1988 History of the DC Universe HC Aquaman pin up

Welcome back to Shemp's Gallery. It's Birthday month here at the Gallery. Not my birthday, but artists birthdays. I will try to celebrate a new artist every week whose birthday is in October.

Let's start with Ramona Fradon. Born October 2 1926. In 1950 she found work at DC Comics, where she would spend virtually all of her career. Her first job was drawing the Shining Knight in Adventure Comics, but it was only when that feature was replaced with one starring Aquaman, with Fradon still on pencils, that she really came into her own as a comics artist. Her Aquaman work is deceptively simple, combining an excellent design sense and flair for narrative with a cartoonist's skill at expressive faces.

In the 1960s, Fradon co-created Metamorpho with Bob Haney, drawing the first four issues of the element man's solo series. These comics gave Fradon even more room to flex her artistic muscle. She would go on to draw SuperFriends and the Freedom Fighters and a host of other comics.

Ramona Fradon is one of the greatest comic book artists of DC's Silver Age. At 95 years, her art continues to shine with her unique combination of joy, fun, and luscious linework, all delivered in such a way to look almost entirely effortless. Happy Birthday Ramona!


From 1988 History of the DC Universe hardcover edition. Aquaman by Ramona Fradon