Hulk #105 cover - as good as it gets!

[heartened]

great cover... i thought i paid high when i bought it at heritage a few years ago for 15k..but looks like my instincts were correct... this one has that Frankenstein feel to it and i always loved that..and that was the reason i bought it! It's a very good cover...but i feel there are easily 10-15 Herb trimpe's Hulk covers i'd rather have over this one.

 

Hi Mike,

 

I would totally disagree with this. I wanted a classic Hulk cover with that Silver Age feel and let's just say I could have had one or two great Trimpe covers for the price of this one, but at the end of the day his Hulk just doesn't do it for me ... at all. I can't imagine I'm alone on this. Just because he did so many doesn't necessarily mean people liked the look. Sure, it's what they know, and that carries some weight, but it's not everything. His Hulk seems shorter, rounder, and overall very dull and boring by comparison, but that's just me. One of the best was the one that just sold (#119) and Marie worked on that one. After the early stuff that she helped him on, the remainder (yes, including #181) are not great iterations of the Hulk in my opinion.

 

I know you have a bunch of Trimpe covers, so obviously you like them, but you also have some skin in the game I, on the other hand, will be buried with this one! How about the rest of you? Kirby, Ditko, Severin, Trimpe or McFarlane? For me, the TTA 93 and Hulk 104/105 are the three best Hulk covers from the run, although I also like Hulk 1 and 3 a lot (yeah, I know, good luck finding those!). The McFarlane stuff is nice too, but I prefer a more classic earlier style.

 

I can only name the Hulk 181 cover by Trimpe that I'd want over this one. Curious as to the 10-15 covers? Honestly, I just don't see it.

 

 

 

 

[Matches_Malone]

To each it's own when it comes to who does what best , but it When it comes to The Hulk, Dale Keown is the one for me.

And that's a very nice cover Hari.

[lb jefferies]

great cover... i thought i paid high when i bought it at heritage a few years ago for 15k..but looks like my instincts were correct... this one has that Frankenstein feel to it and i always loved that..and that was the reason i bought it! It's a very good cover...but i feel there are easily 10-15 Herb trimpe's Hulk covers i'd rather have over this one.

 

Hi Mike,

 

I would totally disagree with this. I wanted a classic Hulk cover with that Silver Age feel and let's just say I could have had one or two great Trimpe covers for the price of this one, but at the end of the day his Hulk just doesn't do it for me ... at all. I can't imagine I'm alone on this. Just because he did so many doesn't necessarily mean people liked the look. Sure, it's what they know, and that carries some weight, but it's not everything. His Hulk seems shorter, rounder, and overall very dull and boring by comparison, but that's just me. One of the best was the one that just sold (#119) and Marie worked on that one. After the early stuff that she helped him on, the remainder (yes, including #181) are not great iterations of the Hulk in my opinion.

 

I know you have a bunch of Trimpe covers, so obviously you like them, but you also have some skin in the game I, on the other hand, will be buried with this one! How about the rest of you? Kirby, Ditko, Severin, Trimpe or McFarlane? For me, the TTA 93 and Hulk 104/105 are the three best Hulk covers from the run, although I also like Hulk 1 and 3 a lot (yeah, I know, good luck finding those!). The McFarlane stuff is nice too, but I prefer a more classic earlier style.

 

I can only name the Hulk 181 cover by Trimpe that I'd want over this one. Curious as to the 10-15 covers? Honestly, I just don't see it.

 

 

 

 

100% agree. TTA93 and Hulk 104 and 105 are some of the best covers in the run and definitely the three best Marie Severin covers. And I think the 105 just beats out these other two for the best of the bunch. Which makes this score all the more brilliant.

[Michael (OML)]

Congratulations - it is a special cover for sure.

[heartened]

To each it's own when it comes to who does what best , but it When it comes to The Hulk, Dale Keown is the one for me.

And that's a very nice cover Hari.

 

Agreed. I definitely want a Keown again. Had one many moons ago but sold it when I was a poorer man, and have not been able to replace. Someday I will

 

[suspense39]

Marie Severin really captured the hulk, his childlike, pained and tormented psyche were always right there on hulks face. I've got to go with her and Kirby on this, and sadly there aren't many pages done by either out there. Ditko was my least favorite on hulk, although I would love to have one, his hulk seemed too soft.

