In brief: These are comics pages by Curt Swan that show why he’s my favorite comic book artist. My bio: I am Dale Lazarov, writer/editor of chic hardcovers of gay comics filth. I have a theory that everyone I collaborate with has a little Curt Swan in them… At some further length: These are comics pages by Curt Swan that show why he’s my favorite comic book artist. Swan’s homoerotics (for me, at least) are tied into how he’s able to represent or allude to both distinctive and relatable emotional states, vulnerability and power, often simultaneously, in facial expression, body language, framing/mise-en-scene and choice of moment. And this goes deeply into the core of how and why STICKY, MANLY, NIGHTLIFE, FANCY, etc, work so well for me and for readers as gay romantic porn comics. Rather than keeping my Curt Swan page samples, close readings of his narrative technique and gay-gazing of his handsome, bulgy dudes between me and my collaborators and comixfriends, I’ve decided to share my scholarship of and love for Curt Swan with the internets. Contact e-mail: dalelazarov-at-gmail.com (replace the “-at-” with a @) Tumblr (3.0; @swanderful)http://swanderful.tumblr.com/<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/336ae933a24ac1c426ecef594dcb81a6/tumblr_mi8t7pwIQC1qax06co1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>A Curt Swan cover on a Superman pop-up book!  :: squees manfully ::</p>http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/43124967971http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/43124967971Thu, 14 Feb 2013 21:47:49 -0600<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_meemi03PoO1qax06co1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Superman and Jimmy Olsen become enemies and it makes the front page of <em>The Daily Planet</em>!  This is an original cover for a French reprint of Superman comics.  <br/><br/>Reprinters in other countries often used new covers to collect material from multiple issues and/or characters.  This looks either like a really clean blow-up or an excellent trace of interior comics art by Curt Swan.</p>http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/37026888260http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/37026888260Sun, 02 Dec 2012 06:54:00 -0600<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mb0qt3SIdL1qax06co1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Curt Swan draws Clark Kent’s swanky home office!  Love the cityscape with the embedded panels on the top of the page setting up that we’re visiting Clark’s pad.  Love Clarkie’s body langauge and facial expression, which imply boredom without petulance.  And the 70s modern furniture is so chic!</p> <p>From Superman 258.</p>http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/32400645590http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/32400645590Thu, 27 Sep 2012 12:19:00 -0500<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7ftr5KF0f1qax06co1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><span class="Apple-style-span">If you’re wondering who inspired Curt Swan’s dynamic figure drawing of male bodies in action, it was Leyendecker.  This is rare U.S. Navy Football Mini Poster illustration by J. C. Leyendecker from 1921.</span></p>http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/27599132706http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/27599132706Thu, 19 Jul 2012 21:33:05 -0500<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7abd1dLcR1qax06co1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>I challenge you to write an analysis of the storytelling on this Curt Swan Superman 378 page. :)  </p>http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/27380579376http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/27380579376Mon, 16 Jul 2012 22:07:49 -0500<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m76yb5yGbH1qax06co1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>A Curt Swan pencil pin-up of Superman. :)</p>http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/27248525426http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/27248525426Sun, 15 Jul 2012 02:33:05 -0500<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m75djw6ugl1qax06co1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Curt Swan draws Superman telling a kid the bad news about being an accessory to a crime.</p> <p>I love the representationally-appealing cops in this PSA.</p>http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/27188015560http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/27188015560Sat, 14 Jul 2012 06:07:08 -0500<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6xlskxPOa1qax06co1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><div> <p>After watching a violent and disturbing preview of the Injustice: Gods Among Us DC superhero video game, I needed something lighthearted to make me not kill myself.</p> <p>This page is from DC Comics Presents 87, featuring a team-up between Superman and Earth-Prime Superboy, before the latter became a violent and disturbing asshole.</p> </div>http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/26890627980http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/26890627980Tue, 10 Jul 2012 01:24:19 -0500<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6wmgp563r1qax06co1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Curt Swan’s pencils for an unpublished Superman/Creeper team-up!  