Cool News
IDW/MARVEL has put out a tribute to John Romita's AMAZING SPIDER-MAN artwork!!! Harry loves it!
Hey folks, Harry here... I don't dip my hands into typing about the comic world much. It's actually a bit bizarre how much I've left that up to Mark Miller and the brilliant team of @$$HOLE$ he has in his AICN COMICS BULLPEN - but that's just how great a job they do.
That said, I was literally raised in a Comic Book & Collectibles Shop in the Early Seventies, went on the convention circuit beginning at the age of 2 and going on through most of my life. I love comics. I am a bit of a classic comic snob in some ways. Not that I don't appreciate modern comics work - it's just that I absolutely love vintage comics. As much as I adore the work of modern comic geniuses... I've been known to spend as much as $7000 for artwork from CC Beck. In my living room I have original artwork from Bernie Wrightson, Bob Kane, CC Beck and Frank Frazetta.
One of the things I love about original comic art is that you can see the imperfections of creating art for publication. This was artwork created not to be framed on a wall, but to be photographed and reproduced after being colored - not on the original art - and then printed in a comic book. The materials used for comic art are not the finest quality. Much of the paper has a high acidity to it, which yellows and changes colors with age, but if the artist used Liquid Paper for corrections, that Liquid Paper is still NEON WHITE against the aging paper. You can see some of the pencil work left unerased upon the board. You'll read notes in the margins... empty spaces where ADS would go.
It is great - because you get to see how the comic came together. Then - in some cases - you flip the art over - and you'll see doodles and ideas from the artist. Sometimes they're just testing the tips they use for inking and trying to get a nice even flow of ink going. Sometimes they'd get goofy and do something elaborate that was never meant to be seen.
We don't see the back of any of the art in IDW's ARTIST EDITION series - but you do get the fronts. When they sent me that first Dave Stevens ROCKETEER Artist's Edition, my mind glazed over with happy. Dave Stevens' artwork is some of the cleanest, ready to frame, exquiste work ever to flow from a comic artist. His ROCKETEER work is exhilarating. Then I received the Walt Simonson THOR Artist's Edition - which was fascinating to look at, if only to compare and contrast the style. Again, this was another success for IDW. They announced an EC WALLY WOOD Artist's Edition, but I never saw that one - and haven't found it for sale anywhere yet, beyond pre-order, so I wonder if that's been held up.
But yesterday, I got the JOHN ROMITA'S AMAZING SPIDER-MAN Artist's Edition - and I'm a kid. Just a big hopping happy kid. Reading AMAZING SPIDER-MAN as a child is one of those formulative things for me. Reading about Peter Parker being picked on in school for being a bit of a geek... well, for a lot of us, that's why we associate so much with "Puny Parker". But when John Romita hit the comic in the enormous wake of Steve Ditko... The comic really came into its own. Ditko's Parker was an angular, less handsome geek, but with Romita - it was as if Parker started to fill in a bit. His cheeks filled out, his jaw became a little more squared off... His eyes became more expressive and he got better hair.
Romita also more fully rendered the HOT to Gwen Stacy, Betty Brant and Mary Jane Watson. He didn't oversize their tits, break off 6 ribs for an impossible waist size and give them crotch hugging skirtlines... No, he simply made them beautiful. The eyes he gave to Gwen and Mary Jane... perhaps it was the line work in his eyelashes, but he could give Gwen and Mary a smile that twitterpated poor Peter and us as the reader. Face it Tigers, we all wanted to hit the Jackpot!
Romita became THE Spider-Man artist as he took us through Captain Stacy & Gwen Stacy’s drama, through Norman & Harry Osborne’s trauma – he introduced us to Mary Jane Watson – who was awesomely teased for seemingly years of issues.
Yeah yeah, enough of that… what’s in this big ol $100 hardcover 144 page 12” by 17” book?
First – you’ll get to see Romita playing with Mysterio – which if you know your Romita – you know his Mysterio stories are just stunning. But Kingpin favors heavily (how else) in this book. You’ll see Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch for a bit. But here’s a list with shabby Celphone pics of each title page:
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #67 “To Squash A Spider!”
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #68 “Crisis on the Campus!”
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #69 “Mission: Crash The Kingpin!”
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #71 “The Speedster & The Spider!”
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #75 “Death Without Warning!”
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #84 “The Kingpin Strikes Back!”
