The Beatles by Joe Sinnott? [Archive] - Comic Book Resources Forums

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Red Oak Kid

09-30-2008, 05:34 PM

TVComicsFan

10-01-2008, 05:54 AM

While looking around on the GCD, I ran across this Dell one shot comic featuring the Beatles:

http://www.comics.org/details.lasso?id=298635

The GCD says it has a 64 page story pencilled by Joe Sinnott.

Has anyone ever seen this or read anything about it?

I know I read an interview in Alter Ego or Comic Book Artist with Joe, but I don't recall any mention of this. Maybe the interview was just about his Marvel years.

Also, I'd like to know who inked this story.

Yes. I bought a copy some years ago (for $36.00). It is indeed drawn by Joe
Sinnott (who signed the splash panel on the first page, in the lower right-hand
corner). I assume he also inked it (there is no other signature). He did a
fantastic job on the likenesses of all four lads (even the younger versions).
Every panel is a masterpiece. Paul S. Newman wrote the script, by the way.
Excellent bio of their early years. Highly recommended (if you can find it).

Red Oak Kid

10-01-2008, 07:03 AM

Thanks TV.

I found Alter Ego 26 with the Sinnott interview. He does indeed mention the Beatles book.

Sinnott did ink it. He says that Dick Giordano pencilled most of the Ringo segment in order to help Joe meet his deadline.

The Confessor

10-01-2008, 04:24 PM

jam

10-02-2008, 04:20 AM

Coo. Isn't this interesting!

I wonder who owns the rights to this beauty ... wouldn't it be great to have it reissued? Both for comic and Beatles fans ...

In fact wouldn't a "collected Beatles in the comics" collection be lovely. Well, I can dream, can't I?

TVComicsFan

10-02-2008, 06:18 AM

Oooh...that's definitely going on my "comics wants list" for sure!

I have the Marvel 70's Beatles biography one-shot as well as the Fab Four's appearance in Strange Tales #130, but I had no idea that this comic even existed.

Thanks for the tip-off Red Oak Kid.

I also have the Marvel Super Special #4 (very nicely done, by the way) and
the Gold Key movie comic Yellow Submarine (drawn by Jose Delbo, by the
way). The Beatles made many, many comic book appearances (13 others are
mentioned in Overstreet's Comic Book Price Guide .. everything from
Jimmy Olsen to My Little Margie .. and that's not even counting
Revoluntionary Comics' "unauthorized" 8-part biography).

The Confessor

10-03-2008, 07:28 AM

The Beatles made many, many comic book appearances (13 others are
mentioned in Overstreet's Comic Book Price Guide .. everything from
Jimmy Olsen to My Little Margie .. and that's not even counting
Revoluntionary Comics' "unauthorized" 8-part biography).

Ooh...any chance you could post the complete list? I don't own the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide myself, I'm afraid. I'd just be interested to see exactly what's out as far as Beatle related comics go. I'd kinda like to make Beatles' appearances in comics a sub-genre of my collection.

Would the list in Overstreet's CBPG be totally complete? I mean, would it include things like the unauthorised 8-Part Biography by Revolutionary for instance?

While we’re on the subject, something that probably wouldn't be listed under "Beatles" would be Batman #222 which features a pop group who are an obvious homage to The Beatles. The issue is clearly inspired by the "Paul Is Dead" conspiracy theories that were prevalent in the early 70's.

http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/3710/batman222rf8.jpg

TVComicsFan

10-03-2008, 05:14 PM

While not a complete list, I can list titles from two different sources. First, from
Robert M. Overstreet's Comic Book Price Guide #34 (May 2004):

THE BEATLES (Dell; 1964)
THE BEATLES EXPERIENCE #1-8 (Revolutionary; 1991)
GIRLS' ROMANCES #109 (DC; cover/story)
GO-GO #1, 2 (Charlton; story & photos)
HEART THROBS #101 (Quality; cover appearance)
HERBIE #5 (American)
HOWARD THE DUCK MAGAZINE #4 (Marvel; cameo appearance)
LAUGH #166 (Archie; cover appearance)
MARVEL COMICS SUPER SPECIAL #4 (Marvel; 1978)
MY LITTLE MARGIE #54 (Charlton; 11/64; cover/story)
NOT BRAND ECHH #7, 9, 12 & 13 (Marvel; cameos)
PENDULUM ILLUSTRATED BIOGRAPHIES #19-3525 (Pendulum; 1979)
STRANGE TALES #130 (Marvel; cameo appearance)
SUMMER LOVE #46 & 47 (cover/story)
SUPERMAN'S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN #79 (DC; 9/64)
TEEN CONFESSIONS #31 & 37 (Charlton)
TIPPY'S FRIENDS #8 (Tower; front & back cover)
TIPPY TEEN #5 (Tower; 1 pg. pinup)
YELLOW SUBMARINE (Gold Key Movie Comic; 2/69; with poster)

