2022 Comic Book News Archives
February 14, 2022: Daniel Johnston Posthumously Covers DC
The late singer-songwriter and visual artist continues to influence pop culture with new DC comic book covers.An upcoming issue of DC's Batman comic book series, "Batman #121," will feature three limited-edition variant covers featuring original pieces of art by the late singer-songwriter and visual artist Daniel Johnston. The comics will be released by the award-winning comics retailer Austin Books & Comics on March 1 and sold in cooperation with the world-famous Electric Lady Studios and The Contemporary Austin.
Johnston, whose cult status earned him early, outspoken support from the likes of Matt Groening, Kurt Cobain, Sonic Youth, and David Bowie, was the subject of the acclaimed 2005 documentary "The Devil and Daniel Johnston". The first ever museum retrospective of the artist's work, "Daniel Johnston: I Live My Broken Dreams," is on view at The Contemporary Austin in Texas through March 20.
Daniel Johnston's art and music have featured globally in films, commercials, museums, and galleries, but it's in Austin, Texas where he has become most ingrained in local culture. It is, after all, the city where in 1985 he excitedly shoved himself in front of MTV's cameras to gain a national audience and where today his drawings and music displaying heroic victory and quiet heartache are proudly on display at the downtown art museum, The Contemporary Austin.
The exhibition's curator, Robin K. Williams, noticed a letter Johnston had written in the 1990s or 2000s addressed to his friend Marie Javins, now Editor-in-Chief at DC, requesting her help getting his artwork into comics. "I thought the letter was strange and touching," says Williams, "because he was already an internationally successful musician when he wrote it. When I asked Marie about it, she said, 'Daniel had two loves, music and art, and always wanted to be a comic book artist.' This gave her the beautiful idea to finally make this happen."
"I've been an avid collector of Daniel's artwork since I met him in 1986—but not always on purpose," says Javins. "He'd draw pictures on letters he'd send to me over the years, and we even collaborated on some art when I was a professional comic book colorist. I'm thrilled to see his Batman, Superman, and Orion art come to life on these ABC retailer variants."
"Daniel always did things unconventionally, so it makes sense that this is how he finally gets on a big-publisher comic cover," says Brandon Zuern, a manager at Austin Books & Comics. "We've always wanted to see his vibrant artwork reach this audience. It's a great honor to make this happen, and to make his dream a reality. With the help of DC and Electric Lady Studios, we've created something unique for collectors of comics and Johnston enthusiasts alike, all while getting his artwork on the same kinds of comics that inspired him."
Electric Lady Studios, which manages the Daniel Johnston art catalog on behalf of Johnston's surviving family, selected the images to be used for the variant covers. "This is a complete realization of one of Daniel's biggest dreams—to have his designs featured on a DC cover and sold in his favorite comic shop. It puts a lump in my throat," says Lee Foster, Electric Lady's managing partner.
"Batman #121" with the Daniel Johnston covers will be available for preorder on February 14. Limited quantities of the trade-dressed Johnston cover featuring Batman will be sold individually while sets of all three covers, featuring Batman, Superman, and DC's New God Orion, will be packaged in unique folios and sold in limited quantities at The Austin Contemporary, Electric Lady Studios, Austin Books & Comics, and hihowareyou.com. Each partner will have an exclusive colorway for the folio.
On Wednesday, March 9 at 5:30pm, The Contemporary Austin will host a launch event with DC's Editor-in-Chief Marie Javins in conversation with Curator Robin K. Williams. The Contemporary's colorway set of "Batman #121" with the Johnston variant covers will be available on site. Tickets and information will be available soon at thecontemporaryaustin.org/events.
Austin Books & Comics has served the Central Texas comic book fandom since 1977. It was not by coincidence that Daniel frequented the store for many years, trading his own original artwork as currency for comics. The store, in turn, sold the artwork to local fans, making them one of the earliest supporters of Daniel's visual works. Though those pieces have long since found their way into private collections, Austin Books & Comics has since featured comics, prints, and even T-shirts showcasing Johnston's artwork.
"Daniel Johnston: I Live My Broken Dreams" at The Contemporary Austin offers visitors a window into Johnston's elaborate iconography, including an idiosyncratic cast of characters and symbols engaged in a perpetual struggle between good and evil. The exhibition includes more than two hundred drawings along with handmade fliers, home-recorded cassette tapes with hand-drawn covers, photographs, notebook pages, Super 8 mm home movies, archival video and audio, and Johnston's vintage white piano. Visitors witness the evolution of Johnston's work over four decades, from early drawings on the backs of his homework assignments to works created in 2018.
