Four Color #246, Eastern Color, September 1949, Artist: Morris Gollub.
We’ve seen Morris Gollub here before and I hope we see more of him real soon. All the Zane Grey Four Color covers are very cool and unique, Four Color #246 is a great example.
Rich Buckler does a great job on the cover of Hulk #246 if that isn’t Kirby Crackle then what is it? Buckler Bursts?
Honestly, I’m trying to avoid Neal Adams at this point but his stuff is so good, check out his cover to Flash #246.
A great comic book cover matching each day of the year, 1 through 365. Please chime in with your favourite corresponding cover, from any era.
I wouldn’t even want to read a Western novel with that cover, let alone a comic book.
You _like_ that Hulk cover? That’s not even on the same continent as the Batman that you didn’t mention.
#247 offers less. My favorite image is probably Unknown Soldier, but the content is just too much for a comic book, so I am going to go with Batman. I like the composition and execution, there’s story and action. Still it doesn’t measure up to many of the actually great covers that have been cited here.
Detective is simple but there is something classical about the composition that works, and of course there is action and story. Some might pick FF but this is a standing around cover that is basically an homage to #86. There are a few others that I like but I can’t honestly say rate as runners-up.
I thinks is clever the way the sandstone ( or adobe) surrounding the doorway becomes the map. While I wouldn’t call the sparkles Kirby Crackle… I like the Hulk cover. Neals rendition of the Flash is good but what are all those refugees from the Bottle City of Kandor doing standing around in the background… the lookeeloos!
Rather than critique the day’s choices – that Day 244 battle between Brownies vs Batman is still rattling around in my head – I wanted to offer my appreciation for this column.
This weekend I attended a large annual Labor Day “Flea Market” in Virginia – 500,000 visitors over the four day run – and found plenty of comics to sort through – mostly unorganized & unsorted long boxes stuffed in the corner of a vendor’s booth along with toys, magazines or other memorabilia.
But as I was pulling out issues to acquire I noticed a pattern emerging in which many of the ones I was selecting had shown up in this column or in the accompanying comments. I ended up adding quite a few new Neal Adams covers to my collection highlighted by my first Tomahawk comic, #126, along with Batman #412, and several Superman covers – #235, #241, Action #361, and a fantastic copy of the moon landing cover of Jimmy Olsen #126, among many others.
By day’s end, I had a duffel bag full of comics, and one of the true gems was my first Blue Bolt comic which I would not have even noticed had it not been for this column.
So thanks again, Walt, for providing this column – and to the folks who offer their comments and suggestions that add interest and insight every day.
Do you chaps buy comics solely for their covers?
An old friend of my referred to Kirby Crackle as “Kirbyons” which I prefer but those on Hulk aren’t that – those be sparkles. Maybe even Twilight sparkles before Twilight.
Tim, covers are only one of my criteria. I also collect certain artists ( LB Cole for example), or completing a run ( example is I recently completed my Bobby Benson run). Now that Walt has me hooked on Romance comics I do primarily look at covers for the message they convey, for example I just picked up Young Romance 79 as to its #metoo related theme. Its part of the fun of collecting
Tim, I don’t normally buy comics for their covers, so this was a little different experience for me than in the past. I grew up on Silver Age Marvel comics, so I have primarily focused on certain series (Spider-Man, Silver Surfer, Conan, Hulk) and completing runs of that series.
However, with Batman and Superman that is impossible, so with those titles I have focused on key issues, and now am focused on covers as well.
Chris ain’t feeling today’s covers! Thanks for the kind words Derrick, as I’ve said before this kind of started and a neat idea and one I could do in advance and just come back 10 days later to do the next batch. It was everyone’s comments and suggestions what morphed this into a multi cover per day exercise and its genuine and civil banter that has me sitting daily putting in the time and energy this column deserves.
As a collector I do a little of everything, runs completest, key issue collector and cool cover collector.
Thanks, guys. I just started out in this hobby and it’s good to know I’m okay : ) After reading Ivan’s book I started with collecting more current Canadian comics like Captain Canuck in his variations then went sideways into other comics. I missed my issues of Dave Stevens Rocketeer so went after them and his other work (still working on those) and Mike Mignola’s pre-Hellboy comic works (he did so many DC, Marvel, Indy covers).
Trawling through the bins at the store and eBay sellers I started buying oddball comics that appealed to me either for character, cover art, or other artist, like Red Circle’s The Fly with Steranko covers (some deja vu of the 1960’s version of this character) to the Amalgam Comics to Alan Moore’s Tom Strong series. Lotsa fun. Some I only buy a couple of issues and that satisfies my curiosity and for a fun read, others I end up liking, I’ll look for the rest of the issues or a book reprint. More artists are on the interest list, Barry Smith, Wrightson, might do some Neal and Arthur Adams. So many comics I never knew about and look so interesting, Ghost, Whistling Skull, too many!
Haven’t dove* into the high price collecting except for some of the archive type collections for golden/ silver age comics (Marvel Masterworks, Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman Golden Age volumes, Cap Midnight, want some Plastic Man).
*All low dollar collecting though I’m starting a collecting strain on “hundreds” issues (Batman 500 / 700, Action Comics 500) and I think the various Anniversary issues would be something reasonable I could get into, maybe even some 80/100 Page Giants. (Which leads to reading Undervalued Spotlight next… da, da, daaaaa.)
Many “squirrels” or “falling into rabbit holes”. This column is great for introducing me to an endless world of wonder. Thanks, Walter! and you guys, your comments are always interesting.
Tim, support the team and go for a Superman #100! But also definitely the more affordable Ultimate Spider-Man #100 noted earlier in Covered 365.
Your probably sitting on a stack of those Superman 100’s Chris!
No comment
Yes, Chris, do you have any Supe or Spidey 100’s? I’ll get there I’m sure, sort of starting at both ends working towards the middle. Haven’t cracked that mind set/wallet barrier for big bucks for a single comic… yet.
Also wanted to mention I sprang for Alex Raymond’s Flash Gordon, Frank Hampton’s Dan Dare (both in Titan Books hc) and just last week a collection of Hal Foster’s Prince Valiant (Fantagraphics hc). Like me some classic newspaper strips.
By the by, comics numbering gets really twisty considering each character seems to have multiple titles going, yearly seasons, constant reboots and story arc collections and what not. Urf!
I have all three of the Alex Raymond Flash books Tim… well worth it…I am now on the first two Rip Kirby books… what Raymond moved onto after Flash.
That should be Frank Hampson. All Brilliant. Would like Phantom, Buck Rogers and…
Do you seekers carry a list or just wing it when you’re excavating? I’ve started a spreadsheet on my phone.
For runs I keep a list on my phone. Other stuff I simply wing it! I sometimes get good deals when I buy a group of books and thats where I get dupes.
Four color #246 is forgettable when I first saw it. But upon studying it, it is remarkable. Great comments Chris, Gerald, Derick and Tim.
With so much demand on Walt’s time, I’m amazed hes created and maintained this enjoyable forum . Well done Walt.
( note if you ever visit Walt at Big B….you are interrupted by dozens of other Walt well wishes, as many seek his time, advice and friendship 🙂 )