Barely a month and a half into the new year, and Booster booster Cort has already gathered a new line-up of Booster Gold commissions.

Freddie Williams III

Stephen Sadowski

Cary Nord

John Delaney

Cort notes that both Sadowski and Nord think this was the first time in their careers they've been asked to draw Booster Gold. Hopefully it won't be their last.

Comments (1) | Add a Comment | Tags: 2020 cary nord commissions cort carpenter fan art freddie williams iii john delaney stephen sadowski

"My life has changed in so many ways over the past decade" is something I could say every 10 years. In 2009, I was reading new Booster Gold comic books and watching Attack of the Show on G4. None of those things exist anymore.

Fortunately, I don't have to rely on my memory to recall those golden days because I still have my copy of Booster Gold Volume 2, #23, released 10 years ago today.

For those of you too young to remember, Blair Butler reviewed comic books in her "Fresh Ink" segment on Attack of the Show. She had been very positive about Booster's second series, and DC Comics thought she would make the perfect spokesperson for Booster's fan club. I couldn't agree more.

Butler described how she earned this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to Laura Hudson of ComicsAlliance.com shortly after Comic-Con International on July 29, 2009:

ComicsAlliance: So, how did the whole "Booster Gold" cover with DC come about?

Blair Butler: I actually got a call from Dan DiDio who said he had a crazy idea for an upcoming issue of "Booster Gold." Basically — and forgive me, because my memory sucks and I'm still recovering from Comic-Con — I recall that he said DC wanted to do a cover that sort of stood out for #23, and having a photo cover with a Booster fan was the main idea. It seemed oddly appropriate, since Booster is a bit of an attention hog. I think he'd not-so-secretly love the idea of having a lady-fan on the cover of his book. And, honestly, I was incredibly humbled that DC would ask me to don the Blue and Gold fan colors. I've loved comics since I had to stand on a stool to reach the quarter-bins at my local comic shop, so it's pretty awesome to get to be part of a DC comic.

CA: So what exactly makes you Booster Gold's biggest fan?

BB: Well, first, let me just admit that there are some massive Booster fans out there who really dwarf me — the folks who run the Boosterrific site, the guys at Project Fanboy, and the folks in the DC forums. They're all so passionate that it's really awe-inspiring and humbling. But let's settle this now: The real #1 fan would be Skeets or Blue Beetle. And I think Ted wins. However, if this were the mid-80s, Trixie Collins would totally be on the cover, rockin' some awesome 80s shoulder-pads.

I think the people who love Booster really respond to the fact that even though he's a shameless self-promoter, at the end of the day, he's a good, decent, heroic person at the core. Plus, when you live in LA, there's no more fitting superhero than Booster. I mean, the guy saves a crashing plane and does product placement. So Hollywood.

CA: We all know that you're going to be on the cover of "Booster Gold" now, but are you going to make an appearance inside the book as well?

BB: Straight from Dan Jurgens' mouth, I'll play a "slight role." Honestly, having anything to do with the comic is an honor.

That "slight role" was a romantic one. Butler went on a few dates with Booster, joining a list that includes movie star Monica Lake and the super hero Firehawk. An honor indeed!

Butler has since moved from writing for television to writing movies, but I'm sure she's still reading and enjoying Booster Gold comic books.

Meanwhile, Comics Alliance has been defunct since 2017. DC Comics closed their forums in 2016. G4 went off the air in 2014. Project Fanboy dissolved in 2013. Booster Gold Volume 2 was canceled in 2011. But Boosterrific.com is still here (feeling very, very old).

Comments (3) | Add a Comment | Tags: attack of the show blair butler comicsalliance.com g4 lauren hudson

It is a truth universally acknowledged that every comic book heroes will inevitably get in a fist fight with every other hero. Such was the case with Booster Gold and Superman early in Booster's career.

Every new super hero in a shared universe needs guest appearances from more famous characters to drive new readers to their title. Hence Superman's appearance in Booster Gold #6 and #7.

