Comics
Adventure Comics No. 469 Unpublished Cover by Jim Aparo
Covers get drawn and re-drawn all the time. For Adventure Comics No. 469 from March 1980, Jim Aparo drew both the Plastic Man and Starman scenes. But when it went to press, the Plastic Man scene had been re-drawn by James Sherman. The revised scene was more compelling and better staged by Sherman, with Plas and Woozy cowering in the corner while Alex Pinkus cuts a swath of destruction with his ray gun.
DC Special Series No. 1 Cover by Neal Adams
DC Special Series was a catch-all for the one-off specials DC released over the following years, beginning with Five-Star Super-Hero Spectacular in 1977. The series spanned comics, tabloids and digests, and the Special Series was likely done to reduce the number of US postal permits DC had to apply for. A paperwork hassle to be sure. But the Special Series is well-remembered by Bronze Age DC readers for some truly great comics.
Adventure Comics No. 477 Cover by Andru & Giordano
Regular readers of these posts will know my affection for this run of Adventure Comics, with Levitz and Ditko's Starman as one of the features. With issue No. 477 from November 1980, the series was only one issue away from being done. With No. 479, a revamped version of the 1960s series Dial H for Hero would premiere.
Amazing Spider-Man Annual No. 14 Cover by Frank Miller
A standout issue from 1980, Amazing Spider-Man Annual No. 14 was drawn by rising artist Frank Miller, inked by Tom Palmer and written by Denny O'Neil. The cover is strong and memorable and the original colour scheme is solid. Still, couldn't resist working with it.
A Batman Cover That Was Never a Batman Cover by Jim Aparo
In 1976, Jim Aparo was known for being the regular artist on The Brave & the Bold. So, finding this scan of a cover he did that year for The Comic Reader is a nice score. Here it is in colour for the first time, packaged as a Batman cover.
X-Men No. 137 Cover by Byrne & Austin
It had been an incredible run, making stars of Chris Claremont, John Byrne and Terry Austin. The trio had first worked together on a memorable Star-Lord tale in Marvel Preview No. 11, but it's X-Men they're most remembered for. No. 137 is a standout issue in a standout series, and there's been controversy about it ever since it came out due to the editorial battle between the book's creative team and then-editor-in-chief Jim Shooter. The creative team wanted Phoenix to live, Shooter made sure she died.
The Secret Six No. 1 Cover by Frank Springer
E Nelson Bridwell and Frank Springer co-created The Secret Six, and the characters first appeared in this No. 1 issue of their comic. The powerful and innovative cover by Springer is also the first story page.
Ronin Colouring Commission
About a year ago, a client approached me through the site to colour a Rōnin figure he'd commissioned from Frank Miller, and I was glad he did. Rōnin is my favourite of Frank Miller's work.
Wonder Woman No. 306 Unpublished Cover by Gil Kane
Towards the end of the Bronze Age, Wonder Woman's popularity was at a low, the book better known for The Huntress back-ups than the main feature. Gil Kane drew a number of pin-up-style covers for the book during this time, including this one for No. 306, cover dated August 1983.
The Phantom No. 57 Cover by Pat Boyette
Charlton Comics produced some good The Phantom comics, usually assigning one of their better artists to it. After Jim Aparo left for DC Comics, Pat Boyette stepped in and added his clear rendering and unique design style to the deep woods adventurer.
Jungle Jim No. 24 Cover by Pat Boyette
Jungle Jim was a comic strip created by Alex Raymond and Don Moore, debuting in 1934 as a safari-suit-wearing adventurer. He crossed over into serials, movies, television and comic books. Charlton had the comic book license in 1969/70, producing issue nos. 22–28, continuing Dell Comics' numbering.
Christmas with the Super-Heroes No. 1 Cover by John Byrne
John Byrne had come to DC Comics to relaunch Superman in 1986 in the wake of Crisis on Infinite Earths. He also contributed to other titles, like this cover in 1988 for a special of reprinted Christmas stories. Having found a scan of the original art, 30 years on I wondered what something a little less starkly white might look like. New packaging and colour.
