![]() ![]() The opening splash from Cry Fear, Cry Phantom, written by Archie Goodwin, from Eerie no. Let’s sample a bit of everything, insofar as it’s feasible to sum up a career spread out over five decades… in a dozen-or-so images. I daresay I enjoy it all, but my taste is most closely aligned with Mr. Bissette (who favours the spooky 60s and 70s work) and Don Mangus, who’s most into the DC war stuff. ![]() Gilbert (who digs best the early, Eisner-employed Jerry) Stephen R. In fact, aside from the couple of converts I’ve made over the years, I can only think of three fellow torch-bearing aficionados: Michael T. Grandenetti has only very occasionally and timidly dipped a toe into the super-heroics fray, and he was far too unusual for overwhelming mainstream acclaim. Besides, by and large, the war comics audience doesn’t overlap much with the spandex long johns crowd. His DC war work is well-regarded, but he’s inevitably overshadowed by the Joe Kubert – Russ Heath – John Severin trinity. Though he’s worked extensively on The Spirit, he’s treated as a bit of a footnote in the Eisner hagiography. Since my very first encounter with his work, Jerry Grandenetti (1926-2010 born ninety-five years ago today, another Thursday April 15th) has endured as one of my true artistic heroes. Not content to stay in Will Eisner’s shadow forever, he forged his own unique style leading to a highly successful comics career lasting decades. « Jerry Grandenetti started out ghosting The Spirit, and nobody… NOBODY… captured the spirit of The Spirit better. Do I detect another, highly meticulous hand in the inking ( Ralph Reese comes to mind, but he says he never worked on Plop!, and if one of us is wrong, odds are it’s me), or is Sanford’s wacky tobaccy messing with my mind? 1976, DC), Wood’s fourth and final cover for the title, with sidebars and logo design by Sergio Aragonés edited by his buddy from the EC days (and even earlier), Joe Orlando. A more refined version of Sanford, rendered in graphite over blue pencil. Were the five final letters ever produced? I’ve been keeping my eyes open all these years… but I’m still waiting.Īs a bonus… Wood’s cover preliminary for Plop! no. Plop! had run its course, cancelled with its 24th issue, five letters short of an alphabet. According to his protégé Ralph Reese, this is Woody doing his own lettering on the poems. ![]() While Plopular Poetry is minor ‘woodwork’, it represents some of the best produced by poor Woody at this late stage in his life. Here’s a seldom-seen 1970’s Wally Wood treat: he concocted this irreverent alphabet for Plop! (1973-76), DC Comics’ surprisingly solid yet nearly forgotten gallows humour anthology - forgotten? oh, it’s the same old recipe: just let the material remain out of print for nearly half a century (and counting) *, fold in gradually the dust and grime of neglect, and let wither, uncovered, until utter oblivion is achieved. « Poetry: the best words in the best order. ![]()
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