Love how, no matter how many times he gets beaten, Surtur always comes back every year or so like, "Hello, folks. Can i interest you in some Ragnarök?"
A later Thor artist, I don't remember which one, said something about the character that I think holds most true for Simonson’s artwork, to paraphrase: "Every image should be something you'd want to paint on the side of your van." Like this: 6:30
Simonson's Run on Thor is a great (and rare) example of a "grim n' gritty" 1980s revamp of a series done right. It had epic scope, genuine stakes to the action, fully-fleshed out characters, and sometimes shocking violence, but tempered with a real modern sensibility.
Ah! (5:05) Now I know why, back in the late 1960s, Dr. Donald Blakes’s office called me so often to cancel my scheduled checkups. I thought it was odd how he disappeared for weeks at a time. 😄
This encapsulates exactly what went wrong with Marvel in the early 90's. There was no more across the board quality. It was event/creative team driven comics not just enjoyable comics.
Sal was Marvel’s fastest artist. Stanl used him a lot for catching up on deadlines. If you look at Silver surfer number four you can see how good an artist he could’ve been if he was allowed time to draw the way he really wanted to.
If I had to pick one thing in the Simonson run that I felt a little let down by, it would be Kurse, and this was a case of Simonson’s artwork outstripping the actual character. He was SO COOL looking, especially on the cover where he has both Thor & Beta Ray beat down while he towers above them. The actual story with him was a bit of a let down though. There was no big battle, and he just kind of stopped fighting everyone and just stood around the rest of the run. Still loved how he looked, just wish he could have done more with the character.
Glorious goats, horse face, the curse, the beard, and the endless winter .. yeah, so good, one of my favourite comic runs. Especially liked the endless winter featured in other comics, either complicating and hindering other characters or like the Avengers, making a stand against the invaders. Solid storytelling and great art .. and huge onomatopoeic action words, KRAKABOOOOM!, fun.
I've never owned nor read a Marvel (or DC) comic, and have minimal interest in American superheroes. That said, I love your videos analysing and talking about them. Your passion, knowledge & enthusiasm shines through and makes me interested in what you have to say about a topic that I would otherwise pass straight on by.
You’ve inspired me to read the original Thor run via the Marvel Masterworks. Your assessment is correct; that first year or two of Thor was pretty rough! 😅
Being a Baby Boomer of Norwegian descent, I can tell you that verily, 'tis far easier to pick up Thor's hammer than that Omnibus volume. And I am Worthy.
Oh it's you Michael! I didn't recognise you with the glasses, I thought your were Sigurd Jarlson or Clark Kent. Don Blake was created to be an impediment to Thor's power in the same way that Aquaman could only last outside water for a limited time before weakening. If the story is written well enough (and Simonson's always were), then you don't need these artificial limits. Didn't Simonson base Beta Ray Bill's appearance on a horse's skull? Another similarity between Roger and Bill is their charm. Sigurd Jarlsson (two 'S') was a Norwegian chieftain involved in that country's civil war that was fought between the late 1100s and the early 1200s. I don't know if that has any link to Simonson choosing the name, just a fun fact. That image of Karnilla reminds me that the Asgardians could wear some crazy head coverings, some were so high and wide that I don't know how they got through the doorways. Although it often depended on the inker, Sal Buscema was a competent and interesting artist. The Executioner's last stand on the bridge: for me, the greatest moment in Simonson's run which is itself one of the greatest Thor runs. A great overview Michael.
I know I only asked the question the other week, and you’ve just answered it! Payday today and it’ll be the only thing I buy but I’m sure it’s worth it. Absolutely dying to get the Miracleman omnibus though! Collected Moore for the best part of 30 years and only have the first 6 issues of his run. Only four more weeks until I get paid again! 😬
I can still remember the day I purchased the "Thor vs. The Midgard Serpent" issue. I was in nerd bliss just geeking out over every page, and even drew the image of Thor you held up here (25:25) for one of my art classes years later that I won an award for.
Michael, hello❤👋🖐👋 Just an odd question. I know you focus on the classic comics but is there anything out there in modern comics of today? I haven't looked at comics for years. I remember looking at some in early 2000s and was not really impressed. Is the comic book a lost art?
