A BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE… BY CHRIS FRANKLIN William Marshall Rogers (Jan. 22, 1950 – Mar. 24, 2007) is considered by many, including me, to be one of the greatest artists to ever draw Batman. This designation is no small feat, because some of the greatest comics illustrators of all time have famously drawn the Caped Crusader, and have left an equally indelible mark. But Rogers stands out from even these masters of graphite and India ink. When he first illustrated a Bob Rozakis-written Batman story in Detective Comics #468 (Mar./Apr. 1977), aided by his frequent inking collaborator Terry Austin, he brought a young dynamism to the character that hadn’t been seen since Neal Adams first illustrated the hero nearly a decade prior. Rogers and Austin excelled at innovative panel layouts, working sound effects directly into the art, and applying zip-a-tone for added shadowy and textured effects. Many of the older staffers in the DC offices didn’t care for the experimental work Rogers and Austin applied to their one-off Batman tale, especially Joe Orlando. But editor Julius Schwartz saw something magic in the work and thanks to positive reader response, made the duo the regular art team on Detective Comics, illustrating a sprawling serial penned by Steve Engelhart. Although this dream team initially only lasted 6 issues, the serialized run is praised as one of the greatest Batman stories and has gone on to influence the Masked Manhunter’s mythos in comics and every media imaginable. Rogers stayed on Detective for a few more issues and would return to the character periodically over the next three decades, his visual take on the Darknight Detective coalescing into a vision that was singularly his own. To celebrate his birthday, let’s take a look at 13 visual contributions, big and small, that made Marshall Rogers a giant among giants, his run on the Caped Crusader legendary. With a major emphasis, of course, on his brief but definitive run on Detective Comics with Engelhart and Austin. (Oh, and be sure to check out the highly recommended book Marshall Rogers: Brightest Days & Darkest Knights by Jeff Messer and Dewey Cassell from TwoMorrows Publishing for a deep-dive into the artist’s life and career, and an interview with Steve Engelhart conducted by our own Dan Greenfield!) — 1. Batman: The Cape and Cowl For my money, no one...
A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: Comics’ Norman Rockwell turns 56… — UPDATED 1/22/26: Alex Ross turns 56! Perfect time to reprint this piece from his birthday in 2024! Dig it. — Dan — By CHRIS FRANKLIN Having risen to the rank of comics’ preeminent painter, it’s not unusual to think of Alex Ross’ work as gallery worthy. In fact, Ross (born January 22, 1970) has had his work displayed in galleries worldwide, as well as on comics fans’ walls for the past 20 years. Whether as inexpensive posters or limited edition, high-end prints, Ross’ comic art elevates the medium, and any comics art collection, through his use of photo realism. For comics fandom, Ross’ art even managed to bring legitimacy to a medium once reserved for the paintings of famous clown Emmett Kelly Jr. and scenes from Gone With the Wind: the collector plate. Collector plates are an odd duck, really. Designed as if they were a vessel to eat from, no one ever seriously considered dumping mashed potatoes onto Clark Gable’s handsome visage. These plates were not only non-dishwasher save, they were meant to hang on the wall, perhaps in the dining room or kitchen, but more often in a sitting area in your household. They were the types of things our moms ordered on a whim from inserts in TV Guide, or later, QVC or HSN. But couldn’t comics fans, collectors by nature, have their own art plates too? Sure, like many forms of media, Star Trek had pioneered this first for fandom at large. But comics proper hadn’t gotten in on the trend until the late, lamented Warner Bros. Studio Store chain began offering a series of plates featuring DC Comics superheroes. Other artists such as Brian Stelfreeze and Glen Orbik contributed lovely, original art for the store, but none could match the consistency, scope and popularity of Alex Ross. He even had his own series, “The Alex Ross Collection.” Ross created quite a bit of original material for the chain, including limited-edition prints, but the plates have a unique appeal to them, both austere and slightly kitsch, due to the honestly strange format. As you’ll see, the character choices are often somewhat startling, but Ross’ unique take on the properties, and his love for their rich history shines through. After the WB store chain folded, he continued...
The Marvel stalwart was born Aug. 21, 1929.
A superb selection worthy of the crew that boldly goes…
The master of the Master of Kung Fu is the cat’s meow …
