tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post3245078349836740133..comments2024-03-19T10:41:35.976-05:00Comments on Bronze Age Babies: Guest Review - Gil Kane's BlackmarkDoughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04248324005584963229noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-66273656533092014062015-06-08T21:20:40.036-05:002015-06-08T21:20:40.036-05:00As if I didn't have enough reasons to love Gil...As if I didn't have enough reasons to love Gil Kane, Edo you popped out another hidden gem on us here! I certainly have never read this particular effort by Kane, but you can tell he really tried something different here. This was definitely a graphic novel before people even knew what a graphic novel was. While Kane's love for sword & sorcery is well documented, I never knew about his experiments in the graphic novel format. It seems he was one of the pioneers of this format; hats off to him, and it's another reason why he ranks among the greats of comicsdom.<br /><br /><br />- Mike 'YellowMark' from Trinidad & Tobago.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-41540769502246478442015-06-08T18:21:10.580-05:002015-06-08T18:21:10.580-05:00I like this review too Edo. I had no idea this e...I like this review too Edo. I had no idea this exists as I have mostly been a mainstream Marvel follower. I have to say that I like Kane's black and white and grey work. The first couple of pages you share are wonderful. There are still some of the up nose shots here but it seems less noticeable if that makes sense. One thing that I had to acquire a taste for in Kane's art is the clear and deep lines of musculature. But in black and white those lines seem more correct if that makes sense. Maybe those lines just seemed too intense against the cream and pink color used for skin in comics; here they look good I would say. I am curious also how the printing was handled and if the typeset was handled separately. Hitting those square boxes may have been difficult if the press alignment was separate. <br /><br />So much I did not know was out there. Martinex1noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-44259558265864778732015-06-08T17:03:37.910-05:002015-06-08T17:03:37.910-05:00Looking forward to whatever comes next Edo! I like...Looking forward to whatever comes next Edo! I like how you're highlighting lesser known works that deserve attention.<br /><br />It makes me wonder how comics would've changed in the Bronze Age and beyond if Kane's bold attempt here would've been a commercial success. I looked up the Wiki page, and here's part of the reason it didn't get a fair chance: <br /><br />"Though Bantam had envisioned a series of eight books, the publisher halted plans after the first sold less well than expected. Kane maintained that,<br /><br /> '...they didn't do what they said they would do, which was originally to put two or three of them out at once so that they could be noticed on that stand. ...I finished the second one, and I was almost finished with the pencils on the third one, when the whole thing ran out of steam because the first one came out and the original plan was to turn out two of them at one time, and a third one the following month, so that they would have a place on the rack. But when they turned out one by itself, nobody knew where to put it, whether it was science fiction, cartoons....' " <br /><br />Also I see Gil Kane did win a Shazam Award in 1973, a Special Recognition "for Blackmark, his paperback comics novel." So at least it was recognized by the other industry professionals, and blazed a trail as you say.Garettnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-26404976715201694572015-06-08T15:10:17.708-05:002015-06-08T15:10:17.708-05:00Sean, true enough about Eisner and the subject mat...Sean, true enough about Eisner and the subject matter he dealt with - and I hope it doesn't seem like I was dissing him, as I'm a huge fan of Eisner's.<br />And on that same topic: Garett, I do have a few of Eisner's books in my collection, but I just don't have the inspiration to write anything about them that hasn't already been said. It seems like Eisner and his works have been covered quite exhaustively in various books, articles and reviews over the years. Generally I'm ore interested in writing about material that I think doesn't get enough attention, or seems entirely forgotten.<br />By the way, I totally agree with your observation that Blackmark might have been a bigger success if it was just done like a straight-up monthly comic, either in four-color or b&w magazine format. Of course, those were the formats Kane was avoiding as he tried to blaze new trails. There's some bitter irony there, I guess.Edo Bosnarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-11291450701787622122015-06-08T13:40:09.293-05:002015-06-08T13:40:09.293-05:00I vaguely remember this from paging through some o...I vaguely remember this from paging through some old issues of Savage Sword, but I've never seen it in "book" format before. I always liked Kane's stuff (his Spidey was great) and this reminds me why.<br /><br />Mike WilsonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-74254029974848124652015-06-08T12:00:16.909-05:002015-06-08T12:00:16.909-05:00To be fair to Eisner, Edo, I think he also gets mo...To be fair to Eisner, Edo, I think he also gets more credit as a pioneer "graphic novelist" because he avoided more obvious "comic book" genres; Contract With God does come across differently to other 70s work in a similar format.