Ol Stan Lee & Johnny Romita just kicking ass for 144 pages. It’s embellished (Stan’s word for Inking) by Jim “Madman” Mooney and the lettering is by the great Artie Simek. Mooney’s inks on Romita’s pencils and layouts are exquisite. This work is so dynamic, so flowing with action and purpose.
I just had a local comic artist over at the house about 10 minutes ago – and he was marveling at seeing exactly how zipatone was being used.. or how the inker would use white out to speckle lines to give this impossible detail that just was amazing. If you’re an artist or an aspiring artist – these Artist’s Editions are so perfectly photographed and reproduced that you’ll swear that you’ll see edges to glued in artwork in the midst of some of the panels.
This really is brilliant work. There are 4 pages that could not be found over the course of these 6 issues – that they couldn’t find the originals for. They’ve got great stats in their place, but compared to the originals… you really see the difference. In a way, I’m happy – because you get that frame of reference.
Track this puppy down – go down to your local comic shop and pre-order it. You don’t want to try picking this up on the second hand market. The Dave Stevens ROCKETEER Artist Edition, I’ve seen as high as $399 – nearly 4 times the original issue price. And again, I see why. The printing and presentation of these Artist’s Editions from IDW are literally some of the best collector works I’ve seen in years. Would love to see EVERY EC comic done this way! BTW: This book should be hitting comic shops on February 1st... and 14 days later the Wally Wood one should hit. I hope to give you a preview of that one too!
And as a treat - all of these are expandable and fun for you to pour over the details...
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Jan 21, 2012 8:55:01 PM CST
Such a shame Quesada screwed over Spider-Man and his history
by the krypton kid
Quesada is scum.
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His artwork was a great transition from Ditko. He made me fall in love with Gwen Stacy forever and defined Mary Jane as the shallow party girl she was meant to be at the time, which is why I've never been able to buy her as a serious partner for Peter, ever.
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It's only available for pre-order and nowhere did it say Harry bought this.
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Totally. I was crushed when Peter went for Mary Jane instead of Betty. I always wanted Peter and Betty to find each other... well, I wanted Gwen Stacy to stay alive. She was perfect. God I loved her.
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every reviewer is sent complimentary copies for coverage. That's how the biz works. I rarely write about much of what I'm sent, but when it's as exquisite as something like this - I can not resist
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Jon Romita is one of my favorite artists. I got to meet him at a convention in Orlando Fl. I was speechless. I wasn't even collecting comics by that time because I had stopped for financial reasons a few years before. My fondest childhood comic memories are his wonderful images of Spider Man...his impeccable covers and action filled panels. A master of his profession for sure. Absolutely love the man's work and I can't say it enough.
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Jan 21, 2012 10:23:41 PM CST
*studies linework from pics* Ahhhh, I loved Romita Sr & Jr.
by lakewater
I was a Marvel nut and studied John Buscema too because their linework was so clean. Masters with the sable brush! I'll be looking to get this.
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Probably on the minority here, but as asthounding both Ditko and Romita art is I like Gil Kane´s pencilled issues a little bit more.
Not to say I wouldn´t mind having this book around, the Walt Simmonson´s Thor book is a winner. -
Its a known fact that Kane almost never drew his "own" work. He used ghost artists from the beginning.
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The stories of Spidey in those days..before infinity wars and secret gauntlets and armies of clones...were the most engaging I can remember. Focusing on the "human" in idea of a superhuman... Hardly matched since save maybe J.M.S's 911 issue od Spiderman.Like someone before me said..they were excellent transitions from Ditko and Lee's work to more adult problems. Between these Spider-years and Claremont and Byrne's Uncanny X-Men I was a very happy child with access to some of the best fiction of the times
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Im really tempted to order it right now.
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Ditko was great....but decades later it is still the Romita version that everyone recalls when imagining Spider-Man...timeless
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Specifically, his early to mid-70s run where he pencilled, inked and lettered the whole book himself. Close to the definitive Batman artist back then.
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Why cant they be like that now?
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Jan 21, 2012 11:49:14 PM CST
The world hasn't gotten complicated; comic creators have lost touch with what really matters.
by kevred
Today's titles are almost uniformly awful and not any fun to read.
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Jan 21, 2012 11:51:29 PM CST
Wait... what does Mark Millar have to do with the @assholes or the AICN comic posts?
by jaka
How am I totally confused by the inclusion of his name?
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Hard to spell that word wrong, evidently.
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seeing the real deal Spidey in it's purest form reminded me why I was such a nut for Spidey and thinking about how Raimi turned it into a shallow Dawson's Creek affair. Even the animated Spidey shows were better. heres hoping the new film sets things right.