Just a-wonderin' . . . but is the coloring in this collection the same as in the original comicbook run, or did they re-color them using the newer techniques that are available? When Dark Horse reprinted the Marvel CONAN comicbook -- excepting those stories which had Red Sonja in them (the bastards!) -- they re-colored them, as the coloring techniques used back in the '70s were somewhat limited compared with what could be done in more recent decades. I recently bought a Marvel Epic Collection of the 11 issues of ADVENTURES ON THE PLANET OF THE APES -- which were reprints of the adaptations of the first 2 movies from the Black-&-White Marvel POTA magazine, but the colorist (George Roussos) -- whose rather mediocre coloring job bothered me back when I originally bought the comic off the stands (he made the gorillas' black leather jackets YELLOW with RED horizontal stripes, for cryin' out loud!) -- his coloring job was retained, and the reprinted version in this Epic Collection looks as wrong as it did 49 years ago! They really SHOULD have re-colored it, but they didn't. Was that run of THOR originally colored as nicely as it appears in this Epic Collection, I wonder?
Love how, no matter how many times he gets beaten, Surtur always comes back every year or so like, "Hello, folks. Can i interest you in some Ragnarök?"
Is that you, Michael...? The glasses really throw me.......😂
The goats, the beard, the mythology, the frogs!
A later Thor artist, I don't remember which one, said something about the character that I think holds most true for Simonson’s artwork, to paraphrase: "Every image should be something you'd want to paint on the side of your van." Like this: 6:30
I loved Sal's work on the Hulk during the 70's
Simonson's Run on Thor is a great (and rare) example of a "grim n' gritty" 1980s revamp of a series done right. It had epic scope, genuine stakes to the action, fully-fleshed out characters, and sometimes shocking violence, but tempered with a real modern sensibility.
One of my favorite comic book runs of all time. I'll give up my Omnibus when it's pried from my cold, dead hands.
Sounds good. I never read thor during this period. I just didn't care for what I was seeing at the time on the stands.
Ah! (5:05) Now I know why, back in the late 1960s, Dr. Donald Blakes’s office called me so often to cancel my scheduled checkups. I thought it was odd how he disappeared for weeks at a time. 😄
This encapsulates exactly what went wrong with Marvel in the early 90's. There was no more across the board quality. It was event/creative team driven comics not just enjoyable comics.
Sal was Marvel’s fastest artist. Stanl used him a lot for catching up on deadlines. If you look at Silver surfer number four you can see how good an artist he could’ve been if he was allowed time to draw the way he really wanted to.
Stan was actually mad at Sal for how much time he spent on Silver surfer number four which really wasn’t a lot of time it just was to Stan.
You just cost me $100 bucks. I’m sending you an invoice….
Hello Michael Hello. Good to see you do this Excellent Video on THOR. LONG AWAITED Comic Wednesday. A Zillion times Thank You
If I had to pick one thing in the Simonson run that I felt a little let down by, it would be Kurse, and this was a case of Simonson’s artwork outstripping the actual character. He was SO COOL looking, especially on the cover where he has both Thor & Beta Ray beat down while he towers above them. The actual story with him was a bit of a let down though. There was no big battle, and he just kind of stopped fighting everyone and just stood around the rest of the run. Still loved how he looked, just wish he could have done more with the character.
Glorious goats, horse face, the curse, the beard, and the endless winter .. yeah, so good, one of my favourite comic runs. Especially liked the endless winter featured in other comics, either complicating and hindering other characters or like the Avengers, making a stand against the invaders. Solid storytelling and great art .. and huge onomatopoeic action words, KRAKABOOOOM!, fun.
Of course women will fall for the "noble and good" and not Brad Pitt. 😂😂😂
Good stuff! Completely agree that Tales of Asgard was a turning point.
I've never owned nor read a Marvel (or DC) comic, and have minimal interest in American superheroes. That said, I love your videos analysing and talking about them. Your passion, knowledge & enthusiasm shines through and makes me interested in what you have to say about a topic that I would otherwise pass straight on by.
