Curt Swan
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Douglas Curtis Swan (February 17, 1920 – June 17, 1996) was an American
comics artist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comic book illustrators in that they produce both the literary and g ...
. The artist most associated with
Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
during the period fans call the
Bronze Age of Comic Books The Bronze Age of Comic Books is an informal name for a period in the history of American superhero American comic book, comic books usually said to run from 1970 to 1985. It follows the Silver Age of Comic Books and is followed by the Modern Ag ...
, Swan produced hundreds of covers and stories from the 1950s through the 1980s.


Biography


Early life and career

Curt Swan, whose
Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
grandmother had shortened and Americanized the original family name of Svensson, was born in
Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
, the youngest of five children. Father John Swan worked for the
railroads Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in Track (rail transport), tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the ...
; mother Leontine Jessie Hanson had worked in a local hospital. As a boy, Swan's given name – Douglas – was shortened to "Doug," and, disliking the phonetic similarity to "Dog," Swan thereafter reversed the order of his given names and went by "Curtis Douglas," rather than "Douglas Curtis." Having enlisted in Minnesota's National Guard's 135th Regiment, 34th Division in 1940, Swan was sent to Europe when the "federalized" division was shipped initially to Northern Ireland and Scotland. While his comrades in the 34th eventually went into combat in North Africa and Italy, Swan spent most of World War II working as an artist for the G.I. magazine '' Stars and Stripes''. While at ''Stars and Stripes'', Swan met writer
France Herron Francis Edward Herron (July 23, 1917 – September 2, 1966) was an Americans, American comic book writer and editor active in the 1940s–1960s, mainly for DC Comics. He is credited with co-creating Captain Marvel Jr. and the Red Skull, as well a ...
, who eventually directed him to
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
. During this period Swan married the former Helene Brickley, whom he had met at a dance at
Fort Dix Fort Dix, the common name for the Army Support Activity (ASA) located at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, is a United States Army post. It is located south-southeast of Trenton, New Jersey. Fort Dix is under the jurisdiction of the Air Force A ...
,
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, and who was stationed near him in Paris in 1944 as a
Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...
worker; they were married in Paris in April 1945. Shortly after returning to civilian life in 1945, he moved from Minnesota to New Jersey and began working for
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
. Apart from a few months of night classes at the
Pratt Institute Pratt Institute is a private university with its main campus in Brooklyn, New York (state), New York. It has a satellite campus in Manhattan and an extension campus in Utica, New York at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. The school was ...
under the
G.I. Bill The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the G.I. Bill, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in 1956, bu ...
, Swan was an entirely self-taught artist. After a stint on ''
Boy Commandos Boy Commandos is a fictional organization from DC Comics first appearing in ''Detective Comics'' #64 (June 1942) by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. They are a combination of "kid gang" characters, an international cast of young boys fighting Nazis — ...
'' he began to just pencil pages, leaving the inking to others.


