Mike Esposito, 1927-2010 -- of Andru and Esposito Fame and More

Sad news. Mike Esposito--that rose by many other names(Mickey Demeo, Joe Gaudioso, Mickey Dee)--passed away this weekend. Probably best known as the inker half of the fabled Andru-Esposito team, Mike had a long career working for both DC and Marvel. Andru and Esposito's classic Wonder Woman even adorns a US postage stamp!

Thanks for the enjoyment you brought to countless fans over the years, Mike--you'll be missed.




An Andru-Esposito favorite of mine was the Kanigher-scripted series "Rose and the Thorn", the back-up feature in Lois Lane for a while starting in 1970. Esposito has said he and Ross Andru envisioned the Thorn as a cross between Wonder Woman and Black Canary.

The Thorn in Lois Lane #105  - Art by Andru and Esposito

And let's not forget that Esposito was John Buscema's inker on the epochal Avengers #60, the wedding of Janet Van Dyne and Hank Pym.


For more on Mike Esposito's life and career, check out the terrific book "Andru and Esposito: Partners for Life", by Esposito and Dan Best. If your local comic book store doesn't have it, head on over to ever-reliable Amazon.

Alter Ego #95 Spotlights Not Brand Echh!...Plus John Buscema's Mighty Revengers

Silver Age fanatics should check out Alter Ego #95 for some great recollections by Roy Thomas, Marie Severin and others about Marvel's Not Brand Echh, the great parody comic book ("Who says a comic book has to be good??").

A line up of great artists drew for NBE, including Severin, Jack Kirby, and Tom Sutton. And speaking of great artists, take a look at this gorgeous page from NBE #12!

For more on Alter Ego #95, visit the TwoMorrows site at
http://twomorrows.com/

Avengers in Not Brand Echh #12 by dream team John Buscema and George Klein

Fun fact:  The Vision officially joined the team at the end of Avengers #58.  But apart from the very end of Avengers #60, this is the only appearance of the Wasp/Hank Pym Goliath/Hawkeye/Black Panther/Vision (core group) line-up! 

 'Course I'm talking about how it unfolded in comics back then; subsequent retcons and untold tales need not apply ;)

Kirby Covers! Top 5 On Sale in August 1961

Welcome to our Kirby Cover Countdown series!

To kick things off we'll take a look at the top 5 Kirby covers on sale in August 1961. Only the most exacting criteria--artistic skill, ambitiousness of concept, historical context, coolness of creature--was used to determine the final rankings. Here's how the chips fell:

5. Amazing Adventures #6

4. Journey Into Mystery #73

3. Strange Tales #90

2. Tales of Suspense #23

1. Tales to Astonish #25

Yep, you guessed it: our esteemed covers here were on sale around the same time as Fantastic Four #1. So I ask you: on that hot summer day in early August 1961, would you have noticed FF #1 among this panoply of Kirby covers?

Or maybe you would have ignored the FF, SSerpo, and Orrgo altogether...and instead used your hard-earned dime to buy our Honorable Mention in the August 1961 sweepstakes: Kid Colt Outlaw #101! (Hey, that Kirby guy didn't only draw monsters...)

Happy Birthday Jack Kirby!

August 28th, 2010 would have been King Kirby's 93rd birthday.