During his all too short life (1962- 2016) Darwyn Cooke made a considerable contribution to the world of comics and animation as a writer, artist and animator. His artistic endeavours can be found in some of the very best animated series ever created (working with the equally talented Bruce Timm) on shows including the New Batman Adventures , Superman: the Animated Series, and many other classic animation show’s featuring DC characters. In comics, he worked on various one shot and back up comics but will be best remembered for his work on "Catwoman", "The Spirit" and in the truly wonderful series “DC: The New Frontier” which for a brief moment took me back to the sense of wonder I experienced when I read my first US comics as a 10 year old. Below are some of my favourite of Darwyn’s many comic book covers to accompany the wonderfully fun Catwoman (issue 46) cover above.
In 2014 DC announced that Darwyn Cooke would produce a set of variant covers for 23 of their titles. Each cover was presented as a landscape image running horizontally on the front cover. Everyone was a classic (I only have the comics shown here but plan to pick the rest up when I can) -In hidsight it may have been easier on th eye to present these in landscape format.
Aquaman 37 is my favourite of the 23 image run (I'm just a romantic at heart).
Detective Comics 37 - comes a close second a very different look at Batman/Bruce and Alfred .
Cooke also drew many covers for Dynamite (and other companies) featuring characters like The Phantom, The Shadow and Flash Gordon.
As a final image the above page is from Cookes best work (imho) "DC: The New Frontier" - This image was also used for the paperback edition of "The Art of Darwyn Cooke" book which I cannot recommend highly enough. As noted above Darwyn passed away in May 2016 at the all to young age of just 53. In that short time he became one of comics true innovators and an artist and writer that brought a sense of wonder and fun back to comics that had been missing since the days of Stan lee, Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko.
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Darwyn Cooke's The New Frontier is an amazing work. The elegant way he blends all the different heroes together to create a coherent and fascinating alternate view of the DCU is stunning. Reading his pages is so much fun, so lovely and well crafted. Thanks for this reminder.
ReplyDeleteI can only imagine that many 13 year olds reading the New Frontier in 2004 are now looking back with nostalgic eyes at those geat days at 30plus year olds. New Frontier was a love story to those great 1950s and 60s comics ( told you I was an old romantic)
ReplyDeleteDid you see his illustrated adaptations of the 'Parker' books? (Nothing to do with Lady Penelope.) Great artist, sad loss. New Frontier was a belter.
ReplyDeleteHi Kid, yes I've seen his excellent art on the Richard Stark Parker books , but I dont have them I'm afraid. I'm actually skimming through a couple of his New Frontier comics at the moment, they never lose there appeal to me.
ReplyDeleteEverything that Cooke did was absolutely brilliant, McScotty. I started with New Frontier and then couldn't get enough of his work - such a sense of fun in everything he did. I especially like Selina's Big Score, as well as the work he did in SOLO. I think I have most of his stuff (including the Parker books, plus the hardback of The Hunter where he included some painted plates). Sitting in pride of place on top of the comic box shelves in the six-pack of beer produced by Chicago brewers Arcade, with the comic strip "The Adventures of Dutch Courage" by Cooke and Palmiotti across each of the bottles. No doubt it will all explode as the beer ferments at some point in the future...
ReplyDeleteJust had a look at those Dutch Courage ads baggsey, they're amazing. I really like Darwyn's more cartoon style so this is right up my alley. I pick up anything I see by Darwyn Cooke (and Bruce Timm) but I probably won't ever see these . Great stuff thanks for the info
ReplyDeleteI think Darwyn Cooke was pretty unique amongst comic artists in that he could jump between different cartooning styles depending on the story material, McScotty. The only current person I can think of offhand with Darwyn's ability to change styles, yet still the work would be instantly recognizable as Cooke's is Elsa Charretier, who brings a similar style, flexibility and fun. Her YouTube series is well worth watching.
DeleteJust had a look at Elsa's art and I see what you mean. She is a new name to me, but an excellent artist and some very nice comic covers .
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