So I got something in a collection the other day that I’ve never seen before. Well, I mean, I’ve seen the comic, of course, in its much more common “softcover book” variety. But for the first time ever, I’ve seen it in hardcover form:
It’s the 1978 Silver Surfer original graphic novel by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, along with Joe Sinnott, John Constanza, Glynis Wein, and cover artist Carl Norem, retelling an alternate version of the character’s origins without the involvement of the Fantastic Four. This was one of a handful of releases from Fireside Books/Simon and Schuster that included Origins of Marvel Comics.
Way back when, at onne of the local bargain stores, there were stacks of the softcover available at next-to-nothing prices. (Also available for deep discounts at the same store: DC’s Famous First Edition treasuries in piles and piles.) I never bought one then, which I of course regret, but not as much as I regret not buying all of them to now sell in my comic shop.
It’s probably because of that long-ago stock dump that I keep seeing copies of the softcover version turn up in collections. As I said above, however, this is the first time the hardcover edition has made its way into my funnybook-worn hands. The dust jacket has seen better days, but otherwise the book looks good.
Here’s the back cover:
The inner flaps of the dust jacket:
Unfortunately, there’s no design on the book’s covers themselves:
…but at least you get some inlaid silver lettering on the spine:
It’s a neat book, and believe it or not, for all the times I’ve come across it at both of the shops I’ve worked at, either in the original softcover or via Marvel’s later reprintings, I’ve never read it. I am seriously considering keeping this for myself. I know, I know, how am I going to make any money and stay in business if I keep all the cool stuff for myself (like all the Popeye comics and fanzines that come my way), but this is a neat time and I’m really tempted. I mean, I’ll at least give it a read before putting it out for sale.
My ol’ Pal of the Internet Kevin Church has written a nice piece in celebration of Star Trek‘s 60th anniversary, and I heartily recommend that you go read it.
I’m a little jealous of Kevin in that he remembers exactly when, and with which episode, he became a fan. I was one of those folks who picked up on Trek when it was in syndication in the early ’70s, that period when a lot of new fans discovered the series. I remember watching it on TV, both the original series and that cartoon, I had several of the toys (the Mego figures, the bridge set, even communicators and the tricorder), but I was perhaps too young to remember which episode to which I was first exposed.
And then Star Wars hit in 1977, and that began to occupy a large segment of my forming fandom brain…but I never forgot Star Trek, which has continued to this very day, finally achieving perfection with the greatest Trek series of all time:
“Search your feelings, you know it to be true,” as someone from a famous sci-fi franchise once said. I think it was Captain Janeway.
Interestingly, both Stan Lee & Jack Kirby’s Silver Surfer: The Ultimate Cosmic Experience! graphic novel and Don McGregor & Paul Gulacy’s Sabre: Slow Fade of an Endangered Species graphic novel were published in August, 1978–which makes me wonder which one actually went on sale first, or if they debuted on the same day or what? Of course, The Silver Surfer graphic novel had greater distribution, but I wonder if Sabre edged it out as the first “official” American graphic novel?
Also, since I have never read the Silver Surfer graphic novel, who is the woman he is holding? Is she supposed to be Shalla-Bal? And how rad is it that the Silver Surfer’s name is Norrin Radd?
And back to John Byrne’s unfinished projects, it would be nice if he would complete “The Last Galactus Story” originally serialized in Epic Magazine and it could all get (re)printed in one graphic novel.
THAT
LOOKS
AWESOME!
“the Silver Surfer graphic novel, who is the woman he is holding”
Looks like an Alien disco chick!
Loved the deeply demented dive for the posting’s title!
And agree, Lower Decks can’t be beat.
Oddly, she looks a lot like the Frankie Raye version of Nova. She wouldn’t be created until 1982 by John Byrne. I wonder if Byrne was influenced by the cover of this graphic novel when he created her design?
Also of interest, the term “rad” as we think of it today wasn’t really used until the 1970s, after Kirby created the Silver Surfer. Maybe there were some earlier usages by a surfer sub-culture that didn’t make the record, but it would have been quite obscure. It didn’t become part of popular culture until the 1980s, so even if Kirby would have come across the term earlier than most by living in California, I doubt he would have heard the term at the time Lee and Kirby created Norrin Radd.
Considering that it was most prominently used by surfers and skaters, it now makes me wonder if they were influenced by the Silver Surfer’s name when they decided to shorten “radical” to “rad”. Maybe Kirby’s Silver Surfer is more influential than has ever been given credit.
Oh boy, that Silver Surfer book is my current holy grail (since I finally got my previous one, the 2001 Treasury). Lovely.
@ Chris V
I like how you think!
It could very well be that Frankie Raye/Nova’s look was indeed based on that female character. If anyone in the comments has read the graphic novel and knows the character’s name, it would be helpful to point it out.
