bartl
06-15-2005, 08:45 AM
Interestingly enough, just last week, in ODDBALL COMICS, I posted one of my not infrequent diatribes about the state of comic covers (how, except for the humor and kid's comics, they're largely just pinups, giving the sales message, "This comic is pretty much like any other one"). And, as an example of covers that sold comics, I posted a link to several ACTION comics covers from 1967 or so, including the one you used as an example (SON OF ANNIHILATOR).
That was the time I started regularly buying comics, and I can tell you that, back then, at age 9-11, the cover had a LOT to do with whether I bought a comic or not. And the covers of ACTION always hooked me in (the one thing I hated was the habit of making the cover scene the last panel of a continued story).
A lot of them were done by Neal Adams. Say what you want about his speed, (or lack thereof), or his writing skills (or lack thereof) but he knew how to make a cover that would sell a comic (not to mention his innovations in story sequencing); probably the reason why DC used him so heavily as a cover artist back then.
Last time I looked at the covers on a comic rack was about three or four weeks ago, and, frankly, they still were all pinups. As I mentioned, the exceptions were the ARCHIE line and DC's CARTOON NETWORK line.
That was the time I started regularly buying comics, and I can tell you that, back then, at age 9-11, the cover had a LOT to do with whether I bought a comic or not. And the covers of ACTION always hooked me in (the one thing I hated was the habit of making the cover scene the last panel of a continued story).
A lot of them were done by Neal Adams. Say what you want about his speed, (or lack thereof), or his writing skills (or lack thereof) but he knew how to make a cover that would sell a comic (not to mention his innovations in story sequencing); probably the reason why DC used him so heavily as a cover artist back then.
Last time I looked at the covers on a comic rack was about three or four weeks ago, and, frankly, they still were all pinups. As I mentioned, the exceptions were the ARCHIE line and DC's CARTOON NETWORK line.