tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post6190900106209232770..comments2024-03-19T10:41:35.976-05:00Comments on Bronze Age Babies: BAB Firsts - It's a Fine Line: The Thing in the Bronze AgeDoughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04248324005584963229noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-25455338738572687902016-02-02T17:32:11.241-06:002016-02-02T17:32:11.241-06:00Spencer -
Thanks for the comment.
On the main pa...Spencer -<br /><br />Thanks for the comment.<br /><br />On the main page, click on our link at the top for the BAB Library of Reviews. Once in there you can access our thoughts (and our readers' comments) on FF #s 12, 25-26, 112, 166-167, and Marvel Feature #11. Happy spelunking!<br /><br />DougDoughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04248324005584963229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-76816342450881057982016-02-02T16:49:26.979-06:002016-02-02T16:49:26.979-06:00Great topic/article. Kirby w.Sinnott will always ...Great topic/article. Kirby w.Sinnott will always be the classic for me, but one that I liked (although not bronze age) was Jim Lee's look for 'ol Benji. Also, as an idea for future posts, how about fav Hulk/Thing fights of the bronze age? spencerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14576369979304207262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-11681929524292104782015-01-26T07:59:14.760-06:002015-01-26T07:59:14.760-06:00My Thing favs are as follows (order depends on cer...My Thing favs are as follows (order depends on certain issues or panels..)<br /><br />1) John Buscema/Sinnott<br />2) Pollard/Sinnott<br />3) Kirby/Sinnott<br />4) Starlin/Sinnott (MF 11 was brilliant art..)david_bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00218727673816200051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-87248151881489067232015-01-24T22:31:21.732-06:002015-01-24T22:31:21.732-06:00I prefer the big rocks to the little rocks, for th...I prefer the big rocks to the little rocks, for the very same reasons Martinex1 gave; the little rocks give his orange hide almost a scaly appearance, whereas the big rocks make his skin look more like stone, so big rocks it is!<br /><br />As for my favourite Thing art combo, it's gotta be Kirby/Sinnott. A classic and still the greatest in my opinion.<br /><br />As an aside, I have a reprint of FF #1 with Ben in his original lumpy orange hide; the transition to the rocky hide came later on but to me the biggest change over the years seems to be his personality. In this first issue, he's almost like a sullen thug, and somehow I believe Stan initially wanted him to be the 'bad guy', the one who made life difficult for the team because he resented his monstrous appearance. The grouchy but lovable cigar chomping ever lovin' blue eyed apple of Aunt Petunia's eye slowly evolved from that original incarnation. <br /><br /><br />- Mike 'skin like silk' from Trinidad & Tobago.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-60423532814251188132015-01-24T17:55:41.302-06:002015-01-24T17:55:41.302-06:00Colin: It was one of those Kismet moments. Not of...Colin: It was one of those Kismet moments. Not often do I recognize when random moments in my life line up in sync!!!<br /><br />HB: Arkon, Arkon, Arkon, Arkon, Arkon.....where I think it was snowy and 17 today.....<br /><br />(I'm gonna give you an engine low to the ground... extra thick oil pan to cut the wind from underneath you. It'll give you thirty or forty more horsepower. I'm gonna give you a fuel line that'll hold an extra gallon of gas. I'm gonna shave half an inch off you and shape you like a bullet. I'll get you primed, painted and weighed, and you'll be ready to go out on that racetrack. Hear me? You're gonna be perfect).The Prowlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16047156663144096329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-18724706141028844022015-01-24T16:55:23.500-06:002015-01-24T16:55:23.500-06:00Prowler, you're welcome - that's the first...Prowler, you're welcome - that's the first time anybody's responded to a comment of mine after I'd already deleted it !Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-29030459278273937502015-01-24T16:30:00.044-06:002015-01-24T16:30:00.044-06:00Not an obvious choice - he's not even mentione...Not an obvious choice - he's not even mentioned in the original post - my favourite Thing artist is Barry Winsor-Smith, purely on the basis of that Marvel Fanfare short he did. He really bought his own style to bear on the character in a way that no one else did. Of course, that's because he had the luxury of not having to churn out an issue of the FF or Two-in-One every month, but still.... the most memorable since Kirby.