"Batman #121," by Joshua Williamson, Jorge Molina, Mikel JanÃn, Tomeu Morey and Clayton Cowles, including a backup story by Karl Kerschl and Dave McCaig, is available in comic shops everywhere on March 1.
2022 Comic Book News
Listed below are all the Comic News items archived for 2022.- January 11, 2022: Five Preview Pages from Mark Waid and Dan Mora's “Batman/Superman: World's Finest”
- January 11, 2022: “Action Comics #1” with Rocket Stamp to Sell for Over $2 Million
- January 13, 2022: “Action Comics #1” with Rocket Stamp Sells for Over $3 Million
- January 19, 2022: DC Announces “Death of the Justice League” in “Justice League #75”
- January 21, 2022: First Look at Superman/Nightwing Crossover in “Nightwing #89”
- January 22, 2022: DC Announces “Dark Knights of Steel: The Gathering Storm”
- February 3, 2022: Defenders of Truth, Justice and the Prehistoric Way in “The Jurassic League”
- February 9, 2022: DC Announces “Dark Crisis” Comic Book Event
- February 10, 2022: First Look at “Batman/Superman: World's Finest #1”
- February 14, 2022: A Dark Crisis Looms on Free Comic Book Day 2022
- February 14, 2022: Daniel Johnston Posthumously Covers DC
- February 16, 2022: “JLA/Avengers” Crossover Reprinted for Hero Initiative
- February 28, 2022: Superman Content Available on DC Universe Infinite in March 2022
- March 10, 2022: Favorite Superman Comic Book Artist - Poll Results
- March 15, 2022: Auction for “Superman #1” at ComicConnect.com
- March 15, 2022: DC Announces “Dark Crisis: Young Justice” Comic Book Miniseries
- March 15, 2022: DC's Pride 2022 Publishing Plans Announced
- March 17, 2022: Favorite Superman Comic Book Writer - Poll Results
- March 18, 2022: “Superman #1” Sells for $141,450 at Auction
- March 19, 2022: Heritage Auctions Lists Original “Death of Superman” Art by Jon Bogdanove
- March 20, 2022: Mark Waid Discusses “Batman/Superman: World's Finest”
- March 21, 2022: Four Historic Superman Family Prototypes to Sell at Auction
- March 24, 2022: 25 Years Since Electric “Superman Blue”
- March 25, 2022: Comic Book Covers for “Batman/Superman: World's Finest #2”
- March 28, 2022: DC Universe Infinite is Going Global
- March 29, 2022: DC Holds Second DC Round Robin Voting Tournament
- March 31, 2022: Superhero With the Best Villains - Poll Results
- April 4, 2022: A Superman Classic in the Making: “Superman Space Age”
- April 6, 2022: DC Reveals the Cover for the Finale of “Earth-Prime”
- April 6, 2022: DC Announces “Young Justice: Targets” from “Young Justice: Phantoms” Creators
- April 7, 2022: DC Announces “Dark Crisis: Worlds Without a Justice League - Superman #1”
- April 8, 2022: Heritage Auctions Sells Original “Death of Superman” Art by Jon Bogdanove
- April 13, 2022: Mile High Copy of “Superman #1” Sells for Record $5.3 Million
- April 14, 2022: Dreamer Makes Her DC Universe Debut in “Superman: Son of Kal-El #13”
- April 19, 2022: Heritage Auctions Sells Original “Superman Annual #11” Art by Dave Gibbons
- April 21, 2022: Should Zack Snyder Fans Be Angry at “Earth-Prime #2: Superman & Lois”? (The S Files)
- April 22, 2022: DC Celebrates George Perez's Birthday for All of June
- April 29, 2022: Neal Adams, Legendary Comic Book Artist, Dies Aged 80
- May 7, 2022: George Pérez Dies, Aged 67
- May 11, 2022: Meet the Earth-11 Super Heroes of “Multiversity: Teen Justice”
- May 16, 2022: DC Announces “Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen's Boss, Perry White #1”
- May 16, 2022: Rare “Superman #1” Comic Book to Sell at Auction
- May 17, 2022: “Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow” Wins DC Round Robin Voting Tournament
- May 18, 2022: DC Announces “DCeased: War of the Undead Gods”
- May 19, 2022: Superman and Supergirl Receive Eisner Award Nominations
- May 24, 2022: Superman Comic Book Creators Attending HeroesCon
- May 25, 2022: Japanese Superman Manga Series Ending Soon
- May 26, 2022: Fan Interest in “Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow” - Poll Results
- May 30, 2022: Video - Superman Hidden Gems Comics by Superhero Stuff You Should Know
