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| Action Comics #402 |
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| Superman #248 |
Friday, February 17, 2017
Making a Splash: Curt Swan's Groovy Superman
What it is, Groove-ophiles! Did'ja know that today is the 97th anniversary of the birth of Curt Swan? Well, 'tis! So whaddya say we celebrate the birthdate of THE Superman artist of the Groovy Age by taking a dip into a pile of his sensational Superman splashes? A random bunch of awesome artistry from Groovy Age issues of Superman and Action Comics coming right up!
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It's a shame that Curt Swan is such an underrated artist in the world of Neal Adamses, Jim Lees and Todd McFarlanes. Curt always drew real people as his original ambition before doing comic books was to be a magazine illustrator. As his work evolved in the 1960s onward, he could sneak in: brilliant page designs; and camera angles amidst realistic renderings of human beings, animals, props and locations. If you really look at Curt's work even now, there is always something to learn about the human expression, body language, anatomy and figure dynamics. He really was The Norman Rockwell of the comics, and should be really studied by comic artists, both fan and professional everywhere, and comics art aficionados.
ReplyDeleteWhere Curt Swan really excelled was in his covers. They always drew the reader in with their drama and dynamism. It's a shame that as a life long DC staffer Curt didn't get to experience inking from the likes of Palmer, Sinnott, Wiacek, Austin and Rubinstein. Those combinations would have been something (although he did get an illo of Marvel's version of Superman, the Gladiator, in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe inked by Rubinstein).
ReplyDeleteSwan had Murphy Anderson - a great artist himself, so no complaints there. But they, like Romita & the Buscema Bros were old school illustrators. Only thing, Swan didn't have Kirby lighting up his layouts. Still pretty solid pages, when they were not ruined by logos & text.
ReplyDeleteSwan had Murphy Anderson - a great artist himself, so no complaints there. But they, like Romita & the Buscema Bros were old school illustrators. Only thing, Swan didn't have Kirby lighting up his layouts. Still pretty solid pages, when they were not ruined by logos & text.
ReplyDeleteOf course, I've always heard about Swan as THE Superman artist, but I've really begun to develop a lot of love and respect for his work as I've been moving through my little Bronze Age project. It seems like he really developed a downright gorgeous style as it evolved through that period. His art was always solid, but in the Bronze Age, it gets elevated, or so I say, from my very limited experience.
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