Curt Swan Death 30th Anniversary

Curt Swan, the artist who produced the definitive Superman for over 30 years, died on this date in 1996. Today marks 30 years since his passing. He was my favorite comic book artist.

I first discovered his passing while perusing a comic book at a convenience store. In it, a house ad announced his passing.

Above, many faces of Superman artist guide by Curt Swan.

The actual death date is somewhat questionable as he was found dead at home surrounded by comic books. He had been dead for some time. Some placed his death as June 16 (this is interesting as Superman actor George Reeves died on June 16, 1959) while others place it on June 17.

According to a Wikipedia footnore:

 Curt Swan, Social Security Death Index details, FamilySearch gives June 17, 1996, as the date of death, and was verified by a family member; verification date can be the same as the death date, or one or more days afterward.

As Swan's family recognizes June 17, 1996, I will do so as well (although I have it at June 16 in Find a Grave based on information at the time).  

I am lucky to have a page of original Curt Swan Superman art (inked by Murphy Anderson). I bought in the early 2000s at a reasonable price. 

Original Curt Swan Art Page

Somewhere around 20 years ago, I purchased a page of original art of Action Comics no. 405. It is the October 1971 issue.

The page was pencilled by Curt Swan and inked by Murphy Anderson (with backgrounds inked by Jack Abel). At the time I bought mine, original comic book art was not too expensive. Mine was $100. I have forgotten who the dealer was that I bought it from.

The page was signed by Swan. 

Today, Swan's original artwork, highly sought after, sells in the thousands of dollars. Key issue art commands more as do covers and splash pages. No, I don't plan on selling my page.

Here is the cover of the issue (by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano):

Here's the page I bought as it appeared in the comic book:

Here's the original artwork as it appears in my home:

Curt Swan 1958 Superman Daily Comic Strip

Here's a bit of artwork of the Superman daily comic strip by the great Curt Swan (pencils) and Stan Kaye (inks) from 1958. 

Thanks to Randy Sadewater for posting this on Facebook.

Here's the particulars: 

Jan  27 to Feb 1, 1958.

Strips 5967 to 5972, 1958

Continuing Episode 102: My Secret Romance with Superman

Strips 5877-5978 (October 14, 1957 to February 8, 1958)

Writer - Alvin Schwartz

Pencils - Curt Swan

Inks - Stan Kaye

The byline in the newspapers continued to say Wayne Boring.

Meanwhile, At The San Diego Comicon...

This is one of the most iconic Silver Age Superman covers. I remember my next-door neighbor having this issue back in the early 1960s.

According to Arlen Schumer on Facebook:

AS SEEN AT THE SAN DIEGO COMICON:

Only $145,000?

It's only one of--if not the--GREATEST single images of Superman ever rendered, by the magnificent pencils of the greatest single Superman artist ever, Curt Swan, and the to-this-day overwhelmingly, stunningly gorgeous black and white wash tones by the great head of DC Comics coloring during the Silver Age, Jack Adler (p.s. Howard Stern's cousin/uncle?).

It's priceless.

It was the first comic book I remember holding in my 5-year-old hands.

(A tip o' the cape to my Super-friend Steven L. Austin for super-spotting it!)

Here's the published cover: 

 $145,000 does seem to be cheap for such an iconic cover's original art.

Kurt Schaffenberger 1957 Try-Out

Above, Kurt Schaffenberger's 1957 try-out page for Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane.

What Curt Swan was to Superman and Jim Mooney was to Supergirl, Kurt Schaffenberger was to Lois Lane.

Artist Kurt Schaffenberger came on board to DC Comics (known then as National Comics and later as National Periodical Publications) in 1957.

According to Wikipedia:

In 1957 Otto Binder recruited Schaffenberger to DC to work on the Superman family. He stayed at DC for the next 30 years, making an especially large contribution to the development of Lois Lane. In this capacity, he was the lead artist on the book, Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane, for the entirety of its first decade. Indeed, Schaffenberger's rendition of Lane became cited by many as the "definitive" version of the character, and Schaffenberger was often asked by DC editor Mort Weisinger to redraw other artists' depictions of Lois Lane in other DC titles where she appeared. In issue #80 (Jan. 1968), Schaffenberger updated the character's fashions to a then-more contemporary look.

It is interesting to see Schaffenberger's "try-out" artwork for Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane. His inking was exceptionally clean. (Thanks to Victor Lim for posting the art at Facebook.)

