No comment read on the ASM #129 pages that just surfaced? 1 1

[Get Marwood & I]

On 6/20/2024 at 11:16 PM, Dr. Balls said:

I did say I barely consider myself "knowledgeable" about Romita art. 

We've all done it, Dr B. I didn't know how to pronounce his name properly until I hit 50 

On 6/20/2024 at 11:16 PM, Dr. Balls said:

Even less so about Andru. 

There's a club around here somewhere for our Ross. @Spider-Variant's graphics are worth the price of admission alone 

[MAR1979]

On 6/18/2024 at 7:23 PM, JollyComics said:

Rick Akers and Mark Haspel are big names. They pursue the art boards.

at least one is an infamous name.

[Bronty]

On 6/20/2024 at 5:51 PM, delekkerste said:

While I wasn't told outright that it was a forgery, speaking to one of the principals about the matter fairly recently, and his very rueful demeanor talking about this piece, I'm pretty sure that it was (very quietly) determined to be a forgery and I'm going with that.  

Yowch.    It does look a bit weird even in the photos that were publicly shared.   But man… ouch.    If Vinny and Fish purchased it, that’s not a good day at the office.   Bummer.

[Silver Surfer]

On 6/21/2024 at 4:43 AM, MAR1979 said:

at least one is an infamous name.

Tell us more, don’t have to name names. 

[Spider-Variant]

On 6/21/2024 at 3:03 AM, Get Marwood & I said:

We've all done it, Dr B. I didn't know how to pronounce his name properly until I hit 50 

There's a club around here somewhere for our Ross. @Spider-Variant's graphics are worth the price of admission alone 

Thanks Steve!

[MAR1979]

On 6/21/2024 at 12:23 PM, Silver Surfer said:

Tell us more, don’t have to name names. 

Wata me no say anything

[Spider-Variant]

I track the sighting of Ross Andru artwork by capturing a scan or photo from wherever I find it online.  Things usually change very slowly, except when events like the Ross Andru Artist edition occur.  I'm sure (well, at least I am wishful) there is a lot more art out there by Ross from ASM, but this is what I have captured over the last several years (I lost my original list in the great computer crash of 2015).

From Amazing Spider-Man 129, I have seen scans/photos of pages 3, 10, 15, 16, 18, 26, and 32.  So, 7 out of the 19 pages for 37% of the entire issue being confirmed to still exist.  This is slightly higher than the 35% for all Andru ASM pages.

My complete breakdown (only interiors because Ross didn't pencil many of the covers) per graph below:

Edited June 21 by Spider-Variant

[Spider-Variant]

Page 3 from ASM 129 was another of the newly surfaced pages.

1)  Xerox of pencils by Ross Andru and background inks by Dave Hunt

2)  Original Art with pencils by Ross and primary inks by Frank Giacoia, and background inks by Dave Hunt

 

[Spider-Variant]

That Xerox above was from the Hunt family and @Lee B. shared many of them over in the Ross Andru thread before they went it for auction.  Very appreciative of that Lee!

[PhilipB2k17]

On 6/21/2024 at 10:35 PM, Spider-Variant said:

That Xerox above was from the Hunt family and @Lee B. shared many of them over in the Ross Andru thread before they went it for auction.  Very appreciative of that Lee!

I'm not sure Dave Hunt would want it known that he did an insufficiently good job of inking Andru's pencils. 

[Lee B.]

On 6/24/2024 at 3:46 PM, PhilipB2k17 said:

I'm not sure Dave Hunt would want it known that he did an insufficiently good job of inking Andru's pencils. 

Do you know that Dave generally only inked the backgrounds on the ASM books, with Frank Giacoia or Mike Esposito inking the main characters?  Dave apparently would make photocopies of his partial inks when he was working in the Marvel Bullpen side-by-side with Giacoia and Esposito.  It is interesting to see Andru's pencils in these vintage photocopies.  If, on the other hand, you knew all this and think that Dave's background inks were insufficient, I beg to differ and suggest you check out the backgrounds in the later books where Esposito provided complete inks for Andru's pencils.  There's a clear difference, and I prefer the art with Dave's contributions.

[Spider-Variant]

On 6/24/2024 at 1:44 PM, Lee B. said:

Do you know that Dave generally only inked the backgrounds on the ASM books, with Frank Giacoia or Mike Esposito inking the main characters?  Dave apparently would make photocopies of his partial inks when he was working in the Marvel Bullpen side-by-side with Giacoia and Esposito.  It is interesting to see Andru's pencils in these vintage photocopies.  If, on the other hand, you knew all this and think that Dave's background inks were insufficient, I beg to differ and suggest you check out the backgrounds in the later books where Esposito provided complete inks for Andru's pencils.  There's a clear difference, and I prefer the art with Dave's contributions.

I couldn't agree more with Lee.  Compare ASM 134 to 173.  Day and night.  I loved Dave Hunt's work on this run.

Edited June 25 by Spider-Variant

[MyNameIsLegion]

On 6/21/2024 at 11:41 AM, Spider-Variant said:

I track the sighting of Ross Andru artwork by capturing a scan or photo from wherever I find it online.  Things usually change very slowly, except when events like the Ross Andru Artist edition occur.  I'm sure (well, at least I am wishful) there is a lot more art out there by Ross from ASM, but this is what I have captured over the last several years (I lost my original list in the great computer crash of 2015).

