Batman in "The Treeman Strikes"

Today we present a somewhat truncated short story for your entertainment. The story structure seems to be inspired more by the TV show than actual comics, and I believe the "Treeman" may be intended to be one of the generic villains (of whom I can find no image) included in the "Superadventure" Colorforms set I had. Note the unorthodox use of "arching" to mean "practicing archery". Also the lack of punctuation. I don't know if I just ran out of steambefore the fight scene or whether I was more interested in character and dialogue than gratuitous fight scenes. I suspect the former is more likely.

Wanted, Dead or Alive

Possibly the Batman villain, but I can't guarantee that. While I'm in the realm of conjecture here, I believe that it's possible that all the random marks may be intended to represent bullet holes.

Komic Kharacter Kwiz

Can you identify these popular characters just from seeing their left arms? I'm betting that the answer is probably "Yes".


ANSWERS: (A) Popeye, (B) Batman, (C)Wonder Woman
I'm surprised at my misplacement of Popeye's tattoo, and I have no idea what's up with Batman's pinky.

Mouse with Bat-Balloon

And we return from the unannounced summer vacation with... well... whatever this is. I mean, it's obvious that it's a mouse and a balloon shaped like Batman's head. But why? Good question. Are they supposed to be part of the same image, or just two drawings sharing a sheet of paper? Dunno. It seems that the mouse is reacting to the balloon (he seems pleased to see it, if startled), so I guess it all relates...but, as with so much of this stuff, the rationale is lost in the past.

Something Concerning Bats

I'm pretty much at a loss to explain what's going on here, unless it's a cutaway view of a vending machine that dispenses live bats. Which actually seems like it would be a pretty cool idea, except for the potential liability issues. I put a "Batman" label on it, but I'm not convinced that he has anything to do with it.

Hembeck Style

Fred Hembeck was (and still is) one of the most prominent star artists in comics fanzines, though he has done a fair amount of work for the major publishers through the years. I would first encounter his work in the form of short gag strips in the backs of various DC comics in the late '70s (archived here). I've always enjoyed his work, but 1980-85 was the height of my interest. I still remember riding back from a Charlotte Mini-Con in the back of my friend Jerry's mother's car, while we performed a radio play-style performance of the Fantastic Four Roast. Looking back, I can say that Fred was probably the single biggest outside influence on my taste in comics in those days. If not for him, I might not have known how much I needed Brother Power, the Geek or Mysterious Suspense. Thanks, Fred!
These drawings are an approximation of his earlier, clunkier style (he's since streamlined the lumpy elbows and knees, while retaining the trademark knee squiggles). One can criticize that early work for its overuse of a basic stylized design that is customized to suit one's needs, like a Zwinky or a Qee, but the upside of it is that a 13-year old can apply the design rules and produce a reasonably presentable imitation of it. Of course, that's not at all the same as being able to make actual comics of note, which Mr. H was doing all along, and continues to this day.

The Justice League

...or at least a subgroup thereof. Not drawn to scale, obviously. Don't know where Superman left his cape.

Quick, Robin...the Bat-Net!

I'm uncertain whether he's trying to catch the bat, or if the bat is helping him hold the net.


This drawing from the back of the sheet almost looks like a cauldron of some sort, but I suppose that it's just an unfinished net. I can't imagine Batman cooking a bat...that's practically cannibalism!

DEADMAN?!?

This one's not in the greatest of shape, but it's particular historic significance (to me, at least) because it is probably the first time I ever drew superheroes, inspired by the second super-hero comic I ever read, and the first one I actually liked, after this one creeped me out and chased me away from the long-underwear comics for another year. So, as it happens, the story that did appeal to this 5 1/2-year old was one wherin a serial killer using razor-edged boomerangs to slaughter innocents is revealed to be Batman's heretofore-unheard of older brother, who was institutionalized for life after suffering brain damage from a childhood accident. Batman and Superman solve this crime with the assistance of Deadman (who, for the uninitiated, is the ghost of an assassinated circus aerialist, who has been granted the ability to possess the bodies of the living by a made-up far Eastern goddess so that he might track down his killer). At the end of the story, Deadman wanders off in the killer's body (I never actually saw the later follow-up story where this is resolved until years later). In retrospect, I have no idea why this didn't terrify me, but I liked it enough that I was inspired to draw this baby.

The Batplane

So why is it captioned "The Superman"? You might well ask. However, I have no explanation to offer for that, or for much else about about this one.Clearly, this is a display of some of his bat-apparatus, but outside of a batarang and a walkie-talkie, there's nothing I can identify. A Bat-lunchbox? A Bat-sand pail, for fighting beach-related crime? Who knows?

To the Bat-Mailbox, Robin!

Actually, I think that Batman generally avoids going to get the mail in costume...it tends to draw unwanted attention. Better to just let Alfred get it.

UPDATE: Looking at it again, I realize that the flag is up, indicating that Batman is in fact putting mail out to be delivered. I still feel like that's not a wise think to do at Wayne Manor, when it would be more prudent to find a public mailbox, but I think I can show how that letter was signed:

This I Believe

I pledge allegiance to the Flag, and to the Batman (not necessarily in that order).

Batman logo treatment--1974

If Dan Nadel ever becomes art director at DC, I'm definitely submitting this one!



From the back of the sheet: the Batboat and a couple addresses. One of them is a school chum whose father would be my Cub Scout den leader in a couple of years. The other, I can't recall.

What is all this?

You might well ask. I was born in 1968, and by 1970 I had passed through my fecal-mural phase and done my first recognizable drawing (a rabbit head inside a balloon--possibly inspired by the Mickey Mouse balloons seen at fairs and parades, but that's just speculation). Over the next 11 or 12 years, until my work turned to crap as I hit my teens, I amassed a vast body of work. Unlike most folks, I still have almost all of it, thanks to the efforts of my late mother. Now, through the miracle of modern technology, I'm going to share it with you intermittently, until it becomes apparent that nobody cares, or I get bored, whichever comes first. To get things started, here's a stern portrait of Batman from 1977.