Superman

Initially, Swan drew many different features, including "
Tommy Tomorrow Tommy Tomorrow is a science fiction hero published by DC Comics in several of their titles from 1947 to 1963. He first appeared in '' Real Fact Comics'' #6 (January 1947). He was created by Jack Schiff, George Kashdan, Bernie Breslauer, Virgil Fin ...
" and "
Gangbusters ''Gang Busters'' is an American dramatic radio program heralded as "the only national program that brings you authentic police case histories." It premiered on January 15, 1936, and was broadcast over 21 years through November 27, 1957. Histo ...
", but slowly he began gravitating towards the
Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
line of books. His first job pencilling the iconic character was for ''
Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
'' #51 (March–April 1948). Many comics of the 1940s and 1950s lacked contributor credits, but research shows that Swan began pencilling the ''
Superboy Superboy is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comicbooks published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series featuring ...
'' series with its fifth issue in 1949. He drew the first comics meeting of Superman and
Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
in ''Superman'' #76 (May–June 1952). The two heroes began teaming on a regular basis in ''
World's Finest Comics ''World's Finest Comics'' was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1941 to 1986. The series was initially titled ''World's Best Comics'' for its first issue; issue #2 (Summer 1941) switched to the more familiar name. Michael ...
'' #71 (July–August 1954) in a story which was also drawn by Swan. Swan always felt that his breakthrough came when he was assigned the art duties on ''
Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen ''Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen'' is an American comic book series published by DC Comics from September–October 1954 until March 1974, spanning a total of 163 issues. Featuring the adventures of Superman supporting character Jimmy Olsen, it co ...
'', in 1954.Zeno "The First Fifteen Years", p. 16 Swan didn't take to line editor
Mort Weisinger Mortimer Weisinger (; April 25, 1915 – May 7, 1978) was an American magazine and comic book editor best known for editing DC Comics' ''Superman'' during the mid-1950s to 1960s, in the Silver Age of comic books. He also co-created such features a ...
's controlling style. Swan discussed this period in an interview: "I was getting terrible migraine headaches and had these verbal battles with Mort. So it was emotional, physical. It just drained me and I thought I'd better get out of here before I go whacko." After leaving comics for the advertising world in 1951, Swan soon returned, for DC's higher paychecks. And as biographer Eddy Zeno notes, "The headaches went away after wangained Weisinger's respect by standing up to him." Around 1954, Swan unsuccessfully pitched an original
comic strip A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st ...
for newspaper syndication. Called ''Yellow Hair'', it was about a blond boy raised by Native Americans. A couple of years later, starting with the episode of June 18, 1956, Swan drew the ''Superman'' daily newspaper
comic strip A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st ...
, which he continued on until November 12, 1960. In the view of comics historian
Les Daniels Leslie Noel Daniels III, better known as Les Daniels (October 27, 1943 – November 5, 2011), was an American writer. Background Daniels attended Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, where he wrote his master's thesis on ''Frankenstei ...
, Swan became the definitive artist of Superman in the early 1960s with a "new look" to the character that replaced
Wayne Boring Wayne Boring (June 5, 1905 – February 20, 1987) was an American comic book artist best known for his work on Superman from the late 1940s to 1950s. He occasionally used the pseudonym Jack Harmon. Biography Early life and career Boring attend ...
's version. The Composite Superman was co-created by Swan and
Edmond Hamilton Edmond Moore Hamilton (October 21, 1904 – February 1, 1977) was an American writer of science fiction during the mid-twentieth century. Early life Born in Youngstown, Ohio, he was raised there and in nearby New Castle, Pennsylvania. So ...
in ''World's Finest Comics'' #142 (June 1964). Swan and writer
Jim Shooter James Shooter (born September 27, 1951) is an American writer, editor and publisher for various comic books. He started professionally in the medium at the age of 14, and he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comic ...
crafted the story "Superman's Race with the Flash!" in ''Superman'' #199 (August 1967) which featured the first race between the
Flash Flash, flashes, or FLASH may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional aliases * Flash (DC Comics character), several DC Comics superheroes with super speed: ** Flash (Barry Allen) ** Flash (Jay Garrick) ** Wally West, the first Kid ...
and Superman, two characters known for their super-speed powers. Over the years, Swan was a remarkably consistent and prolific artist, often illustrating two or more titles per month. Swan remained as artist of ''Superman'' when
Julius Schwartz Julius "Julie" Schwartz (; June 19, 1915 – February 8, 2004) was a comic book editor, and a science fiction agent and prominent fan. He was born in The Bronx, New York. He is best known as a longtime editor at DC Comics, where at various t ...
became the editor of the title with issue #233 (January 1971), and writer
Denny O'Neil Dennis Joseph O'Neil (May 3, 1939 – June 11, 2020) was an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics from the 1960s through the 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of titles until his retir ...
streamlined the Superman mythos, starting with the elimination of
Kryptonite Kryptonite is a fictional material that appears primarily in Superman stories published by DC Comics. In its best-known form, it is a green, crystalline material originating from Superman's home world of Krypton that emits a unique, poisonous r ...
. Among Swan's contributions to the Superman mythos, he and writer
Cary Bates Cary Bates (born 1948) is an American comic book, animation, television and film writer. He is best known for his work on ''The Flash'', '' Superman'', ''Superboy, the Legion of Superheroes'' and ''Captain Atom''. Biography Early career Bates ...
co-created the
supervillain A supervillain or supercriminal is a variant of the villainous stock character that is commonly found in American comic books, usually possessing superhuman abilities. A supervillain is the antithesis of a superhero. Supervillains are oft ...
s
Terra-Man Terra-Man (real name Toby Manning) is a supervillain who appears in Superman stories published by DC Comics. Publication history Terra-Man first appeared in ''Superman'' #249 (March 1972) and was created by Cary Bates, Curt Swan, and Dick Dil ...
and the 1970s version of the
Toyman The Toyman is the name of three supervillains and one adolescent superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, mostly as an adversary for Superman. The most well-known incarnation of the Toyman is Winslow Percival Schott, a criminal w ...
as well as the
superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
Vartox Vartox is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. Vartox bears a striking resemblance to Scottish actor Sean Connery and his name and appearance are regarded as an allusion to the 1974 film ''Zardoz'' which starred Connery. Publication histo ...
. Writer
Martin Pasko Martin Joseph "Marty" Pasko (born Jean-Claude Rochefort; August 4, 1954– May 10, 2020) was a Canadian comic book writer and television screenwriter. Pasko worked for many comics publishers, but is best known for his superhero stories for DC Com ...
and Swan created the
Master Jailer Dan the Dyna-Mite Dan Turpin Damien Darhk The enigmatic Damien Darhk is an elusive and dangerous criminal mastermind and enemy of the Teen Titans. He makes his first appearance in ''Titans'' #1 (March 1999). Claiming to be a major player in t ...
character in ''Superman'' #331 (January 1979).


