Tag: Vince Colletta

ART BY VINCENT COLLETTA | VINCECOLLETTA.COM

August 31, 2026August 31, 2026 by Vince Colletta

THE STAN LEE EFFECT

DREAM GIRLS

THE SINISTER HOUSE OF SECRET LOVE

FASTER THAN A SPEEDING BULLET

COMIC BOOK ART – SOME INKING TECHNIQUES

SILHOUETTES IN COMIC BOOK ART

JACK KIRBY, VINCE COLLETTA AND THOR – ASGARD REALIZED

A TIMELY AWAKENING FOR ROMANCE ART IN COMIC BOOKS

LOVE VINNIE COLLETTA? NO APOLOGY NECESSARY

PRETTY WOMANCOVER GIRLS

WHO’S YOUR DADDY, THOR? – THE POWERFUL ODIN

A PHOTOGRAPHER’S JOURNEY – VINCE COLLETTA IN NEW YORK

STAR WARS GIRLS NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD

THERE’S SOMETHING FISHY ABOUT THIS ARTICLE.

CARE FOR SOME WITE’ OUT IN YOUR COMIC BOOK ART?

UNEXPECTED? I NEVER SAW IT COMING.

THE LOVELY WONDER WOMAN

JACK KIRBY, VINCE COLLETTA, MIKE ROYER AND THE KULT

How to Draw Beautiful Women -The Perfect Swipe File

COLLETTA GIRLS!
SHIFTING GEARS

Jack Kirby’s GALACTUS – As Portrayed by Vince Colletta and Joe SinnottDazzler Art by Frank Springer and Vince Colletta

Is it Art? Or, is it Comic Book Art?A HELL OF A SPLASH PAGE

TALKING TRASH ABOUT VINNIETHE ART DIRECTOR’S CHAIR AT DC COMICS

HOT OFF THE PRESS!!!

GET LOST, THOR…

A VINCE COLLETTA REMEMBRANCE BY ALAN KUPPERBERG

JACK AND VINNIE – FROM START TO FINISH

GRELL ON COLLETTA – COLLETTA ON GRELL

JIM SHOOTER ON VINNIE COLLETTA

VINCE COLLETTA AND AI

DENYS COWAN – TEN YEARS LATER STILL SPREADING MANURE

KIND WORDS

IS VINCE COLLETTA A LEGENDARY FIGURE?

VINCE COLLETTA – NUDE ART

Drawn to Beauty: The Life and Art of Vince Colletta

My First Review

REGARDING THOR 134

TALKING ABOUT VINNIE WITH MY FRIEND CHAT

The Double Life of The Colletta Studio

Did Jack Fire Vinnie?

Did Jack Kirby fire Vince Colletta? — Jack Kirby

According to Tom Lammers

Examining Vince Colletta’s Legacy

COMIC BOOK ART – SOME INKING TECHNIQUES

March 15, 2026March 15, 2026 by Vince Colletta

vince-colletta-comic-book-art-some-inking-techniques/ — WARLORD 25 ART BY MIKE GRELL AND VINCE COLLETTA

The immense body of art work illustrated by Vince Colletta presents me with a marvelous window into the creativity of the man. From the 50s, during which time he penciled and exquisitely inked primarily romance stories, to the birth and successful emergence of superheroes that continues today. Here are a few examples from the book “DRAWN TO BEAUTY, VINCE COLLETTA – LIFE AND ART” which, by the way, is a must read not only for those who love comic book art and publishing lore, but also to examine the incredible tale of a life that, in ways that will surprise you, has become even more fascinating since he died in 1991. Vinnie’s women usually had sumptuous lips and that famously substantial mascara. Reader’s comments over the years have been…. interesting.

Andrew Wahl: Personally, I don’t put much of Vince Colletta’s inking in the “beauty” category. But I am trying to keep an open mind as I revisit my old comics for these reviews, and judge each book with a fresh set of eyes. That’s why I’ve been surprised to find Colletta’s work on Warlord better than I remember. This issue is a good example: I typically like Bruce Patterson’s inks, but didn’t find them to be an improvement over Colletta’s work on the title.

Ben Herman: For something that was inked by Vince Colletta (Warlord,) this actually looks pretty good. Maybe it was the fact that Shakira, a sexy lady clad in a fur bikini, was in pretty much every single panel of the story motivated Colletta to put in a little bit more effort that usual? Whenever there happened to be a beautiful woman in whatever he happened to be inking, suddenly Colletta always seemed inspired to do just a little bit more work than he usually would.

Colletta-inking-techniques — ROMANCE ART BY VINCE COLLETTA

Graduating diamond shapes created by cross-hatching at different angles, embellished with shadows and light contrast a glow radiating from the man’s cheeks. It is he who dominates the panel. The woman, of course, is beautiful with subtle accent lines in her lips.

