Original Comic Book Art And The Collectors - TwoMorrows

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LEFT: Tomb of Dracula
#10 (July 1973),
cover, pencils: Gil
Kane, inks: Tom
Palmer.
RIGHT: Daredevil #47
(Dec. 1968), cover,
pencils: Gene Colan,
inks: George Klein.
Characters TM & ©2009
Marvel Characters, Inc.
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pg. # 54 Book GRAILPAGES: Original Comic Book Art and the Collectors
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Premiere, and Dan Adkins with whom he had a long associa-
tion. There were other inkers Gil liked, including Wally Wood,
who inked him on Hawk and Dove as well as Teen Titans, and
Ralph Reese, who inked Gil’s work on his first, brief run on the
Conan the Barbarian color title.
Conan was a project near and dear to Gil. Around the time
he worked on his Blackmark series, Gil had even purchased
the rights to Conan. His covers to the book told entire tales of
adventure and sorcery, and always seemed to contain too
much action for one image.
Beyond just the contributions of the artist, the letterers were
also vital to the covers, rocking every area not covered with essential
art with explosive word balloons and arresting captions,
as well as stylized logos. And though the latter were most often
stats, they still contribute to the drama that makes covers the
most sought after comic art.
GRAILPAGE: Tomb of Dracula #10
The lord of vampires given appropriate gravitas by artist Gil
Kane. Kane has worked the angles sharp as razors to portray
predator and prey in a diagonal line, with the predator perched in
what seems like uncomfortable proximity to his aggressive prey.
There isn’t a wasted inch of space, and in the best tradition of
horror the image feels crowded, uncomfortably incommodious.
Far from being hackneyed, the full moon yawning in the
background is totally apropos, and the image would suffer for
its absence. The helpless female victim simply gives the image
a touch of urgency. This is one of the “20 cent covers,” known
for their distinctive inset image and color border scheme.
From the collection of Nick Katradis.
GRAILPAGE: Daredevil #47
Graceful composition marks this cover. Daredevil’s upward
thrusting kick launches him bodily into a tight, pointed arch.
Below him the stairs drop in another line. And at the point of intersection
is Willie Lincoln, the man at the center of the story’s
conflict, who stands not quite stooped or defeated, but equally
challenging by his refusal to back down.
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