Captain America - Marvel Comics : 2007

Captain America art b y Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers – In 1940, a frail youth named Steve Rogers volunteered for an experiment that transformed him into Captain America, the Sentinel of Liberty. He battled on behalf of his country until a freak mishap placed him in suspended animation for decades.

Captain America #100 – April 1968 – art by Jack Kirby and Syd Shores. This issue marks the first time since World War II that Captain America starred in his own comic book. When Agent 13 infiltrates the organization of the villain Baron Zemo, Cap and Black Panther use the distraction to their advantage – US Postal Service

2007-Jul-26 San Diego CA - SDCC

Spider-Woman : 2007 Marvel Comics

 

2007-Jul-26 San Diego CA

Spider-Woman – Art by Carmine Infantino and Tony DeZuniga. After her genetic code was combined with that of a rare breed of spider, Jessica Drew was duped into serving evil as an assassin. Later as Spider-Woman, she became a costumed heroine. She is one of the Avengers, Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

Marvel Spotlight #32 February 1977 – Art by Gil Kane and Klaus Janson. In her debut appearance, Jessica Drew is a brainwashed agent of the villainous organization HYDRA, sent to assassinate crime-fighter Nick Fury. With help from Nick's organization, SHIELD, Jessica starts a new life as the super hero Spider-Woman and helps defeat HYDRA

Commemorative postmark:

2007-08-02 NY – MOCCA : 2007-10-18 Stockton CA

Business envelopes - Publishers

EC Comics - Creepshow Comic Book Club - New York

EC Comics - 1953

Fawcett Publications - 1941

Detective Comics (National - DC Comics) - 1946 War Bonds meter

DC Comics - Superman

Mad Magazine - 1963 I Read Mad meter

Classics Illustrated - 1953

Marvel Comics - c 1987

Marvel No-Prize envelope - 1969

Marvel Production Ltd - 1983

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

Tom Schloendorn - Lego Spider-man

2014.11.08 Superheroes for Hospice, Livingston, NJ

I had this Spiderman FDC signed by Chris Claremont on 2014.04.12 at the Asbury Park Comic Con. I figured I would have him sign the cover and have an artist provide a sketch.  Prior to meeting Claremont, I was asked if I ever requested a writer to write something on the cover. I had not given this much thought, but in my usual smart-ass manner, I explained my project to Claremont I added that he was welcome to write something if he wished. He looked up at me with a look that said "let me give this consideration" - No. He did this with a slight smile and took less than of 1 second of thought. Although best known for his work on Uncanny Z-Men (16 years), Claremont did write Peter Parker Spectacular Spider-Man #11...

Tom Schloendorn started out as a penciler, but switched to inking when he realized inking was a lost art. Many of the inkers of the past were so good, you did not know they were there. Their job was to compliment the pencils not overtake them. Tom is credited with inking the titles Hope: New Orleans (2007), Memories and Echoes: Remembering World War II (2005), Pantheon (2007),  Varied Scaries (2004), Tales of the Starlight Drive-In, Trailer Park of Terror....

Tom was sketching Lego Superheroes at the Hospice show, so I figured a Lego Spider-Man would work great for this cover...

Ian Dorian - The Thing

2013.03.30 Asbury Park Comic Con, Asbury Park, NJ

Ian Dorian started his comics apprenticeship at age 19 for artist employed by Marvel, DC and Continuity Comics, learning from Neal Adams, Mark Texeira, Rags Morals, Lou Small Jr and others. Outside of the comics industry Ian worked as a sculptor, toy designer, graphic designer, jewelry designer and storyboard artist. Dorian also shared is knowledge with students at Kean University, the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Design, The University of Arts (Philadelphia), the Maryland Institute College of Art..

Dorian and Jim Krueger co-created the graphic novel EPOCH for  Big Iron Entertainment. Provided illustrations for Phoenix and Elsinore (Atlas Comics). 

Alex Saviuk - Spider-Man

2012.03.31 NY Comic Book Marketplace, NYC

Alex Saviuk started his professional career in 1977 at DC Comics, illustrating Green Lantern, the Flash and Superman. By the 1980's he was the regular backup feature artist on Action Comics illustrating stories that featured the Atom, Air-Wave and Aquaman. Saviuk and writer E. Nelson Bridwell introduced the Global Guardians in DC Comics Presents #46 (1982)...

Moving to marvel Comics in 1986, Saviuk became the key artist on Spider-Man, which included a 7-year run on Web of Spider-Man and 2-year run on Spider-Man Adventures. Since 1997 Saviuk has drawn The Amazing Spider-Man Sunday newspaper comic strip...

Saviuk has also illustrated Topps Comics The X-Files, 1997-1998...

Saviuk has co-created Sunburst, with Paul Kupperberg; Olympian with E. Nelson Bridwell; Tombstone, with Gerry Conway and the New Enforcers, with Terry Kavanagh...

