A MORRISON MONDAYS (early) birthday tribute! By BILL MORRISON Tomorrow, Feb. 17, is the birthdate of the artist who was most identified with Superman during the Silver-Age of comics, Curt Swan. As a DC Comics-loving kid in the Swingin’ ’60s, Curt’s covers for Action Comics, Adventure Comics, Superman, World’s Finest, and Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen jumped out at me from the spinner rack of our local bookstore in Lincoln Park, Michigan, and much of my weekly allowance of a dollar was spent on those books (especially when there were no new Batman comics on sale!) One memorable cover for me was the one he drew in 1967 for Superman #201, inked by George Klein. With so many great Swan covers to choose from, it’s hard to say which one is my favorite, but this one stands out for me. Back in 1993 when Steve Vance, Cindy Vance, Matt Groening, and I were launching Bongo Comics, I was asked to come up with an image for an ashcan-size comic that would reprint our Bartman story from the pre-Bongo Simpsons Comics and Stories #1. The mini-comic, Bartman and Radioactive Man, was to be a promotional insert in an issue of Hero Illustrated magazine. In this story, Bartman doesn’t team up with Radioactive Man, but the Irradiated Crusader is there in a big way, as inspiration for the fledgling hero. So, I wanted to draw a cover that featured Radioactive Man prominently without showing the two characters interacting. Without much pondering that I can recall, Mr. Swan’s Superman #201 cover with its large hero figure looming in the background came to mind. The story we were reprinting, “Lo, there shall come a Bartman,” was, as the title suggests, an origin story, and not about Bartman giving up on being a superhero. (That would come later in Bartman #4, when I paid homage to John Romita’s iconic Amazing Spider-Man #50 cover.) No, Bartman was just getting started, but I decided to ignore the concept of a hero calling it quits, and embrace the cover’s design. It was, I felt, the perfect solution for what I wanted to communicate. With this finished cover, along with my original pencils, I celebrate the greatness of Curt Swan and thank him for many years of artistic inspiration. — Want more MORRISON MONDAYS? Come back next week! Want a...
A CESAR ROMERO birthday tribute… — UPDATED 1/15/26: It’s the late Cesar Romero’s birthday! Perfect time to reprint this piece from his birthday in 2022. Dig it! — Dan — The late, great Cesar Romero was born 119 years ago on Jan. 15, 1907. Sure, he had an acting career that lasted decades but he will always be, first and foremost, the Joker from Batman ’66. (He was the first to play the Clown Prince of Crime on screen, as it happens.) So for this year’s birthday tribute, I’ve invited 13th Dimension regular and fellow Batmaven Jim Beard to bring you a groovy TOP 13 list saluting the actor’s time in Gotham City. (Also check out our new 13 COVERS gallery.) It’s also worth noting that OOOFF! BOFF! SPLATT! The Subterranean Blue Grotto Guide to Batman ’66 – Season Three – edited by Jim and featuring such fine folks as co-editor Rich Handley, 13th Dimension columnist Paul Kupperberg, John S. Drew of The Batcave Podcast, Chris Franklin of the Fire and Water Podcast Network, Robert Greenberger and many more, including yours truly — is now available. Click here! Plus, if you want to catch up with the first two volumes, click here and here. Right on. Here’s Jim with THE JOKER’s TOP 13 DEVILISH DEVICES: — By JIM BEARD When I think of the Joker, I think of Cesar Romero. I can’t separate the two. Despite all the other actors who’ve assayed the role, it’s still Cesar for me after all these years—far more than 50, in fact. When I think of his Joker in the 1966 Batman series and feature, I also think about all those wonderful toys he had. Batman had his own share of incredible, impossible inventions, but when you peel back the spiny leaves of the artichoke, you’ll discover the Clown Prince of Crime not only had his own astounding props, but that Cesar Romero obviously had a delightful and delicious time using them on screen. What better way, then, to celebrate the great man’s birthday than running down a larcenous list of 13 of those devilish Joker devices? — He Got a Good Belt Out of It. The Joker wasn’t laughing at always being on the receiving end of Batman’s belt—that is to say, all the Bat-gadgets in the Caped Crusader’s utility belt—and so...
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