Friday, September 11, 2009

Famous First Fridays: Introducing Michael Wm. Kaluta

Yeah, I know you know that Mike Kaluta is one of Ol' Groove's all-time, most favoritest comicbook artists. I've mentioned that fact several times, like here, here, and here. What's left to say that I haven't already said? "Groove," you say, "when you say 'Ka-luuuu-taaaaaaaaa!' you've said it all!" Not true, Grasshopper! Have I said that you're gonna see even more Kaluta popping up on DotGK? Carson of Venus, Spawn of Frankenstein, more DC mystery stories, splashes, and covers? More of the Shadow? I haven't have I? Not only that, but what if I said, "Here's Michael Wm. Kaluta's color comicbook debut from Charlton's Flash Gordon #18 (October 1969)?"


Or "Here's Kaluta's premiere as a cover artist from House of Mystery #200 (December 1971)"?


Or even, "Dig Kaluta's first Batman cover (Detective Comics #423, February 1972)!"?


So, see, I haven't said it all yet.

3 comments:

  1. Why does that early style look so familiar to me? Was he ever somebody's apprentice? I should know this.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is such an outstanding feature - I commend you on the research. It also never ceases to fascinate me how many great comic writers/artists either got started or at least spent significant time working for Charlton (whose output, with the exception of E-man, I pretty much ignored back in the day - much to my subsequent regret).

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wilfredo, Kaluta's early style shows a lot of his Frazetta and Krenkel influences, in my opinion. Perhaps that's what you're seeing?

    I appreciate the kudos on my researching skills, Edo. It's what I love to do!

    ReplyDelete

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Special thanks to Mike's Amazing World of Comics and Grand Comics Database for being such fantastic resources for covers, dates, creator info, etc. Thou art treasures true!


Note to "The Man": All images are presumed copyright by the respective copyright holders and are presented here as fair use under applicable laws, man! If you hold the copyright to a work I've posted and would like me to remove it, just drop me an e-mail and it's gone, baby, gone.


All other commentary and insanity copyright GroovyAge, Ltd.

As for the rest of ya, the purpose of this blog is to (re)introduce you to the great comics of the 1970s. If you like what you see, do what I do--go to a comics shop, bookstore, e-Bay or whatever and BUY YOUR OWN!