CRIVENS! COMICS & STUFF!: THE ESSENTIAL SHOWCASE 1956-1959...

Monday, 7 July 2014

THE ESSENTIAL SHOWCASE 1956-1959...

Back in 1992, DC COMICS released a nice little softcover edition called The ESSENTIAL SHOWCASE 1956-1959, and it's a right little cracker. Containing milestone issues, it features the first appearances of FIREMAN FARRELL, the Silver Age FLASH, CHALLENGERS Of The UNKNOWN, ADAM STRANGE, plus LOIS LANE in her first solo magazine adventures, which later led to her own long-running title.

Incidentally, I've only shown the splash pages of the first story in those issues that contain more than one, so there's actually more content than you'd think from a glance at the images which follow. The book is a nice little collectors' item and chances are you'll be able to track one down on eBay should you feel so inclined.

While you're thinking about it, you can pore over the power- packed piccies that I now present for your personal perusal within the peaceful perimeters of your own home. Nice, ain't I?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...: The Showcase/Challengers Of The Unknown looks fun but I'll pass on the others. Kid, you said the other day that super-hero comics were mainly aimed at boys (I agree) so who would be the intended audience for the Lois Lane comic ? Mrs. Superman and her super-baby - er, thanks but no thanks !; 7 July 2014 at 14:54
Kid said...: I'd say it was aimed mainly at the readership that bought comics, Col - boys - and their sisters perhaps. Remember, Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen mags were really only Superman comics in a thin disguise.; 7 July 2014 at 14:57
Gey Blabby said...: I'm mightily impressed by that Fireman Farrell cover. In fact, the artist who sprang to mind when I first looked at it was David Mazzuchelli. The figures and the inking style put me in mind of the work he produced on Daredevil and Batman a while back, which is high praise indeed. Even the interior page suggested similarities, and it certainly feels more modern than the rest of the examples shown here.; 7 July 2014 at 15:08
Anonymous said...: Actually Kid, I didn't know that - I've wondered what Lois Lane did in her own comic. The covers always seem incredibly naff but that's typical of DC in those days before Marvel forced them to change.; 7 July 2014 at 18:06
Kid said...: That's interesting, GB - I wonder if DM based his style on that kind of artwork deliberately, or was it just coincidence?

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It's hard to believe that DC editors looked down their noses at Marvel's output, and thought they were delivering the superior product, eh, Col?; 7 July 2014 at 18:52

About the artist:

From 1985 to 2000 A.D. (little joke there), I contributed to a variety of high profile comics and magazines for various companies.

For IPC/FLEETWAY/EGMONT, I freelanced as a lettering and logo artist on various weekly comics and monthly magazines, and also as a resize comic artist and spot illustrator on pocket books, summer specials and annuals.

For MARVEL U.K., BLACK LIBRARY, REDAN and USBORNE BOOKS, I again freelanced as a lettering artist, also working as a restoration artist for MARVEL U.S., restoring and re-creating certain pages of JACK KIRBY art for their MARVEL MASTERWORKS editions.

I also lettered the MARVELMAN sample pages submitted to MARVEL U.S. when they were considering acquiring the character, which - as we all now know - they DID.

Supplied comic strips, cartoons and illustrated advertisements for local business campaigns and newspaper publication on a professional basis since the age of 16. Did my first paid art job for publication at 14 or 15 for Lanarkshire Education Board.

Have also made TV appearances as a collector of memorabilia.

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Just some of the titles I worked on are:

2000 A.D. * JUDGE DREDD MEGAZINE * DICEMAN * SONIC The COMIC * JUDGE DREDD, LAWMAN Of The FUTURE * CRISIS * REVOLVER * EAGLE * TIGER * BATTLE ACTION-FORCE * BUSTER * WHIZZER & CHIPS * WHOOPEE * NIPPER * SCHOOL FUN * ACE VENTURA, PET DETECTIVE * The REAL GHOSTBUSTERS * DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE * COUNT DUCKULA * RUGRATS * The TRANSFORMERS * DEATH'S HEAD * THUNDERCATS * GALAXY RANGERS * DRAGON'S CLAWS * SINDY * MARVEL MASTERWORKS * The TROLLS * LOADED * INFERNO * WARHAMMER * ROSE BLACK.

Copyright Notice:

Images remain the property of their respective copyright owners and are used here only for the purpose of review, promotion, and nostalgia.

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In the case of images culled from my own collection where copyright of an item isn't mine, I impose no copying restrictions on fellow bloggers.

(Although, if you don't allow copying on your own site, then you really shouldn't be copying from others, should you?)

And while you can credit this blog if you like, it's not mandatory. Who has time to make notes of every casually visited site during an idle browse of the internet?

In the case of anyone copying images of my own artwork and calligraphy, I affirm my right to be identified as the creator, and any such copying should not be for the purpose of monetary or material gain. (Unless it's mine.)

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Please also note that this blog is not sponsored by, affiliated with, or connected to, any organisation, business, or group, and is wholly independent.