Pop Culture Safari!

Russ Heath's comic strip about being ripped off by pop artist Roy Lichtenstein

It's no secret among comic book fans that pop artist Roy Lichtenstein frequently copied the works of real cartoonists for his famed paintings.

One of those cartoonists was Russ Heath, who a couple years back, created an autobiographical comic strip about the experiences.

Over the past couple week, the strip has been shared widely online. Robot 6 has some background details on it:

...the comic strip (colored and lettered by Darwyn Cooke) was initially published in May 2012, in IDW’s Hero Comics 2012. (In fact, ROBOT 6 ran the comic that month.) Also, the Lichtenstein work cited in the comic, 1963’s “Whaam!,” was actually based on a panel by Irv Novick in 1962’s All-American Men of War #89, published by DC Comics — Lichtenstein lifted from Heath in 1962’s “Blam,” with a panel also from All-American Men of War #89. Same issue, different artists.

Here's the strip. The Heroes Initiative is a program that helps comics creators in need.

And here's a look at Lichtenstein's painting (bottom) and the original comic book art (top):

Will Eisner, and more, draw Superman

The Golden Age, today, shares a gallery of Superman pin-ups by famed comics artists.

Originally published in Superman #400 in 1984, the gallery includes artwork by Will Eisner, Jack Davis, Steve Ditko, Jim Steranko and many more.

Here's Eisner's contribution:

New book celebrates paperback art of Robert McGinnis

Out this week, "The Art of Robert E. McGinnis" showcases the prolific artist's many paperback covers.

Known for his sultry females, McGinnis provided cover art for numerous books, including the hard-boiled Mike Shayne series, the Perry Mason series, and numerous movie posters, including several for the James Bond series, "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and many more. Check out a few examples below.

You can see more of McGinnis work here.

New Yoe book looks at African American comics

Out in Feburary:

IDW and Yoe Books are proud to announce "The Untold History of Black Comic Books," brought to you by Professor William H. Foster III, a leading authority on the history of Black cartoonists and comics, and fellow comic book historian Craig Yoe.

This groundbreaking collection in both scope and detail, traces the changing image of African-Americans in comic books from the 1940s right up to the present day. Perfect for fans and comic scholars alike, it includes nearly 200 pages of rarely seen comic book stories never reprinted before. There has never been a book with this incredible and fascinating cultural scope and is truly not to be missed.

“This book is important to me on several levels,” said Professor Foster. “It is not just the culmination of years of research. It is the latest chapter in my efforts to illuminate the forgotten corners of comic book history. Despite the fact that I have been a fan, collector, and historian for comics for many years, I still meet people in and out of the comic industry who say they have never seen, or heard of Black comic books. Incidents like that used to depress me. Nowadays I just smile and say, ‘Well, let me tell you a story…’”

The Untold History of Black Comic Books

How Marvel's Ultron upped the ante on comic book evil

Vox, today, has an interesting piece today looking at how Roy Thomas' Ultron introduced a new level of more sophisticated, more malicious evil into comic books.

The character is the big bad in the upcoming second Avengers film.

Though we're introduced to Ultron in the "Masters of Evil" arc, we don't find out his origin until four issues later in Avengers no. 58. Hank Pym, a.k.a. Ant-Man, is Ultron's creator — and he didn't even know it.
Pym was one of Marvel's most troubled superheroes. His powers — changing his size — weren't as flashy as Thor's or Iron Man's. And his intelligence wasn't as revered as Reed Richards's. He was the Ringo of the Avengers.

"His history was largely a litany of failure, always changing guises and switching back and forth from research to hero-ing because he wasn't succeeding at either," Jim Shooter, a former editor-in-chief at Marvel wrote on his site, explaining Pym's shortcomings. "He was never the Avenger who saved the day at the end and usually the first knocked out or captured."

Ultron's origin was another indication that Marvel was changing the way it thought of bad guys and the importance of where evil comes from. Marvel wanted to make it clear that villains' beginnings mattered and that it benefits storytelling and superheroes when a story's antagonist has nuance and depth.

Today's best picture ever: Keith Moon and Iggy Pop

Pop artifacts: Vintage Batman buttons

Marvel Comics honors Jack Kirby on Veterans Day

A nice indication of improving relations between Marvel Comics and the family of cartoonist Jack Kirby: Marvel posted a tribute yesterday honoring Kirby's military service during World War II.

Kirby co-created most of Marvel's hallmark characters - Captain America, Thor, Fantastic Four, Hulk, S.H.I.E.L.D and many others. Recently, Marvel made a legal settlement with Kirby's estate - terms undisclosed - and has started listing Kirby as a co-creator with Stan Lee in many of its comics.

The Veterans Day tribute is a nice touch, too, and has some quotes from Kirby's son, Neal, about the Jack's eventful Army days.

In mid-1944, Kirby and others again got reassigned, this time to serve as infantry in Europe. Following training at Camp Stewart, he reported to the 11^th Infantry Regiment, Company F. As part of General George S. Patton’s Third Army, Kirby and his unit quickly became part of the Lorraine Campaign in France.

Kirby took part in the crossing of the Moselle River at Dornot on September 8, 1944. Paddling themselves across the river in tiny assault boats while under fire from German troops on the other side, the battalion established a small beachhead where they were met by the 37th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment. Holding a thin line in the woods, the men of the 2^nd Battalion held for days.

Neal Kirby remembers one harrowing story, when a tank was charging down on his father’s foxhole. Sure to be run over by the massive tank, “the guy next to him stood up and just fired a round right through the drivers slit and the tank stops dead. It’s one of those one in a billion shots,” that saved Jack Kirby and others.