John Byrne Namor/Hulk Battle Pinup

(click for larger image) I've been a John Byrne fan since I first discovered his work back in the early 80's.  He's been my favorite comic creator ever since.  He's not only a great artist, but a great storyteller.  On many of his books, he has been the writer, penciler, inker, and letterer!  And he has produced a LOT of great work.  He's a legend.  Over the years he's done some amazing commission pieces.  I thought about signing up for one, but I don't like the idea of buying something sight unseen.  So I was lucky to have found this great pinup that another collector was selling.  It's 11 x 17 - and the figures are nearly bursting off the page!  Classic Byrne!

Speaking of Color Guides...

 

(click for larger image). In my last blog post, I tried to explain the difference between how Lynn Varley colored The Dark Knight Returns to create camera-ready art, versus the traditional "color guides" used for many years in the comic book industry.  Above is an example of one such "guide".  This is a photocopy of the original black and white art (withe lettering added somewhere along the way).  This was hand colored - usually with markers or watercolors (this one is watercolor).  The colorist would then indicate the name of the color to be used to make the color printing plate.  For example, the flesh color on Sue's leg here says "Y2R2", which is apparently a flesh tone.  If you want to learn all about how THAT works, check this out: https://tinyurl.com/mr3v4u2x.  But it should be noted - these color guides were not meant to be camera-ready, nor were they ever reproduced for production - completely unlike the method Varley used.  By the way - if you want to see the original art for this piece, click HERE.

Superman 13 Cover

Anyone who has read my blog knows what a huge fan I am of the comic work of John Byrne.  If it's not already the consensus, he will go down in history as one of the greatest comic creators of all time.  He had phenomenal success with his work on The X-men, Fantastic Four, Alpha Flight, She-Hulk, Avengers, and Superman, to name but a few.  It should be noted that Byrne was almost always the writer and penciler on most of these titles (and sometimes inker and letterer!).  I first saw his work in X-Men 123, which my high school art instructor had in his classroom for some reason.  I was blown away by the art.  Not long after, I immersed myself in the world of comic books.  At that point, Byrne was writing and drawing both the Fantastic Four, and his own creation, Alpha Flight.  He instantly became my favorite writer and artist.

When I first started collecting comic art, I wanted Byrne Fantastic Four art above all else (you can read all about my hunt for that stuff here on my blog).  Over the years I was able to acquire some great Fantastic Four and Alpha Flight art.  A few years ago however, I re-read (again) Byrne's Superman run.  Boy was it fun!  I remember vividly when he moved to DC and took over their biggest character.  He did not disappoint.  I quickly decided that I would like a nice Superman cover for my collection.  I'd seen a few change hands, and I knew there were some good ones floating around.  I recalled seeing one cover sell on ebay for what would now be considered a very modest price - I regretted not getting it.  Saw another for sale on a website, but somehow just missed it.  Finally, I was able to find this one.  It's got a great, large shot of Superman on the cover.  When I got it, it didn't have any of the logos so I added them myself.  Typically, I would put the logos on an overlay as to not disturb the original art, but this time I applied them directly to the art.  I think it came out great.  The cover looks twice as good as it did before! (click for larger image)

John Byrne Superman 5 Page

(click for larger image)  Really excited about this one!  Back in 1986 John Byrne was the king of comics.  He had just completed a successful stint on the Fantastic Four over at Marvel Comics, his long-time employer.  He had written and drawn a whopping 60+ consecutive issues on the title!  Not only that, but he also launched his own series, Alpha Flight, through Marvel and both wrote and drew that title as well.  Just as Byrne was finishing up the Fantastic Four, the big brains at DC approached and said they had an idea to "re-boot" their most iconic character - Superman.

Byrne was given a lot of leeway, and like his previous books at Marvel, he would both write and draw the new series.  First up was "Man of Steel", a six-issue limited series that would retell the origin of Krypton's most famous son, as well as "clean up" some of his complex history.  It was a smash success, and slated for follow up were the newly minted Superman book (starting with issue # 1), and a run on the Action Comics title - the birth place of Superman way back in issue # 1 in 1938.  This re-launch met with a lot of "hoopla" and it was all over the news and press at the time.  In 1988, Byrne would even illustrate the Man of Steel for the cover of Time Magazine.

Anyone who has ever read my blog will know of my high regard for both the Fantastic Four series and the Alpha Flight series.  My sole desire as a new collector of original comic art was to acquire a nice example from the Fantastic Four.  I have chronicled my pursuit of these pages both in my blog and in articles during my tenure as a contributor to the CFA-APA (links on right ->).  In the back of my mind, I had also wanted to get a nice Superman example, and actually owned some minor pages which I eventually parted with.

