13 COVERS: A WALT SIMONSON Birthday Salute
One of comics’ greatest practitioners turns 72…
DESPOP TUESDAYS… The 1967-70 Spider-Man cartoon is probably my favorite animated series of all time, both because of and despite of its physical limitations and off-model weirdness. But what if there were a show that more accurately captured Spidey’s ’60s zeitgeist? Well, I for one, would watch the hell out of it. Which brings us to Parker — an animated (or live-action) series proposed by our pal Des Taylor and his cohorts Joe Otis Costello and Evan Limberger. Dig this: https://13thdimension.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Parker-by-Des-Taylor.mp4 Video created by Des Taylor and Joe Otis Costello, with slick, stylish motion by Evan Limberger. “Ever since I read 2022’s Spider-Man’s Tangled Web #11, by Darwyn Cooke and J. Bone, I’ve thought, ‘Imagine an animated/live action show called Parker,” sez Des. “Set in a Jet Age, go-go-boots version of the 1960s, Parker would follow one Peter Benjamin Parker: professional overthinker, part-time genius, full-time disaster magnet. By day, he’s juggling school deadlines, chemistry books, and his thankless gig snapping photos for the ever-charming tyrant J. Jonah Jameson. By night? He’s swinging across the skyline as Spider-Man, trying not to crack his skull or his conscience. Easy, right? Wrong. “Because while Peter is out saving the city, his love life would be twisting right off a cliff,” Des added. “Through all of this, Parker would capture the core truth of Spider-Man better than most: The real balancing act isn’t the villains, it’s life. Homework vs. heroics. Rent vs. responsibility. Love vs secrets.” — Want more DESPOP TUESDAYS? Come back next week! Want a commission? Buy prints? Buy Des’ comics? Check out his Despop Art website! — MORE — As Ever, JULIE NEWMAR’s CATWOMAN Is a Work of Art. Click here. — The Swingin’ GOTHAM CITY NEW YEAR’S EVE Party You Wish You Were Invited To. Click here. — DES TAYLOR is the man behind creator-owned comic properties Scarlett Couture, The Vesha Valentine Story, The Trouble With Katie Rogers and a new property in the works The Blue Lotus Strikes. His client list includes DC Comics, La Perla, FHM, Cosmopolitan, Universal Music, ITV Studios America and many more. When he’s not working on his own properties or churning out commissions, Des spends his spare time… working some more, hating Arsenal and raising his two baby daughters, Scarlett and...
MORRISON MONDAYS meets BATMAN ’66 WEEK — again! — Welcome to BATMAN ’66 WEEK, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the beloved TV show starring Adam West! Over the last week, we’ve been presenting daily tributes and features, leading up to Jan. 12 — the premiere date itself — where we’ve rolled out a brand-new TOP 13 BATMAN ’66 EPISODE COUNTDOWN, voted upon by a panel of the most knowledgeable Bat-experts around. Click here for the COMPLETE INDEX. — Dan — By BILL MORRISON If there was a religion based on the 1966 Batman TV series, today would be the equivalent of Christmas. 60 years ago, on January 12, 1966, the ABC television network delivered a big, Bat-present to fans of the Caped Crusader, and we celebrate that groovy, campy gift to this day. For my part, I’m observing the anniversary by sharing some original artwork from my Batman collection and highlighting 13 astonishing artists who drew the Dynamic Duo in the spirit of the TV show. (I also voted in the TOP 13 BATMAN ’66 EPISODE COUNTDOWN.) — 1. Joe Giella. In May of 1966, after the phenomenal success of Batman on TV, DC Comics resurrected the newspaper strip that had ended 20 years earlier in 1946. The revived strip mirrored the campy tone of the TV show, taking full advantage of Batmania. The comic books in which the Caped Crusaders appeared, mainly Detective Comics and Batman followed suit a few months later. These daily strips are from the “Joker on Parole” and “Jolly Roger” storylines and were drawn by Joe Giella. Joe was known primarily as a great inker in the comics, but these 1966 strips prove that he was also a magnificent penciller! — 2. Bob Oksner. If there had been a Batman comic book based on the TV show in 1966, Bob Oksner would have drawn it. He was an extremely versatile artist, and could draw comics in a realistic adventure style that was in the same league with fellow DC artists like Neal Adams, Jim Aparo, and Curt Swan. But he was just as adept at drawing humor comics, and DC kept him busy throughout the ’50s and ’60s on funny books like Leave it to Binky, Miss Beverly Hills of Hollywood, and Angel and the Ape, as well as titles based on comedians and sitcoms such as The Adventures of Bob...
One of comics’ greatest practitioners turns 72…