<br /><br />-seanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-21514253440445844092015-01-24T15:36:28.808-06:002015-01-24T15:36:28.808-06:00Keith Pollard is outstanding. He did some really ...Keith Pollard is outstanding. He did some really nice work on Thor, Black Goliath, etc. Some of his covers were very memorable. I bought so many comics based on his covers alone. Martinex1noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-65205708028891944142015-01-24T15:19:53.191-06:002015-01-24T15:19:53.191-06:00PS: Sorry. I missed the earlier note explaining th...PS: Sorry. I missed the earlier note explaining that the pictures weren't tied to the post.William Prestonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07896164917625191919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-11469480161381674362015-01-24T13:01:12.512-06:002015-01-24T13:01:12.512-06:00I agree about Ron Wilson...some of those MTIO scri...I agree about Ron Wilson...some of those MTIO scripts weren't great, but I always liked the art.<br /><br />Mike W.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-82185229475268471002015-01-24T12:47:49.101-06:002015-01-24T12:47:49.101-06:00I loved Buckler's run, in part, I suppose, bec...I loved Buckler's run, in part, I suppose, because those were the first FF issues I picked up. He (and Perez) should be depicted before Adams and Sal B., I'd think.<br /><br />I do want to post links to photos of the only two black artists you mentioned--and black artists and writers were a rarity in the Bronze age. I loved the work of both Pollard and Wilson. Wilson's run on MTIO was especially wonderful and should be praised down through the generations.<br /><br />http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130426224302/marveldatabase/images/3/3f/Keith_Pollard_002.jpg<br /><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Wilson_(comics)#mediaviewer/File:RonWilson11.15.08ByLuigiNovi.jpg<br /><br />William Prestonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07896164917625191919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-90120326030917669762015-01-24T12:29:35.446-06:002015-01-24T12:29:35.446-06:00I love the Thing, my favorite super-heroes tended ...I love the Thing, my favorite super-heroes tended to have some humor aspects, Beast, Hawkeye....<br /><br />Perez is such a genius.....it boggles my mind that Marvel can't find SOME kind of project for him!?!?<br /><br />starfoxxxAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-17959219457368098122015-01-24T11:49:28.818-06:002015-01-24T11:49:28.818-06:00I'd say Kirby/Sinnott gave us the best Thing. ...I'd say Kirby/Sinnott gave us the best Thing. But my favorite would be Byrne/Sinnott.<br /><br />Since it's been asked, my favorite Thing story is Marvel Two-In-One #75, featuring the Avengers, Blastaar and Annihilius and Super Adaptoid battling in the Negative Zone! This house ad for the issue is pretty great too:<br />http://www.littlestuffedbull.com/images/comics/365bengrimm/bengrimm1130L.jpgJ.A. Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15800901321134394272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-80498377052185255012015-01-24T11:28:33.816-06:002015-01-24T11:28:33.816-06:00My favorite Thing story is in Marvel Two In One 26...My favorite Thing story is in Marvel Two In One 26 with Nick Fury. Not a classic by any means in the set up and battle with Fixer and Mentallo, but for some reason it sticks with me as the two ornery and gruff WWII vets trade barbs. I liked when the Thing was everybody's grumbling buddy. And I liked Wilson's take on him. He seemed properly sized. <br /><br />I prefer the larger rock Thing. When there are too many rocks he sometimes seems pebbly, scaly and even reptilian if not inked correctly. I think Starlin's rendition fell in that category; also I think he may have made the Thing's head a touch too small and gave him too much of a paunch. Just didn't look quite right. Overall I liked Byrne's version but I think at times he oversimplified his face and widened his mouth giving Ben a muppet look. Byrne did this more in the FF. I really like Perez and Wilson the best. <br /><br />I think Marvel Two in One was under appreciated. There were some great stories with Project Pegasus, Serpent Crown and many one offs. The art was pretty solid throughout and Ben's characterization was consistent.<br /><br />I prefer Ben as the center of the Marvel Universe. Everybody knew him and liked him and respected him, even as he hid his loneliness and self doubt behind his tough exterior. I likes his cigar chomping, poker games, catch phrases, and feigned disgust. Too bad that over the years Wolverine seems to have morphed into that character albeit with more violence. Martinex1noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-3594817203387879572015-01-24T11:28:08.865-06:002015-01-24T11:28:08.865-06:00Edo --
