A Different World

The death of the original Supergirl was the death of innocence in the DC Universe, in the same span as the death of the original multiverse. 'Cleaning up the continuity', they called it. Ha, it's all come back in one form or another, except for the innocence.

It's a different world, some might say.

All the more reason to give hope and heart.

Jim Mooney — iconic artist of the original Kara-El

DC Superheroes

Who knew back in the '70s that those very days were a high water mark for DC and the comics industry in general? We thought it would only get better. Not to denigrate some really good art and writing since then, but DC really hit a great stride across the creative spectrum with the likes of Neal Adams, Dick Giordano, Carmine Infantino, Joe Kubert, Curt Swan, Murphy Anderson, Jack Kirby, Berni Wrightson, Mike Kaluta and a bunch of other Turks, young and old — and that's just on the art side. Writers were hitting their stride with compelling and entertaining stories that sometimes were serialized, but many times were told in less than 2 dozen pages.

I collected comics then as a young man that I still find entertaining today. But the comics of today just plain leave me cold and I do not collect any. I have not 'outgrown' comics, comics have 'outgrown' me. There must be many others who feel the same way.

Kid Robson has made a really good point over on his blog, that I wish the industry would take to heart:

"Simply give the potential readership what it's crying out for - good, old-fashioned, entertaining stories that diverts attention from the harsh realities of life and takes the reader on a rip-roaring, magic-carpet ride into worlds of fantasy and enchantment."

When quality comics are created for the young at heart, everyone wins. When they are created as dark and gritty, full of hyper angst, the audience drops off to the point of harming the industry. I say look to the past and aim for the future.

Neal Adams & Dick Giordano — DC Superheroes — 1977

Digital Dream

Here's a cool digital design of 15 years ago (a previous century!).

Fractal Design Corporation — 1997

Stand-Alone Beauty

Time to isolate another panel from the comics to celebrate its stand-alone beauty. This panel from the newspaper comics of 1912 looks more like an elegant kid's book illustration.

Johnny Gruelle — Mr. TweeDeedle — panel — 1912

Surprise

A fun little study of surprise — very spontaneous for such a technique.

Charles Morancé — study — 1904

A Comedy 2-Nite

Ah, a non-Mucha art nouveau dame . . . and a comedy 2-nite!

Comedy Theatre — poster — 1906

Elven Princess

Who knew that Cybill Shepherd is an Elven princess.

Cybill Shepherd — late 1960s