Thursday, 18 October 2012

The INCREDIBLE ADVENTURES Of JANUS STARK...

Copyright REBELLION

Let's now journey back to the Summer of 1970, when British comic fans would have first become aware of the SMASH! HOLIDAY SPECIAL on sale in newsagents.  In that year's bumper number, readers were spoiled by the Victorian escapologist JANUS STARK's strip, as it was drawn by J. G. QUIROS and not the regular artist SOLANO LOPEZ, who drew it for the weekly periodical.  As great as Lopez was, Quiros was undoubtedly better.  Just look at the terrific detail in the following pages - truly a master at work.  I believe he also drew for other British weekly comics such as TV21 and LOOK-IN, which is ironic, as the late ALAN FENNELL was editor on both comics in their early days.

However, that's enough waffle from me.  Time to let these truly astounding pages speak for themselves.






And for the completists amongst you, here's the cover to the magazine itself.  Time to get cracking on eBay, I'd suggest.  It's definitely one to have in your collection.

PART TEN Of COMIC COVERS 'SNAP'!

 
Copyright DC COMICS
 
Fifty-two years after having graced the cover of DETECTIVE COMICS #27, the design resurfaced in 1991 on yet another issue of the same title.  What could be more fitting?  What's more, BOB KANE had apparently copied elements for his version from other sources, so it wasn't even new back in 1939.  Neither was NORM BREYFOGLE the first or last artist to pay homage to the iconic image - it's been imitated several times to date, and not just on comics featuring The BATMAN.