RIP Joe Kubert!



From Justice League of America#200



I was sad to hear yesterday that Joe Kubert had passed away at 85.

I wasn't a die-hard Kubert fan, but looking back I can say that he provided me with some memorable moments in my comic-reading history. The skull face near the end of his Sgt Rock "Face The Devil" story scared the piss out of me. There was also Superman literally punching Hawkman into orbit in the legendary Justice League of America#200 (see above). And a few years ago, in Batman: Black And White, Kubert gave the modern-day Caped Crusader one of his all-time corniest lines: "I am an equal-opportunity justice dispenser."

Artistically, Kubert was literally the gift that kept on giving. Not only did he father Andy and Adam, talented and famous artists in their own right, but he also founded The Kubert School, which has produced a veritable army of comics talent.

If you're a fan of Amanda Conner's art, thank Joe Kubert. If you're enjoying Rags Morales' current work on Action Comics, thank Joe Kubert. If you liked Steve Bissette, John Totleben, Tom Yeates, Kim DeMulder, Rick Veitch, and/or Tom Mandrake on Swamp Thing, thank Joe Kubert. If you enjoy Cliff Rathburn's work on Invincible and Walking Dead, thank Joe Kubert. If you've enjoyed the work of Shane Davis, Ron Wagner, Scott Kolins, Karl Kesel, Lee Weeks, Adam Warren, Steve Lieber, Alex Maleev, Eric Shanower, and Tim Truman, thank Joe Kubert.

But the thing I remember most about Kubert? His COVERS. Spanning the gamut of genres, from super-hero comics to horror to westerns to war comics, Kubert's covers were perhaps second only to Nick Cardy's and Neal Adams' for attracting kids (and adults) to buy Late Silver Age & Early Bronze Age comics.

Here's a sample of some of his superior cover work over the years:

Oh, and let's not forget Sgt. Rock..

 
Rest in peace, Joe. You WILL be missed!


(More on one of Kubert's specialties to follow...)