Mike Browning: Hmmm … while we’re on the topic of artists who don’t make the hot list each month … Win Mortimer’s Spidey Super Stories art is classic and Vince Colletta’s romance stuff was beautiful.

Ken Allan: without starting any sort of a flame war, can anyone send me any articles, personal experiences, etc. with regards to Vince Colletta? I seriously want to just learn a bit more about him and have had little success. Even if some of you could point me towards any interviews he may have done,….ANYTHING,…it would be deeply appreciated.

David Edge: Vince Colletta would have best served Kirby in the 1950s, when he seemed to take greater care in his artwork. As I’ve said before, his romance art from this time was truly stunning.

Mark Yanko: Vinnie is a bit like Don Heck in that respect. If you look at early romance art by Heck and compare it to his ’70s superhero work, the difference is startling.

Mike Pascal: Right on, Mark. Thanks to John Lustig’s wonderful LAST KISS strips, Vinnie’s lovely romance work is on display almost weekly and will be preserved for a whole new audience.

Colleen: Vinnie Colletta used to freak me out because all the women he inked had the same gloppy mascara.

The central character in the panel is obviously the girl but she is rendered darkly with complex facial shading accompanying the simple shadowing of her neck and breast. The inversion of color in the girl’s left eye is interesting, almost seeming as if her eye is closed. I love how the inker featured luminescent highlights in the girl’s hair. Bob Oksner was an excellent plotter of all types of stories.

Droid714: As I’ve stated before, since I was a Marvel Zombie from the very early 60’s through the mid 70’s, I completely missed Vinnie’s work at DC in the 70’s. Now that I’m going back and collecting Wonder Woman and Supergirl from that era, I’m seeing much of his DC work for the first time. And the more I see of it, the more I like it. In my opinion, he was a much better technical artist than Kirby. His women actually looked like women, not men with long hair. And quite frankly, I’ve never been a big fan of Colan or Buscema.

Again, the more I see of Vinnie’s work, the more I start to wonder if a lot of the negativity that some of his peers allegedly felt for him wasn’t motivated a little bit by jealousy. He was good, he was fast and he occasionally erased a few lines of their precious pencils. Yet without Vinnie making sure the work got out the door on time, how many of them would have been whining about missing their paychecks?

Bondage and Druids Grayscale — HOUSE OF MYSTERY 270 ART BY ORLANDO AND COLLETTA

Bondage and Druids Color — HOUSE OF MYSTERY 270 ART BY ORLANDO AND COLLETTA

The colorist Tatjana Wood helped to bring out the darkness of both the scene and the girl’s horrific situation with her vivid coloring of the damsel in distress. Joe Orlando was a terrific penciler for laying out macabre stories. Vinnie’s inks on the captive woman are incredible showing her virtually bursting out of her dress in an effort to escape.The druid in the foreground is ominously inked with a bold brush and pen; the others rendered more delicately as are the shocked children who look on from the background. Vinnie and Joe were very close friends throughout their forty-year professional careers.

Fat Boy: When I first saw these Joe Orlando and Vinnie Colletta Daredevils it seemed like art art instead of just comic art. Hopefully you’ll post some scans of the interior pages. Sure wish I had saved these.

Comicsdad: Joe Orlando’s art is quite nice, and I can’t remember when I’ve seen Colletta’s inks reproduced so well

Joseph Graves: I thought it was strange Vinnie put as much into that over Orlando whose art is cartoonish. I liked it.

Nick Caputo: I agree for the most part, although those early DD’s by Orlando had a certain charm to them. I even liked the Colletta inks, go figure!

Vince Colletta Illustrative Comic Book Art — LOVERS 64 – NOVEMBER 1954

Despite the poor print quality of comic books in the 1950s, some artists, Colletta among them, strove to impart an illustrative, portrait-like quality to their art. This splash page represents the finest efforts of Vince Colletta to translate his love of oil painting onto a completely different, difficult medium. An artist can create lifelike people in a realistic world using oils. Museums are full of such masterpieces. The same techniques and the resultant works are literally impossible to duplicate with pencils and ink. I believe this example is as close as you will find in a comic book.

Mr. Peabody: Not much to say about the inking on the cover but the interior page you showed looks pretty good to me. It is just romance, after all, and I doubt if either of the men who created this artwork were trying for a museum piece. Anyway, there’s no way Colletta could have turned one of these rounded faced Kirby women into a something either realistic or beautiful. See the cover of Lovers #64 or most any other Vinnie girl from the 50s to illustrate my point.

Walt: I enjoy fine line work as done by the likes of Reed Crandall, Al Williamson, Vince Colletta etc and sorely miss this highly detail efforts of illustration as the today’s stock or printing processes do not allow this type of illustration.

alexarcadian: It’s apparent if you go back and look at Colletta’s romance work from the 50s he was aiming for an illustrative look something along the lines of Leonard Starr.

