The history of Marvel Comics technically begins with the introduction of Namor the Sub-Mariner in 1939 and Captain America the following year. But the rise of the company from a scrappy publisher of romance, war, and sci-fi comics to one of the biggest entertainment brands ever really began in 1961 with Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s FANTASTIC FOUR, and the revitalization of the entire comics industry that followed.
This week we’re honored to bring you two new posters featuring the Fantastic Four – a beautiful, screenprinted reproduction of Fantastic Four #1 by legendary artist, Jack “King” Kirby, as well as the variant cover for last year’s FANTASTIC FOUR: GRAND DESIGN #1 by one of the best cartoonists working today, Ed Piskor.
It’ll be clobberin’ time tomorrow at 11AM, when both posters will be available on The Drop.
Fantastic Four #1 Screenprinted Poster
It’s 1961. Marvel Comics editor Stan Lee and Jack Kirby collaborate to create the company’s first new superheroes in years, a team book to compete with the distinguished competition’s Justice League of America. Rather than a group of heroes uniting to fight against evil, it would begin with a family – the world’s smartest man, his scrappy best friend, the love of his life, and her hotshot brother.
Each transformed by a terrible accident, they’d stay united in their adventures (and angst) for the decades to come, and transform an entire medium along the way.
It wouldn’t be hyperbole to say that FANTASTIC FOUR #1 is one of the most important publications ever, and we’re honored to bring you a reproduction of artist Jack Kirby’s original cover art.
Fantastic Four #1 Screenprinted Poster. Art by Jack Kirby, reproduction by Jon Smith. Printed by Lady Lazarus. 24" x 36". Edition of 225. Ships to addresses in the United States and internationally. Expected to ship in July 2020. $50.
Fantastic Four: Grand Design Screenprinted Poster
This clobberin’ cool variant cover for issue #1 of FANTASTIC FOUR: GRAND DESIGN, Tom Scioli’s brilliant retelling of the history of Marvel’s first family, is by Eisner-award winning (Hip Hop Family Tree) cartoonist Ed Piskor.
Ed is the architect behind the Grand Design series (a concept we hope Marvel carries on with), and we’re proud to follow up last year's X-MEN: GRAND DESIGN poster with this brilliant homage to Frank Miller’s iconic 1986 cover for Book Two of The Dark Knight Returns. Piskor’s rendering features Mrs. Grimm’s bashful, blue-eyed boy Ben (likely) gearing up to dropkick Galactus, and we can’t get enough of it.
Fantastic Four: Grand Design Screenprinted Poster. Art by Ed Piskor. Printed by DL Screenprinting. 24" x 36". Edition of 250. Ships to addresses in the United States and internationally. Expected to ship in July 2020. $60.
