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The new cinematic DC Universe is set to focus on both mainstream and iconic DC characters, as shown by its first two projects. While the first show in the new Dcu focuses on the relatively unknown Creature Commandos, the first movie will be centered on none other than Superman. There's supposed to be a strong sense of legacy in this new shared universe, and the best way to showcase this is to feature heroes that hail from the Golden Age of Comics.

This was the era in which DC and comics as a whole got their start, with numerous classic characters introduced during this time period. Many are members of the Justice Society of America, with analogous characters in the modern Justice League. By putting these old-school heroes on the big or small screen in the Dcu, James Gunn and company can establish a strong sense of legacy while also...

The long history of DC Comics' hero Green Lantern has put him in a position to tangle with some truly strange antagonists over the years; while some readers might expect this to come as a result of his role as DC's foremost interstellar superhero, though in fact, most of his weirdest villains originated on Earth. From sports-themed villains like Sportsmaster and Javelin, to thieves dressed all in yellow to thwart the Green Lantern ring's powers, to an evil wizard hidden inside the Lantern ring itself, some truly unusual enemies have battled the different incarnations of the Green Lantern over the many decades of the character's existence. While many of the weirdest Green Lantern foes may seem like throwaways, many of them proved to be perennial opponents for the Lanterns and other DC heroes.

The Green Lanterns have the largest area to protect of any heroes in DC. While characters like...

At its best, comics is like a family, where people in the field are known by their first names by fans and peers alike. Jerry, Joe (well, several Joes, actually, but context always makes it clear which one), Will, Bob, Bill, Stan, Jack, Steve, Marie, Carmine, Len, Marv, Flo.

Irwin.

Irwin Hasen was my friend, just as he was a lot of people’s friend. Of course, millions of people knew Irwin through his comics (Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Wildcat, the Fox, and, of course, Dondi). But because he had no children and no local relatives, Irwin’s friends and companions were his cartooning contemporaries, the cartoonists he mentored, and a steady stream of admirers, thirty to fifty years his junior, who crossed his path in various ways. Some were fans, some fellow comics pros. Some were descendants of his contemporaries, seeking information about and connection with their parents or grandparents through Irwin,...

Comic artist Irwin Hasen, who helped create one of comics’ most famous orphans, Dondi, and created the DC Comics character Wildcat, died Friday morning at the age of 96.

There’s no way to do his history and storied life justice in a fast blog post, so we’ll be providing much fuller remembrances later.

Our condolences to his family and many friends.

Irwin Hasen photo by Luigi Novi.

 

By Giacomo Selloni

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   "I was born in Harlem... I weighed a pound and a quarter and the doctor said 'If he survives, he'll be a genius,' but, he said, 'Don't count on it'."  Thus begins Irwin Hasen's narration of his life in "Irwin - A New York Story" by painter, and first-time filmmaker Dan Makara. The short film was presented at the famous Players club in Manhattan on November 30, 2011. In it Mr. Hasen speaks candidly and openly about his career, work and especially his personal life. The documentary short takes you back and forth through Hasen's miserable childhood, first "paying" job, schooling, being in on the ground floor of the burgeoning comic book industry, army stint and most importantly the creation for which he's most famous, "Dondi", the newspaper comic strip he drew for over 30 years. Hasen, at age 92, is...

Classic Comics Press is the little engine that could, a small operation that has produced lovely editions of many series, including The Heart of Juliet Jones and Mary Perkins On Stage. Publisher Charles Pelto and collections editor James Gauthier yesterday talked about those books and today, we continue to examine their plans.

ComicMix: Irwin Hasen’s Dondi is quite unlike the others and is a forgotten gem. What’s the appeal for you?

Charles Pelto: I did it because of Irwin Hasen. Roy Thomas suggested I talk to Irwin and we instantly hit it off. Irwin is a hell-of-a-guy and after meeting him I wanted to do it for no other reason than to honor Irwin's work. I would have liked to continue past Volume 2 but the sales just don't justify it. But I was able to do two volumes, people seemed to enjoy it. And it's too bad; the...

The legendary Irwin Hasen, co-creator of DC’s original Wildcat who is best known for his work on the classic newspaper comic strip Dondi, has written and drawn a 128-page graphic novel. Not bad for a guy 91 years old.

Loverboy, which purports to be something of a dramatized autobiography, will be released by Vanguard Publishing in December. Joe Kubert and Neal Adams contributed cover blurbs; Irwin has been a teacher at the Kubert School.

In addition to Wildcat and Dondi, Hasen had been a regular contributor to the golden age versions of Green Hornet, Green Lantern, The Flash and Justice Society of America, among many others.