Russ M: The thing about Vince Colletta is what this book (The Thin Black Line) missed altogether and that’s his art. When given time, Colletta outshone every other inker on superheroes. Prior to that he drew hot romance stories that looked a lot more realistic than what other artists were doing. Just look at the cover of THOR #126 – could that finished product been equaled by anyone else. Even to this day, inkers use thick black lines that look almost measured as if by rulers and protractors. Colletta took pen in hand and illustrated, drawing shadows, depth and realism into his subjects.

Ger Apelde: But some artists, such as Colletta and Al Williamson (and most of his group of peers) liked to experiment. You see them try out new techniques in every panel. They use dry brush, full brush, pen, stencils, anything. Colletta’s early work is very similar to that, but he adds a twist of his own. He frequently uses patterns to distinguish one material from another. At times it’s almost as if he is a fashion illustrator. That, combined with his way with pretty women, made him very suitable for romance comics. He also developed a great way of drawing women’s hair, which is not something every artist masters.

Bring Back Zot: Nice article and an even nicer drawing of Vince Colletta, Michael. Love him or hate him, those 50’s covers prove Colletta had genuine artistic talent.

Michael Netzer (Former Marvel and DC Penciler): How true, BBZ. Vinnie’s romance work is not only indicative of talent, but stands along side some of the best in commercial illustration, like Stan Drake and other giants of his time.

Drawn to Beauty: The Life and Art of Vince Colletta

June 19, 2026March 6, 2026 by admin

A Biography of Inker Vince Colletta

Apollo Magazine (archive link) spoke about a new biography for the late inker Vince Colletta:

While comic books were traditionally dismissed as a debased form of entertainment for American and Japanese adolescent boys (as well as the sources for a multi-billion-dollar film empire), a new book shows how they come with their own traditions and virtuosos. Drawn to Beauty: The Life and Art of Vince Colletta (Black Spring Press) explores the work of an illustrator best known for his work ‘inking’ Jack Kirby’s drawings in Marvel’s Thor and Fantastic Four comics. Colletta (1923–91) is regarded as one of the finest inkers – the artists who translate the sketches into the image that is printed on the page. He was renowned for his delicacy and for giving the final shape to some of Marvel’s most popular characters, before leaving to eventually become the art director of rival company DC. But it’s what he did in between the two roles that might have become most influential.

Kirby may be one famous figure who’s never gotten enough wide recognition, but Colletta’s another who could use some more too. So it’s great to know he’s also received a biography of his work, long after he passed away. And there’s plenty more figures from better eras who could use some biographies too, and hopefully will see them in time.

KIND WORDS

December 22, 2024December 22, 2024 by Vince Colletta

An email or social media message can often make your day. I saved this one, written by Tom Sciacca, about my father, Vince Colletta, in a Word document where it has been residing in my laptop. Every so often I come across it so this afternoon I decided to share this poignant and humorous letter with you.

T Paul Sciacca: Miss your dad..sometimes I do an impression of him…he was one of a kind…he gave me my career when he had Stan Lee hire me to help run Marvel con in 1976..then took me to DC Comics to be his assistant when he became art director..I will always be grateful..and Frank Miller and Trevor von Eeden should be grateful to him. I brought both of them to him when they were looking to break in..Frank has never mentioned Vinnie or me…and he still owes me money when he would borrow from me cause he had none for dinner..

Vince Colletta acted as the chairman for the Con. The book was edited by Thomas Sciacca, with assistance from Howard Bender.

Tom Sciacca previously wrote to me describing his interaction with actor Peter Falk which allayed his skepticism over a story Vinnie told him about his old friend.

Thomas Sciacca: I remember your dad talking about actors he was friends with.he mentioned Peter Falk..I thought he was bullshitting..until I ran into Falk by the arts students league on 57th St..I said ‘Hey Peter..Vinnie Colletta said to say hi..he immediately stopped and excitedly said how’s Vinnie doing..I guess your dad hung out with them. They used to play pool..and Falk was a good artist who took lessons at the students league..even after he was a big star..wonder if he did backgrounds for your dad in the 50s..lol

Thank you, Thomas Sciacca for correspondences that I will always remember.

DENYS COWAN – TEN YEARS LATER STILL SPREADING MANURE

December 22, 2024December 16, 2024 by Vince Colletta

Round about 2008 an upstart comic book blogger who went by the name of Dan McFan burst onto the scene. It seemed as if his very existence revolved around the rumors and myriad stories swirling throughout the comic book art community about Vince Colletta. Talk about infamous – McFan exposed more misconceptions and outright lies being told about that man than any ten of his peers. Without going into all of the posthumous stories swirling around the halls of fandom concerning Vinnie, it was accepted by one and all that Colletta was a well-liked gentleman. I am privileged to be in possession of all of Dan’s e-Mails, notes and articles. Many professionals who wrote to him attested to Vinnie’s professionalism and good-natured spirit.