Later life and career

After DC's 1985 12-issue
limited series Limited series may refer to: *Limited series, individual storylines within an anthology series *Limited series, a particular run of collectables, usually individually numbered *Limited series (comics), a comics series with a predetermined number of ...
''
Crisis on Infinite Earths "Crisis on Infinite Earths" is a 1985 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics. The series, written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez, was first serialized as a 12-issue limited series from April 1985 to March ...
'' and with the impending 1986 revision of Superman by writer/artist John Byrne, Swan was released from his duties on the Superman comics. Critic Wallace Harrington summed up Swan's dismissal this way: Swan's last work as regular artist on Superman was the non-canonical 1986 story " Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?", written by
Alan Moore Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including ''Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', ''The Ballad of Halo Jones'', ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman:'' ''The Killing Joke'', and ''From Hell' ...
. After this, Swan continued to do occasional minor projects for DC, including the artwork of what is thought to be one of the rarest Superman comics ever published, titled "This Island Bradman" (written by David P. Levin), a comic book that was privately commissioned in 1988 by real estate tycoon Godfrey Bradman as a Bar Mitzvah gift for his son, as well as an
Aquaman Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). The character is a pastiche of Namor. Initially ...
limited series and special in 1989, and various returns on illustrating Superman, including the prestige format graphic novel one-shot ''Superman: The Earth Stealers'' in 1988. In 1995, Swan did four illustrations for ''
Penthouse Comix ''Penthouse Comix'' was an American mass-market, magazine-sized comic book, published by Penthouse International/General Media Communications from spring 1994 through July 1998. Founded and initially edited by George Caragonne and Horatio Weisfeld ...
'' for the
Larry Niven Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His best-known works are ''Ringworld'' (1970), which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards, and, with Jerry Pournelle, ''The Mote in God's Eye'' ...
essay "
Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex "Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex" is a 1969 essay in which science fiction author Larry Niven details the problems that Superman would face in sexual intercourse and reproduction with a human woman, using arguments based on humorous reconciliation b ...
," which detailed the problems that Superman would face in having
sexual intercourse Sexual intercourse (or coitus or copulation) is a sexual activity typically involving the insertion and thrusting of the penis into the vagina for sexual pleasure or reproduction.Sexual intercourse most commonly means penile–vaginal penetrat ...
and reproducing with a human woman, using arguments based on humorous yet logical reconciliations between
physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...
,
biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...
, and the abilities of
Kryptonians Kryptonians are a fictional extraterrestrial race within the DC Comics universe that originated on the planet Krypton. The term originated from the stories of DC Comics superhero, Superman. The stories also use "Kryptonian" as an adjective to refe ...
as presented in the Superman comic books. Swan's
swan song The swan song ( grc, κύκνειον ᾆσμα; la, carmen cygni) is a metaphorical phrase for a final gesture, effort, or performance given just before death or retirement. The phrase refers to an ancient belief that swans sing a beautiful so ...
was five pages published posthumously in the 1996 special '' Superman: The Wedding Album''. Swan died June 17, 1996 in
Wilton, Connecticut Wilton is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 18,503. In 2017, it was the sixth-wealthiest town per capita in Connecticut, the wealthiest U.S. state per capita. Officially recog ...
. Helene Swan died at the age of 91 on January 27, 2012. A previously unpublished story featuring Swan's art debuted in ''Action Comics'' #1000.


