Four Color #344, Dell Comics, August 1951, Artist: Morris Gollub.
Day #344 gave us two quality covers and this far in I’ll take that as a good day.
Morris Gollub’s intense cover to Four Color #344 wins hands down! The steely intent of Sergeant Preston conveyed masterfully but what sends this cover into another plane is the emotions of the dog, both are locked into their task and we’re all the safer for it.
Marvel Comics has a long and storied history of great battle covers and I have to tell you that Steven Epting’s cover to Avengers #344 does not mooch off this lore it adds weight to it, great cover.
I had a hard time deciding on what the third cover should be, I went with Ron Wagner’s cover to Daredevil #344 for its difficult angle – something he struggles a bit with, and for the composition. The cover is striking and clean with good use of sharp colours and dark against light.
Digging the Daredevil. New to me!
And Walt, let me know if I can help out at all in your next endeavor. I’m a video guy so if you have any needs for video, just give me a shout!
A great Sergeant Preston cover; you are so right, the determination of both man and dog is powerful. I collect these mostly for the wonderful painted covers, but believe it or not, the stories are pretty good too. Dell can surprise you with the quality of their writing back then, in the fifties and early sixties.
I got hooked on their Maverick series, which ran perhaps three years or so, having watched the television show,. In the last 2-3 years easily (and inexpensively) picked up all the Four Color and all the regular issues in around FINE shape. And they are fun to read, much in keeping with the series!
Bad art can make reading a book tough to impossible, but with halfway decent art, these old Dells can be fun.
The DD is fun, to, I might have put that one up for 2nd place. It’s an eye-catcher and intriguing.
Great Sgt.Preston cover!! I like DD but there is something not quite right in the foreshortening…as you mention. Avengers is a good slug fest but doesn’t quite ‘cut’ it for me.
It had to be this pick, and Avengers as runner-up. I don’t care for the DD.
For tomorrow, regardless of Larsen-bashing, it’s ASM. Thor as runner-up – I really dig these Simonson period covers for their art deco style – and of course giant hands. Some might go for Incredible Hulk, but to me it’s another McFarlane mess.
On Flash, another giant hand says – got your nose!
Adventure – never underestimate space aliens when citing baseball rules.
Thanks John, I will reach out if I can come up with something. I have a few friends that swear by the old Dells as good reads Bud, I’m embarrassed to say I have not read any.
The Old Dell is lovely and one Ive never owned…