DC Super Heroes My First Dictionary

Oh man, how cool is this book? Coming out this month is DC Super Heroes My First Dictionary, featuring all your favorite DC heroes drawn by Jose Luis Garcia Lopez (PBHN)! I don't have much else to say about it, other than, judging from these sample pages, it's simply a gorgeous book--go and buy it. And remember, A is for Aquaman and M is for Mera!

By the way (okay, I guess I do have something to say)--I find it interesting that companies that license DC characters for their products are still mostly using JLGL's stock art, which is almost thirty years old at this point. Why isn't there an out-of-New-52-continuity book drawn by this man?

(h/t: F.O.A.M.er Ilke Hincer)

Super Dictionary, Part 12 - 1978

Before 2008 draws to a close, I thought we'd hit the last of the 1978 DC Super Dictionary listings!

These definitions repurpose art from two of the finest artists who ever picked up a pen to render the Sea King's adventures--the top panel is by Don Newton (from Aquaman #61, when Batman guest-starred) and the bottom is by Jim Aparo, who drew so much Aquaman during his career that he showed up a lot in the dictionary.

The DC Super Dictionary is such a wonderfully colorful (and idiosyncratic) offering that I'd love to see some book publisher try it again. I know I would've been a lot more interested in the regular dictionary if it had had pictures of super heroes in it...

Super Dictionary, Part 11 - 1978

The penultimate installment from the 1978 DC Comics Super Dictionary, this one is unusual in that it features a shot of the entire Justice League (cribbed from an issue of the book, with art by Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin) to define the word "United"--although Aquaman does look a little perturbed there.

Regarding the text for the word "Unusual"--"It is usual for Aquaman to talk to fish. It is common for him to talk to fish. We expect him to do it." Well, ok then, omniscient narrator!

For the last definition, for "Whale" this panel seems to be pastiche of two different Aquaman artists--Aquaman and Aqualad are by Nick Cardy, but the angry whale is by Jim Aparo, from Aquaman (Vol.1) #40:

Remember: "More whales are coming."

Super Dictionary, Part 10 - 1978

It's time for another installment of the DC Comics Super Dictionary, where the stars of the DCU help us learn the meaning of words!

For "swim", they chose an odd panel to use--why is Green Lantern, of all people, underwater with Aquaman? And, as usual, Hal is distracted from the task at hand by a woman. No wonder he and Ollie got along so well.

The "ten sea animals" panel is just...weird, but the last one, for the word "touch" thankfully leaves no unanswered questions.

Super Dictionary, Part 9 - 1978

We haven't done selections from the 1978 DC Comics Super Dictionary in a loooong time, so let's dive in!

We have a justifiably angry Aquaman courtesy Jim Aparo illustrating the definition of the word scum; a slightly-odd piece of art for the shell listing, and a chunk of the cover to Aquaman Vol.1 #61 (also by Aparo) to define the word such. Batman and Aquaman are having such a hard time!

Super Dictionary, Part 8 - 1978

We're way overdue to check in with the 1978 DC Comics Super Dictionary, and see what words Aquaman is helping us define this time.

"Row" is pretty basic; I like how it looks as though that woman is about to whap Arthur(drawn by Jim Aparo, I think) right in the face. As for the "Sail" triumverate, whoever drew this one was really working overtime--that's a Ramona Fradon Aquaman there, looking pensive, while the rest of the piece has been drawn in around him.

"I have not met many good sailors."--?

Super Dictionary, Part 7 - 1978

We haven't done a Super Dictionary entry in awhile, it's long overdue!

First up is a Jim Aparo Aquaman reading a letter(I like the fish peering in through the window...dude, can I get a few minutes alone?!?).

Next is what looks like another Aparo Aquaman falling...er, diving, into the water, and then a third Aparo Aquaman taking a little nappy. Nighty-night, Arthur!

Super Dictionary, Part 6 - 1978

More fun from the DC Comics Super Dictionary!