Schaffenberger was born December 15, 1920 in Thuringian Forest, Germany. He died on January 24, 2002.

Above, art for "Superman - The Secret Years" promo with pencils by Curt Swan and inks by Kurt Schaffenberger.

Rare Curt Swan and Jerry Ordway Interview Video

Above, a rendering of Superman that was penciled and inked by Curt Swan.

A rare video of artists (the late) Curt Swan and Jerry Ordway discussing the drawing of Superman.

About the video:

Superman Comic Book artists Curt Swan and Jerry Ordway being interviewed in Cleveland, OH (1988). "Morning Exchange" TV interview as part of the International Superman Exposition. Interviewed by Lee Jordan and Joel Rose.

Thanks to Robert Watson for posting!

George Reeves by Joe Petruccio

Joe Petruccio is the first official artist of Elvis Presley Enterprises and is a licensed artist of Superman and Batman for DC Comics.

His work can be seen at his website: http://www.joepetruccio.com/

Al Plastino Is Smiling From Heaven: DC Acquired JFK Artwork and Will Donate It To JFK Library

DC Entertainment has announced that they have acquired the original Al Plastino artwork for "Superman's Mission For President Kennedy" and will be donating it to the John F. Kennedy Library.

From the DC Comics website:

Al Plastino was one of the most influential and prolific Superman artists of the 1950s and 1960s. His passing last month saddened the entire DCE family. 

One of Plastino's most recognizable pieces was a Superman story he illustrated that featured President John F. Kennedy titled  "Superman’s Mission For President Kennedy." Among Plastino’s final wishes was for the original art for the story to be displayed at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, MA. 

As a tribute to honor him and preserve his artistic legacy, DC Entertainment is pleased to confirm that we have acquired the art and will be donating it to the JFK Library, fulfilling Plastino's longtime hope for the story, which he often pointed to as one of his most important artistic contributions.

I am glad to see that this is having a happy ending. Al Plastino is smiling down from heaven.

Kudos to DC Entertainment for doing right!

Al Plastino, R.I.P.

Above, Al Plastino.

One of the few remaining Golden Age and Silver Age comic book artists, Al Plastino, passed away yesterday at age 91 of prostate cancer.

Recently, Plastino has been involved in litigation over artwork he drew for "Superman's Mission for President Kennedy" that was intended to be donated to the John F. Kennedy Library.

Above, a Facebook message to me on the Superman-JFK artwork matter from Al Plastino from a few weeks ago.

Somehow, those pages of art never made it to the Kennedy Library and were to be up for auction last week. When the controversy erupted last month, Heritage Auctions pulled the artwork pending investigation.

While Curt Swan was my favorite Superman artist, Al Plastino was a good illustrator in his own right and I felt his work actually got better as the years went on.

For more, go here.

R.I.P., Al.

Some Positives In The Al Plastino Artwork Matter

It is good to see that the comic book professional community is getting behind Golden Age/Silver Age Superman artist Al Plastino in his efforts to get to the bottom of how his original artwork ended up in private hands when the pages were supposed to have been donated to the John F. Kennedy Library almost 50 years ago.

Many in the comics industry, including Neal Adams and his daughter, have gotten involved and, as I mentioned in an earlier blog post, are seeking a legal remedy to keep the artwork from going on the auction block permanently.

At 91, Plastino doesn't need this kind of drama in his life, but in a way it is good that he knows that comics professionals and fans are standing with him, and he is very appreciative. I sent him a link to an earlier blog post on this matter and I received a thank-you from him (posted at top). I am glad that I was able to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to him for years of enjoyment through his work.

As others have said on this matter, the fight is just beginning!

Legal Steps To Prevent Al Plastino Superman-JFK Art From Going To Auction Initiated

Above, artist Al Plastino with the 'splash page' of the artwork in contention.  Photo: Facebook.

It was good news that Heritage Auctions pulled the Al Plastino original artwork of "Superman's Mission For President Kennedy" and will investigate how it ended up in private hands instead of being at the John F. Kennedy Library, where it was intended.

But this is just a temporary withdrawal. However, steps are being taken to keep the artwork from going on the auction block permanently.

According to the New York Post:

But advocates for comic book artists say that since the art was never given to the museum, Plastino remains the rightful owner. Comic book publishers, they claim, only buy the publishing rights to an artist’s work, not the work itself. Publishers generally dispute this, and it’s an issue that’s been debated for decades. 

