Blog | Print Magazine

Mar 13, 2019
5 min

Batman Through the Years: the Changing Look of Batman

It’s the rare comic book superhero who doesn’t undergo the occasional change in appearance now and then. Costumes are altered, hairstyles are updated; it’s usually about keeping up with the times, or an attempt to boost sales. Batman through the years has certainly had a changing look, and few superheroes have undergone the numerous and varied changes experienced by Batman over his 80-year history. Who’s Really Behind Batman? The creation of Batman has long been attributed to

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Feb 14, 2019
3 min

10 Comics for You to Love on Valentine’s Day

Today’s romance comics look nothing like they did in their “golden age,” and thank heavens for that. Once upon a time, romance comic books were more popular than superhero comics. Following WWII, interest in action-adventures such as writer Joe Simon and artist Jack Kirby’s Nazi-punching Captain America was on the decline, so in 1947 they turned their attention to a new series, Young Romance, and gave birth to a genre in the process. A Whirlwind Romance (Comic) By the early 1

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Aug 17, 2018
3 min

The New York Times vs. Batman… and All Other Comics

The New York Times got it wrong about the highly hyped Batman #50 with its description of the caped crusader’s nuptials to Catwoman. Hordes of fanboys went batshit crazy, seriously shocked and outraged that the surprise dénouement to a storyline that they’d been following for 49 issues was revealed three full days before the comic book’s official release. The writer, George Gene Gustines, later apologized, admitting that “We should have given more thought…” about whether to i

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Jun 12, 2018
4 min

Howard Chaykin Comics: Unpretentious, Unadulterated Fun

Learn how a digital artist prepares 3D character animations in Autodesk Maya Finally! There’s a smart, insightful book that critically examines the works one of America’s most important comics writer-artists of the past half-century. And deservedly enough, Brannon Costello’s Neon Visions: The Comics of Howard Chaykin has been nominated for an Eisner Award at next month’s San Diego Comic-Con. It’s undeniable that, throughout his checkered career, Howard’s “brand approval” amon

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Mar 2, 2018
3 min

FUN: Graphic Novel, Crossword History, Puzzling Mystery

Special early-bird pricing for HOW Design Live, one of the largest annual gatherings of creative professionals in the world, ends March 15. If it’s a nearly 300-page graphic novel about the history of crossword puzzles, and it’s titled Fun, then it better be pretty damn entertaining. And yes, Italian artist Paolo Bacilieri delivers the fun, both narratively and visually. Also horizontally and vertically: forget strict linear structure, which is just ho-hum. This Fun is vigoro

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Dec 4, 2017
9 min

How Frank Miller’s Sin City Got the Deluxe Treatment

Frank Miller is most known as the bold, masterfully skilled and innovative artist on DC and Marvel titles such as Batman and Daredevil, honing his considerable skills within the tight restrictions of these corporate cash-cow characters. In the 1986 release of The Dark Knight Returns—the first and most revolutionary and accomplished of his famed trilogy—is a major milestone in the history of the medium. (My personal fave within Miller’s oeuvre is the 1987 Electra Assassin, exq

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Sep 15, 2017
4 min

Arlen Schumer’s VisuaLectures: Where Comics Scholarship Meets Design Showmanship

[Call for Entries: The International Design Awards] One big factor that sets apart Arlen Schumer’s presentations on comics from the others is his acute understanding of graphic design. His delivery—like the superhero stories he’s discussing—is a dynamic synergy of words and images, of form and function. Mix that together with a heaping helping of contemporary “more is more” postmodernism—more on that in a minute—and voila: “VisuaLectures.” The view from the audience as Arlen

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Jul 18, 2017
3 min

A Designer’s Visual Guide to Comic-Con’s Eisner Awards Nominees

You may have heard that San Diego’s holding its massive annual gathering of pop culture tribes this week. Comic-Con International is one of the biggest and—having launched in 1970—longest-running in the United States. And 2017’s Eisner Awards, comicdom’s most prestigious ceremonial honors event—which I covered here last year—is particularly noteworthy as it’s the birth centennial of its namesake. Will Eisner is, of course, the famed artist/writer of the revolutionary, groundb

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May 20, 2016
12 min

The New Design Frontiers of Darwyn Cooke’s Comic Book Art

By: Michael Dooley When artist, writer and animator Darwyn Cooke died on Saturday, the enormous outpouring of sorrow from the comic book media was immediate and heartfelt. The graphic design community shares a great loss as well: Cooke’s flair for cartooning was possessed of a unique, masterful dexterity and versatility. His extraordinary visual narrative skills are readily apparent in his panel compositions and page layouts, which are further enriched by his ingenious render

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Mar 10, 2016
5 min

Did Artist Neal Adams Make an Ass Out of Wonder Woman—and Himself?

