Marvel Vault: December 2008 Archives

Marvel published a number of Treasury-sized Holiday Superhero Grab Bags back in the 1970s, which I’ve seen discussed everywhere on the web this year, most notably on the LA Times blog, Hero Complex.  Marvel Treasury Edition #13 in 1976 featured a holiday cover by Gil Kane.  Here’s the rough layout:

I really love the fluidity of the figures in this one.  Notice that in this layout, Daredevil is positioned just about the Thing.  Also, note the Hulk’s expression, he’s kind of angry—maybe Santa did not visit him this year? 

Here’s the final colored and inked cover:

Daredevil was removed to make room for that giant-sized logo, which the characters are already spilling over.  It looks to me like John Romita probably changed the Hulk’s face to get him in the holiday spirit.

Now I feel like it is Christmas time!  Happy Holidays and Nuff said.

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.

When I was a 12 year old Marvel Maniac, I had a vision of what my young adult life would be.  This vision was formed based on my love for Marvel Comics and what I had read of the Marvel Bullpen and the writers/artists who worked there.  It was something like this;

• I would live in Greenwich Village, in a cool pad near Dr. Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum.
• I'd have long hair and a beard, just like Serpico, but I'd be much taller than Al Pacino.
• I would hang out with Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin.  We would discuss philosophy, Marvel continuity, and how to attain cosmic consciousness.
• On the weekends, Don McGregor and Steve Gerber would drop by and we would go to the movies.
• Chris Claremont and I would visit Continuity Associates and beg Neal Adams to draw the X-Men again.
• I'd get a frantic call at midnight from Len Wein or Marv Wolfman, who would beg me to take over writing the Defenders when Gerber decided to leave.
• Chicks would dig me because I was wearing one of these hip Marvel Medallions...

Of course, if I was looking for a girlfriend, I'd wear the Conan medallion.  That's more masculine and the aura of Conan's manliness would seep through the metal, perhaps endowing me with a certain musk.  The Spider-Man and Hulk medallions would be worn when I was around my Marvel buddies.  How would any woman be able to resist that 12K Gold Filled Neck Chain and Holder?  I had visions of dancing in Studio 54 with Andrea True's More More More playing in the background, with the glint of the gold metal reflecting off the disco ball. Or perhaps, more appropriately, Hot Chocolate's You Sexy Thing.

I have no idea why I never sent away for these medallions.  I bought the 7-Eleven Slurpee cups, was a charter member of FOOM, and collected all 100 Marvel Value Stamps.  They say just before you die, you think of all the things you regret in life.  Not having these medallions will be one of them for me.  Nuff said.