12 Days of Classic Covers - Day 1
Dec. 14th, 2008 12:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jkcarrierEvery year over at CBR's Classic Comics Forum, they do a "12 Days of Christmas" project where posters are encouraged to make a list of 12 favorites in a particular category, and reveal them one per day. This year it's 12 favorite covers, with the only limitation being that the book must be at least 20 years old.
My choice for day one is below. You can see what other folks picked here.
American Flagg! #5
Howard Chaykin
American Flagg! was a real revelation to me when it debuted in 1983. Still solidly in the realm of pulp adventure, and featuring no explicitly adult material, it nonetheless had a level of sophistication in both writing and art that set it apart from what the mainstream was doing. One especially noteworthy element was the use of typography. Working with letterer Ken Bruzenak, Chaykin integrated the text and pictures in clever and aesthetically pleasing ways. This cover is a great example: The words "Sudden Death Overtime" serve as both the title and a graphic element: the vertical columns of type echo the thrust of the hands reaching up towards our hero as he hangs precariously from the backboard. In those pre-computer days, such tricks were much harder to pull off, and the extra attention Chaykin and co. paid to detail and presentation has always impressed me.
And, it has to be said... nice derriere! ;)
My choice for day one is below. You can see what other folks picked here.
American Flagg! #5
Howard Chaykin
American Flagg! was a real revelation to me when it debuted in 1983. Still solidly in the realm of pulp adventure, and featuring no explicitly adult material, it nonetheless had a level of sophistication in both writing and art that set it apart from what the mainstream was doing. One especially noteworthy element was the use of typography. Working with letterer Ken Bruzenak, Chaykin integrated the text and pictures in clever and aesthetically pleasing ways. This cover is a great example: The words "Sudden Death Overtime" serve as both the title and a graphic element: the vertical columns of type echo the thrust of the hands reaching up towards our hero as he hangs precariously from the backboard. In those pre-computer days, such tricks were much harder to pull off, and the extra attention Chaykin and co. paid to detail and presentation has always impressed me.
And, it has to be said... nice derriere! ;)
