Barry Smith - Fantastic Four Dr. Doom Sample Story Page 2 Original Art (1968)....

Description

Barry Smith - Fantastic Four Dr. Doom Sample Story Page 2 Original Art (1968). The Thing and Doctor Doom slug it out in this powerhouse portfolio sample page from Barry Windsor-Smith's fateful first meeting with Stan Lee at Marvel, when he was still a teenage hopeful. Smith shows off his pencils in four big, bombastic panels that channel Jack Kirby's larger-than-life power, capped by a final panel that brings Mr. Fantastic, Blastaar, and Sandman into the fray. Ink over graphite on Bristol board with an image area of 12.5" x 18.5". Slight toning, staining, smudging, top left corner creasing, and handling wear. Signed and dated in the lower right margin. In Very Good condition.


More Information: In 1968, a teenage Barry Windsor-Smith crossed the Atlantic armed with nothing but a portfolio and an audacious dream: to work for Marvel Comics. He walked into Stan Lee's Manhattan office and laid out his samples. Barry recounts, "In our first meeting at Marvel Comics’ offices, Stan Lee seemed genuinely impressed with everything I’d brought from London. When Stan got to the Inhumans splash page, he stopped browsing and started to lightly read across the first couple of pages. ‘We can't get this,’ he said quietly. Later, I realized what he'd meant by that. He'd seen far too many sample drawings from talented fans who wanted to work for Marvel. In my case, though, I came to his executive office with multi-paneled story pages, not just muscular Iron Man poses or amateur portraits of Sue Storm. With the Inhumans especially -- five finished pages of story and art with script and lettering, to boot -- he realized that I was coming to Marvel Comics as a storyteller, not just a comics penciler. He was nodding positively as he looked through several pages of my Fantastic Four and the Thing. Then, as he opened the double-page spread of the Silver Surfer and Galactus, Stan Lee, the Man himself, looked straight at me, saying, ‘This is worthy of Jack Kirby!’ Stan may not have meant that to be absolutely true, but as an 18-year-old wannabe from a foreign country, I felt practically woozy over Stan's support."
It was the beginning of a career that has spanned several decades, beginning with his debut in The X-Men #53, followed by his industry-shaking run on Conan the Barbarian, his hugely popular "Weapon X" serial, and most recently his Eisner Award–winning graphic novel Monsters. We are proud to present these historic sample pages from Barry Windsor-Smith’s first meeting with Stan Lee.


More information about Barry Smith. See also: Smith, Barry, Barry Windsor-Smith Artist. Lookup the Comic Book in our Guide