Justice Machine No. 1 Cover by Byrne & Gustovich
Looking through my files, I never got around to posting this colouring piece for whatever reason, originally done the better part of five years ago. Seeing Mike Gustovich on facebook twigged my memory, and so here it is now updated and polished.
Earth III Crime Syndicate by Bob Layton
A few years back, Bob Layton posted this commission based on the cover to Justice League of America No. 29 by Murphy Anderson. I accurised the trade dress, coloured it up, and neglected to post it for whatever reason. Here it is now.
Nexus by Baron & Rude
I've been following Nexus since the beginning, so when Steve Rude put out the call for a colourist a few years back, I threw my hat in the ring by colouring the provided sample page.
Adventure Comics No. 467 Alternate Cover by Dave Cockrum & Dick Giordano
Published in January 1980, Adventure Comics No. 467 brought back Plastic Man and introduced a new Starman. However, before that issue hit the stands, DC had thought of combining Adam Strange with Plastic Man. They took the idea far enough to have Dave Cockrum and Dick Giordano put together a cover.
Fantasy Art by Rubén Meriggi
Rubén Meriggi is an Argentinian comic book artist that I came across through mutual acquaintances on facebook. I like his bold and disciplined linework.
Strange Adventures No. 144 Cover by Murphy Anderson
Who says DC Comics of the early 1960s were dull and boring? The Atomic Knights wore medieval armour and rode Dalmatians across the post-apocalyptic landscape of 1986. That took some pretty wacky thinking to come up with, whether writer/creator John Broome consumed illicit substances or not.
Detective Comics Annual No. 4 by Tom Grindberg
Published in 1991, 'Tec Annual No. 4 was a showcase for young Tom Grindberg, then emulating the bronze-age Batman work of Neal Adams, in particular the original Ra's al Ghul saga from Batman Nos. 242–244.
Giant-Size Chillers No. 3 Cover by Hannigan & Wrightson
From August 1975, this was a reprint issue of horror stories wrapped in a new cover. And what a cover. The darn thing nearly leapt off the rack at you and it remains a favourite, so giving it an updated treatment was a natural thing for me to do.
Doctor Strange by Frank Miller
Frank Miller was on the rise. He was soon to take over writing Daredevil, a book he was already drawing and getting noticed for. In February 1981, this Marvel house ad appeared, announcing that he and Roger Stern were going to be the new team on Doctor Strange. But it wasn't to be. According to Roger Stern:
2000 AD Prog 17 Cover by Brian Bolland
2000 AD is a powerhouse of British comics in stories, characters and the talent it showcases in its pages. Future Shocks, Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog and Halo Jones are just some of its output that reached across the Atlantic and had a tremendous influence.
Super Powers No. 2 Cover by Jack Kirby
In 1984, DC moved their toy licensing from Mego and awarded it to Kenner. The result was The Super Powers Collection. A successful toy line, DC cross-pomoted it with a refreshed Super-Friends animated series from Hanna Barbera co-branded with the toy line, and comics mini-series published yearly from 1984 to 1986.
Superman Family Colouring Commissions
The 1960s Superman books were the last time superheroes could be as innocent and corny and fun as they were. The world was changing, and the comics would change with it. In many ways, they got better. More inclusive, more culturally aware, and deeper than the light ambrosia of a young reporter with a signal watch, and a neurotic girlfriend who cared more about her place in Superman's orbit instead of her own needs as a person.
The New Adventures of Superboy No. 51 Cover by Frank Miller
During his Ronin period, Frank Miller produced this great cover for The New Adventures of Superboy. The comic was a throwback to the simpler times of the 1950s and 60s in comics, so seeing a Miller cover was an unexpected and welcome surprise. And as much as I liked the original colouring, I never thought Superboy would leave town in shame at sunset. No, if he'd been humiliated, he'd skulk away in the dead of night, in the shadow of his supposed greatness.