After re-reading Byrne's Superman work recently, I was compelled to finally pick up a nice example.  I don't think I could have done much better than this page.  Not only does it have Clark Kent changing into Superman and flying up from the Daily Planet, but it has a last panel that could be a poster or comic book cover.  Very iconic!  You might be scratching your head and wondering why the stubble - older readers will recall the popularity of the t.v. series Miami Vice.  Everybody had stubble in the late 80's!  The other thing I really like about this page is the inks.  Byrne inking himself is my favorite and I own no other examples.  The only inker who, in my mind, comes close to making Byrne's pencils look the way they are supposed to look is Karl Kesel.  He did a great job on this series.

Byrne Fantastic Four 248 Pages

(click for larger image - pencils and inks by John Byrne)  My first love in comic art has always been John Byrne Fantastic Four art.  I've been lucky to have found some great pieces over the years, and I was stoked to find another couple of great pages recently.  I actually saw these a couple of years ago at a convention in San Jose, CA.  I wish I had bought them then because they were quite a bit cheaper!  At any rate, I decided to grab them anyway - I've been hunting down stuff like this for the last 10 years and if there's one thing I've learned - you only regret the stuff you DON'T buy!

Alpha Flight 12, Page 32

I parted with a great three page sequence from this issue a while back, so I am glad to add this page to my collection.  Lots of good action and a great image of Guardian!  (click for larger image)

Alpha Flight 6, pages 6 and 7

Earlier this year, I sold a great three page sequence from Alpha Flight 12 (click here to view) that I had for many years.  It was a great sequence leading up to the death of Guardian (or Vindicator as he is sometimes called), but didn't actually have Guardian on any of the pages.  So I was thrilled to find these pages which do feature him.  Page six with him in flight is my favorite, but it's always fun to have sequential pages.  (click for larger image)

Fantastic Four 235, p 05

Another one for my Byrne obsession… (click for larger image) As a collector of original comic book art, few things are higher up on my want list than originals from John Byrne's run on Fantastic Four. Once I discovered you could actually buy this stuff, I thought "I want some Byrne FF!" It's what started me down that long, terrible road of addiction. I've been looking for great examples for almost ten years, and when I see something special, I do my best to acquire it. I have some pages that I really like, but this one is exceptional. I think if I had been able to find a page of this quality from the start, I might not have looked so hard for others. This one has it all - some great action, a good self-contained page, and all four members of the team. It's also from the early part of the run (only Byrne's fourth issue of his 61 issue run!), which features traditional inking tools (i.e., pen and brush rather than magic marker - a trademark of later issues). These early pages tend to have tighter inks and more detail, and this one has some really cool detail. In this particular story, the FF go up against Ego - "The Living Planet!" The last panel shows some really cool "Daliesque" (as Byrne puts it) details of the surface of this massive monster!

Alpha Flight 12, Page 28

(click for larger image or click HERE for triptych)

SOLD!! 2013

Back in the 1980's, I became a full-fledged comic book addict. I just loved the stuff and couldn't get enough. I would buy any title that caught my interest, in hopes that it would be worth my while. Some stuff was great, and some stuff not so great. I soon found that the current monthly books were not enough, and began backtracking to find previously published issues of things I liked, or other titles that I'd never heard of. If memory serves, the first John Byrne comic book I purchased off the newsstand was Fantastic Four 272. I was instantly smitten. I loved both the writing, and especially, the artwork (Byrne was doing both). It wasn't long before I was tracking down back-issues to get up to speed on what I'd missed (he began his run with issue 232). I was also happy to discover another title that Byrne was writing and drawing at the same time - his own creation, the Canadian super-team, Alpha Flight.

Alpha Flight wasn't as "cosmic" as the Fantastic Four, and it certainly didn't have the history (having been created in 1961 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby). It was also not a favorite of Byrne himself as he has stated repeatedly in interviews. Nonetheless, I loved it simply because it was Byrne. The book may not have been Byrne's personal favorite, but it did have a strong fan following. Byrne only ended up doing the first 28 issues, but some might argue that his initial run climaxed with issue 12 - the death of Guardian. Fans were shocked and devastated. If most fans were like me, they were probably thinking "he'll be back". Surely it was just some stunt or trick to boost sales? But, unlike today's superhero comics, he was dead. Really dead. Forever.

When I got introduced to the world of original comic art, my first thought was to obtain some nice Byrne Fantastic Four art. It turned out that that wouldn't be so easy (as chronicled in my CFA-APA article for issue 62 link HERE). So in conjunction with my search for Fantastic Four pages, I happily added Alpha Flight pages to my collection. And not just any Alpha Flight pages, but pages from the famed issue 12! Here is the first one I obtained. I've posted it on this blog before, but always in a group with the other two pages in the sequence (see them together HERE). I thought these pages deserved their own post, so here is the last. (Pencils and inks by John Byrne. Click for larger image.)