I have my own theory that Byrne–either purposefully or subconsciously–based Frankie Ray/Nova’s look and name on Joe Staton’s character Nova Kane (from E-Man comics) who was a redhead who had a very similar costume design. And Byrne’s early work (a character called Rog-2000) appeared as back up stories in some of those E-Man comics from the mid -’70s published by Charlton Comics.
It would be interesting to find out if California or Hawaii-based surfers were using the expression “rad” or “radical” by the late ’60s. Okay, I went online and it seems “radical” was being used by the late ’60s. So, perhaps Stan Lee saw some early surfing documentary film , like Bruce Brown’s The Endless Summer (1966), where a surfer might have used the expression “radical”–or maybe Moondoggie said it in Gidget movies?
I wonder, too, if Stan Lee was just throwing names to the wall to see what stuck? “Norrin” sounds a bit like “Norn” –as in the Norns from Norse mythology who are “responsible for shaping the course of human destinies.”
To the extent that the Silver Surfer “heralds” the destinies of planets and their inhabitants by announcing the arrival of Galactus, one could see where Stan Lee might have been going if he did create the name “Norrin” from “Norn;” and, of course, he was also scripting The Mighty Thor comics at the time.
I wonder if Jack Kirby had any input into the name? I mean, I know Jack came up with The Silver Surfer name, but I have a feeling that the Norrin Radd name was all Stan Lee’s doing.
It could be funny if some sort of a sequel was ever made to Fast Times at Ridgemont High, with Sean Penn as old man Jeff Spicoli, who is now around the age that his teacher/nemesis Mr. Hand was. And old Spicoli is now working as a substitute teacher at Ridgemont High. He has his students reading the Silver Surfer graphic novel in class and he points out how rad it is that the Silver Surfer is named Norrin Radd–and then Mr. Spicoli orders pizza for the whole class!
Her name is Ardina, she a clone of Shalla-Ball created by Galactus to tempt the Silver Surfer back to him ♂️ lm not sure if she ever turned up anywhere again, but she sounds kind of interesting. She really doesn’t look much like His true love. Galactus must have still been in his ‘bling’ phase.
Lower Decks! Lower Decks! Let’s get that chant going, people!
Seriously, if you haven’t seen Lower Decks, seek it out immediately. You don’t know how much you need it in your life.
Surfer:“She’s the exact replica of my lost love Shalla-Bal…from her Disco phase.”
According to the MarvUnApp resource, Ardina reappeared in Earth-616 continuity during The Order (2002) mini-series. This was the culmination of the (fun but short-lived) Busiek/Larsen Defenders series. The Order was when the Defenders became The Authority. She was magically created as a clone of the Silver Surfer by Clea in this continuity.
It’s funny. I remember enjoying that version of the Defenders, being disappointed it was cancelled, reading The Order mini that followed, but I do not remember Ardina. Those were her only other appearances (well, this is an alternate version, and I don’t believe the actual one from the graphic novel was ever used again).
@ Bill Reed
About 18yrs ago I went to a gathering of friends. A guy who is about 10 years older brought a box of stuff he was getting rid of. In that box was: the 2001 Treasury, the Joe Kubert Tarzan Treasury, the FF Treasury with the Galactus saga, a bunch of loose Kubert Tarzans AND the two issues of The Rook from Warren that contained Toth’s Bravo for Adventure!
I took them all. The 2001 treasury and the Rooks were grails of mine, and any of the others would have qualified as amazing finds on their own.
After that I knew I’d never find such a concentrated collection of “things I specifically like” ever again!
As sweet as the 2001 & FF’s ones are, seeing Kubert’s organic line work at that size is something to behold!
“I have my own theory that Byrne–either purposefully or subconsciously–based Frankie Ray/Nova’s look and name on Joe Staton’s character Nova Kane (from E-Man comics) who was a redhead who had a very similar costume design.”
Certainly a more feasible genesis than most, given Byrne’s few years at Charlton — not just Rog-2000 but also Doomsday+1 and other work.
@Oliver
Thank you. I think it would be interesting if somebody were to research the whole thing or maybe ask Byrne directly.
It seems like Byrne, and Staton–and also Don Newton–rose up in the industry at roughly the same time. I believe that all started out by doing illos in various fanzines, including RBCC. I know that Byrne definitely contributed work to the Charlton Bullseye fanzine. And then I believe that all three of them had their first professional work published in various Charlton Comics, before moving on to DC and Marvel.
I also think that early ’70s Staton and early ’70s Byrne art looks somewhat similar. Perhaps because at this stage they both tended towards cartoonish looking exaggeration, or maybe they had both studied and absorbed the aesthetics of Steve Ditko and Gil Kane? But over time Staton really leaned into the cartoonishness–which made him a great fit for the Plastic Man stories he drew, and for Dick Tracy; whereas Byrne veered more towards a Marvel “house style,” absorbing elements of Neal Adams, Jim Starlin, and John Buscema and reinterpreting them through his own creative process.
@LouReedRichards
Those are awesome treasury edition scores that you mentioned.
