Geek Love
One of the more thoughtful presents I received this birthday was a simple page of postage stamps. Check out their awesomeness below:
Superstamps!
A special thanks to Olaiya for finding these for me. I'm not quite sure if I'll be able to stick them on envelopes. Deep inside, I harbor a desire to put them into a protective mylar sleeve and store them in a cool, dark cardboard box until they triple in value.
True geeks may notice the odd diversity in the chosen artwork. Looks like they mined stuff from the early 60's all the way into the early 90's. Maybe Walaka could actually name the artist and year of publication for each chosen graphic. Let the Geekquest begin!!!
Labels: Games
posted by John @ 3:59 PM
12 comments
12 Comments:
So, it would be easy enough to verify all this in the comix-blogo-intarweb-o-sphere, where this special issue has been discussed for months, but here's what I can glean from this small image:
The top eight are all details from cover or interior art. Looks like a late fifites Supes, maybe Wayne Bring inked by Curt Swan; there's a Neal Adams GL from a cover of the the sixties GL/GA run; an Irv Novik WW (70s-80s); a Jack Kirby GA of unknown provenance, but it must be early; a fairly recent Jim Lee Batman; 50s-60s Infantino Flash; dunno about Plastic Man, except it's NOT jack Cole; looks like an Aparo Aquaman from the 70s; A Swan/Anderson Supergirl (60s); and a Murphy Anderson Hawkman (again, I'm pretty sure it was a cover, from the 60s).
The next eight are full covers: 40's Supes, maybe Schuster, maybe the studio; looks like a Gil Kane GL from the 60s; a George Perez Wonder Woman from the 80s; maybe a Mike Grell GA from the 80s-90s; a Bob Kane (or ghost) Batman from the 40s; Infantino Flash from the 60s; dunno Plas again; I think this is a recent (90s) Aquaman, just before they changed his look; Supergirl is from the 70s (dig the hotpants) but I can't tell the artist; and that's a Joe Kubert Hawkman from the 60s.
Oh, yes - eight is the new ten.
The Supes is a full Curt Swan. Boring's squinty, blocky Superman would have been nice. The Adams GL is from the first GL/GA "road-trip" series. That's a Ross Andru/Mike Esposito Wonder Woman--you can tell by the petite half-shadow nose and "winged" eyelashes. The Bats is from Jim Lee a couple years ago. It's a Curt Swan Supergirl. And a Dick Giordano(!) Plastic Man. Giordano wasn't well-known as a Plas' artist.
The Green Arrow cover is Matt Wagner(!!!) The Plastic Man cover is Jack Cole (Woozy Winks is in it...) and the Aquaman cover...Curt Swan again. Swan got three stamps! And the Supergirl cover is Rich Buckler and Giordano.
Do you have a cite for the Supes pic? I see the Boring Squint in there...
Yah, the GA/GL was the first one - you can almost see the lantern exploding after being hit by GA's arrow.
I almost always say Irv Novik when I mean Ross Andru. Thanks!
Bats and Supergirl I had; I never looked at the newer runs of Plas and had no idea Giordano did any.
Wow, Matt Wanger, huh? I'll have to look at that larger. I'm glad Cole is in there. Rich Buckler makes sense.
And Curt Swan deserves three stamps! (But they should have used a Mike Sekowsky Supergirl cover.)
A cite? Will the descriptions on the back of the stamps do?
Says Supes 1 is Swan/Sheldon Moldoff. Green Arrow 1 is Kirby/Royer (so late Kirby there). Flash 1 is Infantino/Anderson. Supergirl 1 is Swan and Stan Kaye (he of so many great Supes inks). Hawkman 1 is Anderson (natch1)
Supes 2 is....Fred Ray (Superman#11 July/Aug '41). Green Lantern #4 is Kane/Giella. Green Arrow #15 (Sept. 2002) is Wagner from the reboot series. Batman #1 is Kane. Flash#111 (Feb/Mar 60) is Infantino/Giella. Plastic Man #4 (Summer 1946) is Jack Cole. Aquaman #5 (of 5) (October 1989) is Swan and Al Vey! "The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl" is Nov. '82 and is Buckler/Giordano. And it's Joe Kubert on the Brave and the Bold #36 (June/July 1961).
My favorite stamps were the Hollywood Composer stamps--I've got a stamp of Bernard Herrmann, yeah, baby!
And the "Hollywood-Behind the Scenes" stamps had one for "Sound."
Ok, I asked for it, and I got it. Y'all win the geek awards for 2006. Congratulations.
Jim, you looked at the backs?! That's hardly cricket...
I always thought Royer inked Kirby too thick...
"Batman #1 is Kane" - ain't we finding out these days that not as much Kane is Kane as we had previously thought? (Have you read Men of Tomorrow yet?)
Di, that's precisely why I want to use them - to send Superheroes all thrrough the land!
So, for how long do you think we can hijack John's blog for our message board?
I'm about to move my blog over here, I think....
No, I haven't read "Men of Tomorrow." I made two or three cursory excursions to the Big Book stores (ick) and could never find it among Computer Technology/Self-Help/Religion/Quack Religion and the "500 Perennials we always keep in stock." When are you going to lend it to me?
I'm still headin' up the Missouri with Lewis and Clark, so I'm good for reading awhile....
Can you be kicked off someone's blog?
I'll give it you the next time I see you. I read it in Hawaii, along with Kavalier and Clay. It was illuminating to read the fiction and non-fiction versions at the same time (well, not literally, but you know what I mean).
And I guess Jophn could start moderating his blog, like some other bloggers I know...
Guilty, guilty, guilty....
Although I have to confess...I didn't know there was another option.
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