Flash / DC comic cover by Kubert  
Honey West on DVD
Flipper on DVD Jack Kirby DC Comics Diver Dan TV show on DVD
TV Shows on DVD
Commercials on DVD
TV Show ReviewsTV on DVD Reviews
Christmas DVDs
TV DVDs & TV Books
Kid Shows on DVDcartoons on DVD

 

Mid-1960s DC Comic Books
JOE KUBERT'S MID-1960s
SUPERHERO COMIC BOOK COVERS

by Billy Ingram

In the 1940s Joe Kubert was known for illustrating the costumed superhero adventures of such colorful characters as Hawkman, Johnny Quick, The Justice Society, The Flash and more.

By the mid-sixties Kubert became primarily known as a war comic artist although his connection to Hawkman remained; he was the first artist on the revival in 1964 and he illustrated some magnificent covers along with a stray Hawkman yarn or two in the years that followed.

For a brief period Joe Kubert was tapped to do a smattering of covers for the superhero books and I found them odd but compelling, a real departure from what had come before.

There was a raw sense of excitement to these covers that DC comics normally lacked.

Flash / DC comic cover by Kubert

Flash / DC comic cover by Kubert

Detective # 348 & 349 / FEB 1966

These two consecutive Detective covers adhered more closely to the traditional character models than most of Kubert's covers that followed - but this was not the bulky Bob Kane Batman found in #348's interior art. He certainly bore no resemblance to Adam West who was starring in the TV series at the time - but that's because these covers were commissioned right before the show debuted in January of 1966.

Before Neal Adams arrived on the Bat-scene Joe Kubert brought a 'Dark Knight' quality to his portrayal of Batman with these two illustrations, even Robin looks more heroic and menacing than usual.

Unless I'm wrong Kubert's brief flirtation with superhero covers ended here - until 1968 when the artist once again tried his hand at a number of DC's greatest characters.

1968 - 1969 Joe Kubert Superhero Covers

Hawkman comic book cover by joe kubert The Atom & Hawkman comic book cover by joe kubert The Atom & Hawkman comic book cover by joe kubert
Issue # 41 / The Atom & Hawkman comic book cover by joe kubert The Atom & Hawkman comic book cover by joe kubert The Atom & Hawkman comic book cover by joe kubert

The Atom & Hawkman comic book cover by joe kubertHawkman # 27 / The Atom & The Hawkman #39 - 45 / SEP 1968 - NOV 1969

Returning to the character he helped make famous two decades earlier, Joe Kubert was brought in to do the cover for the last issue of Hawkman He continued illustrating the book's outsides when two of DC's lowest-selling mags were combined into one.

Kubert even illustrated a two-part story inked improbably by Murphy Anderson. The combo of Kubert's expressive scratching layered with Anderson's smooth inking style was unlikely but pleasing.

These dramatic renderings weren't enough to turn sales around, the two-in-one experiment lasted only 1 year.

 

Superman 216 / MAY 1969

Superman finds himself on the Viet Nam battlefield so who better to draw this awkward scenario than the master war artist himself. The combination of charcoal and ink was extremely effective at conveying a murky mood. This was Kubert's one and only Superman cover but this looked nothing like The Man of Steel to me, even the S insignia looked off-kilter.

Each one of these covers was mesmerizing partly because Kubert's heroes looked so gaunt and greatly more stressed than your typical DC character. That was part of the power of his work, Kubert had the ability to convey emotion on a level most comic book artists couldn't approach.

 

This, the DC Special and Challengers of the Unknown covers below are the only ones not commissioned by editor Julie Schwartz.

Joe Kubert cover on Superman comics #216
Joe Kubert Justice League cover # 72 1969

Justice League #72-73 / JUN - AUG 1969

These two consecutive covers offer a chance to see Kubert's take on a number of DC heroes in addition to some of the Golden Age greats he drew early in his long and illustrious career.

Okay, so Jack Kirby's Superman was too far from the character model but Kubert's isn't?!?

 

Joe Kubert Justice League of America comic book #73 cover


Flash / DC comic cover by Kubert Flash / DC comic cover by Kubert Flash / DC comic cover by Kubert

Flash # 190 / AUG 1969

Kubert illustrated 3 high impact covers in a row for The Flash. The stories, written by Frank Robbins and drawn by Ross Andru & Mike Esposito, weren't nearly as strong as the set-ups.


 

Strange Adventures comics with a Joe Kubert cover

Strange Adventures # 220 / OCT 1969

Joe Kubert contributed a number of powerful covers for Strange Adventures and From Beyond the Unknown, again for Julie Schwartz, but this was the only one featuring a space age hero - in this case Adam Strange.

Notice how beautifully composed this image is, again charcoal and ink are at play here for added effect.

1969 Challengers of the Unknown cover

 

DC Special Joe Kubert tribute issue

DC Special # 5 / DEC 1969

This All-Kubert tribute issue was amazing with choice reprints and new material by the master.

 

Challengers Kubert cover #69

Challengers of the Unknown
# 66 and #69 / MAR & OCT 1969

The second of these treatments is amazing imagery.

Challengers cover by adamsAll of the Challengers' covers during this period, mostly by Neal Adams, were dynamic but the stories inside were sadly pathetic from both a story and art perspective.

You have to wonder, since most of these covers appeared around the summer of 1969, if Editorial Director Carmine Infantino made a conscious decision to see if Kubert's art caused an uptick in sales.

Firehair comicsThose weren't the only ones. Joe Kubert covers in the summer (cover dates July-October) of 1969, other than his four war titles, include: Strange Adventures #219; From Beyond the Unknown # 1; and Showcase #83-85 (#85 starts Kubert's masterpiece Firehair).

