"Ride, Bat-Hombre, Ride!"

[Super Monkey]

Everything gets posted for a reason

I once said that in reference to all the stories that I scan and post - but when someone else sends it in, the reasons get fuzzy.

Actually this story had a long running "cult" status on this site, which is the real reason why it was added. Do a search new members

[Klar Ken T5477]

And dig that Dick Sprang artwork! Real treat to see thr oginal cover as I was only familiar with it from the Batman annual I had read it in.

[MatterEaterLad]

My favorite of that 80 Page Giant as well...

OK, who has "Robin Dies at Dawn" or Superman vs. Zha Vam?

[Klar Ken T5477]

I have one of the Zha-Vams (last one) but no Robin Dies At Dawn (a great one IIRC).

But more importantly, I have Jimmy Olsen's Monster Movie (which Ive been threatening to scan for a year)!

[nightwing]

It's not just this board that holds the story in cult status.  Since there were no credits on the original story, I had to do some research via Google and if you put in the title, you'll get a ton of references, many of them not about the story at all but just going on about what an awesome title it is and how people are planning to make it their new battle cry, etc.

I have to say that with that patented Dick Sprang barrel chest and the handlebar mustache, Batman cuts and impressive figure.  He looks like Sandor the Strongman from vaudeville days.  You half expect him to bend an iron bar in his teeth or something.

[MatterEaterLad]

Well, "Jimmy Olsen's Monster Movie" would be a great representative of what his comics were, I loved that issue...

Sprang just does not get enough credit, his Batman has a very simple square face, and Robin has such a high waist and long legs, I suppose "Seduction of the Innocent" HAD to pick on him...

But look at Sprang's complicated backgrounds, great detail and drawing skills that tested an inking for how much detail to put in...

[Klar Ken T5477]

I picked up last week two of the 67 Signet paperbacks I used to have - Superman (which is all Wayne Boring) and Batman (which is all Dick Sprang - save for the obligiatory Batman 'how he came to be' two pager)
and it's amazing how those two guys pretty much defined those characters from the late 40s to early 60s with Boring pretty much handing over the reigns to Curt Swan and Sprang handing it over to everyone from Carmine Infantino (those early New Look issues are gorgeous) to Sid Greene (feh).

Both had barrel chests you could over Niagra Falls in but that was how physically fit specimens were defined then (Steve Reeves anyone).

I have Wertham's book and it's soooooooooooo stupid but the best chapter heading is Murder at Dawson's Creek which I assue was Kevin Williamson's as well.

Ok ramblin here....what are those marks on my shoulder??

[MatterEaterLad]

LOL, I STILL think that Sprang drew Ace the Bat Hound really weird...I wonder if he was trained as a landscape artist or an archictectural renderer...its kind of funny, Boring brought a big chest and a huge ab to the table, Sprang liked an even bigger chest and a simple waist fading into the trunks...