Heritage 2013 February 21-23 Vintage Comics & Comic Art Auction

[Koa]

First off, the hulk is being punched in the stomach.

 

 

 

Are you picking on Todd's recollection of anatomy, or are you picking on the Hulk for having his stomach next to his ball sac?

 

No, Part of crotch is in shadow behind Spideys arm. I always find it amusing people attack the anatomy or technical flaws of popular comic book artists they don't like while ignoring the same traits in those they do like. Yes, todd's work has a lot of flaws but that's part of what gives an artists work personality.

[Overthetopinc]

Hey Chris,

I got to agree with King Koa on this. All my years I never thought he was punching him in the nuts and first time I heard it was on this thread. I actually have gotten rid of pages on the past because of wonky anatomy but this one would not bother me at all.

thanks,

Matthew

[comix4fun]

Hey Chris,

I got to agree with King Koa on this. All my years I never thought he was punching him in the nuts and first time I heard it was on this thread. I actually have gotten rid of pages on the past because of wonky anatomy but this one would not bother me at all.

thanks,

Matthew

 

 

I don't care about his anatomy and I wasn't picking on it. I was just making a point that when you look at that cover, regardless of Todd's intention, regardless of what it's supposed to look like, that fist looks like it's in on the twig and berries.

 

Regardless of what people can divine from deconstructing the line work to determine the exact point of impact....that cover will forever be the "nut-punch cover." It's what you see when you look at it, glance at it, or see it for the 50th time, using anything short of a microscope.

[Koa]

Hey Chris,

I got to agree with King Koa on this. All my years I never thought he was punching him in the nuts and first time I heard it was on this thread. I actually have gotten rid of pages on the past because of wonky anatomy but this one would not bother me at all.

thanks,

Matthew

I don't care about his anatomy and I wasn't picking on it. I was just making a point that when you look at that cover, regardless of Todd's intention, regardless of what it's supposed to look like, that fist looks like it's in on the twig and berries.

 

Regardless of what people can divine from deconstructing the line work to determine the exact point of impact....that cover will forever be the "nut-punch cover." It's what you see when you look at it, glance at it, or see it for the 50th time, using anything short of a microscope.

 

Except it doesn't look like that at all.

[batman_fan]

Hey Chris,

I got to agree with King Koa on this. All my years I never thought he was punching him in the nuts and first time I heard it was on this thread. I actually have gotten rid of pages on the past because of wonky anatomy but this one would not bother me at all.

thanks,

Matthew

 

 

I don't care about his anatomy and I wasn't picking on it. I was just making a point that when you look at that cover, regardless of Todd's intention, regardless of what it's supposed to look like, that fist looks like it's in on the twig and berries.

 

Regardless of what people can divine from deconstructing the line work to determine the exact point of impact....that cover will forever be the "nut-punch cover." It's what you see when you look at it, glance at it, or see it for the 50th time, using anything short of a microscope.

 

I think the appropriate phase is "monkey grabs a peach"

[comix4fun]

Hey Chris,

I got to agree with King Koa on this. All my years I never thought he was punching him in the nuts and first time I heard it was on this thread. I actually have gotten rid of pages on the past because of wonky anatomy but this one would not bother me at all.

thanks,

Matthew

I don't care about his anatomy and I wasn't picking on it. I was just making a point that when you look at that cover, regardless of Todd's intention, regardless of what it's supposed to look like, that fist looks like it's in on the twig and berries.

 

Regardless of what people can divine from deconstructing the line work to determine the exact point of impact....that cover will forever be the "nut-punch cover." It's what you see when you look at it, glance at it, or see it for the 50th time, using anything short of a microscope.

 

Except it doesn't look like that at all.

 

 

Unless the Hulk's balls are on his back, that's EXACTLY what it looks like.

 

 

 

See the "effect" Todd put around the punch? How it is below the ripped shirt and doesn't overlap it.

 

See those blue pants the hulk is wearing? How Spidey's fist is nestled every so perfectly between the left and right leg?

 

That fist, the effect, and the punch landed right square in Hulk's baby-hulk maker.

 

 

[Bronty]

mehh. this place is all ballsacs and butt shots lately.

 

I always thought it was a punch to the stomach as well.

 

Yeah its funny in a grade 2 sorta way, but its no Alf 48 cover!

[Overthetopinc]

Nah still dont agree. Thats a gut punch. Look where spideys arm ends visually for his whole fist and half his forearm. He would have to be driving Hulks nuts 2 feet into is abdomen. Funny thing to me is actually even if everytime I looked at this cover and that is what I thought and all I saw(nut punch) I still think it would be cool being Hulks expression fits that punch as well. I have a dark sense of humor given but its kind of funny if he were to punch the big guy in the nonads. But alas I dont see it.

[alxjhnsn]

mehh. this place is all ballsacs and butt shots lately.

 

I always thought it was a punch to the stomach as well.

The nice thing about the cover is that the "nut punch" is subtle and interpretation is left to the viewer.

 

Yeah its funny in a grade 2 sorta way, but its no Alf 48 cover!

 

On the other hand, what else could be going on in this image?

