Fantastic Four #168 (Pt 6) Ben, Alicia, Johnny, Crystal--and O'Hoolihan (Who?!)

Fantastic Four #168 (1976) Buckler           Fantastic Four #79 (1968) Kirby

Fantastic Four #168 (1976) Buckler          Fantastic Four #79 (1968) Kirby 

Fantastic Four #168 (1976) Buckler

Fantastic Four #79 (1968) Kirby


The panels on the pages

Fantastic Four #79 (1968) Jack Kirby

Fantastic Four #168 (1976) Rich Buckler

And as we saw last time, the second panel on the #168 page was inspired by a panel from Fantastic Four #79. 

Fantastic Four #168 (Pt 5) Ben Grimm, Ladies' Man

There are a lot of Fantastic Four #79 recalls in #168 (both issues feature the Thing in his pre-cosmic rays Ben Grimm form). We'll start with these: 

1968: Fantastic Four #79 Jack Kirby

1976: Fantastic Four #168 Buckler

Fantastic Four #158 (Pt 5) Quicksilver and Crystal

1965: Fantastic Four #37  Jack Kirby

1975: Fantastic Four #158  Rich Buckler

Love it, Pietro has the same chin as Morrat 😄

Fantastic Four #158 (Pt 1) Big Ben--plus Alicia and Crystal

1967: Fantastic Four #66   Jack Kirby

1975: Fantastic Four #158  Rich Buckler



Guess Crystal and Alicia shopped at the same stores and went to the same hairdresser
😄

1975: Alicia, Fantastic Four #158                  1967: Crystal, Fantastic Four #65

Crystal  (with Sue) in the full Kirby panel from Fantastic Four #65.

1967: Fantastic Four #65 Jack Kirby

Avengers #59 and #362:John Buscema Master Class

Avengers #59    J. Buscema                                                                         Avengers #362    G. Purcell   

Trimpe and Kirby (Pt 14) Incredible Hulk #122 and Fantastic Four #87 - Crystal Blue Persuasion 😊

Dec. 1969: Hulk #122 Herb Trimpe

June 1969:
Fantastic Four #87 Kirby
         

The Kirby cover.

Jack Kirby & Joe Sinnott
Fantastic Four #87

Trimpe and Kirby (Pt 1) Incredible Hulk #122 and Fantastic Four #89

The late great Herb Trimpe's artwork was often called "Kirbyesque" so here we'll take a look at Trimpe's work on Hulk #122 and #123, which featured the Fantastic Four as guest stars. I never read Hulk back then but I was an FF fan, so for me it's fun to see these FF recalls. 

Trimpe was not used to drawing the FF and it was important to keep such well-known characters on model. It's pretty apparent Trimpe used several then-recent Fantastic Four issues, chiefly #83-#89, for inspiration/reference.These issues were probably on hand in the Marvel offices--remember, Trimpe was part of the Marvel production staff. 

Anyway, as we'll see in the next few posts Trimpe took some Kirby poses but added his own distinctive style to them. All in all, some great work by Mr. T!

Let's start with these covers, Fantastic Four #89 and Hulk #122. Both issues are from 1969: FF #89 was published in May 1969, around the time when Hulk #122 was being created, given a 4 month production lead time. Sure, there's Reed's fist in the forefront, but let's face it, that's a pretty common--and expected--Reed shot. Here I'm more interested in Sue and Crystal. 

Aug. 1969: Fantastic Four #89  Jack Kirby                            Dec. 1969: Incredible Hulk #122 Herb Trimpe                 

A closer look at the two covers: 

Here's a close-up of Sue and Crystal on the FF #89 cover...

...and on the Hulk #122 cover.

Giant-Size Avengers #1 (Pt 46) Crystal and Mantis

Why is Mantis shown with a big ol' man hand?! What's more the hand is gloved and Mantis doesn't wear gloves. Well, at least the colorist tried to get it right and made it flesh-colored!

