The Art Institute of Zwen: Dave Cockrum Week!

Welcome to Dave Cockrum Week here at the Legion of Super Bloggers! 

Dave Cockrum was born on November 11, 1943. So all this week we here at The Legion of Super-Bloggers want to celebrate one of the artists who is directly responsible for the continued existence of the Legion of Super-Heroes today!

It's not hyperbole to say that if Dave Cockrum had not begged editor Murray Boltinoff for the chance to draw the Superboy back-up assignment in 1972, the Legion would be a totally different series today. In fact, it's not too much to say that if that hadn't happened, the state of *comics* would be very different today! For like a line of dominoes, Dave getting the Legion, Dave making the Legion popular again, Dave leaving the Legion and going over to Marvel, and Dave helping to co-create The X-Men are all seminal events in The History of Modern Comics.

To kick off this week-long celebration, here are some wonderful Dave Cockrum pieces. Some are from the Legion, and some are not. All are beautiful. Enjoy!

 Timber Wolf was probably Dave's most famous re-design

 Dave's love for the characters showed through in everything he drew

 

One of only a handful of Legion covers Dave did, 

his Superboy was inked by Nick Cardy

 

Dave was great at drawing futuristic scenarios as well as doing exotic locales

The wedding of Duo Damsel and Bouncing Boy (S/LSH 200)

When Dave asked for this one piece to be returned, DC said no. 

So he went to Marvel, and the rest is history. 

 Dave created Wildfire,
who became one of the Legion's most popular members

"The Outsiders" was going to be a Legion group, 

similar to The Heroes of Lallor or The Wanderers. 

Notice Nightcrawler, who became an X-Man, and Reflecto, who didn't. 

The whole world knows these characters. 

Nightcrawler was Dave's favorite and "alter-ego." 

While Dave was on The X-Men, he co-created Marvel's version of the Legion, 

called The Imperial Guard (X-Men 104)

Dave came back to the Legion several times over the years

 Dave drew a section of the Legion's anniversary issue (LSH #300)

 The last thing Dave was working on when he fell ill
was his own creation, The Futurians

Dave was first and foremost a fan. He LOVED this stuff, 

and it showed.


One post isn't enough to showcase all of Dave's great art!
So check his birthday post on Tuesday, as well as other days during the week!!