Via the Spurge's Comics Reporter, I see where none other than Andy Helfer is celebrating his 48th trip around the sun. He's only a couple of years older than me, howaboutthat. Here's a Bacardi Show Birthday Greeting for yas, my first in what seems like a small eon.
Anyway, I got nothing but mad love for Tom, but the only proper and fitting way to pay tribute to Helfer is by posting a cover from what is by far the best thing he ever wrote, and indeed in my humble opinion one of the best series to ever appear under the aegis of National Periodical Publications AKA DC Comics, INC: his SHADOW, most notably the issues he did in collaboration with Kyle ("I don't remember much about it, it was just a paycheck") Baker, #'s 8-19. As far as I can see (in my admittedly less than definitive view) it was a masterpiece of black comedy and adventure, and was a TON of fun to read. He picked up from where Chaykin's original less-than-reverent miniseries left off, and I dare say he outdid his predecessor, especially on the extraordinary "Seven Deadly Finns" arc. Of course, that meant it wasn't long for this world, and was cancelled abruptly under somewhat mysterious circumstances...most likely so nobody would confuse this, shall we say, less-than-reverent treatment with the, shall-we-say, effing horrible (as it turned out...God that movie was bad) then-just-announced Alec Baldwin film treatment.
That's the agents of the Shadow on the cover above, from Baker's trace-everything-with-white-grease-pencil period. Whatta crew, huh! Oh, I could go on and on. And someday I just might.
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