You Gotta Fight For Your Rights

Alex Ross, Marvels #2 cover, 1994,
courtesy of the artist, ANGEL and MAGGIE™
& © 2012 Marvel and Subs. From the exhibition
Heroes & Villains: The Comic Book Art of Alex Ross

Sean Howe, the author of Marvel Comics: The Untold Story, has posted his top six favorite (or essential) Marvel comics on theweek.com. I think his list is spot on, including Jack Kirby and Stan Lee's Fantastic Four; Steve Ditko and Stan Lee's Amazing Spider-Man; Frank Miller and Klaus Janson's Daredevil; and Chris Claremont and John Byrne's Uncanny X-Men... Alex Ross and Kurt Busiek's Marvels is also included, which was nice to see!

I finished reading the book last week... literally tearing through the pages in a way that surprised my wife (not used to seeing me so absorbed in a regular book). Well, I grew up obsessed with Marvel comic books, and was fascinated by this revealing look at how creativity and business unfolded for the company. 

There was a current thread through the book about creator-owned rights... by the time I hit the 1990s period in the book, I got a little bummed. Marvel went Wall Street, and it seemed to open the door to owners who didn't really give a shit about comics. I guess I didn't really miss much in that decade, as the art and storytelling also began to slide... coincidence? I never liked the Image Comics crew (the band of popular artists who defected from Marvel to form their own company, where they owned the rights to their creations)... I mean, I appreciate their assertiveness, but there is also something kind of revolting in the way they turned their back so quickly on the publisher that made them household names... above all, I just didn't care for their overly detailed, homogeneous looking art... it set a really boring standard.

Luckily, things seem to be on an upswing for the company, perhaps bolstered by their recent movie successes (a long time coming). Last week I made the trek again to Earthworld Comics in Albany, and enjoyed catching up on comics--past and current--with the staff... it has become something of a new social outlet for me! There are some cool looking books I picked up (Hawkeye, FF, X-Men), and I look forward to reading them... Alex Ross even has a new fully painted interior book out... Masks looks at vintage pulp heroes (The Shadow, Green Hornet, etc.).

Speaking of Ross, the exhibition continues to attract press, and I'm rolling along on a new video... a trailer to promote the show. I may not own the rights to the images, but I am enjoying the chance to be creative....

Related Links:

"Sean Howe's 6 favorite Marvel comics," The Week.com, December 2, 2012

"Exclusive Preview: Roberson & Alex Ross' 'Masks' #1, Comic Book Resources.com, September 24, 2012

seanhowe.tumblr.com

Postcards From The Edge

Yours truly using his spider-strength to
climb Mt. Rockwell. Photo ©Jeremy Clowe.
All rights reserved.

The book Marvel Comics: The Untold Story is really hard to put down... I have made it into the early 70s, and there's some really strange, subversive stuff going on in the comic books and around the offices! Fueled by chemicals, anger at politics and the Vietnam War, it just goes to prove what a different and, in many ways, more creative age it was for popular culture. In terms of these comics, I recognize the titles and even some of the individual issues that they are referencing, but it would have all been over my head at age five (thankfully).

It's funny... they say that the general age of comic book readers now is 30 and older... is that true? I appreciate that the medium has attracted and maintained an older audience, but it would be sad if young kids didn't have that same excitement pouring over superhero books like I did. Are we leaving it completely up to the superhero movies? 



Well, there were plenty of kids at last weekend's Mini Comic Con, so I hope that's a good sign. I posted some photos from the event on Norman Rockwell Museum's Facebook page here. 

Make Mine Marvel!

Ok, back to comics...

Alex Ross, "Marvels" hardcover dust jacket illustration, 1994, courtesy of the artist, ™ & © 2012 Marvel and Subs.

I have really been getting into this new book I picked up last week: Marvel Comics: The Untold Story, by Sean Howe, takes a detailed and revealing look at the entertainment company that I have loved since I was just a kid. Marvel Comics actually had its start back during World War II (Captain America, Human Torch, Submariner), then fell on some hard times during the 1950s (Senate subcommittee hearings about comics' supposed influence on juvenile delinquency didn't help), and then came into their own--in a big way--during the swinging '60s. Of course I started my journey in the 1970s... as long as I can remember, there's been a Spider-Man, Iron Man, Incredible Hulk... so many characters and books that filled my imagination. I even created my own series of comic books based on these heroes as young, crime-fighting kids (ask my Mom... she must still have some copies lying around!).

Anyway, it was with some trepidation that I picked up this book, since I had heard stories about disagreements between artists, writers, and businessmen over who owned what creations. There is sort of a dark (or poorly managed) side to early comic book history... in fact, I watched an interesting BBC documentary earlier in the week about Steve Ditko, the artist who first worked on and should probably be better credited with much of the creation of my all-time fave superhero, Spider-Man:




Anyway, the book is a fun read... I have made it through to the late sixties, when writer/editor/entertaining company man Stan Lee has already successfully introduced the world to a new gang of superheroes, full of everyday angst, real-world problems, and cross-over stories, filled with equal parts humor and pathos. It's fun to learn more about the humble and creative beginnings of the company that is just now finally producing blockbuster movies of its heroes. It is also interesting to learn all the behind-the-scenes... again, hope I don't get too upset learning about these artists' struggles... creative types not getting the credit they deserve... can't "imagine" what that's like (sarcasm intended).

On that note, I discovered a nice shout-out this morning on Alex Ross' website. Everyone I have talked to had such a great time at the Heroes & Villains opening last week, which managed to attract over 450 visitors! That's the largest I have seen at the Museum for one of these events. Tomorrow we continue the fun with a mini comic convention at the Museum. We will have several artists, collectors, and historians on-hand... and I'll be putting on my Spidey suit again. Should be fun.

Me and Joltin' Joe Sinnott at the 2012 Albany Comic Con.
Face front, true believers! Photo ©Jeremy Clowe.
All rights reserved.

At the Albany Comic Con last week, I happened to run into artist Joe Sinnott, who actually worked at Marvel Comics for many years, inking over the legendary Jack Kirby's Fantastic Four, and nearly every other major title for the publisher... looking at his website, I realize I have many issues that he worked on that I owned at one time or another, as he had been with the Marvel Bullpen for 60 years! He continues to work on a weekly Spider-Man Sunday comic strip for the newspapers, and was just the nicest guy! He signed a couple pieces of art for me, and insisted that we get our picture taken together.

Joe also had a fun story about meeting Norman Rockwell, while the late illustrator was doing a book signing for his Willie Was Different children's book (even has a photo). I would love to get him out to Stockbridge to help out with a program during the run of the Heroes & Villains exhibition... maybe even a Q&A. I might be just the man to do it, as I brush up on my Marvel through these pages of The Untold Story... not quite into the 1970s yet, but that should be one I'm largely familiar with... yet another interesting decade for "The House of Ideas!"


Related Links:

www.joesinnott.com

Marvel Comics: The Untold Story: http://seanhowe.tumblr.com

www.alexrossart.com

http://marvel.com