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Monday, June 20, 2022

Top Tens: Sal Buscema

One of my favourite artists in the 1970’s was Sal Buscema. His comics, particualty "Captain America", "The Sub-Mariner" and "The Defenders" were always exciting and fun to read. Sal’s first published work for Marvel was as an inker (his preferred profession) inking his brother John’s pencils on Silver Surfer issues 4-7 in 1969. Further work followed on Western strips like “Gunhawk” before he progressed to pencilling the “Avengers” shortly afterwards. By the mid 1970’s Sal became one of the most prolific artists at Marvel as he took on more and more art chores (the guy was fast!) drawing regular monthly titles like the Avengers, Spider-Man, the Hulk and Rom plus many fill in issues and one-off specials. My first memory of seeing Sal’s art was actually seeing his drawing of "himself" at his drawing board from the splash page of the story “A Change of Mind” from “Chamber of Darkness” issue 6 from 1970.
By the late 1970’s Sal’s style had become less appealing to myslef as he started to crank out the work, but it was still fun to read. But it was his early work from 1969 – 1975 that have remained among my very favourite comics of the entire genre. His style at this time is reflected in the wonderful covers he produced, many of which also contained his art on the stories themselves. Some of my favourites (and the cover above from “Avengers Annual" issue 4 from January 1971) are noted below:
Cover from the Grand Comic Database
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16 comments:

  1. Rip JaggerJune 21, 2022 at 6:44 AM

    Sal Buscema is one of my artistic heroes for sure. He combined deft storytelling with economic art that made him a powerhouse for Marvel. Like any artist pushed to the limit one can see strains in later material, but like George Tuska and Dick Dillin, he was an artist who found a style that worked at any speed. Folks want to call Buscema and Tuska and artists like that "hacks" but that's unfair. They were the machines that made comics possible at all.

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  2. McSCOTTYJune 21, 2022 at 8:49 AM

    It was always a real treat for me when I picked up a Sal Buscema comic in those early days. I was a massive fan of his art at this time and his Captain America and the Falcon strips from around 1972 until 1976 were so much fun and packed with excitement and great pacing. He was certainly never a hack, the guy was and still is one of the genuine giants of comics. His later work on titles like Spider-Girl with Ron Franz ( in his Sal style) was great every issue was like seeing Sal at his prime again. Even his later inking ( occasional pencils) at DC were great and you could see he was he if fun. I picked up a recent comic where he inked Ron Franz again called the Blue Baron ( by Sitcomics) it was pure (and very silly) fun. Ahhh George Tuska another big favourite ( like Mr Dillin) of mine.

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  3. McSCOTTYJune 21, 2022 at 8:52 AM

    Ron Frenz not Franz sorry ( ditto other issue above with my awful types out reply, never type on the bus!) 😖!!!

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  4. KidJune 21, 2022 at 1:28 PM

    At the top of his game, Sal Buscema was a great artist and visual storyteller, but later (as you say) his art became less impressive. Probably doing too much by then and having to take shortcuts to be able to do it.

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    1. McSCOTTYJune 21, 2022 at 3:28 PM

      There was a time in the late 1970's early 1980's that almost every Marvel comic I picked up featured Sal's art. Some of his Hulk comics at this time looked nice but his Spider-Man art wasn't to my liking. .

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  5. Colin JonesJune 21, 2022 at 2:02 PM

    I loved his art on the Avengers (in 'The Avengers & The Savage Sword Of Conan') and the Defenders (in 'Rampage'). Sal was also the regular artist on 'The Incredible Hulk' in the late '70s and early '80s. And he was a good inker too on the early issues of 'Conan The Barbarian'.

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    1. McSCOTTYJune 21, 2022 at 3:32 PM

      I always liked Sal's inking on Barry Smiths Conan. I think those first 10-15 issue that he drew of the Defenders are among my favourite comics - I still occasionally re read these when I get time.

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  6. Spirit of '64June 21, 2022 at 11:36 PM

    Sal the ubiquitous auxiliary artist. He did not do much horror, but was there a Marvel Super-hero comic that did not show his touch at one time or another in the 70s? My early favourites are Avengers 71, absolutely brilliant, and Defenders 13. which I still remember picking up while on holiday in the summer of '74. Ah good days....

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  7. McSCOTTYJune 22, 2022 at 12:19 AM

    The only horror\ mystery art I can recall Sal drawing was the aforementioned "Chamber of Darkness" issue 6. Defenders 13 was a great comic featuring one of my favourite super teams the Squadron Sinister, which Sal of course co created with Roy Thomas

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  8. Colin JonesJune 22, 2022 at 12:51 AM

    Paul, thanks for confirming the Doc Savage ads on Rip Jagger's Dojo. I knew that picture of Doc Savage looked familiar!

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  9. Spirit of '64June 23, 2022 at 12:13 AM

    I had to think and think and think then remembered that Sal did Son of Satan with Steve Gerber in Marvel Spotlight circa '74/ '75. Do I get a no-prize? I didn't get it immediately, but then recalled a nice Sal/Colletta job in Team-Up with the Torch and the Son of Satan, which led me to recalling the actual Son of Satan feature in Spotlight. And Sal also covered the Son of Satan in the Defenders (ok not horror) in a memorable series of issues fighting the Sons of the Serpent

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  10. McSCOTTYJune 23, 2022 at 9:19 AM

    Lol a no-prize is certainly yours for remembering that "Spirit". I had forgotten all about Sal s stint on Marvel Spotlight, I always remember that series as Jim Mooney's but forgot Trimpe, Colon and Sal did stuff on that as well. I checked the 5 Marvel Spotlight comics I have and he did issue 20 (inked by Al McWilliams) so that may be it great detective work. Your comment also jogged my memory and he also drew some Dr Strange issues is Marvel Premier. I loved that Avengers series with Sons of the Serpent sadly I don't have these.

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    1. KidJune 25, 2022 at 4:17 AM

      A No-Prize is awarded when a reader spots a mistake and then offers an explanation as to why the mistake isn't one, McS. You can't just dish 'em out willy-nilly.

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  11. McSCOTTYJune 25, 2022 at 9:50 AM

    Sorry "Spirit" Kids taken your No Prize away 😢

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    1. KidJune 25, 2022 at 1:00 PM

      Agh, don't shoot the messenger, McS - I didn't make the No-Prize rules (that was Marvel).

      Delete

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