So, it was with great concern when Dan read comments by a black artist named Denys Cowan hinting that Vince Colletta was a racist. Supposedly, Cowan came into DC (or was it Marvel?) to show his portfolio and was told by Vinnie “We already have a black artist here at DC (Trevor Von Eeden – who got his first big break, interestingly enough, from Vince Colletta). McFan immediately wrote to Denys. This very short exchange followed:

Dan McFan: You wrote that Vince Colletta rejected you saying that “DC already has a colored artist”. Is this true?
Denys Cowan: Hey Dan,
Why do you need to verify this info?
Vinnie’s been gone a long time….

That was, as they say, all he wrote.

Fast-forward to 2024. Denys Cowan is being interviewed by a knob named John Siuntres and appears in a You Tube by Michael Stradford (Comments turned off…) where he repeated the story, this time with a few embellishments. Supposedly it was Rich Buckler, a protégé of Vinnie’s, who arranged the meeting between fifteen year-old Artist Cowan and Art Director Colletta. Same story, we already have a colored artist working here, blah-blah, but in this version, after Denys tells Buckler, Rich runs into Vince’s office to criticize him. According to Cowan, Vince didn’t back down but try to imagine the incredulity of the scene. Vince was a mentor to Rich Buckler. Rich wrote a very moving piece for my book about his time working with my father. Rich Buckler has since passed and it occurred to me that Cowan could have simply answered Dan McFan’s question in 2008 and had a real-live Rich Buckler to corroborate it.

Another interesting comment was made by Denys that Vince kept puffing on a cigar between looking at the individual pages in his portfolio. I just happened to be speaking with my sister Rosie an hour ago and shared the story with her. I asked “Did you ever once see daddy smoke a cigar?” Oh, how she laughed at the notion before saying “No!”

Cowan concluded with a years-later tale of Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter asking Vince to offer an apology to Denys. According to Cowan, it went something like “I don’t remember the incident but if what I said hurt you, I apologize.” Did Vinnie make a “we already have a colored artist” crack to Denys? Perhaps he did but, if so, it was most assuredly said in jest with no disrespect intended. I must say that I am skeptical about this part but, since Jim Shooter is still alive and well, perhaps he would like to weigh in.

I knew Vince Colletta like only a son can know his father and if there were even one racist bone in his body, I’d recognize it and freely admit it. I should simply stay silent and let Cowan’s story die its richly-deserved death except that dirt bag will come out of his rat-hole ten years from now to repeat it once again. Maybe its your only claim to fame, Denys; you sad, whimpering clown.

NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON: HARDCOVER LIMITED EDITION OF DRAWN TO BEAUTY

May 18, 2024May 17, 2024 by Vince Colletta

I wrote a book! Vince Colletta was a beloved figure, especially to those in the field of publishing. So many of his contemporaries took the time to write to me about Vinnie, the person, as well as Vinnie the artist. And many of their remembrances and stories are contained in this book, DRAWN TO BEAUTY – Vince Colletta – Life and Art by Franklin Colletta, being published by Black Spring Press.

Looking at the flip side of the coin, to comic book aficionados, Colletta was as polarizing a figure as could be dreamed up by any writer. A deadline-whipping machine, Vince saved more Marvel and DC books from missing their printing schedules than anyone by a large margin. In doing so, however, it was often necessary to simplify the art which rubbed many pencilers as well as countless readers the wrong way. It didn’t matter that these jobs were late due to the gaffes of pencilers and editors, Vinnie shouldered the criticism. Critiques and sometimes heated discussions about my father have lasted to this day.

DRAWN TO BEAUTY is a work of non-fiction that reads like fiction simply because the unvarnished life of this man is difficult to imagine. This account of his existence, which begins in Sicily, slaloms through New York and New Jersey, only to touch down in a seemingly infinite afterlife, is a thrill ride from cover to cover. It is also a poignant biography which will have you shaking your head and wondering how these stories could be real.

Best of all, numerous illustrations created not only by Vince, but also in collaboration with other talented artists such as Jack Kirby and John Romita are found within. From Romance Comics to Superheroes, Colletta made certain that the females were beyond stunning. Vincent Colletta is the most published artist in the history of comics because he did the impossible. And he did it beautifully.

LOVE VINNIE COLLETTA? NO APOLOGY NECESSARY

February 17, 2024January 17, 2024 by Vince Colletta

Art lovers, comic book aficionados, fanboys…whatever we prefer to call ourselves, are often judged by the opinions of our peers. Controversies abound on subjects like “Did Stan or Jack create the Marvel universe” or the quality of current comic book art compared to the artistic efforts of days gone by. And as is true in the realms of politics and religion, our opinions often frame who we are in the minds of others. As crazy as it sounds, people are chastised and even shunned because of their likes and dislikes. Some of us set our hair on fire over superheroes or the creators who generated these products. Take the case of one Vincent Colletta – prolific and oft-debated artist of the Golden, Silver and Bronze eras of comic books. If you like his work, should you have to apologize for it?

