Items of Interest

I came across some things that relate to previous posts and comments. JayJay, the brilliant Blog Elf will provide links to the discussions.


The Famous ROM #1 Cover That Wasn't

Here is the unused cover for ROM #1 penciled by Michael Netzer:

The note on the back was a personal message to me and wasn't meant for public display, so we won't show that. I'm pleased to report, however, that, as I remembered, Michael's description of what he drew includes the phrase "…people admiring the magnificent robot." 
Note to Michael: This drawing is yours, of course, and I will cheerfully return it to you, if you wish.
Some Pertinent links:
The Coming of ROM: A Knight's Tale (The first ROM post)
Michael's comment on that post ROM Comments and Answers  (Jim's post in response to Michael & others)



Jim Owsley's Alleged Humor
The lovely and talented Christopher Priest, who in days long ago when he was an editor at Marvel went by the even less-likely name "Jim Owsley," imbued the expression "funny business" with several new meanings. His sense of humor was irreverent, scandalous and outrageous before he got warmed up, then look out.  Marvel was a pretty enlightened place with regard to respect for humankind of all descriptions and inclinations, however, Owsley…well, this is how I described his jokes earlier:     

Jim Owsley/Christopher Priest, who is African-American, was fond of making jokes with racial overtones. Nothing hateful. More the Saturday Night Live irreverent humor style than the edgy-to-nasty National Lampoon style. People laughed. He was funny. There was no malice. Did anyone else ever make a non-PC joke? I'm sure. I'm also sure that if they were "utterly and deliberately extreme," I would have heard about it and taken appropriate action. 

   Keep that in mind, please, as you read this memo he sent me for no reason except to satisfy his own twisted sense of nonsense, that it is allegedly humor. Owsley humor:  One of Jim's comments (in part about Jim Owsley)Another

The Devil's Due
There was a good bit of discussion about an issue of Ghost Rider that had religious overtones as originally written by Tony Isabella that then-Editor in Chief Marv Wolfman had then- associate editor me rework. Here are my layouts for a couple of pages that were redrawn, where the "devil" gets his due. The balloon placement indications tell me that I had already written the dialogue, probably working from even scribblier roughs on scrap paper:
A comment by Jim discussing the issue (the comments and answers before and after Jim's are pertinent to the discussion as well.)

A Related Tail?Speaking of the devil, here's a cartoon of Roberta "Dickie" McKenzie who was in charge of artwork return: I suppose Dickie drew this self-portrait, but I suspect she had some help from Dave Cockrum. I have no idea why Devil Dickie gave herself the tail and horns.  Is that a Moon Pie she's eating?  
NEXT:  What If George Pérez Drew the Legion of Super-Heroes…?  And, Forget Byrne, Here's the Art Team for Superman.  And More….