“He never gave up ownership of the art because DC never purchased it from him or paid sales tax,” asserted Kris Adams Stone, daughter of comic book legend Neal Adams. She added that legal papers are being prepared to halt the auction for good.

To read the full story, go here.

Was Al Plastino's Superman-JFK Artwork Stolen?

Above, the cover of Superman issue no. 170.

It is interesting that this story should hit now, since the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy is coming up next month.

There is a bit of a flap over some original artwork that appeared in the July 1964 issue of Superman (no. 170). The issue contained the story, "Superman's Mission For President Kennedy" that was penciled and inked by Al Plastino. In the story, Kennedy enlists Superman's help to get flabby Americans to become physically fit.

As I have this issue in my collection, I remember it well. On the very last panel of the story, it stated that the original artwork would be donated to the John F. Kennedy Library at Harvard University (at the time, that was where the library was planned to be located).

Above, the Plastino art. Note the last panel stating that the original art will be donated to the Kennedy Library.

According to a story at Bleeding Cool.com, the Plastino original artwork is now up for auction at Heritage Auctions. They are looking to get $200,000 for it.  Somehow, the artwork never made it to the Kennedy Library and they have no record of ever receiving it.

Artist Al Plastino is quite upset over this.

He said:

Please help if you can. The art I donated and thought for all these years was being housed at the Kennedy library at Harvard is now being auctioned off on the anniversary of Kennedy’s assassination. And now I am finding out that the art may have never made it to the library. The archivists tell me there are no records of it ever being received. I asked for the art back and they will not give it to me. I asked for the consigner’s name and they will not tell me that either. They tell me I have no rights to my work and that it is too late to get it back.

I don't blame Plastino for being upset about his artwork, intended for the Kennedy Library, ending up in someone else's hands, possibly by theft.

However, the story gets more complicated.

The story was originally scheduled for Superman no. 168, but it was pulled when Kennedy was assassinated. This version was drawn by artist Curt Swan and inked by George Klein. The editor of Superman, Mort Weisinger, published an announcement in the current issue stating that the artwork would be donated to Jacqueline Kennedy.

Above, editor Mort Weisinger's announcement containing a panel of the Swan/Klein artwork.

Later, President Johnson asked National Periodical Publications (DC Comics) to publish it, and it is speculated that the Swan/Klein artwork was donated already, so it had to be re-drawn and Plastino got the assignment. Herein lies the confusion or complication.

It appears that the Swan/Klein artwork may have been donated directly to Mrs. Kennedy and not to the Kennedy Library (I assume there was a foundation set-up to get the library built at the time). But, as it shows on the last panel of the Plastino version, his artwork was intended to be donated to the Kennedy Library. It is possible that both versions were intended to be donated (the Swan/Klein art to Mrs. Kennedy and the Plastino art to the Kennedy Library) by National.

Since it was stated on the last panel of Plastino's version that it was to be donated, how did it end up not going to the Kennedy Library, but eventually to an auction house in 2013? Could the artwork have been stolen? What happened?

Heritage Auctions should pull the artwork from their auction schedule, put it on hold (treat it as possible stolen property) and begin an investigation to see if the artwork was stolen as well as the chain of custody since 1964. That would be right thing to do.

UPDATE: Bleeding Cool reports that Heritage Auctions has withdrawn the auction for the Plastino artwork and will investigate.  For more, go here.

Action Comics #405 Artwork

While chatting with a friend who just scored a Thomas Kinkade painting, it got me to do some digging on the original Curt Swan/Murphy Anderson artwork for Action Comics #405 (October 1971) that I own. It was for the story, "Superman, Bodyguard or Assassin?"

Here's the page:

And here's the cover to the comic it's from (by Neal Adams):

I must've bought the art page about 10-12 years ago. I paid $100 for it. Checking around, it appears that comparable original art from Swan and Anderson during that period now fetches around $500. See this.

My Comic Strip Art: "Catalyst"

Back in the early 1990s, I did a stint as the illustrator for a comic strip called "Catalyst" for a remote-controlled modeling newspaper American Modeler, Scale Modeling News & Features.

I found some copies of it the other day and here's some samples of what I did:

This lasted until the checks started bouncing.  But it was fun to do while it lasted.