Seth Smith: Definitely one of the best Colletta covers. Seems like just a few years ago you wouldn’t have been able to post such praise for Vinnie without some deluded fanboy hunting you down.

Ray Cuthbert: I’ve said it before — Colletta brought romance sensibilities to Kirby’s bold and dynamic pencils, which is why Colletta-inked Kirby gals were so pretty while Royer’s and others were not, in MY opinion.

Ray Cuthbert: I’d be in big trouble on the Kirby-L. I prefer Stan & Jack to Jack and Jack, and I prefer Kirby/Colletta to Kirby/Royer!!!!

Doc V: Aarrgghhh!!!!! You’d be doomed, Ray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Coop: Damn right!

Bill Howard: On my tombstone it shalt read, “And he dared to like Vinnie Colletta.”

Over the years I’ve taken great pleasure from reading debates about my father. It’s nice to discover complimentary comments and I’m sometimes annoyed by unwarranted criticisms. The most absolutely precious gems in my collection of quotes, though, are the many examples of apologetic praise a few of which I’ll share.

Scooter: Damn! My whole world’s falling apart…(actually I quite like Vinnie’s Tales of Asgard work).

Ucleben: I like Mooney!! ‘Course I like a lot of Colletta’s work too. Different tastes, I guess.

Lyle Tucker: Here’s where we differ – I LOVE Vinnie’s Tales of Asgard work.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: I hope I don’t get stoned for this but I always liked Vince Colletta’s work better than Mike Royer’s.

Plok: You know, personally, I’m kind of a fan of ol’ Rich’s…but then I like Vince Colletta’s inking, too, so I’m not sure you can go by me.

Ivan Rakitic: I know this will probably get me in trouble, but Vince Colletta was always my favorite inker on Kirby.

Al Sjoerdsma: I am among the minority who actually like Colletta’s inking on Kirby’s Thor, bringing it an airiness that fits into the fantasy of that strip.

Punyhuman: I also love his Thor art inked by Vince Colletta, even though I’ll catch hell for it! I loved it way back in the 60’s when I was buying it off the newsstands, it’s nostalgic now.

Mel Higgins: I don’t know what it is, but the Kirby Thor combination kills me. This is also my first exposure to a silver-age Kirby page (I have a Captain Victory page) and I was floored when I saw the Thor page in person when it arrived today. So much energy there. I can’t stop looking at it. I know that Vince Colletta is not considered the best inker on the Thor pages, but I think he did a tremendous job on this one.

Ray Cuthbert: Congratulations Mel! The first Kirby page I ever bought was also a Kirby/Colletta Thor page (now long gone). Quite frankly, I always thought that the two artists were a perfect match for the subject matter. Kirby’s power and Colletta’s rounded edges and romantic sensibilities made Thor the title it was for me. Kirby + Sinnott on FF, but Kirby + Colletta on Thor (or the DC Fourth World stuff — for me, anyway!)

Lynn Walker: I’m embarrassed to admit I prefer the Colletta inks, but not by much.

Prof H: ANYWAY… after 3 horrible issues, Vince Colletta took over… and was a HUGE improvement!!! (Mark Evanier disagrees, but to hell with his opinion.)

Ray Plasse: Despite Colleta’s shortcuts I really enjoyed the different look he gave Jack and Thor but hey……….I was only a kid then so what did I know?

Chris Murrin: I like Everett, but Colletta was my favorite. I know, I know…but still, he’s my favorite on Thor.

Iron Maiden: I have a confession to make about Jack Kirby’s “Thor”. I liked some of the art better in that title than some of his FF work but I would probably get scorned by Kirby purists… they hate any of his work to be touched by Vince Colletta!

Merlin Haas: Colletta has many, many faults, but I’m going to commit heresy and say that sometimes he removed some unnecessary background clutter and the finished panel read better than the original.

Mike Driscoll: It looks like Colletta inking. I’m one of the few that likes Vince Colletta.

Henry R. Kujawa: This time, inks are from Vince Colletta– and what surprises me is, it LOOKS REAL GOOD!!

Patrick McEvoy: I know I’m nuts, but as good (and accurate) as McLeod’s inks are, I prefer the Colletta version. I know, it’s a personal failing.

Mark Borello: Yeah! Love Colletta. Love Colletta’s inks on Kirby…Go on…throw your rocks….

Allen Smith: I’m gonna ignore you guys. You’re turning me into a Colletta fan, almost!

Stan Taylor: What in the Hell kind of parallel/alternate/Bizarro Universe is this new list?????? 😉 People saying nice things about Vinnie. It has left me speechless!!!!!!

Doc V: Hey! Do you think our old pal Bruce Lowry would’ve liked this list? Blake might have had to ban him after he responded to this Colletta love-fest!

Plausible Prose Man: This page shows us that Vince wasn’t such a bad draughtsman after all. I might upgrade him from “hack” to “jobber”

Tom Field: When I was a kid in the ’70s, I was nuts for Sal’s CAPTAIN AMERICA – still am — and much of that run was inked by Vinnie Colletta!

