Koch, Kevin :: Main room

Michael Kaluta, The Shadow 4, p 2

Artists: Michael Kaluta (Penciller) , Steve Hickman (Inker)

9 Comments - 1,481 Views - 7 Likes

Michael Kaluta, The Shadow 4, p 2 Comic Art

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Color version (more muted in actual print version)

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Artwork Details

Title:	Michael Kaluta, The Shadow 4, p 2
Artist:	Michael Kaluta (Penciller)
Artist:	Steve Hickman (Inker)
Media Type:	Pen and Ink
Art Type:	Interior Page
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views:	1,481
Likes on CAF:	7 8
Comments:	9
Added to Site:	3/5/2015
Comic Art Archive:	The Shadow Issue: 4 Page: 2 View

Description

I love that this page reminds me of Clouzot's 'Wages of Fear.' It's a cinematic gem.

Michael William Kaluta was one of the first comic artists I met when I was teenager and wondering if it was possible to be a comic book artist. This was at Omnicon in Louisville in 1976, the first and (for a long time) only comic convention ever in the area, and organized by none other than Don Rosa before Unca Scrooge fame. My big sister's boyfriend had to drive me there. Frank Brunner and Kaluta were the special guests, along with Deforest Kelley.

I knew of Brunner from Dr. Strange and the then-new/hot Howard the Duck (and he'd done a barbarian illustration for the program cover). He had a couple of pages of OA on display which, from dim recollection, seemed fabulously priced. I didn't read DC and didn't know who Kaluta was. During the panel they gave I hung on their every word, hoping for insights into the lives of comic artists. But the only thing I remember was that Brunner bitterly ranted about how "the old Marvel was dead and gone." He said something like "Presenting a good idea there is like facing the statues on Easter Island - they just sit there with their long faces, staring and impassive." He did an imitation of a dour face, then turned to Kaluta and added "Right, Mike, right?" Kaluta didn't take the bait, just shrugged and said "Well, I'm not so sure about that . . ."

Later I went in the room where Brunner and Kaluta were sketching. I could barely afford comic books at the time, so a $10 or $20 sketch (don't remember the actual cost) was out of my reach. I wanted to watch them draw, and just be around them and soak up some pro artist energy, and maybe gain some insights. I recall they were both pretty silent. I was really curious about the viability of the profession, and knew from my own drawing that I would struggle to do a single comic page a day. So I pointed to one of the pages Brunner had on display and meekly asked "How much do you get paid for a page?" He slowly turned his head to me and, voice dripping with contempt, said "I don't answer questions like that." Mike Kaluta, sitting a little further into the room and also busy with a sketch, said "Aw, Frank, he's just a kid!" I was so grateful for his compassion, but also so chastened that I didn't ask either of them anything else, and slunk out with my tail between my legs.

At one of the dealer tables I asked if they had any Kaluta comics and got The Shadow #3. I liked the art and story, even though it wasn't the superhero stuff I was mostly attracted to. Five years later I got this page from Bruce Bergstrom from a CBG ad. I bought eight pages of OA in 1980-81 - this page, even with a 20% discount, cost more than the other seven pages combined. I'm glad I pulled the trigger.

Per CGC: In Back Issue magazine #10, Mike Kaluta says about the inking in this issue, "On the splash page to issue #4, there is a truck barreling across the page. The license plates on the front bumper of the truck have got each artist's name and little page numbers to tell what pages they worked on."
UPDATE: Per email directly from Mr. Kaluta, the dashes on the license plates do not mean "through". Only the specific pages listed were done by those artists.

Steve Hickman was a classmate of Michael Kaluta and Charles Vess at Richmond Professional Institute of Virginia Commonwealth University. He only did a small amount of comic book pencilling or inking, but went on to be a successful and award winning illustrator and cover artist for SF and fantasy books and magazines.

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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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Timothy Finney
Member Since 2006

Posted on 3/6/2015

I settled for a page he did in later year, but I always wanted a prime-time Kaluta Shadow page from his original run and yours is a killer action page. The only thing missing is maniacal laughter.

David K
Member Since 2008

Posted on 3/6/2015

What, where, how do I miss out on these pages? Outstanding piece!!! and also in my want list... so if you ever need to move it.

Jean Andre Macchini
Member Since 2006

Posted on 3/6/2015

Awesome page ! Congrats !

bob fish
Member Since 2011

Posted on 3/6/2015

Nice action page !!

Dan Ripoll
Member Since 2003

Posted on 3/21/2015

This page is a stunner! I love the layout and the way the action moves from panel to panel-great kinetics!

Mark Levy
Member Since 2004

Posted on 4/1/2015

That's the stuff!

Suat Tong Ng
Member Since 2009

Posted on 10/2/2015

Missed this when you first posted. Top notch Shadow page with exactly the kind of sequential action you would want.

John Espinoza
Member Since 2014

Posted on 11/22/2024

What a wonderful page (Wages of Fear reference; two guns a-blazin')! But I absolutely love your recollection of Brunner and Kaluta at this obscure con. See, this is the kind of talk I'm interested in at the CGC Boards!

Ruben DaCollector
Member Since 2008

1 - Posted on 3/11/2025

What an incredible story! Meeting Mike Kaluta and Frank Brunner at Omnicon must have been such a formative experience, and it’s amazing to see how it shaped your connection with Kaluta’s work. This page is a true gem, and it’s clear why it holds such significance for you. Kaluta’s style has that cinematic, atmospheric quality that really draws you in, just like in Wages of Fear! I wouldn't have caught that, but you nailed it!

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