Episode #8: Featuring Comic Book Artist Rick Burchett

Thanks to the following websites for being a valuable resource in preparing this episode:
http://www.supermanhomepage.com/
http://www.dcindexes.com/
http://www.comics.org/

During this 70th anniversary of the publication of Superman, an all ages book about his creators is coming out in late summer of this year. Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman is written by Marc Tyler Nobleman, illustrated by Ross Macdonald, and published by Knopf Books for Young Readers. It will be about 40 pages long, and is scheduled to be published on Tuesday, August 26, 2008. Copies can be pre-ordered on Amazon.com. If you are interested in other work by the writer and illustrator, check out the following web sites. Marc Tyler Nobleman has two: http://www.noblemania.blogspot.com/ and http://www.mtncartoons.com/. Ross Macdonald's web site is http://www.ross-macdonald.com/. Check them out, and if you have young readers in your home, or know some, they might be interested in this book. Who knows, they might even become interested in reading the actual Superman comic book stories. A good place to start might be the volumes of Showcase Presents: Superman and Superman Family. Look for them at your local comic book store, like Bad Apple Comics at the Lake Square Mall in Leesburg Florida, http://www.bacomics.com/.

According to the Superman Comics History web page on the Superman Homepage website, Rick Burchett was born on March 9, 1952, which would make him 56, if my math is correct. So, Happy Birthday, Rick!

Rick began his career in St. Louis, working in advertising. He began his comic book career in the 1980's, working for a variety of publishers: AC Comics, Capital, First, Impact, Pacific and Vertigo. His first DC work was for the Blackhawk feature in Action Comics Weekly, which ran from 1988-1989, with a few breaks. Each story, except for the two page Superman comic strip style in the center spread, was about seven or eight pages long and were done in an episodic style. After Action Comics went back to a monthly schedule, Rick pencilled the short-lived Blackhawk series, 16 issues and one annual.

Most of Rick's work for DC was on their titles that were based on the then WB network animated series adaptions of Batman and Superman. He did pencils, inks and covers. Of the 66 issus of Superman Adventures, Rick pencilled or inked fourteen of fifteen issues, pencilling only the cover for issue #14. He exclusievely did the covers for issues 16 - 29.

His recent comic book work was for other publishers. He drew the stories collected in Queen and Country: Declassified, vol. II, written by Greg Rucka and published by Oni Press in 2006. During 2006 - 2007 he pencilled She-Hulk, written by Dan Slott and published by Marvel.

Rick Burchett has won two Eisners. He won the first in 1996, along with Paul Dini and Ty Templeton for their work on The Batman and Robin Adventures. His second Eisner was awarded in 1999, with Ty Templeton and Terry Beatty for Batman: The Gotham Adventures.

Reprints of Superman Adventures were collected by DC in the following trade paperbacks:
Superman: The Adventures of The Man of Steel (1998)
Superman Adventures vol's. I & II (2004), vol's III & IV (2006)

Rick Burchett Checklist for Superman Adventures:

