BATMAN: YEAR ONE to Be Adapted Into Official DC Podcast
With THE LONG HALLOWEEN waiting in the (bat)wings…
DC Sets Dates and Prices for June’s GEORGE PEREZ ’80s POSTCARD Variants
An important update…
The celebrated Mr. K pays a BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE… By PAUL KUPPERBERG I’ve written a lot of stuff and worked with a lot of artists in my comic-book writing career, some good, some bad, some either already acknowledged as greats, and others on their way to that recognition. Among the last category was a young man named Denys Cowan (born January 31, 1961). It was 1985 and I was a grizzled vet of 10 years. Denys had turned professional half a decade after me, breaking in by penciling stories for DC and Marvel on titles such as Weird War Tales, Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man, Superman, The Flash, and Moon Knight before settling in for a yearlong run on Marvel’s Power Man and Iron Fist. Then he was back at DC, and nine of the first dozen jobs he was handed to draw were by me. Lucky me! Of course, I knew Denys and was aware of his work, but there’s nothing like having to stare at page after page of an artist’s output as you put words to their pictures to make you really appreciate some of their subtleties. And Denys’ work had subtleties from the very start. Denys was a fan of superheroes from watching afternoon reruns of the George Reeves Adventures of Superman, but it wasn’t until the third grade, when he changed school districts to live with his grandmother after the death of his mother, that he was introduced both to comic books and lifelong friend Derk Dingle. Dingle showed Cowan his first comic book, an issue of Jack Kirby’s New Gods, and he was hooked. Denys attended New York’s High School of Art and Design where he met someone who worked for artist and Deathlok creator Rich Buckler, and an after-school visit to Buckler’s studio led the artist to eventually hire the 14-year old as his assistant. Like a lot of artists of this era, Denys learned on the job, developing his own unique and energetic style that set him apart from many of his contemporaries. My first time working with Denys was when I dialogued Vigilante #19 (June 1985) over character co-creator Marv Wolfman’s plot in what I at first thought was just a fill-in job; it wasn’t, after writing the next issue over Marv’s plot, I became the regular writer and stayed on...
The guys behind this podcast certainly believe it… At 13th Dimension, we use four basic “Ages” to define comics’ eras: the Golden Age began in 1938 (or earlier); the Silver Age began in 1956 (starting with Showcase #4); the Bronze Age began in 1970; and, the Modern Age began in 1986, though in each case there’s some overlap. Some collectors and historians use the terms Dark Age, Copper Age and Iron Age to define the earlier parts of the Modern Age. None of have been universally adopted, however, so we tend to stay away from them. But maybe we’re wrong. Certainly, the comics of 1987 can be quite different from those produced today. And the ’90s was a period that pretty much stands on its own. In any event, there’s a podcast called The Iron Age of Comics, which covers 1985 to 2000, and here’s 13th Dimension contributor Jason Czernich with his 13 favorite episodes that, in sum, certainly make the argument that the Iron Age was definitely a thing. — Dan — By JASON CZERNICH In early 2023, Justin Zyduck and Jim Cannon first streamed their signature podcast, The Iron Age of Comics, which, in their words is: “A critical re-evaluation of comic books from about 1985 to 2000… including, of course, the boom and bust of the ’90s! Go beyond the chromium covers and grim ‘n’ gritty cliches for a deeper look at one of the most divisive periods in comics history. (Justin and Jim) share context, commentary, and a few laughs on the first and third Wednesdays of each month.” I have been tuning in since the first episode and have been a loyal listener ever since. The main appeal for me is that it covers the era where my comic book habit was at its height. Recently, I spoke with Justin and Jim over email to get some of their thoughts behind my 13 favorite Iron Age episodes and what went into selecting the subject matter for each one. Here they are, in chronological order: — 1. Episode #0: Defining the Iron Age/Crisis, Dark Knight, & Watchmen, 1/4/23 (Listen/Listen) Justin: I personally love podcasts with introductory episodes that lay out a mission statement and let you get to know where the hosts are coming from, but not everyone does, so we broke ours off into...
With THE LONG HALLOWEEN waiting in the (bat)wings…
An important update…