- June 13, 2022: “DC: Mech” Comic Trailer
- June 15, 2022: Superman Returns to Earth in “Action Comics #1047”
- June 16, 2022: Comic Book Artist Tim Sale Dies
- July 20, 2022: DC Comics Panels at San Diego Comic-Con
- July 21, 2022: DC Comics Announces “Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths”
- July 21, 2022: Robert Venditti Working on Sequel to “Superman '78”
- July 24, 2022: DC Announces “Superman: Harvest Youth” Graphic Novel
- July 26, 2022: DC Teases “Death of Superman” Special Announcement
- July 27, 2022: SDCC Report - DC's “Dark Crisis” Panel
- July 27, 2022: DC Announces Death of Superman Anniversary Special with Stories from Original Teams
- July 27, 2022: Tom Taylor and Tom King in Conversation: “DCeased: War of the Undead Gods”
- July 28, 2022: “DC's Saved by the Belle Reve” Arrives August 31
- August 2, 2022: “Superman '78” From Screen to Page
- August 4, 2022: Fan Interest in “The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special” - Poll Results
- August 9, 2022: DCComics.com Rebrands as DC.com
- August 14, 2022: First Look at “Superman: Kal-El Returns Special #1”
- August 18, 2022: First Look at Doombreaker from “Death of Superman” Anniversary Special
- August 22, 2022: Superman Comic Book Creators Attending Conventions This Weekend
- August 24, 2022: Final Order Cut Off for “The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1” this Sunday!
- August 24, 2022: Superman Artist Clayton Henry Hates Drawing Windows
- August 27, 2022: “The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special” Comic Trailer
- September 1, 2022: DC and Universal Distribution Enter Into New Distribution Agreement
- September 8, 2022: New Superman Era Starts with “Action Comics #1050”
- September 12, 2022: Auction for “Action Comics #1” CGC 8.5 Restored Copy
- September 12, 2022: DC Announces Superman Panel for New York Comic Con
- September 15, 2022: “Action Comics #1” with Rocket Stamp Sells for $3.4 Million
- September 17, 2022: Who is the Mystery [Redacted] Singer on “Action Comics #1050” Variant Cover?
- September 18, 2022: Get Ready to Meet New Superman Villain - Red Sin
- September 29, 2022: Where Did the Name “Clark Kent” Come From?
- October 5, 2022: DC Unveils New Super-Family Costumes
- October 6, 2022: Superman's Secret Identity - Poll Results
- October 8, 2022: New Era of Superman Starts This January
- October 17, 2022: Revisiting “Superman Blue” Ahead of “Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent”
- October 18, 2022: Superman Comic Book Creators Attending Baltimore Comic-Con
- October 20, 2022: Superman's Secret Identity is... Nabil Fawzi
- October 25, 2022: DC Introduces Digital Collectible Comics Starting With “Superman #1”
- October 27, 2022: “Superman #1” DC Collectible Comic Sold Out!
- October 30, 2022: New Book - DC Greatest Events
- November 9, 2022: RIP Comic Book Artist Carlos Pacheco
- November 10, 2022: 30 Years of Doomsday - A Look at One of Superman's Deadliest Enemies
- November 17, 2022: DC Reveals Mystery Singer on “Batman/Superman: World's Finest #10” Variant Cover
- November 17, 2022: “The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special” Gets Second Printing
- November 18, 2022: “Dawn of DC” Starts in January 2023
- November 20, 2022: DC's “Dark Knights of Steel - Vol. 1” Comic Trailer
- November 23, 2022: Superman's Secret Identity is Coming Back!
- November 29, 2022: Phillip Kennedy Johnson Responds to Fan Complaints Regarding Jon Kent's Age
- November 29, 2022: “Action Comics” Trade Paperback Collections (2016-2022)
- December 8, 2022: Superman Comic Book Interest for 2023 - Poll Results
- December 9, 2022: DC Announces “Superman: Lost” 10-Issue Miniseries
- December 11, 2022: What Happened to Comic Book Cover Dates?
- December 13, 2022: DC Adds “Crisis on Infinite Earths #1” to Digital Collectible Comics
- December 15, 2022: Top 10 Christmas/Holiday Themed Superman Comic Book Covers
- December 15, 2022: Comic Book Reading Habits in 2022 - Poll Results
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