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The Comics Reporter has a great remembrance of the life and career of Al Williamson, who died June 12.   Williamson’s art – from Flash Gordon to Star Wars to Secret Agent X-9 to a host of Marvel Comics inking assignments – was fantastic throughout his long career.   He was 79.

My first exposure to Williamson was his art on the “Return of the Jedi” adaptation from Marvel Comics.  It was also either my first or nearly my first exposure to Archie Goodwin, the writer, who was from Oklahoma.  I read

and re-read those comics throughout the summer of 1984, and by summer’s end, I was not only a “Star Wars” fan, but also a fan of Archie Goodwin and Al Williamson.  (And the Bill Sienkiewicz covers were pretty good, too.)  While I don’t believe the “Return of the Jedi” comics are available online, fans can see Williamson’s art from the “Empire Strikes Back” adaptation, which many fans prefer,  online at StarWars.com.

I’ve read many Al Williamson stories since, and even owned a bit of his original art, and am always amazed at the mastery of the craft that he had.