Prince Street News: Let Me Spell It Out

BACK ISSUE #162 is an all-MAD issue, but the Prince Street News is another off-topic episode, as it's a look at the nigh-dead art of hand-lettering in comic books! One of the (many) aspects of modern comics that kinda leaves me cold is the fact that almost all lettering is now digital, leaving actual calligraphy primarily left to indie cartoonists and old farts like myself. I get that digital lettering is cleaner and easier, but it lacks the spontaneity and fluidity of putting pen to paper. Some of my favorite comic book artists ever also did their own lettering, adding to their distinctiveness. But I'm getting ahead of myself. 

As I post this strip, I'm currently working on the sequel strip, as teased at the bottom of the final panel (which almost had a different balloon, which I swapped at the last minute... by hand!)

 

Superman Nr.13

 This cover redux of a Danish Superman comic book from 1951 (see original at the bottom) shows the issues with doing artwork in fluorescent inks. Pictured are three different images of the same piece, the top one is from a scan, the second from a photo, and the third a photo under black light. NONE of them properly capture the colors of the original (even after adjusting levels and saturation), but the second one comes the closest. When I sell pieces like this online, I always hope that the buyer is happier when they open the package than when the saw the image on my Etsy page (or wherever). 

Shrouded

 Based on a photograph I saw online (unsure of provenance, anyone know? Tell me, I'll give credit!)

Prince Street News: Super Summer Fashions

The new BACK ISSUE (#160, July 2025) is a "Summer Fun Issue," which gave me the opportunity to return to a theme I've visited a few times in the past in Prince Street News, being the weather feasibility of some superhero costumes. I gave warm weather outfits to Captain America, Batgirl, the Punisher, the Creeper, Betty "Superteen" Cooper, and Wolverine. 
What I didn't know (or had forgotten, as I'd never owned them) is that the 1990s MARVEL SWIMSUIT SPECIALS (covered in this issue) had mined this vein of snark many, many times, so there may be some overlap here. I also acknowledge that Superteen doesn't really need a "summer costume," it was just an excuse for me to draw Betty. 
Here's the strip as it appears in the issue as well as details on each figure (including both hand- and digital-colored Batgirl variations). I'm also posting the sketchbook pages for this installment and a montage of the line art before scanning and cleanup.

Woke Since 1938

 I got so sick of seeing people on the Right trying to deride the new Superman as being "woke propaganda" that I felt I had to draw a response. I knew that when I posted this on my Instagram page, The Daily Superman that I would no doubt lose some followers (I did) and stir up a little conservative ire (I also did). But I'm okay with both of those things. Because one thing you do NOT get to do is claim that "Social Justice Warrior" is a negative thing when it comes to superheroes, and especially Superman. 

Lo-Fi Takes the Streets 2025

 My second year doing the artwork for Lo-Fi Takes the Streets, the music and food festival hosted by Jersey City's Low Fidelity Bar! Here are the poster and tee-shirt designs for the event. Click over to our sister blog for more including alternate logos, preliminary art and a teaser image. 

Prince Street News: Crisis at Julie's Bar

 The new BACK ISSUE (#159, almost sold out already!) celebrates the 40th anniversary of DC Comics' seminal, universe-streamlining maxi-series, CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS. Like many Silver / Bronze Age fanboys, I have very mixed feelings about COIE (as it's known)... while the series was expertly crafted by writer Marv Wolfman and artists George Pérez, Dick Giordano, and Jerry Ordway, and absolutely achieved the epic status for which it aimed... it really wasn't necessary. DC's groundbreaking multiverse (before that was a term) not only allowed for a wide range of storytelling possibilities, it allowed for characters with very different tonalities to exist in the same universe... just on different planes. Also, it really wasn't that hard to follow, despite DC editorial's fears. 

And history has borne that out. DC's infinite earths are back, probably for good. But again, COIE was an exciting comic book event when it came out, and it was a kick to dive into that story for Prince Street News. A lot of inside jokes for the longbox set, so if you've stumbled across this one as a non-fanboy, you won't get most of the gags... but that's okay. The next installment will be for everyone! 

Dani's Dawgs

 Another set of pet portraits! Want some? Reach out! 