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I'll be purchasing this awesome book. I understand the comics snob statement from Harry, though I don't see my favorites as vintage though they very well may be. My comic diet in the early seventies consisted of Marvel Tales featuring Romita Spidey reprints and the Ross Andru Amazing Spider-Man. I devoured these comics and occasionally still do as I still own them. They really are stunning to behold and I have an unbound love for these works. Marvel's output today doesn't come close to the work of the 60's and their true peak in the late 70's and early 80's. Also, the recent "New 52" is surprisingly violent and needlessly racy (I side with Ordway on his comments, though I thought his delivery was ineloquent) and the books comes off as cheap to me. Bums me out because I was enjoying Green Lantern and the epic Blackest Night, Brightest Day stories. I certainly wouldn't want my kid to read anything off the comic rack these days. The creators in comics today are my age and they are writing comics for me, not my kids. Romita and Andru's Spidey (written by Stan Lee and Gerry Conway) was great reading for any age and dealt with real fundamental human emotions. Todays comics are cynical, sometimes ugly, and really not much fun. I remember when Batman used to help people. All of them - Spider-Man, Superman, Batman - they used to care for people. Batman has been a self obsessed jerk since the late 80's. All the stories I read are about bad guys fucking with the Batman. Even Morrison's recent run was just a guy screwing with Batman (though I really dug it). What was the "Knightfall" story? Bane fucking with Batman. Now it's the extraordinarily violent Owl. Superman has been robbed of his greatest asset, his humanity, because Morrison killed off the Kent family. I do not dig this development. These guys are iconic, and their personalities are as well. Basically, I think the quality of comics has dipped to an all-time low after the dismal work of the 90's. I really just stick with filling the gaps in my collections from 70's and 80's - because the work is just better. A final note to you eggheads that rip on Raimi's Spidey flicks; Raimi's Spider-Man films are directly informed by the Romita Spidey right down to the framing of certain shots (sometimes Ditko). The spirit of the book is in those flicks too.
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You are absolutely right. What I used to love about 1960s-1980s Marvel comics is they would tell a story in one issue.
These days they stretch out stories that don't amount to much over several months. One issue seems more like a scene or two. -
Well said, I completely agree with you (though I can't in all honesty comment on your thoughts on today's crop of comics as I gave up on them long ago).
I think when my lad is old enough I'll hand him Spider-man to read, but it'll be (reprints, obviously!) the original Ditko/Romita run he gets, when the artwork and stories shook my world with every issue, with their combination of simple yet powerful, clean artwork (modern stuff just looks waaaay too cluttered) and engaging human interest stories. Man, I loved them.
I'm still haunted by Romita's depiction of the death of Silvermane, when he regressed back through childhood into nothingness... scarily beautiful stuff. The Amazing Spiderman, indeed. -
They are two different guys. Miller does a shit ton of writing for this site (and, like Millar, writes comics). Millar writes Kick Ass, Nemesis & all that other stuff that you know. This is explained by Harry in the column. Easy misunderstanding though.
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As much as I love old school comics, how characters always described in detail what they're doing right now always took me out of the story. "i am now crushing you with my giant hand." That said I love how Romita drew Peter Parker, who became a cool, fun loving young guy without nuch nerd in him.
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Awesome. Love John Romita's version of Spidey. That's the Spidey I grew up with, and will always be the definitive look of the character for me.
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I havent really bought comic books for years but this is too good to miss. My introduction to Marvel was Romita's Spidey (battling the Lizard) and even now I still think his was the best artwork by a country mile.
i absolutely hate the modern artwork, with the stupid big eyes etc. But this, this is class.
Harry, do anyLizard stories appear in this at all please? From a nostalgic point of view, I'd love to re-visit my first story. -
as much i would like to believe i loved spiderman as a kid, i loved Jon Romita's artwork more.
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Jan 22, 2012 6:00:50 AM CST
TYPICAL THAT KNOWLES DOESN'T BOTHER TO WRITE ABOUT ANYTHING UNLESS IT INVOLVES GETTING FREE SHIT!!!FACT!!!
by creepythinmanlives
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Jan 22, 2012 6:52:38 AM CST
HELLO phantomcreeps, HOW CAN I BE OF ASSISTANCE???
by creepythinmanlives
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I'm one of Knowles' biggest critics for being a sell out and accepting studio bribes to plug movies.