Pencils by Dan Jurgens, Inks by Mike DeCarlo

Not coincidentally, Dan Jurgens took the opportunity of a visit from the established star — in his very first appearance in the newly-merged post-Crisis on Infinite Earths DC Universe continuity — to reveal Booster's less-than-stellar origin tale. The image on the cover correlated well with the shock and disgust that audiences felt discovering that they had been reading the tale of a gambler and a thief. Superman was giving our hero nothing less than what many of us felt he deserved.

But the story doesn't end there.

Because Dan Jurgens was kind enough to accommodate John Byrne's post-Crisis revamp of Superman in the aforementioned issues, Byrne let Booster guest in Action Comics #594. The cover to that might look familiar; turnabout is fair play.

Pencils by John Byrne, Inks by Keith Williams

Once again, the cover was figuratively true. Booster had been growing into the role of a true hero, and history had been proven to be on his side. The story inside plays on Booster's bad reputation following the earlier story, making the cover reversal doubly sweet.

Aren't these some great covers? As a fan of traditional fine art, I love that the extremely foreshortened poses turn the heroes into grotesques personifying the ugly, violent acts that they are engaged in. As a fan of comic book artists, it's particularly interesting to compare young Jurgens' early take on Superman to Byrne's more iconic character (and also to Jurgens' future interpretation).

As a fan of comic book super heroes, it's just great to see two heroes going head-to-head.

Comments (3) | Add a Comment | Tags: covers dan jurgens favorite covers john byrne keith williams mike decarlo superman

Here we go again.

Heroes in Crisis isn't even over yet, and Booster Gold is already being included as a possible victim of the next round of DC's version of Russian Roulette.

This is the house ad that ran in this week's DC's Year of the Villain Special advertising for August's upcoming relaunch of Batman/Superman. As you can see, our hero, Booster Gold, is included among the list of possibilities to become the newest threat to the DC Universe in August's relaunch of Superman/Batman Batman/Superman.

The series writer, Joshua Williamson, spoke about the upcoming series with The Hollywood Reporter.

"We discover, through the Batman Who Laughs series that the Batman Who Laughs have been working on this massive plan since Metal. What it is is, he has sleeper agents throughout the [DC Universe]. They've been infected, and they're slowly turning into the worst versions of themselves," Williamson teased. "Some of them know they're changing, some don't. Some aren't aware it's kind of like a Jekyll and Hyde situation where they're not aware of [what] the other side is doing.

I can't say as I'm particularly enthusiastic about this, but I think it's more the timing than the concept. What with Metal, Doomsday Clock, Heroes in Crisis, Leviathan, "Year of the Villain," etc., it's starting to feel like villains having the upper hand is the rule, not the exception, in the modern DCnU. A little sunlight, some *joy*, some *fun* would do everyone some good. Why bother being a hero anymore if it's never anything but murder and sadness? No one likes to always be in crisis.

In other words, why so serious, DC?

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Booster booster and art collector Cort was at Vancouver Fan Expo last week, as he was last October and he picked up even more Boosterrific sketches. Here they are, with Cort's own commentary:

Liam Sharp, fellow Brit, said this was the first time he'd ever drawn Booster and really enjoyed it, he even asked me about the history of the character and we had quite the chat, he said he found it fascinating, one of the coolest origins he's heard. Plus I had to see how he'd tackle it, as it could be my only chance to see him do so, very grizzled! I love it.

The ever personable and great Ty Templeton was a joy to listen to. He held many interesting anecdotes of the comics industry. Signed me some Booster Gold and JLI comics too.

Tom Grummett whom was beside Ty did a fantastic Booster for me as well, it was everything I could ask for, it screams Booster Gold to me. The banter between Ty and he was very enjoyable and being able to geek out with them made me adore them all the more as they are just as much fans as we are.

And last but not least, Marcus To. Whom I only knew through some X-Men and Red Robin did a fascinating Poison Ivy for my girlfriend and all his proceeds went to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, so I decided to help put money towards some of the greats whom are dealing with pressing issues. Turned out great!

They all look amazing, Cort. Thank you for sharing again.

Comments (0) | Add a Comment | Tags: 2019 conventions cort carpenter fan art liam sharp marcus to tom grummett ty templeton vancouver fan expo