Images from the 1943 Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office
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(Next post on Monday: Jim Novak, Letterer)
Monday, December 27, 2021
Monday, December 20, 2021
Under Cover: Marvel By Design—The Index and Art Credits
Marvel By Design: Graphic Design Strategies of the World’s Greatest Comics Company is published by Gestalten. The book has excellent design and superb printing. This post is about the index and amount of art selected per artist.
The index, in general, is arranged alphabetically by chapter title. Each chapter has a numerical list of art exhibits with or without art and writing credits. Here are the indexed chapters in order of appearance.
A Brief History of Marvel
An Oral History of Dawn of X
How Marvel Became Marvel
Introduction: The Art of Designing Marvel
Marvel Beyond Marvel
Marvel’s Type
The Graphic Elements: Color Palettes
The Graphic Elements: Covers
The Graphic Elements in Focus: Black Panther
The Graphic Elements in Focus: Black Widow
The Graphic Elements in Focus: Captain America
The Graphic Elements in Focus: Captain Marvel & Ms. Marvel
The Graphic Elements in Focus: Fantastic Four
The Graphic Elements in Focus: Iron Man
The Graphic Elements in Focus: Spider-Man
The Graphic Elements in Focus: Storm
The Graphic Elements in Focus: The Winter Soldier
The Graphic Elements in Focus: Thor
The Graphic Elements: Layouts
The Graphic Elements: Lettering
The Graphic Elements: Logos
The Marvel Method: Then and Now
A lot of people made Marvel Comics what it was and is today and they deserve to be credited for their work. In the book there is room under every exhibit for a name or names. Instead, you have to look in the index for the credits which may or may not include names. For example, on page 39 of “The Graphic Elements: Covers” chapter is Jack Kirby’s cover for The X-Men #1. The index says “Uncanny X-Men (1963) #1 September 1, 1963” without crediting Kirby. The index for this chapter lists 101 covers (12 by Kirby) and credits just 33 artists.
Here is a tally, with sources, of art by Jack Kirby who, sometimes, wasn’t credited in the text and index. Additions and corrections welcomed.
Cover: Captain America–Captain America #109, January 1969
Page:/Exhibit Number–/Source
5: 1–The Avengers #3, January 1964
12: 2–Red Raven Comics #1, August 1940
22: 22–Marvel Treasury Special Featuring Captain America’s Bicentennial Battles #1, September 1976; index says Captain America Bicentennial Battles
39: 1–The X-Men #1, September 1963; index says Uncanny X-Men
41: 8–Captain America Comics #1, March 1941; 15–Tales of Suspense #4, July 1959
42: 16–Tales to Astonish! #1, January 1959; 19–Strange Tales #97, June 1962; 20–Journey Into Mystery #89, February 1963; 21-The Incredible Hulk #1, May 1962
43: 28–The X-Men #17, February 1966; index says Uncanny X-Men
44: 29 (corner box)–Sub-Mariner #1, May 1968
45: 32 (corner box)–Captain America #111, March 1969
46: 33 (corner box)–Silver Surfer #1, August 1968
47: 34 (corner box)–The Invincible Iron Man #1, May 1968
48: 35–Fantastic Four #33, December 1964
51: 53–Daredevil #1, April 1964 (with Bill Everett); 57–Tales of Suspense #39, March 1963
70: 3–The Avengers #4, March 1964
71: 5–Fantastic Four #51, June 1966
96: 66–Captain America Comics #1, March 1941
98: 72–Tales to Astonish #16, February 1961
100: 78–The Avengers #1, September 1963
102: 81–Captain America Comics #6, September 1941
131: 1–The Fantastic Four #1, November 1961
136: 5, 6, 7–Captain America Comics #1, March 1941; letterer Howard Ferguson not credited for exhibit number 8 in the index
140: 16–Strange Tales #97, June 1962
142: 24, 25–The Avengers #1, September 1963
143: 27–The X-Men #1, September 1963; index says Uncanny X-Men
144: 29, 31, 32, 33–The Incredible Hulk #1, May 1962; 30–The Incredible Hulk #2, July 1962
145: 34, 36–The Fantastic Four #1, November 1961; 35–Fantastic Four #14, May 1963; 37–Fantastic Four #51, June 1966
146: 42–Fantastic Four #51, June 1966; caption does not use the term Kirby Krackle
160: several panels are based on Kirby art
