Resurrection Man 1 cover – Jackson Guice

Eerily striking cover.

RIP Butch

Thank you for that comment. I have to admit I was in two minds about posting the cover because of the chance it might be misinterpreted – “it is morbid, disrespectful, in poor taste under the circumstances” – but I realised that people are going to think what they like whatever you say or do. Artists create their work to be seen. My intention was to celebrate Butch’s art (although there is no getting away from there being an element of my showing off – “look what I have”). It is so often said that I hesitate to repeat it but artists do achieve a form of immortality after they have gone by having their work live on after them. That is what separates artists from mere mortals such as myself; when everything I have said and done will be long forgotten there will still be people looking at and appreciating their work. It was heartening that nobody left any negative comments which means the CAF community took my posting in the spirit in which it was intended. I hope I have done right by Butch and his family.

Interesting that for the published cover they only used half of the skull. Seems like a mistake not to use the full impactful rendering by Guice. 

Who knows why editors make the choices they do?

This series was cool and showed Guice embracing more of the realism that would shape the rest of his career.  It was just like 90's DC to give odd characters their own series out of the blue.  This one lasted a lot longer on the strength of the Guice art.  That hologam circle gimmick on the comic was iconic!   

Gimmicks like the hologram and the [plastic] jewel on the front of the Eclipso comic drawn by Bart Sears at around about the same era seem more like the strategy British comics had in the twentieth century when a free gift would be given away with the first three issues of a new comic to entice readers.

Such a memorable cover. I wonder if Butch provided art for the hologram as well.

Ahhm, I don’t know about that. That tiny inset of art did now come with the cover when I picked it up.

The skull is a classic subject in comics.  Guice took it to another level.  RIP.

Yes, you are right there. Well spotted. It is also a recurring image in stories about pirates as part of the skull and crossbones and can be seen obscured by the protagonists on the cover of Swords of the Swashbucklers 1.

Beautifully observed, with a masterful sense of light and tone. The deft handling of light picking out the web strands adds to the eeriness and haunting quality. A very striking cover.