Sometimes when I reflect on Bill Mantlo’s legacy it’s not just about what was, but also about what could have been under different circumstances. A big thanks to Greek artist and friend Kapandias Nikolaos for helping make this imaginary cover art possible. Like many of you we sure do wish it had been a published hard copy found on a spinner rack back in the day.
And speaking of spinner racks. I'm sure you've all seen this photo before with this George Lucas looking guy it's been posted all over social media countless times over the years. By chance I recently found this color version on X/twitter.
Back to more collaboration fan art with my before mentioned Greek friend. I dressed up some fan art of his from 2021 to make a ROM Annual 3 cover variant. Now, no disrespect to Bill Sienkiewicz who did the original cover art we all still very much love. It's just that a different interpretation some times can be interesting and enjoyable as well.
If you grew up in the 80s and don't remember the show Airwolf, well I don't know what to say because I sure do remember it. Back when ROM annual 3 came out I noticed something very familiar about the helmets featured for the Wraith Hunter Rangers. I would find it hard to believe that redesign concept was not directly influenced that cool helmet design from the show.
Also, my hypothetical Tales to Astonish publishing those untold Mantlo stories would be penciled by just about any other artist other then Steve Ditko. Sal Buscema ofcourse would have been ideal but Bob Layton would have been a good alternative. The same Bob Layton who did this spectacular SABRA commission late last year.
I also have a message for marvel studios because even though the opening weekend of Captain America Brave New World is not quite over we can already do a post mortem. Well you idiots caved in to the BDShole woke antisemitic mob and how did that work out for ya? But that still didn't keep the hamas supporters from harassing Shira Hass at the premier in LA. Did you people learn nothing from the last election and see how all the double talk from the democrats on the war in gaza was just pissing every one off on both sides!? Like Nick Fury said in Captain Marvel ..."pick a side".
I mean Shira Hass was a questionable person for the role in the first place given that she looks like she's barely old enough to drive but was playing a character who's traded punches with the HULK in the comics. But you people really screwed this all up even worse then expected. And Marvel/Disney has got another money losing disaster over the horizon in the form of the semi live action Snow Woke film. Just as gaza has brought all this misery and destruction on it's self as a result of the October 7th terror attack, you've done much the same with your financial miseries and brand destruction. Well deserved in each case!
Instead of wasting your money on Captain America Brave New Whatever, just watch this instead. It's free, a better use of your time and I heard it has better CGI effects.
February 27th Update: Holy shit I just heard the news about Gene Hackman, his wife and their dog having been found dead in their New Mexico home! I don't even know where to start with this one. My personal favorite Gene Hackman films are Superman I and 2, The Unforgiven, Crimson Tide, The Firm and The Poseidon Adventure. My all three of them rest in peace.
April 1st Update: And here we go again with the loss of another iconic actor for early 2025. My all time favorite Val Kilmer films are Top Secret, HEAT and Tombstone. Top Gun was good in a cheesy 80s action drama kinda way but Mavrick really ended up far exceeding my expectations for a sequel to a movie like Top Gun could be. I'm so glad Val Kilmer was at least healthy enough at the time for that heart warming scene between him and Tom Cruise it was one of those great moments that made Maverick so damn good. In terms of science fiction, Val Kilmer was in the film Red Planet. Not at all a bad film although not as good as other Mars based films like Mission To Mars and The Martian.
It seems years of nagging my fellow artist and friend about trying out doing some sketch card fan art has finally paid off, and in a big way. He cranked out a bunch of these awesome kick ass business card sized fan art pieces over the course of just a couple weeks. You might say the ones you see above are the Bill Mantlo subset collection but there's many many more . . .
What I posted here are just a few samples, there's nearly a dozen in all check em out over at his deviant art gallery...
I was browsing at one of those over sized hard bound Marvel encyclopedia books a couple weeks ago when something occurred me when I was looking at Sabra's bio. Writers for comic books actually have a better grip on reality then leftist antisemites do. You see up there where it reads "BASE Jerusalem Israel"? One of the things antisemites love to ramble on about on social media is how Jerusalem is actually in "palestine". And that's despite "palestine" not being listed on virtually any geographic map or even on whatever GPS app that is on your phone. Ya see even within the fictional world of The Marvel Universe there are certain basic facts that are a reflection of the real world such as the existence of gravity or that the planet earth is round and not flat. Another basic fact, Jerusalem ISRAEL nuff said.
If you're any kind of Marvel 80s fan then you shouldn't have too much trouble figuring out the cover art this commission fan art piece by artist Carlos Franco is based on.
August 9th Update: A big thanks to Eclectic Lee for the heads up on this dire wraith reference made in the pages of Avengers Annual 13 (1984). I love it when this kinda nostalgic 80s stuff turns up, it's right up there with the discovery of great new ROM related fan art.
So here we have a panel containing some Easter eggs from the 1998 Fantastic Four X-Men crossover annual which I'd never heard of until Gary Martin Jr. "a Rom curator" (thanks Gary) sent this my way. Just to be clear the Easter eggs were placed in this panel just for shits n' giggles it makes no sense from a story stand point that ROM's neutralizer and anal-yzer would be in this store room on Earth years after the events of the ROM spaceknight comic book series.
Most of you have heard of this Venom spaceknight crap by now. Even if there's any sort of ROM related continuity to it which I doubt, I assure you it'll be as irrelevant as the brief Hybrid appearance or that "Disavowed of Galadoria" (renegade spaceknights from Nova 15 vol. 5) crap from last year. It's much to do about nothing as I'm sure will be the rumors about a new spaceknight mini-series (see previous posting). I hate to be Mr. Doom and Gloom here folks but the decision makers at both marvel and hasbro thus far have shown no real interest in ever resolving the insufferable rights issue which means cool fan art and some uncovered treasures from the past are mostly all we're ever going to have to look forward to. However . . .
Can you find the ROM Easter Egg on this cover?
On some what of a high note we do have something coming from a publisher that has not been one to shy away from printing ROM's image in the last year or so (legal issues be damned!). As if October wasn't a long enough wait as it is the release date for this has now been pushed back to December (sigh). Anyways, I would urge you all to take a few moments to read the synopsis of this book and why ROM fans and in general fans of Marvel Comics from the mid 70s to mid 80s should look forward to it. http://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=133&products_id=1195&zenid=df6urmb7iptt78l6qbbidkrq82
July 10th Update:
For those of you getting all excited about the alleged IDWPublishing advert for ROM & The Micronauts in 2016 you might want to take a cold shower for now. There's some things you need to consider first. See the opening remarks in the comments section.
July 13th Update:
Believe me folks the irony of this news from IDW coming on the heels of this posting about a gloomy forecast for ROM return prospects is not at all lost on me : ) But now that we know it's not a hoax I have 2 words for IDW . . "good luck" . . to be followed up with 3 words . . "don't fuck up". Although it appears I may have been a bit too harsh with Hasbro over the last year about they're efforts to facilitate his return in comics I still think their ROM heromugg doll blows. As for marvel, fuck you and your no ROM having supposed upcoming spaceknight mini-series no one gives a shit about that any more then they do about your lame ass Venom spaceNOT garbage. On this blog marvel is a Persian messenger and I'm the King of Sparta.
