It’s that 1977 Marvel Calendar again!

While pulling together yesterday’s entry on the Captain America original art in the Museum’s collection, I remembered that we have another interesting Kirby image from the 1977 calendar:

Yes, it’s a Jack Kirby drawing of not only Thor, the Thing, the Hulk, Captain America and Spider-man, but also Howard the Duck, Luke Cage, Conan and Dr. Strange.

I’m sure Kirby was working from a comp drawing sent to him by the Marvel office, which could have been by Marie Severin, John Romita, Sr., or someone else. My guess is that they provided him with a pretty good likeness of Howard the Duck. The published piece was inked by John Romita, Sr. Color artist unknown, although possibly Marie Severin, as well.

4 thoughts on “It’s that 1977 Marvel Calendar again!

  1. Shane Foley

    Are you sure even the pencil version of Howard the Duck is Kirby’s?
    Looks way too ‘un-Kirby’ to me. Maybe he traced it?
    Shane

    Reply
  2. Rand HOPPE

    I think if there’s a photocopy in the Kirby files, then Kirby pencilled it. Never heard of Kirby using a lightbox, my guess is a straight eyeball copy…

    Reply
  3. David S. Marshall

    Thanks for digging this up, Rand. As I on Facebook this morning, I had no idea Jack was even involved in this cover! It looks like John Romita ran over Jack’s pencils at first, but your notes on Marie Servin’s role is consistent with everything I’ve heard about that era’s production process.

    Looking at the scan full size, I think the Howard the Duck art is 100% Jack’s, but perhaps my judgement’s clouded by the great job he did on Destroyer Duck years later. Given how off spec all the other characters are on this drawing, there’s plenty of reason to say I’m wrong.

    Reply
  4. Mike Cagle

    I may have had this calendar when it came out – anyway, I know I’ve seen this art before. But not the pencilled version. I always assumed someone else drew the Howard, too — but the pencil looks like Kirby to me. Almost certainly copied from a model they provided him, I’m sure.
    Somebody – Lee? Romita? had the good idea to leave the background behind the characters light rather than black it in.

    Reply

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