Valiant Magnus Art Question

[dgillock]

Not sure if this is a better question for Copper or Modern, but I thought I would start here.

 

Wondering if this image is familiar to anyone:

 

 

This is not original art, but a hand-colored print. Curious if anyone has seen it before. Just a print? Cover? Card art? I did some searching around and I have yet to track it down.

 

Any info appreciated.

 

 

[valiantman]

Yes it was "published".

 

It was a promo, pre-Magnus #1. Usually found folded, 11x17 folded to 8.5x11 with this image on the cover, I believe.

 

The hand-colored print you're showing is not something I've seen before. Is it possible it's unique (the only one colored)?

 

Valiant's process was to have an artist do pencils, possibly the same do inks, have another artist hand-color a copy of the inks, then have 3M proofs made, then production.

 

You might have the hand-colored "original", not the pencils or inks, but still original.

If there is a "C" and a number anywhere handwritten on the edge under the matting or on the back, that's something else I can explain (if it's there).

 

EDIT: Found it... it was on the back of the folded promo:

 

Here are the "four sides" of the single page folded:

http://www.sonicdan.com/valiant/MRFpromo1.jpg

http://www.sonicdan.com/valiant/MRFpromo2.jpg

http://www.sonicdan.com/valiant/MRFpromo3.jpg

http://www.sonicdan.com/valiant/MRFpromo4.jpg

 

[dgillock]

Awesome. Very quick and accurate info. I appreciate it!

[dgillock]

Any chance you can confirm the artist (pencils/inks) or the person that may have colored it?

[valiantman]

Any chance you can confirm the artist (pencils/inks) or the person that may have colored it?

I can't confirm, but early Valiant coloring was often done by Maria Beccari or Janet "JayJay" Jackson.

 

This might be early enough that it was someone working on the Nintendo books, though.

 

If it is the same artists who did the front image:

http://www.sonicdan.com/valiant/MRFpromo1.jpg

That would be Paris Cullins (pencils) and Bob Layton (inks).

 

Though it's the same promo, I'm not sure it is necessarily the same artists.

[dgillock]

Well, certainly looks like Layton inks to me. Tough to say on the pencils.

[valiantman]

If JayJay wasn't the colorist, she might know who was.

jayjay@jayjayjackson.com

 

(That email address came from www.jayjayjackson.com so it's public, if anyone's wondering.)

 

You might also try asking Bob. bob@boblayton.com

 

(Also public.)

[dgillock]

Thanks

[valiantman]

Just a couple more comments.

 

The colorist made Magnus' legs red, but he's wearing a tunic and they should have been "skin".

The woman is not necessarily Leeja (the gal automatically shown with Magnus for 50 years)... she looks more like Elzy.

[sakaridis]

The big eyes on the characters look a lot like Paris Cullins' work to me and the inks are almost definitely Layton.

 

 

[dgillock]

FYI -- heard back from JayJay Jackson. It is her work (colors) and she confirmed that it is Cullins/Layton. She says that she thought so but that she also confirmed with Shooter. Thanks to all for the assist

[valiantman]

One less mystery in the world.

[CKB]

FYI -- heard back from JayJay Jackson. It is her work (colors) and she confirmed that it is Cullins/Layton. She says that she thought so but that she also confirmed with Shooter. Thanks to all for the assist

 

Just saw this thread now - late to the party. As soon as I saw the first post I was like Layton/JJ 1990ish. That's the "color original" for the promo pamphlet. After the inking is done, the colorist shrinks down the inks slightly onto a special paperboard for watercoloring.

 

Almost anytime you see the watercolor at the edges like that - it's JJ. She helped evolve that watercolor process which gave early Valiant its distinctive look.

 

So where the heck did you find that? It's very early valiant superhero work. It may be one of the first times Layton drew Magnus at valiant.

 

[Bosco685]

Just saw this thread now - late to the party. As soon as I saw the first post I was like Layton/JJ 1990ish. That's the "color original" for the promo pamphlet. After the inking is done, the colorist shrinks down the inks slightly onto a special paperboard for watercoloring.

 

Promotion pamphlet? I've been collecting Valiant for a long time, and I learned something new with this thread. Any information on this promotion pamphlet?

 

By the way, I love the artwork that the OP posted.

 

Is that Elzy? If the lines on the forearm and calves are really supposed to be hair, then that hints at someone on the Goph level since it is a pretty rough environment. But her hair doesn't appear the same.

 

[Bosco685]

By the way, an artist was playing around with the idea of making a Magnus cartoon show.

 

 

 

 

I'd love to see this become a reality.