Found a copy of the black and white anthology comic mag, Hot Stuf' #2 (Winter 1975), at my local shop the other day. It's full of sci-fi / fantasy tales and nude lady art (and just look at that gorgeous Ken Barr cover!), plus other random silly fun, and highlighted by 70's artistic big guns like Gray Morrow, Richard Corben, Neal Adams, Bob Keenan, Berni Wrightson etc. These two tales for example are a bit on the adult side, but will give you a pretty good idea on what this mag was all about. For more from this issue, CLICK HERE!
I just ran into these this past week (issues 1-8). I'm sure i saw a couple of them back in the 70s, but had forgotten the book completely in the interim. As you noted, for a small publisher they pulled in some big talent, many early in their game. Besides those you listed from #2, others include Doug Moench, Ernie Colon, George Perez, and Alex Toth. (among plenty other notables)
ReplyDeleteIt's an odd old series, one i think definitely merits a look-see.
For sure... and Mr. Karswell especially loves Barr's cover art for Hot Stuf' #4, it's like some futuristic variation on Casting the Runes / Night of the Demon:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.comics.org/issue/276119/
thanks for the comment!
I've never been a huge fan of Barr's, but I was always intrigued by his facility with strange textures in the backgrounds of his Marvel magazine cover paintings. The weird and groovy cave walls here are a great example of that. So kooky and surreal.
ReplyDeleteWas The Mist the Punisher's mom? That would make sense, in a psycho sort of way.
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