In this instance though I think it is fair that he is only reviweing something that has been sent to him specifically for a review. That happens all the times with books etc., so I don't actually blame him for this.
That said (snigger), I still think Knolwes is a hypocrite of the highest order when it comes to blatently plugging movies just because the studio have given him pwesents. And the fact he denies this beggars belief. The amount of praise he gave to utter tripe like Green Lantern just shows he cannot be an objective writer when his opinion has been bought.
And that is the principle reason why he has run AICN into the gutter and whyhe is a joke amongst studios today. And the latter is a FACT!!! -
I'm a little concerned AICN isn't more upset with
the fact the lizard looks retarded, Spidey pee'd himself and has silver slippers. Or the playstation cgi cutscene they sent us "fans" to show us how cool it's gonna be doesn't anger the Harry Nerd.
They keep writing "check out these cool pics from Sony's Spiderman!"
All I read now is "Sony" and "Check"
Sorry but nerds are supposed to be looking out or each other. A Spideyfan would always warn me about crap coming. Like the fat guy at the comic store does.
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Jan 22, 2012 10:47:53 AM CST
Thanks, Harry. I asked you to elaborate on Facebook and you delivered in spades.
by the reluctant austinite
John Romita's Spider-man is THE Spider-man to me, and his poster for the Spider-man Rockomic from 1972 is my favorite Spider-man image ever created. Thanks for the photos of the pages.
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Jan 22, 2012 10:50:24 AM CST
When I think of SpiderMan 2 names come to mind Steve Ditko and John Romita
by magazoid
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Harry,
Back in the days, before Monkees' Mike Nesmith's mom had invented Liquid Paper, artists used white gouache for touch up. Still do, actually. -
Jan 22, 2012 12:37:36 PM CST
xenodistortion - I swear that name in the first paragraph was Millar
by jaka
Swear! I read it like, four times before I posted. lol *shrug*
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More than any other studio, Sony have paid off Knowles. I challenge anyone to find a negative review of a Columbia movie in the past few years on AICN.
The most obvious case I can think of of ICN clealry selling out to Sony was The Green Hornet. An average movie with a weak script and which recieved very mixed reviews outside of this site. But AICN's reviewers purportedly all adored the movie and chief amongst the gushers was Harry Knowles himself. Now Knowles may not be the "film expert" he wants people to believe he is but one thing that is beyond question is his status as a geek, a geek who loves comic books and pulp heroes amongst others. Hornet falls absolutely into the latter category and any true lover of the original radio shows should by rights have been horrified by the watered down version that Gondry and co put out. But not Knolwes, oh no. He thought it was a great movie, an outstanding tribute to Trendle's creation. And why? Because doubtless Sony had given him a bunch of pwesents from the film. While I cant prove this, it is a matter of record that AICN ran a Hornet competition with loads of Hornet toys as prizes, plus aicn hosted a whole bunch of screenings too. Bought and paid for by Sony.
Come to think of it, I'd also challenge anyone to think of a film that AICN has hosted screenings for and then posted a negative review. -
5'10, about 165lbs.
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Period.
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as did Norm Breyfogle(sp?) on the Batman.
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OMD was OMG, what have they done!
But OMIT nailed the coffin...
Dan Slott's a very good writer, though he's having a heavy burden going thorugh the motions of mystically unmarried Peter Parker.
And some of the artists last year weren't really artists.. childish drawings of Spidey and Co.
I STILL LOVE JOHN ROMITA SR. - but John Romita jr. had a similar fantastic run back in the days.
Have Stan Lee write one more AMAZING SPIDER-MAN that puts the Mephisto-Deal back to hell. We lost Gwen Stacy back in the day, now loose MJ because of such shenanigans... it's meh. It never leaves the back of your head. It's not, how it was meant to be.
Even a Grown-Up Peter Parker had great runs within this once beautiful magazine! -
He draws a real nice Spidey. Nice clean lines and style. I never did dig on Romita Jr's style however. I always thought it was a little sloppy- or maybe just the style was not for me- the way the bodies were stylized, just not tight and precise. I think it works for stuff like Kick ass, but for anything else... nope.
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I remember the handbook to the Marvel Universe listing Spider-Man as 5'9", 165lbs, with a 10-20 ton bench press.
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everything today is the same sloppy bullshit. Romita's wok amazes me for the cleanness of his lines and layouts. It's a shame his kid couldn't have carried on the talent.
