Posted By Dan Greenfield on Dec 17, 2023 | 3 comments

13 COVERS AND PAGES!

By PETER BOSCH

December 9 marked the 65th anniversary of the 1958 newsstand release of Blackhawk #133, which featured the debut of Zinda Blake, the beautiful blonde who would best be known as Lady Blackhawk.

December 17 marks the birthday of her co-creator, the late artist Dick Dillin, who was born 95 years ago, in 1928.

Let’s have a dual salute!

Zinda Blake, co-created with writer Jack Schiff, trained herself to become a proud member of the Blackhawks but, due to it being an all men’s club, they had a rule that no women could be admitted. Even after saving their lives from an enemy, the best that Blackhawk could do was give her the status of an “honorary” Blackhawk. Some honor. (Gad, and women still had the Mad Men era to go through.)

Zinda made numerous appearances after that, but someone felt she needed a shakeup. In Blackhawk #200 (Sept. 1964), Zinda is captured by long-time Blackhawk enemy Killer Shark. He slips a drop of a personality-changing chemical solution into her water, and it turns her into a psychotic. In her new identity of Queen Killer Shark, she sets out to murder the Blackhawks.

This went on for over two years until Blackhawk #228 (Jan. 1967) when she bumped her head and changed back. She and Blackhawk were overjoyed she was back to normal — and in love with each other — but if I were him, I’d be very careful: If one bump could restore her, could a bump on a kitchen cabinet door make her want to poison his breakfast?

Anyway, years later, Zinda made her return to the DC Universe via time travel, complete with great intelligence and sexy short skirt uniform; in 2004 became part of the Birds of Prey.

So, let’s celebrate with 13 images of Lady Blackhawk throughout the years — most pencilled by Dillin.

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Blackhawk #133 (Feb. 1959) – Pencils: Dick Dillin. Inks: Chuck Cuidera

Blackhawk #133 (Feb, 1959) story page – Pencils: Dick Dillin. Inks: Chuck Cuidera

Blackhawk #140 (Sept. 1959) – Pencils: Dick Dillin. Inks: Chuck Cuidera

Blackhawk #151 (Aug. 1960) – Pencils: Dick Dillin. Inks: Chuck Cuidera

Blackhawk #155 (Dec. 1960) and Batman #122 (Mar. 1959) – Holy deja vu, Batman! Blackhawk cover art by Dick Dillin and Chuck Cuideira using Curt Swan and Stan Kaye’s Batman cover.

Blackhawk #166 (Nov. 1961) – Pencils: Dick Dillin. Inks: Sheldon Moldoff

Blackhawk #170 (Mar. 1962) – Pencils: Dick Dillin. Inks: Chuck Cuidera

Blackhawk #200 (Sept. 1964) – Pencils: Dick Dillin. Inks: Sheldon Moldoff

Blackhawk #200 (Sept. 1964) story page – Script: Dave Wood. Pencils: Dick Dillin. Inks: Chuck Cuidera

Blackhawk #216 (Jan. 1966) – Pencils: Dick Dillin. Inks: Chuck Cuidera

Blackhawk #228 (Jan. 1967) story page – Script: Bob Haney. Pencils: Dick Dillin. Inks: Chuck Cuidera

Birds of Prey #75 (Dec. 2004) story page — Script: Gail Simone. Art: Ed Benes

Who’s Who: Update ’87 #3 (Oct 1987). Art by Brian Bolland.

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MORE

— 13 BLACKHAWK COVERS AND PAGES: A DAN SPIEGLE Birthday Celebration. Click here.

— 13 BLACKHAWK COVERS: A DICK DILLIN Birthday Celebration — 2022 EDITION. Click here.

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13th Dimension contributor-at-large PETER BOSCH’s first book, American TV Comic Books: 1940s-1980s – From the Small Screen to the Printed Page, was published by TwoMorrows. He is currently at work on a sequel, about movie comics. Peter has written articles and conducted celebrity interviews for various magazines and newspapers. He lives in Hollywood.