Mike Zeck Solves a 25 Year Old Mystery 0

[grapeape]

Back in the nineties ole Grapeape was at the SDCC looking through art at the D.O.A booth. I stumbled upon a really cool prelim of the Punisher...or so I thought. I bought it for $35. But one day recently I was looking at a checklist of art by Mike Zeck and found a comic called Bloodshot Last Stand. I reached out to Jim Warden. Jim Warden reached out to Mike Zeck.

Was this a Punisher piece?

Was this the prelim for Bloodshot?

Was it a “Punisher” converted to Bloodshot?”

Mike Zeck replied to Jim last night and he passed it on to me.

” It was not originally created for any Punisher related project. Specifically targeted to that Bloodshot cover.”

“Looking at it now is the first time I’m realizing how close the pose is to a Punisher pose from years prior. The ‘Plate One’ illustration for the first Punisher Portfolio! I wasn’t aware I was ‘homaging’ myself at the time :-)”

 

 

[grapeape]

My friends do you have a mystery solved story you’d like to share?

 

 

 

 

[Bird]

I thnk the bigger mystery is who paired Zeck and Mike De Carlo?

;-)

It sure looks Punishery to me too. The chest area seems like the edge of the skull emblem too!

[grapeape]

The Plate One portfolio piece Mike Zeck referred to is the same one located in Chuck Costas CAF if you want to take a look at that.

 

[Bird]

I had the Zeck Punisher portfolio and Golden Doc portfolios, bought them at college which I started in 1985. I didn't know they were new when I bought them but the got funtacked to the off campus apartment immediately along with giant sized posters of Zappa, Hendrix and RHCP!

[grapeape]

Just now, Bird said:

I thnk the bigger mystery is who paired Zeck and Mike De Carlo?

;-)

It sure looks Punishery to me too. The chest area seems like the edge of the skull emblem too!

Thanks Bird. Yes I can’t tell you the number of people who have praised my ‘Punisher’ drawing over the years.

Unfamiliar with Bloodshot I looked up the book and was also surprised Mike De Carlo did the inking.

I know a question I’m going to be asked?

Are you sad you ‘lost’ a Punisher?

Im not sad, I thought I had a Punisher but my eyes were too Bloodshot to see reality

No I’m not sad. I found out I have a prelim for a published Mike Zeck cover. I’ll be ok.

 

[grapeape]

I believe this is the one Mike Zeck is referring to as the unaware homage, referencing this image to my prelim art used to develop the Bloodshot Last Stand cover.

Edited July 3, 2021 by grapeape

[Rick2you2]

36 minutes ago, grapeape said:

My friends do you have a mystery solved story you’d like to share?

Matter of fact, I do. Many years ago, in the early 1980's, I bought what I thought was a sketch by Jim Aparo. I was wrong. About 5 years ago, I discovered it was the published cover of a Fanzine called Fandom Feature, cover, No. 1, from 1980. And yes, I know it needs a cleaning.

 

Edited July 3, 2021 by Rick2you2

[adamstrange]

2 hours ago, grapeape said:

My friends do you have a mystery solved story you’d like to share?

 

 

[buttock]

34 minutes ago, adamstrange said:

 

[grapeape]

47 minutes ago, adamstrange said:

 

       E L E C T R I S C U I T

                        ?

[rjpb]

These guys were also baked by electricity in NY in 1903, and there were three of them. So a Trixecution?

[zhamlau]

11 hours ago, rjpb said:

These guys were also baked by electricity in NY in 1903, and there were three of them. So a Trixecution?

[malvin]

On 7/3/2021 at 8:00 AM, grapeape said:

My friends do you have a mystery solved story you’d like to share?

 

 

 

 

I've been pretty lucky to get boadies and listers to solve most OA mysteries, the recent ones include:

Where this Maleev/Bendis DD page was published

Where this Alan Miracleman Fanzine cover was published

and older ones I distincly remember include:

What this Zeck Wolvrine Turnaround was used for (I just asked Zeck actually) front back

Where this Alan Davis Nail was publshed in Wizard

but while I'm here let me flog my remaining unsolves mysteries!

Where (which Marvel Age issue?) was this McFarlane Alpha Flight Promo used? - I asked McFarlane and he didn't have specific, beyond that it was an As art

Where was this Gary Frank DC/Marvel full team pinup used? - I asked Gary Frank and he doesn't remember.  He thinks it wasn't just a commission but something used for publication but doesn't know where

What Character(s) are in this Tim Sale Pinup - Tim Sale doesn't know, but like the Gary Frank piece, he suspects a publisher paid him to do it and not a fan commission but doesn't recall

Malvin

 

Edited July 4, 2021 by malvin