tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263300365798803459.post8488174124613906281..comments2024-03-29T02:53:08.837+00:00Comments on Steve Does Comics: Why my love of Spider-Man means I can never show my face in Manhattan.Steve W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09191442559702617745noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263300365798803459.post-5184756704816750242011-07-22T00:42:20.946+01:002011-07-22T00:42:20.946+01:00I was introduced to Spidey during this stellar era...I was introduced to Spidey during this stellar era and for me this series and this period epitomizes the bronze age. The great Andru did for Spidey what Buscema did for Conan and Starlin did for Warlock. The Andru period turned my casual interest in comics into a passion.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263300365798803459.post-26855495983297640092011-06-06T21:33:59.440+01:002011-06-06T21:33:59.440+01:00Huge fan of the great Ross Andru here and eager to...Huge fan of the great Ross Andru here and eager to kick the balls of any short sighted one (no pun intended) who might dare to disagree!<br /><br />I heard about Andru's eyesight failing toward the end of his career but obviously not so early on during his ASM run.<br /><br />It's a shame that he is so underappreciated.<br />Still, he's far from being forgotten and I'm confident that time will bring justice and rightfully put him a place of choice in the greatest comic creators hall of fame.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263300365798803459.post-23201791158523860882011-03-21T22:13:11.630+00:002011-03-21T22:13:11.630+00:00Poor eyesight, eh? Makes sense. I just consulted...Poor eyesight, eh? Makes sense. I just consulted with Crapipedia--er, Wikipedia, and if one can believe anything one reads there, Mr Andru passed away at age 66 in 1993.<br /><br />Actually, that's a good idea for one of your blog installments, Steve: a listing of the major artists and writers we grew up on and have since joined the Great Majority. Gil Kane is gone...John Buscema is gone...Bill Everett and Artie Simek are long gone...etc...etc....R. W. Watkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14660716315419914578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263300365798803459.post-32270668770510629062011-03-21T21:00:26.371+00:002011-03-21T21:00:26.371+00:00Hi, RW. A fair bit back I read an interview with D...Hi, RW. A fair bit back I read an interview with Dick Giordano where he spoke about the creation of the first Superman/Spider-Man team-up. He spoke of Andru's eyesight difficulties meaning Andru had problems meeting the deadline for the story and therefore left a lot of detail out for Giordano to add at the inking stage. Perhaps that's the explanation for the problems you detected in issue #136.Stevehttp://stevedoescomics.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263300365798803459.post-18465658953005005342011-03-21T20:49:05.175+00:002011-03-21T20:49:05.175+00:00Frankly, I think that Mr Andru was the most 'r...Frankly, I think that Mr Andru was the most 'realistic-image'-creating artist that the magazine had had at that point--possibly the most realistic-image-creating artist it's ever had. I think the unspoken(?) problem with Ross Andru is that he was a time-consuming artist--he couldn't be rushed; and that didn't sit well with a monthly title like <i>Amazing Spider-Man</i>. Just the other night I was re-reading #136 (the issue where Harry bombs the flat and lands MJ in hospital), and many panels looked unfinished to me. Take a look for yourself, Steve; you no doubt own a copy. Then again, maybe someone else (usually uncredited) drew the backgrounds and such, as was often the case in those days.<br /><br />Spider-Man comics have always been at their best when the artist suits the era. Ditko, with his cartoonish style, was perfect for the early to mid '60s. Romita, with occasional help from Don Heck and Jim Mooney, truly captured the mid to late '60s era. Gil Kane came along just in time for the early '70s; his panels of Gwen Stacy sitting alone in her flat in #102 linger on in my mind. Years later, Todd McFarlane and Eric Larsen fit the bill for the late '80s / early '90s period. And so it was for Mr Andru: he captured the artistic realism and doubt and devolution of the mid 1970s. Interestingly, the other eras of Spider-Man comics are largely irrelevant, and have not stood the test of time.R. W. Watkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14660716315419914578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263300365798803459.post-41499029413779347312011-01-09T16:29:30.587+00:002011-01-09T16:29:30.587+00:00Hi, Robert. It's always nice to see Andru gett...Hi, Robert. It's always nice to see Andru getting some love. It does seem to me that he's often been unfairly overlooked and I've never understood why.Stevehttp://stevedoescomics.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263300365798803459.post-29482550774489870182011-01-09T16:27:05.379+00:002011-01-09T16:27:05.379+00:00Steve,
I've been reading your articles on the...Steve,<br /><br />I've been reading your articles on the Spidey reprints and Ross Andru and it brought back a lot of memories. Basically, I agree with every word you wrote. Andru is the most under-rated artist on Spidey. He needed a good inker but when he had that, it was just wonderful. No one made NYC a 'character' like he did. If only he was still around. Most of the guys currently working in the industry couldn't lace his boots.<br />Robert.Roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08802582369684451770noreply@blogger.com