Art style

Comics historian Arlen Schumer praised Swan's ability to depict "the spectrum of human emotion, from agony to anger, mournful to mirthful." As characterized by critic Paul Gravett, Swan's Superman made "...Krypton's last son in exile, the alien in our midst, into someone like us, who would think and feel as well as act, who was approachable, big-hearted, considerate, maybe physically superpowerful yet gentle, noble yet subtly tragic." In a similar vein, Swan biographer Eddy Zeno calls Swan "the
Norman Rockwell Norman Percevel Rockwell (February 3, 1894 – November 8, 1978) was an American painter and illustrator. His works have a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of Culture of the United States, the country's culture. Roc ...
of ... comics."
Gary Groth Gary Groth (born September 18, 1954) is an American comic book editor, publisher and critic. He is editor-in-chief of ''The Comics Journal'', a co-founder of Fantagraphics Books, and founder of the Harvey Awards. Early life Groth is the son of ...
, the editor-in-chief of ''
The Comics Journal ''The Comics Journal'', often abbreviated ''TCJ'', is an American magazine of news and criticism pertaining to comic books, comic strips and graphic novels. Known for its lengthy interviews with comic creators, pointed editorials and scathing re ...
'', was less complimentary, remarking that "Swan is symptomatic of what the industry requires. They adore Swan at DC because they give Swan a script and it says 'Superman flies out the window'...and there's Superman flying out the window. The script says 'Clark Kent walking down the hall' and there's Clark Kent walking down a hall. He's just a technician who does exactly what's required of him." With his frequent inker
Murphy Anderson Murphy C. Anderson Jr. (July 9, 1926 – October 22, 2015) was an American comics artist, known as one of the premier inkers of his era, who worked for companies such as DC Comics for over fifty years, starting in the Golden Age of Comic Books in ...
from 1970–1974 and 1988–1989, the pair's collaborative artwork came to be called "Swanderson" by the fans. Despite his and Anderson's success together, Swan's favorite inker was
Al Williamson Alfonso Williamson (March 21, 1931 – June 12, 2010) was an American cartoonist, comic book artist and illustrator specializing in adventure, Western, science fiction and fantasy. Born in New York City, he spent much of his early childhood in ...
, with whom he only worked for a short time, from 1985–1986.


Legacy

In 1985, DC Comics named Swan as one of the honorees in the company's 50th anniversary publication ''
Fifty Who Made DC Great ''Fifty Who Made DC Great'' is a one shot published by DC Comics to commemorate the company's 50th anniversary in 1985. It was published in comic book format but contained text articles with photographs and background caricatures. Publication h ...
''. Swan's favorite story – one of the few he both pencilled and inked – was "I Flew with Superman" from ''Superman Annual'' #9 (1983), in which Swan himself appears and helps Superman solve a case. In a story titled "Swan's Way", issue #92 of the ''
Legion of Super-Heroes The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, the Legion is a group of superpowered beings living in the 30th and 31st c ...
'' (May 1997) memorialized Swan with a cameo appearance as an art teacher.
Elliot S. Maggin Elliot S. Maggin, also spelled Elliot S! Maggin (born 1950), is an American writer of comic books, film, television, and novels. He was a main writer for DC Comics during the Bronze and early Modern ages of comics in the 1970s and 1980s. He is ...
:
Alan Moore Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including ''Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', ''The Ballad of Halo Jones'', ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman:'' ''The Killing Joke'', and ''From Hell' ...
: The Westport Arts Center has dedicated a granite plaque in memoriam of Curt Swan, alongside others Connecticut artists.