Matt and I obtained matching Spider-Man drawings during the show...

Matteo Scalera - Captain America

2012.06.27 Little Shop of Comics, Scotch Plains, NJ

Matteo Scalera was born in Parma, Italy.  He started his professional career with the publication of Hyperkinetic, a 4-issue series from Image Comics. Scalera has also worked on Dynamo 5 and PopGun for Image Comics. Scalera also was one of the twelve winners in the first ChesterQuest, a worldwide talent research by Marvel Comics...

In 2010 Scalera started working for the House of Ideas, mostly on the character Deadpool in Deadpool Team-Up, Deadpool Corps and Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth. He has also worked for Bomm! on Outcast and is currently working on Secret Avengers with Rick Remender for Marvel Comics.

Scalera has published Some Like It Rough, in 2012, through Essential Sequential, a sketch book of Scalera's work limited to a print run of 450 books. The book features 52 pages of beautifully rendered artwork... My signed copy on the left...

Scalera was at Little Shop of Comics promoting the upcoming Secret Avengers as well as his new sketch book. Sometimes when I am at conventions I do not get a chance to watch the artist. This night I was transfixed as Scalera drew this excellent sketch of Captain America. First he did a pencil sketch, erased most of it, then inked the drawing. white highlights were added to complete the sketch...

You can view more of Scalera's work at matteoscalera.deviantart.com

Sean Chen - Iron Man

2012.03.31 NY Comic Book Marketplace, NYC

Sean Chen, started his career after being discovered by Barry Windsor-Smith. His first job was for Valiant Comics, penciling X-O Manowar, Bloodshot, harbinger and Rai and the Future Force...

Moving to Marvel, Chen drew Ironman for over three years, along with Wolverine, Elektra, Nova and The X-Men: Then End. While working on Wolverine he was listed as one of Wizard: Guide to the Comics' Top Ten artists...

Chen is expanding his talents by working on designing furniture, kitchens and designer toys and figurines...

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...

J.K. Woodward - Angel

2011.04.03 Wild Pig Comic Con, Somerset, NJ

J.K. Woodward born in an undisclosed locatio somewhere in the Northeast US, J.K. wasted little time in becoming the kid your mother warned you about.....

With a move to Germany, J.K. self-published a comic of his expressionist paintings called Flesh Angels and These Things Happen (a comedic comic).

Relocating back to the US, Woodward collaborated with A. David Lewis on Mortal Coils, and with Michael Colbert on Crazy Mary. His work caught the attention of Marvel Comics editor Mike Marts, who brought Woodward in to illustrate X-Men Origins: The Beast, 2008. Wikipedia

I had my son Matt ask Woodward to draw any one of the X-Men, he chose The Angel, his favorite and fortunately mine...he chose the original "old-school" version....cool!

Fallen Angel, created by Peter David and David Lopez in 2003.

The first 5-issue arc of the second series was painted by J. K. Woodward. - Hand drawn comic cover by J.K. Woodward...

Matt also had J.K. draw an excellent Professor X in his sketch book, see Matt's page...

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...

Chris Giarrusso - Silver Surfer

Chris Giarrusso - Silver Surfer - 2010-May-15 Wild Pig Comic Con, Springfield, NJ

Chris Giarrusso has drawn the Mini Marvels, featuring Marvel superheroes as children, at Marvel Comics.

Giarrusso has also created G-Man, published by Image Comics, a kid superhero whose powers come from a magic cape. Giarrusso's comic style is influenced by Chareles Schulz, Erik Larsen and his brother Dave.

Silver Surfer was created by Jack Kirby, first appearing in Fantastic Four #48, 1966.. Surfer would become a recurring character in the Fantastic Four comics. The Silver Surfer was launched on a solo career in 1968. The Silver Surfer would be the main adversary in the Fantastic Four's second movie, with the Surfer being played by Doug Jones.

Doug Jones was appearing at Wizard-Big Apple Comic Con, NYC 2010-Oct-02 and signed the Silver Surfer cover.

Jones, besides the Surfer has portrayed Abe Sapien from Hellboy, El Fauno and the Pale Man from Pan's Labyrinth. Jones first appearance was as a thin clown in Batman Returns.

The Silver Surfer stamp's artwork is credited to Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott.

Captain America

Whenever I attend a comic show and there are many artists, it can be difficult to make a choice. I usually attend with the knowledge of 1 or 2 artists I would like to get a sketch from. Other times it is what strikes me at the moment. While walking around the NJ Comic Expo waiting for my cover from Rick Parker to be drawn, I noticed Ken Frederick drawing a picture of Superman. I was taken by the detail of his work and decided to request a sketch. The above Captain America in pencil is a fine example of Ken's work. Ken is a graphic artist working on the art for Aleksander Christov: Assassin, written by his wife Janine.

Drawn at the NJ Comic Expo Riverdale, NJ