Page Turners: Mike Grell

Mike Grell is an artist that I associate very much with those heady days of the 1970’s. His work on DC’s Legion of Super-Heroes characters (my favourite comic from the early 1970’s) despite being set in the 30th century, was peppered with 1970’s tropes with characters featuring sideburns, big hair and costumes featuring flared trousers and platformed shoes, and I loved it. DC’s “Superboy” (later titled “ “Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes”) was Grell’s first monthly title with issue 203 which he took over from fan favourite artist Dave Cockrum in an issue that featured the death of the Invisible Kid. Grell would later go on to create illustrate and write DC’s successful "Warlord" title (splash page from #3 at header) and also provide art on Batman, Aquaman and Green Lantern and Green Arrow, before working for the independent publisher Pacific comics where he created “Starslayer” in 1982 and “John Sable - Freelance” for First comics in 1983. Although I lost track of Grell’s work around the early 1980’s, his work on the Legion and Warlord have remained firm favourites of mine over the years.

Above a splash page from the “Superboy and the Legion of Superheroes All-New Collectors' Edition (#C-55) from 1978 written by Paul Levitz. This tabloid special featured the marriage of Saturn Girl and Lightning Lad.

Warlord # 7

Starslayer #1 -My last Mike Grell comic.