176: 83–The Fantastic Four #1, November 1961
189: 195–The Fantastic Four #1, November 1961
211: 1–The Mighty Thor #158, November 1968; not listed in the index
212: 1–The Fantastic Four #1, November 1961; 3–The Fantastic Four #6, September 1962
214: 7–Fantastic Four #17, August 1963; 8–Fantastic Four #71, February 1968; 9–Fantastic Four #106, November 1971
215: 20–The Fantastic Four #7, October 1962; 21–Fantastic Four #17, August 1963; 22–Fantastic Four #26, May 1964; 23–Fantastic Four #48, March 1966; 24–Fantastic Four #71, February 1968; 25–Fantastic Four #72, March 1968
220: 1–Tales of Suspense #39, March 1963; 2–Tales of Suspense #48, December 1963
224: 24–The Invincible Iron Man #1, May 1968; 25–Tales of Suspense #57, September 1964
227: 36 (corner box)–he Invincible Iron Man #33, January 1971; 37 (corner circle)–The Invincible Iron Man #46, May 1972; 38 (corner circle)–The Invincible Iron Man #71, November 1974
234: 1–Captain America Comics #1, March 1941; 2–The Avengers #10, November 1964; index credits Avengers Classic #10, May 2008, which reprinted The Avengers #10
238: 31–Captain America #100, April 1968; 35–Captain America Comics #1, March 1941; 36–Captain America #100, April 1968; 37–Captain America #109, January 1969
242: 1–Journey Into Mystery #83, August 1962
245: 19–Journey Into Mystery #89, February 1963; 20–Journey Into Mystery #123, December 1965; 21–Journey Into Mystery #125, February 1966; 22–The Mighty Thor #141, June 1967
246: 23–The Mighty Thor #154, July 1968
247: 24–Journey Into Mystery #104, May 1964; 25–Journey Into Mystery #125, February 1966; 26–The Mighty Thor #141, June 1967
248: 39–The Mighty Thor #156, September 1968; 40 (corner box and background art)–The Mighty Thor #169, October 1969
250: 1, 3, 4–Fantastic Four #52, July 1966
256: 29–Fantastic Four #52, July 1966
262: 22–Tales of Suspense #53, May 1964
264: 1–Amazing Fantasy #15, August 1962
270: 45–The Amazing Spider-Man #1, March 1963
Below is an art tally for selected artists. Figures in parentheses represent the number of exhibits on a page. Additions and corrections welcomed.
Jim Steranko, pages 6, 21, 42, 45 (3), 61, 66, 72 (2), 75, 78, 82, 88, 89, 91, 94, 98, 124–text about the X-Men logo, 140 (4), 143 (3), 149 (2)
John Romita, pages pages 16, 32–photo, 49, 60, 96, 142, 258, 261, 262, 266, 270 (3), 272, 274, 275
Steve Ditko, pages, 16, 17, 49, 70, 72, 75, 98, 140, 141, 190, 268, 269, 270 (3)
Walt Simonson, pages 23, 50, 55, 76, 112, 151 (5), 242, 247 (2), 248 (3)
Frank Miller, pages 53 (3), 55, 81, 82, 84, 85, 95, 97, 150 (7), 262
John Buscema, pages 42, 44, 46, 48, 74*, 77*, 99, 133*, 146* (3). *Index erroneously credits Gene Colan as the artist on The Silver Surfer #1, August 1968.
John Byrne, cover–Black Panther, pages 47, 50 (2), 52, 54, 55 (3), 102, 111
Gene Colan, pages 42 (2), 47, 48 (2), 49 (3), 220
Don Heck, pages 31, 96, 147 (3), 258
Gil Kane, pages 86, 201, 234, 256
Dave Cockrum, pages 17, 230, 232
Alex Schomburg, pages 14 (2), 15 (3), 41
Bill Sienkiewicz, pages 55, 92, 103
Bill Everett, pages: 51, 80, 134
Russ Heath, pages 15, 41
Marie Severin, pages 21, 74
Jim Starlin, pages 86, 97
Herb Trimpe, pages 40, 83
Neal Adams, page 65
Frank Brunner, page 148
Sal Buscema, page 49
Howard Chaykin, page 52
Ron Frenz, page 191
Joe Maneely, page 42
Moebius, page 74
George Perez, page 91
Barry Windsor-Smith, page 232
George Tuska, page 138
Wally Wood, page 42
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(Next post on Monday: Comic Book Trademarks, Part 5)
Monday, December 13, 2021
Under Cover: Marvel By Design—The Evolution of the Marvel Logo
Marvel By Design: Graphic Design Strategies of the World’s Greatest Comics Company is published by Gestalten. The book has excellent design and superb printing. On pages 28 and 29 is “How Marvel Became Marvel” which shows the evolution of the Marvel logo. (The spread is at the Gestalten website.) A brief history of the company, illustrated with the Timely Comics shield and Atlas globe, is on page 28. Seven versions of the word Marvel, arranged chronologically, are on page 29.
