COVER STORY: Eclipse Magazine #6
What makes the best comic book covers? It’s a great topic for debate. For us as individuals there is no wrong answer, of course. It’s purely subjective. But with a little thought it is frequently possible to explain what it is about a particular image that grabs you. The best ones are the ones that make you stop and check out something you weren’t previously going to purchase – and in some cases, you even end up picking up a title you’ve never even heard of before.
For me, it’s always been about that cover you could see from across two or three rows at your local comic shop on Wednesday. Or on top of your friend’s stack of comics from his or her trip to the comic shop. Or across a crowded aisle at a comic book convention.
The best ones are the ones that make you stop and check out something you weren’t previously going to purchase – and in some cases, you even end up picking up a title you’ve never even heard of before.
There are lots of comics like that from every generation, and for my money some of the best have been crime comics. From the early pioneering Golden Age days to Sin City to today, crime has – at least in this sense – certainly paid.
One of the real greats, often forgotten because it was produced in magazine size – and our industry can be so parochial about that sort of thing – was Eclipse magazine #6, cover dated July 1982. It was the early days of the comic book specialty market and all sorts of folks were trying all sorts of things to creatively capture the reader’s attention.
Eclipse #6 certainly captured mine. It immediately made me want to know more about Ms. Tree, which up to that point I had somehow missed.
Cover artist Paul Gulacy – a fan favorite for Master of Kung-Fu at Marvel – had made a bold, visual statement when he illustrated Don McGregor’s graphic novel Sabre, and he continued to bring a sophisticated approach to imagery after that.
His photorealistic style contrasts with regular Ms. Tree artist Terry Beatty, but neither artist (or his work) is hurt by the comparison. The piece had such an almost tangible sense of mystery about it. It provoked questions. It sparked the imagination.
And it got me to buy the issue, introducing me to one of my all-time favorite characters, Ms. Tree.
To me, that’s a cover that did its job.
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COVER STORY: Eclipse Magazine #6
What makes the best comic book covers? It’s a great topic for debate. For us as individuals there is no wrong answer, of course. It’s purely subjective. But with a little thought it is frequently possible to explain what it is about a particular image that grabs you. The best ones are the ones that make you stop and check out something you weren’t previously going to purchase – and in some cases, you even end up picking up a title you’ve never even heard of before.
For me, it’s always been about that cover you could see from across two or three rows at your local comic shop on Wednesday. Or on top of your friend’s stack of comics from his or her trip to the comic shop. Or across a crowded aisle at a comic book convention.
The best ones are the ones that make you stop and check out something you weren’t previously going to purchase – and in some cases, you even end up picking up a title you’ve never even heard of before.
There are lots of comics like that from every generation, and for my money some of the best have been crime comics. From the early pioneering Golden Age days to Sin City to today, crime has – at least in this sense – certainly paid.
One of the real greats, often forgotten because it was produced in magazine size – and our industry can be so parochial about that sort of thing – was Eclipse magazine #6, cover dated July 1982. It was the early days of the comic book specialty market and all sorts of folks were trying all sorts of things to creatively capture the reader’s attention.
Eclipse #6 certainly captured mine. It immediately made me want to know more about Ms. Tree, which up to that point I had somehow missed.
Cover artist Paul Gulacy – a fan favorite for Master of Kung-Fu at Marvel – had made a bold, visual statement when he illustrated Don McGregor’s graphic novel Sabre, and he continued to bring a sophisticated approach to imagery after that.
His photorealistic style contrasts with regular Ms. Tree artist Terry Beatty, but neither artist (or his work) is hurt by the comparison. The piece had such an almost tangible sense of mystery about it. It provoked questions. It sparked the imagination.
And it got me to buy the issue, introducing me to one of my all-time favorite characters, Ms. Tree.
To me, that’s a cover that did its job.
Popular Topics
Overstreet Access Quick Links
