#Tony Salmons

[rejectedcovers]

WEB OF SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL 1 (1985). Marvel Comics.

Rejected/unpublished cover by Tony Salmons. Published cover by Charles Vess.

[bclaymoore]

Tony Salmons pin-ups from SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN.

[evilhorse]

Dakota North house ad (circa June 1986)

[cccovers]

Marvel Fanfare #27 (July 1986) cover by Tony Salmons.

[smashedpages]

Marvel published Dakota North #1 by Martha Thomases and Tony Salmons on this date in 1986, which featured the debut of the title character. Although her series was short-lived, she'd go on to be a supporting character in the pages of Cage, Daredevil and Captain Marvel.

[transistoradio]

Marvel Fanfare #19 (Mar 1982) — cover and three interior pages with art by Tony Salmons.

[briefcasejuice]

original splash page art by tony salmons for 'daredevil: cars' in marvel fanfare #27 (1986); script by bill mantlo and lettering by jim novak

[tomoleary]

Tony Salmons - Doctor Strange #64 (1984)

[cantsayidont]

February 1987. Created by Martha Thomases and artist Tony Salmons, this very stylish, agreeably lightweight series looked and felt like a better-than-average '80s TV detective show. Sadly, while pistol-packing private investigator Dakota North had all the narrative mod cons (semi-retired CIA father, hunky but none-too-bright police detective love interest, too-cool-for-school teenage brother, an array of $100 haircuts), what might have lasted three or four seasons on network television managed only five issues at Marvel in 1986–1987.

Dakota North subsequently made trademark-preserving guest appearances in various other Marvel books (the 2018 collection DAKOTA NORTH: DESIGN FOR DYING includes most of those, along with the five issues of her own series), but the original vibe was lost, and Dakota was eventually overshadowed by the angstier, more superhero-adjacent Jessica Jones.

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

PISTOL-PACKING STRAIGHT OUTTA THE FASHION HOUSES OF NEW YORK, PARIS, ROME, & TOKYO -- IN THE MIGHTY MARVEL MANNER.

PIC(S) INFO: Mega spotlight on assorted house ads for the "Dakota North" American limited comic book series published by Marvel Comics from June 1986 to February 1987. The series was co-created by writer Martha Thomases and artist Tony Salmons.

OVERVIEW: "Just like movie trailers, house ads are an important part of the deployment of the medium that is often cast aside, because they represent an uncomfortably naked commercial aspect. Also like movie trailers, they are often much better than the actual thing they exist to promote. Take, for example, the house ad promoting the mostly forgotten "Dakota North" miniseries from 1986: it’s a thing of wonder; of beauty, even. Tony Salmons, an artist known more for his comedic touch, draws the self-assured protagonist gazing directly at the reader, holding a gun to her side, not pointing at the reader or any possible antagonist (this is a pose rather than a promise for action). Her jacket opens, promising something that wouldn’t pass the PG-13 rating, only to be blocked by the title of the series. Above her, a single word with dots enhancing each letter: S*T*Y*L*E.

such a note-perfect evocation of that famous adage about how “all you need for a movie is a girl and a gun” (a quote attributed to Godard, but goes much further back to the days of "Birth of a Nation" director D. W. Griffith). It promises everything the reader might want, and it owns, entirely, any criticisms that might be lobbed at it.

Is it shallow? Exploitative? Pandering? Heck yes! It’s STYLE. Nothing in the actual series looks quite this good, though possibly this has more to do with the terrible print quality. To this day I can post that particular house ad on social media and pick up engagement like no one’s business – you don’t need to know anything about "Dakota North" to be impressed by it. The image is iconic enough to stand on its own. What it promises, nothing can truly deliver. Better stick to your dreams.

Here’s an important thing: I attribute that the ad was drawn by Tony Salmons (and probably colored by Christie Scheele for that matter), because he was the artist for the series and he has a rather unique style (sorry, S*T*Y*L*E) of his own. But his name isn’t on it. For most house ads, especially in ye olden days, you won’t see artist signatures, and finding out who made what is a game of guessing and digging. It’s a massive part of the comics industry – or used to be before the internet pushed all ads online and off my mind, that has almost nothing written about it."

-- THE GUTTER REVIEW, "Style, Baby, S*T*Y*L*E : An Ode to Comics House Ads," by Tim Shapira, published July 3, 2023

Sources: www.thegutterreview.com/style-baby-style-an-ode-to-comics-house-ads, Pinterest, various, etc...

[beyondthespheres]

Frontispiece for Savage Tales Vol. 2, No. 3, 1986, by Tony Salmons

[dirtyriver]

Ms. Tree

Dakota North

[soulsilvers]

what if kanto trio were the splatoons

(my choice of weapons still up for debate)

[cccovers]

Marvel Fanfare #19 (March 1985) cover by Tony Salmons.

[noel-fielding-web-page]

Shooting Stars S06E06

[ultrameganicolaokay]

Dakota North #4 ‘Busman's Holiday!’ (1986) by Martha Thomases, Tony Salmons and Christie Scheele. Edited by Larry Hama. Cover by Salmons.