When Superman’s home planet Krypton exploded, a big chunk containing Argo City and its inhabitants remained intact and drifted through space. Eventually that chunk of the planet turned into Kryptonite, deadly to the last of Krypton’s survivors. The life of teenaged Supergirl was spared by her father, who built a rocket and sent her to earth. After seeing her rocket land, Superman investigated and discovered the super powered teen. … Read More
Comic Cards Project: Day 30 • Lois Lane
In an era of comics defined by ridiculous, harebrained, what-were-they-thinking stories, Lois Lane wins the prize for off-the-chart silliness. In every issue of her own comic, she made a case for herself as the dopiest of Superman’s acquaintances. And that’s saying something when his best pal was Jimmy Olsen. Although billed as “Superman’s girlfriend”, Supes rarely acted as if he was … Read More
Comic Cards Project: Day 29 • Mercury
Comic Cards Project: Day 29 • Mercury Mercury was another one of the Metal Men and, as he liked to brag, the only metal that’s liquid at room temperature. I guess that would explain why he wasn’t held together with rivets like his robotic comrades (a little detail I never noticed until making the drawing for this card). Mercury was … Read More
Comic Cards Project: Day 28 • Snapper Carr
Comic Cards Project: Day 28 • Snapper Carr In 1960, following a resurgence of superheroes, the most popular of DC Comics’ costumed characters banded together to form the Justice League of America. During their first mission, a regular teenager named Snapper Carr helped out and he was unanimously elected an honorary member. “Snapper” was his nickname because he was always snapping his fingers. As if this wasn’t annoying enough, … Read More
Comic Cards Project: Day 27 • Speedy
Speedy was Green Arrow’s sidekick and one of the early examples of a hero’s junior partner, debuting in 1941 just a year after Robin. I guess after Batman adopted a ward, Green Arrow felt he had to keep up. Speedy was overlooked as an original member of the Teen Titans, the sidekicks’ answer to the Justice League—but by popular demand, he guest-starred occasionally before … Read More
Comic Cards Project: Day 26 • Hawkman
Hawkman and his wife Hawkgirl were police officers from a planet far, far away. They first came to earth in pursuit of a fugitive criminal, and after apprehending him they decided to stay and study our police methods. Considering how obviously advanced their inter-planetary traveling civilization must have been, this was a pretty flimsy reason, but I guess it was all the … Read More
Comic Cards Project: Day 25 • Batwoman
Comic Cards Project: Day 25 • Batwoman Now would be a good time to talk about Frederic Wertham’s book Seduction of the Innocent. Published in 1954, this bestselling condemnation of comic books as a major cause of juvenile delinquency had a huge impact on the industry. It led to congressional hearings on the subject and to the formation of the Comics Code … Read More
Comic Cards Project: Day 24 • Iron
Like his other five comrades in the Metal Men, Iron was a robot who thought he was human. However, he didn’t cause the Metal Men’s creator Dr. Will Magnus nearly as much trouble as some of the others—like hot-headed Mercury, timid Tin, or impetuous Platinum. Iron was always reliable, good-natured, and strong—the group’s powerhouse—who, like the others, was able to form himself into an … Read More
Comic Cards Project: Day 23 • Kid Flash
Kid Flash was Wally West, the nephew of the Flash‘s girlfriend, Iris West. A repeat of the freak accident that created the Flash also gave Wally his powers of super speed. For the first 3 years, his costume was identical to the Flash, and since it covered the entire body except for the lower part of the face, it was virtually … Read More
Comic Cards Project: Day 22 • The Atom
The Atom was physicist Ray Palmer, who acquired the ability to shrink to any size. He often used this ability to help his girlfriend, lawyer Jean Loring, with her cases. She turned down his many marriage proposals with the excuse that she wanted to prove that she could be a success before giving up her career and settling down. It … Read More