Ross Andru's Amazing Spider-Man Club 9 9

[The lips]

On 3/4/2023 at 3:54 PM, ADAMANTIUM said:

Glad there are reading copies, love the patience and time to take a pic, thanks for that! Clearly respect the love.

Thanks. 
personally I don’t slab as I still love to read, admire and get that sweet smell of decades old comics. 
I get a lot of satisfaction in taking pics of books together aswell !! 

[Spider-Variant]

On 3/4/2023 at 7:21 AM, The lips said:

 

Yes, that storyline was the impetus for this thread.  But five issues weren't enough to talk about, so we expanded the discussion to all of Ross's ASM run, and then some beyond.

[Spider-Variant]

On 10/11/2020 at 10:26 AM, Spider-Variant said:

The original art for Ross Andru's (Mike Esposito on inks) Month of November illustration for the Amazing Spider-Man Mighty Marvel Comics 1978 Calendar is up on Heritage Auctions.  Ross probably drew this in the Summer of 1977, for inclusion into the 1978 Calendar, which probably would have hit the stands in the fall of 1977.  I remember picking up my copy at the PX in Fort Benning, GA at the age of 11, although I can't remember the month.  For comparison, I pulled up ASM 131 to see how much Ross deviated from his original work.  ASM 131 had a cover date of April 1974 and was on the stands in Jan 1974.  So, 3.5 years between the two.

For the most part, Ross kept it the same.  The preacher is the same, Dr. Ock has the same attire with the exception of his glasses, and if you look at ASM 130 and 131 you see the building has a brick facade.   Also notice the thug of diminutive stature, Ross puts him in both illustrations.

But Ross does deviate some.  Aunt May's gown for example in the calendar picture no longer covers her neck.  The rest of the goons are changed up somewhat.

 

Here's another take of the Splash page from Amazing Spider-Man 131, this time by Steven Stiles and inks by Mike Esposito.  As many know, for the British Super Spider-Man issues (here #180 from 1976), the splash was redone in the horizontal format to fit the book.  I actually like Steven's point of view better than Ross's original, but I love the calendar depiction the best.  Maybe Ross liked Steven's version better as well and made changes for the calendar.  

 

[Get Marwood & I]

On 3/6/2023 at 3:25 AM, Spider-Variant said:

Here's another take of the Splash page from Amazing Spider-Man 131, this time by Steven Stiles and inks by Mike Esposito.  As many know, for the British Super Spider-Man issues (here #180 from 1976), the splash was redone in the horizontal format to fit the book.  I actually like Steven's point of view better than Ross's original, but I love the calendar depiction the best.  Maybe Ross liked Steven's version better as well and made changes for the calendar.  

 

I love all the little notes you find here and there on OA 

 

[Spider-Variant]

On 3/15/2023 at 5:14 AM, Get Marwood & I said:

I love all the little notes you find here and there on OA 

 

Hey Steve, is this an issue you bought as a kid?

[Get Marwood & I]

On 3/15/2023 at 1:35 PM, Spider-Variant said:

Hey Steve, is this an issue you bought as a kid?

In longways UK weekly format, yes:

I must have owned at least five of the US version over the years - here's my last two copies (long gone now):

I had a 9.4WP slab too. The preposterousness of a May/Ock marriage never seemed to trouble me, either as a kid or later as an adult. It was, and still is to me, charming. Which is what comics used to be, back in the day. A bit throwaway, but charming nonetheless. 

[Spider-Variant]

On 3/15/2023 at 9:48 AM, Get Marwood & I said:

In longways UK weekly format, yes:

I must have owned at least five of the US version over the years - here's my last two copies (long gone now):

I had a 9.4WP slab too. The preposterousness of a May/Ock marriage never seemed to trouble me, either as a kid or later as an adult. It was, and still is to me, charming. Which is what comics used to be, back in the day. A bit throwaway, but charming nonetheless. 

Yes, oddly enough, I never flinched at the thought of the marriage either.  In some ways it felt in character for Doc Ock.  I never bought this issue off the stands and obtained it through mail order.  It must have not made a bid impression on me, as I don't recall being excited about it.

[Get Marwood & I]

On 3/15/2023 at 2:03 PM, Spider-Variant said:

Yes, oddly enough, I never flinched at the thought of the marriage either.  In some ways it felt in character for Doc Ock.  I never bought this issue off the stands and obtained it through mail order.  It must have not made a bid impression on me, as I don't recall being excited about it.

That whole Doc Ock storyline stayed with me. I always felt sorry for him when he turned up at May's again, in tramp mode. Then asks Peter for a piece of chicken after he's had a wash and brush up. "May's a good woman. Better than I deserve" he said, or words to that effect. The oddest things stay with you, don't they. Like the squashed bird I mentioned earlier in the thread from ASM #153. I think it was 153, anyway, without checking. The football one. The power of charm, with a dash of nostalgia. Oh, and Andru art of course.

[mr_highgrade]

Spidey #131 was also the last 20 cent issue. 

[Kevin.J]

On 3/15/2023 at 1:48 PM, Get Marwood & I said:

In longways UK weekly format, yes:

 

I must have owned at least five of the US version over the years 

 

Hoarder 

[Get Marwood & I]

On 3/15/2023 at 9:53 PM, Kevin.J said:

Hoarder 

Says the man who probably has fifty eight copies in a box he's long forgotten about, under another box with another sixteen in it. Probably 

 

[Spider-Variant]

On 3/15/2023 at 8:20 AM, Get Marwood & I said:

That whole Doc Ock storyline stayed with me. I always felt sorry for him when he turned up at May's again, in tramp mode. Then asks Peter for a piece of chicken after he's had a wash and brush up. "May's a good woman. Better than I deserve" he said, or words to that effect. The oddest things stay with you, don't they. Like the squashed bird I mentioned earlier in the thread from ASM #153. I think it was 153, anyway, without checking. The football one. The power of charm, with a dash of nostalgia. Oh, and Andru art of course.