And from The Beatles: A Reference & Value Guide, by Barbara Crawford,
Hollis Lamon & Michael Stern (1998):

BATMAN #222 (DC; Beatles take-off on the "Paul Is Dead" hoax)

[This book also contains full-color reproductions of the covers to Dell's The
Beatles, Gold Key's Yellow Submarine, Strange Tales, Summer Love, Go-Go,
Jimmy Olsen, Teen Confessions, Batman #222, Heart Throbs, Herbie, and Tippy's Friends. Out of print but highly recommended (published by
Collector Books, a division of Schroeder Publishing Co., Inc.).]

Oh, and there's also the uncredited cameo by John, Paul, George, Ringo, Yoko
and Linda on the cover of DC's All-New Collector's Edition #C-56 (Superman
vs. Muhammad Ali; art by Neal Adams).

And I just thought of one more series, not listed in Overstreet's Guide (or the other book):

THE BEATLES #1-4 (Personality Comics; 1991)

The only ones that I actually have in my collection are Dell's The Beatles, Gold Key's Yellow
Submarine, the Marvel Super Special, the Pendulum Illustrated Biography, Batman #222,
two issues of The Beatles Experience, Personality's The Beatles #1: John Lennon, and Superman vs. Muhammad Ali.

The Confessor

10-04-2008, 08:22 AM

Hey, thanks TVComicsFan. That's quite an impressive list and I've certainly got a long way to go as far as collecting goes. I'm not sure I'd bother picking up things like the Superman Vs. Muhammad Ali comic since that only features the Fab Four on the cover, not actually appearing inside.

By the way, what's the 8-part "The Beatles Experience" comic series like? Is it worth seeking out?

TVComicsFan

10-04-2008, 01:48 PM

I only have the first and fifth issues. On the inside front cover of the first issue is an "Open Letter to Yoko, Paul, George & Ringo." Here author Todd Loren states his purpose: "I know it's very easy to glance at this book and think 'Aha!
Exploiting the Beatles, eh? We'll sue the crap out of them!'" [I dont' know if
anyone representing The Beatles ever actually did sue Revolutionary Comics.]
He goes on to cite the First Amendment protecting free speech. He claims that he is sticking up for what he believes in "just like John Lennon did." He says that he was in Manhattan when John was killed in 1980 and goes so far as to say
that "it felt like John was putting the words in my head, like he really was in touch
with me, and wanted me to get this stuff right." In summary, he says (to Yoko,
Paul, George and Ringo): ".. if you sue, I'll fight you. But I don't want to fight you
because I love you. Just read the series. If there is anything in it that is incorrect,
just let me know, and I will print a correction .. gladly! I believe this series is an
honest accounting of the Beatles Experience. I believe it tells the story of the
Beatles in a way which it has never been told before. I know I'm right from the
legal standpoint, and I feel secure that I am correct from a moral standpoint.
I hope you agree."

This series is unauthorized and some of the contents is controversial and should be taken with a grain of salt. None of the contents was endorsed or approved by The Beatles or any entity connected with the group. Having said that, from a historical context it is interesting. Written by Todd Loren and illustrated by Mike Sagara, the mini-series includes international headlines of events that were transpiring at the same time as the events in the lives of John, Paul, George and Ringo. The black-&-white drawings of The Beatles are good likenesses. The cover of the first issue has a nice color drawing of the early Beatles (John, George, Paul, Pete Best and Stuart Sutcliffe) by Scott Jackson. The first issue also includes a 5-page bio comic about Little Richard (in which Paul McCartney is featured in one panel).

