JIM BEARD | 13th Dimension, Comics, Creators, Culture

Mar15

ZANY BOB HANEY: Dig 13 MORE Great BRAVE AND THE BOLD Stories

Posted by Dan Greenfield on Mar 15, 2024

ZANY BOB HANEY: Dig 13 MORE Great BRAVE AND THE BOLD Stories

A BIRTHDAY SALUTE: Columnist Jim Beard returns to Earth-B, two years later… — The late Bob Haney was born 98 years ago, on March 15, 1926. This year, we have a two-fer BIRTHDAY SALUTE. Jim Beard’s column below and a companion piece by Paul Kupperberg. Click here for that — and dig ’em both! — Dan — By JIM BEARD I love Bob Haney. I really do. That’s why I’m sequelizing an article honoring him that I did back in 2022. Bob was a guy who played by his own internal set of rules when he wrote. He never met a piece of so-called continuity he wasn’t ready to throw out or ignore if it meant for a better story. Story was everything to him. Story was king. I’m sure his editors hated him or at least tore out some hair over his scripts, but for a very long time he was one of DC’s most prolific writers and I feel good in supposing he made a good chunk of change for them throughout the 1960s and ’70s. He wrote fun stuff and sometimes significant stuff. He wrote comic books, and he could always be counted on to tell a story. Now, by definition a Bob Haney story is wild and wacky, so picking out 13 MORE of the wildest and wackiest was not an easy task, but Dan has an obsession with the number 13 and I’m not Bob so I do what my editor says and picked out the required number of stories for my second birthday tribute to the man. Fortunately, I’ve recently read all 200 issues of The Brave and the Bold for an upcoming book on the subject so Haney is fresh in my mind. And Blazes! What a fun trip it’s been. One does not visit Earth-B and not return un-entertained. Here they are, chums, 13 more picks for the wildest, wackiest, way-outiest Bob Haney B&B team-ups — B&B seeing you! — The Brave and the Bold #56 (Oct-Nov 1964). No Batman here, ’cause this was prior to the Batman team-ups taking over the book, but what you get is the unlikely pairing of the Flash and J’onn J’onzz with a bunch of wild Justice League hero mash-ups you have to see to believe. — The Brave and the Bold #63 (Dec 1965-Jan...

Feb17

13 Great Characters CURT SWAN Drew That WEREN’T SUPERMAN

Posted by Dan Greenfield on Feb 17, 2024

13 Great Characters CURT SWAN Drew That WEREN’T SUPERMAN

A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION… — It’s the late Curt Swan’s birthday and this year, we’ve got a two-fer celebration, by Jim Beard and Chris Franklin. Both articles are quite distinct from one another but they dovetail in one area — characters drawn by Swan who are NOT Superman. Sure, Superman is central to both, but you get plenty of other heroes and villains, further proving Swan’s mastery (as if further proof were needed). Click here for Chris’ companion piece, 13 SUPER CURT SWAN CHILDREN’S BOOK ILLUSTRATIONS. Dig it. — Dan — By JIM BEARD Curt Swan. The Man. The Man Who Drew Superman. Arguably the artist who had the biggest artistic impact on the Man of Steel right after Joe Shuster. When you think of Superman, you think of Curt Swan. But that ain’t all he ever drew. No, sir. Don’t get me wrong, chums; I love the Swan Man of Tomorrow as much as the next aging fanboy, but I also love a whole passel of other characters he illustrated over his massive career. And in celebration of his birthday — he was born 104 years ago, on Feb. 17, 1920 — I picked and chose 13 of ’em to illustrate my point: Curt Swan could draw just about anything and anyone and it would be awesome. Settle in, turn the lights down, and I’ll start the Swan slideshow… — Batman. I have to start here because not only is Batman my all-time favorite character, he’s also terribly marginalized when it comes to superheroes Curt drew. My sweet Swan spot for the Caped Crusader is those halcyon days in the 1960s and story after story in World’s Finest. — Batgirl. Where there’s Batman, there must also be the Dominoed Daredoll. I think Curt’s Babs Gordon is my favorite right after Carmine Infantino’s. — Titano. It’s often been said that gorillas were once a sure-fire way to sell comics. Good thing Curt knew how to draw the most titanic of great apes. — Wonder Woman. Anyone who knows me might think this an odd choice, me not being much of a WW fan, but Curt was one of the first artists I ever saw draw Diana, right around the time she got her powers back after the “mod” era and she was heading into her JLA trials. — Blackrock. Remember...

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