Posted By Dan Greenfield on Feb 8, 2023 | 6 comments

An ANNIVERSARY SALUTE: The sci-fi classic premiered 55 years ago on Feb. 8, 1968…

By JIM BEARD

We’ve come full circle: The Planet of the Apes property is back at Marvel Comics for a new simian cycle of adventures, and though I look forward to how the new apes era will swing, I’m also casting my eye back in time to the House of Ideas’ original 1970s POTA publications.

And boy did they have some great covers!

In honor of the Feb. 8, 1968, New York premiere of the original Planet of the Apes film — it went wide in April of that year — I’ve excavated the archives to dig up 13 of my most favorite covers from not only the Planet of the Apes black-and-white magazine, but also the comic-size Adventures on the Planet of the Apes color reprint series.

Ready? Steady? Let’s go ape!

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Planet of the Apes #5 (Feb. 1975). This is a sentimental favorite of mine, being my first issue of the mag, but I think you’ll agree it’s a wonder of stark beauty.

Bob Larkin

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Planet of the Apes #7 (Apr. 1975). A cool connection to the first film, spotlighting Lady Liberty’s tragic fate.

Larkin

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Planet of the Apes #10 (July 1975). What a dynamic, radiating example of the otherwise invisible power of the New York mutants’ minds.

Larkin

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Planet of the Apes #11 (Aug. 1975). So cool to have the masterful Morrow manifesting the undeniable mastery of the apes over men.

Gray Morrow

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Planet of the Apes #12 (Sept. 1975). I always thought this was a clever way to illustrate a deleted scene from the beginning of Escape From the Planet of the Apes.

Ken Barr

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Planet of the Apes #15 (Dec. 1975). Bob’s back with an amazing aquatic adventure of ape vs. squid… pretty sure that’s a squid.

Larkin

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Adventures on the Planet of the Apes #4 (Feb. 1976). Though the interior of the book comprised reprinted, colorized film-adaptation chapters from the b&w magazine, I still think it’s pretty cool to have the legendary Gil Kane doing covers.

Gil Kane pencils, Frank Giacoia inks

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Planet of the Apes #22 (July 1976). One of my most favorite covers from the magazine run. I just love that close-up.

Earl Norem

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Adventures on the Planet of the Apes #7 (Aug. 1976). There’s just something about that manic look on the human male’s face…

Mike Nasser (aka Michael Netzer) pencils, Klaus Janson inks

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Adventures on the Planet of the Apes #8 (Sept. 1976). Another great Kane cover with a lot of power and chaos in it.

Kane pencils, Mike Esposito inks

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Adventures on the Planet of the Apes #9 (Oct. 1976). From what I understand, it’s not 100% certain this one’s Alfredo Alcala’s, but regardless, the inclusion of skeletons has to count for something.

Pencils possibly by Alfredo Alcala. Inks by Alcala

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Adventures on the Planet of the Apes #10 (Nov. 1976). My absolute favorite cover from the comics run. It’s like you can just about hear that statue crashing down to earth.

Paty Anderson pencils, Janson inks

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Planet of the Apes #28 (Jan. 1977). The angle, the action, the ape… what a way to go-go.

Norem

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MORE

— Classic PLANET OF THE APES OMNIBUS Coming From MARVEL in 2023. Click here.

— Go Ape! PLANET OF THE APES Returning to MARVEL. Click here.