And so it’s come to this yet again…more favorite comic covers!
As promised last time, here are a few more favorite covers of mine, this time from companies other than Marvel and DC. Again, not a final, comprehensive list by any means…just a few covers I happen to enjoy, and I hope you enjoy a few of them too.
Again, the cover scans I didn’t scan myself are from the Grand Comic Book Database, resampled for bandwidth purposes.
Donald Duck #195 (May 1978) – art by Tony Strobl
I bought this particular comic off the stands way back when, and it really, really stuck in my head for some reason. Assuming that it didn’t appeal to some latent interest in bondage that I’m still not aware of, I think it’s the explicit peril that these Disney ducks found themselves in on the cover that really caught my attention. To a young kid that wasn’t yet familiar with the Duck adventure strips, seeing them in such a situation must have struck me as just being “wrong,” I guess. “But, but, they’re supposed to be funny…this is scary!”
Tales from the Crypt #43 (Aug/Sept 1954) – art by Jack Davis
I think the additional sadistic touch of slapping a gag over the guy’s mouth, on top of being tied up and tossed out of a plane, is what makes this cover for me. Those bastards!
Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers #2 (1972) – art by Gilbert Shelton
Probably the quintessential image of the Brothers…defiant and drugged-out ’til the end!
Groo the Wanderer #6 (December 1983) – art by Sergio Aragones
One of my favorite Groo gags, and one of the very few wraparound covers to ever appear on the comic. The absolute clueless glee in Groo’s face slays me every time. These covers also made it onto a swell two-sided shirt.
Love and Rockets #20 (April 1987) – art by Jaime Hernandez and Gilbert Hernandez
A fun design, a rare mixing of Jaime’s and Gilbert’s characters into a wraparound two-tiered dancing line.
Hembeck #6 (September 1981) – art by Fred Hembeck
The blank Groucho-glassed eyes staring at you from this cover are very, very unnerving. Funny, but unnerving.
Mad #4 (April/May 1953) – art by Harvey Kurtzman
I believe this was the first cover from the original Mad comic books I’d ever seen (in one of those “Nostalgia Mad” inserts in the Mad Super Specials that you weren’t supposed to try to tear out of the mag, but everyone tried to do anyway). For some reason, I was fascinated by the large number of traps and bombs and so on present on the cover. I think this, along with the Donald Duck comic and the Tales from the Crypt comic, I’m learning something psychologically disturbing about myself.
The Amazing Cynicalman #1 (June 1987) – art by Matt Feazell
No cover stuck out on a rack more than this one. All those overrendered superheroes and garish colors, outshone by a stick figure and a simple yellow border.
It’s Science with Dr. Radium #4 (1987) – art by Scott Saavedra
Hard to pick just one It’s Science cover…they’re all so gosh-darn cheery! Look at the big grin on the doc’s face, there.
Nexus #5 (January 1984) – art by Steve Rude
Now, I didn’t start reading Nexus until #6 (the last issue prior to First Comics assuming publishing duties)…but I remember seeing this cover on the rack and thinking “boy, that looks darn strange.” The first four issues of the series were more traditional action/adventure scenes…well done, interesting, but not anything we haven’t seen before. This cover, with its odd-looking alien and his exclamation, is a clue to the quirkiness that fills Nexus‘ world and makes this book so much fun.
