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Kevin Nowlan Hulk 362 cover

Artist: Kevin Nowlan (All)

4 Comments - 1,741 Views - 5 Likes

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The rejected cover

Coloring by Kevin Nowlan

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Artwork Details

Title:	Kevin Nowlan Hulk 362 cover
Artist:	Kevin Nowlan (All)
Media Type:	Pen and Ink
Art Type:	Cover
For Sale Status:	For the right price
Views:	1,741
Likes on CAF:	5 6
Comments:	4
Added to Site:	3/3/2015
Comic Art Archive:

Description

There's a great story behind this cover. At Kevin Nowlan's blog, he describes how John Romita, Sr., Marvel's Art Director at the time, rejected his first version of this cover. The story is here: http://kevinnowlan.blogspot.com/2009/07/rejected-cover-for-hulk-362.html Apparently the style of the original piece was too simplified and too graphic (Nowlan agreed with Mr. Romita).*

This is the second version of the cover, and as best I can tell, it's as close to identical to the published version (the third version) as an artist can get. When I bought this art, it was explained that in fixing an inking mistake Mr. Nowlan had literally erased a small hole in the page, and this bothered him enough to redraw the entire thing (a touch of OCD?). Later the page was so expertly repaired that you have to know where to look (unless you turn the page over) to see the defect. I bought the page in Oct. 1989, and the comic is cover dated Nov. 1989. I bought it just based on how awesome the OA is, before seeing the comic.

I saw the published cover offered a few months later in the CBG. I say all this to verify that this isn't a recreation, and it's not a preliminary (that would have been the rejected cover, I guess), but it's also not quite the published cover. A 'precreation'? I recently confirmed this with Mr. Nowlan himself - what a super nice guy!

*Here's the full text, in case Nowlan's blog ever goes away. Note that he indicates that the excellent coloring was his doing, and designed to work with his inking.

"Back in the late 80's I tried to pare down my "style" and did away with most of the rendering. I was hoping that the self-imposed limitation would force me to focus more on the important elements like structure, gesture and storytelling. I'm not the first artist who tried to hide bad drawing with fancy rendering and I probably won't be the last.

Someone at Marvel asked me to draw this Hulk cover. Two monsters, fighting in a desert... why not? It sounds like fun.

How was it received? A friend of mine who was in the Bullpen when the art arrived told me that Marvel's art director, John Romita (Senior) held it up and proclaimed, "This... is what is wrong with comics today!" True story.

The Hulk editor called me up and politely explained that the art was being rejected. I asked if the lack of rendering was the only problem and he said it was. So I redrew it with heavier shadows and some fancy rendering and everyone was happy.

The first version is fine but I have to admit, the second one is better. Especially when you see it with color. Marvel let me do the color guide so I was able to sculpt the shapes with flat, white highlights. The poses are awkward but I like the overall effect.

And John Romita was right."

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About the Owner

	Kevin Koch Premium Gallery Owner
Joined:	February 2015
Last Login:	September 2025
Country:	NETHERLANDS
On CAF:	Kevin's Want List Artworks Commented On Liked Art Site Activity on CAF

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Comments on this Artwork

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Mike W
Member Since 2007

Posted on 3/5/2015

This is a really wonderful piece. Thank you for sharing the backstory.

John Espinoza
Member Since 2014

Posted on 11/25/2024

I love this cover. Today's minimal to zero background on a cover can't hold a candle to Mr. Nowlan's stark black-and-white contrasts. And those inks. Swoon. I need more Nowlan original art in my life! I remember when I met him at Big Wow! in 2013--I couldn't tell if he was the guy who inked Quesada on Sword of Azrael (Nowlan) or the guy who inked Barretto on Vengeance of Bane (Nolan).

Kevin Koch
Member Since 2015

1 - Posted on 11/25/2024

John Espinoza wrote:

�

Thanks for the comment! In revisiting this, I realized I needed to add an image of the rejected cover (from Kevin Nowlan's blog), as well as the colored/published version (colors by Nowlan specifically to work with the new version). It's amazing how dedicated he is and what a perfectionist - most artists would have added some rendering and additional details to the rejected cover, not worried about splashing around some white out, etc., but he completely redrew it not once but twice.

F M
Member Since 2005

1 - Posted on 2/25/2025

Such a memorable Nowlan cover, congrats

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