Bibliography

Swan's comics work (interior pencil art) includes:Interior pencil art by Curt Swan
at the
Grand Comics Database The Grand Comics Database (GCD) is an Internet-based project to build a database of comic book information through user contributions. The GCD project catalogues information on creator credits, story details, reprints, and other information useful ...
* ''
Action Comics ''Action Comics'' is an American comic book/Comic anthology, magazine series that introduced Superman, one of the first major superhero characters. The publisher was originally known as National Allied Publications, and later as National Comics ...
'' (
Tommy Tomorrow Tommy Tomorrow is a science fiction hero published by DC Comics in several of their titles from 1947 to 1963. He first appeared in '' Real Fact Comics'' #6 (January 1947). He was created by Jack Schiff, George Kashdan, Bernie Breslauer, Virgil Fin ...
) #127–171; (
Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
) #189, 244, 253, 256, 260, 265, 269, 270, 272, 277–278, 280, 283–284, 286–288, 290, 295, 297–298, 303–305, 307, 309–312, 318–321, 325–327, 330, 334, 336, 338–339, 343, 351–352, 355, 358–359, 367–390, 393–473, 477–485, 487–500, 502–524, 527–534, 537, 542–544, 547, 555, 556–557, 568,
583 __NOTOC__ Year 583 ( DLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 583 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar ...
, 658 (full art); #601–642 (two-page stories); #600, 650, 667, 723 (among other artists) (1948–1996) * ''Action Comics Annual'' #2 (among other artists) (1989) * ''
Adventure Comics ''Adventure Comics'' is an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1938 to 1983 and revived from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues (472 of those after the title changed from ''New Adventure Comics''), ...
'' (
Superboy Superboy is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comicbooks published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series featuring ...
) #156, 159–160, 167, 169, 174, 176, 178, 179–180, 182, 184–185, 187, 190–192, 195, 197–198, 201, 205, 208, 210–212, 214–220, 223, 224–225, 227, 230, 238, 241–243, 246, 249, 257, 279, 285, 291, 293, 301–302, 311, 320, 327–328, 330, 334, 336, 339; (
Legion of Super-Heroes The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, the Legion is a group of superpowered beings living in the 30th and 31st c ...
) #313, 340–347, 349–360, 365–372 (1950–1968) * ''The Adventures of Superboy'' #22 (1992) * ''The Adventures of Superboy Special'' #1 (1992) * '' Adventures of Superman'' #471 (full art); #480, 536 (among other artists) (1990–1996) * ''Adventures of Superman Annual'' #2 (among other artists) (1990) * ''
All-Star Squadron The All-Star Squadron is a DC Comics superhero team that debuted in ''Justice League, Justice League of America'' #193 (August 1981) and was created by Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler and Jerry Ordway. Although the team was introduced in the 1980s, its se ...
'' #15 (1982) * ''The Amazing World of Superman, Metropolis Edition'' #1 (pencils from
Carmine Infantino Carmine Michael Infantino (; May 24, 1925 – April 4, 2013) was an American comics artist and editing, editor, primarily for DC Comics, during the late 1950s and early 1960s period known as the Silver Age of Comic Books. Among his character creat ...
layouts) (1973) * ''
Aquaman Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). The character is a pastiche of Namor. Initially ...
'' vol. 3 #1–5 (pencils from
Keith Giffen Keith Ian Giffen (born November 30, 1952) is an American comics artist and writer. He is known for his work for DC Comics on their ''Legion of Super-Heroes'' and ''Justice League'' titles as well as for being the co-creator of Lobo. Biography K ...
layouts) (1989) * ''Aquaman Special'' #1 (1989) * ''
Arak, Son of Thunder Arak is a fictional comic book character and a superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in a special insert in '' The Warlord'' #48 (August 1981) and was created by Roy Thomas and Ernie Colón. Arak (Bright-Sky-After-Storm) is depict ...
'' (
Masters of the Universe ''Masters of the Universe'' (sometimes referred to as the ''He-Man'' or ''She-Ra'' series) is a sword and planet-themed media franchise created by Mattel. The main premise revolves around the conflict between He-Man (the alter ego of Prince Ada ...
) #15 (1982) * ''
Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
'' #70 (1952), #358 (1983) * ''Batman: A Word to the Wise'' (1992) * ''
The Batman Chronicles ''The Batman Chronicles'' is a series of comics published by DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comic ...
'' (
Robin Robin may refer to: Animals * Australasian robins, red-breasted songbirds of the family Petroicidae * Many members of the subfamily Saxicolinae (Old World chats), including: **European robin (''Erithacus rubecula'') **Bush-robin **Forest rob ...
