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Jason Czeskleba
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Joined: 30 April 2004
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Posted: 05 December 2023 at 1:31am | IP Logged | 1 post reply

 Doug Centers wrote:
I remember reading once where Stan said something to the effect of "Avoid showing the backs of the Heroes on the cover"

And an apparent corollary is "Really avoid emphasizing the hero's ass."

Original (unused in US) cover for Spider-Man #35 by Ditko:

Published cover with Spidey redrawn by Kirby:



Edited by Jason Czeskleba on 05 December 2023 at 1:40am
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Jason Czeskleba
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Posted: 05 December 2023 at 1:36am | IP Logged | 2 post reply

Regarding the unused cover for Amazing Fantasy #15 (posted back on page three of this thread) Ditko's comments about the differences are perceptive.  I prefer Ditko's cover, myself.

“I drew the cover from a subjective viewpoint. I wanted to put the reader/viewer up front with the swinging Spider-Man, to be a part of the activity, to see and realize the danger in falling, in having a sense of swinging along with Spider-Man.”

“Stan rejected it for a more heroic S-M action an objective viewpoint, the viewer not up there with S-M.”

Steve Ditko (2013)

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Dave B Stewart
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Joined: 27 May 2004
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Posted: 05 December 2023 at 8:39pm | IP Logged | 3 post reply

Where in the world is that Ditko quote from?
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John Byrne
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Joined: 11 May 2005
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Posted: 05 December 2023 at 8:44pm | IP Logged | 4 post reply

Do you have any behind-the-scenes information on why the beautiful X-Factor #2 cover you created was not used (and why the final version is almost identical to your work)?

•••

The Whim of Iron was in full force in those days. Shooter’s guiding principle seemed to be CHANGE IT! No matter what “it” was.

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Matt Hawes
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Joined: 16 April 2004
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Posted: 06 December 2023 at 1:22am | IP Logged | 5 post reply

Kevin, thanks for sharing that cover to "X-Factor" #2! I never saw it before! Cool!
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Rebecca Jansen
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Joined: 12 February 2018
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Posted: 06 December 2023 at 2:40am | IP Logged | 6 post reply

The uniforms on the unused X-Factor cover look different (and better, more subtle).
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Kevin Ricci
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Posted: 06 December 2023 at 11:19am | IP Logged | 7 post reply

Thank you, Mr. Byrne! (and very welcome, Matt!)

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John Byrne
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Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
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Posted: 06 December 2023 at 6:15pm | IP Logged | 8 post reply

Just googled the version of that X-FACTOR cover that was used, and I am bewildered!
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Joe Smith
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Posted: 06 December 2023 at 8:55pm | IP Logged | 9 post reply

seems like a “WWJBD“. (what would John Byrne do?)”
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Dave Kopperman
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Posted: 06 December 2023 at 10:01pm | IP Logged | 10 post reply

Really trying to see why the original X-Factor was redrawn and I, too, can't see much of any difference.  It'd be one thing if the kept the overall composition but changed the camera angle, or something, but even that's pretty much identically placed.  Odd.
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Jason K Fulton
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Joined: 23 September 2016
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Posted: 06 December 2023 at 10:25pm | IP Logged | 11 post reply

JB - are there any scenarios where you would have accepted the X-FACTOR assignment (writer, artist, or both) if it had been offered at the time?
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John Byrne
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Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
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Posted: 07 December 2023 at 12:15am | IP Logged | 12 post reply

Not with the degree of interference I was seeing from….. certain quarters.
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