Monday, August 31, 2009

Zago!

Here's a weird looking comic. Zago #3, January 1949.

Zago

Teenage Sleuths

By Rudy Nappi

The Secret of Skull Mountain

The Hardy Boys, The Secret of Skull Mountain, 1966.


The Ghost of Blackwood Hall

Nancy Drew, The Ghost of Blackwood Hall, 1967.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

He's a Dope Fiend!



Public service announcement by Frank Frazetta, 1950s [?]

Friday, August 28, 2009

ACBA Sketchbook, 1975

The ACBA (Academy of Comic Book Artists) is a professional organization founded in 1970. The ACBA functioned as an honorary society, presenting Shazam awards for outstanding comic book work from 1970-1975. The Academy has also worked for increased rights for comic book creators, particularly around the return of original art to the artist. The ACBA published several sketchbooks as fundraising tools. Below are some what I feel are some of the better pieces from the 1975 sketchbook. Read a review of the 1973 edition at Ink Destroyed My Brush.





Cover by Bernie Wrightson.




Frank Brunner




Neal Adams




Michael Whelan




Russ Heath




Bernie Wrightson




Harvey Kurtzman




Michael Kaluta




Gray Morrow




Back Cover by Jeff Jones.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Classic Actresses

For a slight change of pace, here's some nice photos of some famous actresses:

Virginia Mayo

Virginia Mayo


Annette Funicello

Annette Funicello


Ava Gardner

Ava Gardner


Hedy Lamarr

Hedy Lamarr


Jane Fonda

Jane Fonda


Mary Tyler Moore

Mary Tyler Moore


Natalie Wood

Natalie Wood


Marilyn

Marilyn


Marilyn

Marilyn

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Alex Toth Checklists

Pencil Ink has posted an impressive list of comics by Alex Toth the site has reviewed. There is a more complete Toth checklist here. I wish I had some original art or some oddball Toth piece to share right here but I can't come up with anything at the moment. I do have Toth's distinctive signature on his excellent "Bravo for Adventure" story in the book Voyages.


Aurora Models: Prehistoric Scenes

The Prehistoric Scenes series of models were released by Aurora between 1971 and 1974. The kits featured prehistoric environments such as caves, tar pits and swamps. Also dinosaurs, prehistoric mammals, and cavemen and a cavewomen. The bases fit all the models fit together, forming a huge diorama if you were lucky enough to be able to afford or find all the kits. More information on this series of kits here and here.

Below are two scans of the art for box covers for the series:



Jungle Swamp, Aurora Models Prehistoric Scenes, 1972.




Cave-Woman, Aurora Models Prehistoric Scenes, 1971.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

The Shell

By Howard Pyle




A superlative illustration by Howard Pyle depicting a scene during the siege of Vicksburg in 1863. This picture was in a National Geographic Civil War book my family had when I was young. It both fascinated and terrified me. I couldn't take my eyes off it.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Science Fiction Art

Here's some cool science fiction art, 1939-1960:


The Tomorrow People by Judith Merrill, 1960. Art by Robert Schulz.



Cover for Marvel Science Stories, April/May 1939. Art by Norm Saunders.



Orbit magazine #1, 1953. Art by Rudolph Belarski.



The Sun Smasher by Edmond Hamilton, 1959. Art by Ed Emshwiller.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Friday, August 14, 2009

Friday Odds and Ends



"Captain Blood Inspecting the Treasure Chest Jewels" by Dean Cornwell. Illustration for Cosmopolitan magazine, July 1930.




"Inside Shelob's Lair" by Charles Vess, 1979.




Prehistoric scene by Lynd Ward.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

The Wrighson Completionist: Part 9

The ninth in a series of posts highlighting oddball Bernie Wrightson items in my collection.


Toodlum Tales was a small monthly publication for the people of Saugerties, New York. It contained news and profiles of people and places in the area. The October 1979 issue featured a profile of then-resident Bernie Wrightson and reprinted one of his best Frankenstein illustrations. Below is a reproduction of the article on Bernie. Click on it for a larger view.


Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Edmund Dulac: F Was a Fanciful Frog

F Was A Fanciful Frog is a book written and illustrated by Edmund Dulac. Each page features a limerick (written by Dulac) and a whimsical illustration. The book was originally published in 1908. Here is a selection of scans from a 1993 reprint.


















Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Space Odyssey (1951)

Here's a cool painting by a guy named Donald Bard...


Batman! Batman!

Autographed Adam West Photo

An autographed photo of Adam West I got at a comic show back in 1980 or so.


Batman Movie Poster

Movie poster from the 1966 film.