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:





























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Defenders: Netflix to launch Dardevil, Iron Fist, Luke Cage series, mini-series

Marvel heroes are set to come to TV in a big way via Netflix's streaming service. Here's the press release (not sure how Jessica Jones ranks as one of Marvel's "most popular characters):
The Walt Disney Co. and Netflix Inc.today announced an unprecedented deal for Marvel TV to bring multiple original series of live-action adventures of four of Marvel’s most popular characters exclusively to the world’s leading Internet TV Network beginning in 2015. This pioneering agreement calls for Marvel to develop four serialized programs leading to a miniseries programming event. 
Led by a series focused on “Daredevil,” followed by “Jessica Jones,” “Iron Fist” and “Luke Cage,” the epic will unfold over multiple years of original programming, taking Netflix members deep into the gritty world of heroes and villains of Hell’s Kitchen, New York. Netflix has committed to a minimum of four, thirteen episodes series and a culminating Marvel’s “The Defenders” mini-series event that reimagines a dream team of self-sacrificing, heroic characters.
Produced by Marvel Television in association with ABC Television Studios, this groundbreaking deal is Marvel’s most ambitious foray yet into live-action TV storytelling.
“This deal is unparalleled in its scope and size, and reinforces our commitment to deliver Marvel’s brand, content and characters across all platforms of storytelling. Netflix offers an incredible platform for the kind of rich storytelling that is Marvel’s specialty,” said Alan Fine, President of Marvel Entertainment. “This serialized epic expands the narrative possibilities of on-demand television and gives fans the flexibility to immerse themselves how and when they want in what’s sure to be a thrilling and engaging adventure.”
“Marvel’s movies, such as ‘Iron Man’ and Marvel’s ‘The Avengers’, are huge favorites on our service around the world. Like Disney, Marvel is a known and loved brand that travels,” said Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos. “With ‘House of Cards’ and our other original series, we have pioneered new approaches to storytelling and to global distribution and we’re thrilled to be working with Disney and Marvel to take our brand of television to new levels with a creative project of this magnitude.”
This new original TV deal follows last year’s landmark movie distribution deal through which, beginning with 2016 theatrically released feature films, Netflix will be the exclusive U.S. subscription television service for first-run, live-action and animated movies from the Walt Disney Studios, including titles from Disney, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel Studios, Disneynature and Lucasfilm. Netflix members can currently enjoy a wide range of Disney, ABC TV and Disney Channel films and shows across the 41 countries where Netflix operates.