Active Topics | Member List | Search | Help | Register | Login
The John Byrne Forum
Byrne Robotics > The John Byrne Forum
Topic: The Eyes of Galactus Post ReplyPost New Topic
Author
Message
John Byrne
Avatar
Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 134937
Posted: 08 July 2025 at 3:22pm | IP Logged | 1 post reply

Found this comment online:

“(Also, in the old days Galctus [sic] used to have eyes with pupils, but now he was square "pupils" that seems to be a part of his helmet.)”

I question this poster’s definition of “the old days”, since my decision to draw the eyes of Galactus that way came from Jack Kirby’s first rendition in the original “Galactus Trilogy”. Kirby himself forgot, almost immediately, but I liked the look and restored it. Unfortunately, later artists presented wild interpretations of the “square eyeballs” and the cool effect was lost.

(“Old days”? Probably the all too common “where I first saw it” attitude.)

Back to Top profile | search
 
Michael Penn
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 12 April 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 13001
Posted: 08 July 2025 at 3:33pm | IP Logged | 2 post reply

FF #49 -- that's about as "old" as Galactus gets...
Back to Top profile | search
 
James Woodcock
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 21 September 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 8253
Posted: 08 July 2025 at 4:09pm | IP Logged | 3 post reply

The square eyes are the ones I get lost in
Back to Top profile | search e-mail
 
John Byrne
Avatar
Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 134937
Posted: 08 July 2025 at 4:23pm | IP Logged | 4 post reply

One poster here asked if I “resented” being “forced” to draw those “square eyes”—like so many, apparently unaware of where they came from.

Strange, in the Office, that so many got them wrong, when Kirby’s FF was available to all in the bound volumes. (Trivia: Roger Stern’s first “office” was a desk in the corner of the bound volumes room. T’was on a tiny drawingboard also in that room that I penciled the issue of IRON MAN that introduced Rhodey. Looking up from the plot I asked Rog, the IM editor,“Should I make him Black?” History!)

Back to Top profile | search
 
Bill Collins
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 26 May 2005
Location: England
Posts: 11408
Posted: 08 July 2025 at 4:52pm | IP Logged | 5 post reply

I assumed the square "eyes" were lenses integral to his
helmet, to magnify the ant-sized humans, or any race much
smaller than him.
Back to Top profile | search e-mail
 
John Byrne
Avatar
Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 134937
Posted: 08 July 2025 at 5:07pm | IP Logged | 6 post reply

They definitely seemed to be part of the helmet! I even drew the Wasp flying INSIDE them!
Back to Top profile | search
 
Daniel Gillotte
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 11 October 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 2731
Posted: 09 July 2025 at 6:08pm | IP Logged | 7 post reply

Even as a dumb kid it was evident that those were part of his mask and not his "eyes". Sheesh.
Back to Top profile | search | www
 
Wallace Sellars
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 01 May 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 17767
Posted: 10 July 2025 at 3:17am | IP Logged | 8 post reply

It’s curious how some things like the square “eyes” of Galactus’ helmet, Superman having black hair with “blue highlights,” Spider-Man’s original costume being red and black, Cap wearing a shirt with fabric stretched over chain mail, and Aurora and Northstar having shiny black hair were so obvious to me as a kid, but confused others.
Back to Top profile | search | www
 
Wallace Sellars
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 01 May 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 17767
Posted: 10 July 2025 at 3:25am | IP Logged | 9 post reply

One that I may have missed until JB pointed it out somewhere was the Sub-Mariner’s flat head originally serving as a depiction of “swimmer’s hair.’
Back to Top profile | search | www
 
Brian Acuff
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 26 February 2021
Location: United States
Posts: 290
Posted: 10 July 2025 at 5:33am | IP Logged | 10 post reply

"And I raise my head and stare, into the eyes of Galactus"
Sorry somehow Queensryche got in my head...
Back to Top profile | search
 

If you wish to post a reply to this topic you must first login
If you are not already registered you must first register

  Post ReplyPost New Topic
Printable version Printable version

Forum Jump
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot create polls in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

 Active Topics | Member List | Search | Help | Register | Login