Cover Rave - Flash Gordon #6

On this week's episode of the Earth Station One podcast, we discussed Flash Gordon and mentioned many of the great artists who worked on the comic. The two biggest names we discussed were Alex Raymond, who created the character, and Al Williamson, who redefined the look for a whole new generation. Both were top illustrators, in addition to being able to tell fantastic stories. However, there was one name that was not brought up and I would like to remedy that now. Reed Crandall began his career in the Golden Age of comics, working with the likes of Will Eisner and Jack Kirby. His work was often seen in EC Comics horror and science fiction titles until the company's demise in the early 50's. In the 1960's, he illustrated stories for Creepy, Eerie, and (you guessed it) Flash Gordon. Reed Crandall is not a name that a lot of folks know, but his work can hang with the industry's best. It so happens, I just bought this comic last month at the Atlanta Comic Convention. I collect issues of Flash Gordon anyway, so the purchase was a no-brainer, but this cover by Crandall is one of my faves.

Flash Gordon #6
Artist: Reed Crandall