Hey, hey, hey, Groove-ophiles! Ol' Groove's back with a grab-bag of cool covers to blow your mind and make you feel so fine! I couldn't settle on just one cover this time, so I'm gonna lay a Tuesday Triple Play on ya, baby! Plant your peepers on these pupil-pleasers:
Secret Origins was a truly swingin' comic that reprinted classic origins of the greatest DC heroes and villains. Though it only ran seven issues (November, 1972-July, 1974), editor E. Nelson Bridwell supplied us with some of the best origin stories the Golden and Silver Ages had to offer: Batman, Superman, Silver Age Flash, Golden Age Gentleman Ghost, Supergirl, Silver Age Green Lantern, Silver Age Atom, Wonder Woman, Wildcat, Vigilante, Kid Eternity, Spectre, Legion of Super-Heroes, Blackhawks, Robin, and Aquaman! Before the days of Essentials, Showcases, Masterworks, and Archives, Secret Origins was where it was at, baby!
But the thing that kept drawing Li'l Groove back issue after issue was the mind-blowing covers by Nick Cardy. Cardy was
the DC cover artist of the early 70s, and he made everything look cool. From horror/mystery covers, to Superman, to the 100 Page Super Spectaculars, to Batman, Cardy's covers jumped out and screamed, "Buy me, Groove!" So I did.
Above are my top three Nick Cardy Secret Origins covers, from issues 1, 3, and 5. I was amazed at how Cardy could lay down just the right scene to summarize the whole origin of a character, then place it just so behind a cool super-hero pose (as he did with numbers 1 and 3). The use of color holds (dropping the black lines) really made those scenes look far-out! My favorite of all faves, though, is the cover of issue 5. The origin of the Spectre summarized in three magnificently rendered panels. That's why they invented the word "
awesome"!
Secret Origins was a truly swingin' comic that reprinted classic origins of the greatest DC heroes and villains. Though it only ran seven issues (November, 1972-July, 1974), editor E. Nelson Bridwell supplied us with some of the best origin stories the Golden and Silver Ages had to offer: Batman, Superman, Silver Age Flash, Golden Age Gentleman Ghost, Supergirl, Silver Age Green Lantern, Silver Age Atom, Wonder Woman, Wildcat, Vigilante, Kid Eternity, Spectre, Legion of Super-Heroes, Blackhawks, Robin, and Aquaman! Before the days of Essentials, Showcases, Masterworks, and Archives, Secret Origins was where it was at, baby!
But the thing that kept drawing Li'l Groove back issue after issue was the mind-blowing covers by Nick Cardy. Cardy was the DC cover artist of the early 70s, and he made everything look cool. From horror/mystery covers, to Superman, to the 100 Page Super Spectaculars, to Batman, Cardy's covers jumped out and screamed, "Buy me, Groove!" So I did.
Above are my top three Nick Cardy Secret Origins covers, from issues 1, 3, and 5. I was amazed at how Cardy could lay down just the right scene to summarize the whole origin of a character, then place it just so behind a cool super-hero pose (as he did with numbers 1 and 3). The use of color holds (dropping the black lines) really made those scenes look far-out! My favorite of all faves, though, is the cover of issue 5. The origin of the Spectre summarized in three magnificently rendered panels. That's why they invented the word "awesome"!
Back in the day, I LOVED the old Secret Origins and Wanted series - before archives and essentials and tpbs etc they were just about the only way to read Golden Age stories (along with those great 100Page Spectaculars). I love your blog BTW.
ReplyDeleteThanks for spending time with Ol' Groove's blog, Mike. Glad you enjoy it! When you least expect it, I'll be covering both Wanted and the 100 Page Super Specs, so be sure to keep on readin'!
ReplyDeleteaw, check out Wonder Woman on the cover of # 3. man, Nick Cardy drew the BEST chicks.
ReplyDeleteThat's why that cover's there, my man!
ReplyDelete