Category Archives: Creators

Farewell, Joe Kubert

12 Replies

Flash #190 cover by Joe Kubert

Legendary artist Joe Kubert passed away this morning at the age of 85. His long association with DC Comics goes back to the early 1940s, where he had an extended run as the artist on the Golden-Age Hawkman, including the Hawkman-themed Flash Comics covers. (Flash and Hawkman shared the spotlight for the series, and alternated covers.) During this time, he also drew several Flash stories and Flash-themed covers, notably featuring the Thorn.

Flash #190 cover by Joe Kubert

In 1969, he returned briefly to The Flash to draw a series of covers, shocking both in their themes and in their rugged contrast from the sleeker lines usually associated with the character.

Flash 50th Anniversary Special

In 1990, Kubert drew the cover to the Flash 50th Anniversary Special, and in 2006, he inked his son Andy Kubert’s cover for Flash: The Fastest Man Alive . I believe this makes him the only artist to professionally draw all four Flashes during the time they were active as the main Flash.

Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #1 Variant Cover by Andy Kubert and Joe Kubert

While most associated with Sgt. Rock and war comics, Kubert’s career spanned many characters and genres. He was active to the end, through the Kubert School and his own art. His most recent work was just published last week in Before Watchmen: Nite Owl, and DC recently announced a Joe Kubert Presents anthology miniseries.

Mark Evanier remembers Joe Kubert on his blog, News From Me. First Comics News has a retrospective on his career and is collecting remembrances from others in the industry. CSBG has a gallery of great Joe Kubert covers. Update: The Washington Post has a retrospective with remembrances from other comics professionals, and The Beat looks back on his “unparalleled life”. Update: More reactions at Progressive Ruin, Being Carter Hall, Fire and Water Podcast.

(Covers via comics.org.)

M-Day (8/12): Honoring Mike Wieringo & Mark Gruenwald

Leave a reply

This Sunday, August 12 is the fifth anniversary of the death of artist Mike Wieringo and the sixteenth anniversary of the death of editor/writer Mark Gruenwald. Marvel’s Tom Brevoort and The Hero Initiative’s Jim McLauchlin have set up M-Day, a memorial to honor their memories by raising funds for the Hero Initiative to support comics creators in need.

Mike Wieringo, co-creator of Impulse/Bart Allen, was one of my favorite artists on The Flash, and his death came as a major shock. (I would also recommend his Image comics series, Tellos, with later Impulse writer Todd Dezago.) Mark Gruenwald had a very long association with Marvel Comics, and is probably best known for his work on Squadron Supreme.

M-Day donation page on Razoo, or if you prefer, you can go straight to the Hero Initiative.

Last Day of Campaign: Help Artist Oliver Nome!

I previously wrote about the campaign to help Oliver Nome pay for his brain tumor surgery. Flash fans will recognize Nome from Flashpoint: Kid Flash Lost last summer. Some of his other recent work includes Fathom: Kiana and Executive Assistant: Lotus at Aspen Comics.

Being a freelance artist, he doesn’t have health insurance, and cancer treatment is expensive. Not just the surgery to remove the tumor, but the recovery process and, as it turns out, radiation and chemotherapy. His agent set up a donation campaign to raise $20,000 by July 30, with rewards including original art and prints by Nome and his friends.

They’re almost at the goal, with only a few hours left. If you haven’t contributed already, please help out now. Even $1 helps.

Kid Flash Lost pages 4-5
Splash page from Flashpoint: Kid Flash Lost #2.

Heroes Con Mini-Report: New Teen Titans Panel, George Pérez & Nick Cardy

4 Replies

I visited North Carolina on Friday to attend Day One of the 30th Charlotte Heroes Convention.  Billed as “comics-first…atmosphere, where fans can mingle directly with professionals and exhibitors,”  a massive collection of creators and vendors were on hand for the anniversary edition.  What drew me was the presence of George Pérez (Crisis on Infinite Earths, The New Teen Titans, decades of greatness).

I picked up the above commission at the convention, where Pérez was joined by Crisis and Titans partner Marv Wolfman.  The two, along with Pérez’s main Titans inker Romeo Tanghal, took part in a New Teen Titans panel at the outset of the convention.  For a report from the panel, as well as an encounter with Nick Cardy, follow the jump!

Continue reading →

Speed Reading: Creator Catch-Up

3 Replies