RIP Joe Kubert

One of the greatest comics artists ever has passed away. Reports are coming in that Joe Kubert has died at age 85.

Although Kubert's career began in the "Golden Age" of the 1940s -most notably with Hawkman- he was also very active during my own personal Golden Age of Comics, which was probably 1973-1983. The images he created during that time are indelibly drawn into my memory. He was one of those artists from that time period whose work was singular, unique, and automatically recognizable.

There were his illustrations of DC Superheroes, like Hawkman and Green Lantern:

His action-adventure works, including Tor and his versions of Tarzan, Conan, Kull, and Solomon Kane:

And his World War II comics, including classic characters like Enemy Ace, The Unknown Soldier, The Losers, and -probably the work he was most known for -Sgt. Rock.

And then, of course, I also remember the ads for the art school Kubert founded in New Jersey. Among its graduates were his sons, Andy and Adam, who became comics luminaries in their own right.

Thank you, Joe Kubert, for decades of work that entertained and inspired generations.

And thank you for Conan the Barbarian Annual #6, summer 1981, which remains one of my favorites.

Rest in Peace.