Ron S :: Action, Superman, Supergirl, DC Comics Presents

Action #393, Cover

Artists: Curt Swan (Penciller) , Murphy Anderson (Inker)

19 Comments - 2,627 Views - 1 Like

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Artwork Details

Title:	Action #393, Cover
Artist:	Curt Swan (Penciller)
Artist:	Murphy Anderson (Inker)
Media Type:	Pen and Ink
Art Type:	Cover
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views:	2,627
Likes on CAF:	1 2
Favorited on CAF:	2
Comments:	19
Added to Site:	5/28/2011
Comic Art Archive:

Description

Well, I didn�t get the DK splash. It was so close.

Actually, not really. But, I watched the action really closely. Does that count?

But, I did pick up something that I was looking for! I don�t know about you, but anyone who read comics in the 60�s and 70�s read Superman � even if you were a �Marvel guy�. Superman was, well, comfortable. I didn�t need to remember anything. I knew the villains and it seemed like the stories very rarely carried over between issues - unlike Marvel - and so I could pick up an issue from the pile at the barber shop (where I did most of my reading) and dive right in. Superman wasn�t as cool as Spiderman. But, it was kind of a guilty pleasure. It also seemed that no matter what comic you picked up with Superman, he was always drawn the same way. In fact, the few times it looked different, it was somehow jarring to my senses. I eventually figured out that was because the same artist drew Superman for over 20 years, Curt Swan.

Swan began penciling Superman in the very late 40�s, and was known as �the� Superman artist in the 60�s, 70�s, and early 80�s. He was (by all accounts) unceremoniously dumped from the Superman books in the mid-80�s. �Whatever happened to the Man of Tomorrow�, written by Alan Moore from 1986 was his final major Superman story. Incidentally, I just reread that story and it still holds up very well.

In any event, his style was clean, and it always seemed to me that he put more effort into faces and emotions than most of the other artists at the time. I always thought a lot of artists had anger down. But, Swan�s characters portrayed sadness, happiness, embarrassment, and despair. In some ways, reading the comic was much like watching the show with George Reeves (which I loved!). It was like comfort food to kid that owned a cape (which I most certainly did!).

Anyway, when I saw the cover to Action Comics #393 from 1970 pop up in the last Heritage Auction, I trained my sights on picking it up. The cover from �Superman meets Super- Houdini� (is that a great title or what??!!) was inked by Murphy Anderson and, to me, is a great example of Swan�s style and the type of Superman stories I loved back then.

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About the Owner

	Ron S Premium Gallery Owner
Joined:	June 2007
Last Login:	September 2025
Ebay Id:	lihama5
Country:	UNITED STATES
On CAF:	Premium Member Q&A Artworks Commented On Liked Art Site Activity on CAF

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Comments on this Artwork

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Mike W
Member Since 2007

Posted on 5/28/2011

Old school DC goodness!! A memorable Superman cover!!! Congratulations, my friend!!!!

Terry Maltos
Member Since 2004

Posted on 5/29/2011

Sweet.

Alex Johnson
Member Since 2006
Forum Moderator

Posted on 5/29/2011

I couldn't agree more on his ability to squeeze emotion and unique faces into the stories he drew. There's a piece on the CAF that really shows that ability.

Felix Lu
Member Since 2005

Posted on 5/29/2011

This is a really nice cover, Ron. Swanderson rules!

Carlos DS
Member Since 2006

Posted on 5/29/2011

approved !! you have really good taste

David Paget
Member Since 2008

Posted on 5/29/2011

A very nice addition to your collection, Curt Swan's clean, easy on the eye style always takes me back to my childhood.

Colorado Kid
Member Since 2007

Posted on 5/29/2011

A beautiful Swan/Anderson ACTION COMICS cover. Vintage on all counts--congrats Ron!

Chris C
Member Since 2004

Posted on 5/29/2011

What a magic team up Swan and Anderson were. Swan was the kind of artist whose pencils were immediately recognizable and Anderson's ink line is impossible to miss. Anderson inks were so stout that he could run over a lesser pencil artist and the piece would like it was all Anderson, but over Swan it was a perfect marriage where you can see the touches and flair of each artist without fail. This is something really special.

Timothy Finney
Member Since 2006

Posted on 5/29/2011

Chris has it right. There was a special synthesis to their best work together. Especially early on, they brought out the best in each other.

JEff G
Member Since 2006

Posted on 5/29/2011

Sucha great cover, Ron. It really is a perfect example of Swan and the era.

Ray Cuthbert
Member Since 2003

Posted on 5/29/2011

When DC lost George Klein, they really didn't seem to know how to make the most of Curt Swan's wonderful pencils. Finally they managed to team Curt up with Murphy Anderson, and the result was magic -- nearly as nice as Swan and Klein, which is saying a LOT!

Michael One Minute Later
Member Since 2005

Posted on 5/29/2011

Nice one, Ron.

- Artemaria
Member Since 2007

Posted on 5/31/2011

You know Ron, this cover holds up extremely well. It remains appealing and compelling as a piece of art on its own, and I suspect it will continue to be that way for decades to come. Certainly, this image is far more appealing than the covers of many of the overly stylized artists whose work dominated my comic-reading days all those years ago. Congratulations on a Swanderific acquisition!

Wesley Liu
Member Since 2009

Posted on 6/1/2011

Great Curt Swan Action cover, Ron. Another gem for your collection!

Robert Altamura
Member Since 2006

Posted on 6/2/2011

Ron, what a great cover. Love Anderson (also Swan). I was there that day too. Very exciting bidding going on. We should have name tags next time so we can meet. Again, terrific piece.

Chris K.
Member Since 2008

Posted on 6/14/2011

A thing of beauty. Like you, Superman in the 70's was such a staple in my diet of comic book reading. This one brings back a lot of memories - thanks for sharing it.

Maria Coppola
Member Since 2011

Posted on 8/9/2011

It's amazing how powerful this cover is. Your gallery has so many fantastic pieces, one could spend the whole day adding comments!

Fred's CAF Gallery
Member Since 2003

Posted on 3/8/2012

!!! FANTASTIC !!! What a cover!!!

Greg Gross
Member Since 2006

Posted on 4/18/2016

Super Cool Cover! Curt Swan "Superman" among the very, very best!

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