Advance word is that Wonder Woman steals the show in Batman v Superman. And next year she stars in her own feature flick. The Amazon is also doing well on Amazon, with critically praised feminist studies by Jill Lapore and Noah Berlatsky. So it’s no wonder that her original, comic book incarnation has getting extra scrutiny. Just a few days ago, a Daily Dot opinion piece criticized a variant cover for the latest Wonder Woman under the headline, “Don’t Exploit Wonder Woman on

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Sep 2, 2015
6 min

7 Best Vintage Comics Revelations: A Designer’s Report

You’d never know it from media reports on San Diego’s annual Comic-Con International, but it’s your richest opportunity to discover and explore the creative and artistic heritage of cartoons and vintage comics. For starters, there’s Will Eisner. Last month’s convention had no less than four different panels devoted to the graphic arts innovator and educator whose 1940s Spirit was just the beginning of significant transformations both within and beyond the comics medium. And S

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Jun 3, 2015
3 min

The Multimedia Comics Artists Behind Netflix’s Daredevil

If you’ve been captivated by the bold, atmospheric cinematography of Daredevil‘s first season on Netflix, you might want to seek out the similarly stunning comic book version by Alex Maleev. Series executive producer Jeph Loeb credits Maleev as a key visual influence: “With Alex’s art, we looked at that and said ‘that’s the look of the show.’ And that really captures it.” And even if you haven’t tuned in, and like your action-adventure tales on a human rather than super-power

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Apr 29, 2015
6 min

Avengers (Covers) Assemble!

With Marvel Studios ongoing releases, I thought it would be fun to trace the graphic chronology of “Earth’s Mightiest Super-Heroes.” Next to The Silver Surfer (another character that, like the Avengers, started with Jack Kirby and later fell into the talented hands of John Buscema), The Avengers was my favorite comic book title as a kid. It was also the only comic title that I had every issue of, from #1 through the end of the 1960’s—AND the first comic line that I actually r

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Sep 22, 2014
8 min

Stubborn, Aggressive, Positive: An Interview With Neal Adams

A shorter version of this article appears in the October issue of Print, the International Design issue. In this issue, we celebrate designers from around the globe as they give voice to the mute, chronicle key historic movements and show how design impacts peoples’ lives. Get Print on your favorite device or, of course, in print. Legendary artist and writer Neal Adams talks creators’ rights, social issues in art and—of course—comics, sans filter. You had a hell of a time bre

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Aug 26, 2014
9 min

A Designers’ Guide to Comic-Con’s Hidden Pleasures

We’re now at the peak of comic book convention season. San Diego’s wrapped last month, Chicago’s just ended, and New York’s is currently gearing up. And these are just the biggies. This onslaught can be nirvana for pop culture nerds. But hordes of designers also flock to these events. This can appear puzzling, considering how media reports mostly emphasize the Hollywood hype, endless queues, cos-play nonsense and such. So let’s take a closer look in this comic-con guide. Pers

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May 16, 2014
9 min

Art for Comics and Storyboards: What’s the Difference?

Aaron Sowd and Trevor Goring have a lot to say about the art of narrative storytelling. Aaron’s worked on movie storyboarding and concepting for Steven Soderbergh and Michael Bay, comics for Marvel and DC, art for Apple and Netflix, designs for theme parks and video games, and illustrations for the New York Times and People Magazine. Trevor’s been doing film and TV concepts and boards for decades with directors such as Steven Spielberg, Bryan Singer, and Michel Gondry and on

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Apr 25, 2012
5 min

The Advertising Power of Comic Book Artists

In the early part of the twentieth century the first American cartoonists were the superstars of their times. Their work was received by an adoring audience, they earned lucrative contracts and toured the country to give chalk talks to a welcoming public. Richard Felton Outcault’s “Yellow Kid,” Bud Fisher’s “Mutt and Jeff,” Rudolph Dirks’s “Katzenjammer Kids,” Winsor McCay’s “Little Nemo,” George McManus’ “Jiggs and Maggie,” Sidney Smith’s “The Gumps” were all extremely popul

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Mar 23, 2012
3 min

WonderCon: My "4 Highlights" List

Southern California got a taste of WonderCon for three days last week, while its usual venue, San Francisco’s Moscone Center, is being spruced up. Those who expected another San Diego Comic-Con will have wondered where the monstrous comics, film, and toy company display booths and crushing crowds were. But this one’s on a more human scale, like the annual con in Long Beach. I ventured down to Orange County’s Anaheim Convention Center, just across the street from the land of D

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Batman Through the Years: the Changing Look of Batman

10 Comics for You to Love on Valentine’s Day

The New York Times vs. Batman… and All Other Comics

Howard Chaykin Comics: Unpretentious, Unadulterated Fun

FUN: Graphic Novel, Crossword History, Puzzling Mystery

How Frank Miller’s Sin City Got the Deluxe Treatment

Arlen Schumer’s VisuaLectures: Where Comics Scholarship Meets Design Showmanship

A Designer’s Visual Guide to Comic-Con’s Eisner Awards Nominees

The New Design Frontiers of Darwyn Cooke’s Comic Book Art

Did Artist Neal Adams Make an Ass Out of Wonder Woman—and Himself?

7 Best Vintage Comics Revelations: A Designer’s Report

The Multimedia Comics Artists Behind Netflix’s Daredevil

Avengers (Covers) Assemble!

Stubborn, Aggressive, Positive: An Interview With Neal Adams

A Designers’ Guide to Comic-Con’s Hidden Pleasures

Art for Comics and Storyboards: What’s the Difference?

The Advertising Power of Comic Book Artists

WonderCon: My "4 Highlights" List

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