Lo! There Shall Come Endings Week: "Whatever Happened to Scorpio?" by Jim Steranko

Happy New Year, Groove-ophiles! We're wrapping up LO! THERE SHALL COME ENDINGS WEEK with something a little different. Marvel's Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't end with issue #5, but "What Ever Happened to Scorpio?" was innovator Jim Steranko's swan song as the series' writer/artist. By this time Steranko was a bona-fide comicbook superstar and was ready to spread his wings and broaden his horizons. And why not? He had already helped broaden the horizons of the entire comicbook industry! Ol' Groove knows you're gonna dig this all-time fave...

And don't forget, Marvel has just released S.H.I.E.L.D. Masterworks Vol. 3 featuring this and many other classic tales featuring Momma Fury's oldest boy!

Stunned by Steranko: More Sensational Special Effects!

What it is, Groove-ophiles! One of the all-time most heralded posts here in Groove City is the Steranko Special Effects ditty I did waaaay back on June 10, 2010! I was looking back at that popular post and wondering why I never did a sequel. It was, after all, samples from Jim Steranko's Nick Fury strips from Strange Tales. Didn't Jaunty Jim do a few issues of Fury's own solo mag, too? What'samattawitchoo, Groove? Get busy, man! So Ol' Groove pulled up his scans of Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (issues 1-3 and 5, March-May and July 1968) and got busy. The results? They're right here for ya, baby! Prepared to be Stunned by Steranko--again!

Ahhhhh, such ingenious use of black and white, color holds, Kirby Krackle--and a Spirograph, mayhaps? We all love that Steranko! Well, all of us except mebbe the engravers!

Stunned by Steranko: Sensational Special Effects

Hey, hey, hey, Groove-ophiles! Been a while since we got down with some sweet Steranko art, so today, let's take a look at some pages and panels that really blow me away--betcha they'll blow you away, too! Steranko's use of light and shadow, color, zip-a-tone, and sound effects set a new standard for comicbook art that many have tried to emulate but relatively few have approached. Check out these examples from excellence from Strange Tales #'s 154-168 (December 1966-February 1968)! Nick Fury and his agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. never looked more far-out!

Groove's Faves: "Hell Hath No Fury" Like Early Barry (Windsor-) Smith Art

Check it out, Groove-ophiles! Here's a rarely-seen bit of early Barry Smith magnificence from Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #12 (February 1969). Written by fellow Brit Steve (Warrior, Dr. Who) Parkhouse, "Hell Hath No Fury" really put our favorite eye-patch wearing spy through his paces, baby! Bummer, though, that Smith and Parkhouse only got to do this one issue (work visa problems?), but did they ever let it all hang out. Smith's figure-work is still Kirby-in-the-rough, but his layouts and storytelling show that he'd been studying Steranko (and maybe Eisner and Kurtzman). Ol' Groove especially digs pages 1, 14, and 17--and oh, yeah, that far-out cover! Enjoy!