Darkseid - Master of Death No. 1 Cover by Jim Lee
As an artist, Jim Lee has made a career on good draughtsmanship backed up with superior rendering skills. Recently, he did this Darkseid piece via live feed and I loved its looseness and strength. By not getting in there to sweat the details there's a freshness and power to this piece which is a welcome departure from the usual.
Mister Miracle No. 24 Cover by Marshall Rogers
While Marshall Rogers is rightfully remembered for his groundbreaking run on Detective Comics with Steve Englehart and Terry Austin, his early work for DC also included the most-accessible of Jack Kirby's Fourth World characters, Mister Miracle.
Batman No. 234 Cover by Neal Adams
Two-Face is one of those characters that is fantastic when he's written well. In August 1971, Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams (with Dick Giordano on inks) delivered one of his best stories for his first appearance of the Bronze Age in "Half An Evil," the lead story in Batman No. 234. And, of course, it was wrapped in an iconic Adams' cover.
Black Canary No. 1 Cover by Trevor Von Eeden
By 1983, Trevor Von Eeden had matured into a bold, expressive style that was all his own. From Batman Annual No. 8 to the Green Arrow mini-series, and eight stunning issues of Thriller, he was on the cutting edge of dynamic storytelling.
The Shadow No. 1 Cover by Michael Wm Kaluta
The early 70s enjoyed a renewed interest in pulp magazines, and Conde Nast owned more than one popular character which would appear in comic books. While Marvel secured the Doc Savage license, DC acquired The Shadow, and put one of their best young artists – Michael Wm Kaluta – on it, with the first issue having a cover date of November 1973.
Time Warp No. 2 Cover by Michael Wm Kaluta
Time Warp No. 2, January 1980, with a cover by Michael Wm Kaluta showing his Art Nouveau and Art Deco influences, plus some science fiction pulps thrown in for good measure. The cover wrapped 64 pages of science fiction short stories drawn by Joe Orlando, Steve Ditko, Gil Kane, Howard V Chaykin, Mike Nasser (Michael Netzer), Jerry Grandenetti, Don Newton, Dave Simons, Romeo Tanghal Sr and John Celardo.
Time Warp No. 5 Cover by Michael Wm Kaluta
Time Warp was a science fiction anthology series published by DC Comics in 1979 and 80. Each 64-page issue had stories by seasoned pros and newcomers alike, and we can all wish that anthology books were still a regular staple in comics today. All five issues had fantastic covers by Michael Wm Kaluta, including this one for No. 5, July 1980.
Ronin No. 4 Cover by Frank Miller
I missed most of Frank Miller's first run on Daredevil (though I would later acquire them as back issues). Being a DC fan, the news of Miller leaving Marvel to come to DC to work on his own project – Ronin – was exciting. Things got even better when we saw sample art from the first issue.
Green Lantern No. 71 Cover by Gil Kane
A simple and powerful composition by artist Gil Kane for this issue cover dated September 1969. Kane's cover design abilities were advancing steadily and would serve him well when he moved over to Marvel in the coming years.
Green Lantern No. 104 Cover by Mike Grell
Mike Grell saved DC Comics from itself. He came along just as DC made things very unwelcome for Neal Adams, the artist who had modernised American comics and saved DC from itself a few years before. Mike probably came cheaper then. He was also full of energy, produced more pages than Adams; his tight, detailed work exuded freshness and fun, and we ate it up.
Green Lantern No. 158 Cover by Keith Pollard
In between Green Lantern No. 151 – when Marv Wolfman and Joe Staton left after one of the best runs on the title – and Green Lantern No. 172 – when Len Wein and Dave Gibbons took over, Green Lantern went through a number of writers and artists. In spite of experienced talent, GL floundered, lacking solid editorial direction and decent writing.
