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Hulk 181(?) (You haven't seen this before!)

Started by drbanner,

55 posts in this topic

Mushroom

Mushroom

Posted
Posted
where is that from?

Australia?

 

Not an OZ copy. We have had dollars and cents from 1966. Usually oz copies have a comment on the front cover stating they are oz issues. Found a complete run of perez titans that were oz copies yesterday but the insufficiently_thoughtful_person seller wanted a 1.50 aus for each one and they were in good condition only. 893frustrated.gif

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PovertyRow

PovertyRow

Posted
Posted
Well, I'm guessing there's at least one poster that has?? The recent talk of variant/overseas versions and the usual plethora of Hulk 181 threads inspired me to dig this book out of the attic for your enjoyment...

 

I was gonna pass this by for the umpttempth 181 thread but I just cannot ignore the posts. I have to say, I really like the cover. I like the "World's first and greatest Canadian" blurb. It is most refreshing! grin.gif

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underthebigw

underthebigw

Posted
Posted
Okay, here's the scoop - I lived in England for half a year back in 1981, and this is an English reprint of Hulk 181 from 1976. When I lived there I couldn't find US comics, so I picked up these used reprints at a second hand bookstore. I also have various/sundry other Bronze Age "reprints" with slight variations of the traditional US covers, including Marvel Feature 1. LMK if anyone wants to see any of the others! thumbsup2.gif

 

Oh yeah...I did a little photoshop action on the pence price to keep up the drama! devil.gif

 

In a recent CBM article, someone else did a great job of demonstrating difference between original cover art, as it appeared in foreign editions, and altered US versions for some 50's horror (I forget which publisher). You should send in an article to them--I'm sure there would be a ton of interest in undocumented changes made to BA covers. In the meantime, I for one would love it if you threw them up on the forum.

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drbanner

drbanner

Posted
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Posted

Not a foreign reprint, but here's Marvel's 70's take on the cover of 1st appearance of the Silver Surfer (FF 48). This title, Marvel Superheroes, and Marvel Tales did a lot of alternative covers to many of the classic Silver Age books. Enjoy!

 

ff48_redo.jpg

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fantastic_four

fantastic_four

Posted
Posted
Not as nice as the original FF 48... smirk.gif

 

Nope, sure isn't. More action packed, but less subtle power. It's mildly awe-inspiring to wonder what that whole crowd is staring at on the cover of FF 48...it brings home the large scale of the event more effectively.

 

On that Hulk 181 reprint...anybody know how they can just shift characters around on the cover like that? I thought the art was drawn as one, large static drawing...how can they just move multiple pieces up, down, and around a few fractions of an inch like that?

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Kevin Boyd

Kevin Boyd

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Posted

 

...anybody know how they can just shift characters around on the cover like that? I thought the art was drawn as one, large static drawing...how can they just move multiple pieces up, down, and around a few fractions of an inch like that?

 

They would make a stat copies of the original and then cut and paste the artwork together.

 

Kev

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joe_collector

joe_collector

Posted
Posted
On that Hulk 181 reprint...anybody know how they can just shift characters around on the cover like that? I thought the art was drawn as one, large static drawing...how can they just move multiple pieces up, down, and around a few fractions of an inch like that?

 

Sure, but in those days, you used an Exacto knife. 893whatthe.gif

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joe_collector

joe_collector

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Nope, sure isn't. More action packed, but less subtle power. It's mildly awe-inspiring to wonder what that whole crowd is staring at on the cover of FF 48...it brings home the large scale of the event more effectively.

 

The key to the original cover design was that Galactus was to be the star attraction and Silver Surfer was kind of a throw-away bodyguard to give the FF some fight scenes. If Marvel had wanted to promote Surfer and thought he'd be big, the cover would have been different.

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BronzeBruce13

BronzeBruce13

Posted
Posted

paste-up

 

...before computers hit the scene the lower end "art for print" was pasted on boards with "color overlays" to add spot color.

 

I imagine "stats" (slick photo like reproductions) of the B/W art were made and "waxed" (a machine you run a stat through that places a thin layer of wax on the back).. or "rubber cement" (paste). Placing it on a board you can use an exacto knife to cut pieces and reditribute them. If there are a "gaps" or "new art" to create you can ink directly on the boards. Depending on a few factors... you could use that as your black or shoot another stat of the whole thing to have a clean flat finish.

 

I'm not postive how they colored the books back then... 4C process I assume, but there are screens and "zip tones" (patterened art that is sticky and cut from sheets) too.

893scratchchin-thumb.gif

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underthebigw

underthebigw

Posted
Posted
the article was about Atls Horror 50s books where details were changed in overseas versions.

 

That's right. Except it was essentially the US versions in which the changes appeared ( in some instances in order to tone down the horror or scariness of the covers). I think the point of the article was that the foreign reprints were more likely to have the original, unedited versions.

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minutekev@50

minutekev@50

Posted
Posted
Not a foreign reprint, but here's Marvel's 70's take on the cover of 1st appearance of the Silver Surfer (FF 48). This title, Marvel Superheroes, and Marvel Tales did a lot of alternative covers to many of the classic Silver Age books. Enjoy!

 

ff48_redo.jpg

 

Is that the Watcher or the Kingpin?!?!

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BronzeBruce13

BronzeBruce13

Posted
Posted

Sounds like Kev can answer that better than I can. Since there was "art direction" involved I guess the director had the right to adjust the art (in some cases?) to improve the cover in his opinion. I can see the need for this in situations were there was additional info (bursts, arrows, etc) added to the cover design that would force the redistribution of the elements for a better flowing design. I bet "artist status" had something to do with whether their art was touched or not without their consent. I may be wrong, but I have a hard time picturing Neal Adams or Steranko being "OK" with a head being redrawn or their art hacked.

 

Kev? more insightful info please

 

 

 

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Kevin Boyd

Kevin Boyd

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Changes were usually requested at the editorial level. Editor-in-chief at Marvel had to approve all covers. This was something that Stan insisted that he and his successors must do.

 

Changes would often be cosmetic... change that face, move that arm, add more backgrounds, tighten up the figures, make the villain more menacing, etc.

 

Changes were made by the Bullpen art department (in-house) rather than go back to the original artist to make.

 

In the late 60's early 70's - if they hated the entire cover they would just get someone else (usually John Romita or Gil Kane, sometimes a Buscema) to do a new one.

 

Kev

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