Weird Science v2 #16 - Wally Wood art & cover, Al Williamson art

Wally Wood
Weird Science v2 #16, 1952 - In addition to his splendid cover, Wally Wood illustrates the tale of an epidemic of airplane crashes and the mysterious lights that accompany them. His drawings are lush and full of detail. The opening splash alone is dark and sobering. In a separate story, newlyweds arrive via spaceship on an unknown, yet bountiful planet. Unlike Wood, Al Williamson's artwork has a softer, ethereal quality. Though different in style, the stories showcase both artists' best efforts. Note the both interior pages below are scans from reprints. Other artists in this golden age comic include Jack Kamen and Joe Orlando. This is 14 of 20 Weird Science v2 issues by Wood and 2 of 8 Weird Science v2 issues by Williamson.
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Wood cover pencils and inks = ****
"Down To Earth" Wood story pencils and inks 8 pages = ****
"Space-Borne" Williamson story pencils and inks 7 pages = ****

Al Williamson

Wally Wood
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Weird Science v2 #16 - Wally Wood art & cover, Al Williamson art Weird Science v2 #16 - Wally Wood art & cover, Al Williamson art Reviewed by Ted Ignacio @ Pencil Ink on 1:00 AM Rating: 5

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Only 3 star rating for the cover? I am trying to understand this but I am having difficulty, as I consider this cover to be one of my favourite Wally Wood covers.

The alien and flying saucer design is classic, and the eerie scene of children witnessing the coming invasion is thrilling.
Visually I think it reads well, when looking at the alien in the foreground your eyes are drawn behind it to see that there are others emerging from landing ships and advancing. The moon hanging in the night sky above the children is a nice touch.

Could you please elaborate on your rating? is it just personal opinion or is there something I'm missing? is the perspective off or something else rushed or amateurish in Wood's layout/design? or just not as good as some of his other works? Thanks a lot, I love this blog and I look forward to reading it everyday!

Cheers!

Ted Ignacio @ Pencil Ink said...

I did struggle with the rating for this particular cover. No doubt Wood did some of the best work of his career for EC. The level of depth and detail here is impressive. This theme of voyeuristic children and monsters would be used frequently for DC's mystery comics in the 1970s. I initially thought Wood's rendition of the kids was a bit rudimentary. After some comparisons other Wood covers, I think I agree with you. Four stars it is.

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