Here are a couple Black Canary pin-ups by Bruce Timm that I recently discovered. These may not be new to you, but they are to me! Another guy named Tim had a lot of comments on Canary’s classic outfit: With fishnets, the wider the weave, broader the weave, the more vulgar the look is going to be. Any guesses* as to who that other Tim was?
Timm very much is into a style that screams Femme Fatale and Black Canary fits that type of character very well in these pin-ups. She resembles Veronica Lake, the movie star from the 1940s. Of course, Veronica didn’t run around in tights and lingerie fighting crime. But she could have been an inspiration for Canary’s creators—clearly she had an impact on Timm and Darwin Cooke.
*Tim Gunn from Bravo TV’s Project Runway. He critiqued Black Canary’s outfit in the first episode of Crazy Sexy Geeks. Timm called Canary “a tramp” and made the acute observation that fishnets send “a very powerful sexual message”. I think we geeks already knew that, right? Nuff Said!
José Luis García-López has a nice Facebook gallery, where I found this great new Justice League cover that did recently for Hero Initiative. Not sure if this is a old or new Hero Initiative cover project, but covers like this one will certainly do well.
José had a few more pin-ups that I really liked, especially this downward angle shot of Wonder Woman flying in the air. It’s just astonishing to me how well García-López portrays this character, with classic grace and beauty.
This one of Black Canary in her original costume is butt-kicking beautiful. An upward angle shot, just the opposite of the WW pic. As Nancy Sinatra said, those boots were made for walking all over you!
I’m not quite privileged enough to José’s friend on Facebook, but super-fan Jerry Whitworth is and Liked his picture so that his friends could see it. Thanks, Jerry, you helped bring some Silver Age freshness into my day. Nuff Said!
I've been missing Steve Rude's classic takes on various DC and Marvel characters. Here is a nice illustration of Black Canary.
I really dig how Rude plays with the light source and shadows in this elegant little drawing. Nuff Said!
Brian Bolland drew the best Black Canary cover in 1988, for Action Comics #609! This was during the period when DC had booted Superman out of the title and made it an anthology starring various characters that did not have their own series.
Bolland's cover is just wicked. Black Canary gives a mischievous smile to the viewer as she burns her 1980s Justice League era outfit. Bolland is giving a gift to the fans: the return to the classic costume and fishnets! I was happy to see the Black Canary's original outfit--I always think she should be drawn in this one.
Here is the original art for Action Comics 609. It looks just as good, if not better, in black and white. This piece is owned by Joseph Melchior, see his gallery at Comic Art Fans. Nuff said.
Neal Adams is probably my ideal artist for Black Canary. His version is very attractive, sleek and athletic without being overly voluptuous.
Here's a piece taken from Neal Adams 2007 Sketchbook. Adams has still got it--a shame we are not seeing any new superhero comics from him. Nuff said.
Alex Toth only drew a handful of Black Canary stories in Adventure Comics, but his version is unforgettable.
Here is a drawing Toth did for a fan in 2003, featuring Doctor Mid-Night and Black Canary.
And here's a page from his Adventure Comics run in glorious black and white, with Black Canary takin' down a dude in bell bottom pants. I love Toth's sound effects and page layout. Nuff said.
I'm still in a black mood...a Black Canary mood. And Bruce Timm is here to help me out. His version of Dinah Lance is sexy, but not over the top, much like yesterday's Terry Austin pinup.
I like this picture of Black Canary taking a break on a sofa. That face and haircut is right out of a 1950s film noir movie.
Here's a typical Timm pose with Black Canary getting ready to spring into action.
Looking at these pieces reminded me of a time when women could be portrayed as sexy and dangerous without their boobs and butt spilling all over the place. Unlike this portrayal of Canary in All-Star Batman and Robin. Nuff said.
From the depths of my long boxes, I discovered the Comic Art Convention 1978 souvenir book, which has this great pin-up of Black Canary by Terry Austin:
Black Canary looks terrific in her fishnets, as usual. But what is great about this piece is the subtle humor. What is it like doing monitor duty on the Justice League satellite. When Starro isn't launching an assault against Earth, JLA monitor duty is pretty boring and lonely.
There's a pot of coffee and cups on the upper right. On the lower left is a clipboard with a list of names checked off for duty: Aquaman, Atom, and Batman have already served their time before Dinah. On the floor, you can see the various methods Canary used to pass the time: Crossword puzzles, Vogue magazine, and a book (Lord of the Rings). I love Terry Austin's humor and attention to detail. Nuff said.
