Recently in Howard the Duck Category

It's hard to believe now, but there was an issue of Giant-Size Man-Thing that was highly valued in the back issue market.  Issue #4, which featured the very first solo Howard the Duck story by Steve Gerber and Frank Brunner!

Hardcore Marvel fans will clearly remember the printed cover, where Manny is holding the hand of a fearful fool--burning at his touch.  The circle to the lower left contained the cover blurb to let his know that Howard was finally in this issue!  His appearance had been delayed from Giant-Size Man-Thing #3.  But did you know that there was originally something else in this cover circle?

Mike Blanchard (see below for the link to his gallery) owns the original art to the Giant-Size Man-Thing #4 cover.  In the circle, Brunner had drawn a headshot of Howard the Duck!  Apparently the editor thought this wasn't effective enough and had it replaced with the blurbs.  It's kind of a nutty decision.  I would just have put a blurb underneath Howard's head announcing his premiere.

Also interesting: the instructions to give the color to Frank Brunner or Glynis, which was the colorist Glynis Wein.

Paul Stephenson commissioned Brunner to recreate this famous cover.  In this commission, the circle appears with the cover blurb.  Nuff Said!

Link:  Mike Blanchard Gallery on ComicArtFans

Link:  Paul Stephenson Gallery on ComicArtFans

Another John Byrne pic to tickle your funny bone, from The Comic Reader 128 in 1976.

Howard the Duck—who was launched into his own title in 1975—gets kicked in the tail by Rog-2000.  Rog-2000 was a creation of Byrne’s that appeared in the back of Charlton Comics E-Man.  Far from an emotionless robot, Rog-2000 suffers from a bad case of comic-strip envy.  Nuff Said!

More John Byrne Marvel Funnies:

John Byrne’s Power Man and Iron Fist…in the style of Mad Magazine’s Don Martin

Spidey Introduces the Punisher to the Electric Company.

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

Iron Sis and Shang-She.

Back Issue #31 from TwoMorrows is devoted to one of my favorite Marvel writers of the 1970s, Steve Gerber.  There are articles on Gerber's work on Man-Thing, Defenders, Omega, and just about everything he did in his career.  I appreciated reading about the FOOG (Friends Of Ol Gerber) memorial service at SDCC; you can read another recollection of that on ComicMix.  Mark Evanier shares some wonderful memories of Gerber, in addition to Paul Levitz, Tony Isabella, Roger Slifer, etc.

Isn't this cover painting featuring Howard the Duck superb?  Perhaps Frank Brunner will produce a commission like this if you visit his website.  Nuff said.