1969: Fantastic Four 83 Kirby

1974: Giant-Size Avengers 1 Buckler

Fantastic Four #118 (Pt 5) Crystal Close-Up

1967: Fantastic Four 61  Kirby/Sinnott

1972: Fantastic Four 118
Buscema/Mooney

Perhaps suggested by? 

Fantastic Four #118 (Pt 3) Crystal Rebuffs Johnny

1972: Fantastic Four #118 John Buscema
I love her hair here...

1970: Fantastic Four #99 Jack Kirby
...and here! 
Not swipes, it's just the way artists drew her long hair--perhaps Buscema was looking at the Kirby panel as a guide, but maybe not...what do you think?



You'll see a number of panels in #118 that are reminiscent of scenes from #99; not surprising as both issues feature Johnny seeking out Crystal. 

1972: Fantastic Four #118  Buscema

1970: Fantastic Four #99  Kirby

Fantastic Four #139 (Pt 1) Medusa and Crystal

1973: Fantastic Four 139 - Buscema

1970: Fantastic Four 101 -  Kirby

Standard/typical poses for characters who are falling.

Fantastic Four #132 (Pt 1) Crystal and Johnny

These two panels pair up beautifully as a frame for the rise and fall of the Johnny-Crystal love story. Great work by Jack, Joe, John, Stan and Roy.

(Top) 1966: Fantastic Four #47- Kirby
(Bottom) 1973: Fantastic Four #132 - Buscema

Fantastic Four #130 (Pt 4) Johnny and Crystal

Eh, not really a swipe, more of a typical shot and a similar scenario. But I love Crystal and Johnny so I'm posting this! I prefer the Kirby-Sinnott work here; what say you?

(Top) 1967: Fantastic Four #66 - Kirby
(Bottom) 1973: Fantastic Four #130 - Buscema 

Fantastic Four #118 (Pt 1) Crystal's Gale

Fantastic Four #83 (1969) Kirby

Okay, not a swipe, perhaps "inspired by." 
Or just a standard pose. 

Fantastic Four #118 (1972) Buscema

Fantastic Four #117 (Pt 5) More Crystal and Lockjaw

Fantastic Four 117 (1971) Buscema                          Fantastic Four 61 (1967) Kirby



What do you think--suggested by?

Fantastic Four #117 (Pt 2) Call Her Crystal

Fantastic Four 61 (1967) Kirby                                                         Fantastic Four 117
                                                                                                             (1971) Buscema

The full panel from Fantastic Four 61 (1967) Jack Kirby, natch!

Giant-Size Avengers #1 (Pt 7) Captain America and Whizzer Again

Giant-Size Avengers #1 (1974) Buckler

Captain America #105 (1968) Kirby

A possible inspiration-This image of Wanda has always reminded me of Crystal from Fantastic Four #45. Sure, it's not a slam dunk like Cap/Whizzer above--it's mostly the shape/length of the foregrounded leg, the shading to hint at the other leg in the background, set of the torso, etc.--but I love both Wanda and Crystal, so I'm including these! 

Fantastic Four #45 (1965) Kirby

Fantastic Four #150 (Pt 19) Crystal and Lockjaw

Fantastic Four #150 (1974) Rich Buckler

                    

Fantastic Four #82 (1969) Jack Kirby

Fantastic Four #149 (Pt 12) Thundra and Crystal Again

Fantastic Four #149 (1974) Buckler

Fantastic Four #100 (1970) Kirby

For more Thundra-Crystal connections, see Thundra and Lightning and Crystal and Fantastic Femmes Face Frightful Foes.

Fantastic Four #148 (Pt 16) Thundra and Crystal--Fantastic Femmes Face Frightful Foes

Fantastic Four #148 (1974) Buckler

Fantastic Four #81 (1968) Jack Kirby

Verdict: Eh, probably just a standard face-off pose.