Interlac: The Language of the 30th Century
Interlac – the intergalactic universal language of the 30th century and the Legion of Super-Heroes – was first referenced in Adventure Comics No. 379, March 1969. It was turned into a tangible alphabet with Paul Levitz, Keith Giffen and letterer John Costanza in Legion of Super-Heroes v2 No. 311, May 1984.
The Legion of Super-Heroes Logos
When Superboy left the Legion in No. 259 of his former book, Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes was retitled to Legion of Super-Heroes v2 for the January 1980 issue. DC Comics staff letterer Todd Klein created a new logo for the book. I've always thought it a great logo utilising three-point perspective.
The Best of DC Digest No. 40 Cover by Gray Morrow
Beginning just as the 1970s ended, DC Comics' digest-sized comics followed on the success of the format at Archie Comics and Gold Key Comics, and lasted until the mid 1980s. They most often offered reprints based around one hero or a theme in each issue.
Green Lantern No. 74 Cover by Gil Kane
At the end of the first era of the Hal Jordan Green Lantern, Gil Kane – the series' first artist – had gone from a reserved, unremarkable style to a bold, dynamic style informed by his mastery of structural anatomy.
Green Lantern No. 141 Cover by Dick Giordano
Dick Giordano's last Green Lantern v2 cover as a solo artist went unpublished. Instead George Pérez's illustration – teasing the first appearance of The Omega Men in the issue – appeared on the cover of Green Lantern No. 141, June 1981.
Green Lantern No. 124 Cover by Dick Giordano
The late Dick Giordano had a solid association with Green Lantern, notably for his collaboration with Neal Adams at the beginning of the Bronze Age, and later for drawing GL backup stories in The Flash.
Ghosts No. 59 Cover by Luis Dominguez
Luis Dominguez was born in Argentina in the early 1920s and has had a long and distinguished career in comics in Argentina and the US. For my generation, he's well remembered for his work with DC Comics in the 1970s. From what info I've been able to find, he's still alive today.
DC Special Series No. 2 Swamp Thing Cover by Bernie Wrightson
The late Bernie Wrightson made his name on the first 10 issues of DC Comics' Swamp Thing before moving on to Warren Publishing and other venues. He returned to Swamp Thing in 1977 to do this fantastic wraparound illustration to cover DC Special Series No. 2, which reprinted Swamp Thing Nos. 1 and 2.
Batman No. 255 Cover by Neal Adams
At the end of his industry-changing run at DC Comics, Neal Adams turned in this solid cover. However, with Batman then running 100-page issues, the art didn't get the packaging it deserved. Shrunk to fit a smaller box in the cover template, we've always wondered how it would have looked as a normal cover.
Giant-Size Blog Headers
Online friend Richard Guion (aka Cousin Dick) was kind enough to give this site a couple of plugs on his blogs Giant-Size Marvel and Giant-Size Geek, and I returned the favour by making new blog headers.
Marvel Comics Giant-Size Cover Template
I've rebuilt and coloured a lot of vintage comic book covers. Now, it's your turn. Here's a template for Marvel's Giant-Size comics of the mid 1970s. I'd love to see what you create in the comments below.
Marvel Preview No. 4 : Star-Lord by Gan and Wrightson
Star-Lord first appeared in Marvel Preview No. 4, cover dated January 1976. The character was named by Marv Wolfman, and Steve Englehart created the character from there. Steve Gan was the artist.
Wonder Woman No. 108 Cover by Andru & Esposito
For my money, one of the best Wonder Woman covers ever. From early in the Silver Age, cover dated August 1959 and drawn by long-time WW art team Ross Andru and Mike Esposito.
Doctor Strange (1978) DVD Cover
You have to feel for the folks over at Shout Factory. They got the rights to re-release the 1978 Doctor Strange TV movie to tie in with the release of the new feature film starring Benedict Cumberbatch. And they went to the effort to remaster it from the original film elements. That's dedication, and one of the reasons genre film and TV lovers love Shout like cinephiles love Criterion and Kino Lorber. They do things right.