Showmasters Admin showmasters Posted June 25, 2012 Showmasters Admin Share Posted June 25, 2012 Latest Comic Guest JIM STARLIN Attending Fri/Sat/sun SPOILER ALERT: If you’ve yet to see the Avengers movie, don’t read any further. If you have, you’ll know that Thanos has been lined up to be the villain in the sequel. That’ll bring Jim Starlin’s talent to a much wider audience than the comics fans who have followed his work since he first broke into the business in late 1972. Having earned his dues working on a variety of fanzines, he began his professional career at Marvel, where as well as inking stories and covers, he pencilled contributions to My Love #20 and Journey into Mystery #1 before embarking on an assignment as regular artist on Iron Man that unfortunately lasted just three issues. That abortive run was however significant in that it allowed Starlin to not only reveal his talent as a writer but also introduce his death-loving creation, Thanos, who would be a significant presence in much of his Marvel work right up to the present day. Moving on from Iron Man, the writer/artist took over Captain Marvel and then – in 1975 – Warlock (initially in Strange Tales) with storylines that earned him the accolade “the man who put the cosmic into comics”. In between and concurrently he drew fill-ins and covers, co-created Shang Chi, Master of Kung Fu (introduced in 1973’s Marvel Special Edition #15), pencilled his first story for DC (in Sword of Sorcery #5) and began his exploration of theology, psychology, death, infinity and the cosmos – themes that run through much of his output – through stories he wrote and drew for the independent anthology Star*Reach. By the end of 1977, Starlin – who created Darklon the Mystic for Warren’s Eerie magazine in 1976 – had all-but ceased working for Marvel. Moving to DC, the visionary creator primarily drew fillers and covers although he did co-create Mongul, produce an OMAC backup strip in The Warlord and contribute Metamorphosis Odyssey to the first nine issues of Epic Illustrated Marvel’s creator-owned magazine. Also introduced in that anthology were Amber – which the writer/artist continued in Eclipse Comics’ own eponymous anthology – and Dreadstar. The latter, a Metamorphosis Odyssey spin-off that picked up from The Price (a 1981 Eclipse one-shot) and Marvel Graphic Novel #3: Metamorphosis Odyssey would gain its own Epic Comics title in 1982, the year Starlin killed of a second hero with whom he was closely associated. Having brought an end to Warlock’s life in 1977’s Eagle Award-winning Avengers Annual #7/Marvel Two-in-One Annual #2, he now unleashed the Grim Reaper in Marvel Graphic Novel #1. Better known as The Death of Captain Marvel, the highly acclaimed story was a milestone in the writer/artist’s career as well as in the superhero genre in general. Subsequently concentrating almost exclusively on Dreadstar (which moved to First Comics in 1982), in 1987 Starlin authored Marvel Graphic Novel #29 (The Big Change, which starred the Hulk and the Thing) and began a lauded run as writer of Batman. During his 16-issue tenure he introduced KGBeast and claimed a third victim – the second Robin (Jason Todd) – in the historic and mainstream publicity generating A Death in the Family (Batman #426-429). For DC he also wrote The Weird, Batman: The Cult and Cosmic Odyssey as well as producing Gilgamesh II before returning to Marvel as the 1990s began. Back at the House of Ideas the ever-prolific creator scripted Silver Surfer (including the Homecoming graphic novel), The Thanos Quest, X-Factor Special: Prisoner of Love, Punisher: P.O.V., Punisher: The Ghosts of Innocents, Warlock and the Infinity Watch, Warlock Chronicles and the Daredevil/Black Widow: Abattoir graphic novel as well as writing and drawing Warlock/Silver Surfer: Resurrection as well as a Thanos-focused trilogy encompassing Infinity Gauntlet, Infinity War and Infinity Crusade. Although he continued as writer of Warlock and the Infinity Watch, by 1993 Starlin had pretty much left Marvel behind, moving on to Bravura (Malibu’s short-lived creator-owned imprint) where he created ’Breed and relaunched Dreadstar. Bravura folded in 1995 and the writer/artist did little in comics until 1998 when he resurfaced at DC with Hardcore Station. He followed that by writing Fighting American: Dogs of War for Awesome, illustrating Acclaim’s Unity 2000 and producing his own Wyrd the Reluctant Warrior for Slave Labor Graphics. The new Millenium dawned with Starlin back at Marvel where he drew a handful of issues of Captain Marvel, co-wrote Space Knights (a revival of the Rom, Space Knight concept shorn of the licenced aspects) and extended his earlier Thanos trilogy with a 2002 fourth chapter entitled Infinity Abyss. A year later the writer/artist killed off the House of Ideas’ entire cosmos in Marvel Universe: The End before launching his death-worshipping villain into his own title. Starlin quit Thanos after six issues, moving on to create Cosmic Guard for Devil’s Due and a spin-off graphic novel, 2006’s Kid Kosmos: Kidnapped, for Dynamite. Since then he has produced Mystery in Space (2006) and Rann/Thanagar: Holy War (2008) as well as killing of more heroes in 2007’s Death of the New Gods; all three for DC. His most recent work is ’Breed III, an Image seven-parter that wraps up the saga he began 18 years earlier at Bravura. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coles84 Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 Awesome :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sasari Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 Superb guest! Creator of Adam Warlock, Captain Marvel and Thanos! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coles84 Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 This is indeed an epic comic guest to announce just before the show :-) will be meeting him 100% Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giuseppe1969 Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 (edited) He is a legendary Marvel artists, no less than John Romita, Steve Ditko, etc. and a great writer. Well done Showmasters. Edited June 25, 2012 by Bergman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marisagrimes Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 Ohhhh! Good guest to have right after The Avengers movie! My husband will be pleased indeed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogleg Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 Superb guest! Creator of Adam Warlock, Captain Marvel and Thanos! Adam Warlock was created by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby. Captain Marvel (with Rick Jones as his alter ego) was Roy Thomas' creation. This doesn't take away the fact it's a superb guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sasari Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 You're right indeed /embarrassed. Always thought he created them but a quick google proves me wrong! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyd0nian Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 VERY excited about this, will be getting him to sign my Amazing Spider-man Masterworks #12 (as it includes #113 and #114, which he drew). Might also see about getting a sketch of Thanos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chasingamy Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Hey - Jim wasn't there tonite as planned .. I hope he hasn't cancelled? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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