Alpha Flight 12, Page 27

(click for larger image or click HERE for triptych)

SOLD!! 2013

Back in the 1980's, I became a full-fledged comic book addict. I just loved the stuff and couldn't get enough. I would buy any title that caught my interest, in hopes that it would be worth my while. Some stuff was great, and some stuff not so great. I soon found that the current monthly books were not enough, and began backtracking to find previously published issues of things I liked, or other titles that I'd never heard of. If memory serves, the first John Byrne comic book I purchased off the newsstand was Fantastic Four 272. I was instantly smitten. I loved both the writing, and especially, the artwork (Byrne was doing both). It wasn't long before I was tracking down back-issues to get up to speed on what I'd missed (he began his run with issue 232). I was also happy to discover another title that Byrne was writing and drawing at the same time - his own creation, the Canadian super-team, Alpha Flight.

Alpha Flight wasn't as "cosmic" as the Fantastic Four, and it certainly didn't have the history (having been created in 1961 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby). It was also not a favorite of Byrne himself as he has stated repeatedly in interviews. Nonetheless, I loved it simply because it was Byrne. The book may not have been Byrne's personal favorite, but it did have a strong fan following. Byrne only ended up doing the first 28 issues, but some might argue that his initial run climaxed with issue 12 - the death of Guardian. Fans were shocked and devastated. If most fans were like me, they were probably thinking "he'll be back". Surely it was just some stunt or trick to boost sales? But, unlike today's superhero comics, he was dead. Really dead. Forever.

When I got introduced to the world of original comic art, my first thought was to obtain some nice Byrne Fantastic Four art. It turned out that that wouldn't be so easy (as chronicled in my CFA-APA article for issue 62 link HERE). So in conjunction with my search for Fantastic Four pages, I happily added Alpha Flight pages to my collection. And not just any Alpha Flight pages, but pages from the famed issue 12! Here is the first one I obtained. I've posted it on this blog before, but always in a group with the other two pages in the sequence (see them together HERE). I thought these pages deserved their own post, so here is the second. (Pencils and inks by John Byrne. Click for larger image.)

Alpha Flight 12, Page 26

(click for larger image or click HERE for triptych)


SOLD!! 2013

Back in the 1980's, I became a full-fledged comic book addict. I just loved the stuff and couldn't get enough. I would buy any title that caught my interest, in hopes that it would be worth my while. Some stuff was great, and some stuff not so great. I soon found that the current monthly books were not enough, and began backtracking to find previously published issues of things I liked, or other titles that I'd never heard of. If memory serves, the first John Byrne comic book I purchased off the newsstand was Fantastic Four 272. I was instantly smitten. I loved both the writing, and especially, the artwork (Byrne was doing both). It wasn't long before I was tracking down back-issues to get up to speed on what I'd missed (he began his run with issue 232). I was also happy to discover another title that Byrne was writing and drawing at the same time - his own creation, the Canadian super-team, Alpha Flight.

Alpha Flight wasn't as "cosmic" as the Fantastic Four, and it certainly didn't have the history (having been created in 1961 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby). It was also not a favorite of Byrne himself as he has stated repeatedly in interviews. Nonetheless, I loved it simply because it was Byrne. The book may not have been Byrne's personal favorite, but it did have a strong fan following. Byrne only ended up doing the first 28 issues, but some might argue that his initial run climaxed with issue 12 - the death of Guardian. Fans were shocked and devastated. If most fans were like me, they were probably thinking "he'll be back". Surely it was just some stunt or trick to boost sales? But, unlike today's superhero comics, he was dead. Really dead. Forever.

When I got introduced to the world of original comic art, my first thought was to obtain some nice Byrne Fantastic Four art. It turned out that that wouldn't be so easy (as chronicled in my CFA-APA article for issue 62 link HERE). So in conjunction with my search for Fantastic Four pages, I happily added Alpha Flight pages to my collection. And not just any Alpha Flight pages, but pages from the famed issue 12! Here is the first one I obtained. I've posted it on this blog before, but always in a group with the other two pages in the sequence (see them together HERE). I thought these pages deserved their own post, so here is the first. (Pencils and inks by John Byrne. Click for larger image.)

Fantastic Four 253, Page 20

UPDATE: SOLD IN 2012!

