Howard Bender - The Hulk

2014.07.20 Jersey Shore Comic Con, Toms River, NJ

I had picked up the 1966 World Cup cover from Great Britain and was looking for a unique way to obtain a sketch. The morning of the show I had come across a Nike commercial "Winner Stays", in which several youths arrive on a pitch to play football. One group challenges the other to a game. As the game begins one boy calls out that he is Ronaldo and turns into Ronaldo. The other counters he is Neymar and turns into Neymar. This continues throughout the game as the boys yell out various players names. One boy calls out that he is the Brazilian forward known as Hulk. Instead of Hulk the footballer, he transforms into the Incredible Hulk. Another boy tells him he can not be the Hulk, so he transforms into American goalkeeper Tim Howard. Nike has always produced some excellent commercials, but this has to be one of the best commercials Nike has ever produced!

Knowing that Bender had worked for Marvel, I thought he would be perfect for the transformation of turning the Incredible Hulk into a footballer...

Howard Bender - Daniel Boone

2012.09.22 SuperHeroes for Hospice, Eatontown, NJ

For the past three years that I have helped at the Monmouth Mall Hospice comic book show, Howard Bender and Mark Voger have been there drawing caricatures for the patrons, mostly kids. Until this year I had only said hello and did not have the opportunity to spend any time with them. 

Mark Voger is a author and writes for the NJ Star Ledger, features on pop culture which appear in the Friday Ticket supplement. A feature I always read and did not realize this was him! When I starting talking about his latest article on Indiana Jones, the conversation moved to movie serials from the 1930-40 era, especially Superman, Batman, Captain America, Green Hornet and Captain Marvel and then some. It was a pleasure being able to spend a little time with them.

I had previously met Howard Bender at another comic book show, where he drew a Green Lantern for me. when I approached him at that time he asked if I had anything for Davy Crockett, which I did not. However this time I brought a Daniel Boone FDC with me. It was close enough for Howard to provide an excellent sketch of the frontiersman. I especially like the detail of the raccoon face on the hat.

Davy Crockett (1786-1836) was a folk hero, frontiersman, politician and soldier, losing his life at the Battle of the Alamo. Crockett was popularized in a 1954-54 Walt Disney television mini-series starring Fess Parker and Buddy Ebsen as his friend George Russel.

Daniel Boone (1734-1820) was a folk hero, frontiersman, explorer from Kentucky. Daniel Boone was popularized in a television series which ran from 1964-1970 by Fess Parker.

Both men were honored by the US Post office - Crockett in 1967 and Boone in 1968

Howard Bender - Green Lantern

2011.10.08 Garden State Comic Con, Cherry Hill, NJ

Howard Bender is a freelance comics artist and illustrator, having studied at the Arts Students league, Artist Guild and the Ivy School of Professional Art. After contributions to fanzines and lettering jobs at Marvel, in the 1970s, Bender went to work for the big companies in the 1980s, starting at Harvey on Richie Rich. Bender contributed to DC's ghost and superhero titles, including Supergirl, Dial H for Hero, Action Comics, as well as some work for Marvel on Silver Hawks, Spider-Man. With Gladstone Publishing he worked on "Dread of Night" and "Maggots". At First Publishing he worked on "Ghostbusters" and "Munden's Bar". In the 1990s Bender worked for Archie Comics.

1996 drew one of four mini comics for Hanna-Barbera's Johnny Quest, which was packaged with the VHS of the show.

Bender has also created his own original characters and titles  "Mr. Fixitt"(Apple Comics), "Billy & Pop" and "Sherlock Holmes Minute Mysteries"...

Bender also draws caricatures and is often at the Superheroes for Hospice Monmouth comic sale providing caricatures...