The banner atop this post was created for ...Edo --<br /><br />The banner atop this post was created for use in a series. We also gave Spider-Man, the Vision, and Batman this treatment. So it was never intended to be character- or post-specific.<br /><br />Trust us... generally speaking, we know what we're doing around here. ;)<br /><br />And of course, size does matter when discussing rocks and plates.<br /><br />DougDoughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04248324005584963229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-14319892184141528052015-01-24T11:21:45.509-06:002015-01-24T11:21:45.509-06:00Thank ya kindly, edo-- That's John Byrne?? I....Thank ya kindly, edo-- That's John Byrne?? I. . . thought he was blonde, for some reason! And gosh, did not recognize an elder John R, Sr at all! The beard threw me-- what a great smile, though. <br /><br />Prowl: Of COURSE you mean "Arkon" on that cover, I have absolutely no doubt. Arkon is a formidable threat. . . Ben vs Akron, maybe not so much. I don't know how long the birthplace of Devo would hold out against ol' blue-eyed Benji's onslaught. (Heh-- I kid because I love-!)<br /><br />I can't pull out a specific Thing story that I'd identify as my favorite of all time. He's such a dependably great character, and somehow seems to be largely tamper-proof in terms of creators with "big new ideas" for new directions and such. And there were some seriously questionable ones-- the exo-Thing-suit; the hyper-spikey mutation period; Byrne's back-to-lumpy. Probably the weakest period was when Simonson simply made him a human sidekick tagalong for awhile-- a generous gesture towards the character, but not a great story-telling move. <br /><br />What should have been abandoned with him years and years ago (sort of like losing Don Blake in Thor) was the endless, stupidly-repetative cycle of find a cure/become human again/cure fails. Or, Ben CHOOSES to become the Thing again for any number of reasons. Over the course of time, this little drama has weakened the characters of both Reed (for so many inexplicable failures. . . sort of), and Ben, since the moping/whining doesn't jibe at all with the fact that he has chosen more than once, at conscious & subconscious levels, his Thing form over his human one. It doesn't work at all anymore as source of pathos. When I dropped the book they at least seemed to be on a path to give him SOME sort of time to exist in his human form periodically.<br /><br />HB <br /><br />Humanbellynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-40036169209884235542015-01-24T10:24:21.377-06:002015-01-24T10:24:21.377-06:00My first issue of the Fantastic Four was 160, a Jo...My first issue of the Fantastic Four was 160, a John Buscema issue. Gil Kane does the cover. Ben's facing Akron and he's fixing to wallop him with a light post. Feel free to sort out the pronoun references in your spare time. <br /><br />My favorite Thing story....favorite Thing story....hmmm...favorite....Thing....story. (Okay, I now have "These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things" stuck in my head)<br /><br />Marvel Two-In-One. Black Widow and Ben are up against something or other. The cover is Ben trying to keep some big heavy thing off the ground and Black Widow is kicking guys to keep them away from Ben. In the story, they get captured. Natasha has a single use laser gun under a false layer of skin on her back. She needs Ben to peel the skin away and remove the parts. She starts to unzip her costume so he can reach the false layer. Ben's trying to cover his eyes and peek through his fingers and there's the classic "What A Revolting Development" thrown in. <br /><br />Just an aside to Colin: I'm watching the Avengers Assemble episodes on my iPod at work during breaks. The one I watched recently is "Mojoworld". Hulk and Hawkeye get kidnapped and have to fight Torgo in the arena. I did not know this was a reworking of a Fantastic Four story. I knew Mojoworld is from the X-Men, but did not know Torgo comes from Marvel history.<br /><br />HB: During the little run between Doug and PFG, was I the only one wanting to get the old yellow legal pas out? The debators know what I'm saying...am I right, am I right?<br /><br />(There only two important things in living - finding out what you do well and finding out what makes you happy. And if God is smiling on you, they're both the same thing).The Prowlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16047156663144096329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-43099940075411399142015-01-24T08:57:04.207-06:002015-01-24T08:57:04.207-06:00HB, they are, left to right: Kirby, J. Buscema, Ad...HB, they are, left to right: Kirby, J. Buscema, Adams, Byrne, S. Buscema and Romita, Sr.