Strange Tales #181, Cover
Artists: Jim Starlin (Penciller) , Alan Wess (Inker)
50 Comments - 3,636 Views - 8 Likes
Artwork Details
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DescriptionAlthough I’ve recently been trying to narrow my focus, every once in a while, I come across something else that is so memorable and meaningful, I can’t help myself. Today’s discussion is on the Starlin Warlock run. Ably inked by Alan Weiss, Steve Lealoia, and Mr. Starlin himself, this run captivated me in a cosmic, yet introspective, way unlike any other book of the time.
That run introduced Gamora, Pip, and Death (of course she had been around for a while, but not as such an obvious character), and made Thanos the star he is today. The legendary battles with Thanos’ death wish continued into the Avengers and Starlin’s run on Captain Marvel. That run is to be collected in a trade due out in the next couple of months. I can’t wait!! Warlock was cosmic and cool. If you could understand what was going on, you really “got it”. It had double and triple crosses, murder, self-doubt, angst, heroism, and fun. Nothing was as it seemed, and no less than the fate of the universe was at stake. That run, at least in part, defined the 70’s for many of us. I’ve been looking for the “right” Warlock piece. I’ve seen some great ones in other people’s galleries, and come close from time to time on others, but held off until now. I’ve wanted something that screams out everything that was great about this book. And, I think I found it. To me, this cover represents everything that was great about this run. Warlock in agony, the universe at risk, and an evil clown overlooking the entire scene. Social/Sharing |
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Comments on this Artwork
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Chris C 
Member Since 2004
Posted on 1/26/2012
First!!!! Sorry had to do that. Epic Cover!! Congrats RON!!!
John S.
Member Since 2005
Posted on 1/26/2012
Great cover and a welcome addition to a great collection
Ken R
Member Since 2006
Posted on 1/26/2012
WOW that's an incredible cover! LOVE Starlin's Cosmic work!
alessandro gentili
Member Since 2011
Posted on 1/26/2012
THAT'S INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This piece is the HISTORY !!! Congrats,my friend !
. BRAUNY
Member Since 2007
1 - Posted on 1/26/2012
Wonderful addition to your wonderful collection! Starlin's work in the 70s was fantastic stuff!
Alex B
Member Since 2008
Posted on 1/26/2012
Congrats Ron ! it's a truly incredible piece. What a find !
Jim Harvey
Member Since 2005
Posted on 1/26/2012
Great cover! Always loved Jim Starlin's run on the Warlock series beginning in the Strange Tales comic.
Felix Lu
Member Since 2005
Posted on 1/26/2012
The ink budget got blown on this one! Great example. as always. Congrats!
Alex Johnson
Member Since 2006
Forum Moderator
Posted on 1/26/2012
Terrific cover from one of my very favorite series distributed as it was over so many titles. It was Starlin at his best.
Bill C
Member Since 2009
Posted on 1/26/2012
Great addition! Starlin's Warlock may be the best comic run the 70's had to offer
E DLS
Member Since 2005
Posted on 1/26/2012
A gem of a cover with a brilliant and informative write up that more than does justice to the piece! Congratulations on your latest treasure Ron!
Frederic Contet
Member Since 2005
Posted on 1/26/2012
Ron, once again, you amaze me! Congrats. Oh and BTW, you may have noticed it's signed to a "Fred"...so if you want to part with it, don't hesitate!
The AvengersFan
Member Since 2004
Posted on 1/26/2012
I loved your description once again, as it captured the Warlock saga so well for me as well. The 70's were a magic time indeed. Congrats!
Alberto Giavoni
Member Since 2005
Posted on 1/26/2012
what a great cover for an even greater storyline! however, you should tell us how you stumbled upon this beauty
frank x townsondecker
Member Since 2006
Posted on 1/26/2012
a very nice union of artists on this one!
Wesley Liu
Member Since 2009
Posted on 1/26/2012
Great cover, Ron. No one draws cosmic characters, monsters (and clowns) better than Jim Starlin!
Kirk Dilbeck (3-Wishes and Patron-of-art)
Member Since 2006
Posted on 1/26/2012
Incredible addition and I agree with everything you wrote~ Bravo!!
Mike W
Member Since 2007
Posted on 1/26/2012
Vintage Marvel Magic!!! As always, well done my friend!!!!!
Nick Katradis
Member Since 2005
1 - Posted on 1/26/2012
Ron, wow, Bronze Magic! No better feeling in the world than getting a historic, classic cover from the greatest period in comic art, 1972-1975! Starlin at his zenith!
Maria Coppola
Member Since 2011
Posted on 1/26/2012
One of Jim's most legendary runs, Warlock was in a class of it's own when this fantastically written and drawn run came out in Strange Tales. Bravo Ron, vintage and classic!
Chris K.
Member Since 2008
Posted on 1/26/2012
Your write-ups are starting to compete with your art - and I mean that in the best way possible! I can't stop staring at this one - it is just an amazing piece of history from a great run.
Mark Levy
Member Since 2004
Posted on 1/27/2012
I was at sdcc in 80s before I collected art but remember this one on a dealers wall...Lucky for you I didn't buy it cause I would keep it...classic run.
bob fish
Member Since 2011
Posted on 1/27/2012
a stunning inking ! a master cover ! thank's for sharing
- Artemaria
Member Since 2007
Posted on 1/27/2012
Well Ron, you really seem to have reduced this to a science - take superstar artist, add peak period, and buy the best pieces you can find, which are usually covers and splashes. This piece follows that formula, of course, but adds a unique twist, and that is the inking of Alan Weiss. Alan was one of those great artists of the 70s who never quite hit superstardom, although he certainly, and frequently, flirted with it. While the greatness of Starlin's pencils (and boundary pushing themes) are on full display here, Weiss's inks give this piece that special shine that only those combinations of the greats truly have. Congratulations on another redonkulous (clown and all) piece my friend.
