13 COVERS: A WALT SIMONSON Birthday Salute
One of comics’ greatest practitioners turns 72…
A wonderful gallery, colored by Sandy Jarrell… — UPDATED 4/10/26: Diggin’ in the vault time — when we go deep into the recesses of the shadowy subterranean 13th Dimension headquarters for great columns that deserve another look. This one first ran in March 2022. Right on! — Dan — This has been a helluva week here at 13th Dimension for fabulous art by big-name illustrators. We’ve had Matt Wagner’s reinterpretation of Golden Age Detective Comics covers and Alex Ross’ latest Batman painting, which pays homage to the Bronze Age. Well, dig this: For some time, artist Sandy Jarrell has been posting on Twitter a series of reproduction covers that were created by the late, great Darwyn Cooke. Some of the covers, which were originally in black and white, were done to benefit the Hero Initiative through Canadian comics shop Strange Adventures, according to store owner Calum Johnston. Others were drawing exercises. Sandy found them — online and through Johnston — decided to color them and, man oh man, are the results spectacular. What’s particularly notable is that some of them look very much like the Darwyn Cooke we know and love, while others closely mimic the cover’s original artists. There are also alterations that experts will notice. I’ve picked 13 to show off in the gallery below, including one that’s actually a pinup. I think you’ll love them as much as I do. Groovy. — MORE — Dig MATT WAGNER’s Superb Revamps of Classic BATMAN Covers. Click here. — ALEX ROSS Pays Tribute to the Bronze Age in Latest BATMAN Masterpiece. Click...
The Golden Age version! Catman is one of my favorite Silver Age/Bronze Age C-List Batman villains. He was always entertaining when he showed up, which became more frequent to the degree that he developed a bona fide cult following this century. But that’s not who this is about. This is about the Golden Age Cat-Man, whom we’re honoring with 13 COVERS. (They do look alike, though.) Why? Because it’s National Respect Your Cat Day, silly! Cat-Man was created by artist Irwin Hasen and an unknown writer in 1940’s Crash Comics Adventures and lasted into 1946, picking up sidekick Kitten along the way. (His publishing history is as tangled as a cat’s cradle.) Merp? — MORE — It’s ST. PATRICK’S DAY! Dig These 13 GREEN HORNET COVERS. Click here. — It’s FERRIS WHEEL DAY! Dig These 13 COVERS — RANKED. Click...
One of comics’ greatest practitioners turns 72…
