COMICS HISTORY | 13th Dimension, Comics, Creators, Culture

Nov11

13 Fabulous DAVE COCKRUM Marvel Character Designs

Posted by Dan Greenfield on Nov 11, 2026

13 Fabulous DAVE COCKRUM Marvel Character Designs

A BIRTHDAY SALUTE: Jim Beard pays homage to the late creator, who was born 83 years ago… — UPDATED 11/11/26: The late Dave Cockrum was born 83 years ago! Perfect time to reprint this piece from his birthday in 2021! Dig it. — Dan — By JIM BEARD The late, great Dave Cockrum was an all-around comics creator, being both an artist and writer, but when I think back on his legacy in the industry, my mind’s eye goes zooming to his character designs. To that end, I’ve cobbled together 13 FABULOUS DAVE COCKRUM MARVEL CHARACTER DESIGNS to celebrate the man’s birthday. (He was born Nov. 11, 1943.) NOTE: You may be saying, “Oh, same-old, same-old, we all know Dave was a fantastic designer,” but just to shake things up a bit, I’ve seeded this list with some off-the-beaten-path favorites of mine… and you won’t know what they are unless you take a leap of faith with me, True Believer! In no specific order… — Phoenix. Let’s start with greatness, shall we? Dave’s costume for the transformed Jean Grey in X-Men #101 is a stunner, plain and simple. It has his requisite sash, sure, but I love that black wedge-shape with the abstract avian symbol, and the colors combined with Jean’s red hair make for a splash in X-Men history that will never be forgotten. — Smasher. Ah-ha! Yes, I’m going places no Cockrum Costumes list has never gone! First appearing in X-Men #107, the dashing dude designated as Smasher made a smashing impact on my eyeballs with that get-up. I really dig the simplicity of the suit, as well as, again, the color combination. Extra points for a cool chest symbol that may or may not have anything to do with “smashing.” — Nightcrawler. Legend has it that Nightcrawler was brought over from DC to Marvel when Dave jumped ships, and in doing so made mutant memories at the House of Ideas. This is one of those times when it’s not just a costume design, but an overall character visual for the win. Kurt Wagner’s Giant-Size X-Men #1 look just screams “swashbuckler” while his physical form screams “demon from Hell.” This has to be one of Cockrum’s best. — Ch’od. Who doesn’t love the Starjammers, right? X-Men #104 introduced Dave’s space-faring squadron to an unsuspecting readership,...

Nov11

RETRO HOT PICKS! On Sale This Week — in 1988!

Posted by Dan Greenfield on Nov 11, 2026

RETRO HOT PICKS! On Sale This Week — in 1988!

Scott and Dan hit up the comics racks from 38 years ago… This week for RETRO HOT PICKS, Scott and I are selecting comics that came out the week of Nov. 11, 1988. Last time for RETRO HOT PICKS, it was the week of Nov. 4, 1948. Click here to check it out. (Keep in mind that comics came out on multiple days, so these are the issues that went on sale between Nov. 8 and Nov. 14.) So, let’s set the scene: The Reagan ’80s were granted an extension Nov. 8, when Republican Vice President George Bush swamped Democratic Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis in the presidential election. Dukakis claimed an early lead in the race but the relentless Bush machine pounded him into submission. Dukakis, however, was really his own worst enemy, imploding during debate season and running an unintentionally hilarious ad of him driving a tank that was designed to make him appear tough. Instead, he looked like Mickey Mouse. Bush won 426 electoral votes to the Duke’s 111. It was the last time a candidate crossed the 400 threshold. Bush won the popular vote 53.4 percent to 45.6 percent. On Nov. 9, disgraced former U.S. Attorney John Mitchell, one of Republican Richard Nixon’s prime Watergate criminals, died of a heart attack at the age of 75. Schlock ruled the box office, with Child’s Play premiering this week and landing at No. 1. It supplanted They Live, which surpassed Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers. Also in theaters were the documentary Imagine: John Lennon; the harrowing drama The Accused, starring Jodie Foster and Kelly McGillis; Mystic Pizza, with up-and-comer Julia Roberts; and the highbrow Ernest Saves Christmas. Much to fans’ outrage, Michael Keaton had been announced as Batman back in June. Filming was under way in the fall, at Pinewood Studios in England. War and Remembrance, the ABC miniseries sequel to The Winds of War — both based on the novels by Herman Wouk — debuted this week and was a ratings hit. Not as big a hit as The Cosby Show, mind you. But then, nothing was. Cheers, Golden Girls, and Growing Pains were all Nielsen heavyweights. Gearing up for its second season was Star Trek: The Next Generation. A show that would become one of the most dissected of the era — Murphy Brown, starring Candice...

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