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Jan 22, 2012 9:55:23 PM CST
JR Sr.'s work wss just flawless!
by has_snyder_been_fired_from_superman_yet
Very comic book oriented, but this figure work had the look of real weight and mass. Its just amazing to look at.
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Jan 22, 2012 11:25:10 PM CST
GEEZE that line work is FUCKING GORGEOUS. i could just sit and study that shit for weeks
by gk1
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simply perfect!
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romita drew the hottest comic book girls ever
romita's only prob was that he had difficulty drawing unattractive characters
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Jan 23, 2012 4:45:40 AM CST
Romita also deserves props for designing Wolverine's Iconic Costume.
by stalkeye
And the punisher's as well. Good on you sir.
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Jan 23, 2012 8:20:52 AM CST
I found an old 3D superman comic and some 3D jaws bubblegum cards.
by ultratron
3D black and white comics look as awesome as any 3D today. If only Cameron had been there to promote them.
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No, everything today is not "sloppy bullshit". It's lazy tards like yourself who either:
A. Can't bother to actually LOOK at the art that is ACTUALLY being produced today.
B. Are too fucking stuck in the past to evolve.
C. Have ZERO taste.
D. Are just fucking stupid.
My vote is for A, B C AND D.
Yes, Romita's work is quite beautiful, and yet it can't hold a candle to some of the work that's out there today. -
I was with ya up until you wrote that Romita's work "can't hold a candle to some of the work that's out there today" - you went and did the exact same thing that you were railing against!
Anyway, one man owns most of Romita's beautiful AMAZING SPIDEY artwork, and you can check it out at romitaman.com. Some of it is even for sale, but be prepared for sticker shock: Romita's Spidey art is among the most valuable comic art out there these days. And rightfully so, if ya ask me. The guy's a master. Wish he worked more today, but he seems to enjoy retirement too much. -
It may be that Romita père drew the prettiest women, but nobody could draw a beautiful woman like Gene Colan.
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Jan 26, 2012 8:02:49 PM CST
Had a Spidey coloring book when I was a kid that my memory swore was drawn by Romita
by hapapapa72
Had to find it on eBay and get it again. No artist credits, but it sure looked like they at least based the art on Romita. The coloring books kids get these days(do kids even color anymore?), the drawings are almost always so awful, I can't even believe it.
I'm not one to berate Lucas in regards to my childhood, but it's nice to know that Romita's art will forever remain as awesome and unaltered as it was when he first drew the lines. Sublime. Can't wait to get this book. -
I too grew up on the Ditko and Romita comics and agree with most of what you had to say. EXCEPT I hated nearly everything about Raimi's films. While Raimi may be have been informed by the Ditko Romita years, he got most of it miserably wrong. His one great choice: JK Simmons! However, the emotional aspect of those films is really pathetic, completely tone deaf, thinking that just because Peter's a worrywart in the comics, the films should be this lugubrious series of sitcom-ish failures and lectures. That scene in the first Spiderman where Peter mumblemouths to MJ what Spiderman thinks of her is too unbelievable for words. Jaw-dropping in its stupidity. (As in the logical response is, "Gee--Peter, are you Spiderman?") And don't get me started on the Aunt May lectures. They were often funny in the comics, where Aunt May thinks of Peter as this complete milksop. Not so in the movies. They're played agonizingly straight as if Raimi actually believes the audience needs to learn those hackneyed lessons. I still don't understand how any sane editor could keep them in.
But what I hate most about the Raimi films is the action. If the filmmakers really loved those comics, they would've studied the comics and made the storyboard artists pay tribute to those aspects, not just Petey dumping his costume in the trash. (Thor was another top offender--not an iconic moment to be found)
Raimi's scenes with Green Goblin/Doc Ock/Venom and the ever dangling MJ are some of the most uninspiring, incompetent action set pieces for films of that scale . (The dark and murky climax in SM1 ended up on a Dr. Who set. No Matrix-like leaps, sommersaults and swings or flights thru the city, just two dorks in rubber suits punching each other.! And by the time there was an actual fight among the high-rises it was in the turgid SM 3 where Mr. MaGuire treated us to a full on webswinging action scene while he's wearing a suit and tie)
While never a big Raimi fan I was surprised that his movies were so bad given Raimi's original prowess with a camera. (The quirky, comic book action guy can't do comic book action?! Who'd a thought!?)
Not to mention that there's a wealth of Spidey comic action for any old hack to study and borrow from.
Sorry, man I may be an egghead but I'll go toe to toe with you on the Raimi films. They were awful.
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