Greg Goldstein's Comic Art Gallery

Category: Original Art and The Artists

Chris Sprouse & Karl Story — Truth, Justice And…

Original Art and The Artists

Adventures of Superman #7, January 2014

….Happy Independence Day!

DC changed “The American Way” tagline a while ago, and I get that. Superman, more than 80 years after his debut, is an an international icon.

But Superman, like July 4th and summer, will always go together in my mind — I’m pretty sure some silver age Superman comics are the first ones I ever read with the help of my Aunt at the age of five on a July 4th family vacation. And the rest, as they say (ad nauseam, actually), is history.

This iconic Superman image is a “blue-line”: Karl inked the a scan of Chris’ pencils to save some time as deadline rapidly approached. (The print schedule is more powerful than a locomotive OR Superman. Trust me on this.) And I absolutely don’t care. It’s the printed cover, and, like I said, iconic.

More Superman posts during July. Stay tuned.

John Byrne — Happy Together (Flash Rerun)

Original Art and The Artists

Flash of Two Worlds, Commission, 2012

Today’s post concludes our special feature “The Flash of Two Worlds,” as well as our multi-part Flash series.

I look at this cool pinup of the two Flashes, and imagine a retro moment in original continuity when the two Flashes have already met, worked together, and appreciate the fact that in each of their respective multiverses, they are indeed the fastest man alive.

That said, I never asked John what he envisioned when he drew the piece. And, I don’t think I will. It’s easier to continue to imagine the backstory to fit in with my own vision of the “pre-Crisis” DC universe.

May the Speedforce be with you. 

Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez & Dave Gibbons — Fast Friends (Flash Rerun)

Original Art and The Artists

DC Universe Legacies #4, October 2010

Continuing our celebration of the Fastest Man Alive with a few classic “re-runs” — pun absolutely intended— from the early days of the blog. Today’s post is part two, of the genre within a genre, “The Flash of Two Worlds.” 

Two legends team up, and tell the tale of two legends teaming up.

This fabulous story page comes to us courtesy of DC Universe Legacies, a 10-part 2010 series written by the late Len Wein that provides an overview of DC history (in contemporary continuity) through the eyes and life story of a one man. The series features an all-start line-up of DC art talent including Joe Kubert, Jerry Ordway, Dan Jurgens and many others.

The page here, showing the Flashes meeting for the first time, contains retroactive continuity (retcon), as both characters exist in the same universe — which is the established “post-Crisis” narrative. Also, in the original Flash #123, the Flashes have already met and teamed up when they get to the construction worker.

Garcia Lopez and Gibbons are a terrific pairing, and I was fortunate enough to find this great page before someone else did.

Rodney Ramos — Flashbacks (Flash Rerun)

Original Art and The Artists

The Flash of Two Worlds — DC Comics Classics Library, 2009

Continuing our celebration of the Fastest Man Alive with a few classic “re-runs” — pun absolutely intended— from the early days of the blog. Today’s post, along with the next two, features “The Flash of Two Worlds.” 

Flash #123, “The Flash of Two Worlds” is one of the most important comic book milestones of DC’s silver age, establishing the DC multiverse and paving the way for countless crossover storylines that ultimately lead up to 1985’s Crisis on Multiple Earths. It’s 1961 cover follows as one of the most iconic images of the era. 

But, when DC went to reprint the earliest Flash crossover stories in a special collection, the original art and layout and didn’t quite work within the new cover design.

So, the editors turned to the talented Rodney Ramos to recreate (and slightly reconfigure) the iconic imagery, in the Infantino/ Murphy Anderson “style.” 

He pretty much nails it.

(As seen below, the final published piece crops the image significantly, and also digitally manipulates the two Flashes closer together.)

Ross Andru & Mike Esposito — Flashy Follow-Up (Flash Rerun)

Original Art and The Artists

Flash #190, August 1969

Continuing our celebration of the Fastest Man Alive with a few classic “re-runs” — pun absolutely intended— from the early days of the blog.

Following Carmine Infantino on the Flash was obviously no easy assignment to begin with, but it appears Ross Andru and Mike Esposito had the deck stacked against them.

At the starting line was a fun issue, Flash #175, the sequel race between Super-Man and the Flash. Shortly thereafter is Carey Bates’ offbeat tale in Flash #179 that introduces Earth “Prime” — our earth — into the DC multiverse.

But, after that… we get: Giant-headed Flash, Flash with a broken toe, Flash color-blind, etc. Plus: Flash fighting hippies, sea creatures, lizards, demons, aliens, oh my.  Samurais? Seriously?

WTF? How about the rogues, who only make a handful of minor appearances during this run, with only Captain Cold warranting a cover? What about Flash of Earth-2? And,  if you’re going to have a Green Lantern team-up (#191) how about putting him — or at least a blurb — on the cover?!

I count seven writers —seven! — during this this 20-issue run. It’s no wonder the character couldn’t get any traction. As a kid, on a kid’s budget, it was difficult not to give up on everything but the 25-cent reprints at that point. My allowance screamed: Run Away!

Still, cool art can often transcend the material, and does so here. On this unusual page, Andru, who always had a great sense of space and time, delivers a fascinating layout as Flash races from one point to the next in Central City. (Plus, as fans of Andru’s latter Spider-Man run can confirm, Ross loved drawing buildings.)

It’s also a reminder of what could have been accomplished artistically with better material to work from — and less questionable editorial choices.