The fifth issue has a cover, also by Scott Jackson, in which the boys look the
way they looked in their last film, "Let It Be." This issue covers the period 1971-
1973 and is in stark contrast to the period in the first issue (1940-1963). The
boys have lost their innocence. Some of the dialogue includes very strong
language, Eric Clapton's affair with George's wife Pattie is depicted, and John
and Yoko's political involvement is also portrayed. Other celebrities depicted
include President Richard Nixon, Linda McCartney (and Wings), Dick Cavett,
Jerry Lewis, J. Edgar Hoover, and May Pang (Lennon's lover). Unlike Dell's
bio, or even Marvel's treatment, there's no sugar-coating here. The Beatles'
story is told, warts and all. The back cover is a drawing modeled after the
cover of George's solo album, "All Things Must Pass." Of course, there have been numerous retellings of the story of The Beatles, in print and on film. The most accurate version will always be "The Beatles Anthology" (the book, TV mini-series and CD), because it stands as the only version actually written by The Beatles themselves. But, if you can find some low-priced copies on eBay, it might be worth a look just out of curiosity. In terms of writing and drawing, it is
about on a par with their comic bios of Madonna and Paula Abdul (actually much
better, in terms of the drawing anyway).

The Confessor

10-04-2008, 05:54 PM

OK, thanks for that...it certainly sounds interesting. I'm surprised that it covers the post-Beatles period to be honest but there you go. I'll have to keep an eye out for is on eBay or elsewhere online.

Cei-U!

10-04-2008, 07:15 PM

The Beatles are also in attendance at Reed and Sue Richards' wedding in Marvels #2.

Cei-U!
I summon the late entry!

TVComicsFan

10-05-2008, 05:55 AM

The Beatles are also in attendance at Reed and Sue Richards' wedding in Marvels #2.

Cei-U!
I summon the late entry!

Oh, that's interesting. I have a reprint of the wedding (in Fantastic Four Annual #10) but haven't seen Marvels #2. It must be a retelling. When was it
published?

Jamie

10-05-2008, 08:24 AM

Oh, that's interesting. I have a reprint of the wedding (in Fantastic Four Annual #10) but haven't seen Marvels #2. It must be a retelling. When was it
published?

Marvels #2 was published in late 1993 (cover dated February 1994.) It's part of the Kurt Busiek/Alex Ross retelling of Marvel's history.

http://www.comicbookdb.com/graphics/comic_graphics/1/52/5360_20060312123119_thumb.jpg

The Confessor

10-05-2008, 08:30 AM

The Beatles are also in attendance at Reed and Sue Richards' wedding in Marvels #2.

You're absolutely right there...I'd forgotten about that.

Oh, that's interesting. I have a reprint of the wedding (in Fantastic Four Annual #10) but haven't seen Marvels #2. It must be a retelling. When was it published?

You don't have Marvels?!! :eek:

Oh my lord, that's criminal. Get yourself a copy of the TPB immediately! It's utterly, utterly brilliant with some great writing from Kurt Busiek and some gorgeous painted art by Alex Ross. If you have even a passing interest in the Silver Age Marvel Universe, you need this book in your collection.

And there's not many comics out there that I'd recommend so unreservedly, believe me.

Edit: Here's a "not very good" scan of the Marvels wedding scene that I found on the Internet...

http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/7971/marvelsffweddinghw2.jpg

TVComicsFan

10-05-2008, 12:20 PM

Thanks for posting the panel scan. I spotted all four lads from Liverpool.

The Confessor

10-05-2008, 06:26 PM

Thanks for posting the panel scan. I spotted all four lads from Liverpool.

You must have good eyes. That scan's so crappy...it's much easier to make them out in the actual book.

Cei-U!

10-06-2008, 08:41 AM

Found another Beatles appearance not on TV's list: on page 2, panel 1, of Metal Men #12 (February-March 1965), the Fabs ask everybody's favorite robots to autograph Ringo's drum!

Cei-U!
I summon the heavy metal!

The Confessor

10-06-2008, 12:12 PM

Well spotted! Thanks for adding to the list Cei-U, it's much appreciated.

TVComicsFan

10-06-2008, 05:33 PM

You must have good eyes. That scan's so crappy...it's much easier to make them out in the actual book.

