Fantastic Four Collecting Thread!

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The interior art is great through the entire run, but my preference for inkers is Sinnott, Ayers, and Stone-in that order.

I think the high point for me is the 57-60 Doom/Surfer storyline. Sinnott over Kirby at its best.

I feel like the look of the characters was defined a bit later in the Kirby / Sinnott run. I don't argue that issues 39-67 (or thereabouts) are the apex of the title. But just after, when Kirby made a conscious decision to hold back on the innovation, I think he focused a bit more on traditional comic-book pretty pictures. Fewer panels, more splashes, and the characters just looked the way I think they should.

I vote for numbers 68 thru 92.

I quite agree, as while it takes a little to get accustomed to Giacoia's inks, he’s as much as awesome as Sinnott. Hey, please include #64-67…

And I do love Chic Stone too…

Later on, some of the late 1970s tenure of Roy Thomas are beautiful… I believe it’s either Buscema or George Perez. I also like the wonderful covers Alan Davis did for the knowledgethirsty, morally ambiguous and unlikely Reed Richards in the Hickman tenure…

Big John Buscema's 1970s FF was beautiful!

While I agree that the early Kirby/Stone work may not be as detailed as the later stuff, I still love the art from the '63-'65 formative period. Who else but Kirby was doing two page splashes, photomontages, and the most incredible machines and alien creatures in the history of the medium to that point? FF Annual 1, for instance, has some gorgeous work:

While I agree that the early Kirby/Stone work may not be as detailed as the later stuff, I still love the art from the '63-'65 formative period. Who else but Kirby was doing two page splashes, photomontages, and the most incredible machines and alien creatures in the history of the medium to that point? FF Annual 1, for instance, has some gorgeous work:

 

Good point and a great example. Thanks for the post!

Here's a question for the FF junkies; We often discuss great FF stories, but which era of Fantastic Four do you think had the best art?

Be as specific as you want. If you think the art hit an unequaled high point in a single issue, then go with it!

although I am biased towards the early 1-13 run, I think the interior art was at it's Kirby best around issues 39-73 range...highlighted by the DD/Dr Doom issues (39-40), SS/Galactus Trilogy (48-50), all the silver/doom/black panther issues, and finally the Blastaar/sandman splash panels in issues 61-63 were pretty good. My two cents.

I like this post too and agree with much of it. That said, I just looked over the scans for many of my covers and find it hard to be more specific than #'s 35 through 95. They're all so good!

The interior art is great through the entire run, but my preference for inkers is Sinnott, Ayers, and Stone-in that order.

 

I think the high point for me is the 57-60 Doom/Surfer storyline. Sinnott over Kirby at its best.

(thumbs u

That's my favorite FF arc.

I'd say from 48 on is when the artwork was best.

I feel like the look of the characters was defined a bit later in the Kirby / Sinnott run. I don't argue that issues 39-67 (or thereabouts) are the apex of the title. But just after, when Kirby made a conscious decision to hold back on the innovation, I think he focused a bit more on traditional comic-book pretty pictures. Fewer panels, more splashes, and the characters just looked the way I think they should.

 

I vote for numbers 68 thru 92.

The move to smaller paper was a factor in the layout changes, too.

I think the best art was the Kirby/Sinnott years, but it dropped a tad towards the end when Kirby was holding back and when the paper got smaller.

Other than that, I love all the various inking periods: the early Ayers, the Ditko, the Chic Stone. George Roussos wasn't my favorite, but I still enjoy those stories and art. The only stuff I didn't care for so much were the Colletta issues, which look really rushed.

What does it mean "the paper got smaller"?

Chic Stone remains…

Diablo…

Giacoia was very original, not following so faithfully like Sinnott but nonetheless…

What does it mean "the paper got smaller"?

 

Chic Stone remains…

Diablo…

 

Giacoia was very original, not following so faithfully like Sinnott but nonetheless…

 

I forgot Giacoia! He was great, too.

Prior to ''67-'68, comics were drawn on boards that were about 12.5 x 18.5. (Commonly referred to as "twice-up" or "large art".) The industry downsized to 10 x 15, which forced everyone to draw and letter smaller. Here's a nice summary of what went down.

Ah I see – that’s very clear now… I thought you were talking about the printed comic books themselves. (thumbs u

Jack managed to toss out some awesome pages with the Black Panther too, anyway.

They are very atmospheric, especially the Kiber the cruel storyline, or the more metaphysical from the late Captain America books.

Torgo: «How can I murder one that has shown me mercy?»

Someone should have Hickman re-read these before he continues writing Marvels "their own (current) way"…

Look at this binder copy of FF 1 on ebay.

Although it has been 3 hole punched, it hasn't been trimmed, and I think it is a sweet looking copy for the price.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FANTASTIC-FOUR-1-CGC-F-VF-7-0-UNRESTORED-ORIGIN-and-1st-APPEARANCE-1961-/231569351842?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35ea9be4a2

My FF 10 is a binder copy, and I put a thin color matching sheet of paper under the cover, and you can hardly see where the holes are now.

Look at this binder copy of FF 1 on ebay.

Although it has been 3 hole punched, it hasn't been trimmed, and I think it is a sweet looking copy for the price.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FANTASTIC-FOUR-1-CGC-F-VF-7-0-UNRESTORED-ORIGIN-and-1st-APPEARANCE-1961-/231569351842?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35ea9be4a2

 

My FF 10 is a binder copy, and I put a thin color matching sheet of paper under the cover, and you can hardly see where the holes are now.

Interesting copy. The 'received' date stamp of June 30 is over a month earlier than the August arrival date typically found. I don't recall ever seeing even a July arrival date before on an FF #1, let alone one from June - I wonder what's behind the history of this book?

Did anyone get any cool FF's from the recent Pedigree auction?

I'll go ahead and volunteer that I'm the one who got the 13. I have yet to receive it but if it looks as nice in person as it does in the scan, I'll be very happy.

Wow! Congratulations on a beautiful copy of a tough book. One of my favorite Marvel SA issues by a wide margin.

And no, I won nothing from the auction myself...

Dan

Wow! Congratulations on a beautiful copy of a tough book. One of my favorite Marvel SA issues by a wide margin.

 

And no, I won nothing from the auction myself...

 

Dan

Thx Dan - much appreciated!

That FF 13 is really pretty!

It's hard to believe your copy and mine are the same issue!

"Pretty" is an understatement…

Thx guys! Much appreciated.

-Mike