Pencil Ink comic book blog: art and artists 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 
Vintage Magnus Robot Fighter - comic series checklist
- - - - - - - - - -Vintage Magnus Robot Fighter v1 Valiant 1992-92 1 - Manning reprint2 - Manning reprint3 - Manning reprint4 - Manning reprint - - - - - - - - - - Home / Valiant
Casper v2 #10 - 1st SpookyCasper (the Friendly Ghost) v2 #10, 1953 - A cousin from the big city comes to visit Casper in the countryside. With a Brooklyn accent and sporting a derby hat, Spooky finds his way in an unfamiliar environment. Created by writers and artists unknown, this "tuff little ghost" debuts in this short story before getting his own series two years later. /// key 1st appearance Spooky- - - - - - - - - -"City Snicker" 5 pages1st Spooky- - - - - - - - - -Home / Casper / Harveyebay >this issue(The affiliate links above earn commissions which help support this blog)
The Hulk #11 - Walt Simonson art + 1st Moon Knight series begins
Hulk #11The Hulk v1 #11, 1978 - Following two solo books in Marvel Spotlight, Moon Knight begins as a backup feature on this title. A trio of murders inexplicably leads to a mansion on the city's outskirts. With the exception of #16 and #19, our hero appears in Hulk magazine all the way to issue #20. This Doug Moench story was drawn by Gene Colan and Tony DeZuniga. Walt Simonson submits a fine one-page illustration of ol' greenskin toward the front of the book. Cover by Bob Larkin. Moon Knight would debut his own self-titled series two years later. This is 1 of 2 Hulk issues by Simonson. /// key 1st series Moon Knight- - - - - - - - - -Simonson pencils and inks 1 page = ***"Graven Image of Death" 15 pagesWalt Simonson1st Moon Knight series begins- - - - - - - - - -Home / Simonson / The Hulk / Marvelebay >this issue >Simonson(The affiliate links above earn commissions which help support this blog)
Sin City: Sex and Violence - Frank Miller art & cover
Frank Miller Sin City: Sex and Violence v1, 1997 - Driving on a rainy night, a salesman renders aid to a beautiful woman on the road. But all is not what it seems. Unlike his cover, Frank Miller's black and white story art is only punctuated by spots of blue. A distraction at first, it works especially well with his three splash pages in a row. Miller's second story is basically an epilogue to the first. This is 1 of 1 Sin City: Sex and Violence issues by Miller. - - - - - - - - - - Miller cover pencils and inks = ** "Wrong Turn" Miller story pencils and inks 23 pages (black and white) = **** "Wrong Track" Miller story pencils and inks 3 pages (black and white) = ***Frank Miller- - - - - - - - - - Home / Miller / Sin City / Dark Horse ebay >this issue >Miller(The affiliate links above earn commissions which help support this blog)
Showcase #27 - 1st Sea Devils
Showcase #27 Showcase v1 #27, 1960 - Four scuba divers are brought together by chance while searching for sunken treasure. Thwarting both a giant octopus and a gargantuan sea monster, the quartet seem to work together instinctively. With the dangers past, Dane Dorrance, Biff Bailey, Judy Walton and her kid brother Nicky join forces as the Sea Devils. This Robert Kanigher story was drawn by Russ Heath. Cover art by Heath. /// key 1st appearance, 1st origin, 1st cover Sea Devils- - - - - - - - - -"The Golden Monster" 26 pages1st Sea Devils- - - - - - - - - -Home / Showcase / DCebay >this issue(The affiliate links above earn commissions which help support this blog)
Eerie v3 #124 - Frank Frazetta cover reprint
Eerie v3 #124 Eerie v3 #124, 1981 - Frank Frazetta's classic werewolf vs. vampire cover was first used on Creepy #7. Note how the first cover is much cooler in color palette. Other artists in this bronze age horror magazine include E. R. Cruz, Luis Bermejo, Bob Morello and Victor de la Fuente. - - - - - - - - - - Home / Frazetta / Eerie / Warren ebay >this issue >Frazetta(The affiliate links above earn commissions which help support this blog)
