Regular visitors to this blog know that Jim Aparo is my all time favorite artist (I'd say Joe Kubert is the best, but Aparo is my favorite). In addition to his amazing interior work, I was always struck by his covers. He really shined on DC's mystery titles. His moody visuals and strong use of light and shadow really made the covers for Adventure Comics featuring The Spectre, Phantom Stranger and spookier Batman or Phantom stories really stand out on the racks.
Thursday, May 30, 2019
Uncle Scrooge and The Phantom Stranger
Regular visitors to this blog know that Jim Aparo is my all time favorite artist (I'd say Joe Kubert is the best, but Aparo is my favorite). In addition to his amazing interior work, I was always struck by his covers. He really shined on DC's mystery titles. His moody visuals and strong use of light and shadow really made the covers for Adventure Comics featuring The Spectre, Phantom Stranger and spookier Batman or Phantom stories really stand out on the racks.
Labels:
Carl Barks,
DC Comics,
Disney,
Jim Aparo,
Phantom Stranger,
Uncle Scrooge
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24 comments:
Striking it rich in a world he didn't make... Beautiful cover with one of my favorite Disney characters!
Now there's a pairing I didn't see coming.
For a sequel, Scrooge and the Elongated Man. Gold and gingold.
Or Scrooge and Gold of the Metal Men.
Or Scrooge and Howard the Duck.
Really, the possibilities are endless.
another phenomenal cover, Ross ... you could correct your "by"..... i will agree that both Kubert and Aparo are in my top ten comic artists.... i can't leave without making a suggestion of Uncle Scrooge and Booster Gold....
Kubert's Hawkman & Hawkgirl have a whole different dimension that the other artists don't quite get, especially those crafted work helmets.
An easy pair: Uncle Scrooge and U.N.C.L.E.'s Napoleon Solo for Security Deposits.
Scrooge & Ben in Cry Uncle!
Uncle Scrooge & Aunt May in Family Matters
My vote is for Uncle Scrooge and Uncle Sam in a Top Hat battle royale :D
Brings a question to mind -Are there any extremely rich aunts in comicdom that are bankrolling their niece's or nephew's adventures?? untapped potential?
Anti-greed fables, narrated by the Phantom Stranger, never seemed to end well for the main character of the fable. I don't think the Scrooge McDuck of Earth-STF is going to live to see the hatching of his triplet grandnephews!
I'd love to see Big Barda and Grandma Duck.
Occasionally Disney artists have made a mistake with Huey, Dewey and Louie cartoons and accidentally included a fourth identical duck in a scene. The extra duck has been nicknamed Phooey. It could be fun to see him with his cousin from Hong Kong. The latter character could also join a giant gorilla... in King Kong Phooey.
I suspect Scrooge is helping the Stranger here.
I'm going to go into dangerous territory here. I think Aparo's artwork is great, and I particularly liked his work on Batman and the Outsiders, but I never really liked the way he drew heads or faces. Did anyone else find his distinctive style not quite right in that way?
@Anonymous 907: He drew faces far better than the two Franks (Robbins and Springer). Their artwork, back in the Seventies, made everyone look like Jonathan "the Scarecrow" Crane! Even Batman!!
Definitely _not_ a good thing.
@Anon 843AM: Hong Kong Phooey is a DOG, not a duck!
In the abortion debates, there's the argument that men cannot get pregnant; but if pregnancy can be achieved outside the womb, then the womb is potentially unnecessary, and men can under that assumption get pregnant!
I appreciate a cover like this where you're where you're willing to let the cartoonier characters and the more standard DC/Marvel characters stay true each others' visual roots. The Tintin covers are other good examples of that.
The Phantom Stranger makes a good mix with almost any character, so I can see him with him Archie, Jughead or any of those guys. Uncle Scrooge I can see with Kamandi, not much of a stretch that, is it?
Oh yeah, and Jughead as Galactus' herald... or apprentice.
@Anonymous1013: maybe he was adopted by one, just like Disney's Po.
Our Japanese friend above has a really good thought there: As a character, the Phantom Stranger can work well with just about any other character. It'd be interesting to see him interacting with Charlie Brown on the topic of kicking footballs (maybe as the NFL starts their season?).
Jughead as a herald of Galactus would be a fun cover, too; I second that idea. Two possibilities from DC would also be pretty scary: Harbinger, or Dumb Bunny.
Anonymous1013, you can't take Disney animals logically. Is Phooey Duck being cousins with Hong Kong Phooey the dog any more ridiculous than Mickey, a mouse, having a pet dog, Pluto, while also having a friend, Goofy, who is also a dog? Or Donald Duck having cousins who are not ducks, like Gus the Goose (who would also fit in with the eating competition discussed in yesterday's post)?
I love these really offbeat pairings. I would never have predicted this one.
As for one that might be a little more typical ... How about Nova Kane (in costume) and The Legion of Super-Heroes' Sun Boy? Both red-heads, both have power insignias (and the way Staton drew her, more than that), and the Sun Boy of the Levitz Baxter run was quite the ladies' man ...
Or, better yet, how about Nova Kane and Desiree (from "Danny Phantom") having a belly dance-off over Staton's E-man?
;-D
@Anon 1233: Who is this "Po"?
@Anon 638PM: Maybe Sailor Moon and the titular character of "I Dream of Jeannie" competing at Game Freak in Japan to be an official "chick" pokemon? XD! P.S.: Sailor Moon is a Japanese "chick", but Jeannie can at least fit into a tiny object like a pokeball.
@Anon943: The Kung Fu Panda, dude, as voiced by Jack Black in three highly successful movies.
@Carycomic: My namesake was probably adopted and raised by Amish wolves.
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