[drdroom]

Hulk 181 has little to recommend it artistically. The only Trimpe covers that even come close to 105 for me are 110, 112, 113, 119. 105 still wins! There is one Hulk cover that is better than that one, though. Hint: newsstand price was 25 cents.

[Bronty]

This is a wonderful cover so I don't want to start ranking and take the focus off this one, but I think there are other very nice hulk covers too 141 for example and sue me but I like 181 a lot too

[heartened]

This is a wonderful cover so I don't want to start ranking and take the focus off this one, but I think there are other very nice hulk covers too 141 for example and sue me but I like 181 a lot too

 

I like both of those too. That being said, they get a bit of a bump in people's minds mainly because they are important first appearances. I wonder if we would like them as much, or they'd seem just run of the mill, if the villains/heroes they introduced did not amount to anything. An interesting question, no?

 

[Bronty]

I don't think of doc Samson as an important first app. I know exactly what you are saying; there's no question that dynamic is at play on 181, but its still a nice cover. They'd stl be better than average, esp 141, IMO

[heartened]

I don't think of doc Samson as an important first app. I know exactly what you are saying; there's no question that dynamic is at play on 181, but its still a nice cover. They'd stl be better than average, esp 141, IMO

 

Doc Samson is pretty important I think. Certainly in the top 5 of villains/antagonists for the Hulk, no? It is nice cover regardless, agreed. The only two covers of his run that I really like quite a bit are the 112 and 113. Those two are quite good, but again they were early in the run and had the classic silver age feel to them. I guess that's what I love about them.

 

[KirbyJack]

Hulk 181 has little to recommend it artistically. The only Trimpe covers that even come close to 105 for me are 110, 112, 113, 119. 105 still wins! There is one Hulk cover that is better than that one, though. Hint: newsstand price was 25 cents.

 

You mean this one? Marie re-did his face, I think.

[romitaman]

Hi Aaron..

I actually own all the covers you mentioned in your post! and I parted with the hulk 119 because i got a great offer at the time, and it was my least favorite of the 4. I don't think Marie Severin touched that 119 cover as you claim Hari. 119 is drawn to perfection by trhe way. I think Marie Severin was a great artist, and your cover is 1 of her very BEST Hulk covers........but she is not the definitive Hulk artist after Kirby..forme and alot of others out there....it's Herb Trimpe all the way.... I say that because Marie didn't draw a large enough body of Hulk work for her to be called a definitive Incredible hulk artist. She drew 8 hulk covers and 5 TTA Hulk covers if my count is correct.. All are great looking and I actually own her very last Incredible hulk cover from the run (208) Collecting wise....I never really cared for Herb Trimpe's interiors inked by John Severin..as his ink lines are just not detailed enough ...but when Trimpe inks himself on covers......(which didn't happen a lot) its pure magic to me!

 

Just for fun..and there is no right or wrong here, as we all have our own taste.....(but for me.....if you want 20 covers I'd take over the 105...here they are:

 

112,

113 awesome sandman battle cover!

116,

118, awesome Sub-Mariner battle cover

121 (AWESOME..one of my all time faves)

122 (battling the FF!)

127

130

134..(The Golem.,...another all time favorite!) actually somewhat similar to the 105.

139

144...Severin inks..but wow..he inked great this time...what a battle cover.

152 WOW!!

172

175

176

177

178

179

181

 

 

 

 

[heartened]

Hi Aaron..

I actually own all the covers you mentioned in your post! and I parted with the hulk 119 because i got a great offer at the time, and it was my least favorite of the 4. I don't think Marie Severin touched that 119 cover as you claim Hari. 119 is drawn to perfection by trhe way. I think Marie Severin was a great artist, and your cover is 1 of her very BEST Hulk covers........but she is not the definitive Hulk artist after Kirby..forme and alot of others out there....it's Herb Trimpe all the way.... I say that because Marie didn't draw a large enough body of Hulk work for her to be called a definitive Incredible hulk artist. She drew 8 hulk covers and 5 TTA Hulk covers if my count is correct.. All are great looking and I actually own her very last Incredible hulk cover from the run (208) Collecting wise....I never really cared for Herb Trimpe's interiors inked by John Severin..as his ink lines are just not detailed enough ...but when Trimpe inks himself on covers......(which didn't happen a lot) its pure magic to me!

