Marvel Superheroes Deluxe Editions

DELUXE EDITIONS

A co l l e c t i o n o f l i m i t ed edi t i o n a rt O F i co n i c co m i c b o o k cov e rs

si gn ed by Sta n L e e

STA N L E E

b. 1922

Stan Lee is an iconic American comic book writer, editor and former president and chairman of Marvel Comics.

of the greatest comic book artists ever to have lived, changed the game.

In collaboration with several comic book artists, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Thor, the Silver Surfer, The Avengers and many other fictional characters.

In 1984, Stan Lee was awarded The National Medal of Arts by the United States Congress, the highest honour awarded to an individual artist in the United States.

Previous recipients include Georgia O'Keefe, William de Kooning, Robert Motherwell, Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein and Bob Dylan.

Stan Lee is credited with introducing complex characters; characters that were not just the archetypal all American superhero, but those that had their demons, those that might, if pushed, lose their temper, or perhaps even become unwell – making them much more human and easier to identify with. This type of characterisation and story-telling had rarely been seen in the industry before.

Stan Lee led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation during an era now referred to as the Marvel Revolution.

Stan Lee’s Marvel Revolution extended beyond the characters and storylines, to the way in which comic books engaged the audience and created a community between the readers and the creators.

Additionally, he pioneered and advocated the use of comic books to comment on social issues of the time, including bigotry, injustice and discrimination.

This got him into some hot water with the rather conservative Comics Code Authority but Lee wouldn't yield, he continued to pursue what he believed in and what he knew his audience craved; thus the code changed.

In summary, Stan Lee and his collaborations with some

S U PE R H E RO ES We are incredibly proud to present our first deluxe editions collection of ‘Superheroes’, iconic comic book covers, created, orchestrated and masterminded by the legendary Stan Lee. This super-size collection of twelve deluxe limited editions of nine pays homage to the original large scale art, penned and inked by some of the greatest artists to emerge from the comic book industry. These classic covers feature some of the most influential characters that have dominated our society over the many years of Stan Lee’s reign at Marvel. We present Captain America, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, The Mighty Thor, The Invincible Iron Man and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, The Avengers.

The cover of a comic is considered the most significant artwork within the book. It is both a statement and an advertisement that will make the reader pick the comic up and buy it. A cover, much like a comic strip itself, tells a story, and sets the scene of imminent action and adventure. Working like a movie director, the artist manipulates the viewer’s experience via his or her vision and art direction. Each iteration of the cover art can entirely transform the viewer’s understanding of the character and plot.

One of the main responsibilities of the artist is cultivate an intricate understanding of the characters; this is a necessary bond because unless the character is brought to life in their imagination, the vision will not be clear within the imagination of the audience. The protagonist is the most important element, followed by the antagonist and the location in which they face each other. The hero must have visibility (The Amazing Spider-Man 223).

While a great cover does not need a cover line (The

Incredible Hulk #377), it helps to add an appropriate phrase to enhance an already impressive image (The Mighty Thor #272); commonly used in the earlier covers, with Marvel’s more overt dynamism emerging a few years later.

A more simple approach is to have the leading character being heroic or rushing towards the viewer (The Invincible Iron Man #80), the reader has to feel like they are part of the action. The artists use of composition, lighting and colour can help focus a reader’s attention to the important art of the cover.

A third approach is to show the hero in an unusual or unlikely situation to stimulate the viewer’s curiosity. A situation or mystery that can only be resolved by looking in the book (The Incredible Hulk #102), here we see The Hulk turning back into Dr Bruce Banner showing his more human side.

The characters and properties that originated in the pages of comics have gone on to become global entertainment sensations. Marvel’s own superheroes have survived the test of time from being anarchic, wisecracking misfits showing typically human issues of personal identity and social acceptance or simply bickering amongst themselves (The Amazing SpiderMan #119). Stan Lee’s characters faced the same challenges that we as readers deal with in society today.

The Avengers #122 - The Final Battle Limited Edition Boxed Canvas of 9 | Image Size 50" x 34" | Framed ÂŁ2,950.00 Framed boxed canvas presentation style shown here | Cover art by Gil Kane and John Romita

Captain America #275 Limited Edition Boxed Canvas of 9 | Image Size 50" x 34" | Framed ÂŁ2,950.00 Framed boxed canvas presentation style shown here | Cover art by Mike Zeck, John Beatty

The Incredible Hulk #102 - Big Premiere Issue!

Limited Edition Boxed Canvas of 9 | Image Size 50" x 34" | Framed ÂŁ2,950.00 Framed boxed canvas presentation style shown here | Cover art by Marie Severin and Frank Giacoia

The New Incredible Hulk #377 Limited Edition Boxed Canvas of 9 | Image Size 50" x 34" | Framed ÂŁ2,950.00 Framed boxed canvas presentation style shown here | Cover art by Dale Keown, Bob McLeod

The Invincible Iron Man #69 - Confrontation!

Limited Edition Boxed Canvas of 9 | Image Size 50" x 34" | Framed ÂŁ2,950.00 Framed boxed canvas presentation style shown here | Cover art by Ron Wilson, Mike Esposito, Gaspar Saladino

The Invincible Iron Man #80 - Mission Into Madness!

Limited Edition Boxed Canvas of 9 | Image Size 50" x 34" | Framed ÂŁ2,950.00 Framed boxed canvas presentation style shown here | Cover art by Jack Kirby, Al Milgrom, John Costanza

The Amazing Spiderman #70 - Wanted!

Limited Edition Boxed Canvas of 9 | Image Size 50" x 34" | Framed ÂŁ2,950.00 Framed boxed canvas presentation style shown here | Cover art by John Romita Sr.

The Amazing Spiderman #119 - Spidy vs The Hulk!

Limited Edition Boxed Canvas of 9 | Image Size 50" x 34" | Framed ÂŁ2,950.00 Framed boxed canvas presentation style shown here | Cover art by John Romita Sr.

Classic Spiderman #223 - The Arms of Doctor Octopus!

Limited Edition Boxed Canvas of 9 | Image Size 50" x 34" | Framed ÂŁ2,950.00 Framed boxed canvas presentation style shown here | Cover art by Todd McFarlane

The Spectacular Spiderman #1 - The World's Greatest Superhero Limited Edition Boxed Canvas of 9 | Image Size 50" x 34" | Framed ÂŁ2,950.00 Framed boxed canvas presentation style shown here | Cover art by John Romita Sr.

The Mighty Thor #229 - God of Thunder, Night of Doom!

Limited Edition Boxed Canvas of 9 | Image Size 50" x 34" | Framed ÂŁ2,950.00 Framed boxed canvas presentation style shown here | Cover art by Ron Wilson

The Mighty Thor #272 - Thriumph or Tragedy Limited Edition Boxed Canvas of 9 | Image Size 50" x 34" | Framed ÂŁ2,950.00 Framed boxed canvas presentation style shown here | Cover art by John Buscema, Irving 'Irv' Watanabe

S U P E R H E R O E S

The images contained within this literature are an artistic representation of the collection.

To best experience our art, we recommend you contact your local gallery to arrange a viewing. Š Washington Green 2015. The content of this brochure is subject to copyright and no part can be reproduced without prior permission. washingtongreen.co.uk