Al Gordon: Wow! A Jack Page Inked by Vinnie that I don’t hate! Few and Far Between.

GrapeApe: As much as I hate to say it, I have seen worse. At least Vinnie got a nice thick and thin outline mixed in with his scratching and erasing.

Mister M: I never knew there were pro- and anti-Vince Colletta factions. Go figure.

Doc V.: Whereas I followed the 4th World stuff while Colletta inked it, I soon dropped out after Royer took over (yes, I’m one of THOSE)….

Mikeyriffhard: And say what you will about Vinnie Colletta, but I think his inks on this title were absolutely perfect. But that’s me…

John S: I was gonna say that I thought Vinnie did a pretty good job on this page…but I won’t, ’cause I don’t want Krackles to have a seizure!

Ferran Delgado: Not even Colletta could ruin his powerful storytelling…Although I painfully agree that he did worse jobs than this one…

Profh0011: Coming soon: I just read a DD comic where Colletta inked Colan–AND HE DID A DAMN GOOD JOB!!! What’s the world coming to???

Bill Howard: Personally, I like Colletta’s inks on Thor, but I realize I’m in the minority. Why did you buy the piece in the first place, if you didn’t like Vinnie’s inks? It’s not like you didn’t know what you were getting. Different strokes for different folks I suppose. The last thing I would call Colletta’s inking is inept, but I don’t want to resuscitate that old argument…

Ianto: Best inker? The Akina and Garvey team from back when. Or maybe Dan Green. The hair always looked so good in his books. Worst? I actually liked Colletta so I can’t list him.

Roquefort Raider: I think the Classic Board regulars may help limit the number of immature arguments. Hey, we can even argue the merits of Frank Robbins’ art or Vince Colletta’s inks in a civil fashion!

Dan Bailey: *ahem* Sez you!

Guy Dorian, Sr.: I have come to appreciate Vinnie more now that I am older and wiser… but still hate most of it.

T_Guy: As far as the art goes, it must be said that Colan and Colletta is better than I had expected- (On Tomb of Dracula #2) but, on the other hand, I had expected Colletta to completely ruin Colan’s delicate work. His style does actually work over Colan’s, much as admitting this feels like having a tooth extracted.

Divided into sharply polarized factions over the merits and faults of Vince Colletta, fans have vaulted this seemingly innocuous conversation into publishing lore. The great Aussie comic book artist, Eddie Campbell, had an interesting take on the phenomenon with which I’ll end this article. Love Vinnie Colletta? Don’t apologize.

Eddie Campbell: A while back I wrote a post here about how Colletta was my favourite comic book inker of the 1960s. For some unfathomable reason beyond all absurdity, it was and continues to be the most visited post I’ve written. I almost said popular there, but that would be the wrong word, for I was vilified in many places for uttering such an opinion. Even people you would think could not possibly give a hoot, I found them stopping me in the street, in San Diego during the convention, the only place everybody knows my name, sadly, and even somebody such as Gary Groth had to get his two cents in and call me an idiot. People generally can’t stand by and allow you to have an opinion they don’t share.

FASTER THAN A SPEEDING BULLET

February 17, 2024January 17, 2024 by Vince Colletta

You were expecting Superman? Nope – even faster.

While writing this article I scanned a few images from Starfire #6, Art by Mike Vosburg and Vince Colletta. I hope you enjoy them.

There are things that some men can do that others can’t.

Part of the Vince Colletta legend is the fact that he was unquestionably the fastest inker in the business. As a result, editors, whose writers, pencilers, inkers or more likely through their own bumbling, caused major delays, were constantly asking him if he could ink entire books over the weekend.

Accepting these assignments cost him dearly in terms of his reputation but he never declined to take the work. He needed the money and the opportunity was there to help the company so this scenario became an almost automatic weekly occurrence for the twenty years to follow.

Rarely a weekend went by when Colletta didn’t have an eighteen or twenty pager to fire off before Monday morning. And come hell or high water, if he hadn’t inked them in his NYC studio or in Marvel’s or DC’s offices, he’d be on his way into the city at 5:00 AM with a stack of finished pages he’d inked at home.

Often, he must have labored over his drawing board with what had to be only the energy of desperation. It’s hard to believe that Vinnie was the only inker who could combine speed and professionalism with a willingness to work insane hours. But editors called on Mr. Colletta almost exclusively in emergencies. I think that he considered himself a faithful servant of the institutions for whom he plied his trade.

Regarding some of the pencils he was saddled with, correcting out-of-proportion figures and doing finishes over mere breakdowns were the exception but when they occurred they devoured his time. It compares to asking a sprinter to throw a shot put in the middle of a race. There were comic book pencilers who knew they were serious artists and those who only thought they were. You can guess from which ones the editors heard the loudest cries when some of their (tardy) pencils were erased.

