As you’re reading this, I’m presumably in Baltimore. Maryland, appearing at the Baltimore Comic Con on behalf of the Hero Initiative. But as in the past, I didn’t want to leave you all high and dry for another week without any content from this feature, so I’ve once again doubled up my efforts and pulled together a haphazard stopgap edition of this feature to tide things over until i return—presuming that I return.
The Baltimore show is a favorite of mine, though I’ve not gotten down that way in several years thanks primarily to the pandemic lockdown. But last time I was there, it was still a comic book show that was primarily dedicated to comic books rather than television and movie celebrities or ancillary works based on the books. I first went down in 2002 after the show’s organizer, Marc Nathan, purchased around 200,000 copies of the nine cent FANTASTIC FOUR #60 in a special edition that promoted the convention on the cover. He had these inserted into the local newspaper like an ad circular, and both gave us a much wider reading audience than we’d otherwise would have had and served to publicize the show at the same time. so it felt like the least I could do was to join Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo down there that year. And afterwards, it was a regular stop, I tried to do it every year, though I missed a few here or there.
Behind the Curtain
Thought I’d share something particularly special with you this week.
In 2009, I celebrated my 20th year of working for Marvel, and so on the sly, a bunch of the people on staff (including Joe Quesada, David Bogart, George Beliard, Dan Buckley, Steve Wacker, Jeanine Schaefer and I’m sure others) decided to pool their efforts and to create a very special keepsake for me. It was all done in the handcrafted sketchbook that you see below.
Quietly, over a period of weeks-turning-into-months, they reached out to a number of key creators with whom I had worked extensively and solicited contributions to the book from them. As it was well known how fond I am of the Fantastic Four, the concept was to have all of the pieces be FF-related. I’ve never shared this little book with anybody else publicly, but I’m going to let you all get a peek at its contents now.
The volume kicks off with a personal message from the man himself, Stan Lee.
Then, Brian Michael Bendis also wrote a touching and funny message.
Next is a Doctor Doom drawn by Gene Colan. Insider’s note: this piece actually resulted in me finding out about this gift before it had been presented, as a well-meaning editor at one point came by to let me know that “Gene will be done with your Doom piece shortly”, thinking that it was something commissioned for the office. I tried to act surprise when the book was eventually given to me.
The legendary Joe Kubert didn’t get the memo about the assorted pieces being meant to be all FF-themed. But with him doing this excellent rendition of his signature character Sgt. Rock, who really cares?
Adam Kubert contributed this fine Thing piece.
And Andy Kubert went the opposite route with a Mole Man portrait.
Alan Davis contributed this Thing-led shot of all of the main cast, plus a really clever little verbal gag as well.
This piece by Leinil Yu may be the absolute best that I’ve ever looked in my life.
Whereas this illustration by Stuart Immonen is probably much more true-to-life. I particularly dig that the keyboard is on fire from the Torch hand typing on it.
The terrific Butch Guice did this excellent Doctor Doom, also accompanied by a bit of a verbal gag.
You’ll notice that a few of these pieces, such as this terrific color illustration by Klaus Janson, are dated 2010 rather than 2009. Well, that’s because, uh, the folks putting this gift together didn’t get it finished in time, so it wasn’t given to me until some ways into the year following my actual anniversary. But no big deal.
And the book wraps up with this clever piece by Joe Quesada. Once or twice, I’ve threatened to turn this into a variant cover, but it hasn’t happened yet.
It was a really lovely gift, one that wend above and beyond anything that I might have asked for, and I genuinely appreciate the efforts of everybody who was involved in putting it all together.
Pimp My Wednesday
I may be gone for the moment, but the comics just keep coming out! And we’ve got some good ones for you this week!
Jason Aaron’s exploration of the Sub-Mariner continues in the third issue of NAMOR, illustrated by Paul Davidson and Alex Lins working in tandem. It’s a big, epic fantasy adventure that probably has a lot more in common with Jason’s CONAN work than anything else. And this cover by Alexander Lozano is particularly sharp.
And the 18-issues-per-year shipping frequency on the two main X-titles means that we’re chewing through material and lead time at a frightening pace. This third issue of UNCANNY X-MEN reveals more about the history and background of the four new Outliers (who seem to have already picked up a ton of admirers, especially Ransom and Jitter.) It also brings Nightcrawler back to the fold and features an especially brutal Wolverine fight. Gail Simone wrote it and David Marquez made the images.
Meanwhile, Associate Editor Annalise Bissa has both of her X-titles coming out this week. NYX throws the spotlight onto Anole, who is anything but a hero and is just trying to get by in a hostile world. Along the way, he’ll come into contact with some new friends and some frightening foes. Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly and Francesco Mortarino do the honors.
And Annalise’s other title, PHOENIX, also drops its third issue, in which Jean Grey takes on Thanos’ lieutenants the Black Order as well as a second lurking menace! Plus, we get more on Corsair in this one. Stephanie Phillips and Alessandro Miracolo bring it to you.
Posted at TomBrevoort.com
Yesterday, I didn’t write anything, as I was at the Baltimore show. Sorry about that, Chief.
But five years ago, I wrote about The Last Bucky Story.
And ten years ago, I spotlighted this great Alex Toth cover
And I’m afraid that’s going to have to do you this time, it’s about all I can squeeze in. But I’ll try to be back on form next week—so hang in there until I return, all right?
Hat’s All, Folks!
Tom B
As we get closer to the MLB postseason, and since the X-Men are obviously big baseball fans, who do you think are the favorite baseball teams of each of the flagship leaders (Rogue, Cyclops, Emma+Kate)? Feel free to throw in any other character(s) you feel passionately about lol
My GOD that sketchbook. Incredible.