 

Just for fun..and there is no right or wrong here, as we all have our own taste.....(but for me.....if you want 20 covers I'd take over the 105...here they are:

 

112,

113 awesome sandman battle cover!

116,

118, awesome Sub-Mariner battle cover

121 (AWESOME..one of my all time faves)

122 (battling the FF!)

127

130

134..(The Golem.,...another all time favorite!) actually somewhat similar to the 105.

139

144...Severin inks..but wow..he inked great this time...what a battle cover.

152 WOW!!

172

175

176

177

178

179

181

 

 

 

 

Thanks Mike. I totally respect your opinion, but we're going to have to agree to disagree on this one. Just for fun, let me tell you my thoughts Kirby or Ditko didn't do a huge body of work on Hulk, but long enough stints to qualify. No artist is perfect, and some of the Marie stuff wasn't great either, but her covers captured the 60s Marvel House style in a way that few others could do. Her style was dramatic and "in your face" like Kirby. This is of course why Stan asked certain artists to work inside and help manage the style.

 

There are tons of Hulk cover rankings and other stuff on the web, including some pages solely dedicated to Trimpe as, shall I saw, a bit deficient in terms of consistency and perspective. Most list Hulk 1, 102, 105, Special 1 as the only 4 1960s covers that are universally liked. None of that matters to us as individuals, of course, as we can all have room for our own tastes, but it does give an idea of the "mass appeal" aspect. Again, I only mention as a point of discussion, as I'm not selling this cover ever. It's in the core collection and I have plenty of other stuff I'd let go much sooner if and when the time ever came (and if I'm lucky, it won't) I thought long and hard about what I'd buy for the money I was willing to spend. This was more expensive than any Trimpe cover, and I of course had choices of 119 and 121, which is also available. Incidentally, I'm surprised 109 wasn't on your list. That's a great Trimpe cover!

 

So, for me, it's Kirby, Severin, Steranko (two covers, but boy were they good!), Keown, Layton (yup, again those two Iron Man covers were THAT good ... damn you Tom Fish!), Trimpe, McFarlane, Ditko, Mignola, and Byrne.

 

For those watching, I've known Mike for years. We have room in our friendship for discussion and even disagreement See you all at SDCC!

 

[heartened]

Ouch!! A bit of poor taste for this guy to write this, but I think he was scholarly about it at least. He's an artist himself it seems, so maybe he's allowed to criticize more than most.

 

http://comiccoverage.typepad.com/comic_coverage/2009/04/worst-cover-ever-mark-smash-lousy-hulk-covers.html

 

And here's one person's listing which I think I would agree with to some extent.... although I stopped reading in the late 90s and thus don't recognize the tail end of the list at all.

 

https://www.blastr.com/2012/05/25_greatest_comic_book_co.php

 

 

 

[romitaman]

that list of the guy's top 25 hulk covers in 2nd link....several of those later covers are mediocre to put it mildly...but all of the 1960s and 1970s Hulks were good.... I will say..... the early Sal Buscema, Ernie Chan, and Rich Buckler covers from the hulk run from 200-225 were all GREAT also!

[tfish]

Wanted Hulk #255 cover

 

Please email me

 

[trimpehulk]

Hari Here is a list from a Trimpe and Hulk fan...

 

1) 115

2) 169

3) 116

4) 175

5) 179

6) 205

7) 114

8) 163

9) 144

10) 139

11) 204

12) 187

 

I would take any and all of these over the 105. I do like Marie Severin and the 105 cover.

 

 

I would rate some other Hulk covers also above 105 Hulk 1-6 any. Hulk special 1 , 193, 197, 200, Tales to Astonish 67,77,87,91,93. Just my opinion Dom.

[Bronty]

Somewhere along the way this thread got a little tacky thru no fault of Hari's

[TomG]

Congrats Hari! (thumbs u