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Eric Jansen
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Joined: 27 October 2013
Location: United States
Posts: 2291
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| Posted: 22 October 2019 at 3:35am | IP Logged | 1
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Talking about Alan Brennert a week or two ago on one of the threads--and his twelve (great) DC scripts in the 80's--made me start wondering about other "12-Hit Wonders" out there. They can be writers, pencilers, or inkers, and they can have around twelve (ten? fifteen?) published comics. They were talented enough to make their memorable mark but they didn't quite stick around long enough to amass a large body of work. The first two that come to mind are...
ALAN WEISS--He's a fantastic penciler with really tight details but somehow he didn't become a superstar. He didn't really disappear either, but his 12 or so issues (that I know of) are spread out over forty years. He did one or two issues of CAPTAIN AMERICA, a MARVEL FANFARE or two, one great issue of SHAZAM!, he had an Epic mini-series (four issues?) of STEELGRIP SHARKEY, he did a couple of issues for Defiant (or was it Valiant?), he did a number of short back-up chapters for Alan Moore's YOUNG TOM STRONG, and the last I saw was a CAPTAIN TRIUMPH 8(?)-pager in one of those "NEXT ISSUE PROJECT" issues Image did (continuing a cancelled Golden Age series for one more issue). And he also penciled an issue of WARLOCK that didn't make it to print (as the series was cancelled). I guess that adds up to more than twelve, but a lot of these were short. He did keep in the public eye by doing a fantastic cover every so often, but, aside from that, anybody have any insight as to what the deal was?
DAVE STEVENS--Of course, we all know about Dave Stevens! His ROCKETEER was glorious to look at--but was that it, as far as comic stories go? He did some amazing covers and pin-up work, and I know he did some uncredited work on the first STAR WARS adaptation (issue #6 only?), but I don't recall any non-Rocketeer story--was there? I know he did some work in animation and film, and I saw him at least a couple of times at Comic-Con selling high-end framed artwork--was that the deal? Was he just too successful outside of printed comics?
Anybody have anything to share about these talented people? Can you think of other "12-Hit Wonders" that deserve mention?
Edited by Eric Jansen on 22 October 2019 at 3:42am
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Brian Hague
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Joined: 14 November 2006
Posts: 8515
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| Posted: 22 October 2019 at 6:59am | IP Logged | 2
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Dave Stevens has a story in Pacific Comics' Alien Worlds issue #2, re-scripted by Bruce Jones ("Aurora") and inked the lead feature in #4 ("Pandora Pam".) He also inked a story in Alien Worlds 3-D #1 ("Fair Play".) He inked the Will Meuginot "Herculoids" story in Marvel's Hanna-Barbera TV Stars #3 and did an inking assist on What If #16 ("What If Shang Chi Master of Kung Fu Fought On the Side of Fu Manchu?") and helped out with the Marvel Star Wars and ROTJ adaptations. He did a small number of underground-style stories featuring the character Kosmo Kat for Mike Friedrich's "Quack" in the mid-70's. And of course, he did the illustrations for Catwoman, Phantom Lady, and Dolphin in DC's "Who's Who."
"Aurora" was originally intended as a "Heavy Metal"-style feature for a Japanese publishing company and so has filler art across the top of the page to even it out for American page size.
In an interview with Comic Book Artist magazine, Stevens tells of a pitch he made to DC in the mid-90's featuring a team-up of the Rocketeer and the 1938 Superman, which DC wasn't keen on doing*. Also, Dark Horse could have published another three issues of the Rocketeer but opted out. Absolutely heart-breaking.
* A foolish continuity is the hobgoblin of little minds...