) #6 (1996) * '' The Batman Family'' (
Batgirl Batgirl is the name of several superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts and allies to the superhero Batman. Although the character Betty Kane was introduced into publication in ...
and
Robin Robin may refer to: Animals * Australasian robins, red-breasted songbirds of the family Petroicidae * Many members of the subfamily Saxicolinae (Old World chats), including: **European robin (''Erithacus rubecula'') **Bush-robin **Forest rob ...
) #5, 7, 11 (1976–1977) * ''
Boy Commandos Boy Commandos is a fictional organization from DC Comics first appearing in ''Detective Comics'' #64 (June 1942) by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. They are a combination of "kid gang" characters, an international cast of young boys fighting Nazis — ...
'' #16–20, 22, 25–31, 33 (1946–1949) * ''
Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew! ''Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew!'' is a DC Comics series about a team of talking animal superheroes called the Zoo Crew. The characters first appeared in a 16-page special insert in '' The New Teen Titans'' #16 (February 1982), follow ...
'' (Masters of the Universe) #9 (1982) * ''
DC Comics Presents ''DC Comics Presents'' is a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1978 to 1986 which ran for 97 issues and four ''Annual''s. It featured team-ups between Superman and a wide variety of other characters in the DC Universe. A recurring back ...
'' #30, 35, 47, 50–51, 53, 56, 58, 67–68, 71, 77–80, 87, 91–92 (1981–1986) * ''
DC Special Series ''DC Special Series'' was an umbrella title for one-shots and special issues published by DC Comics between 1977 and 1981. Each issue featured a different character and was often in a different format than the issue before it. ''DC Special Serie ...
'' (Superman) #5 (1977) * ''
DC Super Stars ''DC Super Stars'' was a comics anthology series published by DC Comics from March 1976 to February 1978. Starting off as a reprint title, it finished its run with original stories. Publication history The tagline "The Line of DC Super-Stars" wa ...
'' (Superboy) #12 (1977) * ''
Detective Comics ''Detective Comics'' is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is best known for introducing the superhero Batman i ...
'' (Boy Commandos) #110–127, 129–133, 135, 138–143, 149 (1946–1949) * ''
The Fury of Firestorm Firestorm is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Ronnie Raymond (character), Ronnie Raymond and Martin Stein fused together debuted as the first incarnation in ''Firestorm, the Nucl ...
'' (Masters ...) #6 (1982) * ''The Fury of Firestorm Annual'' #4 (among other artists) (1986) * ''
Gang Busters ''Gang Busters'' is an American dramatic radio program heralded as "the only national program that brings you authentic police case histories." It premiered on January 15, 1936, and was broadcast over 21 years through November 27, 1957. Histo ...
'' #10–13, 15–20, 22, 25–27, 29, 32–42 (1949–1954) * ''
Ghosts A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...
'' #4 (1972) * ''
Hawk and Dove Hawk and Dove are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Steve Ditko and Steve Skeates, they appeared in ''Showcase (comics), Showcase'' #75 (June 1968 in comics, 1968) during the Silver Age of Com ...
'' #28 (with Greg Guler) (1991) * ''Hawk and Dove Annual'' #1 (among other artists) (1991) * ''
Heroes Against Hunger ''Heroes Against Hunger'' is a 1986 all-star benefit comic book for African famine relief and recovery. Published by DC Comics in the form of a "comic jam" or exquisite corpse, the book starred Superman and Batman. Spearheaded by Jim Starlin and B ...
'' #1 (two-page story, among other artists) (1986) * ''
House of Mystery ''The House of Mystery'' is the name of several horror, fantasy, and mystery Comics anthologies published by DC Comics. It had a companion series, ''The House of Secrets''. It is also the name of the titular setting of the series. First serie ...
'' #1–6, 8, 10–29 (1951–1954) * ''
Justice League Quarterly ''Justice League Quarterly'' (''JLQ'') was a quarterly American comic book series published by DC Comics from Winter 1990 to Winter 1994; it lasted 17 issues. It had a variable cast, pulling from the Justice League membership. The title centred o ...
'' (
General Glory General Glory is the name of two DC Comics characters. The persona is mostly used by writers as a parody of Marvel's Captain America with exaggerated "patriotic values" and a sidekick called Ernie (aka Ernie The Battling Boy), who was similar to ...
) #16 (among other artists) (1994) * ''The Krypton Chronicles'' miniseries #1–3 (1981) * '' L.E.G.I.O.N. '94 Annual'' #5 (among other artists) (''
Elseworlds ''Elseworlds'' was the publication imprint (trade name), imprint for American comic books produced by DC Comics for stories that took place outside the DC Universe Canon (fictional), canon. Elseworlds publications are set in alternate realitie ...