It’s amazing that Swan would make even an over-the-top costume design by Steve Ditko look elegant and manly at the same time.  </p>http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/26841459767http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/26841459767Mon, 09 Jul 2012 12:41:13 -0500<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6wdwxq3P91qax06co1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Another “How To Draw Superman” feature by Curt Swan!</p>http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/26832134916http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/26832134916Mon, 09 Jul 2012 09:36:32 -0500<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6vng08J601qax06co1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Superman pencil pin-up by Curt Swan from 1991.</p>http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/26814165590http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/26814165590Mon, 09 Jul 2012 00:04:47 -0500<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6u90yosO11qax06co1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Curt Swan draws a boat-to-boat fight six-person gun-and-fist-fight!</p> <p>From Gangbusters 17.</p>http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/26756925528http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/26756925528Sun, 08 Jul 2012 05:55:46 -0500<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6tfu8f4b61qax06co1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><div> <p>Curt Swan draws Lois Lane, radioactive nurse!</p> <p>In the late 60s, Curt Swan was assigned thicker, inkier inkers that, unfortunately, lost some of the detailing that fine-line or feathery inkers would capture, although this page seems to be not too overwhelmed by this style of inking.  This page from Superman’s Girlfriend, Lois Lane 98 was inked by George Roussos, better known as George Bell and one of Jack Kirby’s inkers at Marvel.</p> </div>http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/26728751763http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/26728751763Sat, 07 Jul 2012 19:25:20 -0500<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6shyh3E5Z1qax06co1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Curt Swan draws Lois and Clark on a dating game show!</p> <p>Love the body language and facial expressions on Lois, Clark and Supey here.</p>http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/26693415580http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/26693415580Sat, 07 Jul 2012 07:13:29 -0500<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6s6ozsudE1qax06co1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Curt Swan draws Batgirl using her athleticism and brains to rescue a weakened, drowning Supergirl!  </p> <p>It’s the little details that make this page lovely: the hypnotized superheroes in the deep background of panel 1, the architectural rendering of this Washington, DC bridge, the limo’s realistic representation, Batgirl’s reflection on the hubcap, Batgirl’s fantastic anatomy, Supergirl’s hair…</p> <p>From Superman Family 171.</p>http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/26687868092http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/26687868092Sat, 07 Jul 2012 03:10:00 -0500<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6qop3PrkX1qax06co1_500.gif"/><br/><br/><p><span class="Apple-style-span">Curt Swan draws Superboy’s love for volunteer work in this PSA.</span></p>http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/26625471590http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/26625471590Fri, 06 Jul 2012 07:43:50 -0500<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6q2wc50g51qax06co1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Curt Swan Superman non-permanent tattoo art!</p>http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/26610645917http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/26610645917Thu, 05 Jul 2012 23:53:00 -0500<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6p1lpSi6o1qax06co1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Curt Swan draws…Captain America?!?!</p>http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/26560114780http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/26560114780Thu, 05 Jul 2012 10:27:25 -0500<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6o68toTEW1qax06co1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>This is one of my smoking-gun images for my theory that DC started to knock off Marvel by the mid-60s.  This is clearly influenced by the cover of Peter Parker dumping his Spider-Man outfit in a trash can.  The layout looks like Carmine Infantino: stylized city-scapes were his thing and the skyscraper-morphing-into-a-disapproving-Superman visual idea is something I can imagine Infantino would come up with.</p>http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/26537636300http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/26537636300Wed, 04 Jul 2012 23:10:05 -0500<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6o5uqq6H41qax06co1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Little-known fact: Curt Swan quit comics to work in advertising but returned to comics because comics paid better at the time.</p>http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/26537148828http://swanderful.tumblr.com/post/26537148828Wed, 04 Jul 2012 23:01:38 -0500