LION Comic, "The Spider V the Sinister Seven

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Re: LION Comic, "The Spider V the Sinister Seven

Post by alanultron5 »

I think it's because the Spider wasn't a `Whiter-than-White` goodie! He started out as a villain-and though he turned crime-fighter; he still carried that very conceited persona.

Though the writing got very `wild` there were always fascinating ideas & creations in the mix! It was never boring!
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Re: LION Comic, "The Spider V the Sinister Seven

Post by philcom55 »

Just got a couple of super pages of original art from the Sinister Seven storyline (though the Spider himself doesn't appear in either of them). Classic bonkers brilliance from Bunn and Siegel! :)

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Re: LION Comic, "The Spider V the Sinister Seven

Post by alanultron5 »

I saw a page of `Spider` art at a Birmingham comic fair in the mid 90s! Can't recall exact price-but i'm pretty sure that it was rather expensive! Hope you didn't go way into the red Phil!
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Re: LION Comic, "The Spider V the Sinister Seven

Post by philcom55 »

Fortunately I managed to get a good deal as those pages don't feature the main hero (though one of them does include all the other members of the Society of Heroes!). I'll post a scan when I get chance (Reg Bunn's cross-hatching really is breath-taking in the flesh!). :)

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Re: LION Comic, "The Spider V the Sinister Seven

Post by alanultron5 »

I'm afraid I don't know what `Cross-hatching` is. That book about the `Lion` comic often mentions it! Can you enlighten me please Phil? The Feb 24th issue of "Sinister Seven" for me, has finest Reg Bunn artwork.
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Re: LION Comic, "The Spider V the Sinister Seven

Post by philcom55 »

'Cross-hatching' is just a term for shading that uses crossed lines, while 'hatching' consists of lines that all go the same way. :)
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Re: LION Comic, "The Spider V the Sinister Seven

Post by philcom55 »

...And here's an example of Reg's almost obsessive use of the technique from one of the pages I acquired on Saturday!

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Re: LION Comic, "The Spider V the Sinister Seven

Post by alanultron5 »

I have that issue Phil! Great stuff!
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Re: LION Comic, "The Spider V the Sinister Seven

Post by suebutcher »

It's amazing how he could draw such large areas of cross-hatching with such a smooth texture. It looks like weaving, almost. Is it pen or brush?

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Re: LION Comic, "The Spider V the Sinister Seven

Post by philcom55 »

It's even more amazing when you realize that the artwork for that panel is over 15 inches across! The fluidity of his strokes really is quite astonishing. As far as I can tell he seems to have used a combination of pen and brush (unless he had a selection of very fat pen nibs). The overall effect of this shading is to give his work a really atmospheric look - almost as though everybody is wading through a thick, swirling fog: something that works especially well for fantasy/horror strips like Rory MacDuff, the Spider, Spellbinder and the Waxer.

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Re: LION Comic, "The Spider V the Sinister Seven

Post by Kashgar »

Absolutely agree Phil.

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Re: LION Comic, "The Spider V the Sinister Seven

Post by alanultron5 »

The only artwork I have seen to match it in quality is in the 1980 Dr Who Annual, comic strip "The Weapon" by Paul Crompton! Check that out!
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Re: LION Comic, "The Spider V the Sinister Seven

Post by suebutcher »

Lion 11.5.68. featuring the last episode of "Sinister Seven" has just fallen into my hands, and the replacement artist looks like Don Harley, maybe with someone else inking. It's also got "Gadgetman And Gimmick-Kid"; how long did this one run?

Here's the final page of "Sinister Seven".
S7final2.jpg

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Re: LION Comic, "The Spider V the Sinister Seven

Post by philcom55 »

I've always assumed that was Don Harley as well Sue. Gadgetman & Gimmick Kid (also written by Jerry Siegel) ran from May 4th 1968 to October 26th 1968.

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Re: LION Comic, "The Spider V the Sinister Seven

Post by alanultron5 »

The "Spider V The Snake" was; for me, the last great `Spider` adventure.
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