'', 1994) * ''
Legion of Super-Heroes The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, the Legion is a group of superpowered beings living in the 30th and 31st c ...
'' vol. 2 #300 (five-page story); #306 (with Keith Giffen) (1983) * ''Legion of Super-Heroes'' vol. 3 #45 (five-page story, among other artists) (1988) * ''Legion of Super-Heroes'' vol. 4 #31 (with
Colleen Doran Colleen Doran is an American writer-artist and cartoonist. She illustrated hundreds of comics, graphic novels, books and magazines, including the autobiographical graphic novel of Marvel Comics editor and writer Stan Lee entitled ''Amazing Fant ...
) (1992) * ''Legion of Super-Heroes Annual'' #3 (1984) * ''Legion of Super-Heroes Annual'' #2 (1986) * ''Legion of Super-Heroes Annual'' #5 (among other artists) (1990) * ''
M.A.S.K. M.A.S.K. (Mobile Armored Strike Kommand) is a media franchise created by Kenner. The main premise revolved around the fight between the titular protagonist underground task force and the criminal organization V.E.N.O.M. (Vicious Evil Network o ...
'' vol. 2 #1–9 (1987) * ''
Mr. District Attorney ''Mr. District Attorney'' is a radio crime drama produced by Samuel Bischoff that aired on NBC and ABC from April 3, 1939 to June 13, 1952 (and in transcribed syndication through 1953). The series focused on a crusading district attorney initia ...
'' #9–10, 15, 21 (1949–1951) * '' The New Adventures of Superboy'' #51 (1984) * ''
The New Teen Titans The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...
'' #5, 25 (1981–1982) * ''The New Teen Titans'' vol. 2 #43 (1988) * ''The New Titans'' #81, 86 (1991–1992) * ''The New Titans Annual'' #6 (full art); #8 (among other artists) (1990–1992) * ''The
Phantom Stranger The Phantom Stranger is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, of unspecified paranormal origins, who battles mysterious and occult forces, sometimes under their Vertigo imprint. The character first appeared in an ...
'' #5 (two-page story) (1970) * ''
The Power of Shazam! ''The Power of Shazam!'' is a 1994 hardcover graphic novel, written and painted by Jerry Ordway for DC Comics. The 96-page story, depicting the revamped origins of former Fawcett Comics superhero Captain Marvel, was followed by an ongoing series ...
'' #8, 11, 17 (with Pete Krause) (1995–1996) * ''Real Fact Comics'' #7–8, 13, 16–17, 19, 21 (1947–1949) * ''
Secret Hearts ''Drowning Girl'' (also known as ''Secret Hearts'' or ''I Don't Care! I'd Rather Sink'') is a 1963 American painting in oil and synthetic polymer paint on canvas by Roy Lichtenstein, based on original art by Tony Abruzzo. The painting is conside ...
'' #17 (1953) * ''
Secret Origins ''Secret Origins'' is the title of several comic book series published by DC Comics which featured the origin stories of the publisher's various characters. Publication history ''Secret Origins'' was first published as a one-shot in 1961 and c ...
'' vol. 2 (Justice League of America) #46; (Legion of Super-Heroes) #46–47 (1989–1990) * ''
Showcase Showcase or vitrine may refer to: *Cabinet (furniture) *Display case Music * ''Showcase'' (Bill Anderson album), 1964 * ''Showcase'' (Patsy Cline album), 1961 * ''Showcase'' (Buddy Holly album), 1964 * ''Showcase'' (Philly Joe Jones album), 1959 ...
'' (Manhunters) #5 (1956) * ''
Star-Spangled Comics ''Star Spangled Comics'' was a comics anthology published by DC Comics which ran for 130 issues from October 1941 to July 1952. It was then retitled '' Star Spangled War Stories'' and lasted until issue #204 (February–March 1977). Publication hi ...
'' (
Newsboy Legion The Newsboy Legion is a teenage vigilante group in the DC Comics Universe. Created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, they appeared in their own self-titled feature which ran from ''Star-Spangled Comics'' #7 (April 1942) to #64 (January 1947). In 1970, ...
) #55, 61–64; (Robin) #72; (Manhunters Around the World) 94–108, 114–120; (War stories) #131–133 (1946–1952) * ''
Star Spangled War Stories ''Star Spangled War Stories'' was the title of a comics anthology published by DC Comics that featured war-themed characters and stories. Among the features published in this series were writer-editor Robert Kanigher and artist Jerry Grandenetti' ...
'' #3–13, 16–17 (1952–1954) * ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'' #37 (1984) * ''Star Trek Annual'' #3 (1988) * ''Star Trek'' vol. 2 ''Annual'' #2 (with James Fry) (1991) * ''
Strange Adventures ''Strange Adventures'' is a series of American comic books published by DC Comics, the first of which was August–September 1950, according to the cover date, and published continuously until November 1973. Original series ''Strange Adventures ...
'' #1–4, 6 (1950–1951) * ''Strange Sports Stories'' #1–3 (1973–1974) * ''
