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Here is some solid 70's DC comfort food. 1977 to be exact, the same year Star Wars came out. I'd have just turned 7 when this was in the spinner racks and would have been at the 7 Eleven to get a slurpee, not comics. I wouldn't start looking at superhero comics for another half decade. Despite this being before my time in comic collecting/reading, it feels "of my time" because I watched Super Friends Saturday morning cartoons on TV and either had or had seen the lunch boxes and thermos duos sporting these characters. So, here is fun a cover featuring the World's Finest plus Wonder Woman all in classic poses in front of the two dimensional backgrounds. Oh no! What is happening to the Red Tornado? Better get this book and see! This was one of those double-length issues and details on being in the Superman movie were just a few page turns away. What could be better in the early fall of 1977?
I know what some of you are thinking. This is perhaps not the kind of art you might expect to show up in my collection. I really like Dick Dillin's art. I've had pages a long time ago but they moved on. In particular I liked his Black Hawk art. A number of years ago when I was visiting NYC there was a show at the Society of Illustrators on Dillin's work that made me rethink his work. I had written him off as a house style artist of DC with not that much to add but there was always something distinctive of his art such that I knew he drew it. I couldn't put my finger on it exactly but it was a bit more cartoony and dynamic. Characters were always coming in from dramatic angles and there is more length to his layouts than width if that makes sense. So, I've been toying with adding a page by him to my collection but the pages I've seen in recent years didn't really have what I wanted in a page. This did.
I came across this cover at OAX. It was at Albert's booth and I had some art that Albert really wanted so this became part of a much larger trade/cash deal. I gave up something pretty iconic but I got some cool art and cash to put towards my downsizing/sales goal. Of course, I ended up trading one piece for 3 pieces so I guess I might have failed on that goal.
I'll post other pieces in a few days but until then, What will happen to the Red Tornado? I get to find out because a copy of the comic was included.
I know what some of you are thinking. This is perhaps not the kind of art you might expect to show up in my collection. I really like Dick Dillin's art. I've had pages a long time ago but they moved on. In particular I liked his Black Hawk art. A number of years ago when I was visiting NYC there was a show at the Society of Illustrators on Dillin's work that made me rethink his work. I had written him off as a house style artist of DC with not that much to add but there was always something distinctive of his art such that I knew he drew it. I couldn't put my finger on it exactly but it was a bit more cartoony and dynamic. Characters were always coming in from dramatic angles and there is more length to his layouts than width if that makes sense. So, I've been toying with adding a page by him to my collection but the pages I've seen in recent years didn't really have what I wanted in a page. This did.
I came across this cover at OAX. It was at Albert's booth and I had some art that Albert really wanted so this became part of a much larger trade/cash deal. I gave up something pretty iconic but I got some cool art and cash to put towards my downsizing/sales goal. Of course, I ended up trading one piece for 3 pieces so I guess I might have failed on that goal.
I'll post other pieces in a few days but until then, What will happen to the Red Tornado? I get to find out because a copy of the comic was included.
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About Dick Dillin
Richard Dillin was born in Watertown, N.Y. Soon after graduation from high school, he enlisted in the army. He served overseas for a year and a half with 8th Army Headquarters in Tokyo and Yokohama. Discharged from the service, he resumed his academic career at Syracuse University. He began his professional career doing portraits and magazine illustrations. He eventually turned to comics. He was a longtime artist of the 'Blackhawk' feature at Quality and DC in the 1950s and 1960s. He was the main artist of the 'Justice League of America' comic at DC in the 1960s and 1970s. In the 1970s, he also drew 'World's Finest'.