Richard Donnelly
Member Since 2004
Posted on 1/27/2012
Wow, I have not seen this cover in years! Nice to have this great cover from the Steve Ditko dedicated Warlock story on display!
Don Raskin
Member Since 2010
Posted on 1/28/2012
Pretty friggin' cool. Loved this period of comic books and the art. This is a prime example of how great some of it was.
Romain Verlier
Member Since 2009
Posted on 1/31/2012
So few CAF galleries thrill me as much as yours !!! This one cover in particular will definitly be my favorite piece in your awesome collection and I look at it and see myself losing all sanity for letting it go the first time at Dan's ..... Sincere congratulations, it couldn't end in a better place !!! Weiss inking is fantastic and Starlin's imaginary is beyond the common superhero stuff, for me he's the best artist ever ...so deep, so complete !!! as is this crazy vintage and supreme cover !!!
J L
Member Since 2005
Posted on 1/31/2012
This is getting routine....but your art acqusitions are always super!!!! Congrats.
Black Adler
Member Since 2005
Posted on 7/28/2012
I know why your collection is so much incredibly nicer than mine: you pull the trigger when I keep hesitating. Great example, fantastic addition. Could you start getting interested in McFarlane and Liefield now please. And sell your Kirby, Adams and other common vulgarities to fund the new acquisitions. Good. That will be all, tank you very much Ron !
Daren Domina
Member Since 2006
Posted on 3/29/2014
Simply magnificent! Wow, to own a Starlin Strange Tales/Warlock cover! Starlin's game changing series. Amazing pick-up!
Lenny Da Collector
Member Since 2005
Posted on 8/19/2015
Maybe I'm biased because this was one of the first two Starlin comic books I ever read, the other being Captain Marvel #32 so this image is etched in my mind as one of the best Warlock covers out there. Or it could be that objectively, I think it's one of the top 3 Warlock covers done by Starlin from his entire run. I think it's a combination of both.
COL (Ret) Churchill
Member Since 2004
Posted on 3/6/2018
Ron, I have an update for you to consider. You wrote the following in paragraph four:
"That run introduced Gamora, Pip, and Death (of course she had been around for a while, but not as such an obvious character), and made Thanos the star he is today. The legendary battles with Thanos’ death wish continued into the Avengers and Starlin’s run on Captain Marvel."
The Captain Marvel run (issues 25-34) and storyline preceded Starlin's work on the Strange Tales and Warlock run. This included the crossovers into the Avengers, Marvel Feature, and Daredevil and had Thanos with his first death wish arc that shook up the Marvel Universe. In the Stange Tales (where Starlin introduced the Magus) and Warlock storylines (issues 9-11), Thanos actually became an ally to Warlock in order to defeat the Magus, Warlock's future self. All of the this Starlin magic came to a conclusion with Avengers Annual 7 and Marvel Two in One Annual 2 for Thanos' second death wish arc.
Regardless, this cover is incredible as this issue provided Starlin the ability to mock the absurdity of Marvel management during the mid-1970s. Congratulations very late from me with your acquisition. PRC
Timothy Finney
Member Since 2006
Posted on 3/8/2018
Marvel really gave Starlin a group of inkers (Weiss, here, his Gemini buddy, Al Milgrom and Steve Leialoha) that meshed seemlessly with his style (albeit all in different ways). I would not trade any of these inkers for the others on the stories/covers they worked on with him. Nevertheless, I would have loved to have seen Weiss ink Starlin on a more regular basis. (Of course, that could be a more general statement in that I would have loved to have seen Weiss do more comic book work, period -- and I definitely include Steelgrip Starkey in that statement. But, I digress.)
Xavier .
Member Since 2010
Posted on 5/9/2018
WOW!!! Congratulation on this spetacular cover! What a classic!
Steven Filosa
Member Since 2006
Posted on 9/28/2020
Such a classic cover. I think Warlock is Starlin's best art (when he did the whole thing himself). All these covers are fabulous, and this is one of the best!!!
And great collection!
Congrats.
Toni S
Member Since 2019
Posted on 10/2/2022
Superb example of Starlin's "cosmic" style! A masterpiece!
Steven Dilworth
Member Since 2012
Posted on 7/5/2024
Oh, man! I really love what Alan's inks do for Jim's pencils. This is a flat-out amazing cover!
Two thumbs up with a twist!
Bill J
Member Since 2009
Posted on 8/6/2024
I don't know why I've never commented on this cover before, but it's time to rectify that. Strange Tales #181 is a stunning example of a great Warlock cover. Jim Starlin's art has never looked better, and the image of Warlock laying in agony on the ground is jawdropping. It's like one of those neoclassical sculptures in museums of Greek heroes withing in agony. Alan Wiess' inks help bring the scene to life, but it's Starlin's pencils that really nail the scene. Then, as if to add a sense of the cosmic craziness of the the story, it turns out that Warlock's tormentor is named "The Madness Monster!" And that monster is being directed by...A Clown??? All of this drawn with utter sincerity by Starlin as if it makes perfect sense. But it does, of course, make a certain kind of sense in the cosmic universe as conceived of by Jim Starlin. Anyway, it's a killer cover and I love it a lot.
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