Posted By Dan Greenfield on Oct 20, 2023 | 6 comments

Scott Tipton pays a BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE to one of the greats of the Bronze Age…

By SCOTT TIPTON

When it comes to great cover artists, my TOP 13 list is constantly shifting, with legends like Kirby, Ditko and Romita, Bronze Age giants like Byrne, Perez, Bolland and Garcia-Lopez, and modern talents like Harris, Cooke and Ross always in play. But one name that’s always on the list is Nick Cardy, who was born 103 years ago, on Oct. 20, 1920.

Born Nicholas Viscardi, Nick attended the Art Students League of New York and got his first job in the comics industry around 1940, working first for the Eisner & Iger studio and then Will Eisner’s solo operation, most notably on the backup feature “Lady Luck” for Eisner’s Sunday newspaper Spirit Section. After entering the military during World War II and earning two Purple Hearts as a tank driver in the armored cavalry, Cardy returned to civilian life and began a long professional relationship with DC Comics in 1950, where he was best known for his landmark stints on Aquaman and Teen Titans. (Note From Dan: Check out Paul Kupperberg’s fave 13 Cardy ’60s covers.)

When Nick left comics in the 1970s, he moved on to a successful career as a commercial artist, working on posters and promotional art for films like California Suite, Meatballs and Apocalypse Now, just to name a few. Unlike so many great artists of comics’ Golden and Silver Ages, Nick was able to get some of the recognition and acclaim he deserved, returning to the comics scene in the late ’90s and early 2000s after decades away, with appearances at conventions where thousands of fans, both professionals and readers alike, got the chance to meet him and let him know how much his work meant to them. Present company included.

Let’s take a look at 13 GREAT CARDY COVERS from the 1970s, in no particular order:

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The Brave and the Bold #91 (Aug.-Sept. 1971)

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Teen Titans #28 (July-Aug. 1970)

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Teen Titans #25 (Jan.-Feb. 1970)

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Limited Collectors’ Edition #C-34 (Feb.-March 1975)

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Superman #281 (Nov. 1974)

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Teen Titans #26 (March-April 1970)

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Justice League of America #106 (July-Aug. 1973)

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Wonder Woman #205 (March-April 1973)

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Teen Titans #34 (July-Aug. 1971)

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Justice League of America #100 (Aug. 1972)

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Justice League of America #107 (Sept.-Oct. 1973)

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Superman #276 (June 1974)

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Superman #279 (Sept. 1974)

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MORE

— PAUL KUPPERBERG: My 13 Favorite 1960s NICK CARDY Covers. Click here.

— NICK CARDY’s 13 Greatest AQUAMAN Stories — RANKED. Click here.