Superboy Superboy is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comicbooks published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series featuring ...
'' #5, 8, 10–20, 22–23, 25–48, 50–58, 63, 70, 73, 80, 89, 92, 98, 100, 103–107, 112–113, 117–118, 121, 123, 126, 129, 132, 136, 138, 146–148 (1949–1968) * ''Superboy'' vol. 2 #9–17 (1990–1991) * ''
Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
'' #51, 73, 76, 89, 97, 118, 121, 127, 130, 137, 139, 144–182, 186–187, 192–195, 197–199, 201, 207–215, 217–300, 303–306, 310–363, 365–368, 370–392, 395–396, 398–399, 401–403, 408-
423 __NOTOC__ Year 423 (Roman numerals, CDXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Marinianus and Asclepiodotus (or, less fr ...
(1948–1986) * ''Superman Annual'' #9–10 (1983–1984) * ''Superman'' vol. 2, #35, 48 (full art); #50, 114 (among other artists) (1989–1996) * ''
The Superman Family ''The Superman Family'' was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1974 to 1982 featuring supporting characters in the ''Superman'' comics. The term "Superman Family" is often used to refer to the extended cast of characters o ...
'' #164–172, 174–181, 186–187 (1974–1978) * ''Superman and Wonder Woman: The Computer Masters of Metropolis'' (1982) * ''Superman: Victory by Computer'' (1981) * ''
Superman III ''Superman III'' is a 1983 superhero film directed by Richard Lester from a screenplay by David Newman and Leslie Newman based on the DC Comics character Superman. It is the third installment in the ''Superman'' film series and a sequel to ''Su ...
: The Official Adaptation'' (1983) * '' Superman IV: The Quest for Peace – Movie Special'' (1987) * ''
Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane ''Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane'' is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics. The series focusing on the adventures of Lois Lane began publication with a March/April 1958 cover date and ended its run in September/October 1 ...
'' #17, 27, 29, 32–33, 35–39, 41, 45, 54, 59, 68, 72, 86, 89, 91–92, 94, 96, 98, 102–103, 113, 122 (1960–1972) * ''
Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen ''Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen'' is an American comic book series published by DC Comics from September–October 1954 until March 1974, spanning a total of 163 issues. Featuring the adventures of Superman supporting character Jimmy Olsen, it co ...
'' #1–91, 95, 104, 106–114, 116–117, 119, 121–123, 125–129, 131, 140 (1954–1971) * '' Superman: The Man of Steel'' #5 (with
Jon Bogdanove Jon Bogdanove is an American comics artist and writer. He is best known for his work on ''Power Pack'' and '' Superman: The Man of Steel'', as well as for creating the character Steel with writer Louise Simonson in 1993. Career Comics After at ...
); #58 (among other artists) (1991–1996) * ''Superman: The Secret Years'', miniseries, #1–4 (1985) * ''
Swamp Thing The Swamp Thing is a superhero in American comic books published by DC Comics. A humanoid/plant elemental List of swamp monsters, creature, created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, the Swamp Thing has had several humanoid or mo ...
'' vol. 2 #165 (with Phil Hester) (1996) * '' Who's Who in the Legion of Super-Heroes'' #7 (among other artists) (1988) * '' The Witching Hour'' #80 (1978) * ''
Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...
'' #212, 214, 219, 221, 224 (1974–1976) * ''Wonder Woman'' vol. 2 ''Annual'' #1 (among other artists) (1988) * ''
World's Finest Comics ''World's Finest Comics'' was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1941 to 1986. The series was initially titled ''World's Best Comics'' for its first issue; issue #2 (Summer 1941) switched to the more familiar name. Michael ...
'' (Boy Commandos) #21–23, 25–31; 33–38 (Manhunters Around the World) #61–62; (other stories) #70; (Superman and Batman) #71–77, 84–85, 109, 116–117, 124, 141–173, 177–179, 184, 196–197, 223–225, 227, 230, 234, 239, 243, 245 (1946–1977)


Notes


References


External links


Curt Swan in MNopedia, the Minnesota Encyclopedia
*
"DC Profiles #7: Curt Swan
at the Grand Comics Database
Curt Swan
at Mike's Amazing World of Comics
Curt Swan
Superman Home Page * Reed, Bill. (July 22, 2007
"365 Reasons to Love Comics: #203"
Comics Should be Good, Comic Book Resources *Hughes, Bob

Who's Whose in the DC Universe? * Kimball, Kirk
"Super Artist Curt Swan!"
Dial B for Blog #231 {{DEFAULTSORT:Swan, Curt 1920 births 1996 deaths American comics artists American people of Swedish descent American Presbyterians Artists from Minneapolis DC Comics people Golden Age comics creators Inkpot Award winners People from Willmar, Minnesota People from Wilton, Connecticut Silver Age comics creators United States Army personnel of World War II United States Army soldiers Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame inductees