Here's a colorful cover for the original Uncanny X-Men #38 by Dan Adkins. It's a ferociously energetic cover with fights galore. The Vanisher shoots at an elusive Beast, the Blob binds the Angel in a painful grip, and Marvel Girl levitates some baddies in a column of extreme discomfort it seems. Lots going on.
Here's the a look behind the scenes at the original artwork sans color. The action is just as frenetic and the textures are almost overhwhelming. GCD says that John Romita did some alterations to this cover. I'm guessing it might be seen in the figure of Marvel Girl.
For some reason the Dan Adkins cover was a re-do I'm guessing of this Don Heck effort which illustrates exactly the same scene. I'm guessing this Heck offering was deemed not potent enough for the newsstands of the day and the Adkins replacement was ordered. With color I think this one is at least as good, so I don't quite get the reason, but then who am I to second guess the great and powerful Stan.
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Man, I miss the days of comic covers like this...I remember when I could tell if I'd read a comic by looking at its cover. These days of poster/pinup covers leaves me cold.
ReplyDeleteYou and me both. Once I could safely hunt back issues because the covers were so distinctive, I could remember what I had without a list. I had to stop that when the covers became bland and boringly identical.
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Also, interior blandness these days...so many books "read" the same...no movement of story...can't remember if I read it already...not noticing if the shop fails to pull an issue....
DeleteI agree, the leaping Beast is bigger in the second one and the Blob has a better looking grip on Angel, but overall it's pretty much the same. Why redo it unless you're gonna go in a different direction?
ReplyDeleteThis seems to come at the time when Don Heck was falling out of favor at Marvel. Maybe that's it. But I've also seen covers by John Buscema which to my eye were superior and got replaced. Whatever his reasons, Stan had specific ideas about covers.
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Both covers are probably overall just as good (a little tough for me to judge without color) but the released cover, with the Blob bear-hugging the Angel really grabs my attention. I am thinking "oh boy, the Angel is screwed!".
ReplyDeleteThat's true, though the Angel seems more uncomfortable than truly under threat. Adkins could really deliver a firm 3-D feel though.
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