ASM 153 started my 35-year run on collecting the title.  My original copy is the only book I held onto.  Yes, Paine was the bird-crushing fiend from that issue.  It opens with Spidey in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral.  Just a really poignant story to my nine year old self.

[Get Marwood & I]

On 3/16/2023 at 8:43 PM, Spider-Variant said:

ASM 153 started my 35-year run on collecting the title.  My original copy is the only book I held onto.  Yes, Paine was the bird-crushing fiend from that issue.  It opens with Spidey in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral.  Just a really poignant story to my nine year old self.

Nothing beats that, does it. Your early experience with comics, as a kid, when it was all real and you believed in it. Nigh on fifty years later, we're still recalling those first experiences here. I've created a lot of threads on this forum over the last six years, and poured a lot of energy and enthusiasm into them. Some chart the results of decades of mucking about with comics but most relate to the latter years of my life when the pursuit of variant detail took over from actually reading the damn things. Don't get me wrong, I've loved gathering lost and forgotten information about books that no one cares about and my old Charlton thread will always be a personal favourite. But of all of them, this is the one I'm most glad that I started as it comes from that original innocent starting point - the love of your first comics. It covers the characters I've loved the most, from the time when comics meant the most. If I never post here again - you never know what's around the corner, do you - I'd be more than happy for this to be the last thing I write about comics. My fond recollections of the perpetually down on his luck Peter Parker, his courageous alter ego Spider-Man who always tried to do the right thing whatever the personal cost and the whole original gang, perfectly rendered by the long since departed Ross Andru - a man we can never meet to thank - and using just a pencil, his obvious talent and a no doubt trusty camera. 

Thanks Reggie. 

[Spider-Variant]

On 3/16/2023 at 5:26 PM, Get Marwood & I said:

Nothing beats that, does it. Your early experience with comics, as a kid, when it was all real and you believed in it. Nigh on fifty years later, we're still recalling those first experiences here. I've created a lot of threads on this forum over the last six years, and poured a lot of energy and enthusiasm into them. Some chart the results of decades of mucking about with comics but most relate to the latter years of my life when the pursuit of variant detail took over from actually reading the damn things. Don't get me wrong, I've loved gathering lost and forgotten information about books that no one cares about and my old Charlton thread will always be a personal favourite. But of all of them, this is the one I'm most glad that I started as it comes from that original innocent starting point - the love of your first comics. It covers the characters I've loved the most, from the time when comics meant the most. If I never post here again - you never know what's around the corner, do you - I'd be more than happy for this to be the last thing I write about comics. My fond recollections of the perpetually down on his luck Peter Parker, his courageous alter ego Spider-Man who always tried to do the right thing whatever the personal cost and the whole original gang, perfectly rendered by the long since departed Ross Andru - a man we can never meet to thank - and using just a pencil, his obvious talent and a no doubt trusty camera. 

Thanks Reggie. 

Wow Steve, if I worked on it a year, I'm not sure I could have captured my feelings on my experiences growing up with Spider-Man better than you just did.  

[Spider-Variant]

This little joke comes to mind whenever I think of ASM 153.

For years I read it without the question mark, making Pete's thoughts "Kung Fu Fighting is our song."

I have always wondered if Ross drew his friends in comics, or perhaps even his wife.

[mr_highgrade]

On 3/17/2023 at 11:40 AM, Spider-Variant said:

This little joke comes to mind whenever I think of ASM 153.

For years I read it without the question mark, making Pete's thoughts "Kung Fu Fighting is our song."

I have always wondered if Ross drew his friends in comics, or perhaps even his wife.

I know Alex Ross always used real people for some of his characters that he drew.

[Spider-Variant]

Mrs. Spider-Variant and I just spent the last two weeks putting this 3000 piece puzzle together.  Although, it's not Ross Andru's work, I liked the fact that it had several villains pictured that were introduced during Ross's glory days.   It was fun to work when the cat and dog weren't wrecking havoc.  Only two missing pieces.....

 

Edited March 23, 2023 by Spider-Variant

[Spider-Variant]

Again, not Ross Andru, but his fill-in on Amazing Spider-Man while Ross was working on his Magnum Opus, Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man.  

ASM 154 was the second issue that I bought off the stands back in the day.  I didn't know much about artist, etc., but knew this art was definitely different than issue 153. I also love the little pacing notes in the borders of the art.  Panel six reads "SM (Sand Man) begins to move."

[Get Marwood & I]

On 3/27/2023 at 6:48 PM, Spider-Variant said:

I didn't know much about artist, etc., but knew this art was definitely different than issue 153.

Like Ross, you could always tell a Sal Spidey by the eyes....

                             Sal                                                   Ross

The eyes have it!

[Spider-Variant]

On 3/27/2023 at 1:58 PM, Get Marwood & I said:

Like Ross, you could always tell a Sal Spidey by the eyes....

                             Sal                                                   Ross

The eyes have it!

I enjoyed Sal's version of Spidey, not as much as I enjoyed Ross's though.  I thought his early issues of Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man were great.

But Sal also drew one of my least favorite Amazing Spider-Man covers...  That right hand just looks weird to me, almost pancake flat.