Over the weekend, I listened to Dan Jurgens' interview with Keith Callbeck on Comicosity.com. (You did too, right?) A lot of great things were discussed, but it is incumbant on me, as the unofficial chronicler of all things Booster Gold to correct one error in the interview.

When asked who was his favorite Booster Gold artist (other than himself), Dan Jurgens said Kevin Maguire. That's not the error. Everyone loves Kevin Maguire's expressive work. But Jurgens also said he believed that Maguire was the first person (after himself) to draw Booster Gold. That's the error.

Booster Gold #1 debuted in November 1985. For the better part of a year, every appearance of the new character, including advertisements, was drawn by a young up-and-coming artist named Dan Jurgens. It wouldn't be until August of the following year that Booster would appear under someone else's pencil. That person wasn't Kevin Maguire, but legendary artist Carmine Infantino!

As you can see, Infantino included Booster (and Skeets!) in his entry for the Space Museum in Who's Who #21 released August 14, 1986. Even if you want to pick nits and say that Infantino was drawing Micheal Carter and not Booster Gold, Maguire still wasn't second. Several other amazing DC artists also got there before him.

George Perez included a panel of Booster in costume History of the DC Universe #2, November 27, 1986.

Eduardo Barreto drew Booster in his rarely seen cape for his first true DCU crossover action in New Teen Titans #29 and #30, beginning December 18, 1986.

Jim Aparo showed Booster Gold working crowd control in The Outsiders #17, January 2, 1987.

It wasn't until March 5, 1987, that Kevin Maguire would finally get his hands on Booster for Justice League #2. (The famous Action Comics #594, in which John Byrne drew Booster Gold beating Superman, wasn't released until August 25 of that year.)

So while Maguire wasn't second to the drafting table, he was in great company. And Maguire has since overcome his late start to become the artist who has draw Booster Gold in more comics than any other artist (except for Dan Jurgens). He clearly has an affinity for the character. Check out his Twitter header:

Jurgens may have had the timing wrong, but he had the artist right. That Kevin Maguire is pretty good.

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Start your week with a twinkle in these bright, blue eyes!

This adorable Booster Gold sketch is brought to us by smokegem on DeviantArt.com.

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If you're looking for something to do this weekend between the hot dogs and fireworks, check out Keith Callbeck's "We Talk Comics" podcast interview with Dan Jurgens at Comicosity.com. Callbeck is a huge Booster Gold fan, so you know there's some good stuff in there!

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As someone whose hobby is tracking the minutiae of Booster Gold comic books, you can probably guess how I voted.

Last week's poll question: How do you feel about Booster Gold continuity? (48 votes)

Last night on The Daily Show, Jon Stewart poked fun at the many items presidential candidates are selling to drum up support for their campaigns. I instantly thought that Booster Gold could do a better job selling t-shirts and beer koozies than any of the dozen-plus candidates. But does an ability to hawk gewgaws actually make someone a viable candidate for President of the United States of America?

 

(By the way, no post tomorrow. Even Booster Gold takes a three-day weekend to celebrate American Independence Day!)

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In the summer of 1984, Hollywood box offices were doing boffo business with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Gremlins drawing wide audiences. Those wide audiences happened to include many, many children under the age of 13 whose parents worried these films were too violent for their precious darlings. The Motion Picture Association of America responded swiftly. Thus, on this day in 1984, the PG-13 rating was born.

Since 1984, the PG-13 rating has become a necessity for summer movies seeking to draw in the most affluent and impressionable movie-goers (read: teenagers). Consequently, it has also become the go-to rating for super hero movies. If Booster Gold: The Movie had ever gotten off the ground in the 1980s, it would certainly have been rated PG-13.

Obviously, the emergence of the PG-13 rating was no accident. Steven Spielberg claims he originally suggested it. But which is really more likely: that a major media mogul who made millions on PG movies would want to shake things up, or that a self-centered time-traveler out to make his own big-budget bio-pic would be willing to manipulate the MPAA to introduce himself to the biggest audience?

(Say, doesn't that sound like it would make a great movie?)

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