Back in the day, one of my favorite titles was JUNGLE ACTION featuring the Black Panther. It started off with a storyline entitled "Panther's Rage" written by Don McGregor. It was there that we were introduced to a villain who would be considered by many to be the Panther's arch-nemesis: Erik Killmonger. As the story unfolded, we got to meet many of Killmonger's henchmen, whom he referred to as his lieutenants. I considered them to be as visually interesting as they were quirky. It didn't hurt that they were first drawn by such talents as Rich Buckler, and late greats as Billy Graham and Gil Kane.
Sadly, with the exception of Killmonger, most of these villains haven't been seen since their debuts over 30 years ago. That's unfortunate, because with the right creative vision, these bad guys could be great antagonists for today's superheroes. If Geoff Johns can update villains like Captain Cold and the Top, and Gail Simone could make a lame-o like Catman intriguing, then these villains certainly could be made into viable characters. That's my two cents.
Anyway, as a way of saluting these unsung bad guys, I decided to commission a piece featuring them. Of course, I had to find someone who'd do a dynamite job, yet not charge an arm and a leg. Such is the curse of those who love multi-character commissions. Mo' characters means mo' money. However, even in these tough economic times, there are bargains to be found for po' folks like me. Enter the one and only Val Semeiks.
If you want a beautifully drawn piece of art featuing more than one character without having to sell one of your organs to pay for it, Val is your man. I can't think of a single professional veteran comics artist who is more affordable than Val. Don't go to him asking him to draw the entire Legion of Super-Heroes on the cheap, but if you want a few characters but don't want to pay AS IF you're asking someone to draw the Legion, you can't beat Val's affordable prices. And he has a long, distinguished career in comics. Val has drawn such titles as THE DEMON, LOBO, JLA/WildCATs, DC 1,000,000, CONAN THE BARBARIAN, and a bunch of other stuff.
The Black Panther's Rogue's Gallery consists of (center) Killmonger, and (clockwise from the top) Salamander K'Ruel, Baron Macabre, Sombre, King Cadaver, Madame Slay, and Lord Karnaj. I love those quirky names. In the later BLACK PANTHER series written by Christopher Priest, the villains made a cameo appearance and were described by Panther protege Everett K. Ross as "Individuals in desperate need of both a DICTIONARY and a TAILOR." Come on, Ross -- those names are no worse than Granny Goodness or Virman Vundabar -- and they're definitely better than Glorious Godfrey. BTW, hat tip to inkmeister Bob Almond for the Ross quote.
Val Semeiks has drawn commissions for some of the top gallery owners on CAF. I'm talking about your Michael Rankinses, your Michael F. Finns, your Brian "Marvel Two-in-One 76 Guy" Sagars, your Larry Clays, and so on. Head on over to VALSEMEIKS.COM and have him draw something cool for you, and have enough left over that you can still eat all month.
