On a larger canvas, behold the unbridled power of JOHN ROMITA, JACK KIRBY, GIL KANE and MORE…
By CHRIS RYALL
On Nov. 12, The Mighty Marvel Calendar Book: A Visual History is being released by Abrams ComicArts at long last! The 13” x 13” behemoth collects all the great Marvel calendars from 1975 to 1981 in one book, each year with a text piece introducing the material by me, an introduction by the ’75 calendar writer/editor Roy Thomas, and plenty of related back-up material like editorial memos and letters, ads, and original art. It was originally slated for release last December, moved to December 2024, and is now being moved up to next week. Perfect timing for the rapidly approaching, if not already under way, holiday shopping season!
The majority of the calendar images in this book, created by the best talents at Marvel at the time, have never been collected before. Likewise, the unique calendar grids and related art pieces contained within each one. And as a guy who would hang the old calendars in his office whenever the days and dates aligned again, it was a thrill to be able to make this book with editor Charlie Kochman, designer Shawn Lee, restoration artist David Banks, and the team at Abrams ComicArts.
It all went well enough that Abrams is also releasing a replica of the spiral-bound 1975 calendar itself, since the 1975 and 2025 dates match up.
Here are 13 of my favorite images from this very unique run of calendars, whose larger canvas allowed Marvel’s artists to stretch beyond the typical parameters of comics covers and panels:
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January 1975 by John Romita. The year kicked off in great fashion with this image by Romita that managed to work in an action scene with Spider-Man as well as all of his friends, family, and co-workers, without revealing his identity. Romita always did a great job with this supporting cast, and his facial expressions, notably JJJ and Harry Osborne, really sum up those characters well.
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February 1975 by Barry Windsor-Smith. Rather, by Barry Smith, as he was credited at the time. This image of Conan (thanks again for letting us reprint this one, Heroic Signatures) is strikingly rendered and vividly colored. And it feels somewhat out of place among all the other images, since Smith’s style was so much more illustrative than that of pretty much any other comics artist of the day.
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October 1975 by Mike Ploog. Marvel’s classic monsters, both its Universal derivatives as well as their own swamp beast, creepily and beautifully illustrated by definitive Man-Thing artist Mike Ploog, the perfect Halloween treat all 31 days of the month.
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Marvel Bicentennial Calendar 1976 Cover by John Romita. The image is rather ridiculous: Spider-Man, Hulk, and Captain America standing in for the three Revolutionary War soldiers from Archibald Willard’s famous painting. And yet it works well thanks to Romita; it’s also a great lead-in to a calendar filled with amusingly anachronistic images of Marvel characters being inserted into Revolutionary War scenes. Some work better than others in terms of both art style and characters paired with specific battles; but all are a fun way to do something different to ring in what was America’s 200th birthday.
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February 1976 by Herb Trimpe. The Hulk rendered by classic Hulk artist Trimpe, in torn outfit stomping around Valley Forge, brings a smile to my face every time I see it.
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August 1976 by Joe Sinnott. The Fantastic Four was my favorite title as a kid, and Joe Sinnott’s inks were a big reason why. The consistency he brought to everyone’s pencils made anyone who drew the book, be it Jack Kirby or Bill Sienkiewicz, look familiar. And here, Sinnott pencils and inks a piece that would’ve made his then-collaborator, George Perez, proud. Although it wasn’t until I saw this piece, with the Thing toting a heavy cannon on his back and using Reed’s elastic form as a bridge, that I became aware that Reed’s pliant body was made of load-bearing rubber…
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May 1978 by Larry Lieber and Frank Giacoia. The 1978 calendar featured a spotlight on Spider-Man, each month focusing on a big moment in the character’s life. This one brings back to life the classic “I quit!” moment from The Amazing Spider-Man #50. There, the cover and scene was by John Romita; here, Larry Lieber and Frank Giacoia amp up the moodiness even more, and the floating spectral figure of Spider-Man above the forlorn Peter Parker adds to the pathos and guilt trip.
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September 1978 by Gil Kane and Tom Palmer. There are a number of great images in these calendars by Gil Kane, many inked by Palmer, and all would’ve fit well on this list. But this one stands out above the others to me just for the sheer horror it evokes, with Spider-Man holding his dead girlfriend Gwen Stacy’s body with a massive and taunting Green Goblin head perched on a background spiral that is hypnotizing if you stare at it for a month straight (not recommended).
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October 1978 by George Perez and Pablo Marcos. This isn’t technically the best piece of George Perez art in the book; there’s a 1981 image of the Avengers inked by Gene Day that’s gorgeous in its pencils and its finishes. But this one is a more active scene, and perfectly fitting for the month of Halloween. Also, I’m supposed to skip over a calendar entry featuring Stegron, the Dinosaur Man? I don’t think so.
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December 1980 by John Byrne and Joe Sinnott. I mean, come on. There’s a reason when I think of most any Marvel character from this era, that John Byrne’s rendition of them is the one that comes to mind. This image alone is probably a huge part of why. I once held the original art for this piece in my hand. I’m still amazed I let go of it. Eventually.
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January 1979 by Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott. The 1979 calendar focused on the Hulk, and this first image just radiated power (Kirby’s, not the Hulk’s). Even with 31 days in January, it was hard to turn the calendar page to February. It helped that February’s image is a beautiful Walter Simonson piece. That one almost made the cut here too, but then again, so did about four dozen others.
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1980 Back Cover by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson. Around the time of this calendar — 1980 shined the spotlight on Doctor Strange every month — young artist Frank Miller was announced as the artist on the Doctor Strange comic. While that didn’t happen – Miller’s other book, Daredevil, moved from bi-monthly to monthly – this image inked by longtime DD inker Klaus Janson shows how great that book could have been. Miller and Janson created a placid image that nevertheless brims with excitement and mystery. The front cover by Dave Cockrum is solid enough, but for me, this is the best image of the entire 1980 calendar. Which is saying something since there are a dozen great images in this one.
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March 1981 by Michael Golden. This is an odd setting – the Hulk running afoul of some miners, or vice-versa, but as rendered by Michael Golden, one of the very best artists of this era, it’s too gorgeous to pass up as my final entry here. It calls to mind that great Marvel Fanfare issue featuring Hulk and Spider-Man, which was also penciled and inked by Golden. But really, it also needs no justification or explanation. It’s a 1981 Michael Golden piece, which means it’s about as good as it gets.
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So that’s my list, but I will say that it would’ve been pretty easy (although way more wordy, and not great for book sales) to have showcased all 84-plus images here. Realizing this book feels like checking a long-empty box for me, and I hope you like what you see.
If you need one personalized for the holidays, drop me a line directly and I can help with that, too.
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The Mighty Marvel Calendar Book: A Visual History lists for $50 and will be available at comics shops and through booksellers. For more info, click here.
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MORE
— The MIGHTY MARVEL CALENDAR BOOK Moved Up to NOVEMBER Release Date. Click here.
— Here’s the INSIDE SCOOP on the Upcoming MIGHTY MARVEL CALENDAR BOOK. Click here.
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CHRIS RYALL is a comics editor and writer.
