Inktober comes just once a year, unless you're doing Inktober 52 (which I am). This year I chose not to follow the prompts but instead I would redraw Comic book covers from Marvel and the Silver-age (So I didn't have endless choices to make). I also miscounted so there are 32 not 31.
Antman and the Wasp
Where better to start with as, Hank Pym is actually the first Silver Age character. But not Antman, he debuted in one of Marvel's Sci-Fi Horror stories about a scientist who invented a shrinking potion and had to be friend the Ants to survive. Original cover Tales to Astonish 44. (Also the only one I signed because after this one it felt wrong signing work that was a copy of another artists).
Black Panther
I think the real reason for the Fox/Disney merger was so that the MCU could continue without constant legal battles. With Fox owning the Fantastic Four and all of Marvel spinning out from there (Fantastic Four had the first appearances of The Kree, The Skrulls, Galactus, the Microverse, The Inhumans and The Black Panther). Fox's Lawyers could make legitimate claims to most of Marvel's characters.
Also this bugs me about the Jack Kirby era, every scientist has the same style of technology, Wakanda is isolated from the rest of the world yet, their advanced technology is identical to Mr Fantastic's and Dr Doom's. Thankfully later artists gave Wakanda a more Afro-Futurist style and Doom a more Gothic style.
Original Fantastic Four 52
The Black Widow
The Black Widow was originally Iron Man's Archenemy. Well during the Don Heck run, Ditko's era which introduced the Red and Gold armour had the Mandarin and Jack Kirby's was short-lived because he had new series to start.
Don Heck tended to get the table scraps left over after Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, which might surprise MCU fans that Iron Man was not popular enough to keep Tales of Suspense instead the series went to Captain America.
Original Tales of Suspense 53.
The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants
Silver-Age X-men is Jack Kirby's Other book, While Fantastic Four was the flagship series (until Jack left Marvel). I'm sure Jack forgot to draw Quicksilver and then had to add him in later. The line up is of course Magneto in the centre, Toad in Beige, Quicksilver just back from answering the door bell, Scarlet Witch in Green and Mastermind as the other guy also in green.
Original X-men 4
Captain America
I thought about excluding Captain America as he debuted in the Golden Age, but after a backdoor pilot in Strange Tales (Human Torch's solo book). Marvel decided to retcon out the 1950's Anti-Commie Cap and reveal he had been frozen since World War 2.
PS the Issue of Strange Tales didn't actually have Captain America in it, just the minor villain the Acrobat wearing his costume.
Original Avengers 4
Captain Marvel
Carol Danvers was originally a human sidekick to this guy Mar-Vell. A Kree Warrior hiding on Earth.
People who only know the movies will think Mar-Vell is a woman, but nope originally a man. Probably for the best they made that change.
Still I love this original costume, his later Red and Blue makes it more obvious that he's a Superman knock off. Also Stan Lee's Just Imagine Superman was just a rehashed Captain Mar-Vell
Original Marvel Superheroes 12
Daredevil
What else can be said other than oh Wally Wood. I saw this cover and had to redraw it. I wanted to do the original yellow costume and well this is perfect. My favourite feature of it is the 2 on-lookers who are not impressed with these Superhero shenanigans.
Original Daredevil 5
Doctor Doom
Kneel before the most feared man in the world. The greatest of all Supervillains. I could have chosen from a few different covers. But Doom holding his most hated enemies in his hand toying with them just fits him.
Original Fantastic Four 16
Dormammu
The Dread Dormammu of the Dark Dimension. For Doctor Strange see "S" for "Stephen Strange". (Shame I couldn't find any Steve Ditko full covers for Dormammu, Strange Tales either had The Human Torch getting the cover or had a split cover. Later the series alternated between Dr Strange and Nick Fury being the cover story).
Original Dr Strange 173
The Enchantress
I wanted to do a female Villain and she was the first one that came to mind. That said I also did the Hela who stole her Executioner for the movie Thor Ragnarok. Also I think in the originals background we see some proto-Kirby Crackle
Original Journey into Mystery 103
The Fantastic Four
Marvel's First Family that nobody knows how to adapt. This cover with them in the "Flying Bathtub", is just so iconic. So iconic nobody can remember the name of the villain in the story. He's a magician, also Fun Fact this was the first American comic book Alan Moore ever read.
Galactus
He eats planets!!!
Original Fantastic Four 49
The Green Goblin
One of the first John Romita Sr covers, shame his son isn't as good at drawing.
Original Amazing Spider-man 39
Hela
Yeah I only coloured of the back ground that's Loki's face, but I thought this was about inking not colours.
