Friday, November 10, 2017
The Grooviest Covers of All Time: Dave Cockrum Covers the X-Men, Round 2
Check it out, Groove-ophiles! Tomorrow is the anniversary of the birth of Dave Cockrum, one of Ol' Groove's (and most of y'all's) favorite artists. Nearly 5 years ago, Ol' Groove promised to share Dave's post-regular-penciler X-Men covers (the John Byrne years, if you will)--and promptly forgot to follow up. To make up for that oversight and to celebrate what would have been Cockrum's 74th birthday, here come those uncanny, amazing, astonishing covers!
Such wonderful memories, both of buying these comics with a wash of excitement and of talking with Dave several times at comic conventions (including my very first). Thanks!
ReplyDeleteFunny how seldom Wolverine is featured (or even appears) on these covers.
ReplyDeleteWow these are great was not reading at the time, school work and such but these are dynomite!
ReplyDeleteCockrum/Austin made such a splendid team on their many covers together. It's a shame they didn't, so far as I know, ever do a full story together. I second William Preston's convention memories. Dave Cockrum was one of the artists at the first comic convention I went to. All I could do was say over and over again how wonderful he was, so excited was I at meeting one of my favorite artists ever. He warmed up to me and I enjoyed many more convention experiences with him until his untimely death. I am thankful for the man and his many contributions to the art form I love.
ReplyDeleteI was maybe 15 at that first convention, back in the late '70s, and both then and the other times I chatted with him and bought artwork from him, he was so wonderfully generous with his time and attention. (Paty helped keep him entertained, too.)
DeleteMan, those are so fantastic. Those X-Men covers, like the books from that run themselves, are some of the greatest of all time.
ReplyDeleteMy first X-Men comic was 109, bought at a liquor store from a spinner rack. God bless Dave Cockrum.
ReplyDeleteThanks Groove!
Yes the Austin Inks were my fave with Cockrum too.
ReplyDeleteWas there ever a story those two did together?
Ha! California liquor stores are where I purchased the first two Kiss mag/comics.
Never would see that in 2017.
Is that Arcade narrating the sideshow in a cover?
ReplyDeleteYes and the comic is great. Pick it up if you haven't read it.
DeleteActually, that's Banshee as the barker; the X-Men were under Mesmero's control and he was having them work as Circus and Carnival folk. And yeah, it is an amazingly great comic!
DeleteOops. I knew that was Banshee on the cover. Sometimes I write things down faster than I think. I'll put on my Groovy Age dunce cap and sit in the corner. No X-Men for me today (in my best Soup Nazi voice).
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