Put out by Western Publishing Company (Whitman) in 1983, this puzzle features 300 extra large, fully interlocking pieces. It's roughly 23"x35" in size and stars over 130 Marvel characters in "A Marvel Comics Family Portrait".
The art is hard to pin down. It seems like it was done by one artist, but I can't really tell who.
Update: Thanks to one of my readers, P, who uncovered the identity of the artist... Paty Cockrum!
"No, it is not Dave [Cockrum]'s, although it does have some of Dave's characters in it. It is a montage of characters that I put together for, I believe, a jigsaw puzzle. that was one of the things I did at marvel...early merchandising art, with poses gleaned from the books, usually, although some art was done specifically for some projects. But I put this one together... and may have even drawn it. All I remember is that I had to fit in all these characters, taking into consideration all the costume colors and such to give us a decent jigsaw puzzle...LOLsheesh! they told me which heroes they wanted and I forget how many but i believe it was over a hundred! LOL"
- Paty Cockrum
And here it is on the wall in my comic book room. I've had it seen 1983 and it's missing the bottom right piece as it's moved along with me wherever I've gone!
I have this puzzle! The art is done by the one and only....GEORGE PEREZ!!!
ReplyDeleteReally? I don't see it.
ReplyDeleteIt looks a little like Richard Howell, but I could be wrong.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I was thinking Howell as well. Perhaps Ed Hannigan?
ReplyDeleteDef. NOT Perez. Perhaps a Severin?
ReplyDeleteThe picture of this puzzle was sent to the GEORGE PEREZ Facebook and he said it is NOT him....But the question remains....WHO DID IT???
ReplyDeleteNo. It's obviously not Perez.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that both Captain Universe and Binary are in this pic means it was drawn in, at earliest, the mid-late 1980s, and Perez' style was MUCH more refined than this by then.
And NOT Hannigan either, as Ed Hannigan was drawing fantastically designed covers and interiors LONG before then.
No. This is obviously an amateurish, early work of either an in-house Whitman artist, or someone young at Marvel. But I doubt the Marvel angle as they had an entire department of artists, not the least of which was John Romita Sr. in charge of producing art for products and such.
But, I am convinced it is an amateur job if for no other reason than (aside from the overall rough nature of the art): Happy Galactus is unusually Happy.
I have this piece, in my collection (because Doctor Strange, Man-Thing and severla others of my faves are represented). Intact with the box.
I never really tried TOO hard to find out who did it, as like you guys, it seemed FAMILIAR somehow, but it wasn't on the top of my list to investigate.
I'll get on it.
Maybe I'll find out something.
~P~
PTOR
Sanctum Sanctorum Comix
http://www.sanctumsanctorumcomix.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/SanctumBlog
OK. Mystery solved.
ReplyDeleteI took a good look at the artwork and noticed that it was trying to do some Cockrum-esque riffs.
But it obviously wasn't Dave.
Then, I looked and noted that ALL of the characters, not just Galactus, were SMILING.
Everyone was getting along fine.
As a professional artist, I've seen the works of many others in my fields of comic and children's book art to know when something is the work of a woman's hand.
THIS was a woman's drawing.
The females weren't busted-out femazons.
The men weren't grunting and flexing.
Everyone was peaceful.
Then, I immediately knew who it was...
PATY COCKRUM.
She was mostly a colorist at marvel, but also drew some issues and back-up stuff here and there and once I had her name in my head I immediately recognized the style.
So, one quick "google" search of the names:
'paty cockrum' and 'marvel jigsaw' led to this little tidbit, quoted FROM Paty Cockrum:
----
"Heh...heh..hel...
No, it is not dave's, although it does have some of Dave's characters in it. It is a montage of characters that I put together for, I believe, a jigsaw puzzle. that was one of the things I did at marvel...early merchandising art, with poses gleaned from the books, usually, although some art was done specifically for some projects. But I put this one together... and may have even drawn it. All I remember is that I had to fit in all these characters, taking into consideration all the costume colors and such to give us a decent jigsaw puzzle...LOLsheesh! they told me which heroes they wanted and I forget how many but i believe it was over a hundred! LOL
Paty"
----
So.
All in all. about a half hour's research.
Not bad, if I do say so myself.
LOL
~P~
PTOR
Sanctum Sanctorum Comix
http://www.sanctumsanctorumcomix.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/SanctumBlog
Nice work P! Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteExcellent detective work and cool puzzle!
ReplyDelete