Carmine Infantino — History Calling (Flash Rerun)

Original Art and The Artists

Flash #112, May 1960

Continuing our celebration of the Fastest Man Alive with a few classic “reruns” — pun absolutely intended— from the early days of the blog.

Some of the most talented superhero storytellers in comics couldn’t figure out what to do with the narrative and exposition elements that move the story along when no one is wearing spandex or a cape.  

Many older comics were filled with pages and pages of standard medium-angle shots of talking heads.  Six panels per page. Rinse. Repeat.

Not Carmine Infantino’s pages. His innovative sense of panel composition and design, and use of varying camera angles, made the “yada yada” part of the story much more engaging than most of his peers. 

In this very early Flash story from issue #112, he even manages to innovate a phone call.  Nowadays we take narrow “widescreen” (horizontal) panel layouts for granted, but in 1960? Less so. A page design like this is revolutionary 60 years ago.

Of course, superhero comics are ultimately about conflict and action, and re-reading these early Flash stories, his innovative style really jumps out. Those crazy speed lines that help give the illusion of 3D motion in a 2D medium. That sleek space age costume… designed before the space age really began. 

And those amazing covers? Carmine gave up pencilling The Flash when he was promoted to DC’s art director. His innovative cover on the final issue of his 11-year run as Flash artist blew my mind as a kid in 1967 — and still does today.

What else would you expect from the lead designer of the Silver Age of Comics?

Mike Sekowsky — Of An Era

Original Art and The Artists

Justice League of America #23, November 1963

Mike Sekowsky’s art and 70s pop music have characteristics in common for me: 

As a kid, I didn’t like either of it, and now I look back on both with a sentimental warm feeling.

It’s not easy to explain. But I was warned by one of my older colleagues this would happen.

Sekowsky’s art always felt too loose (and blocky) for me.  I realized he could draw any character of course, which made him the perfect illustrator for Justice League, but the end result never grabbed me.

Now as time has passed, and I smile when I see it. Possibly a primal nostalgic impulse. It seems like a perfect fit for the DC comics of the era.

This example, a cool Flash-focused page, with Wonder Woman on deep background, showcases some clear and inventive storytelling.

As for the draftsmanship? Like I said — things change. Now, it seems charming to me.

Excuse me a moment while I flip over Abba’s greatest hits on the turntable. 

Rober Quijano — Infantino’s Great Race

Original Art and The Artists

Recreation, Superman #199 Cover, 2005 (Original By Carmine Infantino, August 1967)

I read, and re-read, a handful of comics over and over again as a little kid. Avengers Annual #1 and #2 both come to mind, as do a few other annuals and specials. The first JLA/JSA crossover I discovered (JLA #56 and #57) was a favorite story, and I remember both Batman #200 and Superman #200 fondly. 

But Superman #199? That was definitely my most frequent go-to. It doesn’t hurt that Carmine Infantino’s cover (Murphy Anderson on inks) is definitely my favorite (non-Neal Adams) DC cover of all time.

Fast-forward to about 15 years ago, just when I started getting my toes wet in the original art collector’s market again. My pal, Pete Koch (art collector/dealer/aficionado) and I are about to complete an art swap when I see that he has this stunning cover recreation by Rober Quijano in a stack of pages.

Trade completed. 

Thanks, Pete.

Not-so-fun Fact: The scanned image doesn’t do the art justice, because I couldn’t remove the art from the frame without destroying it. Sad!

DC was apparently still planning on using the “Go-Go Checks” trade dress on books this month, but pulled it at the last minute.

Bob Brown & Nick Cardy — Circles

Original Art and The Artists

The Brave And The Bold #99, January 1972

As a kid, my first thought on any Flash team-ups was this: He needs to join forces with someone with actual super powers, otherwise he will end up running circles around his partner.

Sure enough, on this page, he proves the point showing off his super speed to the worlds greatest, but definitely not fastest, detective. (I assume Batman is — wait for it — a speed-reader.)

Bob Brown pencils (pretty much layouts only) the action here, and Nick Cardy provides the inks, which means the art looks like… Nick Cardy. 

This of course is consistent with his very specific embellishment style. Almost anything he inked looked like he had penciled it as well. Which, considering he was a terrific penciller, is ok with me.

Fun Fact: Jim Aparo takes over as permanent artist for The Brave and Bold series with the following issue (#100) and pretty much draws the next 100 issues. Whew.

Francis Manapul — Red & Green Forever

Original Art and The Artists

Flash Annual #2, September 2013

Here’s an unusual comic milestone: 2022 marks the 60th anniversary of the first Flash and Green Lantern team-up. The classic silver age characters first joined forces in Green Lantern #13, and then again a few months in Flash #131. 

Of course the two characters were already partnered up every month in Justice League, but they didn’t specifically work side by side in JLA.

I always enjoyed their team ups. I didn’t care what the storylines were; I just thought that the red and green looked snazzy together. Christmas in July.

Pretty much all iterations of the characters have remained friends and occasional partners throughout the years, and here, artist Francis Manapul brings us his own dynamic interpretation of the duo as a cover for a “New 52” annual.

And apparently, based on this cover concept, Flash is as worthy of Green Lantern’s ring as Captain America is of Thor’s hammer.

Who knew?

Our next few posts are dedicated to other Flash team-ups throughout the Silver Age. Stay tuned.