From Amazing Spider-Man 129, I have seen scans/photos of pages 3, 10, 15, 16, 18, 26, and 32.  So, 7 out of the 19 pages for 37% of the entire issue being confirmed to still exist.  This is slightly higher than the 35% for all Andru ASM pages.

My complete breakdown (only interiors because Ross didn't pencil many of the covers) per graph below:

That's just nerdy AF. I love it! 

[Spider-Variant]

On 6/25/2024 at 12:57 AM, MyNameIsLegion said:

That's just nerdy AF. I love it! 

The nerdiest...

[PhilipB2k17]

On 6/24/2024 at 4:44 PM, Lee B. said:

Do you know that Dave generally only inked the backgrounds on the ASM books, with Frank Giacoia or Mike Esposito inking the main characters?  Dave apparently would make photocopies of his partial inks when he was working in the Marvel Bullpen side-by-side with Giacoia and Esposito.  It is interesting to see Andru's pencils in these vintage photocopies.  If, on the other hand, you knew all this and think that Dave's background inks were insufficient, I beg to differ and suggest you check out the backgrounds in the later books where Esposito provided complete inks for Andru's pencils.  There's a clear difference, and I prefer the art with Dave's contributions.

Then Giacoia's inks were subpar. 

[Spider-Variant]

On 6/25/2024 at 9:48 AM, PhilipB2k17 said:

Then Giacoia's inks were subpar. 

I actually thought Giacoia did a pretty good job on Andru's pencils on these early issues, not sure much on Ross's last year or so.  

Who do you think inked Ross the best?  

I actually feel Ross and Giordano made a great team on Superman vs the Amazing Spider-Man and their work together over at DC, after Ross left Marvel.  

[PhilipB2k17]

If the above Andru pencils are any indication, he didn't ink issue #129 particularly well.

[Unca Ben]

I really liked Ross Andru's work on ASM.  Speaking of settings and backgrounds, it's been noted that Ross brought a sense of realism to his Spidey stories by using real buildings and bridges and hardscapes and landscapes in his drawings.  He would go  around and take pictures of settings and use them as a photo reference for his art.  If there was a museum or bridge or notable building, etc.,  it was drawn accurately.  There's a whole topic about this on  these boards.

And personally I wouldn't label Ross as a journeyman.  Spider-Man was Marvel's highest selling comic when Ross Andru was chosen to be the regular penciller - which he did for 5 years.  Reliable?  Sure.  But I'd state that given the fact that they could have picked nearly anyone, they choose an artist that they must have considered outstanding to draw their best selling book. 
Besides the aforementioned accuracy in settings and backgrounds, Ross was excellent at portraying different camera angles and POV's to tell his stories, especially the Spidey action pages.

Now, Ross may not have had as slick or as catchy a style as say a Steranko or Adams, but he mastered sequential art using a straightforward style.  No confusion. I never had to go back and review a panel page(s) in order to put together what was being conveyed.   It was always clear, and any art experimentation never got in the way of clearly telling the story.

When DC and Marvel did their very first crossover featuring their respective flagship characters, it was Ross Andru who was picked to draw it.  (with fantastic inks by the great Giordano)  

[fsumavila]

On 6/29/2024 at 6:16 PM, Unca Ben said:

I really liked Ross Andru's work on ASM.  Speaking of settings and backgrounds, it's been noted that Ross brought a sense of realism to his Spidey stories by using real buildings and bridges and hardscapes and landscapes in his drawings.  He would go  around and take pictures of settings and use them as a photo reference for his art.  If there was a museum or bridge or notable building, etc.,  it was drawn accurately.  There's a whole topic about this on  these boards.

And personally I wouldn't label Ross as a journeyman.  Spider-Man was Marvel's highest selling comic when Ross Andru was chosen to be the regular penciller - which he did for 5 years.  Reliable?  Sure.  But I'd state that given the fact that they could have picked nearly anyone, they choose an artist that they must have considered outstanding to draw their best selling book. 
Besides the aforementioned accuracy in settings and backgrounds, Ross was excellent at portraying different camera angles and POV's to tell his stories, especially the Spidey action pages.

Now, Ross may not have had as slick or as catchy a style as say a Steranko or Adams, but he mastered sequential art using a straightforward style.  No confusion. I never had to go back and review a panel page(s) in order to put together what was being conveyed.   It was always clear, and any art experimentation never got in the way of clearly telling the story.

When DC and Marvel did their very first crossover featuring their respective flagship characters, it was Ross Andru who was picked to draw it.  (with fantastic inks by the great Giordano)  

Couldn't agree more. Andru is criminally underrated, IMHO.

[tth2]

On 6/30/2024 at 6:16 AM, Unca Ben said:

And personally I wouldn't label Ross as a journeyman.  Spider-Man was Marvel's highest selling comic when Ross Andru was chosen to be the regular penciller - which he did for 5 years. 

I think's more an indication that in the 70s, Marvel's main priority was reliability.  Their roster of pencilers during the BA was dominated by steady, reliable workhorses.