This post takes a closer look at the graphics presented in “How Marvel Became Marvel”.
Fantastic Four #1 had a November 1961 cover date. A box with an uppercase M and lowercase C appeared under the Comics Code Authority stamp of approval. The two letters appear to be a type font. Stan Lee would have approved the design which may have been designed by Sol Brodsky, Marvel’s head of production. (Two versions of the Mc debuted on two of the ten issues dated June 1961: Journey Into Mystery #69 and Patsy Walker #95.)
The Mc design was the opposite of National Comics’ DC bullet.
Detective Comics #297, November 1961
A new design for the cover was introduced with the May 1963 issues and April issue of Patsy Walker #106. In the upper left corner, a vertical box had three elements: face(s) of the character(s), Marvel Comics Group and the price. Marvel Comics Group was typeset in a font similar to Futura Bold. The price was hand-lettered and picked up from earlier issues with the price in a circle. Steve Ditko came up with the idea for the corner box character(s).
Fantastic Four #14, May 1963
The forty-second issue of Fantastic Four, September 1965, introduced Marvel Pop Art Productions which replaced Marvel Comics Group. I believe Sam Rosen did the lettering. This change is mentioned on page 17 of Marvel By Design.
Marvel Comics Group returned to the box in Fantastic Four #46, January 1966.
Two months later, the price was removed from the box and Marvel Comics Group was made bigger and bolder. I believe Sam Rosen did the lettering.
Fantastic Four #48, March 1966
Marvel introduced a new cover format with the November 1971 issues. Marvel Comics Group, typeset in Franklin Gothic Bold, was placed in a banner.
Fantastic Four #116, November 1971
A large stylized M, incorporating the prices, issue number and month, appeared on comics dated October 1982. The designer of the M is not known.
Fantastic Four #247, October 1982
One year later Marvel returned to the vertical box design which used the large M with Marvel typeset in a font similar to Helvetica Inserat.
Fantastic Four #259, October 1983
To celebrate Marvel’s twenty-fifth anniversary, a new design featured a hand-lettered outline of Marvel and telescoping lines, with an outlined 25th overlapping them, plus the typeset Anniversary.
Fantastic Four #290, May 1986
Marvel was typeset in Futura Condensed Extra Bold Oblique for issues dated April 1987. The M was replaced by a box with the prices, issue number and month, and the Comics Code Authority stamp.
Fantastic Four #301, April 1987
The M returned with Marvel on top and Comics, hand-lettered and overlapping it, on issues dated February 1990. The designer has not been named. (In 1991 a trademark application was filed for use on wearable merchandise.)
Fantastic Four #337, February 1990
In 1991 Abrams published Marvel, Five Fabulous Decades of the World’s Greatest Comics. I designed a logo for the book. Here are links showing how the logo was created: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4. This logo was used on calendars, toy packages, video games, annual reports, gum ball machines, etc. I show my logo because I see a connection between it and the current Marvel logo.
A decade passed when a redesigned Marvel logo debuted. Marvel By Design said “Marvel’s leadership worked with a team of designers to overhaul the comics logo into something more functional and streamlined. ...” Unfortunately the names of the designers were not revealed. I believe Ultimate Spider-Man #1, October 2000, was the first appearance of the new logo that later became known as the red brick logo. The letterforms resemble the font Trade Gothic Next Heavy Compressed. In the new logo, the letters are tightly spaced, with almost all of them touching. The same characteristics are in my design.
The second issue of the Ultimate Spider-Man used Marvel in a font similar to Impact Bold. Issue twelve used a version with letters expanded horizontally. This design was replaced by the red brick logo on issue 50.
Some titles, cover dated June 2001, sported a banner with Marvel Comics typeset in Futura Condensed Extra Bold. The upper left used the large M overlapping the bottom of a circle with the character(s). The banner ended with the November 2002 titles. Soon the red brick logo appeared on all titles.
The Amazing Spider-Man, Volume 2, #30, June 2001
The red brick logo letters appeared in Marvel movies beginning in 2002.
Spider-Man, 2002
In 2016 Rian Hughes modified the red brick logo. To my eyes, the M is too narrow.
Sidebar
There were other companies named Marvel that used sans serif, bold condensed fonts or lettering for their trademark. Below are samples from the Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office.
February 2, 1948
April 12, 1949
October 18, 1949
(Updated December 16, 2021. Next post on Monday: Marvel By Design–The Index and Art Credits)
Monday, December 6, 2021
Lettering: The “X” Men
Images from the Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office
(Next post on Monday: Marvel By Design—The Evolution of the Marvel Logo)
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