, this could be it. A NICE EXAMPLE OF TWICE-UP MARVEL SILVER AGE ART FROM MARVEL’S EARLY YEARS FEATURING SUBBY, HIS LOVE THE LADY DORMA AND THE U. S. ARMY, WITH THE VILLANOUS WARLORD KRANG THROWN IN THE MIX. Outside Continental USA, contact me via PM first, as there will be additional shipping fees and art will ship FedEx International. Personal check, Cashier's check, MO, wire or bank transfers are welcome and preferred. PayPal is okay, no friends & family to circumvent fees. I will not sell to any Hall of Shamers or anyone on the Probation list. THANKS FOR LOOKING!

Good Morning! Tales to Astonish #52 pg. 2 – Dick Ayers on pencils and inks. Twice-up 1963 Silver Age Art from the early days of Marvel, image size 12.5" x 18.5" featuring Giant-Man and the soon-to-become Black Knight, Nathan Garrett. This is a really nice twice-up Giant-Man battle page featuring a large panel shot of Giant-Man in action, along with the beginnings of a classic Silver-age villain. Giant-Man is in every panel. The Black Knight would soon become a thorn in Giant-Man’s side, as well as joining Zemo’s original Masters of Evil in the Avengers. Garrett would eventually perish in a fight to the death with Iron Man in Tales of Suspense. Page is white and in great condition. There is white-out in panel one for a text correction, and Giant-Man’s antennae in panels 1,2,4 &5 have been repositioned, with white-out over the original antennae. See scans. Otherwise, the page is clean and sharp. $4,050 SHIPPED FedEx Priority w/ sig. req. CONUS. Buyer will pay for full insurance if desired. Art will safely ship reinforced with a piece of Masonite backing inside a FedEx artwork mailer. A comparable page from this very issue sold for $4.3K on Heritage last year. I like this page better. A NICE EXAMPLE OF TWICE-UP MARVEL SILVER AGE ART FROM MARVEL’S EARLY YEARS FEATURING A FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE AVENGERS ALONG WITH THE ORIGINS OF A CLASIC VILLAIN. Outside Continental USA, contact me via PM first, as there will be additional shipping fees and art will ship FedEx International. Personal check, Cashier's check, MO, or bank transfer is welcome and preferred. PayPal is okay, no friends & family to circumvent fees. I will not sell to any Hall of Shamers or anyone on the Probation list. Buy it, make an offer via PM, or seals the deal and trumps ongoing PM's. Payment due within 7 days unless other arrangements have been made. Thanks for looking! NOTE: the scan below makes the pg look yellowish. That is not the case. It is the result of my poor scanning abilities.

Some art for sale. My internet will be down today for awhile, so I may be late in responding or listing more pages. Usual rules. Thx for looking. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and are looking forward to the coming Holydays.

Love the Fly.

…and with a mighty shrug, Thor breaks the bonds that held Dr. Don Blake captive, “And the heavy ropes which held Don Blake so securely.. Are like thin pieces of thread… to the Mighty Thor!” Journey into Mystery #100 pg. 7 – Don Heck on pencils and inks. Twice-up 1963 Silver Age Art from the early days of Marvel, image size 12.5" x 18.5" featuring Thor, Mr. Hyde and Jane Foster. Page is white and in great condition. This is a really nice twice-up Thor page featuring a captive Don Blake transforming into Thor, along with a classic Silver-age villain. I like those early issues with Dr. Blake and Jane Foster, who played such prominent roles in the early stories. But Don Blake was phased out as Thor started spending more time off-world, and Jane Foster was replaced by the lovely Sif as Thor’s love interest. Eventually, Blake was revealed to be a construct of All-Father Odin, created to teach the brash Thor a lesson in humility. So Don Blake / Thor transformation pages are not common, and this page is a great example of that early Siler Age Marvel magic. A comparable Heck Thor page from this very issue sold for over $13K at Heritage last year. I like this page better. 11K SHIPPED FedEx Priority w/ sig. req. CONUS. Buyer will pay for full insurance if desired. Art will safely ship reinforced with a piece of Masonite backing inside a FedEx artwork mailer. Outside Continental USA, contact me via PM first before taking, as there will be additional shipping fees and art will ship FedEx International. Personal check, Cashier's check, Zelle or other online payments, or MO are welcome and preferred. PayPal is okay, no friends & family to circumvent fees. I will not sell to any Hall of Shamers or anyone on the Probation list. Buy it, make an offer via PM, or seals the deal and trumps ongoing PM's. Payment due within 7 days unless other arrangements have been made. Thanks for looking!

Bob Ross was a teacher. His main goal was not to create a painting for a magazine cover or advertisement, it was not to create a masterpiece (he would say so himself), or to hang in a museum or gallery or even to be sold. His goal was not even to teach folks that already were training to be artists. Bob very effectively taught a simple painting technique aimed not only at beginners but average folk that never imagined that they could pick up a paint brush and maybe create something worthwhile. And in a short amount of time, not the imagined days or weeks that many assume painters need to create a finished piece. Within a week or two, that average person could create a dozen or more paintings, likely improving from painting to painting, and do something that they never imagined being able to do. Their work probably won't hang in a museum or grace a magazine cover, but eventually it might make it to a local art & cheese festival or hang on the wall of a friend or relative. Folk Art. That was Bob Ross's focus. His goal. And he did it quite well. Communicating a technique in a way that the average person can follow is pretty amazing in itself. He was being of service to improve folk's lives while being a real nice guy at the same time. Beloved comes to mind. It does not surprise me that his painting could sell for a lot and the exact amount, whether multiple hundreds of thousands or a few million, isn't as relevant as the fact that his work is desirable and very limited in availability. And people go nuts about the craziest things. Now excuse me, I gotta go check if the plastic CGC case on an old Spidey got scratched last time I handled it as that can affect the resale.

Once again, the production stains are not as pronounced in person. Along with the silver-age artistic founders Kirby and Ditko; Romita, Buscema and Colan round out my top-five Silver Age Marvel artists. RIP Mr. Romita.

This page is not really that toned. I just suck at scanning.

This is really sad. So with John's passing, I suppose that Roy Thomas, Jim Steranko and Sal Buscema are the last of the 60's "Bullpen" still living? It seems like yesterday...

Love Don Heck. Loved him back in the day. I reckon the main obstacle to his popularity was that more often than not, it was Heck who was tasked to follow Kirby after Kirby started then left a book. Of course there would be disappointment. Kirby and Ditko ruled the Marvel roost. Anything else was considered B-grade at best. This is before Stan got Colan, Romita and Buscema to come back so the 3 or 4 regular, reliable pencillers Stan had besides Ditko and Kirby were Heck, Ayers, Lieber and (later) Roth. Maybe include Bob Powell and Carl Burgos, but Stan seemed to relegate them to his C-list characters/series like the Torch in S.T. and Ant-Man/Giant Man. Guys like Everett, Wood and Joe Orlando either weren't reliable enough or didn't like or care to work with Stan and the Marvel method. If you wanna see sub-par replacements for Kirby at early Marvel, look at the Journey into Mystery Thor stories by Al Hartley or Joe Sinnott. Hartley just wasn't suited for superhero stuff and Joe Sinnott, inker extraordinaire, was much better with a brush than pencil when it came to superheroes. When Don Heck came to Journey into Mystery after Hartley and Sinnott, it was like a breath of fresh air.