Pencil Ink comic book blog: art and artists 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 
Queen of the West Dale Evans #17 - Russ Manning art
Queen of the West Dale Evans #17 Queen of the West Dale Evans v1 #17, 1957 - Failing to buy a horse from an old man, a local bully steals her instead and commits a bank robbery. Dale and a friend ride in pursuit, with a surefire way of finding him. Russ Manning hones his skills, tightening and clarifying his drawings. His page layouts seem more varied than usual, taking advantage of the mountainous settings. These scenes in particular (pages 6-11), contain natural forms and textures that increases visual interest. Against Manning's beautiful backdrop, the story builds up to its eventual climax. Other artists in this golden age comic include Dan Spiegle. Photo cover.- - - - - - - - - -Queen of the West Dale Evans = 15 Manning issuesManning gallery - - - - - - - - - - "Slip Egan's Mistake" Manning story pencils and inks 13 pages = *** Russ Manning - - - - - - - - - - Home / Manning / Queen of the West Dale Evans / Dellebay >this comicManning >comics >books(This post has affiliate links which help support this blog)
Juke Box Comics #1Juke Box Comics v1 #1, 1948 - Showcasing the greats of the big band era, this first issue contains short stories of many musicians' starts. Among them: Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Woody Herman, Buddy Rich, Perry Como and more. Alex Toth chronicles the rise of Spike Jones and his innovative approach to music. His drawings mostly fall flat and his cover is especially monotonous. Note that the face on his opening panel is repurposed on the masthead. Artists in this issue include Robert Webster, Sid Greene, Fred Guardineer, Alvin Hollingsworth and others.- - - - - - - - - -Key 1st issueJuke Box Comics v1 = 1 key issue, 1 Toth issue- - - - - - - - - -Toth cover pencils and inks = *"Music Was Never Like This" Toth story pencils and inks 4 pages = **Juke Box Comics #1- - - - - - - - - -Home / Juke Box Comics / Toth / Eastern Color ebay >this comic Toth >comics >books(This post has affiliate links which help support this blog)
Super-Villain Team-Up - comic series checklist
- - - - - - - - - -Super-Villain Team-Up v1 Marvel 1975-80 1 2-45 - 1st Shroud key6-10 11-13 14 - Byrne cover 15-17 - - - - - - - - - -Home / Marvel
Nova #19 - 1st Blackout
Nova #19Nova v1 #19, 1978 - A new villain emerges from the shadows, one that can solidify black light energy at will. The result of a scientific experiment forced upon a prison inmate, Blackout now plans to plunder the entire city. Nova encounters him by chance, but are even his powers enough to defeat him? This Marv Wolfman story was drawn by Carmine Infantino and Tom Palmer. Cover by Infantino and Palmer. - - - - - - - - - -Key 1st appearance, 1st cover, 1st origin Marcus Daniels as BlackoutNova v1 = multiple key issues- - - - - - - - - -"Blackout Means Business and his Business is Murder" 17 pages1st Blackout- - - - - - - - - -Home / Nova / Marvelebay >this comic Nova >collectibles >books >toys(This post has affiliate links which help support this blog)
Hi-School Romance #54 - Jack Kirby cover
Jack Kirby Hi-School Romance v1 #54, 1956 - Caught by surprise, a young man receives a well planted kiss at a roller skating rink. Onlookers seem fairly neutral at this public display of affection. Jack Kirby's layout is a tad crowded, and the figure drawings seem strained. On the plus side, the artist uses the curvature of the wall to lead the reader's eye from the masthead to the main figures. Within the rink itself, concentric circles add movement to an otherwise static scene. Other artists in this golden age comic include Al Avison.- - - - - - - - - -Hi-School Romance v1 = 5 Kirby issuesKirby gallery - - - - - - - - - - Kirby cover pencils (Al Avison? inks) = ** - - - - - - - - - - Home / Kirby / Hi-School Romance / Harveyebay >this comic Kirby >comics >books(This post has affiliate links which help support this blog)
Banner Comics #3 - 1st Captain Courageous, Lone Warrior
Banner Comics #3Banner Comics v1 #3 (#1), 1941 - A little girl cries when her father is framed for committing espionage. Captain Courageous intervenes, using super strength, flight and invulnerability to capture the real Nazi spy. In a separate adventure, an army recruit and his little buddy discover German saboteurs. Both recipients of a powerful injection, the Lone Warrior and Dicky don their patriotic garb and go into action (why the "Lone Warrior" needs a partner is yet to be explained). Artists in this first issue include Jim Mooney, Art Saaf, Warren Kremer and George Wilson. Cover by Mooney. - - - - - - - - - -Key 1st appearance, 1st cover Captain Courageous, 1st appearance Lone Warrior, 1st issueBanner Comics v1 = 1 key issue- - - - - - - - - -"Captain Courageous" 16 pages"Lone Warrior" 16 pages+ other stories1st Lone Warrior1st Captain Courageous- - - - - - - - - -Home / Banner Comicsebay >this comic(This post has affiliate links which help support this blog)
Dreadstar #27 - Jim Starlin art & cover
Jim Starlin Dreadstar v1 #27, 1986 - With Vanth's team assembled, an unexpected guest arrives, new allies join and the traitor in their midst is finally outed. Jim Starlin's story ties up all the loose ends, while delivering artwork of simplicity and clarity. The interior page below shows his mastery of recapping previous events.- - - - - - - - - -Dreadstar v1 = 32 Starlin issues - - - - - - - - - - Starlin cover pencils and inks = ***"Answers" Starlin story pencils and inks 28 pages = *** Jim Starlin- - - - - - - - - -Home / Starlin / Dreadstarebay >this comic Starlin >comics >books(This post has affiliate links which help support this blog)
