New for ’83
With all the hype around DC reviving the Milton Glaser logo that I absolutely love I thought I would revisit a pereniall favorite topic here: the Superman wordmark. While I still struggle with the 2023 version I came across an amazing breakdown of both the Action Comics and Superman wordmarks over the years. In these eight blog posts Todd Klein talks evolution, history, and inspirations with lots of fascinating details. It inspired me to dig a little deeper on my beloved 1983 Superman wordmark.
I noted recently that DC still isn’t using the new version on anything outside of the main Superman comic book. This is still the case with an even more recent example being the DC Direct McFarlane Toys Page Punchers line. There is a new wave of Superman toys that come with a comic books. Of course these new comic books don’t feature the new wordmark. What about in ’83? Did DC get all their ducks-in-a-row quickly around the new wordmark, or was it a slow rollout?
The first issue of Superman to sport the 1983 wordmark was 386 but this wasn’t its first appearance. Unlike the current wordmark it seems DC was all in on this one from the get go. Its first appearance was the interior of the amazing Action Comics 544 45th anniversary issue. This book had a June cover date, two months before the cover date of Superman 386. Interestingly, it was apparently published March 24, 1983; five days before I was born. Other Superman titles on sale that month (Superman 384, DC Comics Presents 58, and World’s Finest Comics 292) had the older version both on the covers and the interiors as we’d expect.
Moving forward in time to the July cover date issues of 1983. Action Comics keeps the old wordmark on the cover, but continues its use inside the book. Most other books that month including Best of DC 38, DC Comics Presents 59, World’s Finest 293, and Superman 385 last all had the old logo on the cover and the interiors. There was one stand out though: DC Comics Presents Annual 2 rocks that new wordmark on the cover for the first time! Published three weeks after the first use in Action 544.
Finally, the August cover date issues. The normal comics published that month are all updated to the new 83 version. Notably the interior of World’s Finest 294 still clings to the old version; that gets resolved in the next issue. The only August cover date book that didn’t have it on the cover is the Superman III movie special, which used the movie logo.
So to recap, the first comic usage was in the pages of Action Comics 544, fitting for the big anniversary issue and the introductions of the new Luthor and Brainiac designs. The first cover use was DC Comics Present Annual 2; first Superman magazine was 386. We can see that within a month, the DC Comics, Inc. of 1983 had it’s act together design wise. It’s no surprise a year out from my beloved 1982-style guide they were aligned on their brand. By 1984 the wide ranging Super Powers line was using this new version of the wordmark. Today, McFarlane is playing fast and loose with the new Super Powers line. They used the pre-83 version for the normal Superman and the 1939 version for the Rebirth and Golden 40th anniversary editions. The older 30th anniversary Super Powers golden Superman uses the period correct 1983.
Still interested? The inimitable Superman Homepage has a great article on the wordmark history along with some credits to the artists that I neglected! The aforementioned Todd Klein also has a great history of the DC Bullet logo.