Issue #1: Men of Steel Cover Date: Nov. 1996, Released: September 5, 1996.
Editor: Mike McAvennie, Cover: penciller: Ty Templeton, inker: Rick Burchett
Story: writer: paul Dini, penciller: Ty Templeton, inker: Rick Burchett, letterer: Richard Starking, colorist: Linda Medley.
Issue #2: Be Careful What You Wish For Cover Date: Dec. 1996, Released: October 2, 1996.
Cover: penciller: rick Burchett, inker: Terry Austin, colorist: Marie Severin.
Story: writer: Scott McCloud, penciller: Rick Burchett, inker: Terry Austin, letterer: Lois Buhalis, colorist: Marie Severin.
Issue #3: Distant Thunder Cover Date: Jan. 1997, Released November 6, 1996.
Cover: penciller: Rick Burchett, inker: Terry Austin, colorist: Marie Severin.
Story: writer: Scott McCloud, penciller: Rick Burchett, inker: Terry Austin, letterer: Lois Buhalis, colorist: Marie SEverin.
Issue #4: Eye to Eye Cover Date: Feb. 1997, Release date: December 4, 1996.
Cover: penciller: Rick Burchett, inker: Terry Austin, colorist: Marie Severin.
Story: writer: Scott McCloud, penciller: Rick Burchett, inker: Terry Austin, letterer: Lois Buhalis, colorist: Marie Severin.
Issue #5: Balance of Power Cover Date: March 1997, Release Date: N/A.
Cover: N/A. NOTE: Rick Burchett did not work on this issue.
Story: Scott McCloud, penciller: Bret Blevins, inker: Terry Austin, letterer: Lois Buhalis, colorist: Marie Severin.
NOTE: The credits for the following stories are as follows, except where noted:
Issue #6: Seonimod Cover Date: April 1997, Release Date: February 5, 2007.
Issue #7: All Creatures Great and Small, Part I, Cover Date: May 1997, Release Date: March 5, 1997.
Issue #8: All Creatures Great and Small, Part II Cover Date: June 1997, Release Date: April 16, 1997.
Issue #9: Return of the Hero, Cover Date: July 1997, Release Date: May 7, 1997.
Penciller: Mike Manley.
Issue #10: Don't Try This At Home, Cover Date: Aug. 1997, Release Date: June 4, 1997.
Issue #11: The War Within, Part I, Cover Date: Sept. 1997, Release Date: July 2, 1997.
Issue #12: The War Within, Part II, Cover Date: Oct. 1997, Release Date: August 6, 1997.
Issue #13: Grand Slam, Cover Date: Nov. 1997, Release Date: September 3, 1997.
Cover: penciller: Bret Blevins, colorist: ?
Issue #14: Stop the Presses, Cover Date: Dec, 1997, Release Date: Ocotber 8, 1997.
Story: writer: Mark Evanier, penciller: Neil Vokes.
Issue #15: Maximum Effort, Cover Date: Jan. 1998, Release Date: November 5, 1997.
Colorist: Rick Taylor.
Note: Rick Burchett drew only the covers for the following issues:
Issue #16: Clark Kent, You're A Nobody, Cover Date: Feb. 1998, Release Date: December 3, 1997.
Cover: penciller: Rick Burchett ?
Issue #17: Superman's Pal's Pal, Cover Date: March 1998, Release Date: January 7, 1998.
Issue #18: It's A Super Life!, Cover Date: April 1998, Release Date: February 11, 1998.
Issue #19: The Bodyguard of Steel, Cover Date: May 1998, Release Date: March 11, 1998.
Issue #20: Hide 'N' Seek, Cover Date: June 1998, Release Date: April 8, 1998.
Issue #21: Note: Rick Burchett was not credited for any art on this issue.
Issue#22: War Games, Part I, Cover Date: Aug. 1998, Release Date: June 10, 1998.
Issue #23: War Games, Part II, Cover Date: Sept. 1998, Release Date: July 7, 1998.
Issue #24: Power Corrupts, Super Power Corrupts Absolutely, Cover Date: Oct. 1998, Release Date: August 12, 1998.
Issue #25: (Almost) The World's Finest Team, Cover Date: Nov. 1998, Release Date: September 9, 1998.
Issue #26: Yesterday's Man of Tomorrow, Cover Date: Dec. 1998, Release Date: October 14, 1998.
Issue #27: How Much Can One Man Hate?, Cover Date: Jan. 1999, Release Date: November 11, 1998.
Issue #28: Jimmy Olsen vs. Darkseid, Cover Date: Feb. 1999, Release Date: December 9, 1998.
Issue #29: Bride of Bizarro, Cover Date: March 1999, Release Date: January 6, 1999.

You can find the Superman Fan Podcast web site at: http://www.supermanfanpodcast.mypodcast.com/. Send e-mail about Superman Fan Podcast to: supermanfampodcast@gmail.com.

Check out my other blog: My Pull List at http://www.mypulllist.blogspot.com/. Send e-mail about this blog to mypulllist@gmail.com.

As always, thanks to Jerry and Joe.