Jerry Novick: The Colletta issue – I agree with the sentiment that some inkers look good on some pencillers and not so good on others. Colletta has a huge body of work, some fantastic, some controversial, some journeyman-level, some above and beyond his peers. But his contribution to helping get the books out on time can never be under-sold.

JACK KIRBY, VINCE COLLETTA AND THOR – ASGARD REALIZED

February 17, 2024January 17, 2024 by Vince Colletta

An inspiration came to Jack Kirby one day. This wasn’t unusual since Jack’s mind was in a constantly creative mode. The moment he and Stan Lee made the decision to move forward with the Asgardian adventures of Thor the Thunder God, all of comicdom stood up and took notice. From the start, as it became the new feature saga in the Journey into Mystery series, the concept was a hit.

Beginning with issue #83, Journey into Mystery became Thor’s book. Jack penciled most of the covers and stories, of course, while the finished art was supplied by various inkers such as Joe Sinnott, Dick Ayers, Steve Ditko, Al Hartley, Sol Brodsky, George Ruossos, Chic Stone, Paul Reinman and Don Heck. Using bold, graphic-style inks, the stories were good but the art resembled most of Marvel’s other books. That is until issue # 106 when Thor was transformed from contemporary to primal. The mythological land of Asgard was born.

Scooter: Damn! My whole world’s falling apart…(actually I quite like Vinnie’s Tales of Asgard work).

Lyle Tucker: Here’s where we differ – I LOVE Vinnie’s Tales of Asgard work.

Dane Bjorklund: Several of the early THOR and Tales of Asgard issues were inked by a gentleman named Vince Colletta. I think that his name has become linked with his THOR work and the THOR comics that Mr. Colletta inked were among the best. THOR #126 is my favorite comic book cover of all time, drawn by Jack Kirby and Vince Colletta.

Vince Colletta had always admired the great artist and storyteller Hal Foster. The delicately rendered Prince Valiant stories gave my father the idea of speaking to Stan and Jack about presenting Thor in a different light. By creating a rough-hewn world more reminiscent of Norse legends, Journey into Mystery’s backup story, Tales of Asgard, gave readers a glimpse into Thor’s world. And right from the first story the controversies began. While Tales of Asgard was hailed as a creative breakthrough by most – I remember the pride that Vinnie felt reading and hearing the accolades – some comic book fans voiced displeasure with the artistic departure.

Rick Young: It amazed me the first time I saw criticism of Vince Colletta’s work. I get that he simplified some of Jack’s backgrounds and I like those intricate details. This panel (This Battleground Earth) has such a rich/finished look that is typical of Kirby & Colletta.

Erik Larsen: In the back issues I recently bought there were rave letters when Vinnie started inking Tales of Asgard.

Erik Larsen: But please–don’t confuse popularity with quality. McDonald’s has served billions of hamburgers, after all.

Pierre Comtois: Overnight it seemed, with Vince Colletta replacing Stone, the regular Thor strip acquired the same timeless, antique feel as Colletta’s work over Kirby in the Tales of Asgard feature. The inking style changed the whole feel of the book, making even down-to-earth stories such as those featuring the return of the Absorbing Man seem grander than they would’ve been with Stone. Whether it was the inspiration of Colletta’s inking, a continuation of the kind of stories that they’d been telling in Tales of Asgard or simply the trend that Marvel had been drifting towards through its first two phases, Lee, Kirby and Colletta now launched the Thor strip into an unprecedented series of inter-connected stories whose structure was unlike anything done in comics before.

The fine line work, delicate cross-hatching and detailed delineation of anatomical features were a source of annoyance to readers used to seeing “comic book art.” But by issue #116, Journey into Mystery, Thor and Asgard were all Jack and Vinnie and they became what many fans and professionals alike still feel is the greatest comic-book series ever – Thor.

David Philpott: I enjoyed the Kirby/Colletta Thors as a kid (bought as back issues). And I still enjoy them 25 years later. They are quality entertainment. The Tales of Asgard back ups rocked.

Allen Montgomery: I got the Tales of Asgard hardcover not too long ago. They were definitely playing to the newsprint back in the day. And not just Colletta. All the inkers turned in some pretty rough work. Colletta was the only one that attempted texture of any kind. The rest seemed to favor the “blotch” technique.

George: I don’t think Thor as a book worked until Colletta came on board. As good an inker as Stone was on Kirby he was too nice for the Asgardian world. The only other inker who came close was George Roussos in some of the early “Tales of Asgard”.

Al Sjoerdsma: I am among the minority who actually like Colletta’s inking on Kirby’s Thor, bringing it an airiness that fits into the fantasy of that strip.

Klar Ken T5477: I like VC’s inking on Thor too. Why not denigrate Chic Stone or Syd Shores as well? Vinnie met his deadlines and his work on the Kirby DC’s was far superior to Royer and D. Bruce Berry.