<br />And I'm actually wondering why you guys put in a picture of Sal, given that he's not discussed in the post. Should have had Perez or Pollard instead. Otherwise, I stand by what I said all those years ago. Except maybe now I'd probably add my own additional praise for Pollard who was a) one of the better artists who drew the Thing, and b) just a really solid artist in general (and, for a while there, a real workhorse).Edo Bosnarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-80588975057540620342015-01-24T08:36:47.004-06:002015-01-24T08:36:47.004-06:00In the original post you guys did kind of brush up...In the original post you guys did kind of brush up near the idea that maybe it's really the inker who bears the load for whether or not we like how Ben is depicted. Although, yeah, size of skin-plates would fall on the penciler in the first place. Geeze, even when I was a kid I recognized that Ben must be absolute murder to draw, panel after panel. Not only is he made of about a zillion little lines, but those lines (at least for a good artist) have to show some level of consistent placement from panel to panel. <br /> Myself, I prefer the somewhat larger body plates. When they get small and pebbly, it gets hard to actually see Ben clearly-- he becomes all texture and not enough form. But gosh, I don't think there was a Silver/Bronze Age FF artist who did a poor job on Ben. Really, I thought Romita was fine, too-- just not inked as well, as mentioned.<br /><br />A bad Ben penciler? Oh boy, my own beloved Herbie Trimpe. If anyone has the facility to check out Incredible Hulk #122, w/ Herb, I believe, inking his own pencils, you'll see Ben being attempted by a very young penciler/inexperienced inker. . . and maybe not having the chops just yet to succeed.<br /><br />As an aside-- the fellas in your Fine Line header, there? Could we get a roster? Is that Jack Kirby, John Buscema, Neal Adams, hmmm--Archie Goodwin?? Al Milgrom??, Sal Buscema, and. . . geeze, it looks like John Buscema again, but older. . . (? no way). Whatcha got?<br /><br />HBHumanbellynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-60862877036485925172015-01-24T08:02:26.126-06:002015-01-24T08:02:26.126-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-22901923360988399122015-01-24T07:30:31.410-06:002015-01-24T07:30:31.410-06:00[sigh] In my previous post, sentence 2 was suppose...[sigh] In my previous post, sentence 2 was supposed to read "…the rest of US latecomers…" Man, I could really use an "Edit" button.<br /><br />Anyway, while I'm typing, I forgot to mention my all-time favorite Thing story. It was Marvel Two-In-One #50 by John Byrne. Where the then present day, rock skinned Thing went back in time and encountered his past lumpy skinned self. Which naturally resulted in an epic fight. Which ended with the Thing beating himself.(OK, that time it was on purpose).<br /><br />Anyone else have a favorite Thing story?Williamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16988016825582035390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-35333360876429483052015-01-24T07:20:21.268-06:002015-01-24T07:20:21.268-06:00WOW! It's amazing how many more regular reader...WOW! It's amazing how many more regular readers BAB has acquired since 2010! It looks like poor Edo was just about all alone back then. LOL<br /><br />Kudos to him for sticking with it until the rest of latecomers came aboard for the ride.<br /><br />Nowadays an article like this would probably garner at least 15 to 20 responses, if not more. (But I guess we'll see).<br /><br />Anyway, I am HUGE Thing fan (wait, that didn't sound quite right), and I especially love Kirby and Byrne's interpretations of his look. At risk of incurring Karen's wrath I have never been a fan of Big John Buscema's Thing (again that sounded like other than what I meant). I never liked all the "little rocks", I always preferred the slightly larger, interlocking plates.<br /><br />As I said earlier, see Kirby and Byrne for what I mean.Williamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16988016825582035390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-74039826428880014642010-10-30T15:34:12.879-05:002010-10-30T15:34:12.879-05:00In our poll, BAB readers selected Jack Kirby as th...In our poll, BAB readers selected Jack Kirby as their favorite Thing artist, with 10 votes. John Buscema came in second with 4 votes, John Byrne and George Perez tied with 3, and Jim Starlin picked up 2 votes. Thanks for participating!Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17032477453891087135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293155946761960913.post-41642113535848222482010-10-25T14:38:34.365-05:002010-10-25T14:38:34.365-05:00My two favorite Thing artists are Byrne and Perez ...My two favorite Thing artists are Byrne and Perez - I think this is due to the fact that I started regularly (as opposed randomly) reading FF at around issue #200 and Marvel 2-in-1 a few issues before the Project Pegasus saga, so those two artists really defined the way I thought that character should look. I give Byrne a slight edge here, even though I also hated it when he returned the "lumpy" look.<br />By the way, two other artists who really did a nice job drawing Ben are Barry Windsor Smith (in that fun story in Marvel Fanfare #15) and Bernie Wrightson (in that equally amusing Marvel graphic novel - scripted by Starlin!).Edo Bosnarnoreply@blogger.com