Peter's Gallery :: Justice Society of America Sketchbook

Stargirl and Atom Smasher by Don Kramer

Artist: Don Kramer (All)

12 Comments - 301 Views - 14 Likes

Stargirl and Atom Smasher by Don Kramer Comic Art

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Artwork Details

Title:	Stargirl and Atom Smasher by Don Kramer
Artist:	Don Kramer (All)
Media Type:	Mixed Media
Art Type:	Sketchbook
For Sale Status:
Views:	301
Likes on CAF:	14 15
Comments:	12
Added to Site:	8/15/2025
Comic Art Archive:

Description

This is the second piece by Don Kramer in the JSA book. I intended the first one to be Stargirl and Atom Smasher, but after talking with Don I decided to go for Solomon Grundy, Green Lantern, and Doctor Fate in pen that's also in the gallery. So that was Terrificon 2023.

A year later at Heroes 2024 I visited Don's table and saw his wonderful color JSA commissions. I was tempted but on a budget. I hemmed and hawed until the last day when I finally decided to go for it. Although packing up to leave and catch his plane, he kindly volunteered to take the book, do the piece at home, and send it back. That was awfully nice of him, but I was torn. His schedule was uncertain so I didn't know when I could pick it up at a con we'd both be at. I've done that several times, avoiding the risk of it going missing in the mail/delivery process.

Losing a sketchbook would be devastating. It's full of memories of cons, artists, and fellow collectors and, of course, irreplaceable art. It's the result of considerable effort by artists often working at night and the early morning, and by me going to cons, lining up early in the morning, settling on what to request, scrambling to the artist's table, and, if the list is full, being disappointed. I had never let the book, which I started in 2009, go into a mail/delivery service. With my original sketchbook I had only done that twice, also leaving it with the artist at a con. The uncertainty was what would happen between the time it's sent and delivered. Fortunately, the book did come back and with fabulous art.

In the end, a color JSA piece by Don was too tempting. Hey, he's one of the key artists of the Geoff Johns JSA run! I went for it. And yes, Don's commission wow'ed me when I opened it.

Will I hand off the book again for a mail/delivery service return? I doubt it. The risk of losing the book is too great for me. A collector, however, who does this all the time and has it down to a science is fellow CAF member Ronald Shepherd. Check out his gallery!

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About the Owner

	Peter Roe ( 1 ) Premium Gallery Owner
Joined:	February 2009
Last Login:	September 2025
Country:	UNITED STATES
On CAF:	Peter's Classifieds Peter's Want List Artworks Commented On Liked Art Site Activity on CAF

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Comments on this Artwork

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M L
Member Since 2015

1 - Posted on 8/15/2025

An incredible result, congrats! The colors are beautifully finished and the compostion is top notch!

Andre Gino
Member Since 2013

1 - Posted on 8/15/2025

Nice page. Congrats.

Kavi H
Member Since 2018

1 - Posted on 8/15/2025

This result turned out awesome! I understand your apprehention about letting go of the sketchbook for the first time for a mailing later situation, I'd have weak nerves about that myself - but glad it all worked out just fine and you have this awesome piece in there, congrats!

Peter Roe
Member Since 2009

1 - Posted on 8/15/2025

Kavi H wrote:

Thanks, Kavi! I've offered a few times to meet up with the artist someplace that's convenient and close to them if they live on the same coast, but they've not been comfortable with that for obvious, completely understandable reasons. Then there's the burden and responsibility of traveling with a fan's sketchbook and keeping track of it at home. So the lesson is...don't wait until the last day! Corollary - if you want to do a sketchbook, go into it with your eyes wide open. It can be logistically challenging, but it's also rewarding!

Ruben DaCollector
Member Since 2008

1 - Posted on 8/15/2025

Such a great looking piece, and it exudes the one thing I care most about, FUN! Kramer did an excellent job with the extreme foreshortening he had to do on Atom Smasher, and I've loved Stargirl ever since the television show aired and have since gone back and read Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. and the first 3 trades of the Johns JSA run, and have the more recent Stargirl mini-series TPB waiting for me as well.

As for Ron, he's such a great, affable guy. I did a very popular Show & Tell episode with him which was a lot of fun!

Peter Roe
Member Since 2009

1 - Posted on 8/15/2025

Ruben DaCollector wrote:

Thanks, Ruben! I didn't know that you had read so much of the Geoff Johns run. I saw your show and tell with Ron live. It was indeed fun and interesting!

Ruben DaCollector
Member Since 2008

1 - Posted on 8/15/2025

Peter Roe wrote:

Thanks, Ruben! I didn't know that you had read so much of the Geoff Johns run.�I saw your show and tell with Ron live. It was indeed fun and interesting!

When I was growing up in the 80's, I often didn't have enough money to buy all the comics I was attracted to, but I was always attracted to All-Star Squadron and Infinity Inc. characters. Then over the last 25 years, I often heard about how good th Johns run on JSA was, so I began buying the TPBs when they were rereleasing them 5 years ago. I got the first three, then didn't even noticve they had released the 4th volume until it was out of print, and although they never put it back in print, I took the chance and still bought volume five. I've since crossed the rubicon and bought myself a tablet to read digitally and now have the 4th volume digitally. So I'll eventually reread starting from the beginning. I really enjoyed what I've read so far!

As for Stargirl, I had never even heard of her until the television show started. I really enjoyed it, anbd then a friend told me it was actually based on a comic book by Johns, which is why I then bought that TPB and read it. Had I caught onto the JSA when it was first being published, I would've bought some art from it for sure, I love most of it!

Miki Annamanthadoo
Member Since 2003

1 - Posted on 8/15/2025

Love the perspective and the color!

You hemming and hawing? Naw, don't believe it!

Peter Roe
Member Since 2009

Posted on 8/16/2025

Miki Annamanthadoo wrote:

Love the perspective and the color!

You hemming and hawing? Naw, don't believe it!

Hahaha! Thanks, Miki!

Marcus Wai
Member Since 2005

1 - Posted on 8/16/2025

But with Ronald you have to remember during his interview that he was gangster about his sketchbook!

Derek Crabbe
Member Since 2020

1 - Posted on 8/16/2025

It is obvious why the colors were such a tempting option. They look awesome! Glad none of your fears came to pass and that you got a great piece in your sketchbook to boot!

Tom McDonald
Member Since 2019

Posted on 8/17/2025

Very nice! Glad to see you expanding the JSA side of your collection!

All
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