An (early) BIRTHDAY SALUTE to one of comics’ greats…
By PETER STONE
There was once a time in New York City when there were many brick-and-mortar bookstores. Barnes and Nobles were all over, in different parts of the city. People could walk in and see nicely designed displays of bestselling books or even books of possible interest. Some of the larger book stores had two floors and a massive amount of floorspace. Then there were the “Mom and Pop” bookstores that specialized in pulp fiction or mysteries or used books.
There was a very nice Barnes and Nobles on the corner of Sixth Avenue and 8th Street. It was always busy. I was in there all the time. Then, one day in the late ’80s, there was a sign that said Michael Wm. Kaluta was going to be there signing his new illustrated edition of Thea von Harbou’s novel version of her husband Fritz Lang’s Metropolis. I was certainly excited about that. I didn’t have all my comics with me, including my original DC Shadow issues, so I went down to a comic store on Bleecker to see if they had the Marvel hardcover graphic novel The Shadow: 1941 – Hitler’s Astrologer, co-written by Kaluta and Denny O’Neil, pencilled by Kaluta and inked by Russ Heath.
Michael Kaluta — born 77 years ago this month, on Aug. 25, 1947 — was a name bandied around Continuity because he was part of that wave of artists that included Jeff Jones, Bernie Wrightson and Barry Windsor-Smith. They all wanted to be fine artists and drifted through Continuity for the thought of being close to Neal Adams. Bernie, of course, inked some of Neal on Green Lantern/Green Arrow. Fans really dug Bernie’s unique take on Neal’s pencils. Barry Windsor-Smith had done Conan at Marvel, then left before Neal penciled and inked an issue. They were all part of the comic industry and fan favorites. They even used Continuity’s template to create a studio called… well… The Studio. They were going to be a collection of “fine artists,” not those pedestrian “commercial” artists. They would paint muscled warriors, nudes and fantasy arts.
Kaluta did comics covers, short stories and other, smaller projects. His style was illustrative and unique. Delicate and complicated. At one point he was said to have been influenced by Alphonse Mucha because of his convoluted motifs and diaphanous female forms. However, he was truly loved for his five issues of DC’s The Shadow and the graphic novel. We all knew the Shadow was the precursor to Batman and Denny O’Neil’s noir stories were terrific. But Kaluta never touched the Shadow again after 1994 and his Metropolis book was done in between.
I couldn’t find a copy of Hitler’s Astrologer, but I was just happy to buy Metropolis and shake the man’s hand. I waited in line with a bunch of other fans and finally saw this friendly looking bearded man behind a table. He was making polite conversation. When I shook his hand I couldn’t help but say that I was working with Neal Adams. He looked up with a laugh, asking if the big guy was the same. I said I’m sure he is but I’m learning a lot. What’s Neal up to, he asked. We talked briefly about creator-owned comics, then moved on to Metropolis. I could feel the guys behind me in line getting frustrated.
So, I shook his hand again, wishing him luck. I walked away with another positive experience with a talented artist. It’s rare to run across a cranky artist, and Michael Kaluta was a pleasure.
Over the years, going through the art drawers, I’ve run across prints obviously made when Kaluta, Barry Smith, Bernie and Jeff Jones were passing through Continuity. Neal was personally attached to a beautiful nude by Jeff Jones and several of the famous Frankenstein prints by Bernie. Kaluta and Elaine Lee’s Marvel graphic novel Starstruck was on one of the bookcases. (They continued the adventures for years; Neal and I thought it was well-drawn and pretty intense.)
Kaluta went on to do more comics covers, CD covers, album covers, T-shirts and sweaters for bands, including Danzig. He moved into card games and collectible trading cards. He even did design work for video games.
It can be hard to make a living as an artist, but Kaluta has done it with style, grace and talent. His work is unique, ethereal and truly enjoyable.
—
MORE
— DOORWAY TO FANTASTIC: Mike Kaluta’s Marvelous MADAME XANADU. Click here.
— MIKE KALUTA Recalls the Moment He ‘Got’ JACK KIRBY. Click here.
—
Peter Stone is a writer and son-in-law of the late Neal Adams. Be sure to check out the family’s twice-weekly online Facebook auctions, as well as the NealAdamsStore.com, and their Burbank, California, comics shop Crusty Bunkers Comics and Toys.
August 13, 2024
I don’t know if this is true but I heard that Dave Stevens was originally going to ink the Shadow graphic novel but he dropped out .
August 16, 2024
Wrightson was supposed to ink it originally. Kaluta said he wouldn’t have spent so much time getting the guns right if he had known it was Heath because he was good at that kind of detail while Bernie wasn’t.
August 19, 2024
A fine remembrance, thanks for sharing. Michael Kaluta is a gentleman and a fine artist. A great artist! I believe his “Metropolis” is hard to come by now, and quite expensive.
I have a question about “Hitler’s Astrologer.” Can anyone help me? I think the last couple of pages are missing in my hardcover edition. And in other recent editions I have found. You see, the story ends on Page 61, with “Epilogue” lettered at the top, and a large (almost full-page) panel of the Nazi eagle surrounded by flames. But then there is a small panel across the bottom of the page, with the words: “New York City; V.E. Day, 1945.” In my memory, I think I had an early edition where you turned to page 62 and there was a page or two of some further narrative taking place in New York City. But I’ve never been able to find out for sure.