Injury to Colourist Sparks Near Riot

By Bob Barnes
DFG ONLINE Staff Reporter

Fans took to the streets this afternoon after learning of the freak accident that hospitalized DFG colourist Flora Lovartalot late last evening (click here for full story). What can only be described as a near-riot broke out in front of DFG corporate HQ. Carnage City Police Chief Seamus McMullen (pictured in the top photograph) was forced to subdue one distraught fan who was calling for the blood of DFG co-publishers Graves & Andrews. "I'll tell ya, it was quite a scene," said McMullen, "fortunately, after some tazer applications, tear gas, and rubber bullets, the crowd dispersed peacefully." A similar crowd gathered later outside the Carnage City General Hospital to hold vigil for Flora (see lower picture). The Carnage City P.D. was on hand to ensure no violence erupted.

This reporter spoke with several fans outside the hospital. "We just want Flora to know that we love her, and are praying for her recovery," said one teary-eyed woman. Another man added, "I think everyone is being hard on poor Ernest (editor's note: Ernest Wontellalie -- the DFG janitor who improperly secured the shelving unit that fell on Flora). No one ever uses those tether straps... it was just a freak accident." DFG enthusiast Javier Santamotzarello was on hand to lead in a special prayer vigil and candlelight service.

Dan Graves and Darryl Andrews have been unavailable for comment, although Mr. Andrews was spotted at a local bistro in the company of several foreign investors, reputedly closing an overseas licensing deal. Mr. Graves has avoided the media.

August Hero(ine) ~ NOVA

Nova is our August hero. Nova was created in the early 1980's by Dan Graves in order to introduce a female superheroine into the DFG lineup. "It really was a male dominated company in those days," recalled the DFG Publisher and Founder, "Nova was to be introduced in the first never-published Spy Comics annual in 1983 or 84. That annual never came together, although she did appear in her civilian identity in another unpublished story, which was to follow the annual." According to Mr. Graves she was to have assumed the civilian identity of Kim Kane and begun work as secretary to Carnage City Gazette editor-in-chief, J.S. Frederickson, who was also Julius Smithers' boss. "Dan was getting a little ahead of himself in those days," recalled co-publisher Darryl Andrews, "he was great at drawing advance covers and cover concepts, but a bit slow on doing interior stories and art. As a result Nova appeared on several covers, but never on any inside stories. She was also to appear in the unpublished Invincibles mini-series of 1983." When asked about Nova, DFG enthusiast Javier Santamotzarello commented, "She really was one of the characters always lurking in the background of the golden-age of DFG but never really making it to the front page, like Nepto, Spymaster and Redman. I have several early sketches that I picked up at conventions. Perhaps my most prized possession is the unpublished cover for the original Spy Comics #13 which was to feature the marriage of Spymaster and Nova." Dan Graves remembered this cover, "Yes, it was all a bit absurd... for some reason I thought that Nova would be a good love interest for the Spymaster. I can't recall my reasoning anymore. That cover (which featured the Spymaster in top hat and tails marrying a wedding-dress clad Nova) was just absurd." Mr. Graves revisited that story in Retro-Spy #2, last year, which featured the first appearance of Nova since the early 1980's. In that story it was revealed that she was an alien from another dimension who was brought back to earth by the Invincibles and joined their team. Spy Comics Presents #1 (2006) revealed that she had since returned to her own dimension and homeworld. "She didn't make it into either the 1985 or the 1996 relaunch," said Darryl Andrews, "and so I was absolutely flabergasted when Dan brought her back for the Retro-Spy issue, and even more surprised to see her appearances in recent issues of Spy Comics Presents!" Regardless of her inauspicious early days, it looks like our favourite heroine from another dimension, who still has a crush on Julius Smithers, is back to stay. Watch for future appearances in upcoming DFG Comics titles!
Nova picture by Darryl Andrews scan courtesy of Oscar Foodlecollins

Rare Darryl Andrews Convention Art Donated to Canadian Museum of Cartoon Arts

By Bob Barnes

Special to DFG ONLINE



A rare piece of Darryl Andrews convention artwork has surfaced. The piece, entitled, "Decision 2000 - To Begin Again?" was drawn at the 2000 Carnage City Comicon by the Captain Nepto creator for a fan who wished to remain anonymous. Reached for comment, Mr. Andrews said, "It was drawn during one of DFG's dormant periods. Dan and I were considering a relaunch but other areas in our lives were quite full and it never happened." Prof. Martin R. Schoedel, the official DFG historian who holds several graduate degrees, including two in panelology, commented on the work's significance, "The work is significant for several reasons. First, Nepto is drawn with a full mask, but no wig evoking his early, but not earliest golden-age appearance. Yet, he is also sporting his new capeless look, from the third series, and with the signature trident isignia which was prominent in the second series. It seems that Mr. Andrews was trying to evoke a sense of old and new in a profound way and was obviously toying with some aspect of nostalgia and a vision of looking forward. It might even suggest an early wrangling with the concepts that we are now seeing fully developed in the new Captain Nepto Prime series! Secondly, the pictures on the table are of classic Nepto villains, the Jester, Blaster, Mummy, Alligator, and possible the Unknown Strangler (or maybe Death). What is important to note in this is that Andrews was considering returning to the one shot Nepto vs. villains stories, again of the earlier years... the kinds of stories that were told only sparingly during the Spy '96 series. Finally, it is significant because it a mixed media piece -- a mixture of pencil only and pen and ink... very rare in the corpus of Andrews convention art." Once this reporter woke up after that ponderous interview, he consulted renowned DFG collector Javier Santamotzarello on the works value. "I would suggest that at today's market, if the work were to sell at auction, I would expect nothing less than at least $15,000, given the work's significance!" However, it is unlikely that the work will be sold, as the anonymous collector has donated it for display in the permanent DFG exibit at the Canadian Museum of Cartoon Art.