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 also 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 comic book fans took him for granted. Zeno’s book should remedy that notion.
It does provide a different impression of Curt Swan. He was a dependable deadline worker who could draw well no matter what he was given. He also drew each panel as he went rather than thinking in terms of page layout and preferred the smaller original page size when it was brought in in 1966. When he wasn’t drawing comic books, he liked to play golf. He only attended comic book 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.
When I see some of his pencil work without inkers, I notice that there is much more detail, which helps me understand why he often did not have many inkers who could match his style. 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 comic book professionals for interviews, which they all freely gave, and he was much of an influence on them as they grew up, let alone worked 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. The shooter’s interview here is very telling of how much of an impact Swan had on him.
It’s 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, it’s worth picking it up.
GF Willmetts
March 2026
(pub: Vanguard Publications, 2002. 192 page large hardback. Price: varies. ISBN: 978-1-8875-9139-3).
