All of us comics fans know Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner, Bill Everett's masterful anti-hero and the very FIRST Marvel super hero. Namor who fought his way through New York City and fought the Human Torch, Namor who was tried and convicted of murder, Namor who was ret-conned into the Invadersand fought nazis alongside the Torch and Toro and Captain America and Bucky, Namor who was awakened from years of amnesia to battle the Fantastic Four, the Avengers and Daredevil, Namor who regally defended the throne of sunken Atlantis from the likes of Attuma and Krang. Yeah, yeah. "Imperius Rex" and all that. Here, however, we offer two pages showing the one true Sub-Mariner in a
different and perhaps thankfully forgotten light! This is from MARVEL MYSTERY # 89 from 1948.
Well, THAT was the nadir of Subby's career, no doubt!
ReplyDeleteThe pages I always wanted to see were the Sub-Mariner stories drawn
by Lee Elias, Golden and Silver
Age artist extraordinaire! He once
told me that he was brought in
especially to offer his own artistic intrepretation of the
classic character, who was floundering with indifferent art
after WW2. (I guess Bill Everett
was not available.)
After he did a story or three,
he was told his services were no
longer needed! Turns out the powers
that be wanted his art mostly to
show as an example to the Timely
bullpenners of how-to-do-it. And
they didn't have to pay Elias's top
page rate anymore.
I'd like to ask Stan Lee about this
to verify its accuracy, but I hear
his memory is not the best!
Anyone notice on the first page, the words "Micheal" and "Garibaldi" together?
ReplyDeleteIf you remember Babylon 5 you'd know that's the name of the head of station Security.