DFG Movie Character from the 1980's Makes Jump From Silver Screen to Comics Page!

By Bob Barnes
DFG ONLINE Staff Reporter

Breaking News! A press conference with DFG President and Co-Publisher Dan Graves is scheduled for 2 PM tomorrow, at which it is expected that DFG Comics plans to announce that one of its 1980's film characters will be appearing in an upcoming DFG Comic. Rumours abound as to which character it will be, but this reporter has not be able to confirm any of the rumours. Given recent security upgrades at DFG Corporate Head office -- in light of several recent media leaks -- it is unlikely that we will know the identity of the character until the press conference.

This is not the first time that a DFG character has made the jump from the silver screen. William Holden and Frank Bates, the popular "comic relief" members of The Invincibles began as a the stars of a popular film serial. Stars Dan Graves and Peter Repas won several awards for their portrayals of the bumbling detectives.

DFG Film Studios ceased production in the late eighties but can still be viewed at review cinemas and film festivals across North America.

Wrong Place; Wrong Time

The DFG staff person who thrilled millions of Internet users by obtaining an image of the new Captain Nepto series launch was fired today. DFG President said in a release, "while I'm thrilled by the measure of anticipation this posting brought, we cannot exercise anything but zero tolerance to such actions; especially in light of recent events". Co-Publisher Dan Graves was of course referring to the recent discovery of lost artwork stolen from DFG offices over two decades ago which resurfaced in an Internet auction. The lost original artwork for the cover of Spy Comics Vol. 1, No. 1 (Nov/Dec 1981), fetched an amazing $50K in auction vaulting over Todd Abbot's Spymaster "sketch on a napkin" into firstplace for high-sum-paid for a piece of DFG original art.

1st Look

The office was abuzz yesterday when a DFG staffer passed Darryl Andrews' drafting table and spotted what appears to be a preliminary drawing for the new Captain Nepto series launch. Co-Publisher Darryl Andrews could not be reached for comment, but a snapshot was taken of the pencil drawing and delivered to DFG webmaster Oscar Foodlecollins.

Original Dan Graves Art for First DFG Comic Sells for $50,000 on Internet!

By Bob Barnes
DFG ONLINE Staff Reporter

Word has just arrived at the DFG Corporate Head Office that the long-lost original artwork for the cover of Spy Comics Vol. 1, No. 1 (Nov/Dec 1981), the first DFG Comic, has surfaced. Not only has the artwork, which was once thought destroyed, been found but it has sold in an internet auction for a record-setting sum for DFG original art! "Never has a Dan Graves original fetched such a sum," commented DFG Vice-President and Co-Publisher Darryl Andrews, "This is absolutely remarkable, if not somewhat surprising!" According to official DFG historian, Prof. Montague R. Schoedel, the artwork went missing sometime around 1984/85 when DFG was preparing to relaunch its entire line. "Dan Graves believed that it had been shredded by a careless office worker, but it is now clear that it was stolen," commented Prof. Schoedel. The seller, who remains anonymous made the following public statement: "I had no idea the work was stolen. I bought it in good faith from a reputable antiquities dealer in a Cairo street market in the early nineties and have been waiting for the right moment to sell it. I can, in no way, be held responsible for its disappearance." DFG legal counsel, Sir Milton Goldfarbstein, LLB, PhD, QC, KG, is currently investigating DFG's legal options. Chief Augustus Smith is reported to have reopened the "missing cover" file. DFG President and Co-Publisher Dan Graves has been fairly philosophical about the whole thing, though, making the following statement, "I'm just happy that it's been found. I could have used the 50 grand, though."

The Many Faces of Chief Smith -- Panoramic Poster!

DFG Comics has released a retrospective of the career of Chief Augustus Smith in the form of a panoramic poster entitled The Many Faces of Chief Smith. Since his first appearance in the very first DFG comic, Spy Comics Vol. 1, #1, in 1981, Chief Smith has been one of the most important supporting characters in the DFG universe. As DFG executive Darryl Andrews noted, "In the DFG universe everyone ages naturally, there's none of this 'slowed time' crap that you encounter in our competitors' publications. That's why we've seen Chief Smith go through the aging process over the years and his appearance has changed. We all get older and we all look different as the years go by."

Chief Smith has gone through many changes in his life since his first appearance. Perhaps the most traumatic event in his life was the death of his daughter Sarah at the hands of Capt. Nepto's foe, the Unknown Strangler, back in Spy Comics Vol. 2, #3 (Jan/Feb 1985). Her death left Smith a grimmer and more driven figure, as he was now all alone in the world with the exception of his younger brother, Sgt. John Smith, also of the Carnage City Police Force.

Smith retired from the force in 1996 (as seen in Spy '96 #3, Mar. 1996) handing over the reigns to his former Chief Inspector, Shamus McMullen. However, after Julius Smithers became Governor General, Smith was pressed back into active service as the director of the national Security and Intelligence Service (and also serves presently as tactical advisor to the Invincibles). He remains, even at his advanced age, a crucial character in the DFG universe.

The character of Chief Augustus Smith is based on his real-life namesake who now serves as a security advisor to the management of DFG Publications.

The poster features art from throughout the publishing history of DFG Comics by DFG artists Darryl Andrews, Dan Graves, Frank Daniels, and comic book legend Todd Abbot.

For a closer view of the poster, click on the image, above.