The late writer and editor was born 91 years ago on Sept. 22, 1931…
When it comes down to it, I suppose E. Nelson Bridwell is the most important history teacher I’ve ever had. When it comes to comics anyway. (I still love you, Mrs. Pritz!)
Bridwell was a longtime writer and editor at DC and besides being a walking comics encyclopedia, he was instrumental in selecting so many of the reprints we enjoyed as kids in various issues.
The 100-Page Super Spectacular lines in particular were a bounty of great old comics stories and Bridwell was the prime curator. He was also central to the famed Batman, Superman and Shazam! decade hardcover collections that were staples of every young fan’s bookshelf.
So for this year’s 13 COVERS birthday salute, we bring you a run of those Super Spectaculars, as well as the decade books.
Far out.
Neal Adams
Carmine Infantino pencils. Murphy Anderson inks
Nick Cardy
Main image based on a Wayne Boring illustration. Background by Joe Shuster.
Bob Oksner
Kurt Schaffenberger
Cardy
Cardy
Curt Swan pencils, Murphy Anderson inks
Cardy
Cardy
Adams pencils, Dick Giordano inks
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MORE
— PAUL KUPPERBERG: My 13 Favorite E. NELSON BRIDWELL Projects. Click here.
— PAUL KUPPERBERG: My 13 Favorite WORLD OF KRYPTON Miniseries Moments — RANKED. Click here.
September 22, 2022
ENB was a walking “Who’s Who” before that even existed! I appreciate his magic and dedication to comics more and more as time goes on!
September 22, 2022
Happy birthday to the late E. Nelson Bridwell!
September 22, 2022
Those 100 pagers were the main introduction to DC Comics for me. I had nearly all of them. I owe Mr. Bridwell big!!
September 22, 2022
It’s time for DC to put out one or two omnibuses reprinting all the 100-pagers in DC- numerical order!
September 22, 2022
I would love that! Those 100-pagers are getting harder and harder to find at non-expensive prices!
September 22, 2022
Without ENB’s encyclopedic knowledge to help bring these older stories into Bronze Age awareness, I suspect we wouldn’t have seen some of the characters we’ve seen in the All-Star Squadron or the JLA/JSA crossovers. For example, the Signalman appeared in a reprint in DC’s Wanted reprint title, and then later appeared in the classic Gerry Conway/George Perez JLA/JSA crossover featuring the Ultra-Humanite. Also, thanks to the reprints in DC’s Wanted, readers got to read about Nightshade and Mister Who, who were members of Mr. Mind’s Monster Society of Evil from All- Star Squadron. Then, in that Superman Super-Spectacular above, we got to read the story of Lex Luthor and the Powerstone, which was an important part of an All-Star Squadron storyline. I often wonder if ENB hadn’t re-introduced these stories in the Bronze Age whether we would have had as rich a history and depth to the DCU as we have nowadays…
September 23, 2022
I was about eleven when I stumbled across ENB’s “Inferior Five” in a reprint. I loved it! I haunted our local comics store scoping out back issues (the first few issues and the Showcase stories were the very best!) The series influenced my style of humor and love of parody. I did become a writer and I owe that to good folks like ENB! Thanks for this look back!
September 23, 2022
All of the above were some of my earliest and most treasured comics. Especially the “flying heroes” Superman one. Tremendous Neil Adams art. And the Luthor Powerstone story inside is classic.
May 6, 2023
Those 100 pagers are one of the best things about the 70’s, right up there with Star Wars and disco. A very belated birthday, Mr. Bridwell!