Comments on: Top Five Mike Zeck Captain America Covers

By: Brian Cronin

Brian Cronin — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 21:37:50 +0000

True, Dan, but it is a bit of a “Cousin Larry trick,” as yeah, the gun use in the image WAS ironic, in terms of the story, but come on, the usage of Mike Zeck on the cover was certainly meant to be cool looking.

By: Dan Weber

Dan Weber — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 20:41:07 +0000

I didn’t realize it when I was younger, but the cover to #321 is meant ironically.

I thought it was Cap just going out and kicking butt. But the issue was meant as a pushback against the rise of superheroes-using-big-guns at the time.

Cap does use a gun on national TV in the issue, but only because he has to. In follow-up issues young kids are emulating him by playing with guns, and he’s just heart-broken.

By: Craig M.

Craig M. — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 10:21:24 +0000

The cover to #321 is what got me to buy it.

By: dhole

dhole — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 22:53:43 +0000

I’m glad no. 272 made the list, that’s probably my favorite Cap cover.

I second the surprise at no “Deathlok/gunsights” appearance from ish 286.

Anyway, Mike Zeck is great. My favorite Cap artist definitely.

By: Rene

Rene — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 07:48:10 +0000

The Captain America Annual depicted here was a pretty decent read, I think. Cap and Logan only fight for two pages, though. The villain is a mutant that can control electronics, and is trying to get rid of US nuclear arsenal because his kid is traumatized by the spectre of nuclear war (how very 1980s!). There is also a big robot originally created by the army to destroy supersoldiers like Cap if they ever went rogue, and a last page where the villain is falling, and Wolverine can either catch him or skewer him with his claws, but he does neither, just let the guy fall.

By: jazzbo

jazzbo — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 03:00:56 +0000

I always thought that on the cover of #284 Cap looked sad. It’s yet another good cover.

#262. Thanks guys. I was pretty sure the giant Cap was some sort of robot, but it’s been years since I read that issue. I’ll have to see if I can dig it out.

By: "O" the Humanatee!

"O" the Humanatee! — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 00:32:22 +0000

I've always been very fond of issue 284's cover image of a calm Cap on a high building ledge looking down over the city. It's a classic Batman situation, but I think Zeck gets across Cap's very different personality.

By: John Trumbull

John Trumbull — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:46:19 +0000

What about the Deathlok cover where Captain America is in the sight for his gun? That’s one of Zeck’s most famous covers.

By: danjack

danjack — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:30:51 +0000

About the giant Cap cover, my memory is totally off, but i can’t find it anywhere. Sorry,

By: Brian Cronin

Brian Cronin — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:29:04 +0000

That was the cover for Captain America #262.

By: danjack

danjack — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:25:13 +0000

Hey Jazzbo,
Going off my faulty memory, i believe that the giant Cap holding real Cap was around #232 or so. The giant Cap was the Ameri-droid or some such.

Also, Cap #275 was the issue that i was speaking about in the G. I. Joe article. i remember when i got that issue in the mail [as i was subscribing to Cap & Avengers at that point] and thinking Zeck somehow got this printed in 3-D. Really dynamic cover!

By: Dan Bailey

Dan Bailey — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:15:28 +0000

>>Madness. Whereâ€™s the Assistant Editorsâ€™ Month cover with Bernie America and Mo-Skull?

A personal favorite of mine, as it happens. I’d pretty much been away from comics for 25 years when I went by a LCS on a whim on Free Comic Book Day 4 or 5 years & came across that issue while browsing through the 25-cent-or-so boxes on tables outside the storefront. Picked it up because I liked the way the cover looked (particularly the retro Go-Go Checks, natch). Didn’t really recognize any characters inside other than Cap himself, but was intrigued enough to go looking for other back issues. A half-decade or so (& well over 50 short boxes) later, CA is the longest run I own — the final 240 ishes.

By: jazzbo

jazzbo — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:03:13 +0000

Oh, and I don’t remember what issue number it is, but there’s a Zeck Cap cover with a giant Cap clutching the regular sized Cap that I was always a fan of.

By: jazzbo

jazzbo — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:02:23 +0000

#321 was my first issue of Cap, which I bought because of the cover, and then continued on with the series until it ended. So that’s two series that I ended up buying over 100 issues of that started with a Zeck cover. Plus GI Joe and Cap got me hooked on comics in general, so you could give Zeck partial credit for almost every comic I’ve bought. The guy deserves a bonus.

By: Ralph

Ralph — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:02:54 +0000

I had a poster of # 1 on my bedroom in the 80′s… I loved that cover!

By: Ryan Day

Ryan Day — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 20:35:03 +0000

That Cap vs. Wolverine issue was one of the earlies comics I remember buying. I have no idea what actually happened inside, but that cover is a classic. Zeck was fantastic at conveying action, story, and excitement.

By: Rob Schamberger

Rob Schamberger — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 19:24:28 +0000

321 is one of my favorite covers of all time.

By: Purple Hayes

Purple Hayes — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 18:33:15 +0000

Captain America #332 was the first issue of Cap I ever bought. I remember I saw it on the grocery store spinner rack. Being the “foreign kid” in the United States, I didn’t have a strong connection to Captain America, but I was struck by the cover image. In the issue, Cap gives up the title, which is later passed on to Super Patriot (now US Agent.) I even bought a couple issues after that, but eventually moved on to other titles.
It is still a great cover.

By: Tom from West Chester

Tom from West Chester — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 18:32:08 +0000

Is the Red Skull wearing a bath robe on the cover to Cap #300? Awesome.

By: Matt D

Matt D — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 18:19:19 +0000

Zeck does these fun commissions where he shifts other characters into his classic covers, if I remember right.