THE MARVELOUS AWARDS!!
ARTIST AWARDS
Throughout these Awards, I’ve been rather chatty, sometimes even flippant. If my words have offended anyone, I apologize. And next time, when I consider the Writer’s Awards, I’ll probably return to being chatty. And flippant. But in deference to the Artists of the Silver Age of Marvel comics, I’ll take a deep breath, sit back, and do my best to let the art speak for itself.
Follow along and make your own judgements on whether or not I have rightly chosen the artists and artwork that represent the best of the best of this glorious era in Marvel Comics!
MOST CREATIVE PAGE LAYOUT
Our first Award will be for Most Creative Page Layout. And the nominees are…
- Tales of Suspense #57
- Avengers #9
- Journey Into Mystery #110
- Tales to Astonish #61
- Fantastic Four #33
And the Award goes to…
Fantastic Four #33, which is both big AND dark. Very dramatic!
BUT IS IT ART??
Art within art. If there’s one thing artists know, it’s art. For example:
- Fantastic Four #28
- Fantastic Four #29
- X-Men #7
- Fantastic Four Annual #2
And the Award goes to…
Fantastic Four Annual #2. The timely recognition of the new phenomenon of pop art truly evokes art on so many levels. Plus, it reminds me of another new form of pop art I’ve heard about recently where cats’ paws are dipped in paint and they walk over a canvas. If people will pay tens of thousands of dollars for paw prints, why not do the same for a “clobber creation”?
THE HOT MESS AWARD
Portraying a hot mess can be a challenge.
- X-Men #7
- Fantastic Four #33
- Fantastic Four #33, again
- Tales to Astonish #62
And it appears the Marvel artists have risen to the challenge!
But the Award goes to…
X-Men #7. Technology! It reminds me of the plethora of cords behind my computer desk, which is the epitome of a hot mess!
UNDER THE SEA ENCHANTMENT AWARD
A whole ’nother world, just below the surface. How is it best captured?
- Fantastic Four #25
- Amazing Spider-Man #14
- Daredevil #3
- Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1
- Tales of Suspense #58
And the Award goes to…
Fantastic Four #25. This one might also be called the “Keep It Simple, Stupid” award, because the simplicity of blue and black provides a more ethereal mood than you would get with an abundance of detail.
MOST EPIC BATTLE SCENE
- Fantastic Four #28
- Journey Into Mystery #101
- Fantastic Four #26
And the Award goes to…
Journey Into Mystery #101. I am a big fan of C.S. Lewis’ Narnia series, which contains numerous epic battle scenes, and this image strongly reminds me of the White Witch summoning “the Cruels, the Hags, the Spectres, and the People of the Toad Stools.”
BEST EXPLOSION
- X-Men #4
- Journey Into Mystery #107
- Fantastic Four #30
- Tales to Astonish #59
- Fantastic Four #32
And the Award goes to…
Fantastic Four #30, for the clear depiction of our heroes in immediate danger of being knocked on the noggin by an errant piece of rubble.
MAYHEM ON THE STREETS
When all hell breaks loose on the city streets, what is the best way to capture the mayhem and emotion?
- Fantastic Four #24
- Journey Into Mystery #106
- Journey Into Mystery #109
- Daredevil #4
And the Award goes to…
Journey Into Mystery #106, for a crowded scene so full of angry and fearful expressions.
I’M READY FOR MY CLOSE-UP
Are you ready to see how the artists of the Marvel Silver Age best use the close-up for dramatic advantage?
- X-Men #4
- Tales to Astonish #51
- Strange Tales #119
- Journey Into Mystery #104
- Tales to Astonish #56
And the Award goes to…
Journey Into Mystery #104, for Heimdall’s big baby blues.
“THE EYES HAVE IT,” OR…
SOMEBODY’S WATCHING ME…
Now let’s consider some closer close-ups and look at only the eyes!
- Journey Into Mystery #104
- Avengers #6
- Journey Into Mystery #107
- X-Men #7
- Tales to Astonish #62
- Journey Into Mystery #101
- Strange Tales #126
And the Award goes to…
Tales to Astonish #62. Who is seeing and what is seen is compactly combined in a single image. Nice artistic touch!
BEST DEPICTION OF EMOTION
You knew I had to go here: a picture is worth a thousand words. See how aptly Marvel artists reveal a character’s emotional state without ever saying a word…
- Journey Into Mystery #100
- Fantastic Four #22
- Amazing Spider-Man #9
- X-Men #6
- Avengers #7
- Tales to Astonish #59
- Tales of Suspense #57
- Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1
All great examples!
But the Award goes to…
X-Men #6. Wanda worries about her brother. I see that expression and completely empathize. Though I never worried about my brothers quite that much, I have been a mom to two teenagers, which gave me plenty of opportunity to develop a large collection of worrisome expressions.
BEST BUTT
Every artist studies anatomy. In the category of “Best Butt,” the nominees are…
- The Fantastic Four, in Fantastic Four #22
- Beast, in X-Men #3
- Iron Man, in Tales of Suspense #52
- Giant-Man, inTales to Astonish #54
- Spider-Man, in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1
- Sub-Mariner, in Strange Tales #125
And the Award goes to..
Spider-Man, in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1. Because muscular young butts are so much better than wide older butts. Even on superheroes. Unless, of course, you’re Captain America in Endgame…
BEST CHEST: WOMEN
More…ahem…anatomy.
