Musings on the great Wally Wood



I'll always associate Wally Wood with artistic titans Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko. All three worked for Marvel in the magical year 1965; all three were highly distinctive and totally involved in their visions. Wood’s work at Marvel was minimal, seven issues of Daredevil and assorted inking jobs, yet he left an indelible impression on my mind. His art had a brilliant gloss to it, a fairy tale quality that drew you in. His figures were heroic, his women curvaceous (despite restrictions by the Comics Code, Wood's Karen Page exuded sexuality); his machinery detailed and shiny. 




My earliest Wood memory. Daredevil # 9, Aug 1965

 

Wood was always around in the 1960s and 1970s, although you’d never know where his art would pop up. After he quit Marvel, Wood was the prime player at Tower comics, writing stories, drawing, inking and providing layouts for other artists. His covers for Dynamo, Thunder Agents, Noman and Undersea Agents were striking in their simplicity. Wood also worked for DC, Warren, Gold Key and showed up for another short stint at Marvel in the early 1970s, He produced artwork for Science Fiction mags, book covers and Topps bubblegum cards. He did commericial work for TV Guide and ads for Alka Seltzer. 




Dynamo # 3, March 1967

 

Wood published witzend, a fanzine which was instrumental in not only giving creators an opportunity to go outside the restrictions of the Comics Code, but to own their creations.  Artists such as Steve Ditko came on board, originating Mr. A. Wood's fantasy worlds were populated with odd little figures, monsters, gremlins and elves that sprouted from his subconcious. There was a child like quality to much of his work, a kid inside of Wood that had to escape. Much of his cartoonish art seemed tailor made for animation, but although copied, the original rarely made it to the screen.     





Wood's offbeat imagination at work



   



   

Wood's inking was exquisite. Everyone looked great rendered by Wood: Gil Kane, Gene Colan, Mike Sekowsky. Some say his style  was overpowering, but I saw his collaborations, especially when paired with Ditko and Kirby, as a blending of elements. Wood understood what was important in the pencilled stage. He enhanced but did not dilute.



Jack Kirby pencils, Challengers of the Unknown # 8, July 1959

 

Gene Colan pencils, Captain America # 126, June 1970 

                                           



Steve Ditko pencils, Stalker # 1, July 1975 

  

By the early 1970s I became aware of Wood’s past and reveled in the many reprints of his brilliant EC work, including his science fiction classics, and Mad, where his satirical side exploded in all directions. The impish, child-like humor would continue into his self published work and remain an essential element throughout his career.



The Spawn of Venus



I distinctly recall reading about Wood’s suicide while riding on a bus in 1981. It headlined the news in the Buyers Guide, and columnist Cat Yronwood devoted a good deal of her column to Wood's life and career. Wood’s passing shook me up, particularly due to the way he died. A true tragedy, it instilled an awareness that my favorite artists and creators were human and would not be around forever. Now, all these decades later, only a handful remain.

It was also a great loss because Wood was still relatively young, but not having taken care of his health, he wore down quickly. Like some of his brilliant peers, Wood lived in his own world, and anything he considered outside interference - notably editors - was an irratant. He stood on the outskirts of comics, looking through the windows and gazing at the clouds. His imagination took him to distant galaxies, or worlds where odd little creatures ran rampant, but the special qualities of Wally Wood can only be admired by us normal folks.

                               
                    I’m glad he stopped by to entertain us for a spell.  




The King of the World, 1978



To learn more about Wally Wood's art and career I highly recommend visiting
Horray for Wally Wood
which is linked on my bloglist.

A special thank you to Barry Pearl for technicolor assistance