• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Help identify this comic from an old photo
0

47 posts in this topic

Help identify this comic from an old photo

I was recently gifted a box of family photos that included a photo of myself from February 1978. I'm in my room reading a comic that I can't remember or identify. Here's a scan: 

m0dXw+

Any eagle-eyed bronze age fans recognize anything from these pages? It appears there's dude in the upper left corner of the left hand page wearing a high-collared...robe? Maybe? And in the middle panel on the right, another dude with arched eyebrows? I'm drawing a complete blank. I was reading everything Marvel and DC at this point, and had a pretty decent collection starting from 1973 onward. I did have a few silver age books that I picked up at garage sales, flea markets etc, so it's possible it's older. 

Any help would be appreciated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, divad said:

Upper left dude might be the Watcher, which would prolly make it an FF or a Thor - really can't see much. (shrug)


 

Yeah, it's a pretty lousy image. It's such a small portion of the original photo. My first thought was Uatu, as well. But after scouring all the Watcher appearances I could find, I don't think it is. However, I could be wrong.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

42 minutes ago, Jeffro. said:

Is that a scan of the photo or a photo of the photo? If it's not a scan, can you scan it?

Also, are you over Macho Grande? :grin:

It's a scan. The comic is such a tiny portion of the original photo, I had to blow it up quite a bit just to be able to make anything out at all. 

And, no. I don't think I'll ever get over Macho Grande. Those wounds run...pretty deep. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, Bird said:

I don't think that it is The Watcher, the same head is on the other page with some sort of headwear. Maybe a soldier's helmet? 

Could it be Annihlus?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's so smudgy that it's basically an exercise in pareidolia.

Edited by Ken Aldred
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks like 70's Kirby, maybe New Gods and I can't place that "guy with the eye shadow" on the middle of the second page - was he from Kamandi, Mr Miracle? I'm no DC expert, but maybe someone else can place him.

I just noticed the 1978 reference, so maybe Eternals?

Edited by joe_collector
Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, joe_collector said:

Looks like 70's Kirby, maybe New Gods and I can't place that "guy with the eye shadow" on the middle of the second page - was he from Kamandi, Mr Miracle? I'm no DC expert, but maybe someone else can place him.

I just noticed the 1978 reference, so maybe Eternals?

This spread doesn't appear in New Gods, Mister Miracle, The Forever People, The Eternals or Kamandi. I've checked every page (I'm very unpopular with my wife this week).

56 minutes ago, Ken Aldred said:

It's so smudgy that it's basically an exercise in pareidolia.

Believe me, I'm starting to second guess what I'm seeing as well. I figured my only chance was that this just happens to be someone's favorite comic of all time and sees this this thread. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does anyone know who that bug-eyed/eye-shadow character is on the second page, middle panel? He's familiar and think he's Kirby DC, but I just can't place him....

eyeshadow_guy.jpg

Edited by joe_collector
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, joe_collector said:

Does anyone know who that bug-eyed/eye-shadow character is on the second page, middle panel? He's familiar and think he's Kirby DC, but I just can't place him....

The Bug? Cover to New Gods 9. Could be him

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nah, he looks like a normal guy with blue or purple eye shadow, or maybe a patch, in waves. I don't know if you can see what I see in that clip I posted.

Edited by joe_collector
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, joe_collector said:

Nah, he looks like a normal guy with blue or purple eye shadow, or maybe a patch, in waves. I don't know if you can see what I see in that clip I posted.

Yeah, I think you're right.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My first thought when I saw this yesterday was that the "face" (if that's what it is) on the right is Baron Strucker, but I don't think that's a monocle over his eye, plus I'm getting a "cosmic space opera" vibe from the whole thing, so I doubt it.

Anyway...I don't see a lot of '70s Kirby in this: for all his myriad innovations, Kirby (late period) mostly stuck with large spreads (single or double page) on the one hand, and traditional rectangular or square panels in various sizes and configurations on the other.  So the layout of that left-hand page in particular--if it is from the mid/late 1970s--seems just a bit  too unconventional for him, especially that large figure or object in the upper left-hand corner that "bleeds" across and down the page. 

And that face or whatever it is we're all seeing in the middle of the right-hand page isn't nearly squared-off nor "impressionistic" enough for later period Kirby.  It looks too much like a "normal" face!

Could it be an imitator with a slightly "looser" approach to layouts?  Maybe Buckler on FF/Thor or Giffen on Defenders?  Other possibilities: Starlin? Craig Russell?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Following up on Dan's line of thinking, let's assume it was a new or nearly new issue in Feb of '78:

MARVELS ON-SALE IN JAN. 1978:

http://www.dcindexes.com/features/newsstand.php?publisher=marvel&type=calendar&month=1&year=1978&sort=alpha

DCS ON SALE IN JAN. 1978:

http://www.dcindexes.com/features/newsstand.php?publisher=dc&type=calendar&month=1&year=1978&sort=alpha

As for DCs, Mister Miracle 23 or New Gods 17 look like good candidates...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
0