I had nearly the entire issue of this book, but never planned to keep it. I sold all but this page. For years I had hunted down Byrne FF art, and I especially wanted a nice early page featuring inks done using "traditional" inking tools (i.e., pen and brush - all the later stuff was done with magic marker). I was finally able to buy an example, but had to buy all the pages together. That shows you how rare this stuff is. Ironically, after I purchased the near-complete book, early pages began hitting the market after all. Go figure. Anyway, great inking on this page - very detailed. Compare this to the later pages I have from the 260's and you'll see the difference. (click for larger image)

You can read about my hunt for John Byrne Fantastic Four art in some of my CFA-APA articles (click for link)

Fantastic Four 253, Page 10

UPDATE: SOLD IN 2012!

Here's another great page from FF 253 featuring Mr. Fantastic. This page dates to just around the time when John Byrne switched from traditional inking tools (pen and brush), to magic marker. These earlier pen and brush pages have much crisper inking. (click for larger image)

Fantastic Four 266 Cover

In all my years of comic art collecting, there has only been one piece I have regretted selling - this cover. Well, after it being absent from my collection for several years, it is finally back!

The story goes back a few years - another comic art collector friend and I were discussing John Byrne's Fantastic Four years, and we decided to choose our favorite covers. Our choices were very different, and somehow this cover came out as my top choice - a classic image that I fell in love with as soon as I saw the original comic book back in the mid-80's. He said "I bet you could find that one", and with his encouragement, I contacted a dealer friend to inquire if he knew where it might be (he being the guru of all things Byrne). Turns out he knew exactly where it was; at HIS house! Shortly thereafter, we made a deal and it was mine. I won't go into the foolish reasoning that got me to sell it after that, but suffice to say, I regretted it. Well, I was happy to right that wrong recently and get this baby home again.

This cover, depicting The Invisible Woman, The Thing, and Charisma, is done entirely in marker, which is typical for this period of Byrne art. One thing of note - the figures are HUGE on this cover - probably the largest figures on any of the covers he did during his stint on the Fantastic Four. I actually did the overlay on this cover the first time I owned it, since none of the lettering is actually on the art. I also tweaked the scan in Photoshop - the lettering is quite white compared to the paper stock of the art. I'm going to re-do the overlay and match the color with the paper stock. (click for larger image)

If you want to read more about this cover, John Byrne's run on the Fantastic Four, and my chase of John Byrne art, check out some of my CFA-APA articles (link).

Fantastic Four 253 2 Page Sequence

UPDATE: SOLD IN 2011!

Another killer couple of pages from FF 253. Featuring all four of the FF, a "Flame On!", Sue using her powers, and some really cool aliens. Love the inking on these pages! Classic stuff!! (click for larger image)

Fantastic Four 260

Sometimes you see a great piece of art but don't buy it. That was the case with this piece - it had been for sale for a long time with no takers. I knew that if it had sold, I'd have regretted not buying it. So after about 2 years, I finally made it happen. Great decision on my part - it's now one of my favorite John Byrne pieces in my collection! (pencils and inks by John Byrne. click for larger image)

Fantastic Four 264, pages 13 and 14

More greatness from John Byrne - vintage Fantastic Four pages from 1984!! These pages are from Byrne's "marker" period, which I used to look down on slightly. Recently, I've begun to have a change of heart. I really think this might be some of his best work. The earlier "pen and ink" FF pages certainly have a great line quality to them - they are very tight and crisp, but these later pages have a great energy to them. They're a bit looser, but I think Byrne's storytelling, anatomy, and layouts are better. I guess each period has it's own appeal - I'm glad to have examples of both. (click for larger image)

Fantastic Four 253 Pages!!

UPDATE: SOLD IN 2012!

Well, it seems I've come full circle in my collecting life. As outlined in my article for CFA-APA 62, owning a John Byrne Fantastic Four page is what set me down the path of collecting original art. Despite the fact that Byrne worked on over 60 issues, good pages are very scarce!! Over the years, I was able to acquire some nice pages, but all of them were from the later part of the run - the 260's, in which Byrne used marker to ink the pages. For the first time, I've finally been able to get a hold of some earlier pages from 253. These pages are all inked using the traditional "pens" (or crow quill), and they are amazing!! The inking is very crisp and detailed, and the blacks are very solid - a big difference from the later marker pages. Couple that with the great content - all four of the FF in battle, well, I couldn't ask for more.

Alpha Flight 28, Page 02

This page features some of the members of Omega Flight; Courtney (disguised as Guardian), Wild Child, Diamond Lil, and Flashback. On their way to cause trouble, no doubt... (Pencils and foreground inks John Byrne, background inks Keith Williams. Click for larger image.)

Alpha Flight 07

I wish I had bought all the Alpha Flight covers I was offered! I passed on a few good ones. At least I have the Alpha Flight 15 cover, and this one. I really enjoyed the Aurora character, and always liked this cover. (Pencils and inks John Byrne. Click for larger image.)