Heart Attack! Rom spaceknight 12 re-covered

This commission fan art piece just recently showed up on the internet today. Nicely done I must say! I like fan art that takes some imagination even if it's just about creating a different way to visualize a scene. There's something a little more to it then just ROM by himself flying in space or on an action pose I'm so burnt out on that shit it's like how many times can you re-invent the wheel? Not to mention that the artist here (Kevin Sharpe) really knows how to draw people this doesn't look amateurish at all. Also awesome is that this is classic ROM not IDW R.I.N.O. Now you might be saying to yourself you'd like to see this in color but I for one like it just fine in black n' white I was never a big fan of the original Jack of Hearts costume.

Some cool ROM related moments from the HULK

Left click to enlarge

I came across a copy of  Incredible Hulk#279 (Bill Mantlo & Mark Gruenwald) in the dollar bin yesterday at my local comic shop. In the opening splash page of the issue we see The Torpedo along with Sabra and Jack of Hearts among many other Marvel superheroes. The story line for this issue has to do with an award ceremony for the HULK in honor of his presidential pardon thanks to his Bruce Banner intellect now in control.
I actually really liked this issue outside of the splash page at first I thought it might end up being a bit tongue n' cheek but it wasn't really like that at all. Through out the issue we get guest appearances by a ton of Marvel superheroes many of which from various countries around the world. It was actually pretty heart felt, my favorite moments were with Rick Jones in which Jones laments the absence of the late Captain Marvel.

Some of you may remember the battle Rom had with The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants from ROM#31. If so you may also remember that Avalanche was in that issue with his arms all busted up. Well you can find out how that happened to him in this HULK 263 (Bill Mantlo &, Sal Buscema, Al Milgrom) review:
http://www.supermegamonkey.net/chronocomic/entries/hulk_263.shtml

P.S. Bruce, remember not to look at the quality grading on this issue it'll probably upset you.

On hiatus

Rom spaceknight sketch sheets by Manny Clark

Rom has such a simply designed head piece but that still doesn't mean that there isn't a right way and a wrong way to draw a serious and well done rendering of him. Often it has mostly to do with the "eyes". If you fuck up his eyes it tends to ruin the rest of his "face".This guy gets it. His style here is similar to that of legendary Rom artist Sal Buscema but it's just different enough to tell the two styles apart. Here's an example of how not to draw Rom's head: http://ohotmuredux.blogspot.com/search?q=rom
I think this one could have been a great piece if Rom's head and eyes had been done better:  http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=934995&GSub=64920

And if you haven't read it already Marvel Team Up #134 (1983) which  was written by Bill Mantlo can be read in it's entirety online here: http://mailittoteamup.blogspot.com/2012/08/marvel-team-up-from-to-z-marvel-team-up_21.html
Highly recommended reading!
And with that I bid you all farewell for a while. I started a new job as a crew member a couple of weeks ago for an oil recovery vessel the San Francisco Bay. It's a temporary gig (till mid Dec.) but if all goes well it will lead to more long term assignments. So far it's going well and I'm learning a lot but the hours are taking some getting used to. I'm working 10 hour days and some weekends. Just last week I worked 58 hours. I'm just too burnt out for blogging right now and things have been pretty quiet here lately anyways so this is probably a good stopping point for now.

The most subtle ROM reference in a Marvel title ever I think

Fantastic Four 216 (1980) left click to enlarge

Looks like I'm back sooner then I expected. Can you spot the ROM reference here? Also take note that Marv Wolfman and Bill Mantlo wrote this issue. Which leads me to my next feature in this posting compliments of Gary Martin "a Rom curator".

Marvel Fun and Games (1979) left click to enlarge

Marv Wolfman co created The Torpedo with Bob Brown. His first appearance in ROM was in issue 21 (1981) so it would not surprise me at all if Wolfman and Mantlo were aleady collaborating on the concept of having The Torpedo be a regular fixture in the ROM spaceknight series when they worked on FF 216 together the year before. Also present in this name match puzzle is the Jack of Hearts who was created by Bill Mantlo. And in case you didn't see this recent posting elsewhere about the Torpedo's career in the Marvel Universe: http://www.armagideon-time.com/?p=7459

Just thought I'd throw this Marvel Age calendar date in this posting. As you know Bill Mantlo was the regular writer on Alpha Flight (issues 30-41)  for a while aside from the multitude of other Marvel titles during his amazing career .

Next up, THE TERMINATOR!