 

Challengers # 76 cover DC comics by Joe Kubert

Kubert returned to the Challengers with issues 76 (NOV 1970) and, years later #79, illustrating concepts from the Jack Kirby reprints inside. What a great package!

 

MORE GREAT
JOE KUBERT COMICS
- INCLUDING FIREHAIR!

 

TVparty is Classic TV on the internet!

Joe KUBERT'S MID-1960s
SUPERHERO COMIC BOOK COVERS

Joe Kubert passed away August 12, 2012

SEE ALSO: Joe Kubert's Firehair

 

Firehair in Son of Tomahawk comics
MORE AWESOME JOE KUBERT COMICS
FROM THE SIXTIES !

 

Latest TV on
DVD Reviews

Classic TV Blog

TV Show Reviews

TV Shows on DVD

Kid Shows on DVD

Christmas
Specials on DVD

TV Shows
on BLU-RAY

Movies on DVD Reviews



DC Comics on DVD
Batman TV Shows on DVD


 


Lost Kid Shows / Movie Stars on TV / Saturday Morning Shows / Video Vault / TV Goodbyes / Fabulous Fifties / Unseen Scenes / Game Shows / Requested Forgotten TV Shows / The Super Sixties / The New * * Shows / 1980's Wrestling / TV Blog

TVparty! Classic TV
Classic TV on the Internet!

TV's Embarrassing Moments / Action Shows of the Sixties / TVparty Mysteries and Scandals / Variety Shows of the 1970s / The Eighties / The Laugh Track / 1970's Hit Shows / Response to TVparty / Search the Site / Add Your Comments

classic comic books Mid-1960s DC Comics / 1960s Joe Kubert Superhero Covers
Al Williamson & Archie Goodwin / Alex Toth 20 Questions
The Wally Wood Letters
/ bizarre 1950's comics / 60's comics
more 60's comics / 70's comics / Secret Origin of Comic Book City / Green Lantern Comics / Sugar & Spike Comics / Murphy Anderson / Charlton Comics 1966-67 / Lost Comic Covers / 1970's Love Comics / Comic Collecting in the 1960s
Cool and rare / Rare Alex Toth comics / Comic Artist Randy Green / World's Finest comics
Alex Toth Dell Comics / Creating Captain Marvel 1942 / Jim Steranko vs Bob Kane
Joe Kubert's Firehair / Melvin Monster comics / AFTA & Bill Dale Marcinko / 1960s Jim Steranko Covers / 1970s Steranko Marvel Covers / Batman Aurora / Why I Don't Think Hollywood Can Pull Off a Justice League Movie / Wonder Woman Comics of the 1940s

Superman on DVD / Batman on DVD / The Flash on DVD / Super Friends on DVD / 1950's TV / 1960's TV / 1970's TV / Lucy Shows / Classic Cars / John Wayne / Gene Roddenberry / Star Wars / KISS / Lancelot Link / Saturday Morning Cartoons / The Magic Garden / Wonder Woman / Classic Comic Books / Andy Griffith / Cher / TV Shows on DVD / Outtakes & Bloopers / 1967 TV Shows / Romper Room / ABC Movie of the Week / The Goldbergs / Daws Butler Commercials / Saturday Morning Commercials / Captain Kangaroo / Chicago Local Kiddie Shows / Boston Local TV / Philly Local TV / NYC Local Kid Shows / Amos 'n' Andy / Electric Company / Bette Davis / Judy Garland / Christmas Specials / Redd Foxx / Good Times / Sitcom Houses / What's Happening! / Winky Dink & You / Sonny & Cher / Smothers Brothers / Commercial Icons of the 1960s / Soupy Sales / TV Terrorists / Irwin Allen / The Untouchables / Bette Davis / Judy Garland / Christmas Specials / Redd Foxx / Good Times / Sitcom Houses / What's Happening! / Winky Dink & You / Sonny & Cher /  Smothers Brothers /  Commercial Icons of the 1960s / Soupy Sales / The Carpenters / Route 66 / Bozo / The Carpenters Christmas Specials / Local Kid Shows / Death of TV's Superman / Wonderama / Sesame Street / Bob Hope Specials / Little Rascals / 1980's Retro Gay T-Shirts / 1980's TV Wrestling / Fess Parker / Howdy Doody / TV Blog / Lost In Space / Pinky Lee / 1980's Punk Rock / Alex Toth Book / TV Terrorists /  Irwin Allen / The Untouchables / Carol Burnett Show / Batman TV Show / Green Hornet / Today Show History / Our Gang / Doris Day Show / 1970's Commercials For Women / Bill Cosby in the 1970s / The Golddiggers / Lola Falana / 1970s TV Shows /big brother David Bowie on TV / Hudson Brothers / Jackie Gleason / Hollywood Squares / Match Game / Andy Williams /Carol Burnett Show / Celebrity Commercials / Rudolph / Movie Posters / DC Comics on DVD & More! 

Get it here!

SAVE MONEY
ON EVERYTHING!

classic comic books Ric Flair 1980's wrestling DVD GLOW TV Wrestling Land of the lost on DVD Peabody & Sherman cartoons on DVD Jack Kirby DC Comics 1950's Saturday Morning Shows Little Rascals on DVD
/ TV Shows on DVD / / / TV Show Reviews
Looking for classic TV DVDs? See below:
TV Commercials on DVD Wrestling DVDs Classic TV Books
North Carolina Actors Christmas Specials Actors in North Carolina

Your Classic TV Blog!

Everything
you're looking
for is right here:


Save money!