Like many others, sculptor John Magnan’s initial foray into the world of Marvel Comics was through the series of movies collectively known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). When he went to see 2011’s “Thor” because of a longstanding interest in Norse mythology, Magnan jokingly admits to developing a bit of a “man crush” on the film’s star, Chris Hemsworth. More importantly, he had a fascination with a particular object: Thor’s hammer. First, a little background: in August 1962, in “Journey into Mystery #83,” Marvel Comics introduced a superhero based on the thunder god of Norse myth. As reimagined by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the Mighty Thor was lame Dr. Donald Blake, who when he tapped his walking stick against the ground, was transformed into a muscle-bound, long blond-haired do-gooder. In the comics, Thor’s hammer is a fierce weapon of elemental power capable of drawing … [Read more...] about HEROIC ARTIFACTS: SCULPTOR JOHN MAGNAN BRINGS MARVEL TO LIFE