I wish Marvel would release a bunch of treasury editions of some of the best Bronze Age Marvel work.
A couple of treasury editions of Jim Starlin’s complete Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell) run would be great (Captain Marvel nos. 25 – 34, ; also a couple of treasury editions of his complete Adam Warlock run (Strange Tales nos. 178 – 181, and Warlock nos. 9 – 15, plus Avengers Annual no. 7, and Marvel Two-in-One Annual no. 2).
A couple of treasury editions of Steve Englehart and Frank Brunner’s complete Doctor Strange run (including Marvel Premiere nos. 9 -14, and Doctor Strange nos. 1-5).
A treasury edition of the first eight issues of Howard the Duck by Steve Gerber, Frank Brunner, John Buscema, Gene Colan, Steve Leialoha, et al.
A couple of treasury editions of Micronauts nos.1 – 12 by Bill Mantlo and Michael Golden. It should be easy enough to ink a deal with Hasbro.
Amazing Adventures nos. 27 – 39, the Killraven/War of the Worlds saga by Don McGregor and P. Craig Russell. In this case, I think Marvel should hire McGregor and Russell to write/draw a several page summation of what had gone before in Amazing Adventures nos. 18 – 26 to supplement the beginning of Russell’s amazing art run.
And, a whole slew of treasury editions (maybe 10 or 12?) which reprint Giant-Sized X- Men no.1, and Uncanny X-Men nos. 94 – 143. The classic run!
As an extra incentive to collectors, John Byrne and Terry Austin could be hired to provide new wrap around covers for all of the X-Men treasury editions; Jim Starlin could provide new wrap around covers for Captain Marvel, and Warlock, treasury editions; and Frank Brunner, P. Craig Russell, and Michael Golden could do likewise for Doctor Strange/Howard the Duck, Killraven, and Micronauts treasury editions.
Also, Daredevil nos. 158 -191 (excluding no. 162) by Frank Miller, with Roger McKenzie (RIP), and Klaus Janson, would be great as a series of treasury editions.
I think that all of the items I mentioned are worthy of treasury treatment due to the classic stories and outstanding art which deserves to be printed large. And in several cases, the coloring–by Klaus Janson on Daredevil; Petra Goldberg, Janice Cohen, and P. Craig Russell on Killraven; and Glynis Wein and Frank Brunner on Doctor Strange–is also a veritable feast for the eyes.
The Kirby 2001 treasury was a Holy Grail of mine. I found it at a con last year, and paid more than I wanted to but less than the sticker price. It was only the second time I’d seen it in the wild, and didn’t want to miss it. Yes, I know there’s ebay, but it feels like cheating.
@LouReedRichards: I am very jealous of that haul, particularly the Rook issues. If you haven’ t read them, I highly recommend the three volume Toth biographies/ retrospectives Genius Illustrated, Genius Isolated, and Genius Animated. They contain a lot of Toth art, including several complete stories.
My parents got us the bridge set and some MEGO figures for Christmas one year.
They put one of the figures in the transporter, so that they appeared when we gave it a spin. Apparently my brother and I freaked the heck out. Mostly my brother being two years older than me.
@LouReedRichards
Don’t forget about the Joe Kubert books that are coming out this week, I think.
The DC Special all -Kubert facsimile edition, and the Covers of Joe Kubert book.
@Sean – Thanks for the Kubert info. I’m so far out of the loop on current releases. A book of his covers sounds great!
I like your idea for the Marvel treasuries. I’d LOVE a Starlin Warlock or Mantlo/Golden Micronauts Treasury. I know the Micronauts will never happen, but a guy can dream!
@ Mike Loughlin – Thanks, yeah it was quite a find. I still can’t believe those Rooks were in there!
I actually do have those Toth books from IDW, and you’re right they are things of beauty. I particularly like Genius Illustrated. Getting to see the original pages for White Devil… Yellow Devil at that size was a dream come true! I love the whole story, but the storytelling tension/explosive drama from panel 5-7 on page 4 is the most stunning example of the power sequential art I’ve ever seen. And it looks even better in B&W!
I also have the Toth book from Kitchen Sink they put out in the mid 90’s and Toth Black and White from Manuel Auad. Both are fine books, but can’t compete with those IDW books. Black and White does have a nice black and white reprinting of the Fox story from Black Hood #2.
Do you happen to have Comic Book Artist #11 – Toth spotlight issue? It’s pretty nice, lots of nice B&W artwork, but worth it alone for the Toth checklist/index.
And I agree, E-bay feel a bit like cheating to me too, though I’m not completely sure why. Thanks again!
Also: I’m a complete idiot lol. I totally forgot there are indexes in the back of the IDW books as well. I got the magazine years before the books so that’s where my mind always goes to when I want to look up an issue.
“Spicoli”
That’ll ALWAYS be Sean Penn’s best movie character. He can’t get away from it!
“My parents got us the bridge set and some MEGO figures for Christmas one year.”
LUCKY!!!