Black and White Wednesday: Ring-a-Ding Original Art

Happy birthday Jazzy John Romita! Where would we Groovy Age fans be without this phenomenal artist and his art direction at Marvel during the 1970s? Would Punisher, Wolverine, Luke Cage, the Savage Sub-Mariner, or Kingpin or so many other heroes and villains have looked as cool? Would the "Marvel House Style" been as glitzy and glamorous? Would Marvel's covers grabbed us nearly as much? Glad we don't have to find out, huh? Let's celebrate John Ring-a-Ding Romita's 88th birthday with a look back at some cool covers and sensational splashes that he created to take our dimes, nickels, and quarters! Thanks for all the great art and memories, O Jazzy One!

Pencils by Don Heck

Pencils by Ron Wilson

Second Smash Issue: "The Sirens of 7th Avenue!" by Conway, Chaykin, and Chiarmonte

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! It's the second day of the New Year, so it's time for yet another Groove City tradition: celebrating the second smash ish of a fave Groovy Age comic! "Waitaminnit, Groove," you say, "no wonder you don't teach math anymore! That's Amazing Adventure #19 you're dishin' out--not ish #2!" Well, I know that, Irving, but it is the second smash issue featuring Marvel's War of the Worlds/Killraven! (You can read all about the series and the first story in ish 18 right here, by the way.) "Sirens of Seventh Avenue!" is kind of a confusing title since the "Sirens" don't last for three whole pages, but this second WotW/Killraven adventure does introduce two very important members of KR's cast of characters: M'Shulla and Hawk (who looks and acts very different in his debut). It also gives us a first look at what a Martian really looks like (blecch!) and gives us plenty of action and wild Howard Chaykin style costumes! From April 1973, under a Herb Trimpe/ Mike Esposito cover--can you hear 'em? It's those blamed Sirens...

Making a Splash: P. Craig Russell's War of the Worlds/Killraven

Dig it, Groove-ophiles! For Ol' Groove, one of the highest-of-the-high-points of Marvel in the Groovy Age was Don McGregor's War of the Worlds/Killraven run in Amazing Adventures. With artists like Herb Trimpe, Rich Buckler, and Gene Colan, McGregor took Roy Thomas' cool idea (H.G. Wells' Martians return to conquer Earth) and elevated it into a unique, way ahead of it's time sci-fi strip. When neo-artist P. Craig Russell joined him as artist (A. A. issues 27-32, 34-37 (layouts only on 35-36), and 39, August 1974-August 1976 ) the comic became legendary. Russell's art was as unique and cool as McGregor's writing, with both men elevating the comics medium with each passing issue. Russell is a master, there is no doubt, and even his early work showed a style that stood out from all the rest...

Lo! There Shall Come...Endings! "Mourning Prey" by McGregor and Russell

Wow, the last day of 2013. What a year it's been. One of the best. One of the worst. Yeah, that kind'a year. That kind of thinking led me to this year's "Endings" post: Killraven/War of the Worlds "Mourning Prey". Enjoying the sophisticated beauty of both the prose of Don McGregor and the art of P. Craig Russell, Killraven/War of the Worlds in Amazing Adventures was one of the most critically acclaimed and well-loved series at Marvel. Many called it the best thing Marvel published (personally, it's high in the "one of the best" list for moi). In fact, when word got out that Amazing Adventures was going to be cancelled, fandom started a letter-writing campaign to save McGregor and Russell's baby.

Sadly, it wasn't enough, but the fact that the series elicited such a strong response from Marvel's more mature and serious (and vocal) fans says to me that Mighty Marvel made a mistake in cancelling AA. Imagine how different fandom's voice would have sounded if we'd had the Internet back then... Ah, well. Let's take a few minutes to enjoy the final lyrical-yet-savage earth-conquered-by-martians saga of the Groovy Age. From Amazing Adventures #39, here's "Mourning Prey".

Hey, we don't wanna end our old year or start our new year on a downer note, do we? Gotta give Mighty Marvel it's due, as less than a decade later they did allow McGregor and Russell the opportunity to re-unite and tie together the major loose ends of the Killraven/War of the Worlds saga in Marvel Graphic Novel #7 (1983).

Dauntless Don did write a mini-series to finish the whole Killraven saga, but he and Marvel have never been able to come to terms on how/when/where to publish it. Maybe one'a these fine days, Marvel will come to its senses and do whatever Don tells 'em to do! Oh, yeah, I said I didn't wanna end on a downer note, didn't I? Well, hey, at least with Dauntless Don doing his part we have hope, right? That's something!

Okay, tomorrow we'll welcome in 2014--and it'll be a lot more light-hearted atmosphere. I hope! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!