(Funnily enough, I think I recall from an interview that Gil Kane had quite strong opinions about the lack of serious ambition among comic creators).<br /><br />Although yeah, Eisner wasn't shy about putting himself forward.<br /><br />-seanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-59457010013620045202015-06-08T11:33:56.034-05:002015-06-08T11:33:56.034-05:00A review dedicated to me? Ya got me blushin', ...A review dedicated to me? Ya got me blushin', Edo! : ) Thanks!<br /><br />Great review! I have the fantagraphics reprint, and it's a cool book with some very nice art by Kane. He obviously had a love for sword and sorcery, with this and Sword of the Atom, some Conan, etc. Good recap of the story, and yes it does seem to hit all the usual notes, but overall makes a good impression. I wonder if Blackmark would've been a bigger hit if it had been a regular monthly comic? I found the format here awkward to read, from paragraphs of type to the square word balloons. I think with Kane's art and Goodwin's writing, and the '70s fantasy boom with Conan, Warlord, John Carter, and even lesser characters like Claw and Thongor, Blackmark could've been a big hit in comic format. I also remember reading something about sales rack problems with this graphic novel, as store owners didn't quite know where to place it.<br /><br />The science aspect of Blackmark is interesting, and a relevant theme even in today's society with some leaders denying scientific evidence when it's staring them in the face like a giant rocket in the arena! The black and white format is good, like Savage Sword of Conan, but again I wonder if the art could look even better in full page oversize format like SSoC. Some great compositions and exciting art by Kane in your choices here, but I find the emotion gets somewhat subdued by the mechanical lettering font.<br /><br />Still a unique book by Kane, and worth a spotlight! Thanks for another great review Edo! Perhaps a Will Eisner review is next?<br />Garettnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-77128846926675636012015-06-08T10:35:24.489-05:002015-06-08T10:35:24.489-05:00Nope, no need to apologize to me, Doug: I just che...Nope, no need to apologize to me, Doug: I just checked the original file I sent you and noticed that all the typos I saw - including 'Marine' - are my own (all of the kind that are not detected by the spellcheck function).Edo Bosnarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-57110198972824057292015-06-08T10:21:17.179-05:002015-06-08T10:21:17.179-05:00I'll also own the typos, guys. I only had time...I'll also own the typos, guys. I only had time last night to put this together -- I'm just in a really busy stretch (the new "usual" for me, I guess). If I can get to it later I'll spruce it up a bit. I noticed when reading the post this morning that there's an instance early on where Marnie is "Marine". <br /><br />Again, my apologies to Edo and to all.<br /><br />DougDoughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04248324005584963229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-39831805231321042272015-06-08T10:04:02.467-05:002015-06-08T10:04:02.467-05:00Thanks for the comments, guys.
J.A., yeah, Eisner ...Thanks for the comments, guys.<br />J.A., yeah, Eisner often gets credit for being the first "graphic novelist" (and he tended to toot his own horn in this regard as well), but as noted here, he was preceded by others. In fact, a good argument can be made that the very first graphic novel as we think of it now may have been <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rhymes-Lust-Arnold-Drake/dp/1593077289/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1433774695&sr=1-1" rel="nofollow">It Rhymes with Lust</a>, first published in 1950.<br />By the way, I just noticed a few typos in the text, so my apologies...Edo Bosnarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-85958415885832718482015-06-08T08:58:39.675-05:002015-06-08T08:58:39.675-05:00Edo, thanks a lot for sharing this review, I'd...Edo, thanks a lot for sharing this review, I'd never heard of this story. Lots of people often cite Eisner as the creator of graphic novels, but you never hear Kane or Goodwin's names in that context. J.A. Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15800901321134394272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-38126402381719208402015-06-08T08:57:59.681-05:002015-06-08T08:57:59.681-05:00A pleasant surprise today, as I haven't seen t...A pleasant surprise today, as I haven't seen this stuff for ages - nice one, Edo.<br />I first read Blackmark in Savage Sword of Conan, where Marvel reprinted two original pages on each page in a way that added even more white space to the layout. Even then, it seemed a bit generic.... but that was ok, because ever since reading his Gullivar Jones as a kid (in Marvel UK's Planet of the Apes comic) Gil Kane has always struck me as the perfect artist for this kind of thing. <br /><br />Which makes Blackmark very much like Chandler - an artist trying to do something they were really suited to without the restrictions of the monthly format and comics code, but maybe still limited by pulp convention. <br />All the same, good to see the artists making the effort, and theres a lot to like in both books. <br />You've convinced me to get hold of the Fanta edition, Edo.<br /><br />-seanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com