Alter-Ego # 78 - June 2008
02/08/2008 . Source: Geoff Willmetts 
pub: TwoMorrows. 100 page quarto magazine. Price: $ 6.95 (US). ISSN: 1932-6890). Buy Alter-Ego in the USA - or Buy Alter-Ego in the UK  check out website: www.TwoMorrows.com
I sort have a vested interest in this issue of 'Alter-Ego'. Those of you who remember my review of 'Rough Stuff' # 6 last year, will know I contributed copies of some original cover designs I own that the late artist Dave Cockrum did as cover designer at one of his tenures at Marvel Comics. Amongst all the other illustrations in this thirty page dedication to the art he did in his career are five more cover designs. A shame they didn't use the unused Ms Marvel # 23 cover (a variation was later used in a second take on Marvel Super-Heroes specials incidentally) which had her facing Sabre-Tooth but I'm sure it'll pop up somewhere.
Article writer Glen Cadigan points out that Cockrum was to the 70s generation their own Jack Kirby. Cockrum's influence on costume design let alone characters with DC's Legion Of Super-Heroes and Marvel's X-Men, Starjammers and Imperial Guard are still going strong today which should speak for itself. A design for an alien princess, who became Lilandra Neramani, created the entire Shi-Ar Empire. Cockrum had an extra-ordinary talent for costume and character design that everyone loved because it felt so right when he did it.
This article is a fitting tribute and touches on Dave Cockrum's early days as a fan letter writer and artist and how he broke into the comicbook business. From there it charts his work, including that of illustrating for Aurora super-hero kits. It's a shame there was so little focus on his scratch-built modelwork which I saw years ago where he was also quite nifty. Saying that, this issue is a treasure-trove of material, including a rare page of X-Men art that was dropped from # 94-95 when GS # 2 became part of the regular run.
As a diabetic myself, I'm all too aware of the complications it can cause to the body. Dave Cockrum's life was cut far too short because of it and he will be sorely missed but never forgotten.
Lest you think that this is all that this issue of 'Alter-Ego' contains, there are also interviews with artists Marion Sitton and Harold LeDoux about their careers in the 40s-50s and a look at Alfred J. Walker's work at Fawcett. If you're interested in what life was like in the 50s comicbook industry then you'll fine this insightful. Even if you aren't then it'll still bring up some interesting observations of the past. I should also point out that all material comes with a lot of rare illustrated work.
Don't you dare miss this issue!
GF Willmetts
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