Curt Swan: A Life In Comics by Eddy Zeno (book review)
I came across this book, ‘Curt Swan: A Life In Comics’ by Eddy Zeno, quite by accident recently as it was released 24 years ago. Curt Swan (1920-1996) was the main stay on the Superman titles for some 50 years before the character was revamped. He didn’t draw just Superman but Superboy, the Legion Of Super-Heroes, Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. Add to that drawing the Superman newspaper strip which took a different dynamic. He was such a mainstay in the 1960s-80s, I suspect we comicbook fans took him for granted. Zeno’s book should remedy that notion.
It does give a different impression of Curt Swan. He worked to put food on the table for his family and was considered reliable on deadlines and could draw remarkably well no matter what he was given. He also drew each panel as he went than think in terms of page layout and preferred the smaller original page size when it was brought in in 1966.When he wasn’t drawing comicbooks, he liked to play golf. He only attended comicbook conventions later in life and never took himself seriously. Seeing the other work he did here, Swan showed himself to be an able comedy cartoonist while in the military.
Seeing some of his pencilwork sans inkers, there’s a lot more detail here so I can understand he wasn’t always getting many inkers to match his work. Even in old age, his depictions are solid. Swan cites Stan Kaye, Murphy Anderson and Al Williamson as his best inkers. I can see why other professionals liked working with him. Zeno sought out a lot of comicbook professionals for interviews which they all freely gave and how much of an influence he was on them as they grew up, let alone work with him. He was also Jim Shooter’s first penciller on the Legion Of Super-Heroes and the only request he made was to have fewer characters per panel. Shooter’s interview here is very telling on how much of an impact Swan had on him.
Its also rather telling about the difference between the professionals and fans as to what they look for in their artists. There are copies of this book out there so if you want a nostalgic kick, its worth picking it up/
GF Willmetts
March 2026
(pub: Vanguard Publications, 2002. 192 page large hardback. Price: varies. ISBN: 978-1-8875-9139-3)
