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Post by Farrar on Nov 22, 2017 15:00:01 GMT -5
OK this is a weird one. So that's the cover of Detective Comics 33 from 1939. It should be fairly well known today in the era of reprints, fanzines, internet, homages, etc, but why is it being swiped in the fourth panel of this random issue of Batman 117 from 1958? When Moldoff drew this issue he almost certainly had to have an actual copy of Detective 33 in front of him as reference since in 1958, I can't imagine that it had been reprinted anywhere. I guess he had access to the issue as an employee of DC (or perhaps Bob Kane had a copy laying around) but it's still strange to think that he was either carrying this image around in his head for close to 20 years at this point, or was rooting through the archives at National Periodicals so that he could get an idea for panel four, page ten of one of the three Batman stories he drew for this issue. Not really so "weird" IMO. One of Moldoff's first jobs--if not his first--in the comics industry, was as B. Kane's assistant. So Moldoff was there with Kane early on; he even worked on Detective #33. www.comics.org/issue/560/And as we know, later on Moldoff was Kane's principal ghost for many years, roughly 1953-67 (in this capacity he worked directly for Kane and not NPP/DC, though he was also doing some other, non-Batman work for NPP/DC at the same time). So Kane likely kept Moldoff supplied with whatever comics/art he wanted in order to help keep it on model. Not to mention Moldoff's and Kane's families socialized, even though in interviews Moldoff--like many others--contends that Kane was controlling, pennypinching, etc. |
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Post by chadwilliam on Nov 23, 2017 21:46:31 GMT -5
OK this is a weird one. So that's the cover of Detective Comics 33 from 1939. It should be fairly well known today in the era of reprints, fanzines, internet, homages, etc, but why is it being swiped in the fourth panel of this random issue of Batman 117 from 1958? When Moldoff drew this issue he almost certainly had to have an actual copy of Detective 33 in front of him as reference since in 1958, I can't imagine that it had been reprinted anywhere. I guess he had access to the issue as an employee of DC (or perhaps Bob Kane had a copy laying around) but it's still strange to think that he was either carrying this image around in his head for close to 20 years at this point, or was rooting through the archives at National Periodicals so that he could get an idea for panel four, page ten of one of the three Batman stories he drew for this issue. Not really so "weird" IMO. One of Moldoff's first jobs--if not his first--in the comics industry, was as B. Kane's assistant. So Moldoff was there with Kane early on; he even worked on Detective #33. www.comics.org/issue/560/And as we know, later on Moldoff was Kane's principal ghost for many years, roughly 1953-67 (in this capacity he worked directly for Kane and not NPP/DC, though he was also doing some other, non-Batman work for NPP/DC at the same time). So Kane likely kept Moldoff supplied with whatever comics/art he wanted in order to help keep it on model. Not to mention Moldoff's and Kane's families socialized, even though in interviews Moldoff--like many others--contends that Kane was controlling, pennypinching, etc. I had actually considered the possibility of his having worked with Kane on this cover but dismissed it thinking that Kane probably wasn't using ghosts that early on. Looks like I was wrong - good call! I wonder if the image simply stood out in Moldoff's mind after all those years - by 1958 Bill Finger's original design wouldn't have been exactly on model (see how Moldoff sort of has to cheat the cape to effect the mimicry) - and he wanted to use it again here. I also have to wonder if Kane held onto every issue (at least the earliest ones) that he worked on and if so, where are his copies today? |
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Post by Icctrombone on Nov 24, 2017 6:27:41 GMT -5
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Post by tarkintino on Nov 24, 2017 9:48:41 GMT -5
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Post by Farrar on Nov 24, 2017 15:20:17 GMT -5
^^^ Love it--good one tarkintino ! And in turn the Space Adventures cover is based on this Blue Beetle #58 from 1950 (and according to gcd, SA #13 contains reprints from that BB series, though not from #58).  |
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Post by Farrar on Nov 24, 2017 15:36:12 GMT -5
I had actually considered the possibility of his having worked with Kane on this cover but dismissed it thinking that Kane probably wasn't using ghosts that early on. Looks like I was wrong - good call! I am not sure Moldfoff actually worked on that particular cover (though it's certainly a possibility)--I was merely pointing out that he was working with Kane very early on. GCD says for Batman #33 Moldoff did the letters, backgrounds, etc. for the first story in that issue. I wonder if the image simply stood out in Moldoff's mind after all those years - by 1958 Bill Finger's original design wouldn't have been exactly on model (see how Moldoff sort of has to cheat the cape to effect the mimicry) - and he wanted to use it again here. It's a cover that contains a striking pose--it stands out. Moldoff, via Kane, had access to all sorts of Batman art/old issues. Moldoff liked to use reference, as he's mentioned in interviews. Not just for Batman but he's also mentioned his great admiration for and emulating of Alex Raymond or Milt Caniff among others (not uncommon for artists of Moldoff's generation). There are plenty of references of their work in Moldoff's comic book art. |
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Post by Icctrombone on Nov 24, 2017 19:43:01 GMT -5
Dude , you and farrar broke the internet with you finds. |
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Post by Reptisaurus! on Nov 25, 2017 9:00:28 GMT -5
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Post by tarkintino on Nov 27, 2017 10:39:05 GMT -5
Thanks, guys. Here's another...  |
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Post by Farrar on Nov 27, 2017 16:29:48 GMT -5
tarkintino, I love how you set these on a background. How do you do that?
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Post by tarkintino on Nov 27, 2017 17:20:03 GMT -5
tarkintino , I love how you set these on a background. How do you do that? Thanks. After scanning (or in some cases downloading) covers, I take it to Photoshop, where I create a background, apply a color to it, and size/center the covers. |
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Post by Farrar on Nov 27, 2017 19:34:28 GMT -5
^^^ Thank you tarkintino. Your posts are so beautifully presented. |
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Post by Icctrombone on Nov 27, 2017 19:44:42 GMT -5
How about this ?  |
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,218 
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Post by Confessor on Nov 27, 2017 23:20:35 GMT -5
That reminds me, I must re-read Nick Fury issue #3 again soon. It's such a classic. |
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Post by Icctrombone on Nov 28, 2017 5:42:22 GMT -5
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