TOP 10 - MY FAVOURITE JOE KUBERT MOMENTS

Last week we lost the true pioneer of illustration in comics with the passing of Joe Kubert.  Not only did he give us the platform on which DC and Marvel where built and are still building off of, but also founded the Joe Kubert School for Art and gave us two amazing artists in his sons Adam and Andy.  I could go on and on about this legend of the industry, but there are definitely more qualified people who have already paid appropriate tribute to the man.  If you are not familiar with the "Man of Rock" check out his biography and bibliography on wikipedia.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Kubert

I was extremely saddened by Joe's passing and though I never met him I feel by having experienced his works I've become better educated about the world in that strange way comics can have on you.  Here are my favourite Joe Kubert moments in comics.

01 - DONG XOAI VIETNAM 1965

Joe Kubert, one of the most influential storytellers in comics history, tells the harrowing, true story of a detachment of Special Forces soldiers on a simple recon mission into the village of Dong Xoai, Vietnam, that turned suddenly deadly.DONG XOAI, VIETNAM 1965 has a unique perspective, since Kubert based the story on extensive information gathered from the surviving members of the unit. It covers not only the action of the event but the details of deployment and build-up that led to the deadly encounter for these young American G.I.s.For decades, Joe Kubert has shown readers the true face of war – all the suffering, horror, loss and heroism of our fighting forces. With DONG XAOI, he goes a step beyond to tell a gut-wrenching tale of sacrifice that will linger long after you are done reading.

 

*This book was the culmination of everything Joe had done up to this point in his career.  The painstaking research he undertook to tell the story accurately is incredible.*

 

02 - G.I COMBAT FEATURING SGT. ROCK & HAUNTED TANK 

*Joe Kubert's first work on Sgt. Rock and Haunted Tank began in 1955.  Both creations are still extensively used by DC Comics.  DC has recently brought back G.I Combat as a monthly title as part of their DC NEW 52.*

 

03 - FAX FROM SARAJEVO

In 1945, we told the world, "Never again." In 1992, the promise was broken into bloody shards. That was the year the war broke out in Sarajevo, Bosnia, the year that genocide revisited the planet. It was the year that Ervin Rustemagic -- an international businessman whose clients included author Joe Kubert -- found himself and his family trapped in a city under siege. Ervin's only means of communication to the outside world was via his fax machine. As Joe began to receive these messages from Ervin, he did what he had done for years -- he put the story to paper.

*1997 winner of both Eisner and Harvey awards for best graphic novel.*

 

04 - YOSSEL: APRIL 19, 1943

In this harrowing yet inspiring "alternate reality" story, legendary artist Joe Kubert explores what would have happened if he and his family never emigrated from Poland to the US in 1926.
Yossel is a fifteen-year-old boy who could have grown up to be a great artist. But in Nazi-occupied Poland, he and his family are deprived of their rights, homes and possessions, and forced to live in the devastating conditions of the Warsaw Ghetto. YOSSEL, April 19th, 1943 is his story, told through Kubert's raw and evocative pencilled art. Yossel's sketches of super heroes ingratiates him to the Nazi guards, but it is through his journal drawn on scraps of paper that he depicts the full horror of his existence.
With great emotional power, YOSSEL draws a dark and brutal reality of ghetto life, of the stories he hears of the concentration camp atrocities, and ultimately portrays the final act of defiance and courage that drives the fatal uprising of the Warsaw Ghetto.

 

05 - SEVEN SOLDIERS OF VICTORY - 1943 

If you've ever wondered where Grant Morrison gets some of his inspiration from look no further than the comics of the '40s and 50's from DC. 

 

06 - 1,000,000 YEARS AGO - FEATURING TOR

*Kubert was a busy man in the 50s as Tor debuted in 1953 alongside a slew of new characters Joe created/illustrated.  Tor is due for a revival.  Maybe this is something Adam and Andy should handle though.*

 

07 - BRAVE & THE BOLD #42 JULY 1962

*Won the Alley Award for single best cover.*

 

08 -WEDNESDAY COMICS - SGT. ROCK FEATURE

*Father and son team-up. Adam wrote the 12 part feature and Joe lent his pencils to the only comic Adam has written so far.  Also, the last time Joe would draw the character he is most known for.*

 

09 - TARZAN '72 TO '75

*DC really hit it's stride in the early to mid '70s with adventure comics when Joe took over the editorial reigns.  Dark Horse are currently publishing artist's editions of Joe's work.*

 

10 - 3-D COMICS #1 STARRING MIGHTY MOUSE

*Issue #1 was released in 1953 with good friend and another industry legend, Norman Maurer.  And you got Mighty Mouse Space goggles for free!  Another revival long over due.*

 

 

Joe Kubert passed away as a result of multiple myeloma on Aug. 12th shortly before his 86th birthday.

 

R.I.P JOE KUBERT, MAN OF ROCK: 1926 TO 2012.