Without "Batman: The Dark Knight Rises" out this week, we're showcasing some of my all-time favorite Batman artists.
Starting off, here's Dick Sprang, who illustrated many Batman stories through the 1940s and 1950s and, in the early 1960s, handled art chores on many of the World's Finest stories featuring Batman and Superman.
Sprang designed one of the coolest Batmobiles (the 1948 model) and also is credited with designing the Riddler's costume. Most Batman stories up through the mid-1960s carried the byline of Batman co-creator (with Bill Finger) Bob Kane, although most of the art was actually produced by "ghosts," including Sprang. Sprang also worked on the Batman newspaper strip.
I first encountered Sprang's work in the fabulous
Batman from the 1930s to the 70s hardcover collection
I love his cartoony-but-dramatic style. His deep shadows, bold shapes, sharp design and smooth storytelling style. The Batman stories of his era have such a distinctive look, which has gone onto inspire the Caped Crusader's look in his 1990s-and-forward animated adventures.
We're fortunate that much of Sprang's artwork is now being reprinted, alongside the work of many other comics' greats.
Sprang was born in 1915 and died in 2000.
Here's a look at some of his great work, including his period Batman work and some later Bat-related art commissioned in the 1980s and later.