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James Woodcock
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Joined: 21 September 2007
Location: United Kingdom
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| Posted: 22 October 2019 at 8:07am | IP Logged | 3
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I used to love the work by Alan Weiss and never understood why he was used so little. My brain put it down to the level of detail making him so slow.Zero evidence to this, just 100% made up
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Peter Hicks
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Joined: 30 April 2004
Location: Canada
Posts: 1886
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| Posted: 22 October 2019 at 8:48am | IP Logged | 4
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Jim Steranko didn't really do much volume of material. All those issues of Strange Tales were only 12 page stories. A couple of issues of Nick Fury, a couple of issues of Captain America, and he was gone.John Totleben did maybe 3 years on Swamp Thing, one year of Miracleman, and then pretty much stopped producing. I understand in his case there were some vision problems that played into that.
Edited by Peter Hicks on 22 October 2019 at 8:49am
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Peter Martin
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Joined: 17 March 2008
Location: Canada
Posts: 15775
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| Posted: 22 October 2019 at 8:51am | IP Logged | 5
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Coincidentally, I was just yesterday looking at the art of Sandy Plunkett, who did some great entries for the Deluxe OHOTMU in 1986/87 and came across a couple of Defenders covers that he did with inks by Alan Weiss.
No idea about the whole of Plunkett's work in comics, but the stuff he did for Marvel seemed to be pretty contained. Googling it, seems to suggest somewhere in the region of 12 comics pencilled for Marvel, along with some covers and those OHOTMU entries.
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Dave Kopperman
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Joined: 27 December 2004
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Posts: 3135
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| Posted: 22 October 2019 at 9:04am | IP Logged | 6
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Steranko definitely feels like the king of this category. Trevor Von Eeden comes to mind as someone I always wanted to see more from - and a number of other artists from the early 80's who I thought we all timers that never really became a thing in the larger public eye: Tony Salmons, Bret Blevins, Cyntha Martin - and edited to add Frank Cirocco.
Edited by Dave Kopperman on 22 October 2019 at 9:07am
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Jason Larouse
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Joined: 10 May 2011
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| Posted: 22 October 2019 at 9:27am | IP Logged | 7
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How many full interior issues did Art Adams draw? I don't think it was that many.
Edit: Also Bernard Krigstein definitely fits this.
Edited by Jason Larouse on 22 October 2019 at 9:29am
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Peter Martin
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| Posted: 22 October 2019 at 9:39am | IP Logged | 8
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It certainly seems like Art Adams has done very little (especially considering the decades he's been a pro), but I suspect it adds up to 20+.
6 issues of Longshot alone. A few- X-Factors. A few Hulks. A few FFs. Several annuals (OK, OK, so I googled it in the end. About 40 issues for Marvel).
Edited by Peter Martin on 22 October 2019 at 9:39am
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Brian Rhodes
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Joined: 19 April 2004
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| Posted: 22 October 2019 at 10:56am | IP Logged | 9
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I enjoyed Steve Geiger's brief penciling stint on The Incredible Hulk. This was when Al Milgrom took over the book after JB left, when the Gray Hulk hit the scene. Around the time Peter David sat in the writer's chair, they handed art over to some young upstart named Todd McFarlane.
Seems Mr. Geiger was only active - with Marvel, anyway - for a short time. Less than 30 credits show.
Edited by Brian Rhodes on 22 October 2019 at 11:00am
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Brian Miller
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| Posted: 22 October 2019 at 12:26pm | IP Logged | 10
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Bret Blevins drew NEW MUTANTS for quite some time. Inked by some upstart named Terry Austin.
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Brian Miller
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| Posted: 22 October 2019 at 12:34pm | IP Logged | 11
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A quick search tells me he was on NM from 55 to 83. Sept, '87 to Dec '89. There were a handful of fill-ins*, but I'd say that's a pretty good run.
*JB pencilled one of them.
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James Woodcock
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| Posted: 22 October 2019 at 3:36pm | IP Logged | 12
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Cynthia Martin. Yes. She was so unusual & took some time getting used to but by the time Star Wars ended I was well on board with her style. I think the Luke/Lumya duel was what cemented her art for me.
& then she was gone.
Missed
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