Marvel.com Blogs - Blah Blah Blog by Tom Brevoort

web marvel.com

BLOGS HOME|COMIC BLOGS|VIDEO GAME BLOGS|OTHER BLOGS|MARVEL NEWS

And Speaking of Ten Years...
2009-04-08 17:57:02

Ten Years In The Making!

Look for this cover!

Next week sees the publication of SUB-MARINER COMICS, the second in our series of Specials featuring the formative Marvel characters in commemoration of Marvel's 70th anniversary. And in addition to a fabulous new story by Roy Thomas and Mitch Breitweiser, the issue also contains a tale I've been waiting for over a decade to see in print.

The second story in the issue was written by Mark Schulz and illustrated by the legendary Al Williamson, and was produced initially for the short-lived MARVEL: SHADOWS AND LIGHT series. I forget who was editing M:S&L at that point--it may have been James Felder, it may have been Mark Bernardo, or it might have been somebody else. But market conditions were unfavorable for a black and white anthology series, and the title was discontinued with some material still in the pipeline.

This Sub-Mariner story was an orphaned tale. Done as a homage to the work of Namor's originator Bill Everett, it was set in 1939, and featured the young Namor battling Nazis. It was a lovely art job, but there wasn't any other place to immediately publish it. (At one point, a short time later, it was momentarily going to be included in an oversized issue of FANTASTIC FOUR, but at the time there was a skittishness towards depicting Nazi symbology such as the swastika among Marvel's then-brass, so the job was pulled from the issue.)

I've had the oversized boards sitting in my files ever since, waiting for an opportunity to ge the thing published. And now, my patience has paid off--we've got a SUB-MARINER Special devoted to his earliest adventures and history, the perfect venue for this tale to finally be included. Newly colored by Chris Chuckry, who did a terrific job over artwork that was originally intended to appear in black and white, it's a pleasure to close the book on this unseen piece of Marvel history.

So it just goes to show: throw away nothing.

More later.

Tom B

I'm more excited to see this Williamson story than anything else being published this month; from the look of the page, it's going to be everything I hope it to be (though I'd be interested to see it in black & white as intended).

Posted by mhprime on 2009-04-08 19:09:55

How cool! I've been wondering about this second story in the special, so it's great to get a preview and hear how it came about. And I love that little glimpse of the original black and white version of the artwork in the 'viewing screen.' Can't wait to read this book!

Posted by Rheged on 2009-04-08 21:07:43

'So it just goes to show: throw away nothing.'

HEY...I KNEW THAT

Posted by notapotatoe on 2009-04-09 04:04:20

Wasn't Steve Ditko's last published work for Marvel in that Shadows and Light series? Sounds like something that should be collected. Wish you guys could get Ditko to do something (anything) again.

Posted by CylverSaber on 2009-04-09 09:35:48

Fantastic!
Tom,

I'm getting all of these specials and now I'm really looking forward to this one! Thanks! :)

Posted by pmpknface on 2009-04-09 12:07:18

Interesting...so what else have you got lying around waiting for a chance to get published, that has been completed, but not yet seen the light of day?

Posted by cjmcaree on 2009-04-09 12:44:59

mhprime, I wouldn't mind seeing the black and white version also, but I'm not sure where Marvel would do that now. :(

Hey, how about in that long promised Sub-Mariner Essentials?

Posted by Rheged on 2009-04-09 13:32:54

Williamson
It's my understanding that the great Mr. Williamson isn't in the best of health. I know seeing most anything he does Is great, but this is a great exception to the rule, as I think it's been 10 years since I've seen anything by him. I look forward to seeing.it. If you have any contact with Mr. Williamson send forth the Kudos from me (and most everyone else here I'm sure.)
RRP

Posted by Reed Richards Prime on 2009-04-09 18:24:26

What an interesting ride this last ten has been for a simple fan, full of enough ups and downs to last a hundred and twenty books. Here's to another hundred and twenty more.

Posted by thomas more on 2009-04-09 22:28:20

Sub-Mariner Comics#1 70th Anniversary special
Those both new stories in SUB-MAINER COMICS#1 70th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL were alright I still think the Golden Age Heroes 70th Anniversary Special should be better utilized by SHOWCASING TIMELY COMICS HEROES/VILLAINS.See as soon as I read this issue of SUB-MARINER I went to a list of Characters( Heroes/Villains ) NAMOR encountered in SUB-MARINER# 1 to 72( 1960s to 1970s ) and then looked for TIMELY COMICS VILLAINS and HEROES that could take those Characters places( which I plan to go into at the SUB-MARINER COMICS#1 70th Anniversary Special site when I have more time---but hear is an example:go to the Appendix www.marvunapp.com and look up KAI-MAK THE SHARK-GOD ).

Posted by John Holstein on 2009-04-23 11:24:52

Array

Enter a response to this blog post: