Tuesday, October 08, 2013

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 281: Diana is bustin' out all over


House ad for DC Comics Presents #41 (January 1982) and Wonder Woman (1942 series) #288 (February 1982); printed in Superman Family #213 (December 1981)
Ad designed and lettered by Gaspar Saladino


Here's the finished art for those gorgeous Colan pencils in the ad:


Page from the New Wonder Woman Preview in DC Comics Presents #41 (January 1982), script by Roy Thomas, pencils by Gene Colan, inks by Romeo Tanghal, colors by Adrienne Roy, letters by John Costanza

Ask most people in what comic book Diana's new Wonder Woman symbol (the double-W) first appeared and they'll probably guess "Wonder Woman number..." In which case you can yell out "BUZZZZZZZZZ!" right in their faces, much like Stephen Fry should do every time Alan Davies answers "the blue whale" on QI. But make sure you do this only with people who like you regardless, and not with strangers on the street, by the way. Such a dramatic costume change you'd expect to take place in an issue of the character's own magazine, but no...it first appeared in that "free insert" in DCCP #41!


Y'know, I'd always remembered this scene as being somehow more...momentous, and I must have been mistaken. the phrase "this charming top," aside from being one of the Smiths' lesser songs, isn't exactly laden with the regality and power one associates with our Amazon princess. Overall, despite its long-lasting design change, the story doesn't give the new bustiér as much feminist significance at the time that it could have; it almost seems like a throwaway concept destined to be retconned within a couple years:


The New Wonder Woman Preview ends, as does this post, with another house ad: for an exciting comic book called...um...wait, it's on the tip of my tongue here...ah, yes...Wonder Woman, with her new logo, new costume, new attitude...not to mention the word "bustin'!"


House ad for Wonder Woman #288 (February 1982); printed in DC Comics Presents #41 (January 1982)
Comic cover art: pencils by Gene Colan, inks by Dick Giordano
Ad designed and lettered by Gaspar Saladino

5 comments:

joecab said...

I remember thinking it was rather clever of them to recall the appearance of the old eagle with its wings spread with this new WW design.

Smurfswacker said...

When I first saw this design, it struck me as looking just like the logo of Whataburger, a fast food joint I frequented after I got out of college. But no one I talked to had ever heard of Whataburger.

Dave said...

Is that the guy who freaked out on the cover of Action #1?

Jon Jermey said...

Unfortunately for the mouthy guy in the blue hat, Frank 'Nothing' di Fazio was rostered off that day.

Tom said...

Is it me or does it look like Dr. Felton was played by Nancy Walker?