Also I chose Hela and Enchantress over the Thor Villain Ego the Living Planet. (What can I say with 31 spots not everyone makes the cut).
Original Thor 150
Hulk
I love the Hulk, so much I thought about doing 2 Hulk covers. Unfortunately I don't think any of Hulk's supporting cast I could justify doing a cover for except The Abomination, but he only appeared on a comic cover after 1972 my cut off point.
Original Hulk 1 (the shortest lived Silver Age Marvel series at 6 issues and then cancellation)
The Inhumans
It would be controversial to include them and not include them. So enjoy Crystal, Lockjaw and Blackbolt.
Original Fantastic Four 46
Iron Man
Scroll past this one quick!!
Original Tales of Suspense 39
J Jonah Jameson
Because I know you opened this looking for pictures of Spider-man
Original Amazing Spider-man 52
Kang The Conqueror
Yeah he made the cut because of the rumours of him being the MCU Phase 4's main villain. Sorry Hawkeye but you and the rest of Cap's Kooky Quartet appear on this cover.
Original Avengers 23
Loki
Yeah I know there isn't much Loki, but the cover for Avengers 1 is famous. Also look and Iron man in his crappy clunker armour trying to touch his toes. Yeah that'll scare off a supervillain calisthenics. If you want more Loki comment on this blog with "More Loki" at least four times, less than that and I won't think you want it enough.
Original Avengers 1
Mary Jane
Gwen Stacy only appeared on one cover before her death (which ended the Silver-Age). So Spider-man's love interest won out. Also this might be my laziest not only have I not coloured the background theres a second goon who I just haven't drawn. Space gets cramped and I only have an A4 Scanner (the originals were done on much bigger drawing boards around A2)
Original Amazing Spider-man 59
Mysterio
I knew I had to do at least one Steve Ditko Spidey cover. For Spider-man's Rogue's I had found a Green Goblin and a Dr Octopus from Romita Sr's tenure. The Kingpin and the Rhino debuted during Romita's run so I was a bit stuck. So Mysterio made the list. Sandman was also considered.
Original Amazing Spider-man 13
Namor
Like Captain America a Golden Age character who got reintroduced in the Silver Age. This story also massively retcon's his past, after the Human Torch shaves a homeless man who turns out to be the Anti-Hero. Namor returns to Atlantis for revenge against the surface dwellers. Did you spot the Retcon? Bill Everrett (The Writer and Artist for Golden Age Namor) specifically said Namor was not from Atlantis because he thought Atlantis was a real place.
Original Fantastic Four 4
Nick Fury
I had to do a Steranko cover. Also while drawing this I noticed a lot of similarities between Steranko and Rob Liefeld. Like weird poses, pouches everywhere and Guns that make no sense at all.
Original Strange Tales 167
Dr Octopus
This has shades of GCSE Art, and it looks like a piece that would only get a C at best. Oh well I tried, I admit Romita Sr is a better artist than me. But Imagine his son drawing this, it'd be squarer and more awkward.
Original Amazing Spider-man 55
Peter Parker
I had a few iconic choices for Spider-man, like Amazing Fantasy 15 or Amazing Spider-man 1 or 33.
In the end I like this one because it has Spider-man and Peter Parker together.
Original Amazing Spider-man 50
The Red Skull
That is not the Tesseract or the Space Stone, it's the Cosmic Cube.
Sorry the Infinity Saga making other artifacts from the comics into Infinity stones annoys me, especially when the artifacts do completely different things like The Cosmic Cube can rewrite reality, the Eye of Agamotto increases the Sorcerer Supremes power (nothing to do with time travel).
Original Captain America 115
The Silver Surfer
John Buscema would replace Jack Kirby as the architect of the Marvel Universe. PS If you like drawing comics totally read How to Draw Comics the Marvel way.
Original Silver Surfer 1
Dr Strange
I wish I could've done another Dr Strange by Steve Ditko, but him having a chat with Eternity will have to be the only one.
That said I was tempted to draw the issue of Strange Tales where the Human Torch and the Thing meet The Beatles (I love the Beatles ok!).
Original Strange Tales 146
Thor
I drew the pose and couldn't figure out what of the background to keep so here he is thwaking Korg. (Yes that is Korg).
Original Journey into Mystery 83
Vision
God that is a lot of Red!!! No Ultron because the MCU wasted James Spader. (Also I didn't want to get into the whole Ultron being evil because Tony Stark bullied Hank Pym because the movie had Stark make Ultron).
The X-men
Do I need to say anything? Other than what is Jean Grey doing? Did Jack Kirby forget to draw her? Seems about right as this era of X-men she seemed to only exist for the boys to fight over.
Original (Uncanny) X-men 1
