DAVE STEVENS INTERVIEW

There's no denying that Dave Stevens was a super-talented artist who rocked the comic book world with his amazing line-work and inking technique. A fan of retro-era subjects, he appropriated the tropes of the adventure pulps and made something altogether new with them. His creation of THE ROCKETEER is the best example. When his character hit the pages of Eclipse Comics, fans went crazy and demanded more. Unfortunately for them, Stevens was a meticulous craftsman and was known to have spent uncountable hours on a single panel until he thought what he got "what was right". As a result, his output suffered (along with his editors!).

Stevens sadly passed away from leukemia at the age 52. What we have left is a legacy of a professional who had the advantage of working for an independent comics publisher that knew who they had and allowed his eccentricities.

The following interview is from the COMICS & COMIX retail store chain giveaway newsletter THE TELEGRAPH WIRE (#10, 1983). Conducted by Diana Schutz, Stevens talks about his first comics job working on Russ Manning's TARZAN strip, his animation work and his accidental re-discovering of the most popular pinup gal in history, Betty Page.

Included here are two strips he did for Pacific Comics' ALIEN WORLDS, the first being, "Aurora", an early piece he did for the Japanese company Sanrio that they ended up not publishing, They eventually gave him the rights back and Eclipse gladly used the story in their science-fiction anthology book.

ALIEN WORLDS #2 (Pacific Comics, May 1983):

ALIEN WORLDS #4 (Pacific Comics, September 1983):

WRIGHTSON'S SWAMP THING NO. 1 ORIGINAL COVER ART

The DC Comics character, Swamp Thing, has seen many writers and artists come and go, and the title has been resurrected numerous times since its inception. None, however, have equaled the original team of scripter Len Wein and draftsman Bernie Wrightson. First appearing in HOUSE OF SECRETS #92 (July 1971), it was their version that set the bar for this intriguing tale with a cautionary undertone that reflected the political movement of citizen "tree huggers", the militant Greenpeace, and the beginnings of the EPA's environmental stranglehold.

Pictured below is the original art, before coloring, of the first issue of SWAMP THING (Nov. 1972). Wrightson's mastery of line and ink work is in full view here. While Neal Adams was DC's premier artist at the time, I believe that Bernie Wrightson was superior for his exquisite detail and expressiveness.

BONUS: Bernie Wrightson's original cover art for Pacific Comics' TWISTED TALES #2.