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Monday, March 21, 2022

Top Tens: Nick Cardy - DC’s cover king!

Looking at my collection of DC comics it has become very clear to me that I picked up many of their titles in the1970’s based firmly on the wonderful covers produced by artist extraordinaire Nick Cardy. In the 1960’s to 1970’s Nick Cardy was DC’s undisputed cover king and in that time he produced many of the companies most memorable and iconic covers. Although Cardy was best known for his work on Aquaman and the Teen Titans (covers and internal art on these particular comics) he also produced numerous other covers for DC including (but not restricted to ) the Flash, Spectre, Superman Romance, western, war and a plethora of mystery comics. Unlike many of todays "poster" based comic book covers, everyone of Cardy's covers were so well illustrated and based on the actual content of the comic that they would make any prospective purchaser want to buy the comic. Below are ten of my favourite Cardy covers:
Cover taken from DC Fandom page.
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14 comments:

  1. KidMarch 22, 2022 at 1:11 AM

    Every one a belter, McS, particularly Teen Titans #26. That's a Babe of the Day if I ever saw one.

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    1. McSCOTTYMarch 22, 2022 at 7:33 AM

      All Cardys Teen Titans covers were stunning and for myself at least, must be considered among the best covers produced for any comic book series . Yeah issue 26 is a lovely cover Kid with Wonder Girl drawn as Rip rightly says . Certainly as a teenager when I originally purchased that issue, the illo of WG certainly caught my eye a bit less so now as she's supposed to be a teenager lol .

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    2. KidMarch 22, 2022 at 9:33 PM

      Doesn't look like a teenager though, McS, to me she looks like a full-grown woman. It's an interesting point, however, as when I was a kid, I fancied Marvel Girl who was older than me, but still a teenager. And when I look at the same drawings today, I still fancy her. Does that make me a lecherous old perv, or am I looking at her through the filter of my younger self?

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    3. McSCOTTYMarch 22, 2022 at 10:02 PM

      I never fancied any cartoon or comic book female Kid although I was a fan of Gwen Stacey but that was more via her romantic relationship with Peter Parker.

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    4. KidMarch 22, 2022 at 11:00 PM

      What? Didn't fancy cartoon or comicbook females, McS? What are you - some kind of pervert? You'll be saying you didn't fancy Marina from Stingray next.

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    5. McSCOTTYMarch 23, 2022 at 12:18 PM

      "I didn't fancy Marina from Stingray" 😄

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  2. Colin JonesMarch 22, 2022 at 3:40 AM

    Superman at the dentist? Now I've seen everything!

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    1. McSCOTTYMarch 22, 2022 at 7:34 AM

      I just love the humour in that cover Colin . DC were good for these types of cover back in the 1970s.

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  3. Rip JaggerMarch 22, 2022 at 5:26 AM

    Cardy was an amazing cover artist. His Superman covers from the early Bronze Age are stunning and iconic. And he could draw lovely women who were well fit for action, not the over-sexualized creatures who swish around in so many modern comics.

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  4. McSCOTTYMarch 22, 2022 at 7:38 AM

    Couldn't have put it better myself Rip. I find the over-sexualisation of females in some modern comics concerning at times. Nothing wrong in presenting a pretty lady of course but there are (for me at least) limits. Yeah Cardys Superman covers were great weren't they I remember a Superman/ Popeye type cover that was a cracker ( sadly I don't have that one).

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  5. Steve W.March 23, 2022 at 4:40 PM

    I think that just about every DC comic I ever bought was bought because of the cover - and a good 50% of those covers were by Cardy. Probably the best cover artist I've ever seen.

    The thing that strikes me now is that because he hardly ever drew interiors, it wasn't until the internet came along that I discovered his identity and that those covers were all by one man.

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  6. McSCOTTYMarch 23, 2022 at 5:10 PM

    I think I only found out he was the guy responsible for these great covers when I saw his name in the credits of a few DC 100 page comic and then the penny dropped. I was aware that a guy named Nick Cardy drew the interiors to the Teen Titans in the late 1960s from the credits blurb but I didnt realise this was the same guy doing all these great covers at that time.

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  7. baggseyMarch 26, 2022 at 3:24 PM

    Every one a winner, McScotty. He drew so many good covers, especially Teen Titans , Aquaman and Bat Lash, and hasn't had the recognition that he deserves. My personal favourite is the cover of Brave & Bold #92, the issue where Batman teams with the Bat Squad.

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  8. McSCOTTYMarch 27, 2022 at 10:07 AM

    I forgot all about Bat Lash baggsey there were some great covers and internal art in that comic run. Yeah B&B 92 was a great cover , I forgot all about that one as well and I don't have it sadly . I'm heading to South Coast next week so may check to see if I can pick it up



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