Showing posts with label Nick Cardy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nick Cardy. Show all posts

Pop focus: Nick Cardy - Master of the Comic Book Cover

Comics artist Nick Cardy passed away at age 93 earlier this week. Best-known for his work on various DC Comics series in the 1960s and early 70s, such as Teen Titans and Aquaman, Cardy started out as an artist in Will Eisner's shop, illustrating the Lady Luck feature in The Spirit newspaper sections Eisner produced during the 1940s.

Along with the excellent work within comics, Cardy was also a master at creating covers that nearly jumped out of the spinner rack during the Bronze Age.

He used op-art techniques, color washes and other innovations to create interest, and his set-ups -- people falling out of buildings, superheroes in various improbable situations -- were fantastic.

You couldn't help picking up the comic and peeking inside. Most of the time, you'd buy the comic based on the cover alone. It's a bit of a lost art in these days when most comics covers are merely pin-ups of whichever hero stars in the title. Cardy's covers -- designed in collaboration with DC's editor -- were action-packed and meant to stand out from the competition.

Here's a look at some of his best. Scans from the Grand Comics Database: