Amazing Spider-Man #97 Unused Cover (1971)

Check out this INCREDIBLY HISTORIC 1971 Amazing Spider-Man cover, which was penciled by the great Gil Kane, and inked by the great Frank Giacoia, from the ever classic story titled: "In the Grip of the Goblin!" This "AMAZING" cover features a Pill-popping Harry Osborn sharing the stage with a Spider-Man and The Green Goblin! This infamous three-part Drug Abuse story that the Comics Code Authority refused to approve became arguably the most talked about comic book story of the entire 1970's! The only story that can even compare to this DRUG STORY would be 2 years later when the same Gil Kane drew the ever classic ASM 121-122 storyline where this same Green Goblin kills the ever loved Gwen Stacy, and dies himself in the very next issue!) Our hero isn't faring so well, as the Green Goblin uses Spidey's own web to capture him. Marvel really went out on a limb to provide this anti-drug message story, but for whatever reason, they wound up rejecting this version of the cover, even after artist Gil Kane removed the bottle of pills from Harry's hand (it's covered up with replacement art here, leaving Harry grasping at... nothing). This cover has been professionally restored, as it was soiled and had a Spider-Man STAT covering the same size original art Spider-Man body, as Stan Lee felt that Spider-Man's right foot was too close to Harry Osborn's head, so a stat of the drawn art was used to place Spider-man 1/4 inch higher, and the cover was cleaned up, and the stat removed so we can now see this stunning cover with this great cover image now being all drawn art! (the original STAT of spider-Man image is also included with the sale of this great cover!) As an extra bonus, because this cover was NOT APPROVED by the Comics Code Authority, in upper right of the logo area where the Comics code Approval Stamp would have been, this area of the logo was cut out with an Exacto knife BEFORE the cover was drawn, and Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia drew art all the way to the top of the art board over this open CCA area. This landmark story was being prepared for reprinting when this rejected cover was discovered by Marvel staffer Warren Reece in the late 1980's, who obtained the art after Marvel decommissioned the piece. The Original color guide for this great piece was included as a full page in the definitive history book, "75 Years of Marvel Comics!" The published ASM #98 cover also drawn by Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia, with Spider-Man and The Green Goblin battling, sold for $179,250 in 2015, so don't miss out on this unpublished classic "drug issue" cover from the issue right before that one! Compare this nice cover art to the color guide image in the red link above. ALL art on our website (including this one) are able to be purchased with VERY fair time payments, and trades are always considered towards "ANY" art on our website! Just send us an email to mikeburkey@aol.com and we can try to work something out.