Superman Through the Ages! Forum

Mark Evanier has a great bit about the original source for Curt Swan's famous cover to the Jimmy Olsen comic featuring a giant Turtleman menacing a bridge:

http://www.newsfromme.com/archives/2006_06_19.html#011653

Mort stole it from himself, apparently!

There are many great unsolved mysteries that face humankind.

Who built the pyramids?

Are there really UFOs?

Is there life after death?

But by far the greatest such mystery is this: why is it that Mark Evanier's blog is so funny, but his comics never are? I read SERGIO ARAGONES DESTROYS DC the same week my grandfather died, and let me tell you, it brought me real comfort - comfort because no matter how bad things are where Gramps is, at least he'll be somewhere that doesn't have SERGIO ARAGONES DESTROYS DC. Cheryl Ladd...joining the Legion of Superheroes? AHAHAHAHAHA!

Nonetheless, my estimation of Evanier is elevated because of his praise of the professional ethics of Curt Swan. Anybody that gives quite sincere props like that to a real pro like Curt Swan is worthy of praise. I remember another entry in his blog that praised Swan's genius, and despite the overwhelming urge to kick his ass that swept over me when he transformed a Swan eulogy into an opportunity for him to name-drop ("you know, this reminds me of a very funny story about my good friend Jack Kirby..."), the intention was sincere and it was all very sweet. Thanks, Mark!

This connection was discussed a few years ago in an issue of Comic Book Marketplace magazine.

It does indeed seem Mort is the "missing link" between Superman and many pulp concepts.  He was friends with Doc Savage scribe Lester Dent, so it's perhaps no surprise that Superman under Mort soon accumulated baggage like a polar Fortress of Solitude, a like-powered female cousin, and so on.

I agree it's cool that Evanier dismisses out of hand the very idea that Curt Swan would swipe anything from anyone, ever.  Whatever its origins, this, I believe, would today qualify as an "homage" and not a swipe. After all, every month there seems to be some cover out there that's a variation on a famous cover from years ago (this month's solicits, for instance, feature a Birds of Prey cover that copies the old Detective cover introducing Batgirl).

Swan came up with zillions of Superman covers and concepts and not all of them could have come from others via Mort.  I'm sure he was a conceptual genius, outside of his genius for plotting, storytelling, character, and other aspects of comic art.