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Jun

14

A Master Collaboration

Filed Under Comics Artists, Online Comics | 12 Comments

Harlan Ellison writes, Frank Miller draws and Bill Sienkiewicz inks. A dream collaboration you wouldn’t think in a million years could happen. But it did! It happened in December 1985 on the pages of Heroes For Hope, starring The X-Men, published by Marvel Comics. For three fateful pages, three colossal talents came together to create the tale below:

The cover to the comic book reads “All proceeds from this comic book are being donated to famine relief and recovery in Africa.” And for such a cause insane collaborations between people you wouldn’t expect to see together came to pass.

The Master Post Journal posted the collaboration between Alan Moore and Richard Corben here.

Another titanic collaboration included Stephen King writing, Berni Wrightson pencilling, and Jeff Jones inking. Chris Claremont, Brian Bolland and P. Craig Russel worked together on another four pages.

DC Comics came out with their own benefit books shortly after, entitled “Heroes Against Hunger“, which featured awesome collaborations as well including between Robert Bloch, Berni Wrightson and Mike Kaluta. There was also one with Gerry Conway, Barry Windsor Smith and Jeff Jones.

Comments

12 Responses to “A Master Collaboration”

  1. Aldrin on June 14th, 2009 8:52 am

    Thanks for sharing this, Big G! Terribly enjoyed reading it. Beats watching X-Men Origins: Wolverine by a mile.

  2. Pinoy Comics USA on June 14th, 2009 9:49 am

    Gerry,
    Harlan Ellison wrote comics? And X-Men too? I know his works or short stories have been adapted to comics. I have a Creepy Comics with one of his stories, “Along The Scenic Route,” illustrated by Al Williamson, and signed by Ellison on the title page. But yes, I remember seeing him, maybe 10 years ago, at one San Diego Convention in the signing area and he was bored stiff because nobody was even in his line. I guess comics fans didn’t know who he was, and I’d wished then I had brought my books by him. Usually hard to get him at signings in bookstores as they’re always crowded.
    Rod

  3. Gerry Alanguilan on June 14th, 2009 10:13 am

    I know Harlan primarily for arguably the best Star Trek episode ever, “City on the Edge of Forever”. I’d probably be too intimidated to approach him. :)

  4. Pinoy Comics USA on June 14th, 2009 11:12 am

    Gerry,
    I’ve got news for you. I had a whole set (I think it was a set of 12)of Star Trek books including “City on the Edge of Forever,” and he refuses to sign them. He said he didn’t write them, or at least they butchered it so much, he now won’t admit to writing them. However, he did published a new book in 1996 or 1998 of the same title “City on the Edge of Forever” with the original screenplay as written by him, and this he did sign, and I have a copy signed by him.
    Actually, he really is intimidating as he is quite a loudmouth with colorful language, and will talk forever.
    Rod

  5. Gerry Alanguilan on June 14th, 2009 11:55 am

    Yes, I do have that kind of impression of him. How different is his original screenplay to the aired episode?

  6. Pinoy Comics USA on June 14th, 2009 12:23 pm

    Gerry,
    I am not really a Star Trek fan, so I have not seen that episode, and I haven’t read the book either. I’ll find time one of these days to watch the episode and compare the actual screenplay too. I don’t know what I did with the set I had. Once I learned he wouldn’t sign it, I lost it somehow, hahaha, in my garage together with all my junk.
    Rod

  7. jerome dizon on June 14th, 2009 3:52 pm

    wow! amazing enough that I just picked up a copy of Voodoo Child The illustrated legend of Jimi Hendrix at the markets this morning and Bill Sienkiewicz did the art.

  8. auggie on June 14th, 2009 4:46 pm

    Rod,

    Meron akong Stephen King and Berni Wrightson collaboration, pero hindi graphic novel. Libro na heavily illustrated ni Berni, yung THE SILVER BULLET, ginawa pang sine noong early 80s. Ang hinahanap kung collaboration kung meron eh yung ki ALEJANDRO JODOROWSKI & Moebious, or Rich Corben.
    Meron din akong adaptation ng LORD OF THE RINGS,in Spanish,illustrated by Luis Bermejo, pero part I lang. Ano-ano pa ang mga alam mong DREAM-TEAM COLLABORATIONS ? can you make a list ?

  9. Ade on June 14th, 2009 11:08 pm

    Okay, that last panel of Wolverine is just too sweet.

  10. Pinoy Comics USA on June 15th, 2009 12:44 am

    Auggie,
    Mahirap na assignment yan, a. Hahahaha. I think this one that Gerry has featured could be at the top 10 of a list, if we can even find ten. As I mentioned I have one by Ellison and Al Williamson. Off the top of my head I can think of Neal Gaiman and the Japanese artist Yoshitaka Amano’s collaboration, the title of which I can’t remember, but it was a Sandman. Also Ray Bradbury’s stories have been adapted and illustrated to comics by the likes of Richard Corben, Mike Mignola, P. Craig Russell, Dave Gibbons, etc. in a book called “The Best of Ray Bradbury.”
    Rod

  11. auggie on June 15th, 2009 9:27 pm

    Rod,

    Mi natatandaan akong lumang EC collaboration, RAY BRADBURY & JACK DAVIS, THE DARK FERRIS ( Something Wicked This Way Comes), Sa Esquire Magazine noong 1994, mi FRANZ KAFKA/ROBERT CRUMB, collaboration, METAMORPHOSIS, yung JOE KUBERT/NESTOR REDONDO collaboration, THE BIBLE, pero ang maraming akong nakitang fantastic collaboration, eh sa Warren Publishing. Ki EDGAR ALLAN POE at RICH CORBEN : THE OVAL PORTRAIT, THE SHADOW, at iba pa….

  12. auggie on June 15th, 2009 10:49 pm

    Rod,

    Nakalimutan ko, meron pala akong isa sa greatest collaboration of all time , yung graphic novel nila HARLAN ELLISON at RICHARD CORBEN: VIC & BLOOD, the Continuing Adventures of a Boy and his Dog. Hugo Winner at Nebula Award itong sci-fi ni Harlan.