UK Marvel - 2019

March 14, 2019

The Royal Mail (United Kingdom) released a 15-stamp set featuring the most popular Marvel Super Heroes. The main 10-stamps feature Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, Hulk, Doctor Strange, Captain Britain, Peggy Carter, Iron-Man, Union Jack, Black Panther and Thor.

An additional 5-stamps are part of an exclusive story titled "Avengers UK" contained in a miniature sheet showing the heroes in action against Thanos.

The stamps were designed by Alan Davis, an illustrator who has worked with marvel since the early 1980s, and first illustrated Captain Britain in 1985. Davis was assisted by Mark Farmer on inks and Laura Martin on colors

A booklet of stamps features the Marvel heroes along with the definitive Machin stamps featuring  Queen Elizabeth

2 first day covers are available, one featuring the Hulk postmarked with a pictorial postmarks from either Tallents House, Edinburgh or Shield Row, Stanley

There is a first day cover available with the Prestige Stamp Book, featuring the Comics Code surrounded by the Machins' definitive

various other products are also available from the Royal Mail

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...

Block Printed FDCs

Dave Curtis

Offering a chance of pace this week with a post on block printed covers. Wood-block printing is a technique that dates as far back as 4th century throughout East Asia, China and Egypt. Modern print-makers use linoleum as a variant to woodcuts. A design is cut into the linoleum with the raised portion leaving a reversed image. The block is inked and pressed onto paper to leave an impression.

Many famous artists have worked in block-printing, Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai (produced unbelievable art with wood-block) Pablo Picasso, MC Escher, Albrecht Durer. The Metropolitan Post Card Club of NY features information about block printed postcards..

Dave and Sabrina Curtis create block printed covers. Both are members of the AFDCS and the Art Cover Exchange (ACE). Their covers are printed by making several color prints by re-cutting the block between prints, to created beautiful designs. Dave started first, with Sabrina adding her artistic talents a few years later. They are currently using a product called "Easy-cut Rubber Block", which is similar to linoleum block, but easier to cut. Dave usually produces one set of covers for each stamp issued, in limited numbers. Sabrina, has what she calls a Monet style, producing covers of her favorite subject, animals...

Wm. Roy Rice

I did a lot of trading with Mr. Rice, from West Virginia, back in the late 1980s to early 1990s. I always appreciated his style and design. Wm. Roy started in 1977, using a 1940 Franklin hand-press, producing a limited number of covers for stamp club invitations to local meetings and for personal use. This is an example of his work featuring a Star Trek design for the "E" Earth stamp FDC from 1988...

Raymond E Robinson

An example of one of the linoleum block prints I did for the Moon Landing Anniversary issue of 1989. This cover is from a set of three, with each cover honoring the Apollo 11 astronauts, Michael Collins (above), Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. I started creating block printed covers in 1977 for the Charles Lindbergh issue...

Herb Trimpe - The Incredible Hulk

Herb Trimpe - Hulk 2010.10.02 Wizard-Big Apple Comic Con, NYC

Trimpe is a comic artist who is best known for his work with the Incredible Hulk, as well as being the first artist to draw Wolverine. Trimpe joined Marvel in 1967, making his pencilling debut with Kid Colt Western stories. Staring with The Incredible Hulk #106, 1968, Trimpe would continue to draw the Hulk for seven straight years through to issue #142, returning for issue #145-193 and additional drawings for Hulk Annuals and Specials up until 1983.

Trimpe also drew every starring Marvel character including Captain America, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Thor, Killraven, Captain Britain...

Trimpe has received a nomination for the Shazam Award for best inker 1973, Comic-Con International Humanitarian of the Year Award 2002, for his work as a chaplain at the World Trade Center site after 9/11, and the Inkpot Award 2002.

The Hulk - stamp artwork by Rich Buckler - was created by Stan lee and Jack Kirby 1962. After exposure to gamma radiation Dr. Bruce Banner transformed into the giant raging monster, a cross between Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Frankenstein...