Earl Norem: An American Master and a Forgotten War Hero!

[SW3D]

Tales of the Zombie #7, CGC 9.4: This one came in yesterday. I bought it on auction through eBay. I got it at a fair price and I'm so happy to add it to my TOTZ collection. A gruesome cover, keeping in line with the TOTZ theme... I just love the look and feel of its retroness... like a horror movie poster from the 50's or 60's. The thick scarlet running down the dagger's blade and the collected pool of blood on the tree stump draws me in first... then the Zombie's freaky pupil-less orbs... and then I soak in the whole image of each character and their expressions of horror and surprise. And then I realize the Zombie looks stiff... as he should be... like a slow moving creature fighting through rigor mortis. And then I notice the moon-lit back ground... and it magically takes me into the Louisiana bayou... or the sub-tropic jungles of Haiti... or some dark misbegotten place where Voodoo Magic reigns supreme! The cover is a supernatural classic! But ask yourself... who's the brilliant artist? His name is Earl Norem.

 

Earl Norem... one of my all-time favorite cover artists who probably fits in with traditional "classical fantasy school of artists" heralded by the late great Kelly Freas, whose influences probably harkens even further back to the great American Master: Norman Rockwell. For any reader unfamiliar with Kelly Freas or Norman Rockwell... Google Image search and begin the journey of fascination and love for these long-forgotten masters. While you're at it... please do the same for Earl Norem!

 

I first fell in love with Earl Norem's brilliant talents with the cover of Savage Sword of Conan #78. That 1982 issue was my first introduction to the world of Robert E. Howard and Conan, not to mention Marvel's sensational black & white magazine line. Earl Norem's photo-realistic painting depicted a thick bronze-skinned Conan, with sword in-hand, defending a beautiful lass at his feet, from a gigantic Yeti-like creature (that makes the Wendigo look like a p*ssy!), on a snow-swept mountain, while another, weaker warrior in the back-drop, looks-on in horror.

 

I can't say enough about Earl Norem... he got me into Conan and Tales of the Zombie, but he's also a hero in his own right! He bravely served his country in World War II. Here's an excerpt appearing in an all too-brief article from wikipedia:

 

"Norem saw military action in World War II with the 85th Regiment of the 10th Mountain Division. He trained in Colorado and Texas, and fought the Germans in the Northern Apennine Mountains of Italy. By age 20, Norem was a squad leader and staff sergeant who in the Italian Campaign fought alongside famed skier Torger Tokle, whom he had seen ski jumping at Bear Mountain, New York when Norem was 12. Upon Torkle's battlefield death on March 3, 1945, Norem was one of the men assigned to retrieve his body from the mountain. Norem himself later was wounded going into the Po Valley, ending his military stint."

 

After serving his country, Norem became an illustrator... a commerical artist with a ton of work for magazines, comics, and toys. Now retired due to the debilitating scorge of arthritis, it has been quoted in an interview from 2005: "All the contacts that I had in the commercial art field are either retired or dead, and the younger art buyers don't want anything to do with an 81-year-old artist."

 

That's so f*cking sad... it chokes me up! The man had so much to do with my love of comics. Whenever I saw a Norem cover I relished and cherished it like it was gold! He's up there in my book with the greats: Frank Frazetta, Boris Vallejo, Kelly Freas, Joe Jusko, Bob Larkin, and a slew of others. If you're an art lover, you could literally spend hours studying the rich textures and details of his works.

 

I hope I'm not coming across as preachy... but from one fan of fantasy art to another... look into his works... they're fantastic. The man is 88 now... I can imagine he's just sitting in a nursing home, wasting away and collecting dust, while no one pays no mind or gives a mess! Two years ago, when my 90-year old father did a stint in a nursing home due to a broken ankle needing rehab, I saw first-hand so many elderly people just cast-off and left for dead by their own relatives. I saw these people, shadows of their former selves... just sitting and waiting hopelessly for a merciful death that never comes. It f*cking sad and it s*cks! Life should be about so much more!

