Ruskd's blog, page 1 - StumbleUpon

Last login: 28 months agoRuskd: Rusk is a 44 year old married guy from West Des Moines, Iowa, USA.; Likes 2,720 pages, 2 videos, 108 photos • 104 fans • Received 13 reviews; Member since Aug 25, 2005

Favorites » His Blog

Display:
List
• Grid

Cover #9: Apr 7, 2006 6:26am 1 review military
http://www.acomics.com/covern9.htm; TWO FISTED TALES #26 (1952)
HARVEY KURTZMAN

If Crandall's cover to Master Comics #26 exemplifies our attitude as a nation during WW II, so to does Harvey Kurtzman's cover for Two Fisted Tales #26 reflect the mood surrounding our involvement in the Korean conflict. In a wonderfully dramatic and simple image, a beleaguered, frostbitten American soldier props up his wounded buddy, and from a darkly expressive face almost hidden beneath his helmet proclaims: "Some say us Marines RETREATED from the Changjin Reservoir! Heck! We didn't retreat! We just ADVANCED in another direction!" By the time this book was released the United States had been in the war for almost 2 years and many Americans were either indifferent or disenchanted with the "police action" after enduring the terrible hardships and loss of WW II. The soldiers here, in comparison to depictions in the '41-'45 period, are battered, haggard men. The drawing alone sans dialogue would have been powerful enough--the look on the face of the main soldier, his breath steaming out while the snow falls in fist-sized flakes around him, says volumes--but the addition of dialogue gives us an added insight into the mind of the retreating soldier and is a poignant commentary on the pride and will of the American Marine. Like many great covers, Kurtzman allows the central image to speak for itself, with a simple sky blue background silhouetting the weighty, forlorn figures. The color scheme, also designed by Kurtzman (he prepared color guides for all of his covers) is a masterpiece. Using color holds for the snow on the men and in the sky, he creates a time, a place and a mood which combine for a truly special cover.

Apr 7, 2006 6:25am: Sorry I have been MIA. I'm back! Stumble on!

B3TA : WE LOVE THE WEB: Mar 7, 2006 9:00am 236 reviews cyberculture
http://www.b3ta.com/; Doh!!

..:: CROMM CRUAC ::..: Mar 3, 2006 6:08am 121 reviews multimedia
http://www.crommcruac.com/; Very nice site.

Cover #10: Mar 2, 2006 5:53am 1 review comics
http://www.acomics.com/covern10.htm; Often called the greatest comic book cover of all time, it's tough to argue against this masterpiece by Frank Frazetta. Originally executed as a Buck Rogers cover for Famous Funnies (and rejected due to its extreme violence), Frazetta's composition leads your eye immediately into the area of maximum impact, with the dark cliff wall framing the man's figure and his cudgel exploding into negative space with the battered Neanderthal. Fritz misses nothing--even the angle of the club, the flying debris and the birds serve to complete the savage arc frozen in time. The forms, the body language, the design and colors all work together to create a sense of menace, intensity and brutality. Although this cover would probably be better served as a full size picture, the masthead and border image help give notice that what you see inside will indeed be unique. Interestingly, this was the only piece of artwork ever returned to any artist during the EC years. Frazetta was so happy with the finished piece that he made publisher Bill Gaines an offer: contrary to regular practice wherein Bill kept all the artwork, Frank agreed to take less money simply for the reproduction rights if he could keep the art. Gaines accepted and returned the cover to Frazetta after publication for a savings of about $50. Many years later, Frazetta said he had then been offered $50,000 for the legendary pen-and-ink piece, but turned it down.

Flirty-Angels reviews: Mar 1, 2006 5:34am 28 reviews
http://flirty-angel.stumbleupon.com/; Welcome! Love the stumbles. Did not take you long to get the hang of things!

Site Builder: Feb 28, 2006 6:38am 1 review construction
http://home.earthlink.net/imagelib/sitebuilder/misc/show_image.html?linkedwid...; My all time fave pulp hero. Doc Savage!

The 86th Floor: Feb 28, 2006 6:30am 2 reviews
http://members.aol.com/the86floor/index.html; Th Best Doc Savage Site out there!

Cover #11: Feb 28, 2006 6:27am 1 review comics
http://www.acomics.com/covern11.htm; Perhaps the most striking of all of L.B.Cole's unique covers, this one certainly lives up to the description of its lurid, wavy lined logo: It's weird. Yeesh! What did those soldiers find over there in Korea, and is this a judgement on our willingness to wake these horrible specters through the office of War? This is just a flat-out memorable and disturbing image.

Please login or join to view older archives

StumbleUpon

Favorites » His Blog

People he is a fan of

Find a friend (via email/nickname)

Show pages he liked about