13 Quick Thoughts on SDCC … So Far
The big show in San Diego is technically half over (if you don’t count Preview Night) I suppose. There’s been LOTS to keep up with. Here are 13 Quick Thoughts to help you sort through it all:
A BIRTHDAY RETROSPECTIVE: Yes, we said Bob Kane, who was born 111 years ago, on Oct. 24, 1915… — UPDATED 10/24/26: The late Bob Kane was born 111 years ago, on Oct. 24, 1915. Perfect time to reprint this piece from his birthday in 2023. Dig it. — Dan — By JIM BEARD There’s a lot of controversy and superheated feelings about Bob Kane out there, and while I recognize and acknowledge them, perhaps even sympathize with them, that’s not what I’m here for today. I’m here to recognize the anniversary of Kane’s birth in 1915, and celebrate his contributions to that first, halcyon year of his co-creation, Batman. Those first 11 stories of the Darknight Detective before the appearance of Robin have always fascinated me, mostly because many of the underpinnings of the 1966 Batman TV show can be found in them. I took another journey through the stories for this article and pulled out 13 panels that for me illustrate some cool things Kane—with writers Bill Finger and Gardner Fox, and background artists Sheldon Moldoff and Jerry Robinson, of course—did in his art and storytelling. And as I did, I always kept this in mind: Say what you will about Kane and his treatment of others over the evolution of the character (and I’ll probably agree), but he was there from the very beginning and will always be the Caped Crusader’s co-creator. If you remove him from the equation, there is no Batman. And that’s a world I wouldn’t care to live in. — Detective Comics #27 (Publication date May 1939). I’ve always loved this debut panel of Our Hero. He’s always known how to make an entrance. — Detective Comics #28 (June 1939). Isn’t this flip-over great? And please notice the inevitable destination of the screaming knife wielder—right over the edge to the pavement below. — Detective Comics #29 (July 1939). No door, no problem. Not for Batman, that is. — Detective Comics #30 (August 1939). First-year Batman usually never pulled any punches when dealing with criminals, as seen here. And boy did Kane love drawing the cape like bat wings. — Detective Comics #30 (August 1939). For a funny animals/humor artist, Kane could draw the macabre and gruesome with no problems. — Detective Comics #31 (September 1939). Not only was the Batgyro pretty cool, its...
AN ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION: The Amazing Amazon debuted 85 years ago in All-Star Comics #8 — released Oct. 21, 1941… By CHRIS AND CINDY FRANKLIN “All the world is waiting for you, and the power you possess…” So wrote Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel when they penned the theme song to the 1970s Wonder Woman television series. 85 years ago, the world WAS waiting for a female superhero to fight for peace and inspire a generation… or generations as it would turn out. There had been a few forgettable female long-underwear types before Princess Diana donned her golden tiara, but creator and noted psychologist Willam Moulton Marston (under the pen name of Charles Moulton) and artist H.G. Peter broke the (clay) mold with the Amazing Amazon, who entered Man’s World and changed it forever, both in the comics and reality beyond. To celebrate her anniversary, like always, I (Chris) set out to assemble a collection of 13 pieces of merchandise that represent the character’s history and her impact on pop culture. But when it comes to Wonder Woman, I will forever bow to my lovely wife Cindy, who has collected merchandise based on her favorite superheroine for over 30 years. Cindy’s enthusiasm for the character and her collection altered the course of this article. You’ll find way more than 13 examples of Wonder Woman collectibles in what follows… but we did stick to 13 entries, anyhow! So, let’s spin around in circles and see what wonders magically appear! — 1. The Golden Age (Hallmark, Chronicle Books, DC Direct, McFarlane Toys). Since little merchandise and no figural offerings of Wonder Woman were made in the 1940s, we thought we’d switch up my usual format and begin with a retroactive collection of Golden Age Diana items. Hallmark released both a statue and an ornament based on Wonder Woman’s early adventures in 1996, seen here in the center of the photograph. In addition to dozens of other Wonder Woman items in the last 30 years, they returned to her roots with the Wonder Woman #1 cover ornament in 2021. In 2001, Chronicle Books packaged Les Daniels’ Wonder Woman Masterpiece Edition: The Golden Age of the Amazon Princess with the 8.5-inch figure on the left, which was designed by Alex Ross. In 2004, DC Direct released their own take in their First Appearance line...
The big show in San Diego is technically half over (if you don’t count Preview Night) I suppose. There’s been LOTS to keep up with. Here are 13 Quick Thoughts to help you sort through it all:
