A couple of Silver Age Thor covers today, from The Comic Reader…

Here’s a 1975 cover (Comic Reader 115) that showcases not only why Joe Sinnott was a great inker—he was a damn good artist as well!  Sinnott inked many issues of Thor, though ironically, he never inked Kirby on this title.  What would have happened if all those Vinnie Colletta issues were done by Sinnott instead?

Uh-oh, I’ve just made myself a target for the Colletta Club. 

Rich Buckler did this 1972 cover for The Comic Reader 1972.  Buckler during this period was the perfect second-generation Marvel artist, combining the best of Kirby and Buscema in his work.  Thor must be fighting one of the High Evolutionary’s creatures in this pic…perhaps the Man-Beast? 

Have a great Thor Thursday and skip the trip to Valhalla.  Nuff Said!

More on Rich Buckler:

Thing Tuesdays: Rich Buckler's Foom Thing

Giant-Size Superstars #1 and the wildest Thing vs Hulk match ever!

More on Joe Sinnott:

Marvel Swimsuits: Avengers in the Savage Land

Thing Tuesdays: Jim Starlin's Hulk and Thing, Funnier than Lewis and Martin!

Here’s a big laugh courtesy of John Byrne, from The Comic Reader 143, circa 1977.  It was around this period when Iron Fist was set to become Luke Cage’s best buddy—and share the masthead when Power Man was re-titled Power Man and Iron Fist with issue #50.  Claremont and Byrne were the creators behind this odd couple pairing.

The signature reads: John Byrne, from an idea by Roger Stern, with apologies to Don Martin.  Don Martin was one of the premiere artists from Mad Magazine, who drew funny characters with elongated features.  Why not take a visit to the Don Martin Shrine today?  Nuff Said!

More John Byrne Marvel Funnies:

Spidey Introduces the Punisher to the Electric Company.

Storm critiques Ms. Marvel’s costume, courtesy of John Byrne.

Iron Sis and Shang-She.

Captain America hurls his might shield in this 1982 cover to The Comic Reader #204 by Bill Sienkiewicz (in his Neal Adams period) and Bob Layton.  You must YIELD!  Nuff Said!

Beginning…a week of covers from one of the most famous fanzines of all time: The Comic Reader! 

Launched by Paul Levitz in the 1960s, and later published by Street Enterprises, TCR was a prime source of insider news on the comics world.

TCR was a digest-sized mag published in black and white for the first few years.  The magazine switched to color covers after the first 100 issues, and they were often able to snag superstar artists to draw them…like this Ghost Rider cover to issue 154 by Jim Starlin.  This cover references a story that Starlin wrote and drew for Ghost Rider #35 (1979), titled “Death Race”.  I’ve often wondered if this image was a rejected cover that Starlin had intended for that issue.  Nuff Said!

This classic Silver Surfer image is by Jack (King) Kirby, inked by superstar Al Gordon.  Gordon took on this inking challenge for a class he was teaching in the bay area.  The colored version on the right was done by John Heebink.

Al Gordon has worked on so many comics; Justice League, Legion of Super-Heroes, Wildstar are but a few.  You can see a list of his accomplishments on Comic Book DB.

Want another take on this theme?  Check out the Craig Hamilton Silver Surfer pinup.  Nuff Said!

Today’s nifty Doctor Strange pinup is by Will Simpson—does anyone know the source?  This came to me via James Sime’s Twitter, where he wrote:  My favorite comic character's most iconic images are of him hanging out at the house w/ his gal + his books. Love it. 

I totally agree, James!  Check out my previous post on Isotope Comics to see James’ store and his ultra-cool Doc Strange costume.  Nuff Said!

Here's a super-heroine long overdue for a comeback: the Scarlet Witch.  These two drawings can remind us why she is a great character...

Neal Adams did this pencil and ink drawing of Wanda conjuring up a spell.  If you go to the Neal Adams website, click on his store to find more sketches for sale.

Gene Colan did a brilliant pencil drawing of the Scarlet Witch fighting a pair of nasty serpents in this 2001 commission.  Check out Colan's site for more! 

I'm hoping that the Scarlet Witch will return in one of the new Avengers titles coming in June.  Could she be one of the Secret Avengers?  Nuff Said!

Neal Adams hasn't drawn the X-Men too many times since he left the series way back when.  He got a chance to revisit the characters in this 1997 cover to X-Men Wildcats The Silver Age.

According to Bleeding Cool, Adams may be drawing a Wolverine limited series for Marvel.  That would be fantastic!  Nuff Said!