Ok, I guess I shouldn't quibble here, but...in the picture for lake, is that really the focus of this image? (Also, dig Aquaman's funky stance!)

And we have some curious coloring for the live entry...not only did the colorist for this book seem to have a consistent problem with Aqualad, but here they went all Aqua-Crazy and gave the whole family(in a shot drawn by Nick Cardy) the same color scheme!
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Shameless Plug Department: I just updated TreasuryComics.com, so for all you regular readers of the site(and you know who you are), please head over there and check it out!

Super Dictionary, Part 5 - 1978

We're overdue for another selection of fun definitions from the DC Comics Super Dictionary!

At top is a real FrankenPanel, what with the Mike Grell Aquaman dropped behind a new Joe Kubert drawing. You'll never see that again!

The bottom panel is more straightforward, with another panel from Grell doing the job and not needing much reworking.

Remember kids, "hooks are dangerous!"

Super Dictionary, Part 4 - 1978

Another round of word definitions, courtesy of the DC Comics Super Dictionary!

We have a real trifecta of classic Aquaman artists here, the first panel being by Ramona Fradon(I love how friendly Aquaman looks there), the second by Nick Cardy, and the third by Jim Aparo. It doesn't really get any better than that.

The "drown" piece is a very clever re-do of the classic cover to Aquaman #37 by Cardy; I imagine when trying to get this monster of a project finished, finding a piece that fit what they needed so well must have felt like a miracle.

And I really like the heroic simplicity of "No one near him has ever drowned."

Super Dictionary, Part 3 - 1978

It's Tuesday again, so it's time for another installment of the DC Super Hero Dictionary!

This time we have panels of Aquaman art by Ramona Fradon, featuring Aquaman participating in the most insane game of baseball ever played. This is what I imagine the world looks like to Barry Bonds.

The second panel is a lift from a JLA comic, since the art is by the sturdy, dependable Dick Dillin, and the third looks pretty darn Aparo-ish to me, though of course its hard to tell from this angle.

"When Aquaman dipped his feet in the water, a fish bit them." As if!

Super Dictionary, Part 2 - 1978

More definitions from the 1978 Super Dictionary!

The first panel is a crib from Mike Grell's run on the Aquaman back-up feature in Adventure Comics, the third clearly an Aparo one, even with the mis-colored Aqualad.

My rule was to only post definitions that featured Aquaman artwork, but "Aquaman would like to eat a banana. He likes the long, yellow fruit. But it is hard to eat bananas under water" was simply too good to pass up.

Super Dictionary - 1978

With a lot of kids going back to school today(those reading this who have kids may have noticed an eerie yet peaceful quiet in the house), I thought today would be the perfect day to talk about the 1978 DC Comics Super Dictionary!

This was another one of those fun items I remember as a kid and had wanted for a long time to pick up. I figured, unlike the DC Comics Superhero Cookbook that had virtually no Aqua-Content, the Super Dictionary had to feature Aquaman, at least a little bit. So I found a copy for a decent price and took the plunge.

Luckily, my guess was right and this book, aside from just being very fun and very cool, features Aquaman all over the place! The book is about 400 pages and features various members of the DCU illustrating the definitions of words, from A to Z, plus a wraparound cover by my old instructor, Joe Kubert!

A lot of the artwork is cribbed from exisiting DC comics, other art is all new, and some is a mix of both. This being before desktop publishing, I can only imagine the nightmarish paste-up job this book must have represented. *shudder*

Anyway, as I said, Aquaman is all over the place here, so I scanned every appearance(that was a fun afternoon) and put them together in small chunks, which will appear here on the Shrine every so often. But for now, let's start with this:






...is it me, or is the panel featuring the entire JLA watching(presumably) Lois Lane sleep a little creepy? If I were Superman, I wouldn't let Green Arrow anywhere near Lois' bedroom.