I had to get a printout and look very, very closely! :tongue:

Shellhead

10-08-2008, 09:24 AM

I dunno if this interests you folks, but Vertigo just started up a six-issue mini called Greatest Hits. It features a very Beatlesque team of british superheroes. They aren't the Beatles, exactly, as the Beatles also exist in that setting, and are referred to at least once in the first issue. But the four heroes definitely share many superficial traits with the Beatles, and judging by covers for upcoming issues, the story will include some events inspired by the Beatles, including a Yoko-type heroine causing the team to split up.

Global Honored

10-08-2008, 10:05 AM

GREAT FIND. I am going to check out Greatest Hits. Should be an interesting take on the era. If only it came with a soundtrack.

MDG

10-08-2008, 10:57 AM

I don't know if anyone mention it, but the Beatles also show up in the last issue of Rick Veitch's THE ONE. Apparently, after we die, we all wake up naked in a park and get to see the Beatles perform (although they get to wear their Sgt Pepper outfits)

kaycee725

10-15-2008, 12:31 AM

The Beatles? i haven't heard about it. i have only episode #1 of Marvels..not bad. =)

Top Mom Blog (http://www.gagazine.com)

Kirk G

10-15-2008, 05:19 PM

Ooh...any chance you could post the complete list? I don't own the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide myself, I'm afraid. I'd just be interested to see exactly what's out as far as Beatle related comics go. I'd kinda like to make Beatles' appearances in comics a sub-genre of my collection.

Would the list in Overstreet's CBPG be totally complete? I mean, would it include things like the unauthorised 8-Part Biography by Revolutionary for instance?

While we’re on the subject, something that probably wouldn't be listed under "Beatles" would be Batman #222 which features a pop group who are an obvious homage to The Beatles. The issue is clearly inspired by the "Paul Is Dead" conspiracy theories that were prevalent in the early 70's.

http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/3710/batman222rf8.jpg

May I ask for some charitable fan to PM me with the solution to this mystery?
As I recall, the "clue" on the cover is actually not as straight forward as you might think it was. In fact, the fact that one is pictured as facing backwards actually was the clue that HE wasn't dead, but it was the OTHER 3... Am I right?

Kirk G

10-15-2008, 05:24 PM

Marvels #2 was published in late 1993 (cover dated February 1994.) It's part of the Kurt Busiek/Alex Ross retelling of Marvel's history.

http://www.comicbookdb.com/graphics/comic_graphics/1/52/5360_20060312123119_thumb.jpg

Yeah, half the fun of that series was setting with the original on one leg, and the latest issue of Marvels on the other, and matching up the images and the dialog and the swipes. It was all great fun... almost as much as doing it with John Byrnes work on the Invaders/Avengers guestars in Namor #11 & 12! I loved how he preserved the same layouts and images, but recombined them to tell the same story in a much shorter flashback. I REALLY loved it... it rang memory bells to see Giantman lifting someone over his head while Cap beat up one thug and Iron Man was disposing of the other.... so some such!:biggrin:

Kirk G

10-15-2008, 07:34 PM

I just re-read this thread, and I am reminded of one of the last Strange Tales with the Human Torch in it. The issue (which I found at a school white elephant sale) was obviously linked the the Fantastic Four collection which I also scored... but as a kid of ten, even I could tell that the Thing and Human Torch (who were totally unknown to me at that time) couldn't/wouldn't wear beatle wigs!

I suspect it was Strange Tales #130, but I know it was some of the earliest comics I'd ever seen, let alone bought for a nickle a piece!

The Confessor

10-15-2008, 08:49 PM

as a kid of ten, even I could tell that the Thing and Human Torch (who were totally unknown to me at that time) couldn't/wouldn't wear beatle wigs!

I suspect it was Strange Tales #130, but I know it was some of the earliest comics I'd ever seen, let alone bought for a nickle a piece!

It was indeed Strange Tales #130 (by the sound of it), one of a handful of original 60's Strange Tales comics I'm proud to own. Actually, this comic book is probably my favourite issue of Strange Tales...not only does it feature The Thing, The Human Torch & The Beatles but there's also a kick-ass Dr. Strange story in it called "The Defeat of Dr. Strange".

By the way, why shouldn't The Thing and The Human Torch wear Beatle wigs? They've just got impeccable taste in music and hairpieces, that's all. :tongue:

Anyway, here's some "Fab" and "Gear" scans from my copy...

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/1623/strangetales130interioryt7.jpg

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/523/strangetales130interiorku5.jpg

Kirayoshi

10-15-2008, 09:43 PM