Comments on: Snark Blocker - Steranko Cap Double-Pagers

By: Tony Robertson

Tony Robertson — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:04:20 +0000

A fan sent me a remastered version of the double page spread from CA #110. It can be seen here:

http://www.thedrawingsofsteranko.com/splashcap.html

By: Tony Robertson

Tony Robertson — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:24:34 +0000

Yes, Chris that is a great interview from Rolling Stone. I just read it at that website and realized there were numerous spelling mistakes. I compared it to the original and also found complete sentences truncated or even missing. So I have posted it in a newly transcribed version here.

http://www.thedrawingsofsteranko.com/rs91steranko.html

By: Chris Tolworthy

Chris Tolworthy — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 22:37:21 +0000

If anyone is still reading this, any Steranko fan HAS TO READ his 1971 Rolling Stone interview at http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Chamber/8346/rs91.facefront.3.html (it's part 3 of the article linked in Tom Brevoort's blog today). http://www.marvel.com/blogs/Tom_Brevoort

You'll kick yourself if you miss it.

By: Doron

Doron — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:43:45 +0000

Correct me if I'm wrong but I recall hearing that those spreads are also in the exact middle of each comic so it is printed all on one page.

By: Gonger

Gonger — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:05:45 +0000

Cap 113 is one of the finest moments in comics ever â€¦ All three issues are up there, but 113 â€¦ whew. I relly like that whole era for Cap's book. After Steranko, there are issues by John Buscema, Romita, Colan, and Kirby does 112 and the run before Steranko â€¦ Just friggin' classic â€¦

By: Cully Callaway

Cully Callaway — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 14:44:38 +0000

In issue #110 Steranko gave us one of the most savage interpretations of the Hulk ever seen. Although only a few pages long, the ferocity stuck with me as an absolute high-water mark for that caracture.

By: Tomer S

Tomer S — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 10:25:59 +0000

Oh, I also remember seeing a very intensive Nick Fury 4-page spread.

By: Robert

Robert — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 08:09:08 +0000

Marvel UK reprinted these stories in the 1980s in a Captain America annual which is where I came across them. The art is fabulous, I remember being really freaked out by the way Steranko played with page layouts (which I'm guessing was comparatively rare in the late 60s). The 'mirror' images of Cap and Rick Jones/Bucky stay in the memory as well as the decaying face (anyone who has read the issues will hopefully know what I mean).

By the way, the story, in itself, was top notch too. I recall reading and re-reading it as a kid.

By: Brian Cronin

Brian Cronin — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 01:56:51 +0000

Lazy and decompressed.

I guarantee you if the internet existed in the late 60s, thatâ€™s what would have been written.

I disagree - double-page spreads were pretty common for the time, especially with Kirby, who was on the book before Steranko (and drew #112, as well).

By: Davidm

Davidm — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 21:59:29 +0000

Although I like these, he's not a man ahead of his time, but awarely of it. Kirby's been mentioned, add in Will Eisner and Wally Wood...it's a fun synthesis of some of the greats who had gone before.

By: MarkAndrew

MarkAndrew — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 21:43:45 +0000

Lazy and decompressed. I guarantee you if the internet existed in the late 60s, thatâ€™s what would have been written.

Nah. Both "Lazy" and "decompressed" are spelled correctly.

By: StoneGold

StoneGold — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 21:36:41 +0000

Lazy and decompressed.

I guarantee you if the internet existed in the late 60s, that's what would have been written.

By: Tomer S

Tomer S — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 17:41:20 +0000

I'll join everyone and say: Fantastic!

Years ago Wizard had an article about Steranko and his influence in this short period of time. It featured these amazing innovations mentioned above by Hannibal.

Here's a story that could be featured in a future Comic Books Urban Legends: Something that interested me was a story about Steranko doing wordless panels, something new at the time. The article claimed that the man in charge on payments at Marvel refused to pay him for script on said panels (and pages), so he held the man out of his office window, threatening to drop him down. Steranko was paid. I want to know (1) if the story is true and (2) if Steranko was the first one to use "silent" panels/pages

By: Wolden

Wolden — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 15:16:30 +0000

JG said â€¦
"Jesus H. Steranko!"

Amen!

By: Ian

Ian — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 13:58:13 +0000

I miss unrealistic/emotional coloring. That bright pink Hydra guy brings so much to the page in terms of energy and balance that he makes it work all that much more. You don't see that sort of thing today.

By: Mister Midnight

Mister Midnight — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 13:38:25 +0000

Definitely a man before his time....and I would have to say Mr.Gulacy was indeed influenced by this man....every convention I go to in my area these three issues are on the hit list....(I'd even take the Captain America Special Edition versions)...but they're proving difficult to find.

Like they say...it's not the kill..........

By: Eric Grant

Eric Grant — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 12:40:10 +0000

I think my first comic was a big weird over-sized hardcover in French featuring those stories. I remember being riveted by every single one of those DPSs and only just understanding what was going on.

Must be why I love Cap.

By: Chuck

Chuck — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 11:27:19 +0000

I believe that there were some "special editions" printed in the 80's that also have these stories in color. You can usually find them for a couple of bucks in back of the Captain America back issues section.

And now I think I'll go read these stories again.....

By: Chris Tolworthy

Chris Tolworthy — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 09:36:35 +0000

I have those stories in the Visionaries reprint, and could not undersdtand why Steranko said the Visionaries versions stink. Now I understand. You can't lay the Visionaries books flat to see the double page spreads as one big image. And the Visionaries books seem to be recolored, losing the subtlety of the originals. I think Steranko said some of the line detail was lost as well. Which is ironic since the Visionaries books use theoretically better quality art and paper. So thanks for showing what the originals were supposed to look like!

By: Anun

Anun — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 06:33:24 +0000

Those three issues were basically my introduction to Captain America.

Nothing has come close to equaling that amount of awesome since then. What a fantastic story arc that was.