Our Army at War #196 - Joe Kubert art & cover
Joe Kubert Our Army at War v1 #196 featuring Sgt. Rock, 1968 - Leading a patrol of inexperienced soldiers, Sgt. Rock reaches a breaking point when enemy fire decimates them. Despite the severity of the theme, the coloration of Joe Kubert's cover is strangely festive. The interior story is more appropriately somber, including the devastating portrait of Sgt. Rock on the two-page spread. As his imagination runs wild from grief, images of historical events appear in rapid fire succession. These scenes add meaning and purpose to the war effort overall. This story was later reprinted in DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #21 and Our Army at War #269. Other artists in this silver age comic include Russ Heath.- - - - - - - - - -Our Army at War v1 = 236 Kubert issues - - - - - - - - - - Kubert cover pencils and inks = *** "Stop the War, I Want to Get Off" Kubert story pencils and inks 12 pages = *** Joe Kubert - - - - - - - - - - Home / Kubert / Our Army at War / DCebay >this comic Kubert >comics >booksOur Army at War & Sgt. Rock >collectibles >books >toys(This post has affiliate links which help support this blog)
Bo #1 - 1st appearance
Bo #1Bo v1 #1, 1955 - A sink full of dirty dishes after an afternoon party becomes a welcome excuse for family to eat out. When Mr. Green sets aside bones for their dog Bo, that evening's circumstances has him prowling all over the neighborhood. This first issue, written and drawn by Frank Beck, follows the newspaper strip of the same name. Cover by Beck.- - - - - - - - - -Key 1st appearance in comics, 1st cover Bo, 1st issue Bo v1 = 1 key issue- - - - - - - - - -Untitled 11 pages+ other storiesBo #1- - - - - - - - - -Home / Bo / Charlton ebay >this comic(This post has affiliate links which help support this blog)
Don Newton original art - Batman #371 page
Don NewtonOriginal Don Newton page from Batman #371, 1980s.- - - - - - - - - -Home / Original art / Newton / Batmanebay Newton >comics >books(This post has affiliate links which help support this blog)
Amazing Spider-Man #7 - Steve Ditko art & cover
Steve Ditko Amazing Spider-Man v1 #7, 1963 - Escaping from prison, the Vulture goes on a crime spree. The villain comes doubly prepared for battle, resulting in Spider-man breaking his arm. Steve Ditko's quiet cover belies the frenetic action inside. Visually, the most exciting scenes occur inside the Daily Bugle, where Spidey and the Vulture run rampart through their offices and pressrooms. Also worthy of note is Ditko's sequence on page 7 (see interior page below), using vertical panels to heighten tension.- - - - - - - - - -Amazing Spider-Man v1 = 38 Ditko issues - - - - - - - - - - Ditko cover pencils and inks = *** "The Return of the Vulture" Ditko story pencils and inks 21 pages = *** Steve Ditko - - - - - - - - - - Home / Ditko / Amazing Spider-Man / Marvel ebay >this comicDitko >comics >books Amazing Spider-Man >comics+collectibles >books >movies+tv >toys+games >clothing(This post has affiliate links which help support this blog)
Justice League of America #64 - 1st Red Tornado
Justice League of America #64 Justice League of America v1 #64, 1968 - Insisting he's a member of the Justice Society, a red-garbed superhero helps the team to stop the theft of the 20th Century Museum. One by one they fail, leading the Red Tornado to discover he was created by T. O. Morrow for nefarious purposes. This Gardner Fox story, drawn by Dick Dillin and Sid Greene, nicely references the original Red Tornado from the 1940s. Cover by Dillin and Jack Abel. - - - - - - - - - -Key 1st appearance, 1st cover silver age Red TornadoJustice League of America v1 = multiple key issues- - - - - - - - - -"The Stormy Return of the Red Tornado" 23 pages1st Red Tornado- - - - - - - - - -Home / Justice League of America / DCebay >this comic(This post has affiliate links which help support this blog)
48 Famous Americans - comic series checklist
- - - - - - - - - -48 Famous Americans v1JC Penney1947NN - Kirby art & cover- - - - - - - - - -Home
Vault of Horror PB - Frank Frazetta cover
Frank FrazettaVault of Horror PB (paperback book), 1965 - Compiling EC horror comics from the 1950s, this paperback reprints stories in black and white, re-composing the panels to fit the smaller format. Frank Frazetta provides a horrific new cover that would wake the dead. Accompanying books in this Ballantine series include Tales of the Incredible PB and Tales from the Crypt PB and Vault of Horror PB.- - - - - - - - - -Frazetta cover pencils and inks = ****- - - - - - - - - -Home / Frazetta ebay >thisbookFrazetta >comics >books (This post has affiliate links which help support this blog)
Walt Disney Comics Digest #1 - Carl Barks reprint
Walt Disney Comics Digest #1Walt Disney Comics Digest v1 #1, 1968 - First issue of Disney's first digest-sized series. These issues reprint stories and artwork from previous decades. Many contain the delightful work of Carl Barks, including this premiere issue. "Secret of Atlantis" was originally published in Uncle Scrooge #5. Other artists in this silver age digest include Tony Strobl. - - - - - - - - - - Home / Barks / Walt Disney Comics Digest / Gold Keyebay >this comicBarks >comics >books Walt Disney Comics Digest >comics(This post has affiliate links which help support this blog)