What Am I Thinking Of?

[Red Oak Kid]

There was a Marvel project in the late 70s that got a lot of promotion. It was drawn by John Buscema and I think it was some kind of Tolkien knock-off.

It mainly appeared in a color Marvel magazine, I think, maybe.

I want to say it was Weirdworld, but the issue of Marvel Premiere with Weirdworld is not by Buscema.

I thought of this because of Ben Day's thread about reproducing art directly from pencils.

Seems like there was some kind of new process connected with this Buscema project, but maybe it had more to do with the coloring.

I think about this series now and then, but I never can find it because I don't think it ever had it's own stand alone title.

[Lone Ranger]

You are thinking of:

Warriors of the Shadow Realm from Marvel Comics Super Special.

I used to have these - 3 mags in total. If I can find them in storage - they are yours.

[Red Oak Kid]

You are thinking of:

Warriors of the Shadow Realm from Marvel Comics Super Special.

I used to have these - 3 mags in total. If I can find them in storage - they are yours.

Yes that is what I am thinking of.

I just remember that series got a lot of hype.

Did Big John really want to do this, or was Marvel trying to follow the formula that worked with putting Colan on Howard the Duck.

Thanks for the offer LR, but I don't have room. Once upon a time I could remember every comic I had and where I got it. But not anymore.

You know you have too many comics when you can't remember which ones you have and don't have.

[Lone Ranger]

You know you have too many comics when you can't remember which ones you have and don't have.

That's where I am these days.

I can't remember the last time I saw these books, but I can't remember getting rid of them either.

I recall the great house ads too - very menacing guys on horseback.

There was a single non-magazine issue in one of the 'Marvel' titles as well I think. I never owned that one, so I don't know if it's just a reprint of what. It had a very cool looking sea serpent on the cover.

IIRC, the story was ok and Buscema's work was nice - but altogether it was nothing more than a LOTR wannabe.

[MDG]

Warriors of the Shadow Realm got huge promotion, especially considering the time, when the direct mkt was just starting up.

The printing process was full-process color, as opposed to "flat" comic book color. Marvel was really pushing it as something new--"Every Panel a Painting!" sort of thing. It wasn't printed from pencils--I think Rudy Nebres inked a lot of it.

A couple things--one I'm pretty sure of, another is more of a rumor at the time. A lot of the initial work and character design was done by Mike Ploog, but he bailed before beginning to actually draw the stories. I think there were disagreements about the story between Ploog and the editors. At that point Marvel brought in Buscema.

The rumor was that Marvel wanted to publish Elfquest but couldn't come to agreement with the Pinis, so came up with their own version.

One other milestone for the book: It was probably one of the first books that was overhyped and over-ordered, leaving comic shop owners with stacks of unsellable books.

MDG

[Red Oak Kid]

There was a single non-magazine issue in one of the 'Marvel' titles as well I think. I never owned that one, so I don't know if it's just a reprint of what. It had a very cool looking sea serpent on the cover.
.

That's probably this ish of Marvel Premiere.

http://www.comics.org/coverview.lasso?id=31442&zoom=4

This story has breakdowns by Ploog and finishes by Nino.

This issue is probably why I always think "Weirdworld" instead of Warriors of the Shadow Realm.

EDIT-GCD says this cover is by Kane. I dunno................