Black and White Wednesday: Frank Brunner's Mind Blowing Original Art

Check it out, Groove-ophiles! Believe it or not, Ol' Groove has been to only one (!) comicbook convention in my life (that's what I get for living out in the boonies--literally, Daniel Boone Memorial Park is just out the road...), and that was last September's Cincinnati Comic Book Expo. I didn't get Stan Lee's autograph (but I did manage to snap a blurry pic before security tried to nab my phone), but I did get to meet Neal Adams and get him to autograph my copies of Avengers 93 and Batman 232. My favorite moment, though, was just walking up to Frank Brunner who was sitting alone at his table drawing away. I asked him if I could shake his hand and thanked him for all the cool comics he'd drawn that I loved so much, especially Dr. Strange. I got to tell him that the work he and Steve Englehart did on Doc "Totally blew my nine-year-old mind!" Then the real moment came: as soon as I said that, Frank's eyes slowly widened as what I'd said sank in. He replied, "You were reading that stuff when you were NINE?" "Well," said I, "I didn't say I understood it!" We had a great laugh and it was a cool moment. So when Ol' Groove set his thinking cap for something cool this Wednesday, that conversation and Brunner's kaptivating and kosmik art came swiftly to mind. Here are some exquisite examples yers trooly managed to steal--er--scavenge from the InterWebs...

From the fanzine days...

Inks by Ernie Chan

Inks by Dick Giordano

Inks by Dick Giordano

Inks by Dick Giordano

The owner of the original art peeled off the blurb to see what was underneath...

Black and White Wednesday: "Among the Great Divide" by Gerber, Starlin, and Wiacek

Check it out, Groove-ophiles! Steve Gerber and Jim Starlin were to of the strongest, most unique, most, yes, idiosyncratic voices of the Groovy (or any) Age. Their comics were the ones you looked forward to because you really didn't know what to expect--except that it would be a comicbook experience like no other. They worked together a few times, with varying degrees of success. An early collaboration in Iron Man #56 (legend has it) got 'em fired from the mag by Stan Lee, himself. Then you get a macabre, thought-provoking, uncomfortabley amazing piece like "Among the Great Divide" from Rampaging Hulk #7 (December 1977). Since the story features one of Gerber's signature characters, Man-Thing, when Teen Groove flipped to the back of the mag, he knew he was in for a treat. When I saw that the art was by Jim-freakin'-Starlin (inked by Bob Wiacek)--yeah, I knew I'd spent my buck well. Everyone was still buzzing about the TV mini-series Sybil (starring future Aunt May (!), and soon-to-be Emmy  and Oscar winner, Sally Field), but of course Gerber and Starlin took their look at the serious subject of Dissociative Identity Disorder (then known as Multiple Personality Disorder) and gave their story--and the disorder, itself--its own twists...though most of my friends didn't know that this, superior, story even existed. Many folks still don't. Well, if you're reading this--you know it now...

Making a Splash: Fear the Man-Thing!

What it is, Groove-ophiles! We can't let another October slip by without a loving look back at the macabre Man-Thing! After a thimble-full of nigh-legendary appearances (Savage Tales #1 and Astonishing Tales #'s 12-13), Manny finally got a regular swamp to haunt in Adventures Into Fear. He Burned Anyone Who Knew Fear for issues 10-19 (July 1972-September 1973) before graduating to his own mag (which ran for 22 issues, plus five unfortunately named Giant-Size issues). Check out the spooky/sludgy splashes with art by Gray Morrow, Howard Chaykin, Jim Starlin, Rich Buckler, and Val Mayerik (usually inked by Sal Trapini)...but whatever you do--don't let Man-Thing know you're afraid!

The Grooviest Covers of All Time: Mike Ploog Made Me (Shudder and) Buy These!

Marvel's Monster Master Mike Ploog just celebrated his birthday on the 14th, so Ol' Groove thought all you Groove-ophiles out there would dig seeing 14 of his marvelous monster masterpieces today! Here we goooooooo...