The comic book world is remembering one of the greats today: the legendary Nick Cardy passed away last night at the age of 93. He leaves a legacy of timeless work at DC Comics and beyond.
Known mainly for his eye-popping, dynamic and even psychedelic cover art on the original Teen Titans series, the Superman family of titles and Aquaman, Cardy was also an incredible interior artist. He amassed over 330 story credits between DC and Quality Comics, including a plotting credit on three issues of Bat Lash. From romance titles to westerns to superheroes, Cardy captured the wild imagination and design perfection embodied by the greatest of DC Comics’ concepts and characters.
Cardy’s work graced the cover of Flash 17 times. Here, we present all 17 covers in order of publication, as well as some select sketches and Teen Titans covers. Thank you, Mr. Cardy, for these eternal classics!
Definitely some great classic covers. As goofy as it is, I’m very fond of the cover to Flash #231, and I love the faces of everyone on #219 (Mirror Master and the Flash are especially perfect).
It’s sad when we lose one of the greats.
#227….What? Slipped on a banana peel while fighting Grodd? What?!
#231…I can’t help but think that their shocked expressions have something to do with where…eh…X marks the spot. Kind of surprised that made it past the censors. But, yeah, nice reaction shots.
Would have loved to have seen his work done in modern coloring techniques.
Dang! (Now I want to know the stories behind those covers even knowing they probably have little to do with said stories.)
Number 222. That’s the most believable. My first reaction: “Dammit, Hal, what did you do *now*?”
221 and 222 are my favorites of the bunch! I’d love to read all these stories, tho! RIP to a great artist.
Those are all positively Flash-tastic. Just..wow.
First cover down #214. Who is the guy in the plum fly outfit?
he is The Wasp. he was an old enemy of the Golden Age National Comics Quicksilver…who became…Max Mercury! one of the stories in that issue a Quicksilver story with the first Wasp appearance.
So we also have Mr. Cardy to thank for Max Mercury/Quicksilver? I had no idea, that is awesome.
sorry, I should have been more specific. Flash #214 had a reprint of the first Wasp appearance, which was in a Golden Age Quicksilver story first published in the National Comics title. I am pretty sure Cardy only ever drew the Wasp on this cover.
I was reading up on Mr. Cardy and apparently he did practically create the Golden Age Quicksilver/Max Mercury.
http://www.cosmicteams.com/quality/profiles/quicksilver.html
holy cow! had no idea, that is amazing.
Interesting! Back when I was actually maintaining Those Who Ride the Lightning, I found a reference to Jack Cole and Chuck Mazoujian here — http://www.supermanartists.comics.org/quality/qualityframe.htm — but there are question marks, and since the issues aren’t signed, that means we’ve got [citation needed] vs. a theory that at least showed its work.