American Flagg #1 - Howard Chaykin art & cover + 1st Reuben Flagg
American Flagg #1 American Flagg v1 #1, 1983 - Set in a not-too-distant future, the US government relocates to Mars, leaving the country in the hands of a mega-corporation called the Plex. Reuben Flagg, former lead actor of the tv show Mark Thrust, arrives as a new addition to Chicago's police force. Creator, writer and artist Howard Chaykin pours his heart into this First Comics project. The cover and story pages are not only drawn, but designed exquisitely. Pacing and sequencing are masterful in this award-winning first issue. /// key 1st appearance, 1st cover Reuben Flagg, 1st issue, select Chaykin art & cover- - - - - - - - - -Chaykin cover pencils and inks"Hard Times" Chaykin pencils and inks 28 pagesAmerican Flagg #1 - - - - - - - - - -Home / American Flaggebay >this issue(The affiliate links above earn commissions which help support this blog)
Gumfighting Do's and Dont's
"Your size is not important"Hubba Bubba comic book ad, 1980s - Bubble gum brand promotion that touts it's "non-stickiness". Published in Detective Comics #487.- - - - - - - - - -Home / Ads
Silver Surfer #17 - mis-attributed Barry Windsor Smith cover
Silver Surfer #17 Silver Surfer v1 #17, 1970 - Some online sources credit Barry Smith for this cover and I initially agreed. After someone pointed out some details, I took a much closer look. The artwork roughly matches his early primitive style. However, the figure drawings themselves seem questionable. Have an opinion? I welcome all comments. Other artists in this bronze age comic include John Buscema and Chic Stone. This is 1 of 1 Silver Surfer issues by Smith. - - - - - - - - - - Home / Smith / Silver Surfer / Marvel ebay >Smith >Silver Surfer (The affiliate links above earn commissions which help support this blog)
Tarzan #96 - Russ Manning art
Tarzan #96Tarzan v1 #96, 1957 - To avoid a battle between two unfamiliar tribes, the Brothers of the Spear take their wives and mules further downstream. The illustrations are splendid, depicting the characters in a lush jungle setting. The tenuous trip through whitewater rapids (see interior page below) are Russ Manning's best panels. Some of which hold their own as individual compositions. Other artists in this issue include Jesse Marsh. Photo cover. This is 56 of 133 Tarzan issues by Manning. - - - - - - - - - - Untitled Brothers of the Spear story Manning pencils and inks 6 pages = *** Russ Manning - - - - - - - - - - Home / Manning / Tarzan / Dell ebay >this issue >Manning(The affiliate links above earn commissions which help support this blog)
2001: A Space Odyssey #8 - Jack Kirby art & cover + 1st Machine Man
Jack Kirby 2001: A Space Odyssey v1 #8, 1977 - In a hidden desert complex, a scientific project ends when one of their experimental androids runs amok. All of these prototypes are subsequently destroyed, save for one delivered to a humane scientist. Dr. Stack prepares the last thinking android for the real world, while nefarious people are plotting his destruction. Jack Kirby's naive new superhero is drawn amidst frenetic action scenes and high technological backgrounds. Sadly, his story art far surpasses his hurried cover. Initially named X-51, the android's name would change to Mister Machine and later, Machine Man. This is 8 of 10 2001: A Space Odyssey issues by Kirby. /// key 1st appearance, 1st cover, 1st origin Machine Man - - - - - - - - - -Kirby cover pencils (John Verpoorten inks) = **“The Capture of X-51" Kirby story pencils (Mike Royer inks) 17 pages = *** Jack Kirby - - - - - - - - - - Home / Kirby / 2001: A Space Odyssey / Marvelebay >this issue >Kirby(The affiliate links above earn commissions which help support this blog)
Green Hornet #1 - 1st issue
