Val Mayerik Marvel Tryout Art

Artists: Val Mayerik (Penciller) , Val Mayerik (Inker)

2 Comments - 561 Views - 1 Like

Previous Item:
Captain Action #2 page 4 by Gil Kane & Wally Wood

Next Item:
Michael Neno & Bruce Chrislip Kind of Riffing on Jack Kirby

Artwork Details

Title:	Val Mayerik Marvel Tryout Art
Artist:	Val Mayerik (Penciller)
Artist:	Val Mayerik (Inker)
Media Type:	Pen and Ink
Art Type:	Interior Page
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views:	561
Likes on CAF:	1 2
Comments:	2
Added to Site:	10/18/2022
Comic Art Archive:

Description

Here's a little bit of Marvel Comics history Northeast Ohio division. The story goes like this. In the spring of 1972, Val Mayerik was finishing up classes on his way to earning a bachelor's degree in Fine Art from Youngstown State University in Ohio. At the time, he felt his professors were still too much under the sway of 1950s style abstract expressionism and he doubted that his degree would amount to much. Job prospects looked bleak.

But as fate would have it, Val was discussing comic books with a friend in a painting class and a female classmate overheard them and said something to the effect of: "If you guys like comic books you should talk to a guy in my art group down in East Liverpool, Ohio named Dan Adkins. He works for Marvel Comics."

East Liverpool was only a 30 mile drive south of Youngstown. Adkins had been living in NYC for several years and had been an assistant to Wally Wood. But after a few muggings, he decided to move back to his hometown in Ohio. Mayerik got in touch with him and brought along a portfolio. The featured art here was the first page of a 9 page sword and sorcery strip he drew for the 1972 YSU Yearbook. The influence of Warren artists like Esteban Maroto is evident. This page and several like it were submitted to Marvel.

Within weeks, Mayerik was working on several Marvel Comics titles with Adkins and attended his first NYC comic book convention that summer. Somewhere in there, he branched out on his own. 1972 was a year of great expansion for Marvel. Stan Lee was now publisher and was adding titles quickly. Dan Adkins also mentored P. Craig Russell, Paul Gulacy and Duffy Vohland with similar results.

Social/Sharing

About the Owner

	Bruce Chrislip
Joined:	May 2022
Last Login:	August 2025
Country:	UNITED STATES
On CAF:	Artworks Commented On Liked Art Site Activity on CAF

Contact the Owner

Use can use a contact form to send an email to this gallery owner,
but, you must be logged in to use this feature.

Comments on this Artwork

You must be logged in to make comments.

Marcus Wai
Member Since 2005

Posted on 10/19/2022

Mayerik's early work has that same passion shown here! The effort put into the pile of bodies is as strong as the barbarian! The skull drawing is a must for any edgy upstart!

Tristram Portal
Member Since 2020

Posted on 10/19/2022

This is pretty cool!

All
	Greg Huneryager 9/7/2025 4:19:00 PM
	P A 9/7/2025 4:16:00 PM
	M Y-C 9/7/2025 4:15:00 PM
	Paul Handler 9/7/2025 4:00:00 PM
	Nikolaos K 9/7/2025 3:59:00 PM
View All


	Chris Johnson 9/7/2025 3:54:00 PM
	Anthony Mauceli 9/7/2025 3:44:00 PM
	Jon Imparo 9/7/2025 3:39:00 PM
	Dan Moler 9/7/2025 3:33:00 PM
	Peter Marino 9/7/2025 3:28:00 PM