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The Dark Surrealist Department:
That’s the highly evocative title an appreciative writer/fan named Ouzomandias christened Mr. Steranko with,
and we can’t conceptualize a more admirably accurate description.
He's another titan that was largely absent from my comic-buying days, so I have to ask when was his time
as Marvel's (and comics') leading light?
His senses-shattering tenure at the (then truly) House of Ideas began in the late sixties and ended in
the early 70s when his independent spirit necessitated he explore other realms and mediums of expression
that would keep him evolving as an artist instead of becoming a commodity to be further exploited with
no say in what/how/what/why and when his creativity was best expressed.
His watershed work had unmistakable echoes of Will Eisner’s
seminal influence
with unmistakable echoes of Salvador Dali’s
equally striking superlative surrealism.
As Roy Thomas told the tale:
[ “I met Jim (in 1965); he brought his work up to Marvel then, I think, but it wasn't considered quite pro
quality yet. The next year ... he came up to the office again — I presume he had an appointment —
and I was sent out by Sol [Brodsky] to look at his work and basically brush him off. Stan was busy
and didn't want to be bothered that day.
But when I saw Jim's work, which was even better than what I'd seen the previous year, on an impulse
I took it in to Sol and said, 'I think Stan should see this'. Sol agreed, and took it in to Stan. Stan brought
Steranko into his office, and Jim left with the 'S.H.I.E.L.D.' assignment. ... I think Jim's legacy to Marvel was
demonstrating that there were ways in which the Kirby style could be mutated, and many artists
went off increasingly in their own directions after that.” ]
I'm vaguely aware of those Nick Fury Agent of SHIELD stories but is that largely where his legacy rests?
We dearly doubt it – those may be his specific masterworks,
but he boldly blasted the envelope of graphic brilliance in a way
that foreshadowed his contemporary Barry Windsor-Smith’s
wonderful work on a certain Cimmerian and profoundly laid the galvanizing groundwork for
Mr. Miller
Ouzomandias encapsulates and summarizes the subject under scope with far more eloquence than we could:
[ Steranko did not remain long in comics. The essential creations from his pen dated from the late
sixties, and a collector could assemble a portfolio of his work that demonstrated all of his strengths
without needing later material. In this, he fit the profile of the great illuminator that does not long endure.
But, as did so much of the luminous talent of the late sixties, Steranko deliberately and permanently
absented himself from the medium after only a short tenure of work that pushed the boundaries
of its medium. One need not look into his history or character to understand this; superhero comics
enjoys a casualty list of alienated talent driven away by overwork, low pay, and under-recognition
that suggests no one need multiply causes to explain anyone's departure.
Still, in a sense, the pioneers justify the medium by the works they leave behind, and, even in passing,
demonstrate that serial art need not pander to juvenile tastes nor lower the standards of its consumers.
Steranko's work stands as one of the justifications of a medium. ]
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Shut your mouth!
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I've also begun re-exploring Frank Miller's first run on Daredevil. Read issues 159-161, where Bullseye puts out a contract on hornhead in order to film DD in action so that he might get an edge in his own impending duel with The Man Without Fear. Frank Miller wasn't the writer of these stories, Roger McKenzie was, and in the lettercol there is mention of how McKenzie and Miller have Daredevil plotted well in advance. I have to wonder, given my distaste for Miller's post-DD work, how much of a factor Roger McKenzie played in creating this immortal run on the book. I'm not saying that he was *the* guy, but there must've been something McKenzie contributed to make it so memorable.
I just finished re-reading Daredevil #162, a fill-in issue with art by the astonishing Steve Ditko. For all the hype about Frank Miller and the rest of these modern guys*, Ditko has it all over pretty much all of them. Ditko's work just has a fluidity to it that puts all of them to shame.
(*Though, truth be told, I do like another Steve, Steve "the Dude" Rude immensely, and he's one of the modern guys!)
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) could've stopped the former all by his lonesome (as to that, the latter did make an