Green Hornet #1Green Hornet v1 #1, 1967 - Criminals use a drug to turn ordinary citizens into accomplices in the schemes. Can the Green Hornet and Kato stop them? This masked hero debuted on the radio in the 1930s and appeared in subsequent movie serials. This series coincides with the ABC television show, which premiered a year earlier. And yes, that's Bruce Lee as Kato on the cover. All interior artwork by Dan Spiegle. Photo cover. /// key 1st issue- - - - - - - - - -"Ring of Terror" 32 pagesGreen Hornet #1- - - - - - - - - -Home / Green Hornet / Gold Key ebay >this issue(The affiliate links above earn commissions which help support this blog)
Impact #1 - Bernie Krigstein art + 1st issue
Impact #1Impact v1 #1, 1955 - Part of their new direction, EC begins a series of dramatic stories with twists at the end. Notable in this first issue is "Master Race", the story of a chance encounter between a Holocaust survivor and a concentration camp Commandant. Al Feldstein's powerful script was drawn by Bernie Krigstein, who broke new ground in pacing and layout design. To this day, the story is regarded as a masterpiece in comic book storytelling. Other artists in this issue include Reed Crandall, George Evans and Graham Ingels. Cover by Jack Davis. /// key 1st issue, select Krigstein art- - - - - - - - - -"Master Race" Krigstein pencils and inls 8 pages+ other storiesImpact #1- - - - - - - - - -Home / Impact / EC ebay >this issue(The affiliate links above earn commissions which help support this blog)
Sinister House of Secret Love #1 - 1st issue
Sinister House of Secret Love #1Sinister House of Secret Love v1 #1, 1971 - DC wades into the gothic romance genre with the advent of this series. Comprised of a full length feature and a shorter story, this first issue starts with an appropriately dark Victor Kalin cover. "The Curse of the MacIntyres" was written by Mary Skrenes and drawn by Don Heck, while John Calnan and Vince Colletta illustrate the second tale. After a few issues, the series would change to a strictly horror format. Interestingly, there's also a text story by a young Wes Craven. /// key 1st issue- - - - - - - - - -"The Curse of the MacIntyres" 25 pages"A Night to Remember, a Day to Forget" 12 pagesSinister House of Secret Love #1- - - - - - - - - - Home / Sinister House of Secret Love / DC ebay >this issue(The affiliate links above earn commissions which help support this blog)
Thrilling Adventure Stories #2 - Neal Adams cover, Alex Toth, Walt Simonson art
Neal Adams Thrilling Adventure Stories v1 #2, 1975 - Atlas Seaboard also produced this magazine-sized comic during the 1970s. The Neal Adams cover captures your attention immediately with its strange prehistoric-looking monster. The barbaric couple remains defiant, and the man looks a little too suspiciously like Marvel's Ka-Zar. Alex Toth chronicles a lone cop's war against the drug trade. Fast paced and frenetic, his limited use of frames add an illustrative, montage-like quality. Toth's visual storytelling is some of his most innovative. Walt Simonson teams up with writer Archie Goodwin on a story set in feudal Japan. The artist's layouts are superbly designed, with drawings rich in graphic texture (see interior page below). Other artists in this comic include Jack Sparling and John Severin. This is 1 of 1 Thrilling Adventure Stories issues by Adams, 1 of 1 Thrilling Adventure Stories issues by Toth and 1 of 1 Thrilling Adventure Stories issues by Simonson.- - - - - - - - - - Adams cover pencils and inks = ***"The Temple of the Spider" Simonson story pencils and inks 11 pages = **** "A Job Well Done" Toth story pencils and inks 7 pages = **** (All interiors in black and white) Walt Simonson Alex Toth - - - - - - - - - - Home / Adams / Simonson / Toth / Thrilling Adventure Stories / Atlas Seaboard ebay >this issue >Adams >Simonson >Toth(The affiliate links above earn commissions which help support this blog)