Mark Engblom: You’re right….Colletta did a pretty good job on the Kirby Thor comics. Just as with Sinnott’s inks, Colletta was able to “soften” the blunt and (occasionally) grotesque extremes of Kirby’s pencils.

A common criticism of Vince Colletta’s superhero inks has to do with the numerous “scritchy-scratchy” pen lines he used to define musculature. Rather than the quick brush swipes and symmetrical shadow lines used by others, Vinnie preferred the illustrative approach he learned in art school working with oils. He has been unfairly pigeonholed as one-dimensional, however, as the image above clearly proves, Colletta could ink in a bold, graphic style with the best of them.

PunyHuman: Beautiful, positively Beautiful (Tales of Asgard)!! What a spectacular collection !!

Tom Lammers: I know a lot of folks don’t like Colletta as an inker, especially over Kirby pencils, but I say as a penciler for this kind of story, he is excellent. He had a real flair for capturing emotion, as the heroine vacillates between sheer joy and dejection, interspersed with uncertainty, pensiveness, and regret.

Jay Kinney: There are some people, me included, who think that the “Tales of Asgard” artwork is the best of any by good old Jack. Vince’s inkings are great and seem to catch the ancient flavor.

Andrew W. Farago: Not to damn these books with faint praise, but Thor’s got to be the best superhero inking of Vince Colletta’s career (Colletta’s romance art has its moments). In black and white, especially in the Tales of Asgard stories, there’s a bit of a Prince Valiant vibe to the artwork which I don’t think would have been there with someone like Joe Sinnott inking the series, which probably would have taken the book in entirely different directions.

Alan Kupperberg (Former Marvel Artist): And then, my last issue 328. Vinnie Colletta finally inks my Thor. I went out with nice inks.

Lyle Tucker: I love those Colletta THOR’s (and especially the TALES OF ASGARDS) and I stopped buying NEW GODS after Royer came aboard, because by that time Kirby needed Vince’s artistic eye to “fix” his increasingly sloppy work – for whatever that’s worth, I thought I’d set the record straight as far as where I stand on the merits of Vince’s inking (and, yes, he DID indeed draw some damn fine romances in the ’50s).”

Norris Burroughs: The amount of inking on this page alone (THOR 142) would overwhelm a less than confident inker, so we must praise Colletta for his sheer tenacity and remember that he was often called on to finish Kirby’s detailed pencils in order to meet a deadline. Yes, he can be criticized for his faults, but we can also praise him for his strengths and accomplishments.

David J. Bromley: Many thanks for the even approach to a misunderstood & talented inker. Colletta had a ‘fine art’ approach that many cannot understand.

Aaron Noble: It’s in the “anatomy and fine detail” that you appreciate Colletta’s contributions.

jon m: Thor was a good book for Colletta, as opposed to FF which was a horrible match. I actually preferred his inks on the Fourth World books over Royer. Maybe it just eased the transition to DC.

Ian Miller: It’s sad that Colletta gets such a bad rap, because he was capable of some amazing work. If you ever get the chance to see any of the Kirby Thor pages he inked in person you’ll definitely see that he had some great chops. His feathering and fine linework took Kirby’s art in a more refined direction that you never really saw other inkers take advantage of.

STAR WARS GIRLS NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD

February 17, 2024January 17, 2024 by Vince Colletta

Vince Colletta had regular gigs throughout his career. While it’s true that he was consistently tasked with inking late books with breakdowns by unfamiliar pencilers, he became famous for the romance stories he illustrated and the finishing touches he applied to superhero comics like Thor, Wonder Woman and Submariner. Every now and then a random story inked by Vinnie will present itself. The Star Wars series had regular artists but Number 64 was a one-off, penciled by Joe Brozowski and inked by Vince. It was brought to my attention as part of Marvel’s Star Wars – The Original Years – Volume 4, published in 2019.

This volume contains 18 Star Wars issues. The artists featured are some of the best in the business including Walt Simonson, Tom Palmer, Carmine Infantino, Ron Frenz and Kerry Gammill. The art throughout the book is stellar with one notable exception – the females. #1, other than the Brozowski/Colletta issue, they are wholly unattractive and #2, they look more like cartoon characters than real people.

There was a certain beauty in females which Vince Colletta was able to capture with pencil and pen that no other artist in the realm of comics could match. And it wasn’t just their faces and figures. Vinnie could portray a host of different expressions which added tremendously to what the writers were attempting to convey.

Joe Brozowski had a very angular style. It is notable that Vinnie was able to soften his pencils to such an amazing degree. Turning graphic art into illustrative art is no small feat. As you can clearly see in the example below, the Star Wars finished art bears little resemblance to what the original pencils must have looked like.

Thank you, Marvel, for sending this Star Wars Epic Collection, because had you not conveyed it to me, I would never have seen this exquisite collaboration.

The Most Beautiful Women in Comics? You betcha!