 

Earl Norem... wherever you are... I will always remember you! Thanks for making my life so extra special! Thanks for making brilliant art... for making me escape from the dull and banal world... I will cherish those memories... forever!

 

SW3D

 

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[Prince Namor]

Great book! I had a couple signed for SS last summer when I got to meet him at Heroes Con. Great guy.

[Tony S]

2005: "All the contacts that I had in the commercial art field are either retired or dead, and the younger art buyers don't want anything to do with an 81-year-old artist."

 

Maybe Mr. Norem was just depressed during that interview. His work is highly and widely regarded. An eBay seller name of gkensek has been auctioning a lot of Norem's art the past couple of years and for the most part the work offered has fetched decent prices. Really nice pieces have fetched some really good prices. His work was everywhere including comics. I loved his "men's action" magazine covers and illos from the 50's and 60's. Titles like Men, Men's Action, True Men and Stag with stories like "Tokoyo Vice Doll". Just an amazing career, a prolific career and a well regarded career.

[SW3D]

Hey CG,

 

I was checking out your collection... very nice!

 

You have a very nice TOTZ set... including the elusive #1.

 

I'm also a big fan of Nexus and I see you have his 2nd appearance in the rare black and white magazine #2.

 

You're lucky to get Norem's signature... at 88 years of age I don't think he's going to be doing many more cons. Consider those signatures rarities.

 

SW3D

[SW3D]

Hey Tony,

 

I don't think it was depression... I think he was just talking from the heart... making an observation... and there's so much truth to it.

 

When I was at NYC Comic Con last October, I visited a number of the "forgotten" older artists in Artist Alley... and I overheard one of the younger generation of fans comment about one particular cartoonist: "Oh, forget him... he's old school!". That really pissed me off. Show some respect you little snot-nosed brat! That artist (who shall remain nameless) has so much talent in his little pinky than that disrespectful kid will ever have!

 

And that is just one example. It seems many of the younger generation only want to stick with who and what they know... meaning only modern and "relevant" artists in the "Social Media" age, and not care to explore the many great artists of yesteryear who had a huge impact on the industry and where it is today. I find that disheartening. When I was their age... I not only embraced the then new generation of comic artists I grew up with but the ones that also preceded and beyond. I didn't limit myself to just the present... for I knew... in everything... there's always a prior generation that inspires the next generation to take over... etc., etc., etc. And I'm not stuck in the past in anyway... I keep my eyes and ears open for new and emerging talent. And I constantly scour my LCS and the internet for indies, international titles, and from the major publishers to check out what's out there. And that's the way fan appreciation should be... in any hobby... keep yourself open-minded and embrace the new and the old.

 

And your 100% right about Earl Norem... his work was everywhere at one time... and I'm happy to know you're also a fan of his work. I think what I admire most about the talent of the past, is that they did it all by hand... no computers or photoshop... no modern technological tricks... no air-brushing... no nothing... all done by hand... like a true artist. So when you mention Norem's work on all those "men's action" magazines... can you imagine how much skill and talent is required to do such magnificent works?... Not to mention patience? I tried painting with acrylics and even watercolors. Brushes are so difficult to handle... and to paint on canvas requires a considerable amount of technical skill and precision which comes from years and years of practice and as I said before... a great deal of patience. In some cases a painting can take years to complete. And the costs... my God the costs! I tried... I guess I am a failed artist... and so far... writer. But I'm trying.

 

Anyway... I'm glad to read there are others out there who still admire Earl Norem.

 

Thanks for your feedback and happy collecting!

 

SW3D

[Prince Namor]

Hey CG,

 

I was checking out your collection... very nice!

 

You have a very nice TOTZ set... including the elusive #1.

 

I'm also a big fan of Nexus and I see you have his 2nd appearance in the rare black and white magazine #2.

 

You're lucky to get Norem's signature... at 88 years of age I don't think he's going to be doing many more cons. Consider those signatures rarities.

 

SW3D

 

Thanks! Yes, I'm very proud of some of those and I very much treasure those Norem signatures. It was an honor to meet him.