Cover Redux International II

 I was commissioned to do another round of foreign comic book cover recreations (see here for the first six pieces), this time all DC characters... I spent almost as much time researching this project as I did drawing them! But it sure was fun. Note that these are photos taken with my camera (phone) rather than scans because the scans cannot pick up the colors properly. So there's that. 

Punk Jughead Redux

 My friend Steve is a huge Archie Comics collector, and sometimes he buys lots on eBay, inevitably stacking up piles of duplicates. He's been generous enough to share some of those with me, and as a thank-you, I offered to do a cover recreation for him. He chose JUGHEAD #327, in which Archie's best pal shockingly (and temporarily) goes PUNK! *gasp*

As an old punk rock fan, I tackled this with glee, mostly for the attempt to make it actually a little more punk rock, rather than the "I don't know, what's punk, is it like with headbands and earrings?" look that Stan Goldberg used on the original 1983 cover. Additionally, I swapped "normal" Jughead with his Captain Hero persona, got rid of the weird "Punk vs. Funk" blurb (is Forsythe normally funky?), and used a 1977 JUGHEAD trade dress and issue number to make it more era-appropriate. 

Below are the digital version, the hand-lettered and colored original I sent to Steve, the work In progress, and the original cover. And thanks again to Steve for his generosity and friendship! 

Prince Street News: The Honorifics

The new BACK ISSUE (#158) is dedicated to the MISTERS of the comic book world, from Freeze to X to Monster to A to Weatherbee! For this issue's comic strip, I did the first in what I plan to be a series of mock-up impossible comic book covers under the PRINCE STREET NEWS PRESENTS umbrella. THE HONORIFICS depicts every comic book & strip Mr., Mister, Miss, and Ms. I could think of (mostly good guys descending on two bad ones). Had I known that BI was going to do a follow up issue using the feminine titles, I'd have maybe made this all dudes, but probably not. 

I also had to put together a guide, of course, but see how many you can name without looking! 

Tommy Conwell / Dynagroove flyer

 Here's a job I did that took me back almost forty years! In the 1980s, I did work for Lancaster PA's Chameleon Club while simultaneously working as a cocktail waiter (oh, you shoulda' seen me navigate a crowded dance floor with a tray full of glasses and pitchers balanced over my head!). Two favorite acts from those days were Tommy Conwell and Dynagroove (both out of Philadelphia). Last month, my old boss, Rich Ruoff, who took over reopening another old Lancaster nightclub, the Village, asked me if I'd like to do a digital flyer for this fun throwback show! I instantly said yes. 

To see much more about the process and some goofy vintage graphics I did for both bands, click on over to Tough Guy II. And go to the show if you can! 

PRINCE STREET NEWS: Muscular Robots, et al...

 The latest BACK ISSUE (#156) is a look at Bronze Age graphic novels, but the Prince Street News inside has nothing to do with that theme! Rather, "Muscular Robots, 3D Paintings, Pristine Footwear, and Perfect Cosplay" is a look at some questionable creative choices that were commonplace among comic book artists of the past. I'm talking about things like costumes looking like they were spray painted onto muscular bodies, with no fabric weight at all, hair that stays in place underwater, and old superheroes looking as fit as when they were in their prime (to name a few, just read the damn thing!). 

The most fun part of doing this one was aping the works of fine artists in delineating comic book characters, in this case Paul Klee painting Green Lantern, Picasso throwing some Spider-Man pottery, Jim Flora drawing Archie, and Henry Moore sculpting Batman & Robin (okay, so maybe Jim Flora isn't exactly "fine art," but you get the point). I'm posting details on those pieces below the strip. Dig! 

Archie Andrews ala Jim Flora (based on a Sauter-Finegan LP cover, 1954)

Green Lantern ala Paul Klee (based on "Error on Green," 1930)

Batman & Robin ala Henry Moore (based on "Two Forms," 1934)

Spider-Man ala Pablo Picasso (based on Moon Face on Blue Ground," 1947) 

Vintage Halloween Mask Series

 I just completed this series of 20 drawings of vintage (mostly Ben Cooper and Collegeville) Halloween masks. All of these are black light pieces (some more than others, as you can see below), done in ink and marker on bristol. All of these are available for sale (originals), will be posted on the Etsy page shortly... or contact me directly if you're interested. Each is $100 (plus $10 if you want it framed, another $10 for shipping & handling). Happy Howloweeeeeen!!!