My fav comic run. I have the Omni….and the single issues… but few comics knocked me out like this.. maybe Charlie’s war…but that’s it.
Just got volume 1 last night because of this vid. Thanks for the recommendation.
You’ve inspired me to read the original Thor run via the Marvel Masterworks. Your assessment is correct; that first year or two of Thor was pretty rough! 😅
We Need more Thor
ILOVETHOR. I still have my teen crush on him. Are you kidding? The man was a DOCTOR. I didn't find him lame, but I was smitten.
Executioner was in Immortal Thor the other month with Enchantress and the Minotaur.
Being a Baby Boomer of Norwegian descent, I can tell you that verily, 'tis far easier to pick up Thor's hammer than that Omnibus volume.
And I am Worthy.
It's Surtur, not Sutor!
I have the entire run in comic book form. Wish I could afford the omnibus edition
Just picked this omnibus up and it’s awesome!
I just got this omnibus myself. I'm looking forward to diving into it!
Oh it's you Michael! I didn't recognise you with the glasses, I thought your were Sigurd Jarlson or Clark Kent.
Don Blake was created to be an impediment to Thor's power in the same way that Aquaman could only last outside water for a limited time before weakening. If the story is written well enough (and Simonson's always were), then you don't need these artificial limits.
Didn't Simonson base Beta Ray Bill's appearance on a horse's skull?
Another similarity between Roger and Bill is their charm.
Sigurd Jarlsson (two 'S') was a Norwegian chieftain involved in that country's civil war that was fought between the late 1100s and the early 1200s. I don't know if that has any link to Simonson choosing the name, just a fun fact.
That image of Karnilla reminds me that the Asgardians could wear some crazy head coverings, some were so high and wide that I don't know how they got through the doorways.
Although it often depended on the inker, Sal Buscema was a competent and interesting artist.
The Executioner's last stand on the bridge: for me, the greatest moment in Simonson's run which is itself one of the greatest Thor runs.
A great overview Michael.
I know I only asked the question the other week, and you’ve just answered it! Payday today and it’ll be the only thing I buy but I’m sure it’s worth it. Absolutely dying to get the Miracleman omnibus though! Collected Moore for the best part of 30 years and only have the first 6 issues of his run. Only four more weeks until I get paid again! 😬
Been looking forward to this!
I can still remember the day I purchased the "Thor vs. The Midgard Serpent" issue. I was in nerd bliss just geeking out over every page, and even drew the image of Thor you held up here (25:25) for one of my art classes years later that I won an award for.
That wasn't Lady Sif, that was Hela. Totally different character.
I must have misspoke. That sometimes happens.
Michael, hello❤👋🖐👋
Just an odd question. I know you focus on the classic comics but is there anything out there in modern comics of today? I haven't looked at comics for years. I remember looking at some in early 2000s and was not really impressed. Is the comic book a lost art?
Just a-wonderin' . . . but is the coloring in this collection the same as in the original comicbook run, or did they re-color them using the newer techniques that are available? When Dark Horse reprinted the Marvel CONAN comicbook -- excepting those stories which had Red Sonja in them (the bastards!) -- they re-colored them, as the coloring techniques used back in the '70s were somewhat limited compared with what could be done in more recent decades. I recently bought a Marvel Epic Collection of the 11 issues of ADVENTURES ON THE PLANET OF THE APES -- which were reprints of the adaptations of the first 2 movies from the Black-&-White Marvel POTA magazine, but the colorist (George Roussos) -- whose rather mediocre coloring job bothered me back when I originally bought the comic off the stands (he made the gorillas' black leather jackets YELLOW with RED horizontal stripes, for cryin' out loud!) -- his coloring job was retained, and the reprinted version in this Epic Collection looks as wrong as it did 49 years ago! They really SHOULD have re-colored it, but they didn't. Was that run of THOR originally colored as nicely as it appears in this Epic Collection, I wonder?
That omnibus looks like it has recoloured and re-inked artwork - I hate it when they do that!
Any idea what youll read after your thor journey?
I’ll be reading all of Fantastic Four from its first series.