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Topic: What was the first comic cover homage? (Topic Closed Topic Closed) Post ReplyPost New Topic
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Ray Brady
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Posted: 17 December 2010 at 9:21pm | IP Logged | 1  

I was flipping through the Vintage DC Comics postcard collection my lovely wife gave me for my birthday, when I noticed something that had escaped me for decades. This cover, for the Brave and the Bold #29:


is a direct homage to this cover from All Star Comics #43:


After I got over the "Eureka" moment of finally making the connection between two images I've seen dozens of times before, a thought occurred to me. The B&B cover was published in 1960, making it the earliest example I can think of where a comic book cover pays tribute to a previous cover.

So, can anyone beat this? Does anyone know of an earlier example?
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William Lukash
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Posted: 17 December 2010 at 9:32pm | IP Logged | 2  

Good one.  I doubt it will be beat.
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Joe Hollon
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Posted: 18 December 2010 at 5:45am | IP Logged | 3  

I think I've got one for you!



Certainly no one would accuse WHIZ COMICS 1 of being a swipe of ACTION COMICS 1 but I definitely think the similarities are intentional.  It's like, "Oh yeah?  Our red-garbed, cape-wearing, strong man hero is even tougher than yours, he's throwing the car not just running with it over his head!"

They switched the movement from left/right to right/left and adjusted the angle a little bit. 
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Wallace Sellars
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Posted: 18 December 2010 at 6:33am | IP Logged | 4  

Those are both classic covers, Joe. I'm not sure that comparison is as clear
cut as Ray's. And though I like Captain Marvel more than Superman, I have to
say that the Man of Steel has the more powerful debut cover.
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John Byrne
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Posted: 18 December 2010 at 6:54am | IP Logged | 5  

There's a remarkably small amount of damage being inflicted in those last two covers, isn't there? Reminds us yet again of the intended audience!
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Joe Hollon
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Posted: 18 December 2010 at 7:11am | IP Logged | 6  

True, as long as you don't think too much about what's likely to happen to the guy being ejected from the car Captain Marvel threw!   Yikes!

Cool Fake Post Milestone # 7997


Edited by Joe Hollon on 18 December 2010 at 7:12am
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Andy Mokler
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Posted: 18 December 2010 at 7:44am | IP Logged | 7  

I think there's certainly a case for imitation/continuation on those covers.  Very good call and I'd never really associated them in that way.  These would have been late 30's early 40's as well so I think it is more than coincidence that they are each throwing the same exact type of car.
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Ray Brady
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Posted: 18 December 2010 at 9:36am | IP Logged | 8  

Hmm... there's certainly no doubt the Whiz Comics artist would have been aware of the Action cover, so there's unquestionably influence there. I'm inclined to agree that it may be an intentional reference. Well spotted, Joe!
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Larry Varvel
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Posted: 18 December 2010 at 10:52am | IP Logged | 9  

I don't think the Whiz cover could count as 'homage' or 'tribute.'  'Swipe' maybe, but I don't think they are similar enough for that word either.  When an artist produces a cover that is composed like Fantastic Four #1 or Crisis #7, the reader is meant to immediately see the connection and smile (or gag, depending on how poorly it is executed)
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John Byrne
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Posted: 18 December 2010 at 12:06pm | IP Logged | 10  

There's a remarkably small amount of damage being inflicted in those last two covers, isn't there? Reminds us yet again of the intended audience!

++

True, as long as you don't think too much about what's likely to happen to the guy being ejected from the car Captain Marvel threw!   Yikes!

••

Ah, but that's where the intended audience comes into play again! Kids don't often consider that thru-line of action-to-consequence. Comic book images, like those covers, tend(ed) to be snapshots of the action, and there was rarely any display of what happened in the "next frame".

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Stephen Churay
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Posted: 18 December 2010 at 4:11pm | IP Logged | 11  

Ah, but that's where the intended audience comes into play again!
Kids don't often consider that thru-line of action-to-consequence.
Comic book images, like those covers, tend(ed) to be snapshots of the
action, and there was rarely any display of what happened in the "next
frame".

-------

This is where, I think, the problem comes in when we talk about the
inappropriateness of current comics. Kids don't, but adults do. As
adults continuing there own fandom, they seem to have a need to
show every instance of this. Once you start down that road, it ceases
being a case of action-to-consequence and becomes violence-to-
consequence.

While this has happened in the past to add weight to a Really big
story, now it's become too common place. It's the biggest reason,
IMO, comics aren't fun to read anymore.

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John Byrne
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Posted: 18 December 2010 at 4:27pm | IP Logged | 12  

During the Dark Phoenix "saga" there was a moment in which Phoenix did "something" to Colossus. The panel was set up in such a way that we didn't know what, but it was obvious he was NOT enjoying himself. To this day, people occasionally ask me what she did, and I tell them to use their imaginations.

A decade later I did a similar scene in AVENGERS WEST COAST, in which the Scarlet Witch, under the influence of Magneto, does "something" to Wonder Man, and this almost instantly became known as "the blowjob scene", and rumors abounded that it was the reason I was "fired" off WCA.

That's a pretty clear encapsulation, I think, of what happens when the audience sticks around too long, and starts applying adult perceptions to what they're reading.

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