SUNDAY FUNNIES WITH KERRY CALLEN!
By KERRY CALLEN
This was a pretty straight forward commission request. The art basically speaks for itself:
I LOVE the 1970s Detective Comics run of Issues #471 through #476. They were written by Steve Englehart, penciled by Marshall Rogers, with inks by Terry Austin. Rogers’ work was SO unique. He was an architectural student, which gave his art a designed quality not seen in other comics illustrators’ work. The Laughing Fish is no doubt the most famous storyline from his too-brief run.
The story was later adapted into an episode of Batman: The Animated Series. The shape of the fish nugget is my tip-of-the-hat to it.
My original black line art was drawn on Bristol board, with color added in Photoshop. The commissioner receives both the 11″ x 17″ original art and a same-size color print.
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Want more SUNDAY FUNNIES WITH KERRY CALLEN? Come back next week!
Want a commission? Send an email to KerryCallenArt@gmail.com. You can also find other work at linktr.ee/kerrycallen.
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KERRY CALLEN spent much of his career as an artist and art director, developing product for Hallmark, but has also dabbled in comics for many years. As a freelancer, he creates work for a range of needs, spanning from Mad Magazine to children illustrations. He has two graphic novels available on Amazon worldwide, Halo and Sprocket: The Definitive Collection, as well as Dirtnap: Mystic Spit.
October 25, 2026
Bwahahahaha!!!!
October 25, 2026
“They’re fishy and funny and Oh SO delish…..”
“This could cause a stampede to pork.”
October 25, 2026
I understand it was a commission but I would have left the rope out of the details. Implies he’s not dead. The ‘70s Joker certainly didn’t leave anyone tied up. They be dead. Maybe add a gloved hand of Bozo just out of the scene draped at the table.
GREAT! piece too. Loved it.
October 25, 2026
So fricking fun and well done
October 25, 2026
I can hear Mark Hamill’s voice when I read the speech bubble. Nice job
October 25, 2026
Great illustration, Kerry, with a suitably creepy premise. I saw the visual connection to Marshall Rogers’ Joker right away. Those Englehart/Rogers/Austin issues of Detective were the stories that got me into comics–and they’ve really never been surpassed.
It’s a scandal this story arc hasn’t gotten an Absolute Edition treatment. DC has reprinted the issues a few times, but the reproduction quality has been atrocious, sometimes muddying the fine Rogers/Austin line work. A remastered, large-scale edition would be a dream come true–and it would be an appropriate expression of respect by the publisher for a truly historic creative team.
Since I’m dreaming big, I might as well suggest one departure from history that would improve the edition. Englehart’s story arc began with a two-issue origin of Doctor Phosphorus, penciled by the great Walt Simonson. The usually dependable Al Milgrom provided the inks, but regrettably they did no favors for Simonson’s artwork. My ideal Absolute Edition would have those books freshly inked by Simonson or Terry Austin, finally mending the one flaw in an otherwise perfect cornerstone of Batman lore.
October 25, 2026
There was a coloring book where Joker opened up a fast food joint.
October 26, 2026
Marshall Rogers’ work on Batman is seminal, but was interrupted because editor Joe Orlando claimed that his work was “far too off-model” to be acceptable and ensured he could not work on Batman for at least 5 years. I find that to be an absolute tragedy for the comics-loving community.
I do wish that DC would collect *all* of Marshall’s Batman-related work (including the stories written by those other than Englehart, his Batman newspaper strip, his Man-Bat and Nightwing & Flamebird stories, his run on the Calculator, which preceded his run on Batman/Detective and “Siege” from Legends of the Dark Knight w/Archie Goodwin). We’ve long been awaiting seeing the whole of his work on the character.
October 26, 2026
I would buy that in a heartbeat!!
I’m still hugely disappointed that DC had cancelled the deluxe edition of Batman Strange Apparitions that would’ve also included Batman Dark Detective.
Maybe one day they’ll eventually release it as an Absolute edition?
October 26, 2026
I agree with those mentioning a higher quality edition of Marshall’s work would be great!
October 28, 2026
We did a nice large size black and white edition of the Englehart/Rogers/Austin ‘Tec run in late 90’s. It is of course in Finnish — but the art is fine and crisp!
October 28, 2026
I think my main issue is that Marshall’s Batman work far exceeds just his work with Englehart. I’ve seen reprints of the Englehart run many times and, honestly, “The Shadow of the Batman” is just as nice a reprint as any that exists & is readily available (save, perhaps, one like yours, which, I expect, gives us the original art-level clarity) and affordable, but frequently overlooked by those seeking a quality reprint.