- Invisible Girl, in Fantastic Four #22
- Pepper Potts, in Tales of Suspense #54
- Wasp, in Tales to Astonish #59
And the Award goes to…
Pepper Potts…and it’s not even close. There’s something about that yellow dress that simply dares you not to look.
BEST CHEST: MEN
Give the guys a chance!
- Ben Grimm, in Strange Tales #126
- Sub-Mariner, in Strange Tales #125
- Unus, in X-Men #8
- Balder, in Journey Into Mystery #106
- Simon Williams, in Avengers #9
And the Award goes to…
Balder. Although the others are fine specimens of human anatomy, Balder is a god. There’s a regal air about him that makes him “puffing out his chest” seem not at all an act of vanity.
HOTTEST BABE
Back to the ladies! Who is the Hottest Babe?
- Unidentified model, in Tales of Suspense #51
- Veronica Vogue, in Tales of Suspense #51
- Jean Grey, in X-Men #3
- Wasp, in Tales to Astonish #53
- Karen Page, in Daredevil #1
- Enchantress, in Journey Into Mystery #103
- Invisible Girl, in Fantastic Four #27
- Pepper Potts, in Tales of Suspense #55
- The Lady from Nowhere, in Strange Tales #124
And the Award goes to..
Karen Page. If the tight fit of her lovely red sweater doesn’t do it for you, you simply cannot deny that the sentiment of her word balloon (“I hope you’ll be pleased with me”) clinches her win in this category.
BEST VISUAL REPRESENTATION
OF SUPER POWERS
Sometimes the Artist’s challenge is to show what cannot be seen. In the category of Best Visual Representation of Super Powers, the nominees are…
- X-Men #4
- Avengers #3
- X-Men #3
- X-Men #3
- Daredevil #2
- Tales to Astonish #57
- Journey Into Mystery #108
- Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1
And I can clearly see that Marvel artists have perfected this particular art!
But the Award goes to…
X-Men #3 (the second one!). I love the colors in this image, and Professor X’s disembodied floating eyeballs keeping watch over the city have a very ethereal quality.
BEST VISUAL REPRESENTATION
OF THE UNSEEN
Sometimes the Artist’s challenge is to show what cannot be seen. In the category of Best Visual Representation of the Unseen, the nominees are…
- Amazing Spider-Man #13
- Strange Tales #121
- Journey Into Mystery #106
- Amazing Spider-Man #15
- Fantastic Four #30
- Tales to Astonish #60
And again, Marvel’s artists do a great job capturing the unseen, and unseeable!
But the Award goes to…
Tales to Astonish #60. The claustrophobic shrouding in pink and purple waves aptly demonstrates Banner’s struggle to get clear access to Hulk’s memories.
SILLIEST IMAGE
Of course, it’s not all fun and games. Except…sometimes it is. In the category of Silliest Image, the nominees are…
- Amazing Spider-Man #8
- Fantastic Four #22
- X-Men #3
- Fantastic Four Annual #2
And the Award goes to…
X-Men #3. Every time you see a giraffe, it’s silly.
DARK SHADOWS AWARD
Russ and I are big fans of the 1960’s gothic soap opera Dark Shadows, but in this case, “Dark Shadows” has a much more literal meaning.
- Amazing Spider-Man #9
- Tales to Astonish #52
- Amazing Spider-Man #13
- Daredevil #3
- Fantastic Four #33
- Tales to Astonish #62
- Daredevil #5
And the Dark Shadows Award goes to…
Amazing Spider-Man #13. With so many things on his mind, Peter Parker lays awake at night, with the dark shadows literally striped over his eyes.
MOST GRUESOME TRANSFORMATION
- Tales to Astonish #51
- Tales to Astonish #59
- Journey Into Mystery #101
- Journey Into Mystery #106
- Amazing Spider-Man #19
And the Award goes to…
Journey Into Mystery #101. The title of the award says it all: Gruesome.
BEST MAP OR DIAGRAM
I love maps and diagrams! And I’m glad the Marvel artists love them, as well. In the category of Best Map or Diagram, the nominees are…
- Tales to Astonish #59
- Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1
- Tales to Astonish #62
And the Award goes to…
Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1. I like the domesticity. It’s almost the dollhouse I had, when I was a little girl.
THE COLORIST TOOK THE DAY OFF
When less is more…
- Amazing Spider-Man #10
- Strange Tales #120
- Strange Tales #117
- Fantastic Four #29
- Fantastic Four #29
And the Award goes to…
Strange Tales #117. He’s there… but not really…
ONOMATOPOEIA
Here we witness the collision of art and language in the most dramatic way possible.
- Amazing Spider-Man #9
- Fantastic Four #23
- Avengers #3
- X-Men #3
- Daredevil #1
- Avengers #5
- Tales of Suspense #53
- Avengers #7
- Strange Tales #124
- Fantastic Four #30
- Tales of Suspense #57
- Journey Into Mystery #109
- Avengers #10
- Tales of Suspense #60
So many to choose from!
But the Award goes to…
X-Men #3. It’s not just a panel from a comic book. It looks like something you could hang on your wall as art.
WALKING OFF INTO THE SUNSET
A literary tradition in which the artist helpfully participates…
- Amazing Spider-Man #15
- Tales of Suspense #57
- Tales of Suspense #60
- X-Men #6
And the Award goes to…
X-Men #6. At the end of a long day, Namor returns home to his kingdom in the sea. Wow! X-Men really came on strong at the end, didn’t it?
And now, with this final Award, I too will walk off into the sunset, to prepare myself for the next bout of Awards, where we will gleefully celebrate the chatty, flippant writers of the Silver Age!
