Frozen Burrito's freezer space :: Boris the Bear

Gary Martin - historical homage - Boris the Bear

Artist: Gary Martin (All)

1 Comment - 176 Views - 1 Like

Gary Martin - historical homage - Boris the Bear Comic Art

Additional Images:

Martin's pencils

#3 page 6

Boris 15 cover

Adventure Magazine 1 pin-up

#4 page 11

#32 page 9

Next Item:
Boris the Bear #5 pg. 12

Artwork Details

Title:	Gary Martin - historical homage - Boris the Bear
Artist:	Gary Martin (All)
Media Type:	Pen and Ink
Art Type:	Commission
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views:	176
Likes on CAF:	1 2
Comments:	1
Added to Site:	8/13/2023
Comic Art Archive:

Description

*disclaimer. my interest in comics isn't necessarily in the stories or awesomeness of the art within the pages as much as I am interested in the relationship of the creation and creator, and their coming to being in our world and lives. Similar to how my interest is with Disney and their perpetuating the Star Wars to profit in fighting to end the war they perpetuate for profit, and how it bleeds into our real world like the shadow of a skyscraper of plastic growing taller with each saga. And I don't like that I like it, but I like it non the less. All that said, I am still vastly ignorant to the universe(s) of comics and am still learning so please forgive if I speak too far out of turn.

Gary Martin had done inks for James Dean Smith's Boris the Bear throughout its run from Dark Horse to Smith's own publishing, Nicotat. I used GIMP to Frankenstein this homage to some of the greats using the spirit of Boris to tell a little tale of comics, as inked by the great Gary Martin, over pirated pencils by the reclusive genius James Dean Smith (if you like this, Mr. Smith might ask me for money for using Boris the Bear, so don't like this).

The zippatoned center piece is from the final panel featuring Boris that Martin did for the Dark Horse run (issue 3 page 6). The issue criticized the industry, specifically how ownership is controlled by the corporation. Boris is grasping the Kirby can-opener walking into the sunset ne'er to look back. Eerily similar to Ditko's final panels of Spider-Man and Peter Parker in ASM 38. Forebodous within the context of Smith's future split after Boris issue 12 from Mike Richardson and Dark Horse.

Choosing the ASM 50 layout to not only capture the residual emotion of Romita's original "...no more", I wanted to echo a part of Gerber's struggle with the nod to Howard the Duck #19's homage cover. Its cover, according to an old RomitaMan listing and its sale price, was mostly production stat. There's something about that Howard stat cover that ultimately got me to reach out to Martin for this commission. Something of a happy coincidence as Martin's inks on Nicotat's issue 15's cover adapted really well.

To complete the Trinity of Boris the Bear as inked by Gary Martin, to dot the O, the head of the Rocketeer is from a pin-up Martin inked in Smith's Boris Adventure Magazine #1.

I Stan Leeed my own amalgamation of full figure Boris from more pirated pencils/inks by Smith. Boris' head severed and twisted from issue 4's origin story panel placed a top his pink bathroom from issue 32. The sunglasses are from the same panel in 32. An issue that's the first of a two issue arch depicting Boris as wealthy and the one in charge--especially over Smith (who often wrote himself into the story). It's my own projection of Boris looking back with some of his fuzz stripped away by time, wrapped in the comfort of ego. I drew the legs. Martin made the feet miles beartter from my sketch and further demonstrates his skill with his creation of light within the shadow cast by Boris.

Beyond his addition of feet and the unsolicited use of zippatone and the openness to my commission and the great work he's done, Martin gave the commission the issue number 35 in the corner box beneath Rufus. It's a good touch and much appreciated and I like it a lot, but to employ some hyperbole, when I look at it it feels like I held in a sneeze because the series ends in a To Be Continued at issue 34. James Dean Smith has issue 35 (and according to an interview in Backissue no.125) Smith has penciled up to Boris issue 40. If only I lived in Riverdale I could throw a carwash to remedy the situation. But I live in my own fantasy one commission at a time.

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About the Owner

	Frozen Burrito
Joined:	March 2021
Last Login:	October 2023
Ebay Id:	justincaseyousee1or2
Country:	UNITED STATES
On CAF:	Frozen's Want List Artworks Commented On Liked Art Site Activity on CAF

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Marcus Wai
Member Since 2005

Posted on 8/13/2023

Comes together nicely with so many different images to look as if it was one piece before.

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