"The Fantastic Four" first appeared in 1961, in a comics magazine published by Marvel Comics. Created and co-plotted by Jack Kirby (artist) and Stan Lee (writer), their early appearances were reminiscent of DC Comics' sci-fi/adventure title "The Challengers of the Unknown" (which Kirby illustrated, and possibly co-plotted, for a while before creating this group). The Fantastic Four, however, quickly evolved into something wholly unique, with Kirby and Lee spinning tales featuring equal amounts of cosmic mysteries, superhero action, and down-to-earth--if tending toward the soap-operatic and melodramatic--family dynamic between the characters and their growing supporting cast.
Lee and Kirby wrote and drew the "Fantastic Four" for roughly 110 monthly and annual issues. These issues, and the 200 or so that followed, still remain my favorite Marvel Comics... and the Fantastic Four (as they existed in the stories told by Kirby & Lee, followed by Marv Wolfman, Doug Moench, and a variety of a artists, and, ultimately, John Byrne) was a cornerstone of the entire Marvel Universe.
The Fantastic Four began to drift as a property as of issue #301 and by the mid-1990s, they had fallen from their position as Marvel's First Family. Over the past 30 years, there has been numerous reboots and re-inventions of the Fantastic Four, in addition to several cancellations and revivals of their title... but none of the creators that have brought us those tales have been able to recapture the Golden Age of the first 25-30 years of the characters. (As a big fan of Sue, Reed, Johnny, Ben, and all their family and friends, I have kept hoping someone might... but so far, I've only been disappointed.)
This post series presents drawings that celebrate the glory years of the Fantastic Four! This year, I hope to make at least one each quarter.
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