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Mike Kaluta at UKCAC 1991
Artwork Details
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DescriptionIs there any character more associated with one artist who is not the creator/owner than The Shadow and Michael William Kaluta? It speaks volumes that in spite of the many distinguished superstar comic artists who have worked on The Shadow since MWK’s first five-issue stint – has it really been 50 years since then? – that he is still thought of as the go-to artist for The Shadow handling his exploits at Marvel, Dark Horse and most recently covers with Dynamite.It was really engrossing listening to Benno Rothchild’s talk with Bill (CAF talk 99) when Benno described his first meeting, when he was a less-than-flush teenager, with MWK at one of the latter’s gallery selling shows. In case you haven’t heard that portion of the talk or need reminding, Benno said that he told MWK, when asked why he hadn’t bought anything, that he had only $15. MWK then told him to come back the next day and he would in the meantime produce something for that return visit which would be price-appropriate for what he had. What a mensch! I would not think he does that sort of thing now. But he may have back in 1991 when I met him at the annual United Kingdom Comic Art Convention, but I would never have had the initiative then to ask him about buying any art. It was at that convention that I realised that it was time to upgrade my single issues of the DC version of The Shadow from the 1970s – printed on paper, as Archie Goodwin wrote, more suited to blowing your nose on than publishing comics on – to the hardcover The Private Files of The Shadow with its better paper stock. I went in the dealers’ room and picked up a copy fully expecting MWK to just sign it and I was absolutely delighted when he personalised it and also remarqued it. If only I could find it I would upload that drawing as an additional picture, but that is the trouble with never getting rid of anything – it is buried under 32 years of comics and comics-related material. When I locate it … I picked up the above drawing off eBay sometime about 15-20 years ago and not from someone called Vlad so it has probably changed hands at least twice. It does look like it might have been an "overnight job" as it seems to me to be far more detailed and composed than a convention sketch. The one remarkable thing I note from a quick glance through all the Mike Kaluta drawings of The Shadow on CAF is that apart from the left-hand-side profile mainstay and the one identical image uploaded accidentally two times by the same person, bless ’im, no two are the same, and it is not as if MWK must have been thinking that in couple of decades there will be something called the internet and on that is going to be a website called Comic Art Fans where a bunch of my The Shadow drawings are going to be collected so I better make sure that they are all different. It is just that MWK knows the character inside out and upside down. He is the definitive The Shadow artist. Social/Sharing |
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Comments on this Artwork
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ilia georgiev 
Member Since 2006
Posted on 8/25/2023
The Shadow and Kaluta are an amazing duo. The pencils are tight on this commission. This is a pulp type illustration with out a doubt.
Simon Ma
Member Since 2013
1 - Posted on 9/14/2023
ilia georgiev wrote:
The Shadow and Kaluta are an amazing duo. The pencils are tight on this commission. This is a pulp type illustration with out a doubt.
Thank you for your compliment. The detail on your The Shadow Stalemate commission (and seeing the developmental steps up to its completion) is amazing.
Marcus Wai
Member Since 2005
Posted on 8/26/2023
He knew what he was there at the con to do and was receptive to everyone at conventions, especially the ladies. The thing with these drawings is that he would do them in front of you and he took his time. So you had to be willing to invest your time as well when there was a long queue.
Simon Ma
Member Since 2013
1 - Posted on 9/14/2023
Marcus Wai wrote:
He knew what he was there at the con to do and was receptive to everyone at conventions, especially the ladies. The thing with these drawings is that he would do them in front of you and he took his time. So you had to be willing to invest your time as well when there was a long queue.
Wow, if MWK had been doing that at UKCAC and I was aware of it I would not have moved from his table for the duration of his stint. It would have been hypnotic, like staring into a crimson signet ring. Thank you for your info.
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