 

[comix4fun]

Nah still dont agree. Thats a gut punch. Look where spideys arm ends visually for his whole fist and half his forearm. He would have to be driving Hulks nuts 2 feet into is abdomen. Funny thing to me is actually even if everytime I looked at this cover and that is what I thought and all I saw(nut punch) I still think it would be cool being Hulks expression fits that punch as well. I have a dark sense of humor given but its kind of funny if he were to punch the big guy in the nonads. But alas I dont see it.

 

 

I didn't say the cover sucked because the Hulk is taking a ball-shot. Just the opposite, it's a modern classic because of it.

 

His arm ends, visually, at the "Whammo" affect that Todd added. So it's only his fist and wrist that's really into the Hulk's happy place.

 

There's no way his fist and half forearm are 2 feet. Do the math on what you said, his fist and half his forearm would "drive his nuts 2 feet into his abdomen" meaning his fist and half forearm would have to be 2 feet long +.

 

That means his arms would be approximately 4 feet long, each. Given that Marvel lists his height at 5'10" his hands would hang down below his knees if they were as long as you postulate.

 

Or to put it another way. If his arms are that long then he would have to be almost 10 feet tall to have his height be in proportion to his arm span. So his fist is no where near where you think it is.

 

 

 

Maybe some of the McFarlane fans were too young to remember buying his stuff on the stands and knowing what the reaction was the instant everyone saw it, but I remember vividly. It's the "Holy Carp! Can you believe Todd had Spidey falcon punch Hulk in the Gamma-Gonads?!"

 

It is hilarious, and the Hulk's face is perfect for it. I am not knocking the cover, at all. It's not a favorite, artistically, of mine, but the subject matter has been comic comedy gold for decades now.

 

 

[Weird Paper]

I believe the first (rejected) title on ASM 328 was "The Nut Punch Heard 'Round The World"

 

It was inspired by the now classic late 1960's Marvel comic with the story title "Lo, there come a ball punch"

 

Don't quote me but I think that was from an issue of Thor

I believe the issue was titled "By Crotch Betrayed."

[plasticmoz]

I know this isn't Heritage, but has anyone been watching the Paolo Rivera cover for DD #10 on CL? I must say, it's a fantastic modern cover but I never expected the level of bidding that's gone on.

[comix4fun]

I know this isn't Heritage, but has anyone been watching the Paolo Rivera cover for DD #10 on CL? I must say, it's a fantastic modern cover but I never expected the level of bidding that's gone on.

 

 

Just saw that last night...I was a little shocked. It's gorgeous, but it's almost $10k, right?

 

 

[plasticmoz]

It's almost at $11k right now

 

 

[Overthetopinc]

Hey Chris,

I was off on the measurements but ya I still think a good portion of the arm/hand is above where Hulks jewels are. I actually always thought it was a weird punch being spidey facing in the same direction as the hulk. Kinda wierd unless spidey came from between his legs to uppercut him in the nuts/stomache but thats not how it was portrayed in the story. Like I said I never thought it was a nut punch all these years till I read this thread but I have thought about the positioning as being a little awkward. Obviously Todd wanted this to be a real standout cover and couldnt have the back of spidey or even a profile shot as it wouldnt have had the same impact.

thanks,

Matthew

[comix4fun]

Hey Chris,

I was off on the measurements but ya I still think a good portion of the arm/hand is above where Hulks jewels are. I actually always thought it was a weird punch being spidey facing in the same direction as the hulk. Kinda wierd unless spidey came from between his legs to uppercut him in the nuts/stomache but thats not how it was portrayed in the story. Like I said I never thought it was a nut punch all these years till I read this thread but I have thought about the positioning as being a little awkward. Obviously Todd wanted this to be a real standout cover and couldnt have the back of spidey or even a profile shot as it wouldnt have had the same impact.

thanks,

Matthew

 

 

Well, if Spidey was facing the Hulk then it would be a Hulk Nut-Punched/ Spidey Butt cover.

 

I don't know if that would make it MORE or LESS epic.

 

In any event it's WAY more memorable than the Larsen 327 or 329.

 

 

[plasticmoz]

It's almost at $11k right now

 

 

Make that $12K and also

 

 

[dem1138]

It's almost at $11k right now

 

 

Make that $12K and also

 

 

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't there two different versions of that cover? I thought I read somewhere that Paolo draws the covers in blue line pencil and makes a high res scan and then his father inks the scan and that becomes the published cover.

Can someone confirm that there are actual pencils under those inks?

[Bird]

Yeah, I was gonna say Joe is the one who gets the raise, not Paolo. I only offer conjecture, but that signature looks unlike the one Paolo did on my con sketches and seems a little more like the hand of someone older perhaps.

 

[plasticmoz]

It's almost at $11k right now

 

 

Make that $12K and also

 

 

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't there two different versions of that cover? I thought I read somewhere that Pablo draws the covers in blue line pencil and makes a high res scan and then his father inks the scan and that becomes the published cover.

Can someone confirm that there are actual pencils under those inks?

 

Paolo & Joe sell their stuff together (pencils+inks) through Mark Hay as far as I can remember and both pieces were usually included. So you are probably correct.